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yesimwriting · 3 years

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Dying Starlight

A/n: i dont think an audience for this exists?? ik it’s not shadow and bone related, but ive been reading red queen and i wanted to try writing maven and ive been playing with this idea. umm...on the off-chance that there is an audience for this i do think of this as more of a series but i’ll probably end up deleting this lol

(Series?) Summary: reader is a childhood friend of Mare’s who isn’t officially part of the Scarlet Guard but gets captured by Maven. As a prisoner, she feels like her mind is being messed with as she begins to see a more human side of Maven. The new King tells himself the only thing he sees in her is that she’s a way to get to Mare, but something about her genuiness is infectious.

Irony twists things. Right now, the irony that my last thoughts might be about how I wish I had been trusted with a suicide pill twist my impending doom into something almost comical. I’d laugh, but I’d rather not startle the rats in my cell. This has been their home for presumably years, but I’ve only been down here a few hours.

I scratch the back of my wrist, staring at tired stone walls like they’ve done something to me. I wish I knew what time it was. How long have I been down here? How long has it been since I was separated from Mare? An hour? Three?Each passing minute strikes me like a bullet, but I can’t count them. I’ve never had a talent for accurately feeling the passage of time.

My head aches, frustration and dread tangling themselves in the pit of my stomach. Mare told me the Queen can search through someone’s mind, seeing memories even they can’t remember. What will they do when they see I know virtually nothing? What will happen when they see how close Mare and I truly are? i can’t do anything and the unknown hurts more than my bruised rib.

The sound of the heavy door that divides the luxury of the castle from the wasteland of the cells creaks. I only let my arms flinch, moving from my side to wrap defensively around my stomach. Dull footsteps echo down the pathway that lead to the cell I’m in. I don’t cringe, not even when the sound of walking stops.

I was not born into a rich family, but I was born into a proud one. Fear was practically a criminal act in my household. I’ve been trained to suppress all signs of weakness. My eyes don’t leave the stone wall, I mentally trace the pattern of a long crack in a specific rock. It reminds me of the slope of the Big Dipper.

Will I ever see stars again? The answer leaves a sharp pain in my chest.

“Mare told me about you.”

The words jar me, my stomach dropping in revulsion. Mare had trusted him, and here he stands--successful because he’s a traitor. I know what it’s like to be the most overlooked sibling and to crave to change that. I know what it’s like to want to succeed more than you want air in your lungs, but I don’t think I’d ever betray someone. I like to think that there’s a line even the monster in me won’t cross.

I don’t look at him, partially out of an attempt to protest and partially because I’m afraid of what I’ll see. “She might have mentioned you in passing.”

His scoff is ridiculous. “She didn’t lie about your sense of humor.”

That almost makes me wince. His words are too close, too personal. It’s like he knows me. I turn my. head, ready to cut through the uneasy beginning to get to the miserable middle if it brings me to the end faster.

“You’re here to torment me, not make small talk.” Turning had been a mistake. I regret it instantly. His expression is unforgiving--cold, sharp, and made up of only angles. But that’s not why I stare. I did not expect him to be objectively attractive. The fine slope of his nose, the sharpness of his cheekbones, and the ice blue of his eyes. I need to snap out of this mindset. I’m sure his beauty will not be so distracting when he’s burning me. “Though some might consider that the same thing.”

He scoffs again, the sound dry. The sneer of his lips does not diminish his attractiveness. The fact makes me loathe him. “I wonder if you’ll still be so prone to humor after you’ve been broken--any information of worth extracted from your thoughts.”

“Let me save everyone the trouble and just tell you everything that I know now.” My back straightens despite the pain in my ribs. I look pathetic, dirty and in a torn dress. He’s regal, dressed in fine, all black clothing. “I know that Mare wanted to kill you today, I know that she needed a distraction and that her distraction needed to be expendable, which is why I’m sitting in front of you.” I squeeze my hands together awkwardly, a bit of genuine irritation rolling in my stomach. “That’s literally all I know, I’m not even part of the Guard.” I scratch the back of my wrist. If I were him, I wouldn’t believe that, but I’m being honest. How pitiful can one person be that they’re worth more disconnected from the group they work for than as an actual member? “You don’t take that kind of risk for someone that’s only skill set is in thought.”

I didn’t mean to say that out loud, but I don’t regret it. Maybe he’ll think that my story is so pathetic it has to be true. “You have to know more than that.”

“The Scarlet Guard only reaches out to me on a need-to-know basis, and anything worthwhile to you is something I clearly didn’t need to know.” In a way, I’m glad I can’t give him anything. “So are you going to kill me with a bullet or do you prefer more flamboyant executions?” My death should be plain. I am human completely--I bleed red and I have no powers. “I do think anything more than a simple death is more trouble than I’m worth.”

His lips press together oddly, something beneath his expression tightening. “You don’t think your dearest friend will return for you?”

The sarcasm in his voice sparks something in me I thought only my sister could. “I think she has a lot of responsibilities and I wouldn’t blame her for having priorities.”

His eyebrows draw together. “I think you’re painfully unaware of how attached to you she is.” I press my lips into a thin line. “She’ll come for you.”

Something selfish in me hopes that he’s right. No one has ever wanted me enough to come back for me. My mother wanted perfect daughters that knew how to only think in terms of trapping men with stable careers. My sister did it, but I could never manage, and to my mother that made me useless.

“If you believe it,” I mumble beneath my breath.

I don’t know if he hears me. I can’t bring myself to care if he did. “For your sake, you better not have lied to me.”

My back relaxes against the raspy wall, fighting down a grimace as the motion irritates my rib injury. “Cross my heart, Your Highness.”

I watch him carefully, his expression turning into something much more grim. “A King is referred to as His Majesty.”

“My father was a prominent war general and my mother only wanted daughters she could use to social climb.” I fight down a grin. “I know what I said.”

His expression darkens into something bone chilling. “I am the King and you’ll refer to me as such or deal with even less pleasant circumstances.”

I fight against the urge to cower, picturing Mare’s strength in my veins. There’s weakness in everyone, and if I squint I can see the thin cracks in him. “You have everything--the crown, the power, the support of the people, and it’s still not enough. You won and you still feel like you’re competing.”

“You don’t know anything,” he seethes, practically growling.

I shouldn’t press him, but the more he reacts, the more weaknesses are revealed. “I know what it’s like to have a sibling that’s the sun, and no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, you’re always trapped in a shadow.”

The lighting makes his eyes look almost glazed over. “My mother will be here soon and the truth will be revealed.”

He can run from me, but not the truth. Cal has nothing, he has everything--the father that never cared for him is dead, and yet he’s still trapped. Our similarities hurt me more than my physical injuries.

Maven turns, his gaze moving off of me feels like the removal of heavy shackles. “It would do you well to not press me. You’re worth as much whole as you are broken.”

There’s the strangest hint of something more to his voice. I wonder if he’s speaking to more than just me. “You haven’t won until that voice in your head telling you that you’re not enough is silenced.”

“You’re a powerless girl who isn’t even wanted by a dying cause and couldn’t find a husband to drag her above the poverty line. You know nothing about me, and if you keep pretending I’ll slaughter you in front of your dear friend.”

He leaves without another word. I fall asleep with my back against the wall and my ribs aching.

#red queen #red queen x reader #maven #maven calore #maven calore x reader #maven calore imagine #red queen imagine #mare barrow #cal calore #bookboyfriend #book boyfriend x reader

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mindninjax · 3 years

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Sleep on the Floor (3)

Pairing: Bakugo x Reader (Quirkless Au)

Rating: Explicit (18+ minors do not interact)

Warnings: none yet

Word Count: 3.6K

a/n: Sup I’m back. This weekend is going to be an extremely EXTREMELY rough time for me and I’ve been thinking about it all week. So here I am with another part. I sincerely appreciate everyone who’s like really into this even though I have no fucking clue where this is headed. I have seen y’all’s kind words and they literally have made some days genuinely worth it to like… keep going and living haha. Anywhoo thanks for being amazing people. I hope you enjoy this part.

Masterlist

It’s been a few days on the road now, seven to be exact, and Katsuki hasn’t thought about having a drink once. Which is a really good thing, considering he was walking the dangerously thin line of becoming a full on alcoholic seven days ago. The car ride isn’t as bad as he thought, and neither is driving. It’s relaxing watching the flashing landscapes go by. You sit in the passenger seat, feet sticking out the window, or your head lying on the door of the car, wind ripping through your hair with your eyes squeezed shut.

Despite being excitable and “eccentric”, you’re a quiet passenger. You just stare out the window, deep in thought with a serious look on your face. The only time it changes is when he asks you which direction to go or where you want to stop for dinner. He’s extremely thankful that it’s easy to just exist and zone out with you. It also helps that when he needs to stop thinking, you seem to know it without him mentioning it. You just strike up a conversation that he instantly falls into. It’s like you have a fucking superpower or something.

“What if I got my nose pierced?”

“Do you think aliens exist?”

“Have you ever heard of the Fountain of Youth?"

Your one flaw, however—well not one but you're most annoying by far—is that you have the absolute worst taste in music.

When you drive, it’s all indie/folk bull shit. Full of banjos, fiddles, ukuleles, acoustic guitars, and tambourines. It all sounds the same and Katsuki is ready to pull his hair out whenever any John Denver song comes up on your playlist, which is frequently. He’s your fucking favorite. Katsuki has heard you sing Rocky Mountain High at least five times in the last four hours.

“For fucks sake Airhead, please not this goddamn song again,” he groans as he switches lanes to drive past a car moving way too slow.

“What? It’s great! How can you be tired of it? It's like the epitome of a good driving song!” You look genuinely shocked that he doesn't want to listen to this fucking song a sixth time.

“Not the sixth time you hear it!” he yells, giving the person driving the other car the stink eye as he passes them. He hands you his phone to change the song.

“Fine fine, it can be your turn to play music,” you say, rolling your eyes and clicking his music app.

Katsuki sighs in relief and the throbbing in his head instantly soothes with the thought of stopping the ceaseless thrum of banjos on his frontal lobe. “Finally some good music,” he breathes when he hears the familiar electric guitar and heavy drums of his favorite band.

“My music’s good!” you say frowning down at his phone as you scroll through his playlists and artists.

“Frilly and repetitive,” he says dismissively.

“And this is good? It’s loud and obnoxious. How can you even think?” you whine, gesturing to the radio.

“I thought you didn’t want to think about everything going on,” he challenges and he sees your face drop.

He winces when he recognizes the quick flash of sadness passing your features, the grief you're trying desperately to swallow down. He's been doing that a lot this trip. Saying things he knows will be a grim reminder of your reality. And every time, he realizes what his words will do to you a second too late before it's already tumbling out of his mouth. He tries to avoid eye contact with you, guilt making him bite at his own cheek

“…touché. “ you say, quickly smiling and choosing another song on his playlist.

You sit quietly after that, bobbing your head to the music and gazing mindlessly out of the window. Katsuki tightens his grip on the steering wheel in frustration.

Katsuki wakes up to a slamming door and the car shaking. He has a bit of drool flowing down his face and he quickly wipes it away and maneuvers to sit up. He looks around, searching for you and taking in his surroundings. It looks like you’ve pulled off the road and parked the car facing toward the open area before him. He doesn't even remember falling asleep.

The scenery is quite different from the dark shadowy trees of the forest you were previously driving through a few days ago. Now, there’s nothing but open land, and mountains on the horizon with the sun starting to peek its way over their tops. The ground is covered in little green shrubs and grass, wild flowers of varying colors paint the landscape. There’s still a chilly night breeze flowing through the cracked window but when Katsuki steps out of the car and stretches his limbs he can feel the beginnings of the warmth from the sun as it slowly makes its way high up in the sky. He wonders how long you drove after you two switched driving shifts.

“Well good morning Sleeping Grumpy. I thought you were gonna miss the sunrise but it looks like you made it just in time,” you say in a bright chipper voice.

“Ugh how can you be so goddamn loud and happy this early?” he grumbles and you chuckle on cue.

You’re sitting on the hood of the car, legs folded, and watching the horizon. Your hair drifts a little in the wind and your eyes look dreamy and far away.

“It’s not early if you haven’t been to sleep yet.”

Well shit. You've been driving for way longer than you were supposed to, and you hadn't woken him up. He feels guilty again and it's annoying.

“Oh uhh.. sorry,” he fumbles over his words.

“Pft it’s fine. You needed to rest. Now you’re all ready to drive and you can pick where we’re going! But first…” you hold out your hand for him to grasp it. “Come watch the sun rise.”

Again Katsuki looks at your hand, everything in him tells him to take it, but he refrains. But he does walk over to lean against the hood of the car next to you and watch the sun ease it’s way up into the sky.

Lines of dark blue fade into pinks and oranges and golden yellows as the sun peaks into the sky. Katsuki is momentarily taken aback at how beautiful it is. The way it illuminates the darkest parts of the sky, it creeps up on it, brightening and bringing to light all the beautiful flowers and tiny little dead bushes in front of them.

He huffs a little as he remembers, he used to love seeing shit like this. It’s why he’d go hiking up mountains, camp in the wilderness and watch the sunset from the very top. It’s quiet, save for the few cars that pass them on the road and the birds waking up and chirping.

Katsuki glances over to you out of the corner of his eye and sees that your head is back, your eyes are closed and a calm smile is on your face. Again he’s mesmerized by the simple beauty that is you. You’re this perfect stranger he can’t seem to understand. Why is he so drawn to you? He’s no longer watching the sunrise but gazing at you, trying to figure you out.

You must feel him staring because without looking at him you say “What?”

He blinks in confusion and you open your eyes to turn to look at him.

"Staring is rude, you know," you say, raising an eyebrow.

"I wasn't staring," he grumbles back, turning away as the tips of his ears grow hot.

"Yeah well you were facing the wrong way. The sun is rising over there, Grumps," you say pointing and laughing.

The sun slowly makes its way up into the sky, stretching sun rays across the sky and illuminating what Katsuki can now see looks like desert and a bunch of mountains in the background. The jagged edges of the rocks look especially inviting and kickstarts a pump of adrenaline in his body that he forgot ever existed. It's been a while since his body was ready to be this active again.

He loses himself in the daydream of climbing up those mountains, remembering the way the sweat would drip down his forehead, and down his back, the burn of his muscles and the fresh clean air that filled his lungs as he puffed up the trail. His favorite times were when he got to rock climb, strong fingers grasping the pointed edges of the rocks and digging into his skin as his palms hardened into well deserved callouses.

A shriek, loud, shrill, and mildly terrifying pistons Katsuki out of his own daydream. His eyes scan the area quickly, the scream echoing across the wilderness as he tries to pinpoint the source of the sound. His eyes fall on you, standing in the middle of the wild flowers and tiny bushes, your face looking up to the sky. You take a deep breath in, reeling back with your eyes closed and the sun shining down on your face. And then you hunch over and scream at the top of your lungs and Katsuki is running to you, almost tripping over his own feet, eyes wide with anger...and worry.

He grabs your shoulders and clamps a large hand over your mouth. “What the hell is your problem?” He yells angrily as your eyes shoot open and you look up at him in confusion.

“Haven’t you ever needed to just...scream?” you ask genuinely, removing his hand from your face.

He glares at you. Of course he needed to scream. Screaming is solely how he expresses himself. Or at least it used to be back before the accident. And then he gets an idea. He squeezes your shoulders as he looks around and then digs in his pocket for his phone. You don’t pull out of his grasp as he types with one hand, figuring out where the two of you are and then looking up hiking trails for the mountains you’re near. When he finally finds the entrance to the trails, he plugs the location into the Maps app on his phone and looks at you.

“Not here. I got a better idea.”

Katsuki drives to where the mountain trail starts and is very lucky to find there’s a ranger station with supplies available to buy. You’re surprisingly very pumped for this, despite never hiking up a mountain before. He keeps trying to warn you it’s not as easy as it sounds but you reassure him, you’re up to the challenge. He’ll admit he’s excited too. It was always soothing getting to the top and looking out over the land below him. He guesses this will be good for you too and he doesn’t want to be in your debt anymore for letting him sleep through his driving shift.

When you’re donned in shorts, a tank top, new hiking boots, a fancy new backpack with water bottles, and a hat, Katsuki is ready to take you up the mountain. When he spoke to the Ranger he mentioned it wasn’t a difficult hike but he gave Katsuki his number just in case they needed some help. Scowling at the lack of faith the ranger had in the two of you, he took the number anyway.

The hike is long. You’re clumsy as fuck, and easily distracted by everything. You trip over shrubs hidden behind rocks and you slip and slide down the slopes despite having boots with great traction. Multiple times while hiking up the rough terrain, Katsuki has to retrace his steps to find you, off the path crouching down to look at some creature you’ve found fascinating.

“Airhead, how many goddamn times do I have to tell you to stay on the path!” he yells, tapping his foot impatiently in front of you. You’re crouched down in a bush looking at something stupid, Katsuki has no clue.

“Shhh! Grumpy you’ll scare him away!” you say looking up at him and pouting.

He holds the bridge of his nose in frustration, closing his eyes and sighing. “It’s gonna take all day to get to the top at this rate and it’ll be too dark to see. We have to fucking keep going!”

He’s telling the truth, but he’s also anxious to see the view from the top, though he wouldn’t mention that to you. It’s his favorite part.

Somehow—your fucking superpower— you understand he’s anxious to get to the top, so you stand and brush the dust from your ass and smile big at him.

“You really wanna get to the top dontcha? I won’t hold you back anymore!” you chirp, drawing an imaginary “X” over your heart.

Katsuki rolls his eyes and starts back on the trail but turns quickly to catch you when he hears you trip again, this time over your own shoelaces. His strong arms are scooped underneath your armpits and he’s holding you up and bolstering the rest of your weight against his chest. He can feel you breathing hard, your mouth turned up into a surprised “O” as you grasp his shirt tightly. There’s sweat dripping down your face, plastering little tendrils of your hair to your forehead.

Katsuki blinks at you, cheeks growing hot again. He doesn’t know why he has an overwhelming sense to pull you into his arms and tell you everything will be ok, but he ignores it. He stands you up right and grunts.

“If you aren’t gonna hold me back anymore, then at least take a sec to tie your damn shoes dummy,” he says, turning his face away from you quickly to try and hide the blush on his cheeks.

“Right!” you say, dropping to your feet. When you’ve finished and you bounce back up and flash him a thumbs up, you both continue up the mountain.

You and Katsuki make it to the top right as the sun is starting to set. The view is just as breathtaking as he hoped and he’s momentarily speechless. He can see rivers carving through the citrine and crimson landscape below. The wind is blowing cooler air up here instead of the dry scorching air of the desert below. Farther on the horizon, Katsuki can see the outskirts of a city, buildings sifting through the lazy pink clouds floating through the sky. It’s so open and free and he feels like he’s on top of the world.

The invigorating feeling pumps recklessly through his veins and both you and him are huffing heavily as you try to catch your breath and take in all the mountain has to offer. He takes the chance to look over at you, your chest heaving up and down, a wide toothed grin on your face. Your dimples are showing and Katsuki thinks this is the first time he’s seen you smile this much. He can’t help but smirk.

He nudges you with his elbow and grunts simply, “Here,” while nodding toward the open portrait in front of you.

You look confused for a second before it hits you and your eyes light up excitedly.

Again, you reel back, take a deep breath, muster all of the sound you can inside one big breath and then release it in a large relieving yell out toward the sunset. It echoes, bouncing around the rocks and floating away in the breeze. It’s a long aching sound that sounds like a mixture of a wail, a scream of terror, and laughter and Katsuki can feel each changing emotion.

When you stop, there are tears running down your face, you’re breathing hard, chest rising and falling deeply. Your fists are tightened at your side as you revel in the freeness and Katsuki watches you without saying a word. When you’re calmed down, you plop down onto the hard ground, pull your knees up to your chest, and wrap your arms around your legs, silently watching the sun move across the sky.

Katsuki walks over to sit next to you. He sees you shiver, and he pulls out the sweater he stuffed into his backpack and drapes it sloppily over your head before he sits down next to you quietly. You wipe the tears from your face and thank him quietly, pulling the sweater around you. You both sit like that, as the sun leaves, and the sky grows increasingly dark. Stars start to dance their way into the sky, twinkling like little diamonds across a black and blue canvas.

“You ever feel like you’re searching for something you know will never exist?” you finally say and you sound like your normal quirky self again. Katsuki’s thankful, but he’s more so grateful that whatever this is the two of you did today, seemed to work for you. It was something you needed and he won't admit it to you, but he’s happy to hear one of your weird ass questions again.

“What, like those idiots who went on a lifelong journey looking for stupid shit like a magic fountain that will make them young again?” he teases, snickering under his breath.

“I knew I shouldn’t have told you the Ponce de Leon story. Yes, actually. Just like that,” you say pouting again. You look at him now, curious to hear his actual answer so he knows you’re being serious.

Katsuki frowns and looks away, deciding on his answer. “No. I wouldn’t waste my time on something stupid like that.”

“Really? Even if it meant the journey would be the best time of your life?” You’re genuinely shocked and he finds it interesting to say the least.

He thinks about your statement, contemplating what you could mean by “the journey”, before he gets irritated by all the deep thinking. The journey doesn’t matter if you never reach your end goal. If you don’t reach it, you’re a failure and all the shit you did to get there is meaningless.

“Even then,” he concludes.

“Hmm… so the end goal is the most important to you,” you say, putting a finger to your chin as you look up to the sky.

“I guess.”

There’s a long pause before you reply. “Not to me.”

“How come?”

You sigh a bit before you answer. Your eyes are dreamy looking again and you’re gazing out at the now dark landscape before you. Fireflies are starting to blink and flutter around the two of you.

“Because I already know the end goal for this trip is impossible. But…right here, right now with you? It doesn’t feel that hopeless. I feel…ok,” you whisper.

There’s a weird feeling in Katsuki’s stomach when he hears you say that. Something feels like it’s pulling him towards you but making him nauseous the more he feels drawn to you. And something also clenches like it’s in pain inside him but it doesn’t feel like a bad pain, just a ghost of something he knows could be worse but isn’t. He ignores it again, swallowing the urge to wrap an arm around you and pull you closer to him.

“What end goal are ya talkin’ about?” he asks in a low voice.

Katsuki stares at you under the moonlight. The moon is behind your head, illuminating you again, like you’re some angelic extraterrestrial being. He lifts a large hand to brush away a firefly that landed on your shoulder. He holds the firefly tight in his fist and as he’s about to toss it away, you stop him.

