#The fact that they found the peacock exactly where it was left (that is to say exactly where Fu left it) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kazewhara · 3 years

Text

# — pairing: modern!xiao x gn!reader

# — characters: gender neutral reader, xiao, xinyan

# — warnings: suggestive content. (minors, beware.) swearing.

# — tags: suggestive content, modern au, pining, first kisses, smart ass reader,

# — notes: this was completely unplanned, like idk what happened, but it ended up becoming formatted (barely)... anyways, as always, reblogs are appreciated and i hope you enjoy!

✧ — 🍃 — ✧

xiao is somehow a magnet for tense situations

more often than not it's violence related. it's been that way since high school

he didn't ever do anything to initiate fights, but he certainly didn't run from them easier

usually, if someone tries to pick a fight with xiao, he'll just stare them down and ask:

"are you going to hit me?"

maybe... seven times out of ten, that works in de-escalating a situation. his fearlessness is unsettling to those who are just peacocking for no reason

but to those who aren't easily intimidated, that riles them up and they throw the first punch

xiao is no pushover -- "mama-ain't-raise-no-bitch" style.

he'll fight anyone who comes at him sideways, even if you tell him to leave it alone

but if they came at him the wrong way, why should he just let that slide?

all of this to say that you've had to patch xiao up a LOT over the years, even in college.

including tonight.

you two were attending a party thrown by campus superstar xinyan

it was a little rowdy because her music was high energy, but it was good vibes all around, everyone was having a good time

...until xiao accidentally bumped into someone and spilled their drink

he apologized right away, but this person was one of those "do you know how much this cost?!" types

xiao, who is not going to stand for any of that, immediately digs his heels in

you weren't there to witness it unfortunately... you only found out about the fight after xiao had knocked the person out, but not without injuries of his own

xiao finds you pretty easily in the mass of people and you panic when you see his nose bleeding

xinyan points you to a room and tells you where the first aid kit is, and you drag a very unwilling and unhappy xiao to a room to patch him up.

"seriously, you couldn't have kept your hands to yourself for one fucking night, xiao?!" you scold your best friend harshly as you inspect his bruised face. it's not terrible, but whoever hit him must have been wearing rings, because there's scratches in quite a few places. they got him pretty good.

xiao glares down at you. he's never liked being yelled at, especially when he felt he was in tbe right. "they hit me first." his brows twitch when you grab his hands roughly and start to clean his split knuckles. "you know i don't just fight people for no reason, so shut it."

you tsk and dab some antiseptic on the wounds. "you're so fucking annoying." you curse. "for once, xiao -- just once -- you could've just left it alone. if they didn't back down, then you should've got help." you squeeze his hand and curse quietly. "you could've called me."

xiao doesn't say anything. you seem to be pissed not only at the fact that he got into another fight, but also at the fact that you weren't there to help him.

you were never around when xiao got into fights. ever. he made sure of that. you always saw the aftermath -- the suspensions, the detentions, the nosebleeds, and so on, but not once have you ever seen him in action. call it cliché, but he didn't want you to see him like that.

part of that was because he wanted to maintain some shred of dignity. he never escapes a fight unscathed; he doesn't want you to see him getting hit. but the other part -- the biggest part -- was because he doesn't want you to be afraid of him.

there's no use in hiding the fact that he's a fighter, but one of xiao's biggest fears is that you will see him fighting and never let him touch you ever again. it's a selfish, dirty fear and he knows it -- especially since he can't exactly touch you the way he really wants to -- but he doesn't want to lose what he's already got.

"i never call you before a fight." xiao grumbles. "now seriously, knock it off."

you scoff. "fine." you finish bandaging his fingers and grab his face roughly, relishing in the pained grunt you get in response. "don't bitch about it now. you got yourself into this mess, so you gotta deal with the consequences."

"that doesn't mean you have to slap me." xiao pulls one of your hands off of his face with a roll of his eyes. "can you just shut up and clean my face?"

"why, so you can go back down there and get your ass handed to you again?" you taunt as you place a bandage on his jaw. xiao squints at you threateningly. you know he never loses a fight and you know how much he values his pride. you may be his best friend, but you really know how to push his buttons.

xiao tries to think of a way to retort without sounding like a five year old. "no, so i can go home." he seethes. "you can stay here alone for all i care."

you hum, unbothered. you don't even give him a response, you just clean his face with deft fingers. you may have gotten used to administering first aid, but xiao's never gotten used to the proximity necessary for it. he hates the way his heart jumps to his throat when you tilt his head to the side, carefully inspecting him for anything you may have missed. there are times when he wishes you could be this close and not have to scold him for fighting someone.

there are times when he wishes he could just... hold you.

not to say that he can't, because he already does. you two have been friends for over ten years -- you've been tangled together for such a long time that being close to you really shouldn't be the worst of his problems. but it is, and xiao thinks less of himself for it. he's become greedy over the years.

"christ, are you even listening?" your voice fades in suddenly and xiao opens his eyes. he didn't even realize he'd closed them.

"what?"

"i said i'm done. go get yourself an uber and go rest, loser." you sigh as you pack the stuff away. "pain in my ass for ten years." you grumble.

xiao raises a brow at you. "are you going to say that to my face?"

"what, you think i won't?" you glare up at him. "i said, you're a pain in my