Your skin is soft and warm despite the chill in the night air atop the mountain and as you grasp his hand lightly and unpeel his fingers back to show the small creature in his fist, he can’t help thinking about how warm of a person you are. Its light is blinking sporadically and you let it walk onto your finger before looking at it and smiling tenderly.

Life’s fucking unfair. He used to think that all the time the first few weeks while he healed in the hospital. But it was always in reference to him. He did everything correctly, trained, studied, did everything the managers and coaches said and he still ended up on the sidelines, cast aside like garbage once he was deemed “broken.”

But now, he thinks it’s unfair for you.

You’re…in pain and he hates it. It’s where the constant guilt comes from when your smile disappears from your face after he says something to upset you or remind you of the pain. And what he hates even more, is that he can’t seem to take the pain away from you. It’s all out of his control, and he clenches his fist in frustration.

Yet here you sit, healing him bit by bit with every new day that passes, with every mile the two of you drive together. Every day you show him he’s less of a failure than he thought he was. Every day you help him see that the world isn’t as dark and depressing and unfair as he thought it was after his injury. The only unfair thing is knowing you’ll never be whole again.

Katsuki is blown away, and if he’s being completely honest a little pissed that you, a complete and total stranger, has brought him to his knees.

You never answer his question but he doesn’t push you. He notices that your hand is still sitting in his from when you released the firefly. He sighs and closes his fingers around it, and his heart skips a beat when he feels you squeeze it happily. He leans back and you both quietly look up at the stars, hand in hand and lost in thought. He knows you’re starting to feel better— and is secretly relieved—when you close your eyes and hum what he assumes is another John Denver song.

#bakugo x reader #sleep on the floor #marquie writes

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blzzrdstryr · 3 years

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Reveries of turmoil

Yandere!Childe x fatui!reader

[Previous chapter]

Just as you predicted that short and stifled conversation was a portent of future changes. Childe stopped trying to talk to you outside the business, he even avoided your eyes in those rare moments when you looked at him first. Normally obnoxious and persistent Harbinger seemed to deflate in your presence, as his swaggering and blustering attitude disappeared within mere moments.

You would be overjoyed for this turn of events, if you didn’t have any experience of dealing with and tolerating Tartaglia. Childe, as you already established, is a chaos personified, an erratic whirlwind that twists and ruins everything in its way wrapped in human skin and caged by human bones. It wouldn’t be a surprise if some nasty complications arose out of this faux armistice and sneaked upon your unsuspecting self.

Ajax wont do anything drastic, you reassure yourself - the Rite of Descension gets closer and closer with each passing day, he just can't afford to fail this, meaning that he will have to keep you on-field. It would be logical to do so, let you work, but logical sometimes means predictable and nothing about Ajax is predictable.

Fortunately he continued to keep this strange distance as days passed. Was your little episode and words you said to him enough to stop him in his pursuit? Maybe it truly hurt him, maybe it made him see how miserable he was making you, maybe his obsession with you ceased to exist, it’s flames fizzling and going out just as fast as they ignited. You doubt all of it, yet continue to hope for the better, despite the evidence of the opposite shoved in your face.

Ajax will never let go of you, not in the way you want. He killed and tortured people right before your eyes, sometimes had you assist him in doing so. Most of the time this was done in Tsaritsa’s name, for the future of Snezhnaya and her people, just another working assignment regardless of the blood curdling screams and alien agony.

However, in some rare cases the torment of others isn’t something that is totally impersonal to you, sometimes you’re the main cause. Childe is possessive, terribly so. He watches over you like a dragon guarding his gold, scaring away other possible admirers. And if his title and reputation wasn’t enough to keep away whatever poor sod who decided to tempt the dragon, well, other way more grim methods were used.

You never personally witnessed these kinds of torture, but you heard rumours and sometimes saw the bodies after, images that keep reappearing in your nightmares. Maybe this lull is nothing but a quiet before the storm, a short breather after he commits some unforgettable atrocity again.

He personally summons you the day before the Descension. You brace yourself for incoming nonsense, except nothing comes. “Agent [Last]”, he says, his voice tense and restrained.”I need you to attend the Rite of Descension with me. You will be disguised as a civilian", and then he dismisses you, no hint of mind games he likes to play in sight.

You want to hope that he changed, you succeed and fail at the same time - this new Ajax is pleasant, he’s cold and disinterested, just like any boss should be, yet you just can’t relax and focus wholly on doing the job - it’s a privilege only those who haven’t met Tartaglia can afford.

He’s a sea, treacherous and ever changing, calm and serene in one moment, yet violent and crushing in the other.

You spend the day torn between the anxious thoughts of Tartaglia and what he might do and the preparation for upcoming ceremony - it's a once in a lifetime event, it's Tsaritsa’s will and hope, it's Ajax’s eyes focused on you. You can’t afford to fail, you have no right to do so.

Wearing a simple Snezhnayan overcoat with nothing hiding your face is surely strange after years of donning a fatui uniform. Tourists and Liyuens alike pass by, not paying you any attention. Both vision and delusion glow under the thick fabric, asking you to use them.

You walk faster.

The top of the Yujing Terrace is lit with sunlight and full of human sounds, as merchants and other workers haste to finish their tasks and join the people at the top. You look around, quickly noticing the familiar ginger - he stays half-turned to you, his eyes focused on the figure of Tianquan. You quickly avert your gaze, as if not recognizing him, and shift it towards other people - you spot two vision holders among the crowd too - an electro and geo one, and a strange person cladded in the exotic clothes with some sort of flying fairy(?) floating around.

You walk to the altar placing Liyuen flowers nearby the multiple offerings of food, wine and gold, their simple white petals contrasting against the gaudy luxury of the rest.

"Qingxin flowers?", someone suddenly says, a speck of genuine surprise evident in the phrase. Their voice is too close for your comfort - you quickly turn on the heels, alarmed by a person somehow sneaking up on you only to be met with a pair of the golden eyes.

It’s a nicely dressed Liyuen gentleman, with the air of wisdom and elegance surrounding him, an inner dignity shining from beneath, and most importantly the one you saw wearing a vision at the back of the coat. You try to look as calm as possible, despite the senses telling you otherwise - after years of service any vision holder unadorned by the Fatui colors is perceived as a threat.

“Yes, it is”, you quip back, not wanting to look suspicious: “Is this improper? Qingxin as an offering?”, you mimic a light concern - something that would be appropriate for the foreign merchant who might have offended the god of commerce.

“No, not at all”, Liyuen laughs: “just in all of my years, I have never seen anyone offer these flowers”.

“Huh”, you smile, looking at the man before you. Is he a simple liyuen you thought of him at first? He has Geo vision - the symbol of Archaic Lord’s recognition - and the way he said “all of my years” carry more weight than usual, a mark of something hidden beneath the mundane phrase.

“Something tells me, you must have attended every rite of Descension”, you continue, the starter vague and innocent enough - a perfect way to fish out more information. For some reason, his golden eyes widen a bit, it’s subtle and quick enough to go unnoticed by most people, but you’re not the most people - all Fatui agents are trained to catch even the smallest changes and educated in multiple fields, physiognomy included.

What could have caused such a reaction and why did he react the way he did? The Rite of Descension is a prominent event in the life of every Liyuen, even if it’s annual, as thousands of thousands of people traverse great distances to see their god fly down from the heavens and grace his subjects with the wisdom of countless years. You remember seeing Liyuens living in Snezhnaya consistently take a leave every year for a week, when the prominent date showed on the horizon, missing working days and no doubt a lot of nerves, only to see the archon of their homeland.

So why did that man looks so surprised?

“You’re quite perceptive, aren’t you?”, he responds, voice calm and pleasant, despite the masterfully hidden surprise: “And yes, I have always tried my best to be at every Rite to this day. Rex Lapis shares his experience with his people, so it’s an incredibly important day. And what about you? What brings a foreigner here?”, he makes a gesture at your obviously snezhnayan clothes.

“Well, I am a travelling merchant as you can see”, you raise your hands, showing him more of the coat: “Having blessing from the God of Commerce won't hurt, right?". He, again, reacts in the way you haven't anticipated, a handsome face adopting a contemplating expression for a short second.

"Rex Lapis rewards diligent people, work hard and he shall bless you too", he says with an air of wisdom around him, like an old enlightened monk passing his knowledge to the disciples surrounding him: "And you shouldn't keep your vision beneath the layers of cloth. I feel its chill just standing here, who knows what it will do to your body?".

Then he simply turns away and goes to the exit of Yujing terrace, and it’s your turn to suppress the rising agitation - how did he know, where’s he heading now?

“Wait”, you say: “why are you leaving?”

“I dedicated my whole life to my job, which consists of a collection of small and incredibly repetitive tasks, they took up most of my attention and I slowly, but surely became a creature of habit, deaf and blind outside its limited field of experience and comfort zone. Time never stops, so I decided to leave the work I’ve been entrusted with, and I want to start it by breaking my strongest habit - religiously attending every Rite of Descension”.

“Ah”, you reply, equally impressed by his speech, and feeling that you are talking about two completely different and unrelated topics: “well, good luck on that”.

More and more people flood the terrace as one of the main threats to your plans finally arrives - stern and ambitious, Ningguang looks as elegant and intimidating as ever, geo vision and the tassel attached to it, shaking with every graceful step. She throws a short glance at Tartaglia - he stands surrounded by the rest of the agents - yet her face doesn’t change even a bit, whatever hostility she may hold for your faction masterfully suppressed.

You quickly look around - tourists and citizens arrive at the last minutes and milleliths come with them. Soon, all of the exits are heavily guarded by at least four soldiers, all carrying spears and clad in armour - surely a necessary precaution, given the presence of Fatui and their Harbinger.

There are no milleliths among the crowd though, not in the on-duty uniform at least. You study the group again, this time looking for anyone with weapons, as someone lightly pushes you away - it’s that foreigner again. “I am sorry, we need to go closer”, the pixie-like creature apologizes, as it flies after the stranger, and you conclude that there are no armed people, except you, Tartaglia, milleliths, Ningguang and that strange person.

“The hour is upon us”, Tianquan starts, after looking at the bright sun above, two women around her slightly bowing down, as she invokes the power of geo. The gold glow surrounds and illuminates her whole figure, before condensing into hard rocks of the same shade. They shine and fly around her for a bit, leaving the yellow trails behind before starting to spin around the shrine in the middle of the rock table.

Soon the golden inscriptions on the shrine start to glow too, before it sends a bright orange beam into the blue sky. The crowd "Oh!"s and "Ah!"s as the clouds deform around the pillar of light.

Tension, so thick it can be tasted, descends in the waves upon the Terrace as some - carefree and ignorant - hold their breaths in excitement and anticipation, whilst the rest focus in caution - Fatui and Qingxin alike. You shift, taking out both vision and delusion out of your coat, as your eyes frantically shift between Tianquan, Tartaglia and the spiraling clouds above, your whole being ready to aid Childe in his mission.

And then something unexpected happens: a majestic dragon does descend to his people. By falling straight to the ground. Serpentine body slumps around the crushed offerings, elongated tongue escaping the confines of the maw.

A long second of absolute silence passes before Ningguang collects herself, checks the body and orders milleliths to close off all the exits, as the crowd erupts into turmoil and chaos realizing what exactly has happened. You disguise amongst the panicking masses, hiding two glowing orbs in the deep pockets of your coat,before looking at Tartaglia again - he in turn intently stares at the blonde foreigner, who quite clumsily tries to sneak past the soldiers.

Milleliths catch onto that running after the stranger and you use this opportunity, turning invisible in the same second. People around you are too panicked to question your sudden disappearance or the unnaturally cold breeze swaying past them, as you make your way - Childe has already departed, chasing after the group of soldiers, and Ningguang is seen leaving too, giving the last orders, before turning to the Yuehai pavillion.

You contemplate for a second, unsure what to do - Tartaglia has ordered you to aid him in case of Qixing intervention, there was nothing about the death of your target and the glimpse into Tianquan’s actions might be a key to solving the mystery of said departure. The thing that you plan to do is opportunistic, reckless even - who would have known that Ajax will rub off onto you? You chase after Ningguang, careful to keep yourself invisible.

Who is Rex Lapis’ murderer?

She goes up to the aged man standing at the stairs of the pavilion, they exchange a couple of words before Ningguang steps up on the little floating island and it starts to levitate! You run after her, still unsure what to do - the platform is too small, Tianquan will no doubt feel the chill coming from you, but the opportunity to learn what Qixing are planning is too good to miss.

In the end, you come to compromise, jumping after the rising platform, as your hands clutch into its rough protrusions and you grit your teeth, enduring the pain and cold from the vision overuse. The little island rises higher and higher, as people and buildings underneath turn into small dots. Your fingers start to slide off a couple of times, yet you grab onto the island with a renewed strength everytime that happens, asking Tsaritsa to let fortune favour you.

The platform finally stops moving, and you pull up, once you hear her heels clicking away.

Jade chamber, as it turns out, exceeds all rumours, luxurious and opulent, shining above the prosperous city, it glows under the sunlight with a golden radiance. You would have stopped to admire it if it wasn’t for your goal. You sneak after Ningguang, following her to the office as she takes out papers and folders from the shelves. She focuses on them, as you carefully step near her, glancing at what she’s reading - it’s reports of fatui activity throughout the months, leading to this day, thankfully vague and very far from reality.

Does it mean that she also has no idea of what or who caused Rex Lapis’ death and tries to find his killer? Or does it mean that she looks for a way to deduct Fatui's next actions?

You don’t have time to contemplate, as the frost worsens and you feel cryo energy exhausting from the overuse - one more minute and you’ll become visible. You quickly walk away - you don’t have enough time to reach that platform, so you do the most logical thing - fling yourself out of the window, opening the wings of the glider halfway the jump.

You push the most of your invisibility, letting go of the cryo powers once you're only a couple of meters above the ground. In the end you find yourself tired and frozen to the very bones, slowly coming back to the Northland bank.

***

You approach the building as the Sun begins to set - its pink-orange rays dying everything in the warm glow. The bank looks glorious like that, sinking in the reddish tones, it looks like an illustration out of children’s books - a place of something miraculous, a place of something hopeful.

“Hi”, you throw to the tired Vlad and he nods, after suppressing an escaping yawn: “Is boss here?”

“Yeah”, he croaks, drowsiness evident in his speech: “came back like an hour or two ago. Can’t really remember”.

“Huh.. Well, thanks”, and with these words you enter the bank, pushing the doors and preparing yourself for the confrontation to come.

After chatting with Ekaterina and confirming that yes, he is in his office, you head for the staircase, all of the information you learned today buzzing inside your head.

Childe sits, hunched over the papers, as you enter, not paying you even the sliver of attention. For some reason he’s in a different clothes.

“Eleventh Harbinger”, you start the standard greeting, all formal and stiff: “this subordinate has finished the task”.

This finally prompts him to raise his head, cold blue eyes look at you, no hint of the usual obsessiveness in sight: "you may speak, agent" he succinctly says, putting the writing feather aside. You quickly report to him all you have seen today, without your own thoughts involved - they’re just baseless theories, after all.

“So you say, Tianquan was reading the reports about Fatui activity. Haven’t you destroyed those reports earlier?”

“Those papers contained nothing about the current situation, they were actually far from reality, I doubt that any of those reports survived the fire”.

“Seems, I’ll have to take your word for it”, a sigh, he leans closer in his seat, propping left cheek on the palm: “Why did Tianquan look at them? What was she trying to do? Pin her crime on us?”, he glances at you again, gesturing that you can speak your mind and you do.

“Highly unlikely, sir. From the short time I spent watching her and her reputation, I have an impression that Qixing Tianquan is a person who prefers to plan her every action. If she or any other Qixing higher up, were the one who murdered our target, then every needed preparation would be done months, if not even years in advance. She would somehow cast us as the killers right at the ceremony, in front of thousands of Liyuens, making us a scapegoat for public outrage and creating alibi for herself”.

“So, that’s how you think”, he hums, blue eyes deep in thought: “Your entire conclusion is based on the mere impression. With Tianquan’s ambition I wouldn’t be surprised if she was the one behind this...”, a vague hand gesture: “catastrophic situation”.

“When I sneaked inside the Jade chamber, she looked very frantic, it didn’t show on her face, but her movements were harsh and quick, lacking any of her elegance. She looked like she tried to keep herself together”.

“Anyone would try to do that, especially after killing a god”, he looks somewhere to the left, no doubt imagining battling the dead archon: “Well, my conclusion isn’t based on anything solid either. We don’t know who killed Rex Lapis, but we still need to somehow obtain his gnosis”, the last part isn’t addressed directly to you, it seems that Ajax just decided to voice out his worries.

“You can go”, he says, standing up from the table. You are touching the door handle, when you hear him asking:”what’s with your hand?”. The tone is nothing like that time, yet shivers still go up your spine when you remember what happened that day.

"Frostbite, from my vision", he comes closer to you, hand outstretched to yours: “Can I?”, he asks and waits for your faint nod, before gently pulling it closer to his face.

“It’s a second degree”, he mumbles, inspecting the white-blue discolorations and small angry blisters - the skin throbs and aches at his touch, yet most of it remains numb, muffled, like sounds underwater: “You should get it treated”.

“I should”, you agree, eager to leave this room and situation: “I will ask medics for some..”

“I already discharged them”, his hand suddenly shifts, now resting atop of the door handle, his frame suddenly looming over you: “I have a medkit here, with the ointments and balms. Maybe you should stay here and let me patch you up?”

Why did you even think that Childe could change?

***

Ajax has you sitting on his chair, with sleeves rolled up to the very elbows, as he frets around you - checking the temperature, pulling the warm water closer to you and taking out needed medicine out of the kit. It’s mostly silent, except the tune he quietly hums - Childe looks peaceful and content like this, maybe he likes caring for you.

“Does it hurt?”, he takes a discolored finger, probing around the blister, as the warm hydro energy engulfs your damaged hand. The burst of sensation explodes at this action - pain, tingling, throbbing, even relief.

“Bearable”.

“Understood”, Childe gets back to his task, continuing to rewarm your hands, still humming that tune as he does so. He takes out the healing ointment, when the healthy color and warmth returns to your limbs and spreads it on the skin, bitter herbal scent filling the room in an instant.

“[First]”, he says, as he rubs the place between the index and middle fingers: “I think we need to talk. About that day and your reaction”.

“And what about it?”, you respond, too quickly and snappy for the calm-facade - the memories of that day, of what you thought he will do to you, of how he witnessed you falling apart - all of these are too much, a maelstrom of conflicted feelings rising every time your thoughts stray to this topic. He finishes applying the balm and now switches to the bandanges, wrapping treated hands in them.

“Don’t you think you treat me too harshly, [First]? I understand I may have been… unpleasant in the Past, but I thought we moved past that. What have I done to warrant such ire?”, he says it with his usual smile, but there's a tense, heavy tinge in his words. It’s subtle enough to miss, but you knew Ajax since you both were fourteen, so the strain doesn’t go unnoticed.

Everything, you want to coldly respond, but you stop yourself again - Ajax is still a Harbinger, even if he trailed your steps at the training camp like an overeager and highly murderous puppy not even a decade ago, no matter your own feelings or sentiments or even experiences he still holds that power over you, whether he realizes it or not.

“There were.. things”, broken bones, coppery scent of blood, someone else screams: “training with you wasn’t pleasant for sure”. Childe laughs at the last part, yet the tension clouding in the air doesn’t dissipate, turning more tangible instead.

“I see”, a long pause: “I want to prove you're wrong, I want to prove you that I will never do something against your will”.

You already did. You stay silent at that, anger and fury and frustration boiling underneath, burning and scorching your insides like a magma moments before the eruption. His hands finally wrap the last layer of bandage, tying the ends into a neat little bow, yet he doesn’t let your palm out of your hold, as his lips hover over it, breath burning the skin even through the fabric. And then he releases it, not doing anything.

“Good luck with that”, you finally suppress the inner storm, and stand up from the chair, quickly heading to the door. The place where he almost kissed your tingles and throbs with a renewed strength. Your cheeks burn for some reason.

#Yandere Genshin impact #Yandere genshin #Yandere Childe #yandere genshin x reader #Yandere tartaglia #yandere genshin impact x reader #yandere childe x reader #male yandere #yandere #yandere x reader #my writing

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vecnawrites · 3 years

Text

Playing Hard To Get

Everyone knew that Jaune Arc pined for Weiss Schnee. But what few knew was that Weiss Schnee pined for Jaune Arc just as much. The reason they weren't together? Weiss had gotten bad romantic advice. Hopefully, this wouldn't work against her...

The last of my Patreon Rewards for August! And Safe For Work, to boot!

Weiss walked down Beacon’s hallways with a confident smile on her beautiful face. Her snow white hair was perfectly shampooed and conditioned, her tiara was in its proper place, and she had just the slightest bit of make up on her face to accentuate her best traits, making her eyes and lips stand out, accentuated her cheekbones, and all that.

Why all the primping? Well, Weiss was a woman on a mission. She knew, well, more like everyone knew, that one Jaune Arc was smitten with her, completely and utterly. But what no one actually realized was that she was smitten with him as well.

Why hadn’t she agreed to his many requests for a date, then? Well, the answer was surprisingly simple. She wanted to see that he would fight for her. She had read in a myriad of articles and books based around romance that it was very good to play ‘hard to get’, as it would show if the boy in question was truly serious about dating her. If he continued to try for her, he was worth keeping around, worth dating in the long run.

Jaune hadn’t stopped, he had always tried to convince her to go out with him, but he was pleasant about it, always accepting her answer of ‘no’ with grace, backing away only to try again about a week or so later. And he never asked her to do something boring. It was always something that she loved (she loved comedy movies! After all, there was little joy growing up in the Schnee household), or had never done before but actually wanted to try (she had never been allowed near any sort of arcade or even gaming before as a child, being expected to be the perfect heiress at all times)! He even knew her favorite flowers and how she liked her coffee!

She knew that now was the time to strike, as the Beacon Dance was coming up during the next week. Now, she knew that most girls considered Jaune a dork (and they weren’t wrong, he was a wonderful dork), but that left him open for her to snag as a date for it!

She already knew that it would be perfect~ Jaune was always the perfect gentleman, even when it was against someone that was being rude to him-that brute of an oaf Cardin and her own teammate Yang were two examples.

Reaching the Library, Weiss walked in confidently, seeing the head of blonde hair that she knew by heart over at one of the tables, scribbling away at a notebook before him, glancing at one of the books on top of the table.

Walking up, she gently coughed to catch his attention, and when she saw him look up and focus on her, she gathered herself and spoke. “Well, Arc,” oh, how she loathed to call him by his last name, she would be sure to call him by his proper name after this, “I know that the Dance is coming up, and since I know you don’t have a date, I’m willing to go with y-” she blinked, stopping as Jaune closed his book, looking up at her with that sheepish, slightly awkward grim that she adored, but for some reason, this one filled her with dread.

“Actually, I do have a date to the dance, Weiss!” he said, his face happy and voice calm, but both made her freeze as though she had just heard some of the most dark, foul, and violent vitriol to ever grace her ears.

“R-Really?” she hated how weak her voice sounded, how faint it was, the sinking feeling only growing as Jaune gathered up his finished work and stood, nodding to her with a smile. “Yeah, she even asked me, rather than the other way around with me asking her, so it was a nice surprise! I’m sorry, but I can’t stay and talk; I have a team training session with Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren! I’ll talk to you later?”

Weiss found herself nodding weakly, wondering where things had gone so wrong as the boy she wanted left the library. She had no doubt that he was just too polite to say ‘no’ to the girl in question… so she would have to find said girl and… convince… her that it was in her best interest for something to ‘come up’ the night of the dance and allow her to go with her Dork Knight.

Weuss was going to have to give up, as much as she despised the very thought. All of her investigations had come up with nothing. She knew that it wasn’t Pyrrha: her largest rival for Jaune’s affections wouldn’t have been quiet about going to the dance with him. She’d have been singing about it from the rooftops.

Her own partner was also out as well; after all, Ruby was not only the only one of her team to know about how she truly felt about Jaune, she also only saw Jaune as her ‘goofy bestie’. Which wasn’t bad at all in her case. It meant she had someone to talk to about her feelings.

But that still left many candidates: the chocolate skinned, green haired girl named Emerald Sustrai eyed him in interest several times, as did the beret wearing Ciel Soliel from Atlas, and even the beanie wearing sniper from BRNZ, May Zedong had been eyeing him enough to make her feel uneasy. A scowl formed on her face at the thought of one of those… those hussies taking her man!

...but, she hadn’t figured out who it was, and tomorrow was the dance. She hadn’t bothered to see if anyone else would go with her, not when the only person she wanted to go with wasn’t available. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to attend anymore. She wouldn’t enjoy it.

She sighed, shaking her head as she saw the person of her desires walking towards her, that sweet smile on his face. She swallowed, but forced a smile to her face. It wasn’t like a lady to be sour at someone else’s happiness… even if it hurt.

“Hey, Weiss, how are you doing?” he asked, making her smile become more genuine, even if still being sad.

“Hello, Jaune… how are you doing?” she saw him frown, and panicked a bit, she didn’t want him to know that she was feeling sad! She watched as he bit down on his lower lip a bit, looking at her with his deep blue eyes.

“I’m doing okay. Prepared for the dance tomorrow, how about you?” she felt the sting again at the knowledge that he would be going with someone else, someone that wasn’t her. Horrifyingly, she felt tears building in the corners of her eyes, and quickly focused her gaze down towards the floor so he wouldn’t see them.

“O-Oh, that’s nice…” damn her for sounding so weak! “I...I really hope you enjoy your date with w-whoever it is…” she sniffed, feeling the tears beginning to make their way down her cheeks-

“IT’S YOU!”

Weiss froze, two single tears dropping from her face to fall on the floor as her eyes widened, hearing those two, powerful words. She looked up, seeing him looking at her with a sad, but warm smile on his face as he reached out and gently wiped her cheeks clean.

“It’s you, Weiss… you asked me in the library, remember?” Weiss’s mind flashed back to that day last week, and their conversation, specifically, her saying that since he didn’t have a date, she would-a small gasp left her lips, and more tears built up and flowed down her cheeks, but these were ones of happiness.

He hugged her gently, and she sank into his hold happily, inhaling his scent, crying steadily now. “Let’s have a lot of fun, just the two of us, okay?” she croaked out, feeling Jaune nod against her head. “I’ve thought a lot about this all, so I hope you can keep up with me.” another gently nod and a hand cupping her cheek as she hiccuped, carefully wiping her tears away.

Weiss couldn’t wait for the Dance now. She was just thankful she had gotten her dress ready when it was first announced!

#Patreon Reward #August 2021 #Jaune Arc #Weiss Schnee #Tsundere Weiss #Actually Safe For Work #For Once #Don't Get Used To It

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screamingatanemptyroom · 3 years

Text

Please Fix the Story Pt 19 - Sci Fi

The new part is here. I've struggled with this story a little bit recently, but I wanted to continue this, to share it with you.

Master Post linked here

Enjoy!

_________________________

“Bel…”

“BEL!”

The world around me was pitch black, empty except for voices I didn't recognize, shouting a name I couldn't remember. I blinked, trying to clear my vision without success.

“Hello?” My anxious shout faded into the nothingness around me.

“I have to do it, Bel. It’s how the story goes.” A blurry figure stood in front of me, his facial features unclear behind his blond hair, but his tone contained frustration and regret. “You know what happens to a world when the story is incomplete. Sacrifices have to made.”

“Who are you…?”

“That’s our fate, we just have to accept that.” He faded away into the darkness, leaving me alone again.

“Come back! Explain what you meant!” I screamed at the disappearing figure. “WHAT SACRIFICE? WHAT FATE?!”

"YOU MUST ACCEPT YOUR FATE."

“Are you lost?” A new voice spoke up, strange, yet completely and utterly familiar.

I spun around, but there was no one behind me. “I’m… I’m lost.”

“No matter where you go, who you become… I’ll find you, Bel. I promise.” The voice was a whisper in my ear. “Fate can’t tear us apart. I won’t let it. Even if I have to destroy fate itself.”

“But I can’t find you. I don’t remember who you are!” I was crying, my tears disappearing into the surrounding mist.

“I’ll find you.” The words were quieter, as if the owner of the voice was fading away.

“DON’T LEAVE ME!”

“I promise.”

“NOT AGAIN!”

"You must accept your fate."

"Bel..."

"You must.."

“…I promise…”

_________________________

“LIAM!”

I woke up, screaming a name that disappeared from my mind as soon as the sound as faded, tears and sweat staining my cheeks.

I curled up into a ball, my head resting on my knees, trying to catch my breath.

Who am I?

Finding no answers, I eventually steadied my nerves, getting up, showering and changing. I looked up at the clock on the wall, wincing as I realized that I was running late for class.

Great, now I’m going to miss breakfast, and I'm starving.

I put on my uniform jacket, lamenting silently my lack of time to fill my empty stomach. As I left my dorm, however, my eye caught something sitting on the floor right outside my door. It was a small plate with a peeled apple and a note with Alaira’s name on it.

I thought Alaira was supposed to be loner… This has to be a trap, right?

It had been several weeks since I woke up in this strange world. It couldn’t be more obvious that she didn’t have any true friends or allies. No one who would care enough to send breakfast, definitely.

Maybe it’s from whoever has been following me around?

Since the second day, I had noticed a shadowy presence following me at a distance. Whoever it was, they never attempted to try to speak to me, or interfere with me in ay way. But it was always nearby, always watching.

So now they’ve upgraded to leaving me food?

I picked up the apple, looking around, and scanned it with the personal computer on my wrist, which showed no drugs or other abnormalities.

Well… I am hungry, which outweighs the possible grim outcome of death by poison, I suppose.

Shrugging mentally, I took a bite. The taste was sweet. I sighed with satisfaction and took another bite. As I chewed, a thought occurred to me, confusing me all the more.

How did they know I like peeled apples?

As far as I could remember, Alaira had never liked apples. It was considered an ancient fruit, more of an oddity than a dietary staple. She had tried it once or twice and hadn’t been impressed.

But I liked it…

I liked apples a lot… but only peeled ones. It was something almost instinctive I had felt whenever I thought about the fruit. But… I hadn’t eaten any apples since I woke up as Alaira.

So how do they know? Does this sci fi story come with mind readers?

I took another bite, feeling confused.

_________________________

“Why the hatred for the apple peel?”

The young man seemed genuinely curious from his tone of voice as he handed me a freshly peeled fruit.

I shrugged, taking a bite. “You try living as a princess in a lower fantasy realm. I bit into a poisoned apple once and the inside was glowing green.” I shuddered. “Ever since then I can’t stand to bite into an apple with the peel still on.”

The man had already started peeling another fruit, and paused in his actions. “Did the prince have to kiss you to break the spell?”

“Why, are you jealous?” I grinned.

“N-no… I’m just asking.” His head hung down, as he seemed to stare intently into the apple in his hands.

I patted his head. “I took an antidote ahead of time. Didn’t fall asleep. Instead, I beat the crap out of the witch.”

He laughed at that. “Didn’t you get in trouble for changing things?”

“Of course. But it was so worth it.”

_________________________

I stared down at the partially eaten fruit in my hands, feeling overwhelmed at the memories surging through my mind.

I keep seeing these memories, but I can’t connect them to anything. What are these lower realms? Is that what I’m in right now? Who is this person I keep seeing?

I felt incomplete, a large part of my memories, my emotions, were missing. What was worse, I wasn’t even sure what was gone, what I should be sad about losing.

I grabbed my bag and walked out the door.

“Alaira.” A voice called out, stopping me in my tracks. Turning, I sighed with odd sense of disappointment at the person standing before me.

Who was I expecting?

I forced a grin and made a rude gesture. “Hey Chris, how awful to see you this morning! Terrible of you to stop by.” I checked my personal communicator and shrugged. “Fortunately for me, I’m running late and have no time for your nonsense. So we’ll save your annoying ranting and raving for a later date, okay?”

He ignored my words, stepping closer with an excited look. “Have you heard the news?”

“Even if I say yes, you’re still going to tell me, right?”

“Don’t pretend, it’s not fooling anyone!” He glared at me. “You’ve been hoping to trap me as your Connector since the match results came back!”

I sighed. “At this point, it’s not even funny anymore. What can I say that will possibly convince you that that is NOT the case?”

“You won’t be able to stop my dreams, Alaira! Next time I’m going to win!”

“Yes, you’re the absolute greatest.” I rolled my eyes. “I cry myself to sleep each night over the fact that we aren’t partners, and I will never feel anything in this life but anguish and despair… now can I go to class?”

He looked ever angrier at my sarcasm. “Just wait until the next match. You’ll see that I’m good enough to be a Guardian. Because I’ve got…”

“Okay, buddy. Sounds good.” I interrupted, walking away.

“Wait, you didn’t finish listening…”

“Yep. See you next match.”

I left him behind, ignoring his rage induced sputtering.

Met an idiot first thing... but hey, at least I'm not hungry anymore!

_________________________

A few days later, the next round of mock Mech battles began.

As the winner of the prior fight, I was slated to go first, completing the first four battles with relative ease. As the day wore on, however, the drain on my body from using the Mech was increasing exponentially. Fortunately I was on my last scheduled fight of the day… even if this was the hardest so far.

A light headache was throbbing at my temples as I scanned the field around me. The arena stood as a large stadium, featuring a high-class barrier shield that extended up to twenty stories in the air. Hundreds of seats surrounded the fighting field, all equipped with holo screens that played the footage taken by the referee bots floating around the fight.

The excited screams from the audience were slightly muffled by the protective screen, and the remaining noise was filtered out as I focused on the fight ahead of me.

My opponent this time was a third year A level Guardian, an experienced fighter, who fought along side a D level Connector. Alaira had faced off with them multiple times in the past, and she had always struggled to win despite the difference in strength of abilities.

There was no denying the advantage that a Connector brought to the fight.

I grinned, ignoring the draining sensation of operating my Mech, the headache and weakness that quickly came on each time I made the Connection. The pain was severe, like a knife stabbing through my eye, but I forced myself to ignore it. As I fought, I couldn’t help but feel bitter.

It’s not like I haven’t been looking for a Connector.

Each day I went to the Matching Center. Each day I endured the laughter, the stares, the whispers and pointing. Each day I was faced with the same words: “No match available.”

Do I need to come up with a different plan? But I can’t fight the Hive without a Mech, and I can’t operate a Mech without a Connector… unless I want to slowly destroy my mind like Alaira did.

I sighed, not seeing any easy answers, and focused on the fight ahead of me. Although I had Alaira’s memories, and operating the Mech came as almost second nature with my S level alpha waves, I had run into an unexpected obstacle:

Alaira’s weapon of choice had been dual wielding energy pistols.

What a waste of the cool looking sword on my back. My physical body was suspended in the Connection chamber, a shielded globe filled with suspension gel. Although the Mech was controlled through alpha brain waves and the Connection, the closer I was to the Mech, the easier that control was. Thus the space for the Guardian was always in the center of the Mech.

I wore helmeted mask monitoring my vitals such as oxygen saturation and heart rate, adjusting the air composition and breath volume to accommodate my body’s stress reaction during battle. A skintight silver suit covered me, interacting with the gel to provide me physical feedback that the Mech would feel. My vision was shared with my Mech’s video system; I looked down and saw the pistols resting in the robotic hands. It was strange, I was obviously inside the robot, but the sensation of the ground beneath my feet, the guns in my hands, was all too real.

The physical sensation made it easier to fight, but it had an obvious drawback, which was that I felt any blows that my Mech sustained. During the fight I was the Mech, and it was a part of me. I tightened my grip around the energy weapons, feeling tired.

Something felt off about using these as my weapons.

I still had no memories about my past, but as I had practiced with the Mech these past few weeks, I had noticed a familiarity with fighting and battles, even more than what Alaira had in my memories after a lifetime of training at home with her father and then in the academy.

Am I some kind of warrior or something?

It didn’t seem right, but I couldn’t explain the comfortable sensation of judging my opponent and fighting with them. But that comfort and familiarity did not extend to dual wielding pistols.

I just wasn’t a great shot.

We had already been fighting for ten minutes. My headache had worsened and I felt tired, but I had only managed to score a few hits on non-vital areas. The only benefit was that the opposing Mech had only been able to strike me twice with the energy-enhanced spear he carried.

“You seem a little off today, Alaira, everything all right?” My opponent’s voice came over his speaker, shocking me. It was technically considered bad etiquette to talk during battle, but it was hard to fault him, as he seemed genuinely concerned about my less than ideal fighting state.

I shook my head, raising my pistols once more. “I’m fine, let’s continue.”

I rushed forward, taking advantage of my superior speed and maneuverability to get closer, trying to make it harder to miss my shots. The opposing Mech jumped backwards, but it was too late. Its hand was within my grasp. Turning and using its significant weight to my advantage, I flipped the robot over my own’s shoulder put the barrel of my gun against the metal head.

My final shot through its temple destroyed the key mechanisms within it, rendering it immobile and finishing the fight.

That was too close… I’ve been practicing with the pistols since I’ve woken up in this strange world, and seen no improvement… what am I doing wrong?

As the referee called out my victory, I backed away, letting out a sigh of relief. It had been a harder fight than it should have been, but at least it was over.

I need a nap.

“I WANT TO CHALLENGE ALAIRA!”

An extremely annoying voice spoke up, causing my already bad headache to worsen.

... Why me?

I turned towards the speaker. “Chris. Didn’t we agree that we were going to avoid each other? … Or was that just my wishful thinking?”

His all white Mech landed in front of my own, holding a large, oversized sword. He swung it back and forth, and although I couldn’t see his facial expressions, the smug tone of his voice through the Mech’s speakers were enough to make me wish I could make my Mech roll its eyes.

“Surely the legendary S level Guardian Alaira isn’t SCARED to fight with a mere D level Guardian such as myself, right?”

“Guardian Chris, please retract your challenge. Guardian Alaira has already finished five consecutive mock battles, and needs time to recover.” The instructor’s face was stern on the holographic screens around us, leaving no room for disagreement.

Chris laughed mockingly. “Oh, I thought she said that even with all the advantages and luck she could still beat me? I guess it was just empty arrogance.” His Mech shook its head. “With such a weak personality, no wonder you can’t find a Connector to match you. Who would want to endure such a woman?”

“…”

CLANG!

My Mech’s foot connected with the other’s crotch, and I heard a high-pitched squeal of pain. Ha, shared sensation with the Mech comes in handy sometimes.

“How dare you?!” His pained shout made me grin.

“Less talking, more fighting. I accept your challenge, Chris.” I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the feeling of my head splitting apart, as well as the light ringing in my ears. I had reached the limit of how long I could safely operate the Mech.

But the sound of his smug satisfaction infuriated me.

Every night, I was haunted by nightmares. Sometimes it was fragments of memories of unfamiliar worlds and people. Most nights, however, I dreamt of Alaira’s end. Alone, broken, terrified, a horrific death for a lonely girl.

And this idiot had watched it happen.

It might not be smart, but I just really want to beat him up. I took a stance, brandishing the pistols, feeling off kilter once more at the light weight in both of my hands.

In the meantime Chris had recovered from his inconvenience, and had resumed his taunting. “Oh, yeah, you ran away so fast the other day, I never got to share with you the good news:” He paused for what I assumed was dramatic effect. “I matched with a Connector earlier last week.”

He obviously meant this to be a huge blow to me, but Alaira’s memories had already warned me this would happen. A beautiful young woman, one of the many who competed for Chis’s affection. This one is a princess… Ilene, I think?

Unbidden, my mind was filled with the thought of the serious, quiet Prince William. I hadn’t seen him since that first day in front of the matching center. So he would be her brother?

I felt a moment of concern at his absence, and then confused, I shook my head, dismissing the thought. I had no reason to see him. Why would I worry about a stranger? Shrugging, I waved casually to Chris’s Mech.

“I welcome the princess to the battle. Sorry you’re on the losing team!”

“…”

There was a moment of shocked silence. “You already know?!”

I winced at Chris’s ear piercing shriek. “Know and don’t care.”

“But… I have a Connector.”

“Yeah, you said that.”

“So I won’t be YOUR Connector!”

I sighed. “We’ve long established that. Look, buddy, it’s been a long day and I’m really tired, are you gonna keep talking about your boring personal life, or are we gonna try to crush each other with massive robots?”

“... Fine then! Keep pretending you don’t care!” Chris seemed really upset at not eliciting a bigger reaction from me, but fortunately turned his attention to the battle as well.

As the hologram around us signaled the start to the fight, he raised his sword and moved towards me, but I had already moved behind him.

BAM!

A shot hit his shoulder, blowing large metallic pieces into the air. I frowned, frustrated. I was faster and stronger than him, but my shots just weren’t going where I wanted them to.

Chris ‘s Mech turned around to face, me, the oversized sword’s momentum swaying the robot from side to side. His movement accuracy and speed had tripled from our last encounter. Clearly, he and his Connector were well matched, well over the required 50%.

But I was still faster.

I ducked under his blow, aiming upwards at his elbow and firing another couple shots.

BAM! BAM!

I missed. Cursing, I recovered, dodging another blow as I increased the distance between us.

Stupid guns.

_________________________

A young man threw up his hands, clearly frustrated.

“Why are you so stubborn? Every single world you insist on using a sword. We were in a laser battle for goodness sake!”

“Swords are more dependable.”

“Oh come on…”

“Plus I’m a terrible shot.”

He sighed. “Fine. But what if one day you don’t have me watching your back?”

“It will be fine.” I grinned. “Don’t you love saying that everything is according to fate? Maybe a sword is just mine?”

“... It doesn’t work like that.”

_________________________

A brief memory flashed in my mind, confusing me.

During my distraction, Chris’s Mech tried to strike again. With no time to dodge, I raised my gun, blocking the blow with the barrel. The weapon cracked under the edge of the sword. I pushed him back, relying on my superior strength and jumped backwards, throwing away the broken weapon in my hand. Glancing down at the remaining gun I had, I felt a warm liquid drip from my nose. It was bleeding, a sign of the increasing strain of the Connection.

I was breaking down. I wouldn't last the rest of the fight.

I had to surrender.

Screw that!

I holstered my remaining gun, drawing the large sword on my Mech’s back. As I held it in front of me, I suddenly felt at home, completely comfortable, as if I had held a sword many times before. I stared at Chris’s Mech, feeling excited.

Now, this feels like a fight!

I raced forward, swinging my sword in a horizontal strike.

_________________________

I was standing in a group of zombies, my sword cutting through the neck of the closest monster.

_________________________

Chris dodged, stumbling backwards. I used the momentum of my first swing to smoothly transition into a downward slash.

_________________________

I was an elf, dancing in the forest, my blade striking down shadowy creatures in the midst of a large battle.

_________________________

THUD!

A robotic hand fell to the ground as I cut it off at the wrist. Chris let out a moan of pain, cut short as I controlled my Mech to kick him in the face, knocking him on his back.

_________________________

I was a vampire, holding a sword made of darkness, fighting humans with elegance and grace.

_________________________

Chris tried to stand up but my foot on his chest prevented the movement. I rested the tip of my sword at his Mech’s throat.

“Do you surrender?”

_________________________

“Surrender?” I smiled as I spoke, staring down at the man on the ground. I couldn’t see his face clearly except for his dark blue eyes, which stared at me without a hint of embarrassment despite his defeated position.

“I surrender.” His voice was warm. “You’re pretty amazing with a sword.”

“After all the realms I’ve fought through? I would have to be.” I shook my head. “Don’t you use swords when you travel?”

“I’m not permitted to travel anymore.” He grinned. “I keep refusing to play my role.”

_________________________

I blinked, focusing on the partially destroyed Mech in front of me. Not hearing his answer, I dug the tip into his neck slightly, only stopping when he let out a groan.

“Do. You. Surrender?”

“I surrender.” His answer sounded like it was forced through gritted teeth.

I could hear muted cheers from the crowd behind the shield as the holographic screens around us displayed my name as the victor.

“Good.” I moved my sword and turned away. My body felt drained, every muscle screaming in pain. I tasted blood in my mouth, my head hurting worse with each passing second.

“I’LL BEAT YOU ONE DAY!” Chris called out behind me. “I’LL GET STRONGER, AND I’LL SHOW YOU!”

“Tell it to someone who cares.” I didn’t turn around, and left the arena.

At least I won. Now if my head would just stop hurting...

As soon as I reached the docking area, my legs crumpled beneath me, and my world faded into darkness.

_________________________

Where am I?

I woke up in a white room, on a plain, clean bed, wearing a hospital gown.

This isn’t a different world, is it?

I carefully searched my memories, but didn’t feel anything different. I sighed, realizing I must be in the school infirmary. In my memories of her life, Alaira had helped bring her fellow students there in the past, but had never stayed to be examined. Deep down she had known that without a Connector she was breaking down, and was afraid the school would prevent her from fighting.

It might have saved her life if she had.

I sat up, rubbing my forehead tiredly. It was still throbbing.

“Are you okay?” A soft voice spoke up, startling me.

I jumped, looking to the chair beside my bed, where a dark haired young man sat. His dark blue eyes studied me carefully, his face expressionless.

“…Prince William?”

“…” After a long silence, he nodded slowly.

“What are you doing here?”

He stared down at the floor silently, and just when I thought he might not respond, he reached out, handing me a peeled apple.

I took it, feeling dazed. “Umm… thanks.” I took a bite, and after swallowing, asked the question on my mind. “Were you the one leaving food outside my dorm room then?”

“…hmm.” His gaze never left the ground.

What the heck kind of answer is “hmm”?!!

“How did you know I like peeled apples?”

“…” A look of genuine confusion crossed his face, but quickly disappeared as he shrugged silently.

“Okay. Well. Thanks.” I pushed myself up, trying to swing my legs to the side of the bed.

He stood up, his face concerned. “Wait. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, my head hurts, but otherwise I feel great.”

“…You should rest.” He frowned as he looked me over.

“It’s just strain from a prolonged connection.” I sighed. “I’m used to it.”

“You haven’t matched?” He seemed mixed, as if happy and disappointed at the same time.

“Nope. Not for lack of trying though. ” I looked him over. “Are you a Connector? Have you matched yet?”

“I…” A look of agony distorted his features.

“He can’t. He’s broken.”

A young woman stood at the door of the infirmary, a mocking smile on her face.

I studied the newcomer carefully. She had long black curls framing a heart shaped face, and large blue eyes that looked down on me with pride. Given the similarities in features to Prince William next to me, it wasn’t difficult to figure out her identity.

“I’m assuming you’re Princess Ilene?”

She ignored my words, walking closer to her brother, whose face had become expressionless once again.

“He can’t Connect. His mental barrier is too strong.” She stopped a few feet away from him and raised her hand, knocking on what looked to be empty air. It made a solid noise, her hand stopping at the same invisible point. “He can’t put it down even if he wants to.”

I thought back to the first time I met him, remembering people being pushed aside.

“A useless Connector who can’t make the connection. A Guardian who can’t match. Two failures together.” She smiled at me. “Sorry I took away your only possible chance at matching Chris, but you needed to see the reality of the situation. He’s a better Guardian than you.”

“…Remind me again who ended up flat on their back at the end of the last fight?”

Her eyes narrowed in annoyance at my comeback. “At least he will be around a long time to help fight the Hive. You, on the other hand.” Ilene pointed at her head and turned her finger in a circle. “You have no future. But on the bright side, at least my useless brother can keep you company while your mind slowly breaks apart.”

BAM

William stood up, angry, and with the loud sound of an impact, Ilene was pushed by an invisible barrier out of the room. Her face enraged, she slammed her fists against it while her mouth made motions as if she was shouting. I stared at her, confused as to why I couldn’t hear her.

“…I sealed her out of the barrier.” William whispered. “Her voice can't make it through either.”

“Oh.” I nodded with satisfaction, watching her shout silently outside the doorway. “Thanks.”

“I can expand the barrier… but she’s right… I can’t drop it.” His eyes dropped down to the floor again. “I can’t Connect… I can’t help Guardians… useless…” His voice slowly dropped in volume, until it was barely a whisper.

“Well, you’re helping me out right now, and I’m a Guardian. So I’d say you’re a pretty useful guy.” I gave him a thumbs up. “I know that not hearing her is already making my day better.”

He stared at me silently for a few moments. “… Are you hungry?”

“Kind of. Why? Do you have more apples or something?”

William shook his head. “No… cake.”

“Please tell me you are serious.”

He solemnly set a container with a piece of cake on the table next to me, along with a napkin and utensils.

I stared at it in shock, motionless.

“… Do you not like it?” His nervous tone broke me out of my stupor. I quickly reached out and held the container close, grabbing the fork and taking a bite.

“Oh, this is amazing… totally worth passing out after my fight.” I took a few more bites, noting him relaxing visibly as I showed my enjoyment. “…Why are you being so nice to me, anyways?”

“Why?” William blinked, looking shocked as if he hadn’t considered it before.

“Yeah. As far as I can tell, I haven’t met you outside of running into you in the hallway once. Why go out of your way to leave me food and sit by me in the infirmary?”

He finally looked up, his dark blue eyes staring into my own. “…I’m not sure. “ He shrugged. “Whenever I see you, I feel happy. I want to help you.”

I leaned back against the backboard of the infirmary bed. “Well… I guess I could always use a friend.”

“Friends?” A trace of a smile crossed his face, before it disappeared into expressionless once more. “Really?”

“Yeah. So let me introduce myself officially, Prince William.” I started to reach out a hand to shake, but remembering his barrier, I pulled it back. “I’m Alaira. Level S Guardian but unable to match, and your new friend.”

He stared at my hand with a look of regret before looking back up. “I’m a Level S Connector… but can’t connect. I’m your new friend… “ He hesitated. “Can you call me a nickname instead?”

“Sure.”

“Then call me… Liam.”

_________________________

“Are you lost?” I woke up in a strange world to the sound of an unfamiliar voice, laying on my back, confused.

“Seems a good description for my current situation.” I stared into a pair of dark blue eyes, smiling despite the dizziness. “Nice to meet you, Stranger.”

He grinned, reaching out a hand to help me up. “Call me Liam.”

“Nice to meet you, Liam.”

_________________________

I blinked away the memory, smiling at the timid young man in front of me. “Nice to meet you… Liam.”

#writing #please fix the story #sci fi #world hopping #memory loss #giant robots #aliens #more memories #call back to the peeled apples from the zombie arc if anyone remembers that far back #so happy to post this part finally.#weight off my chest

170 notes · View notes

britishassistant · 3 years

Note

The multiple Yuus' suffering won't end yet.

I feel like Villain! Yuu and Villainous Paranoiac! Yuu are similar personality-wise but do you mind switching them too?

I can imagine them sleeping with one eye open in their new world, cuz they don't trust anyone.

Thank you for the ask, dear anon!

You cover your nose and mouth to muffle your breathing as best you can.

Costumed adults run past your hiding place, crouched behind a series of pipes. They’re boiling hot, feeling like they could burn through your thin pajama sleeves even though you’re trying to keep your distance from them while staying concealed.

“Princess? Oh, little Princess? Come out, come out, wherever you are~” The voice of the older woman who tried to kill you when you woke up croons. You can see her shadow on the wall next to you.

Your lip curls involuntarily at the nickname, and you hunch down further into yourself.

“Are you sure we wanna do this?” The other man asks. “If the Night Raven finds out about this...”

“He won’t.” The woman snaps. “Not if we do this properly. That pampered little brat needs to die. If it’s another one of those annoying alternate versions, killing this one means there’ll be no way for our version to switch back here. If it’s a de-aged version, then even better. Either way, we’ll finally be free of that weak, pathetic pushover of an employer. Now go check over there!”

“R-right!”

You watch as their shadows move across the wall, until they vanish as their owners exit through the doors on the other side of the room.

You bite the skin on the side of your thumb. You thought this place was where that...reporter version of you came from, and that you were in the lair of one of the seven supervillains you met before, but everything you’ve seen and heard so far runs counter to that hypothesis. None of them were using the whole clockwork and steam motif that this place is decorated with, and the way those...minions? were talking, it sounds like a version of you is the one running this place.

And not very well, judging by the employee dissatisfaction.

You want to just curl up and stay hidden behind these pipes forever, but the longer you stay here, the more likely it is you’ll be cornered with no chance to run. Plus the heat’s making your head spin, and you know with your luck you’ll end up burning yourself. Better to get out now while the getting’s good.

You slip out, and go through the door that the two minions came from, peeking around to make sure the coast is clear before darting for the next bit of cover. You wish not for the first time you had shoes to muffle the sound of your bare feet against the rough floor.

You need to find an exit, get out of here as fast as you can. But if you can’t find a way to distract the minions, how long will it be until they just follow you to wherever you try to take sanctuary, just like the Scarabia students did back over winter break?

You’re in an even worse spot that you were then. At least then, you had Grim with you.

Here? You’re all alone. Defenseless.

Your right ankle twinges again, making you stumble and clip a bunch of nearby boxes. You frantically need to spread your arms to catch the boxes so the crash of them falling over doesn’t alert any of the security.

And injured. Can’t forget your overblot injuries.

You’re already panting after running for only a few minutes, your lungs burning in your chest. Nurse Kamac told you you’d find physical exertion much harder now, but it’s one thing to hear it and another thing entirely to feel how much effort it takes to do things you used to be able to do with ease, how much your body protests against the one advantage you used to have, how much more useless you are now.

You slump at a corner, sweat beading on your brow. Your vision is swimming, and your knees feel unsteady under you.

Something liquid and hot is sliding down your collarbone. You think your throat is bleeding again.

“Kreek?”

You yelp, tripping over your own feet at the sound, hitting the ground with a hard thud. You whip your head around to find the source of the noise.

There is a huge crow perched on a pipe above you.

It’s massive. Are birds allowed to get that big?

It tilts its head at you, before taking off from its perch and fluttering down to land next to you, hopping a few steps closer.

“H-hey, nice birdie...” You rasp. Then, recalling something the minions said earlier, you venture, “...Are you the Night Raven?”

There’s a moment of silence.

Then the crow erupts into a raucous, croaking squawks that sound suspiciously like laughter.

You purse your lips, running a hand through your sweaty bangs. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. It’s not like I’ve been sent to a whole other world again or anything, and whoever this ‘Night Raven’ is seems to be the only thing between me and those guys who think killing me will ensure some supervillain also ends up dead. Because of course they do, that’s just how my life is, it’s not like I don’t already know my birth was enough of a mistake. Ugh.”

You drop you head onto your knees and squeeze your eyes shut tight. You’re tired. You’re sore.

You just wanna wake up back in your bed at Ramshackle with Grim cuddled up next to you, muttering about tuna, and have all of this be some horrible nightmare.

You flail at the feeling of a series of sharp pinches on your good shoulder and a heavy, warm weight unbalancing you. “Hey, what the—!”

The crow croaks at you from its new perch on your shoulder, looking both mildly annoyed and unphased by your floundering. You jerk as it’s wickedly sharp beak darts forward and—!

Closes around a section of your mussed up bangs?

The bird pulls your hair back into place as best it can, tugging hard on your scalp as it repeats the process until it’s satisfied you’ve been groomed enough.

It is one of the weirdest experiences you’ve ever undergone. And you’ve played in a Heartslaybul crocket match.

The crow pushes off your shoulder, smacking you in the face with one of it’s wings in the process. It lands on another set of pipes some distance away and turns back to look at you. It caws in a distinctly impatient tone when you don’t immediately follow it.

You weigh your options. On the one hand, it could be leading you into a trap, and you’ll end up dead, though that doesn’t explain why it would try to groom you. You also don’t know your way around this place, and ignoring the bird could lead to it making even more noise as it attempts to get your attention again, which would alert your pursuers and get you killed even faster.

“So I’m following birds now. It’s official. I’ve finally lost it.” You mutter to yourself, pushing yourself shakily to your feet, and counting yourself lucky your vision only goes fuzzy once when you’re upright.

The crow guides you through the...lair is the only word suitable for it. It has a knack for landing on areas that will allow you to take some cover should some of the minions looking for you pass by, hissing whenever it wants you to stay put, and giving that same impatient caw once it’s time to move on again.

It’d be nice if that system could be foolproof.

Unfortunately, as you’re running past a doorway that you thought was clear, you hear a cry of, “HERE! THEY'RE HERE!! THE IMPOSTER IS OVER HERE!!”

You curse, and make yourself run faster, trying to ignore how it pulls the ridged scars along your left thigh and hip and your sudden shortness of breath. You can’t afford to acknowledge that right now, especially when you yelp as actual gunfire erupts behind you and real, genuine bullets whiz past your head to embed themselves in the stacked boxes near you.

The crow has the same idea, taking off to fly just ahead of you, soaring into the faces of any minions who try to cut off the path it’s leading you down with sharp talons and beak at the ready.

You follow it to a huge room, slamming the large double doors shut behind you.

You shove back against them as the doors jump when your pursuers collide with it. Your breath is coming in harsh pants as you fumble with the bolt and padlock, barely clicking it shut before the entrance is forced open.

You stumble away, blindly colliding with a desk and hitting the floor as you desperately and feebly try to suck in air that your lungs can’t seem to inhale, your breaths getting shallower and and more panicked as your vision fuzzes out again. You can’t breathe, you can’t breathe, you can’t breathe, you can’t breathe, you can’t breathe, you can’t breathe, you can’t breathe, you can’t breathe, you can’t breathe—

A loud cry erupts above you, and you faintly see dark shapes descend down on you, feeling dozens of sharp pinches on your upper body, the force of what feels like dozens of dozens of wings dragging your upper body up and back until you’re leaning upright against something and there’s a monumental. warm, fluffy weight against your chest, alternating between getting heavier and lighter, forcing it to expand and contract in intervals of four seconds under it.

It takes a while, but eventually, your hyperventilating finally, finally stops, as you carefully and slowly suck in grateful lungfuls of oxygen and your eyesight gradually returns.

Then you have to blink hard.

You are covered in what you think Epel would describe as a metric fuckton of birds.

They’re all staring at you, some of them picking at your pajamas, others making a caw-like noise that can only be best described as a worried peep.

You lift a hesitant hand to try and maybe shoo some of them off, only for your heart to melt as one of them honest-to-Seven nudges into your palm, like it wants you to pet it or something.

You wonder if the supervillain version of you trained them to do this. If so, at least they did one thing right, because Great Seven this is adorable.

The monsterous crow who led you here lands next to you, squawking and flapping its wings indignantly. The black birds gradually hop off you at this display, much to your subtle disappointment.

“Alright, alright, I’m up.” You grumble, shakily pulling yourself to your feet. “Now what Crow?”

The leader of the birds lands on top of the desk you hit earlier, tapping on some sheets of paper with its beak. You pull them towards you, trying to puzzle out what you’re seeing. It looks like some kind of...schematic? For a water-powered machine that seems to be the power source of a death ray or something. What’s most interesting though is the part of the plans with a section labelled ‘self destruct�� near the top of the construction.

“Okay, so this going boom would make for a good distraction so I could escape.” You chew at your nail. “But now I’ve got to find where it is so I can do that...”

The crow pecks at your other hand. When you pull it away, it shoots you an unimpressed glare and turns around.

You lift your head and follow where it’s looking.

There, along the back wall of this huge room, sits an absolute behemoth of metal and glass surrounded by scaffolding, a huge clear water tank like the one in the plans already filled to the brim and gurgling with movement.

Oh.

You purse your lips at the Crow, which is still shooting you an unimpressed glare. “In my defense, I was kind of having too much trouble trying to keep those guys out, and then breathing to really notice...that.”

It laughs at you again.

There’s a percussive boom from the doors, all the birds taking off and circling with warning squawks.

You push off of the desk as you dash towards the machine, trying to ignore how you want to flinch as several more booms follow the first one. You grab the scaffolding and frantically pull yourself up, trying to climb as fast as you can. If you can just reach the top before they break through—!

There’s an ear-splitting explosion as the doors fly open.

“THERE! THERE THEY ARE!! STOP THEM!!”

You shriek as the gunfire starts again, the need to climb, to get away warring with the instinct to try curling up as small as you can so you’re less of a target.

Your footing slips when you jump to grab the last ledge, leaving you to desperately grab onto the scaffolding with your bad arm. You whimper at how the rounded scars on your shoulder scream in protest at taking almost all your weight, the blackened bite mark on your elbow throbbing with pain like a second heartbeat.

You feel a flare of agony in your right thigh that makes you almost lose your grip. You whine through your teeth as you grab onto the metal and heave yourself up and over, rolling away from the ledge and curling up so your attackers can’t hit you.

“Cease fire! Cease fire you idiots! You’ll break the tank!!”

It takes you a second to realize that you’re curled around the circular podium where the schematics said the self-destruct button was mounted.

“Come down, Princess!” The older woman’s voice floats up to you. “You don’t know what you’re doing up there, do you? There’s nowhere left for you to run. Just be a good little nepotist and come face your fate with some dignity. I swear to you it’ll be quick.”

You grit your teeth as you haul yourself up. “Fat chance.”

You can see her at the head of the pack now, scoffing as her face twists with hate. “Typical. Bloody typical isn’t it? Even the other version of you was an ungrateful little shit, but at least it knew when to keep its head down and listen to its betters. It’s galling to be demoted to working under an imposter, a fake human like that thing!! Spending all its time with birds and playing around with those stupid civilians, hah! You’re no better than an animal! Just a dumb little pet that the Night Raven thought would be funny to give a title and call his ‘heir’!! A disgrace to the pursuit of villainy and evil!!”

“Are you sure about that?”

You take far too much delight in the way she pales as she sees your hand hovering over the self-destruct button.

“H-hold on princess,” She babbles, reaching a futile hand up. “W-we can talk about this, just don’t—”

“Shut. Up.” You growl. “If you wanted a heroic little fairytale princess to terrorize, you picked the worst person you could.”

“‘Cause me? I’m the damn wicked witch.”

You slam you fist down on the button.

There’s a wailing of alarms as the structure below you shakes. Tons upon tons of water bursts out of the machine.

The woman can’t even scream as the flood swallows her.

The crows caw wildly above your head, and you tear your eyes away to see the largest one leading the flock in flapping around a ladder leading to a hatch in the roof. You stagger over to it, your hands almost slipping off the metal rungs several times.

You push hard on the metal hatch and breath in the cold, dry air of the outside, the rough stony roof feeling like it’s cutting into your feet. You can still hear the alarms blaring as you close the hatch again after the last of the birds have flown out.

You’re tired. So tired. Your eyesight is going blurry again and the right leg of your pajamas feels uncomfortably wet, giving off little pulses of agony that has you whimpering.

“Hey, Crow?” Your voice sounds very far away. “I think I’mma pass out now.”

The world tilts sideways before everything goes black.

#ask #twisted wonderland #twst #villainous paranoiac yuu #harrassed villain yuu au #supervillain au #the supervisor #twisted wonderland yuu #twst yuu #a.k.a #yuu has a the worst time #the worst #diavolo the crow #villainous paranoiac yuu would make a much better villain than their counterpart #meanwhile the supervillain version straightens from where they’re failing to terroize high schoolers #why do I feel like something of mine just got destroyed again

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geekgemsspooksandtoons · 3 years

Text

The Mask 1994

*I finally wrote the whole thing. I finally watched the movie that involved something I’ve been talking about A LOT. I think this took about an hour since I finished the movie. Forgot to mention Charlie.*

I wanna make this clear, even before I watched movie or ever writing this. I am legitimately a stupid and lazy person. Because my mom told me about this, and last week, my dad rented A Quiet Place Part 2. When I was trying to go to sleep but was looking up movies...I literally forgot my tv can do that too...and that I can rent or buy a movie...I rented the movie this morning, and deleted it afterwards...after all that talk...I could’ve done that...wow. I should do that more considering some movies I wanna see or like. Not too much though. My tv has DirecTV. Just a heads up.

But a few or couple of minutes ago, I finally watched The Mask film from 1994. This post is gonna be filled with spoilers and it’s gonna get long. Gonna be kind of a review. My overall thoughts on it. This was my first reaction to the whole movie.

I’d just wanna talk about this too. I like comic books, I like comic book movies. Mainly my favorites are ones like all of Zack Snyder’s DCEU movies, Spider-Man 1 & 2, The Suicide Squad 2021, Wonder Woman 2017, The Dark Knight(Despite whatever issues I have with it), and Joker 2019. Yeah, those are mainly DC films and two Marvel related ones. I don’t even mind Spider-Man 3 as well. I also forgot Dredd 2012 is another one of my favorites. Along with Batman 1989.

I was hoping The Mask could make that list of favorites. Because I read the comics first. I don’t think I ever watch the movie fully as a kid MAYBE. I’m a fan of the comics, I know this movie was gonna be a lighter take on the series.

In a nutshell...I liked it. It’s possible it will be on that list of favorite CBM’s...but I want to talk about it. I’ll also admit I think what got me interested in seeing this film and this series was me liking Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura...now, let’s get to the point.

Yeah, I liked it. I thought the movie was genuinely entertaining. Despite seeing some clips before. But also Ryan Hollinger’s video about it. Revealing the ending, the twist, and other stuff. But I didn’t wanna watch more more that I haven’t seen yet.

I will be honest, it still made me laugh. Even some scenes I already have seen. I will admit, the Cuban Pete scene is actually one of my favorites. XD But what also surprised me is that at times, despite being a funny film. It can genuinely be touching in a way. And I am mainly talking about the developing relationship between Stanley and Tina.

I just wanna talk about the characters right now. I’ll just admit unless I haven’t already. I’m a Jim Carrey fan. Mainly because of his more goofier roles. Particularly his roles from the Ace Ventura movies, Liar Liar, and especially Sonic The Hedgehog. I also will admit this, Jim Carry nails playing Big Head or who they call...The Mask in this movie...I’ll nitpick about that later.

But yeah, Jim’s entertaining as Big Head in this film. He does make me laugh. But I think another role he does well despite there are some sillier moments, which is fine. I feel like in a way, Stanley Ipkiss in this version, is maybe one of his more normal roles. But I know I’m wrong considering whatever other roles he’s in. He portrays a likable good guy who’s sadly mainly pushed around. Which is quite the difference from the comics, except being pushed around. But that’s another topic. Yet for this story, even if maybe Stanley’s name could be changed. But him being a genuinely kind guy works for this story.

Even before I saw the movie, learning more about this version about the character. I can relate to Stanley in some ways honestly. Which is something that I like. He basically shines as a protagonist.

He portrays both sides well. Despite at times...honestly, this Stanley is wacky. I shouldn’t be judging. Jim does a good stuff with what he played, and he’s the highlight of this movie. He also delivers possibly my favorite Jim Carrey line of all time now. Sorry if I get this wrong. I was looking for a clip of it to help me.

“Daddy’s gonna go kick some ass”. A literal line from Jim Carrey in this movie and I love it. He even brings a pistol with him.

I also wanna admit Peter Greene as Dorian is pretty good as a villain. The dude can be threatening and he works with what he is given. And he’s effective as an antagonist. I just wanna admit that I swear, one of these guys. One of them could’ve Walter in a way and I just think that could’ve been possible. But I’m not sure. Just one of Dorian’s henchmen looked like a huge guy. It just got me thinking about Walter from the comics.

Will admit, I think Kellaway is fine. And I just found out Christopher Reeve was one of the actors considered for the role...damn. But again, Kellaway was fine. He’s more like a supporting character and again, this is like an origin story. I do feel bothered Lionel Ray wasn’t added but replaced with this Doyle character. I will admit that Doyle is silly, which is the point of his character. I guess the writers and director didn’t want two sensible cops or something. I like Kellaway alright, but I’ll always dig Lionel too.

I really wanted to get this point. I thought Cameron Diaz was good as Tina Carlyle and Amy Yasbeck as Peggy Brandt. I will admit, I do strangely like the subversion with Peggy in a way with it’s twist. I get the idea if that it was going for that theme of, “We all wear mask” and Peggy turning Stanley into the mob said a lot about her character. While Tina was genuinely the one that truly supported Stanley.

I think was surprised me more was the fact despite Peggy turned in Stanley for selfish purposes such as paying for her condo. Yet what surprised me more was she was actually concerned for Stanley being killed, and didn’t want him hurt...which explains even more why she stuck around in the cartoon. And honestly, it makes me glad the director took out that deleted scene of her getting killed. So she wasn’t that heartless.

Also...it made me think that...my ideas and changes towards her character...maybe hold some weight.

I’ll just put this out there too. Milo is great, one of my favorite fictional dogs maybe. Good dog.

Trying to think what else, the score was fine. But the licensed music was good or something. Overall, I think my negatives could be just...nitpicks. Such as the Big Head part I wanted to talk about. Listen, I understand this is a different version. I just feel it’s weird to call him, “The Mask” instead of Big Head. I know other characters mask in their name or something. But...some reasons, the name Big Head is there. I guess it’s because of the title or something.

Honestly, I think my negatives are more that it feels short. And maybe Stanley becoming Big Head a bit too early. I sound kind of stupid, I know. But this was the 90′s and whatever else. This was a different take on the comics. But I did genuinely like it. Maybe I’m just a bit attached to those comics. Despite knowing the changes they did.

But I will admit, considering the development for this film. And learning that it was meant to be a horror film. But the director Charles Russell found the violence in the source material to be off putting. So he made it less grim, and more fun. I’ve also read somewhere that trying to make comedy with that violence was difficult.

Back to the point, to be honest. I feel like for that time and age. A more light Mask film was maybe the best choice to go. And we wouldn’t have Jim Carrey in it. I do also wanna say, I feel like The Mask series, you can do a lot of it. You can have something dark with it, or maybe more lighter.

There are still some of those darker elements. Mainly considering the moments with the gangsters and all that. But I will admit, learning that Charles mostly directed horror films. I think it’s impressive he made a more family friendly film and it worked.

I liked it, despite my love for the comics. I thought when writing this, maybe some folks reading this may think I sound like fans who read the comics who first experienced this movie. But the film isn’t bad, it’s just a different take and a pretty nice one at that.

And to be honest, as much as I would of loved to see an actual sequel. And not that bad film known as Son Of The Mask. I understand why Jim Carrey dropped out, and I would’ve loved to see Peggy back because the director planned to bring her back reformed. But I feel like this film works as a one off in a way. And there’s also the cartoon, which works fine as a sequel despite some differences. Yet...I’ll admit, I would’ve loved The Mask 2 if we got Jim Carrey as Stanley again fighting against maybe someone like Walter.

The Mask 1994 is a good film. Despite changes from the source material, but the changes for this vision work. It’s cool this film has a cult following, and the fact I have used elements and story beats from it for The Mask Rebirth stuff I’ve been talking about. Even before watched this whole movie.

It’s a genuine fun flick. But I’m hoping down the line, if Warner Bros stops being fucking stupid with how they run things. Maybe we’ll get a reboot or how about an animated film that seems more true to the source material.

I know The Mask/Big Head doesn’t have a big legacy such as the likes of Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man. But I do think this series could be reimagined and expanded upon. Using elements not only from the original comics, but even the movie and cartoon.

And...despite it was because of Ace Ventura...I would like to thank @kaijuguy19 for being such a supportive dude, and talking about this franchise with me. Including wanting to talk about this movie long ago when I haven’t seen it. But I want to say...no...he’s one of the big reasons why I’m a fan. Because he’s one of the only guys I know who’s a fan. It started with Ace Ventura, but it was because of talking with Kaijuguy that I guess things started to escalate. So thanks man for talking about this stuff with me.

Also, Charlie was silly and he was fine as a character. I forgot about that dude despite wanting to talk about him. Gonna tag him too in case. Charlie schumaker

#GeekGem Rambles #the mask #the mask 1994 #jim carrey #stanley ipkiss #dorian tyrell #mitch kellaway #tina carlyle #peggy brandt #cameron diaz #amy yasbeck #peter greene #big head #charles russell #charlie schumaker

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kpoppwriter · 4 years

Text

Play Nice

❧ @peachyhan asked: Okay, but hear me out: for your royalty au, the idol and Y/N both have siblings that are getting an arranged marriage, so they (the idol and Y/N) see each other at all of the gatherings and stuff Bonus points if they're enemies😼

❧ Genre: royalty AU (Prince!Seonghwa x Prince(ss)!reader)

❧ Words: 777

❧ Warnings: drinking of champagne by reader and Seonghwa

❧ Synopsis: You hated Seonghwa with all of your being but when he proposes an idea, you decide it’s worth it to play nice for once.

❧ A/N: so this idea was sent to me a while ago by @peachyhan and I’ve been saving it for when inspiration stuck. It is currently 2:50am as I start writing this...why must I torture myself

~※ Main Masterlist ※~

The ballroom was alive with chatter and music. Lords and Ladies danced in the middle of the room as the band played sweet songs for them to move to. Laughter could be heard mixing in with the music, the room feeling rather bright and joyus.

For you, however, it was a grim time. You’d rather be anywhere but here. You barely knew any of these people and the people you did know were quite dull. Conversations with anyone you talked to always went to the topic of the newly betrothed couple, your sister and Prince Hongjoong. Instead of having to listen to the same conversations over and over again, you stuck yourself in the far corner of the ballroom hoping no one would approach you. Sadly, your plan didn’t work out too well. While you were sipping on the champagne you’d been nursing all night, someone approached you.

“Hello Y/N.”

Your eyes looked up at the figure in front of you. Your nose immediately scrunched up like you had just tasted something bad.

“What do you want Seonghwa?” you sighed

“What, am I not allowed to talk to you?”

“No you’re not,” you huffed, “I told you I don’t like you.”

Seonghwa chuckled to himself as he moved to stand beside you, his back leaning against the wall. You wished he would just walk away. He seriously was the last person you wanted to talk to right now.

You and Seonghwa had been enemies for who know how long now. You honestly forgot why you started to hate him in the first place but you were too stubborn to forget that you disliked him. He left a sort of bad taste in your mouth. There was just something so irritating about his quiet cockiness and his attractive charm. It really made you want to smack him.

The feeling of Seonghwa’s presence beside you was the opposite of comforting - it was rather disturbing actually. You just wanted him gone so you could relish in your grumpiness alone.

“I can tell you aren’t having fun and it isn’t my fault this time” he said, “Why are you even here?”

“You know why I’m here. I have to be,” you grumbled

“Ahh yeah, your sister is engaged to Hongjoong,” he clicked his tongue

“Please don’t bring it up. I really don’t want to talk anymore about it.”

“Neither do I! It’s the only thing anyone here is talking about.”

You got a little boost of happiness when you heard the exasperated sigh leave Seonghwa’s lips. Knowing he was also being berated with comments of the engagement and the annoyance that resulted of that made you feel a bit better - not because you weren’t alone in your feelings but because you enjoyed seeing him annoyed.

“Aww poor baby doesn’t want Joongie to get married,” you mocked

“Yes I don’t want him to get married,” he said plainly, “Which is why I actually came over to propose an idea.”

“An idea? What are you talking about?”

“We work together to stop your sister and Hongjoong’s marriage.”

“Wait- us working together?” you let out a sardonic laugh, “Never in a million years would I work with you.”

“I don’t want to work with you either but if it means never having to do any of this again,” he gestured to the party happening around the two of you, “Then I’ll do it.”

His reasoning was sound. You hated having to dress up and pretend you were having fun when you’d rather be anywhere but there. It was exhausting. Seonghwa could tell you were still hesitant but you were starting to come around.

“I promise I just want to do this. No hidden motives and no tricks,” he raised his hands in surrender, “I’ll even promise never to talk to you again if you agree to help me.”

“Really? Like genuinely?” you asked wide eyed

“Yes,” he sighed, “I promise I won’t bother you ever again.”

“Deal.”

You outstretched your hand towards Seonghwa. He rolled his eyes before taking your hand and shaking it, sealing your deal. You looked around at the other partygoers and noticed how some of their eyes were on you and Seonghwa. You quickly pulled your hand away.

“You should go,” you said curtly, “Unless you want rumors of us being betrothed to start.”

He let out a scoff, his hand snatching the drink from your hand.

“No one would ever think I was interested in you.”

He downed the rest of your champagne before walking away from your corner. You felt like there was steam coming out of your ears. You wanted to slap him so bad. But for now...you had to play nice.

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twstwonderlandstuff · 4 years

Text

Octo Love! (Reader x Azul!)

Original song

My cover

In which [Name] gets a little too tired and goes on a sporadic singing journey.

It always feels like you’ve exhausted yourself to the max limit. Every day, you trudge back to Ramshackle, muscles and back sore from the work Crowley forces upon you, that damned bird. Every day, you collapse into the soft cushions in Ramshackle and fall asleep in 3 seconds, and after an hour-long ‘nap’, you wake up to see Grim sprawled on top of you, snoozing away (you’re always grateful for the ghosts you take their time to spread a blanket on top of both of you).

But today… today was different.

No, you’re still exhausted (come ON now, this is school and when does one catch a break from school?), eyebags visible, but this time, you don’t get the chance to go to Ramshackle.

No-no-no. See, you’re broke. Very, very, broke, and you have to work, and what better place to get models, than working in Monstro Lounge, right?

Well, it depends.

On good days, working there can be its sort of fun, with Floyd’s unstable mood swings, the business of the place, Azul (with his mafia-like nature) running the place to perfection, and Jade’s butler act, but on other days were simply dealing with that is too much.

You lose all sense of logic and fear- throw that shit out of the window, dawg, it doesn’t matter.

Say it with me, loud in clear! LOGIC AND FEAR DOESN’T MATTER! Again! LOGIC AND FEAR-

“Shrimpy~?” Floyd asks, and you gasp in alarm, gripping onto whatever you were doing. What were you doing?

Ah, yes, cleaning Monstro Lounge after dark, right, right…

“Yo, Floyd…” You give him a weak grin, tiredly pushing the mop against the tiles. “I’m so… sleepy.”

“But you’re always sleepy.” Floyd points out, lighting up. “Ah, wait here, Shrimpy. I got something for you~” He quickly leaves, leaving you looking like a deer in spotlights.

“Ehh… ah, whatever…” You mumble, going back to your duties. Oh god, the floor’s beginning to look like something entirely different….

“[Name]? Are you alright?” This time it’s Jade asking, his calm and soothing voice forcing you to rub out the sleepiness from your eyes. You know he’s not that concerned, but the verbalization is appreciated.

“No, not really. Fuck, I just want-” You don’t get the chance to finish your complaint as Floyd bursts in, holding a sheet of music and a mic in hand.

“Shrimpy~! You know when you sang that weird song?” Your eyes snap open for the first time, and your cheeks redden. Ahh…

It’s a song from your middle-school years, how embarrassing. You were talking with Floyd- well, to be precise, he was spinning and squeezing you about- and as he was spinning you, you began to hum a little tune. The eel picked up on it, and insistently asked what you were singing about, so you gave him the entire rundown of the song.

He giggled, saying how weird it sounded, but his grin contradicted his statement and before you could realize it, he dropped you on the ground and ran away, doing who knows what- and it seems that he’s…

“You… wrote the entire note-chorus- thing?! Based on what I said?!” You shout, skimming over the notes he’s written down messily.

“Floyd, this is amazing, holy shit!” You gasp in amazement. “That’s so cool!”

“Hehe, sea otter helped me out! Sea otter’s too nice, it’s kinda annoying.” Floyd pouts, going to sling his arm around Jade. “Whatcha think, Ja-de?”

The twin smoothly takes the paper out of your hands and reads the notes, looking amazed. “Ah.. this truly is spectacular, Floyd. Good job.” He pats Floyd on the head, and Floyd grins at the praise.

“What’s going on here?” Ah, the man of the hour, the head of the fish mafia himself, Azul Ashengrotto.

You might or might not harbor a tiny, insignificant crush on him. No, you don’t have secret doodles of him and you in the corners of your notebook, of course not! That very notion revokes the idea of logic!

But then again, didn’t you say ‘FUCK LOGIC!’ just a while ago? You did, didn’t you?

…

Well, maybe the crush is bigger than that. There might be a chance that it’s 0.1% bigger than that.

…

No, you most definitely harbor an obvious crush on the silver-haired bloke, and EVERYONE KNOWS, except the bloke himself!

“A-Azul, hey!” He waves you aside, used to the way you stutter when you speak to him.

“Floyd, I believe I told you to check on [Name], not needlessly wave around a piece of paper,” Azul says, adjusting his glasses.

“But A~zul~ take a look! I, Sea Otter, and Shrimpy made this, you know! And I don’t wanna work anymore! I wanna play the piano~” Without giving Azul a chance to protest, he grabs you (and throws you over his back like a sack of potatoes) and the paper, and runs to the piano Monstro has, leaving Jade to deal with Azul.

“Jade, set me down at once-” Azul complains as he’s handled similarly to you, looking undignified.

“My apologies, Azul, but it wouldn’t do good to displease Floyd.” Jade chuckles. “Besides, don’t you want [Name] to rest? It seems that you were quite worried about their health, fufu.”

Azul stiffens, a light blush adorning his ears. “I haven’t the slightest idea of what you’re talking about.”

“Ah, I must have misunderstood. My apologies.” Jade snickers, setting Azul down on one of the tables in Monstro Lounge, sitting next to him.

You and Floyd are too far away to hear this conversation, with Floyd getting the piano up excitedly and handing you the mic.

“Wait, are we going to play a concert? In the middle of the night?” You mutter, taking the mic dumbly.

“Duh~ you’re pretty dim, Shrimpy!” Floyd snickers darkly, setting the music sheet in front of him and stretching. “What did Goldfish say…? Oh yeah, this spell!”

After the spell was cast, the piano began to play a tune to what you’re familiar with.

“Holy shit. It’s playing by itself?!” Floyd pays no heed to your words and began dancing.

“Come on, Shrimpy, sing!” He encourages you, clearly having fun.

Well, what’s the harm? You turn the mic on, and begin singing, moving your body for a bit.

“Ooo, we break the laws of attraction

Like you’re sent from above

Got a case of octo love”

Azul glares at the oddly fitting words but begins to slowly bop his head. Jade is smiling, stiffly dancing in his seat.

“Ooo, we’re like a chemical reaction

Or a code you can’t debug

Got a case of octo love”

“She’s always turning to violence-” Floyd laughs particularly hard at this, and swings you around, leading you to giggle halfway through the song.

“…’s so determined she’s timeless

And I’m so nervous I’m silent.”

Floyds leaves you be, and you pause in time with the music.

“What if she finds out I’m lying?

What if she sends me home crying?

Why can’t I just be kawaii?”

“Isn’t that a term Idia-shii often uses…?” Azul mutters. Floyd comes closer to Jade and Azul, picking the latter up.

“Wait wait wait-!”

“Too late, Azul~” He plonks Azul, next to you, and you give him a grin.

“Baby, baby, baby, you’re so fine-” You scream into the mic, clutching it like a madman.

Mew mew kissy cutie, you’ll be mine-

Crushing, crushing, crushing, on AZUL-”

The octopus freezes in shock, as you continue with the very, very fitting lyrics. Floyd’s going absolutely ham, doing some sort of ska dance with his twin as he laughs at your mistake. (RIP all the other members of Octavinelle).

“Oh, did I say that out-”

No, did I say that out loud?!” You, being dramatic, clutches Azul’s hands and shake them, seemingly unaware of what you’ve said.

The octopus face reddens almost immediately when you swing his arms as children do.

“Ooo, we break the laws of attraction

Like you’re sent from up above

Got a case of octo love”

The poor dorm leader would like to hide under his octopod forever now, thank you very much.

“Ooo, we’re like an improper fraction

Hope this ship gets safe to shore

Though I’m quite unsure”

“Come on shrimpy, join us!” Floyd grabs you and Azul, and together, the 4 of you began dancing in a circle as the Dance Break ensues, your and Azul’s hands holding each other. Azul just repeatedly wants to die of shame and embarrassment.

“She’s always turning to violence

I’m always turning to science

She’s so determined she’s timeless

And I’m so nervous I’m silent.”

You lot stop spinning, dizzy, and out of breath as Floyd takes the mic and sings into it, surprisingly melodious (well, maybe it’s not THAT much of a surprise. He IS from the sea, after all.)

“What if she finds out I’m lying?

What if she sends me home crying?

Why can’t I just be kawaii?

And then I’m like…”

Jade takes the microphone, seemingly knowing the lyrics, and sings into it, making you cheer as you press close to him.

“Baby, baby, baby, you’re so fine

Mew mew kissy cutie, you’ll be mine-”

You grab the mic back, spinning in place.

Crushing, crushing, crushing on Azul-”

You point towards the dorm leader, who’s taken to sitting on the floor of Monstro Lounge and hiding most of his face with his hands, excluding his eyes, and come near him, getting your face a little too close to his liking.

“And so I shout it out!”

And so I shout it out loud!”

You grab Azul by the hand and drag him towards you, skillfully keeping him balanced. He can’t help but wonder, Where was this energy when you were working?

You began to do a sort of impromptu couple dance, your exhausted giggles and laughs slipping in and Azul sighs at the silliness of it all, but… he smiles genuinely.

You look so plaintively happy here that he can’t help it, you know?

“Ooo, we’re like a warrior in action

Fit together like a glove-”

You shove the mic into his face, and he, in a low voice, murmurs.

“Got a case of octo love…”

You gasp dramatically, looking like you didn’t notice him.

“OOOOH MY GOD HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN STANDING THERE?!”

“I’ve been right here the whole time…” He mutters, a little confused. Is this part of the song, or something?

“Ok, now I want to die.” You say, deadpan. The twins, who were back to their own ska dance thing, grabs the mic from you and pulls you and Azul by the arms (again). The four of you began to sing in harmony (as harmonious as you can get, anyway).

“Ooo, we break the laws of attraction-”

You eagerly grab the mic back. “A duet will maybe do... cuz I invited Floyd and Jade too!”

“Hehe, of course, you did, Shrimpy~”

“Smooshed together like a bug!!”

“Got a case of Octo love~”

You let out a huge laugh, giggling and snickering as Jade sets you down, catching your breath.

“That was… fun…! But now, I...holy shit… I’m tired…” You gasp in exhaustion, falling flat onto one of the couches and quickly began to fall asleep, but-

“Ne, Shrimpy?”

With the last bit of your strength, you open your eyes just a tiny bit. “Wha..?”

“D’ya realize what ya said?” Floyd’s grin is wide like he was about to tease the SHIT out of you or use you in some way. He flops on the floor and leans onto your leg.

“The song, yeah?”

“Hihihi, Shrimpy~,” The twin says. “You’ll see tomorrow~ goodnight.” He says quietly, a quick change of mood.

“Sleep tight.” Jade laughs, sitting down next to you and putting his head back.

“Don’t let the bed bugs bite.” Azul finishes, sitting a bit further away from the 3 of you.

“G’night.” Not a second later, and you are asleep, breathing softly.

“Ne, ne, Azul~? Watcha think of Shrimpy’s confession?”

“Th-that wasn’t a confession! It was a slip of the tongue.”

“Eh. You’re still gonna deny that. That’s cowardly, Azul~ Even Shrimpy knows better than that.”

“I must agree. Honestly, to think that you were beaten to confessing. And most oddly, too.”

“I...um…”

*The Leech twins grin widely at Azul’s clamming up.

“Hmm~?”

“J-just leave me be!”

*With a face as red as tomatoes, Azul leaves, assuming to hide in his octo pot.

[Thanks v much for reading! This is a better version of what I put out yesterday because god damn, that was disgraceful.]

#azul ashengrotto #twst azul #azul x reader #azul twst #twst #twst wonderland #twisted wonderland #twisted x reader #floyd leech #jade leech #leech twins #eyyyy tsun2 azul come on now

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twistedlymad · 4 years

Note

So I been thinking of this lately. How about like Reader have a Dream that she Alice and It’s like Alice In Wonderland with the Heartslabyul Dorm .I have no one to share this XD

I’ve seen a few other stories that had the same concept, where you are the hero and the boys are the villain of their respective dormitories. But, it’s okay, I wanted to try writing this as well!

Truth be told, when I watched Alice in Wonderland as a kid, I didn’t really understand the whole movie, now, after 10 years I finally picked it up again just for this story XD

But, anyways, this was lovely to write! Thank you so much for giving me an idea for this dear anon! I hope you enjoy this little story and I hope you have a lovely day!

Little note: I didn’t fully follow the movie, I added my own version and twists of how things would play out instead! I hope you don’t mind dear anon! Also, should I also write for the other dorms?

(Y/N) in Wonderland! (Ft. Riddle, Trey, Cater, Ace, Deuce, Che’nya and Grim)

Confusion, the only thing in your mind as you wandered the forest named Tulgey Wood. Little critters of all kind surrounded you as you continued your journey, hoping to find a way back home.

You then followed an arrow that pointed at a path that you thought would lead you back to your Ramshackle Dorm. You were so excited when you saw the arrow, you thought the path that the arrow pointed was the way back home! You couldn’t wait to see Grim and your friends again! Oh, how you missed them so dearly!

“I’m going to see Grim and everyone again!” You exclaimed as you ran along the path. You were literally bouncing and skipping with joy as you continued the path.

“Oh, I just can’t wait until I-“ You stopped yourself mid-sentence and let out a loud gasp. In front of you, was a critter with the body of a dog, but its head and tail were brooms! It was sweeping away a path from the other end. It was sweeping away the exact path that you were following.

You stared at the creature intensely as it got closer and closer to you. It stopped sweeping as it arrived in front of your feet, it didn’t want to bother you so the creature took a step sideways, walked a few steps forward so it was behind you and continued its job, sweeping up the path behind you. At last, you were left in a square of the path.

Honestly, you were tired, you had been through so much already, you were forced to shrink down so you could enter a talking-door through its keyhole, you met with a pair of round twins that would not stop telling you all sorts of stories, you were treated as a monster as you accidentally ate a cookie that enlarged you in a small little house, you were ridiculed by flowers when you couldn’t answer what type of flower you were, you met with a caterpillar who spoke in riddles and got mad at you when you asked him multiple questions, you even had tea with a very peculiar man and his hare as they celebrated an ‘un-birthday’.

And now, you were lost in a deep forest, with no directions whatsoever.

You sat down on a rock and let out a sigh.

“What’s the point?” You asked yourself. “I’m never going to go back to Grim and the others.” You continued, negative thoughts filling up your mind. You felt tears coming to your eyes as you thought that you were never going to see that furball you dearly loved ever again, you lowered your head into your hands as you let your tears fall out. The critters that inhabited the forest watched you as you wept, feeling the same feeling of sadness as they saw you cry. They silently wept alongside you, before slowly disappearing, one by one, leaving you all alone once again.

But, then you heard singing. You looked up from your hands to see…

“Che’nya?” You questioned.

“Che’nya? Is that really you?” You asked once again to the figure on top of a tree.

“Che’nya! It’s me! (Y/N)! From Night Raven College!” You said to him, thinking that you finally found someone you knew and you were going to get help. But, something felt off to you.

“Well, whom did you expect~nya?” Who you assumed to be Che’nya replied. You were slightly taken aback, this Che’nya… Didn’t really feel like the same Che’nya that you met at Heartslabyul. And this Che’nya didn’t know who you were? You two clearly had met before.

“Um, no one? I just… Want to go back to the others at Night Raven College.” You said, looking donwards. “But, I can’t find the way back.”

“Well, actually, that’s because you have no way.” Che’nya replied, lousing around on the tree before slowly descending from it to meet with you.

“All ways here are the queen’s way~nya.” Che’nya continued before walking behind you.

“But, I’ve never met any queen until now.” You said, turning to Che’nya. He suddenly stopped in his tracks and immediately turned back to face you with a shocked expression on his face.

“You haven’t?” He asked you, his face slowly lighting up with excitement, a smile slowly making its way onto his face. “Mew have-en’t?!” He repeated once more, his hands cupping his face.

“Ohhh! But you must!” Che’nya said to you with sparkles in his eyes. “He’ll be mad about mew! Twistedly mad!” Che’nya added. (I uh… Don’t mind me :) )

“’He’? But… Shouldn’t the queen be a ‘she’?” You asked the Royal Sword Academy student.

“Well, here, the queen is a ‘he’!” Che’nya laughed a little before starting to sing and disappear once more.

“W-Wait!” You called for him, asking him to stop. “H-How do I find the queen?” You asked.

“Meowl, some might go that way.” Che’nya pointed to his left.

“Some might go this way!” He continued, pointing to his right.

“But, for yours truly, I’d like to take the shortcut~nya.” The Royal Sword Academy student said and pulled on a nearby tree branch, making the trunk of the tree lower down like a drawbridge. Your eyes widen in wonder as in front of you looked like a whole other world compared to the forest you were in.

“Thank you Che’n-“ You said but stop mid-sentence as you looked up to see the figure had disappeared.

“Hmm, I wonder why is the queen a ‘he’?” You said to yourself in a low voice. “Oh, well, I guess I’ll find out.” You said once again as you journeyed into the garden.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, if you were honest with yourself, you would’ve enjoyed the lovely greens and fresh flowers of this little garden.

IF IT WASN’T A FREAKING MAZE.

As you continued venturing into the garden, you began to realize how much this garden had reminded you of the rose garden of Heartslabyul. Every twist and turn seemed like they led you to a dead end, yet, at every dead end, there’s a pathway that leads you to more twists and turns.

It’s a never-ending cycle. And you were getting slightly frustrated and dizzy.

“Oh… This is worse than Heartslabyul…” You grumbled under your breath as you took a right that led you to a small little pathway again. As you continued down the pathway, you had heard singing coming out from behind a wall made out of bushes. Splats of red paint landed in front of you from over the wall as well.

You peered over the wall, trying to see who was singing and what was going on, but the wall was too high for you. So, you walked alongside the wall, hoping to find an opening to the other side. It didn’t take much walking to find one.

As you peeked into the opening, you were given quite the surprise to see three boys holding paint brushes and painting! But, something else had caught your eye, you see, they were wearing a very familiar set of clothing, yet you couldn’t quite put your finger on it.

You slowly inched closer to them, trying to see what they were doing. When you did, you were surprised! They were painting white roses red? It was the exact same thing Cater was doing when you first met him.

Then it hit you. The clothes the boys were wearing were the dorm uniform of Heartslabyul! You were back home!

Or so you thought.

You let a smile appear on your face, thinking that the maze you went through was actually the Rose Garden of Heartslabyul and that you were at the dormitory right now, which means you could find Ace and Deuce and ask them what was going on.

“Excuse me.” You said, catching the attention of the boys. “May I know where Ace and Deuce are?” You asked, hoping that they would lead you back to your friends. They thought about it for a moment and gave you a reply.

But, it wasn’t the reply you were hoping for.

“Which Ace? Which Deuce?” One of them questioned you back. You were shocked, you were pretty sure there was only one person named Ace and one person named Deuce at Night Raven College.

“Um, Ace Trappola and Deuce Spade?” You answered but it sounded like a question instead.

“Which Ace Trappola and which Deuce Spade?” Another boy replied, confusing you further. Were these guys playing tricks on you? What did they mean by ‘which’? Or do they genuinely didn’t know of Ace and Deuce. You decided to go with the latter and tried again with other names of Heartslabyul members.

“Okay, how about Trey Clover? Cater Diamond?” You asked once again and they shook their heads, going back to painting the roses. You lowered your head, trying to think.

“Riddle Rosehearts?” You asked and slowly looked up, only to see the three boys looking at you in horror.

“That’s the queen’s name! You musn’t simply use it!” One of them whispered-yelled to you.

“The queen?” You asked, another boy started to explain to you.

“The que-“ But, he was cut off with the sounds of blaring trumpets.

“The queen is here! Quick, to your places!” One of the boys yelled and the three immediately scattered around like chickens trying to hide from a predator. You looked around as well, trying to ‘get in place’, you didn’t want to get in trouble with Riddle after all. Luckily, there was a vacant spot between two boys, so, you quickly situated yourself there.

“His imperial highness! His grace! His excellency! His royal majesty! The Queen of Hearts!” Someone yelled as the trumpets ceased. ‘The Queen of Hearts?’ You thought to yourself and leaned out of your line a little, trying to get a glimpse of the queen, and to your surprise, it was actually Riddle! Trey, Cater, Ace and Deuce were walking along his side as well.

“Riddle-senpai? Trey-senpai and Cater-senpai too! There’s Ace and Deuce as well!” You whispered to yourself. “I have to ask them what’s going on, is this some sort of new Heartslabyul tradition? Why didn’t I hear anything about it from them?” You questioned yourself and started to walk towards Riddle.

“Ano, Riddle-senpai, what’s going on?” You asked out loud. Loud gasps can be heard from around you. Your three upperclassmen and two best friends turned to look at you.

“You dare to call the queen by his name?” Ace questioned you.

“But, that’s how I usually call him. Ace! Deuce! You guys call him that too!” You replied to Ace.

“Just who do you think you are?” Riddle asked you, menacingly. But before you could answer, Trey had beat you to it.

“Well, your majesty, she isn’t a Heart, nor a Club. She certainly isn’t a Spade nor a Diamond either.” Your upperclassman said.

“Are you from another kingdom?” Deuce asked you.

“Did you come here to spy on us?” Cater added on and everyone started to whisper to each other. You were confused and lowered your head to look at the ground because you felt everyone’s menacing glares and stares on you.

“What? I don’t underst-“ You were cut off by Riddle’s booming voice.

“Look up while you talk, stand straight, arch out your back, broaden your shoulders, turn out your toes!” You were taken aback, Riddle never really used his voice at you before, but in your surprised state, you immediately did as you were told.

“Very good, now, I’ll be asking the questions.” Riddle said. “And you will reply with ‘Yes, your majesty’ or ‘No, your majesty’. Do you understand?” The queen questioned.

“Yes, Ridd- I mean, your majesty.” You corrected yourself quickly, not wanting to face the wrath of an angry Riddle.

“Good, now, where did you come from, and, where are you headed?” The queen asked you.

“Um, I don’t know where I came from? And I’m trying to find my way-“

“Your way? All ways here are MY WAYS.” Riddle boomed at you.

“Um, okay, but your majesty, could you at least inform Headmaster Crowley that I am here?” You asked.

“I’ve never heard of such a person.” Riddle replied, leaving you dumbfounded. That didn’t make any sort of sense to you. Never heard of Crowley? It’s almost as if you were in another world. You began to ponder your brain once more, trying to think of solutions and reasons as to why your friends were acting this way. You were so deep in thought, you didn’t notice a familiar person appearing beside you.

“So, (Y/N), do mew like it here?” You heard a voice ask.

“No, how could I? It’s almost as if everyone has gone crazy here! I thought Riddle had given up his hot headed tyrant-like days. And now, everyone is just pampering him!” You muttered lowly as a reply to the voice, thinking that no one could hear your words.

“What was that?” Riddle immediately turned to question you and before you could reply, the voice had beaten you to it.

“She said you had gone crazily mad, and that you’re a hot headed tyrant and everybody needs to pamper mew!” You immediately looked at the source of the voice, and only did you knew that it was Che’nya, you looked at him in disbelief, was he trying to get you beheaded? But, oh, after hearing what Aruchēmi Aruchēmievichi Pinkā had said, the queen was surely angered, his face getting redder by each second. You immediately snapped back to look at the reddening queen.

What are you doing standing there and looking Reader-san?! RUN ALREADY!

“Your majesty, wai-“ Trey couldn’t even finish his sentence before he got cut off by Riddle.

“OFF. WITH. HER. HEAD!” A red-faced Riddle yelled out, pointing at you. Your eyes widen in horror as you saw everyone rushing over to you. Your legs finally got the danger signal sent from your brain after a second and you ran again, back into the garden maze, trying to get away from the rampaging queen and his subordinates.

“Wait, guys! This is all a mistake!” You frantically yelled, hoping that your words could reach your friends’ ears. Yet, you were ignored.

As you ran through the maze, Ace and Deuce could be blocking your path from time to time, forcing you to take another turn.

Cater with his clones can be found almost everywhere! Yet you still avoided them thanks to your quick and nimble self.

Trey and Riddle were always on your tail, so you couldn’t afford to slow down either.

So you continued to run, navigating your way in the garden maze, trying to shake off your supposed friends. It wasn’t long before you had turned into a long pathway, with a door at the end? No, wait, that door was the exact same door that you had talked to at the very beginning. That must be the exit! So, you immediately picked up your pace and ran to the door at full speed.

“Please! I have to get out before I get beheaded!” You panicked as you reached the door.

“What do you mean? You are outside!” The door replied to you, you stared at it in disbelief.

“What?” You questioned.

“See for yourself.” And the door let you peek through his keyhole. On the other side of the door, was you sleeping in your bed at Ramshackle Dorm!

“I’m asleep?” You questioned yourself as you peered through the keyhole.

“DON’T LET HER ESCAPE! OFF WITH HER HEAD!” Yelled Riddle as he, Trey, Cater, Ace, Deuce and alongside other Heartslabyul members ran towards you at full speed.

“(Y/N)! Wake up! (Y/N)! (Y/N)!” You frantically yelled to yourself as your vision slowly blurred itself, to the point where you could only see darkness. You were getting dizzy, however, shouts of your name can still be heard.

“(Y/N), (Y/N)!”

You opened your eyes to see Riddle, Trey, Cater, Ace, Deuce and Grim around your bed. Ace and Deuce each had a hand on one of your shoulders and they were shaking you ever so lightly.

“(Y/N), you’re awake!” Ace yelled out. You were still confused, your head was still spinning quick and you were in a daze.

It wasn’t until your eyes landed on Riddle again, making you remember all the events that happened in your dream. Your eyes immediately widen as you remembered.

“PLEASE DON’T CUT OFF MY HEAD!!!!” You yelled as you shot up from your bed, your hands immediately flailing to cover your head.

“I… Uh… Wasn’t going to?” Riddle questioned you, with a confused look on his face.

“(Y/N)-chan, why would Riddle cut off your head if you didn’t do anything wrong?” Cater asked you, laughing slightly.

“I…” You started, confused as you yourself didn’t really know what had happened. You remember all the events ever so clearly, yet, it was all only a dream? But, it felt so surreal.

“(Y/N), are you okay?” Deuce asked you, snapping you out of your thoughts.

“Hmm? Oh, yes, I’m… Alright…” You replied your friend with a smile. “What are you all doing here though?” You questioned your Heartslabyul friends.

“We need to make tarts for the un-birthday party that’s happening in two weeks, remember? We figured we’d drop by to fetch you.” Ace said.

“The ghosts informed us that you weren’t awake yet, and we didn’t really want to wake you up, but then Dorm Leader Rosehearts, Clover-senpai and Diamond-senpai arrived as well.” Deuce continued.

“We were waiting in the common room, but then we saw Grim-chan running towards us.” Cater said.

“It wasn’t like you to wake up after Grim, so we asked him what’s going on.” Said Trey.

“Only then we found out that you were in a deep sleep and we tried to wake you up.” Riddle said, ending the story.

“Oh… Right… Well, give me a few moments and I’ll join you in the common room.” You said and everyone nodded as they left your room.

“Hmm…What a peculiar dream indeed…” You muttered to yourself as you prepared yourself for the day.

~Bonus!~

A little ‘ding’ sound can be heard in the common kitchen of Heartslabyul, signaling that the goods inside the oven were ready to be served. Trey pulled out all the goods that you and your friends had prepared.

Everything just looked so tasty and mouthwatering! You couldn’t help but drool slightly at the baked goods that laid in front of you.

“Well? Have a taste everyone!” Trey said as you, Ace, Deuce and Grim did a cheer and grabbed small pieces of desserts for yourselves. One bite of the dessert was enough to send you to cloud nine. You savored the flavor in your mouth before taking another bite.

“These taste great Trey-senpai!” You said to the vice dorm leader of Heartslabyul. In return, the latter smiled at you.

“Glad you like them (Y/N).” He said.

“Hehehe, (Y/N)’s right mew know? Trey’s sweets are always purr-fect!” A figure appeared beside you, chomping down on a dessert. You, Ace, Deuce, Grim and Cater let out a small yelp as you all were greeted with a floating head at first.

“C-Che’nya!” Riddle exclaimed, surprised that his childhood friend was there. Che’nya then slowly let his whole body fully appear.

“How did you manage to sneak your way in this time?” Trey asked his friend.

“I have my ways~nya!” Che’nya replied as he grabbed another tart to eat.

“Always unpredictable.” Trey said, shaking his head and going to chat with his dorm members.

Suddenly, a loud crash was heard. Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and looked to the source of the crash, you.

Shards of broken china surrounded your feet, as you stood there, frozen like a statue.

“(Y/N)! Are you okay?” Ace frantically asked you.

“A-Ah… I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to-“

“It’s okay, it’s just a plate, we’ll clean it up in no time.” Deuce said, cutting you off and giving you a small pat on your back.

“(Y/N), I think you should rest for now, you look pale and you don’t seem like yourself.” Riddle said, worried for you, you gave him a small smile as a response.

“Alright, I think I should go back to my dorm, once again, I’m sorry everyone.” You said, bowing your head and left the kitchen as quick as you can.

All of that wouldn’t have happened in the first place, you know?

And it was all because Che’nya had whispered a sentence to you.

“See (Y/N)? I told you the queen would be mad about you.”

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omgkatsudonplease · 4 years

Text

[ficlet, bagginshield] shock and delight, pt 1 (bridgerton au)

The banks of the Brandywine River are packed with strolling couples on the day of the promenade, their chaperones following shortly behind. Thorin and the Fundinson brothers arrive exactly on time, Thorin carrying a bottle of Old Winyards. According to the sommelier in the shop at Bucklebury, this particular bottle was their last vintage one.

Bilbo and his chaperone Mr Greyhame show up a couple minutes late, the Hobbit fretting and dabbing at his brows with a monogrammed handkerchief. “I’m so terribly sorry for my lateness,” he flusters, hopping on one foot to the other like a nervous rabbit as he peers up at Thorin with a sheepish grin. “I forgot my pocket-handkerchief and had to go back for it.”

Thorin is caught between the absolute adorableness of Bilbo’s contrite pout and the absolute absurdity of the reason for his tardiness.

“You are forgiven,” he declares instead. Bilbo’s pout smooths into a heart-melting smile.

The two of them begin to head down the path alongside the river, their pace leisurely. Other promenaders pass them by, as well as several open carriages pulled by unprotesting ponies. Thorin finds his gaze oddly drawn to the way the spring sunlight seems to burnish Bilbo’s curls into gold. Probably where Lord Stormcrow got the Golden Hare moniker, he thinks, before forcibly looking away towards a young Hobbit family having a picnic by the river.

It’s a picture-perfect image of marital bliss. Thorin supposes something like that is what Bilbo is looking for, which Thorin himself obviously could not provide. Though he has yet to hear of any pushback against what must be an odd coupling by both Dwarvish and Hobbit standards, he is sure opposition will make itself known eventually. A marriage of true minds often lacks the productivity factor of a standard marriage, something which would be keenly felt in the family of a gentleman as distinguished as Bilbo Baggins’s.

He, on the other hand, has already named his sister-children as his heirs. So it didn’t matter whether or not he married at all, nor did it matter whether or not his One (wherever they may be) possessed the physical apparatus or mental inclination for childbearing.

“I have a question,” says Bilbo after a moment, breaking through Thorin’s thoughts like sunlight through stormclouds. “How do you know Gandalf? He’s an old family friend of mine, and apparently my cousin Fortinbras was the one who suggested he watch over me this season, but I don’t know how he would know you.” He looks thoughtful, hazel eyes peering inquisitively into Thorin’s face.

In spite of himself, Thorin feels exposed, almost vulnerable.

“I suppose Gandalf does have a lot of fingers in a lot of pies, though,” muses Bilbo after a moment, before laughing and shrugging it off. “So? How do you know Gandalf?”

“To use your phrasing, Mr Greyhame has a finger in Erebor’s pie,” replies Thorin simply, not wanting to discuss how, years upon years ago, the Wizard had found his father in the depths of the Greenwood lost in enchantments and his own memories. King Thráin had, as the story went, finally succumbed to his grief about the deaths of his father and son, and had gotten lost in the Greenwood on his way to Azanulbizar to mourn them.

He half suspects that telling Bilbo all of that would just make the poor Hobbit run off screaming in the opposite direction. So instead he bites his tongue, folding his hands behind his back.

“I see,” says Bilbo, fiddling nervously with one of his cuff-links. “I’ve never been to Erebor. I’ve barely even left the Shire as-is.”

Thorin arches an eyebrow, remembering the abundance of maps and walking-sticks in Bag End the first time he’d gone over for dinner. The smial, though grand in size and luxurious in room variety, didn’t have the same cold ostentation as the mansions of Dwarves or Men. It felt homey, well-loved. A testament to lives well-lived.

No wonder Bilbo was so picky about the search for his One. If Thorin were not king, he would have wanted his halls just as cosy and warm, and he would have wanted to share it with only those who would brighten its nooks and crannies.

“You certainly give the appearance of being well-travelled,” he says neutrally, still thinking of the maps and walking-sticks.

“Within the Shire,” demurs Bilbo. “I have had to go to Annúminas on business, of course, and once I went to Fornost with my parents on holiday, but Hobbits as a rule try to stick within the four farthings of the Shire. After all, why go out to see the rest of the world when the world comes to us every year?”

His last question is both rhetorical and bitter. Thorin’s heart aches a little just hearing it.

“So it is a matter of respectability?” he wonders wryly. Bilbo raises an eyebrow, so Thorin explains. “There is not much stopping you from running out of your front door and into the Blue, after all.”

Bilbo chuckles ruefully. “No,” he agrees. “But every time the side of me that craves adventures begins to make plans, the other side of me protests mightily, saying I’ll miss my books and my armchair and having six regular meals a day.”

Thorin has, indeed, noticed that restaurants and tea shops in the Shire have a more constant cycle of meals than anywhere else in Middle-earth. He’s honestly not complaining.

“Speaking of meals,” he says, nodding towards the basket that Mr Greyhame is carrying, “I brought Old Winyards. Shall we find somewhere to sit?”

Bilbo checks his pocket-watch. “It’s halfway between elevensies and luncheon,” he remarks.

“Yes,” says Thorin. “Consider it ‘lunchensies’.”

Bilbo bursts out in laughter at that, a bright joyful sound that rings through Thorin like one of the golden bells of Dale. His own stomach flutters a bit, and it takes all of his self-control to simply gesture for Balin and Dwalin to come help them set up their picnic on the banks of the Brandywine River.

Lunchensies is a success. Bilbo immediately takes a liking to Balin the moment they all sit down on the blanket together, happily chatting with him about books and history in between bites of his sandwich. Thorin watches them, unable to stop the smile on his face as he watches the way his old friend brightens under the Hobbit’s genuine inquisitiveness.

“Yes, the road between here and Erebor was not as arduous as it used to be,” Balin is saying. “There is, of course, the stray highway robbery within Orc territory, but rumour has it that after the Shadow was broken at the end of the last Age, the majority of the Enemy’s armies have fallen out of its thrall and prefer to keep to themselves within the Mountains.”

“Occupying the ancestral halls of Khazad-dûm,” growls Dwalin. Thorin, too, feels the cold resentment deep in his stomach, but he tempers it by watching Bilbo chew thoughtfully at his sandwich, his nose twitching like a rabbit’s.

“While Durin’s Bane continues to live, Khazad-dûm cannot be retaken,” he reminds Dwalin.

“If it continues to live,” muses Balin, before hastily switching the topic. “On the other hand, we are fortunate not to have awoken anything similar within Erebor. Though we did almost lose it to the firedrake Smaug.”

Thorin remembers the flames, remembers the lives lost to the dragon. The tragedy had seemed insurmountable at the time, but now he supposes rebuilding a Kingdom within the ashes of dragonfire was not as bad as being forced to flee for a new home like what had happened to his ancestors in Khazad-dûm.

“Almost?” echoes Bilbo, his eyes wide. Dwalin hands him and Thorin both glasses of the Old Winyards. Mr Greyhame, too, is helping himself to a liberal portion of the wine.

“The Lady Mika, wife of the Lord of Dale, requited her husband’s death upon the dragon by shooting him with a black arrow,” explains Thorin as he pops a strawberry into his mouth. The fruit’s juices spill over his fingers; he hastily licks it off before wiping his fingers with the handkerchief.

Bilbo’s cheeks are dusted light pink when Thorin looks up again, and Thorin can feel his own cheeks heating in response.

“Well,” flounders the Hobbit, “that must have been terrible to go through. We haven’t had anything quite like that in the Shire, save for long and fell winters and the odd plague outbreak. But enough talk of dark and grim things! What is your favourite part of Erebor?”

The question throws Thorin for a moment. “Everything,” he says, but Bilbo raises a doubtful eyebrow at that. “All of Erebor is connected,” explains Thorin. “From the mines to the forges to the crafting halls, every part serves the whole.”

“Cogs in a machine,” muses Bilbo. “But what about a location? If you’ve grown up there all your life, surely you must have a favourite place. Secret hideouts from childhood, all of that.”

Thorin considers the question again, and this time the answer comes almost as if he had always meant to say it: “My mother’s garden,” he replies. “She kept a well-tended terrace beside the Royal apartments. We still take care of it, of course, and in the spring the cherry and apple blossoms blanket the grass like petalled snow.”

Bilbo’s expression lights up. “That sounds incredible,” he says.

“In the summer, the entire terrace is flooded with fireflies. I remember thinking once as a child that they were stars come down to play with us.”

Bilbo’s hands tighten against the stem of his wineglass. “I should very much like to see that,” he says quietly. Thorin smiles, before noticing the knowing glint in their companions’ eyes.

He glares at them until they subside.

#the hobbit #bagginshield #tolkien #lily's dabbles #bridgerton au

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elswordimaginesdrabbles · 4 years

Text

Lap of Gold

Liberator x reader

he feels ooc to me in this one

Noah story somewhat spoilers

Noah had quite the exhausting day. He'd listened to Ventus retell the adventures of the El Search Party in Varnimyr; Clamor wouldn't shut up afterwards, teasing the kid because of his childlike curiosity.

There was one thing left to do before retiring to his bed. The highlight of his time in Elrianode which was seeing a certain individual of the Landar camp.

That person happened to be you, brewing a vitality potion in your tent. It wasn't the wisest idea, seeing as you've set fire to it multiple times because of your shenanigans. Fortunately, there were many spares but you got scolded quite a bit.

Noah tried his best to make his presence known, by clearing his throat right outside your little shelter. You were too immersed in pouring tiny droplets of substances upon other tiny droplets of substances to hear anything.

Clamor made his discontent known: 'Kid, that was the most pathetic attempt at catching someone's attention I've ever seen. I've lived thousands.'

The boy got flustered and hushed him. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the tent. Only then did you finally take notice of your visitor.

"Ah, Noah! I'm glad to see you! I'd tell you to come test my newly brewed potion, but I'm not sure of the side effects just yet," you giggled. He smiled softly and sat down next to you.

The faint bags under his eyes bothered you more than a bit.

"Have you been sleeping well lately?"

He shook his head, "I've been having some nightmares. Is it that obvious...?"

"Yes, and I have just the cure for it. A good night's sleep! Or at least a nap. Come put your head in my lap."

"Your, what?" mouth agape, he stared. Clamor was having a chuckle with their interaction and he made sure to let Noah know: 'You might as well confess at this point; the scene is set!' Since he was in front of you, he couldn't scold Clamor. Instead, his cheeks were tinted pink from his words.

"What, you've never laid your head in a lap before?" You seemed to be clueless.

"N-not really... but where did you get this idea?"

"I used to sleep in my sister's lap all the time when I was little. It helped a lot, especially when I was having nightmares," you shrugged. "It might feel a little sudden, but we've been talking for a while. It's fine right?"

He couldn't say no, because he didn't want to in the first place. Noah was a little reluctant to make the first move, but who wouldn't? A subtle encouragement from you was all it took for him to sigh and actually lay on your lap, closing his eyes.

"So I just have to sleep like this?"

"Yep, and don't be afraid. If you're having any bad dreams I'll wake you up, okay?" you let your hand pat his head, the gentle touch making him melt more into your thighs. It sent a shiver down his spine.

He was a little too nervous to fall asleep; he pretended to do so.

"Ah, I can't work on my potion like this... Why didn't I think of that before?" you whispered. To fill your time, you ran your fingers through his soft hair. "Good night, sleep well."

Of course, you didn't stop the touching and because of that his heartbeat was going haywire. Noah gulped, doing his best to keep calm.

You started humming a lullaby and he wanted so badly to doze off. No matter how much he wished it, he just couldn't.

"Hush, hush, go to sleep, little baby~"

"I'm not a little baby."

His curt reply startled you out of your trance.

"Gosh, I thought you were asleep. It's been a while, why aren't you?"

He opened his eyes slightly and looked up, only to realize it was a little embarrassing to face you in that position. He preferred total darkness to it.

"I can't... I don't know."

"Seems this isn't working out very well. I'll lay out a blanket and pillow for you, you can sleep in my tent if you'd like," you prepared to take him off your lap.

"I-I don't really want to get off you either..." he mumbled, pushing your hand away.

"Okaay... What do you want me to do then? Keep singing? Or maybe pat your head more?"

"Whatever you want," he blushed, his ears reddened as well. Clamor went to sleep not too long ago and he was very glad for that. He could have a little peace and quiet with y/n. "Why are you going this far anyway?"

"Because I love you."

He shot up, hitting your chin pretty hard. The two of you moaned in pain, holding your injured spots.

"That's one hell of a hard head you got there... This might leave a bruise, oww."

"I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me," Noah spoke, rubbing his head. He didn't know whether to ask more about your possible confession or not. The situation had turned a tad bit awkward with seemingly no way out of it.

"You must have been taken by surprise I know," you had your mouth covered, still hurting. "But how could I not love you? It's really easy to."

When you used the same words, he realized there was only one answer he could give: "I feel the same."

"You think it's easy to love yourself?"

"N-no-"

"Awe, I'm just kidding, don't get too flustered on me. I can't handle when you're this cute!" The compliment made his ears go even redder. "This is where I go in for the kiss, right?"

"I think, you're moving a little too fast?!"

To contradict his words, you inched slowly towards him and cupped his cheek with your palm. Staring deep into his eyes, he stared into yours; they appeared to glimmer in the dimly lit tent with certain intentions, or so it seemed to Noah. He didn't hesitate and closed the gap in between, with a light peck at the corner of your lips.

"You're such a tease~" you winked and glanced behind him. A silhouette was standing right outside. Would you let that interrupt the moment?

"Did something happen?" he was a little concerned at your lack of response. He was worried he might have done something to upset you, but quickly he disregarded the thought and kissed you once again, fully. He pulled you closer onto him by the waist; feeling daring, Noah gently ran his fingers across your back, over the fabric of your clothing. Did he want to tickle you? Well, two could play that game.

With your lips still on his, you smiled as your hands found his hips. And on they went! Relentless, you tried to find his weak spot. It didn't last long, since he attempted to push you away in a giggling fit.

"N-no, I'm sensitive-!"

"What are you two doing in there?!"

You and Noah were petrified. His face turned a few shades whiter and you gulped.

"S-sis? Did you need me for something?"

"Yes, but are you doing something inappropriate? Now's really not the time," her stern voice made you sweat.

"Of course not, we were just tickling each other!" right as you said that, Noah's thumb traced across the back of your neck. 'Payback', his innocent smile seemed to tell.

"Yuria is sick, I need some of your most potent potions, and yourself. Right now."

His hand dropped and so did the mood. Noah ran out of air, it felt like he couldn't breathe anymore. 'Not again, not now,' he was so afraid to lose everything he'd gained up until that point. He was so afraid of losing you. The tips of his fingers were numb and he was so very cold inside a supposedly warm tent.

He never wanted to go back to that empty headache, the chilly, lonely temple. Not when he had so much to lose.

A voice echoed in his mind, over and over. His descent into nothingness was interrupted by the feeling of tears on his cheeks and your desperate attempts at wiping them away.

The thoughts wouldn't stop, but by looking at your face he could distract himself just for a little while.

"Please, Noah, what's gotten into you? Are you listening? I'm really worried, you weren't responding," your speech was a little too quick for him to understand, but he had no time to ask.

The boy grasped your palm tightly and looked right at you: "Let's see Yuria," he squeaked out a whisper from his dry throat, coughing afterwards.

"Alright. But I'm having you rest right away."

Hand in hand, you two followed your sister to Yuria's tent. Once you were in the proximity, you heard a hilariously loud 'ACHOO!' coming from inside, followed by a sniffle.

"Okay sis, lay it on me."

"We suspect it's just a cold, but she's been like this for a few days. Symptoms are as such-"

"You know, it might be just a cold. Have you tried any of my weaker warming potions?"

"Not yet," your sister approached you and spoke quietly. "Is Noah alright? He looks like he just came out of his casket."

She was right, more or less. After crying, his eyebags had darkened and he was a lot paler than when he entered your tent.

"Yes, he'll be fine, if you let me do my job."

"No need to get sassy on me, go take care of him already," she shooed you away.

It was too late to do so, since the boy had already gone inside Yuria's tent. He was staring blankly at her sleeping form, not a single sound he made. You almost didn't want to bother him, but he was standing way too close for comfort to Yuria's sleep snot bubble, so you had to drag him away.

"Were you worried about her? As you can see, she's fine. She needs some rest, but more importantly, YOU do. You look even worse than before."

Noah felt your hands on his shoulders; if it weren't for them, he believed he might've dropped to the ground. "...I'm a little tired."

"No wonder. Let's get you to my tent, it's getting late."

He was not as afraid, only anxious. Worried that it might all disappear, like it did before.

Even as he was tucked in by you and scolded by Clamor for leaving him alone, he couldn't shake it off. He didn't want to close his eyes; it was so easy to trick himself into thinking he was back there again if he did.

'Why do you look so grim? What's on your mind?' Clamor's had it with the teasing once he noticed he wasn't getting much of a response. His words were genuine, Noah knew.

"What if it'll happen again?"

'Ah, you mean the loop... There's a high chance it won't happen here, Elrianode is safe. It's beneficial to think of what ifs, yet in this case you are only hurting yourself.'

"Noah, please go to sleep. I'm here."

'What they said!!!'

You sat next to him, hugging your knees to your chest. You observed his exhausted expression intently, staring holes into him hoping he would magically lose consciousness. You knew of no intricate spells of the sort, neither could your potions imitate that effect. You were stumped.

You patted his hair and smiled sadly. His eyes suddenly found yours: "What if you forgot all about me? What then?"

Pondering, you answered with a question:

"What then? What would you like to know specifically? How I would react, how I would feel about you? It's difficult to think about, as there's so much I don't know. If I had met you in different circumstances, I'm sure it wouldn't have gone this path. But honestly, I think I'd fall in love with you again.

I'm just like that," you chuckled. He too smiled, mumbling that he was happy.

It took no genius to realize he fell asleep instantly.

#elsword #elsword imagines #elsword headcanons #elsword scenarios #elsword oneshots #elsword drabbles #noah ebalon #liberator noah #noah ebalon imagine #noah ebalon x reader

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crimsonrae · 4 years

Text

The Wiles of Men and Women

Chapter Three

Summary: Georgiana Stafford has just become betrothed to a man older than her father. Her last chance to enjoy society on her terms comes the night that court celebrates the birth of Princess Mary. She was prepared for just about anything, but she hadn't been prepared for him. Charles Brandon.

CharlesxOC,

Rated: NC-17

Warning there is Smut in this chapter.

A/N: Here is Chapter Three. Thank you to everyone who liked and showed support on those first two chapters. I really appreciate it :) Let me know if you would like to be tagged.

@wolvesandhoundshowltogether @cavillhavoc @omgkatinka @promptandpros @multixwolf @oddsnendsfanfics @vikingsbifrost @marswritings @imneonpanda

Ribbons & Linen

“Katerina, have you seen my green ribbon?” Georgiana frowned as she picked through her belongings on the vanity. She swore she just had the blasted thing in her hand, “I wanted to dress my hair with it.”

The older woman looked up from folding the strewn garments of Georgiana’s trunk with a cursory glance before shaking her head, “No, milady. What shade of green is it?”

Georgiana blinked and shrugged, “It was a dark green... Oh, it’s no matter. I don’t know why I’m trying so hard to look nice anyway.”

The maid suppressed an amused smirk. She knew well why her current mistress was fussing with her appearance. Georgiana had disclosed a good deal of her night of revelry to Katerina and she was hoping to gain the attention of her recent dalliance. Katerina had to give the young girl credit – she had done well to conceal her identity. Most didn’t realize the danger of rumors in court, no matter how true or false those rumors be, and for a woman, there was no more harmful a reputation than one of loose morals. Yet, Georgiana’s moment of wisdom seemed to be dissipating as she unwittingly caved into the desirous fantasies that were only home to young women.

“Perhaps to capture the attention of a certain blue-eyed devil, milady.” Katerina uttered coyly and felt her lips twitch as Georgiana flushed faintly.

“Don’t be foolish. I’ve had my fun and he had his. I must find other games to play now.” Georgiana said stoutly and by the miserable glint in her icy bluish-green eyes, Katerina knew she thought of her intended.

“Milady, there’s hardly any harm in a little flirting.” Katerina stated softly, she liked Georgiana. The girl was a little spoiled, but she didn’t put on airs like many of the ladies of court... she seemed lonely and Katerina feared this marriage to Lord Somerset would only make her bitter, “Even if it’s not with your blue-eyed devil... there’s still many that could fit the bill here.”

Georgiana frowned and resisted the urge to shrug again.

Flirting had been easy when she had a masked tied to her face. If she had been foolish, who would know? She hadn’t had the chance to become familiar with anyone yet... Now, with her introduction and subsequent engagement she had become more of a curiosity than she had anticipated. She blamed her Aunt Eleanor. The old witch had to implant the seeds of Georgiana’s good reputation with every woman of power in these forsaken walls. She had hoped to remain relatively unknown during this excursion. Anonymity made getting away with unladylike behavior far easier, but the Duchess of Buckingham was wise to her niece’s wild ways and had torn that protective shroud from her. She was liable to stutter her way through a conversation now, much less flirt.

If anything, her aunt’s machinations had made Georgina even more grateful for her night of revelry – such actions would be impossible to get away with now. And as for Charles Brandon....

Well, she had no business to be mingling with a courtier, no matter how close to the king he seemed. Though, that hadn’t stopped her heart from lurching at the sight of him. It had been slightly painful when he had only regarded her with mild curiosity the night after their parting, but not unsurprising.

What had surprised her was her desire to be recognized. It was a desire that had yet to vanish and she wished it would dearly.

“I’m not sure it’s worth the risk.” Georgiana finally murmured before readjusting her collar. The faint glimpse of her diminishing love bites made her ache, but she forced her thoughts in another direction. The tea that Katerina had forced on her the past three mornings, “Katerina, would it be possible for you to show me what herbs you use in that tea? ...Please.”

Katerina paused as she let the implications of the younger girl’s request settle in her mind. The blue-eyed devil must have been good in bed indeed if the lady was considering more illicit affairs. She nodded serenely, “Of course. I need to pick up more herbs from the market tomorrow. I’ll show you on my return.”

Georgiana’s eyes lit up as she gave her servant a hopeful smile, “May I accompany you?”

“You need not ask, lady.” Katerina replied bemused, “You may oversee your servants as you see fit.”

“You’re not my servant, Katerina, you belong to the court.” Georgiana stated blandly before smiling almost sheepishly, “Besides I ask as I do not wish to accompany you as a lady, but more an equal.”

Katerina smiled kindly as she pointed out, “Milady, one only has but to look to know we are not of equal station.”

Georgiana barely glanced over her elegant gown as her smile turned impish, “Oh, that’s easily fixed.”

Katerina’s bemusement with the young noble deepened for a moment before a dawning light shined on her thoughts. She reached back into the Lady’s trunk and removed a gown of simple make... too simple for a noble, “I suppose that explains this dress then.”

Georgiana’s smile only grew, she had planned for every eventuality before leaving home.

She was kept from replying as a knock at her door sounded and Katerina hurried to answer. Georgiana held in a sigh as she stood to receive whoever was calling. Her father appeared a moment later with Lord Somerset in tow.

“Father.” Georgiana greeted as she dipped a shallow curtsey, “My Lord.”

A grim satisfaction lit Henry Stafford’s gaze at his daughter’s manners as he gestured to the Earl of Worcester, “Lord Somerset has requested a stroll with you, my dear. Your uncle and I will be in attendance as well, of course.”

Georgiana tilted her head subtly to note her uncle lingering in the common room before meeting Lord Somerset's stare. They were awaiting her acquiescence, but she wasn’t sure why. Her father had already made her participation a forgone conclusion. Biting back at the tide of bitter resentment that threatened to swallow her, she nodded faintly, “Of course. My Lord, it would be an honor.”

“Please, we are to be married, Lady. Call me, Charles.”

Georgiana blinked and wondered at the sense of humor of the world. Until this very moment, she hadn’t known her future husband’s Christian name and it seemed to be a cruel mockery that it was shared with the man who had taken her maidenhood. When she had children, she would pick strange arbitrary names for them, she had met four Thomas’s and three Mary’s in the past three days, “Then you must call me, Georgiana.”

Lord Somerset nodded pleasantly, “Shall we, Georgiana?”

She nodded and turned to Katerina, “My cloak, please.”

Katerina pulled a deep midnight blue cloak from the trunk and hurried to wrap it around Georgiana. A pang of pity sprung through the servant as she viewed the other’s intended for the first time. Somerset’s hair had long since grayed and he had a portly belly, likely from too many nights drinking, but he had a kindness in his dark gaze that was absent from the Lady’s father – perhaps there was a small hope for a complacent marriage, if not a love match.

Somerset offered his arm to Georgiana and quickly ushered the party out to the gardens. With the chilly weather, few people were mingling outside. Though Georgiana suspected that was why the Earl had wanted this stroll. He paced the two of them far enough from her guardians to be out of earshot, but within sight. They danced on the lines of decorum by doing so, but she found that she didn’t mind. She had always found it hard to speak freely in her uncle’s presence, much less her father’s. Somerset, she had yet to make any strong judgements.

“It occurred to me, Georgiana, that aside from our introduction before the King that I haven’t taken the pains to get to know you. Of course, I feel like I already do, based on the word of your family, but I wondered if the same courtesy has been bestowed to you.” Somerset began quietly.

Georgiana looked up with light surprise, “Barely anything, my Lord. Your name and title... not much else.”

A glimmer of something like disappointment crossed his features before he smirked sagely, “I can’t say I’m surprised. I have an estate near Wales that I hardly ever see. My son, Henry, sees to its running." Another Henry, she thought dryly, "My time is spent here at court as Lord Chamberlain of the Household. Yours will be, as well.”

“The Lord Chamberlain?” Georgiana asked, recognizing the position as important, but not what it entailed.

Somerset hummed and nodded, “I act as spokesman for the King with Parliament and organize any major ceremonies with a council of mine and the King’s choosing.”

“That sounds...” Georgiana trailed off realizing the word she had in mine was less than flattering.

He seemed to sense this as he smiled sardonically, “Boring?”

She smirked, “I was going to say tedious.”

The Earl’s chuckle was warm and genuine as he regarded her, “You’re not wrong. My position was also the reason I was seeking a wife.”

That gained her attention as she raised a brow. What role would she have to play as wife to the Lord Chamberlain, “Oh?”

“Having a woman’s touch in the detailed planning to some of these events goes a long way in adding elegance to an otherwise garish affair. Also, many of the foreign ambassadors with which I must meet and attend bring along their wives and daughters. Their entertainment will fall to you.” He explained quietly with a hint of hesitance as if he was expecting her to baulk at the task presented.

In truth, his explanation answered many questions she had in regards to him. She hadn’t understood why he was looking for another spouse when he seemed to have achieved everything a man of wealth and status was expected to achieve. The thought of playing hostess made her feel queasy, however. Even she knew that she wasn’t the most elegant or charming. Her sister, Elizabeth, would attest to such... so would her mother, actually.

“You don’t know me, my Lord. You may find that I am not the most suitable for these tasks.” Georgiana stated softly.

Somerset raised a brow, “Are you not the Georgiana Stafford who bested Lord Marlty at fencing?”

“Y-yes.” Georgiana stuttered in surprise, holding back a wince at the memory. She had received a sound thrashing for that particular feat. Her father had made it clear she had embarrassed him and Lord Martly with her display.

“The same Georgiana Stafford that engaged the Marquess of Pembroke in a lively debate on the merits of Porphyry's Universals?”

That had only earned her a heavy lecture on arrogance from her mother. These were not tales her father or uncle would impart. Georgiana pursed her lips, “Mmm, yes. How do you-”

Somerset smiled benignly, “Your brother, Thomas, is a good friend of mine. He’s spoken highly of you for years.”

He could have told Georgiana the sky was purple and she would have been less disbelieving. Her eldest half-brother hardly spent any time with her and when he did, he had seemed rather indifferent to her presence. God knows that he absolutely despised her father. The fact that he spoke up for her now made her a little leery.

“Look Georgiana, I need a wife who can think for herself. Not a child that needs handholding.” Somerset paused as he chose his words carefully, “From what I ‘ve been told and the way you’ve portrayed yourself that past few days, I believe that may be you. If anything, you’d make a good court spy with the way you’ve snuck around your father. Your uncle is no obstacle, bit oblivious that one.”

Georgiana paled slightly, “My Lord?”

Somerset chuckled and lowered his voice, “Charles, my dear. Blue is a lovely color on you, Georgiana. You’ll have to tell me what you took away from Princess Mary’s celebration.”

There was a distinct sinking sensation in her gut as Georgiana fought to keep her expression impassive. Somerset took no notice of her struggle as he continued to lead her through the gardens, though he seemed to sense her hesitance, “I told you, my dear, I’m the Lord Chamberlain. I organize all the ceremonies and celebrations around here which means I know everyone who attends... Whether they were invited or not.”

“My Lord -”

“Charles.”

“Charles...” She choked out with a quick glance towards her father. She was thankful that he had remained out of earshot, “Please don’t say anything to my father.”

Somerset softened at her pleading gaze, “Oh my dear, I wouldn’t dream of it. Your father is a cad. The only reason I parlayed with him for your hand was because of Thomas. Otherwise, I believe your father would have married you off to Lord Buxton and no one deserves that fate.”

Torn between hilarity and mild horror, Georgiana wasn’t sure how to respond to him. The faint sound of sniggering interrupted further conversation as the couple glanced down the path. A small group was heading in their direction and their presence only served to deepen her mixed emotions.

A light touch to her elbow guided her to the side as her father and uncle come to hover behind them. She felt like she was being sealed in as the group of gentlemen approached. She wondered at this protective stance as she recognized both Charles Brandon and Anthony Knivert, but the third was unknown to her.

The dynamic between the trio was curious. Brandon was the easiest to read as his countenance was one of barely contained exasperation that Georgiana had only witnessed on riled siblings, while both Knivert and the stranger appeared duly amused... though there was an undercurrent of anger in Knivert’s gaze as she swore, he sneered thinly at Brandon before taking note of her presence.

It was if a bell had chimed as the trio slipped into more benign expressions and performed a faint bow of greeting. Lord Somerset either didn’t realize that the Duke had come to stand behind him or didn’t care as he took over introductions with Georgiana, “Mr. Compton, Mr. Brandon, Mr. Knivert.”

“Lord Somerset.” Came a mumbled return.

Somerset allowed a faint smile, “Allow me to introduce, Mr. Anthony Knivert and Mr. William Compton. I believe you’ve already met Mr. Brandon.”

Georgiana nearly blanched for a moment fearing that Somerset knew everything that had occurred the night of Princess Mary’s celebration before recalling that Brandon had been present for her courtly introduction.

“Gentlemen, my intended, Lady Georgiana Stafford.”

She nodded to each man in turn as they once again murmured their conscripted greetings. She stalwartly kept her gaze fixed on Mr. Compton, not willing to give the other men a chance to recognize her. She needn’t have worried as Somerset picked up the thread of conversation again, “And what brings you, gentlemen, out on so fine a day?”

Compton’s eyes flared with suppressed amusement, “Oh, it seems that Brandon has lost a lamb.”

Knivert snorted as he avoided the baleful glare of his friend.

“A lamb?” Her uncle drawled incredulously.

This time it was Georgiana who barely held in a snort as she caught a flash of derision on Somerset’s face. Even she knew that Compton spoke of a woman.

“Yes, it seems he thought he had ensnared the little pet, but she managed to slip away.” Knivert continued almost jovially.

Brandon sighed, “And now my friends are finding great joy in my misfortune, milord.”

Unable to help herself, Georgiana turned a purposefully naïve expression on Brandon, “And what would you do with a lamb, Mr. Brandon?”

Knivert and Compton seemed to stiffen in merriment as Brandon’s stormy gaze met hers. A mocking light entered his mien that Georgiana found all too familiar, “Why... devour her of course, milady.”

Her father shifted behind her, but she ignored him and the way heat pooled in her stomach at his words and smiled unaffected, “Then it is good she slipped away. Her fate, I’m sure, is much more favored away from you, sir.”

“Quite right.” Somerset murmured amused as he watched Brandon’s eyes narrow. He gently prodded Georgiana forward, “If you’ll excuse us, gentlemen.”

The two companies parted, but Georgiana could feel a familiar stare burning into her back.

She smirked.

༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺ ༻✧༺　༻✦༺

“Kitty.”

Katerina suppressed a sigh as she hefted her basket of laundry to her hip before glancing over her shoulder. A silky smile and smugly twinkling eyes greeted her, “Is there something you need, sir?”

Charles leaned against the only exit to the linen closet and crossed his arms, “I hear you have a new mistress.”

She merely raised an unimpressed brow at him, “Yes.”

When she didn’t move to him, Charles stepped away from his perch and into her space. His long fingers reached out to twine in her soft brown locks, “Lady Georgiana?”

“Yes.” Katerina iterated again with a huffed laugh. She already figured the courtier had a new target for his bed... she almost felt sorry for her charge. Charles Brandon was a hard man to resist. Lord knows she hadn’t been able to when he had set his sights on her.

His fingers drifted from her hair to skim the line of her décolletage, “Tell me about her.”

He should know better. Katerina was one of the few servants who didn’t sell information on those she served. She has seen that particular trait come back to bite said servants more than once... it simply wasn’t worth the risk.

Katerina blinked slowly before trapping his exploring hand beneath hers, “You are not as charming as you think you are, Mr. Brandon.”

Charles smiled almost sweetly before turning his hand to grasp hers and bring it to his lips, “You wound me, Kitty.”

Katerina felt herself flush under his heated gaze and tried to remember she shouldn’t be so enchanted by a man seeking out information on another woman. She swallowed tightly, “Yes, you appear absolutely wretched, sir... If I may take my leave. I do have chores to finish.”

His gaze dropped to her basket of linens before somehow impossibly he moved closer. His other hand moved to brush loftily over the knuckles clenching her basket, “Your chores can wait.”

“Mr. Brandon...No.” Katerina stated stodgily as she found the strength to meet his gaze. Her message was clear, she would not consent. Yet, she should have known that her resistance was like waving a flag at a bull.

He studied her a moment, removing his touch from her body, but she felt no relief. His stare scorched her in ways that were more arousing than any touch. A dark glint of satisfaction glimmered at her and she bit back a whimper as he spoke, “Your lips say no, but the lovely blush to your skin and the way you're biting your lip tells me, yes. Why deny yourself, Kitty?”

She sucked her lip further between her teeth and nearly smiled in triumph as his gaze darkened at the sight, “There is another for me, sir.”

Charles raised a brow, unsurprised that she had someone courting her interest. Kitty was an attractive girl, despite her station, but poaching on another’s territory had never stopped him before and it wasn’t about to now, “I won’t tell if you don’t.”

“Hardly incentive, sir.” Katerina countered dourly. She placed a hand on his chest to push him back, but he was built like the bull he emulated and didn’t budge.

Charles smirked, “I’ll let you pass if you grant me but a kiss, sweet Kitty... For old time’s sake.”

She shouldn’t indulge him. His request was nowhere near as innocent as he seemed to think it was, but unbidden her green eyes sought his mouth. She remembered those talented lips and his equally talented tongue. Suddenly, one last taste didn’t seem so harmful. Katerina bit the inside of her cheek, “Just a kiss?”

Charles nodded gently, already feeling her capitulating.

She sighed and shrugged, “Fine, just a kiss.”

He smirked and fell to his knees much to her surprise. Katerina almost couldn't react as he swiftly lifted her skirts and tugged down her small pants. She dropped her basket and grasped his shoulders in shock as she squeaked, “Charles! You said a kiss.”

“And I’m taking that kiss.” Charles murmured with a sinful grin before his lips and tongue pressed into her mound. She jerked startled, heated, and uncertain as she felt his tongue lathe across her entrance and to her rapidly swelling nub.

A choked groan spilled from her mouth as her fingers dug into his shoulders, “C-Charles.”

He didn’t let up, merely hummed and suckled heartily, pulling more lewd noises from her as she shuddered and trembled. She felt a familiar pressure rising in her core, pleasure tingled and teased as she was brought closer to the edge. It wasn’t until he had her perched precariously on a euphoric precipice that he abruptly stopped his ministrations and pulled away.

A frustrated whine tore from her throat as she stared at him in outrage. Charles grinned at that look as he wiped at his mouth, “Delicious as always, sweet Kitty. You may pass now.”

“You!” She huffed unable to form the angry words she needed to insult him.

He chuckled as he mocked her, “Me?”

Her green eyes blazed and instead of responding she shoved him back. Still on his knees, he went down to the ground quickly, but not before grabbing her thighs and toppling her onto him. He arched a brow at her, well aware that she could feel his arousal pressing against her now.

Angry and wanton, Katerina cursed him before pressing her mouth to his. Charles wasted no time as he pushed her skirts back up and rolled her onto her back. Her legs parted easily for him as hurried fingers tugged at his breeches. In the span of a breath, he pressed into her warm welcoming heat. Low moans fell from them both as he began to rut harshly against her. This was her punishment for denying him earlier.

She didn’t much care as she arched and met him thrust for thrust. The slap of skin was loud in her ears as it mixed with the squelching wetness of their coupling. Sparking heat ignited through her legs as she felt the cord of her arousal pull tight and break heavy and hard around his cock. Katerina cried out and curled her legs around his hips in an attempt to prolong the heady pleasure. She needn't have bothered.

Charles groaned as she clamped tightly around him, but continued to thrust through her orgasm with hard, staccato movements. He wasn’t ready to be done. Reaching back, he gripped her ankles in either hand as he splayed her legs up and open, forcing her back to arch steeply as he continued to fuck into her. Katerina gave a choked scream at this new position as she felt his cock drilling into her cervix. Her body was too sensitive and it wasn’t long before she was toppling over the edge again, this time pulling him with her. Charles came with a roar as he spilled his seed deep into her womb.

Breathing deeply, he sat back on his haunches and viewed the blissed-out servant below him in prideful pleasure. It wasn’t until he pulled her skirts back down and tucked himself away that she found the strength to speak again, “She’ll be at the markets tomorrow.”

Charles paused and leant over her, “The markets?”

She nodded with a hum, only to smile faintly as he pressed a light kiss to her mouth. She latched onto his shirt when he went to pull away and he stared down at her curiously. Katerina knew their interaction was over. They were both sated and he had gotten all that he wanted, but that didn’t mean she was entirely thrilled with having given into him so easily. She glowered lightly at him, “Don’t ruin her. She’s one of the good ones, Charles.”

He pressed another kiss to her lips, this time lingering, “I won’t do anything, she doesn’t want me to.”

That was what Katerina was afraid of...

He stood then and finished fixing his clothes before making for the exit, “Tell Humphrey I said hello.”

Katerina pressed a hand to her cheek and slowly sat up as he disappeared. Somehow, she was unsurprised that he knew who she was courting, but strangely that was the least of her concerns. She felt she now had to warn her new mistress of the bull heading her way.

Grunting quietly, Katerina moved to her feet and grabbed the basket of linens. Sometimes, she loathed her job.

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#charles brandon #charles brandon fanfiction #charles brandon fic #duke of suffolk #anthony knivert #william compton #the tudors #tudors fanfiction #tudors fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #Smut #The Wiles of Men and Women

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punchdrunkdoc · 4 years

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Updated K-drama list (4)

This list is getting looooong, because I’m well and truly addicted to these shows and can’t stop watching them.

I think its because each show is so self-contained - one series, 16-20 episodes and its done. A clear beginning, middle and a satisfying end. That, together with all the tropes in play (SO MANY TROPES!!) makes each show feel like a novel come to life. And when I start a good novel, I have to finish it in one go. This usually results in me staying up till 2am because I NEED TO KNOW HOW IT ENDS. And it’s the same with these shows. I’m getting very little sleep, but I’m having a hell of a good time!

FAVOURITES

1. Crash Landing on You

He’s from North Korea. She’s from South Korea. They never should have met, but they’ll change each other’s lives.

This was my first K-drama, and its still my favourite. The full cast of characters is great, the lead romance is ANGSTALICIOUS and its genuinely, laugh out loud funny (when its not making you cry or swoon).

Male lead: Officially the best boyfriend ever. With added dimples.

Tear-jerk factor: 4/5

2. Healer

The lives, and pasts, of a hot shot reporter, a spunky young tabloid journalist and a mysterious thief-for-hire intersect.

This was so addictive - the plot was tight and engaging, and this is one of the few shows I’ve watched where there didn’t seem to be a lot of filler. I loved the central 3 characters, and the romance was amazing. I especially loved that the male lead started off such a brooding loner, but he became super-affectionate as soon as he admitted his feelings. So many good hugs and lots of face-cradling in this one.

Male lead: Effortlessly beats up 2 henchmen while comforting his girl over the phone. What more do you need?

Tear-jerk factor: 1/5

3. Itaewon Class

A young man’s life is forever altered when he runs afoul of a powerful family.

This felt like a big step up in quality from everything else in this list, in terms of the production, soundtrack (which was brilliant), the lack of annoying sound effects, and just the overall ‘real world’ feel of the show. All of the characters were fleshed out and 3-dimensional, and they all had their ‘moment’ to shine. The story itself was gripping and so well done - some of the twists and reveals had me gasping! And what can I say about the 2 leads? I love them, both separately, and together. He is so wise beyond his years, and his journey will break your heart and inspire you. She is borderline sociopathic, but I adore her.

Male lead: Tenacious, principled, kind, innocent, caring, driven, loyal…and he can cook!

Tear-jerk factor: 2/5

4. Descendants of the Sun

A special forces Captain meets a capable and beautiful trauma surgeon. They feel an instant bond, but their jobs and philosophy on life get in the way, threatening to tear them apart.

Halfway through this show, I seriously thought this might overtake CLOY as my No. 1 fav. I absolutely LOVE the male lead character, and the romance was beautiful…but it didn’t quite nail the angst and the last minute was a bit twee which dropped it down the rankings a bit.

Male lead: A cocky, charming, absolute BADASS with the most adorable, cheeky smile.

Tear-jerk factor: 2/5

5. Love in the Moonlight / Moonlight Drawn by Clouds

A young woman poses as a eunuch in the Royal Palace and falls in love with the Crown Prince

I wanted to try something different so I opted for this period piece and OH MY GOD am I glad I did. The start had a really light comedic tone (and a lot of modern anachronisms - high fives everywhere!) and I loved all the identity-concealing hi-jinks. But then the romance kicked into gear and the DELICIOUS angst started flowing, and I became obsessed with it. It's like loads of bits of my favourite regency historical romances were mashed up and transported to the Joseon Dynasty. I loved it so much!

Male lead: Manages to look amazingly handsome despite all the period headgear, kicks ass with a sword, and doesn't allow himself to be manipulated by the corrupt officials surrounding him, which was refreshing. Also acts like an adorable goofball when he's in love.

Tear-jerk factor: 2/5

6. My Holo Love

A lonely woman falls for a holographic AI and then meets his creator...

I love the concept of this show (I’m a big sci-fi nerd), and it was beautifully shot. The lead relationship is well developed and it doesnt fall into a typical love triangle. I’ve come to realise it utilises a lot of K-drama tropes (face-blindness! shared childhood trauma!), but it does it really well, imho.

Male lead: Tortured loner genius. My catnip.

Tear-jerk factor: 2/5

7. Goblin

A 900yr old immortal guardian finally meets the ‘bride’ who will end his existence

Once I got over the slight ick-factor of the age difference between the two characters at the beginning, I really fell for this show and it’s world. It had me in tears. And I especially loved the secondary character of the Grim Reaper.

Male lead: Surprising innocent and funny for a 900 year old

Tear-Jerk factor: 5/5

8. What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim

An personal assistant decides to quits her job in order to get a life. Her boss has other ideas.

I loved the female lead in this - I’m a sucker for uber-competent people, and the actress is STUNNING. Her boss is self-centred, entitled and vain...but over time, somehow that just becomes endearing! Possibly because he’s played by Park Seo Joon, who can do no wrong in my book! The central romance is super cute - I can rewatch their scenes again and again.

Male lead: Like I said, somehow makes vanity and narcissism endearing. Also not afraid to get his shirt off and flash his 6-pack. Bonus.

Tear-Jerk factor: 0/5

9. Legend of the Blue Sea

A mermaid comes onto land to find the man she loves

The (literal) fish-out-of-water scenes in the first half of this show were hilarious - the actress is a comic genius! The romance was nicely done, and there wasn’t a lot of extraneous plot or too many characters. I couldn’t stop watching this one!

Male lead: Cocky, arrogant conman with a soft mushy centre

Tear-Jerk factor: 1/5

10. Fight for my Way

Two life-long friends decide to go after their dreams

I fast-forwarded large chunks of this (I wasn’t interested in the secondary couple at all), but it still made my favourite list because I love the leads - both as separate characters and as a couple. This is one of the best friends-to-lovers stories I’ve seen, mainly because you truly buy that these 2 have known each other their entire lives (their bickering and teasing feels so natural). And then when they take the next step, they’re so affectionate and refreshingly open with their feelings.

Male lead: The third Park Seo Joon character on this list! I love his contradictions. He’s goofy and childish…but can really turn on the sexy charm; he’s a badass MMA fighter…who loves when his girlfriend sticks up for him and protects him.

Tear-jerk factor: 0.5/5

11. Suspicious Partner

A young, hardworking lawyer has her life turned upside down when she is put on trial for murder.

This has been officially bumped up to my favourites list - partly because I’m now a massive Ji Chang Wook fan, and partly because I’ve rewatched scenes with better subtitles and its made it 10x better. Its still overly long, but the serial killer plot had some nice twists and it was central to the story, so it didn’t feel extraneous like some of these types of plots do. I really enjoyed the central romance - the 2 characters sparked off each other well and I loved their evolution from sort-of enemies to lovers. This is another show where I can endlessly rewatch their scenes together.

Male lead: Its Ji Chang Wook! He’s so good at playing serious guys who are secretly big dorks.

Tear Jerk factor: 0.5/5

NOTABLE MENTIONS

These are shows which I completed and really enjoyed but they had flaws which kept them out of the favourites list.

1. The K2

An ex-mercenary takes a job as a bodyguard protecting the illegitimate daughter of a politician. A sort-of Snow White retelling.

This started off really well, with some amazing fight sequences (hello, shower room scene!). However, the back half became too bogged down in double crosses and manipulations, and it focussed too much on the politicians. The writers did well to give these characters some layers, but they were all essentially doing bad things for the wrong reasons, and I just didn’t care about them. The show was much better when it was following K2’s journey. The romance also started off well, but was a bit underdeveloped (mainly because they barely interacted).

2. I Am Not a Robot

A man who is allergic to human contact finds companionship with a robot…or does he?

I honestly thought I wouldn’t make it passed a couple of episodes of this - the concept was just too ridiculous. But I’m glad I persevered, because it developed some real depth and some proper good angst towards the end and I LOVED the central relationship.

3. Extraordinary You

A high school student discovers she's a supporting character in a comic book

The plot of this was so unique, and the way the comic story played out interspersed with the characters 'real lives' was really well done. Plus the central couple were so adorable. It dragged in the middle section (several versions of the same conversations were had, and the same exposition was spelled out multiple ways for no apparent reason) which kept it out of my favourite list, but it redeemed itself with some good angst at the end, and it had a really lovely ‘epilogue'.

4. My Love from the Star

Alien stranded on earth meets an actress soon before he’s due to be rescued.

I finally gave this another chance, and I’m glad I did. The female lead got a LOT less irritating, and I enjoyed the present-day romance and all the flashes back to the past. However, the ending was really abrupt and disappointing (which kept it out of my favourite list). There should have been 1 less filler episode in the middle, and a decent, fleshed out finale instead.

5. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo

A young talented weightlifter experiences first love

Honestly, I wasn’t sold on this at first; the female lead was a bit much (lot of gurning and over-acting) and there was a weird disconnect between how she was described (big, overweight, manly, unfeminine) and how she actually looked (thin and beautiful!). But the back half of this show saved it; her relationship with Joon-Hyung was sooooo cute. He is adorable, and they were both so supportive of each other’s dreams. I finished this with a big smile on my face.

6. Because this is my First Life

A rational-to-a-fault software designer and an aspiring screenwriter come up with an unconventional way to solve their housing problem

When I started this, I thought it was going to be all light and fluffy (the main character's job in the beginning was to insert the product placement in Korean dramas - hello, Red Ginseng! - which I found hilarious and meta) but it had a surprisingly melancholic tone throughout and touched on issues of workplace harassment and gender roles. I didn't warm to the male lead until right at the end (which was probably partly intentional - he's very remote and closed off) but overall I found the story quite lovely. Plus it had a really great central female friendship and their conversations actually passed the Bechdel test!

7. Strong Girl Bong-Soon

A woman with inherited super-strength gets a job as a bodyguard for an eccentric young CEO

The lead couple in this are AD-OR-ABLE and I loved their relationship. But there was a weird tone issue in this show. The romance is super cute...but there’s a whole dark sub plot involving multiple women being held captive by a psychopath. I ended up fast forwarding most of that, and just concentrated on the romance.

THE OTHERS...

I finished these shows and liked parts of them, but they ultimately didn’t set my world on fire.

1. Her Private Life

A talented art curator tries to keep her professional persona separate from her fangirl obsession with a pop idol.

This was cute and I loved the central relationship - he was so supportive of her, and their interactions were refreshingly mature and their banter felt really natural. Ultimately, it was a bit forgettable (I’m not dying to rewatch any of it), and the last minute tacked-on childhood trauma subplot was really unnecessary.

2. Touch Your Heart

Star actress rocked by scandal works at a law firm to prepare for her comeback role

This starred the secondary couple from Goblin and I really like them, even though they are playing very different characters in this (more opposites attract, than doomed lovers). At first I found this too ‘cutesy’, but I’ve since realised the sound effects/graphics are a K-drama thing and not unique to this show, so I’m not as down on it as I was. I still had to fast forward a lot of the secondary romances which I wasn’t invested in.

3. Hyde, Jekyll and Me

A woman becomes involved in the lives of 2 men, who share one body

This stars Hyun Bin from CLOY and he is sooo watchable, especially as the slick-haired, glasses-wearing, uptight Seo-Jin. And the show started well...but quickly went off the rails into a convoluted, dragged-out revenge plot.

4. Melting Me Softly

Two people are accidentally cryogenically frozen for 20 years. They have to navigate the modern world and their new lives together.

Another good concept, but it ultimately descended into little more than a light work-place romance. Had a couple of good kissing scenes, but it was overall a bit forgettable.

And the DNF:

My Secret Romance

I started watching this because I was looking for something a little less PG - the characters have a one night stand in the first episode! But I couldn’t get passed the bad acting and cheap production.

Master’s Sun

I liked the premise but the 2 leads weren’t very attractive (at least in comparison to the insanely beautiful actors/actresses in the shows listed above). Call me superficial, but I couldn’t see myself spending 17 hours watching them and willing them to kiss.

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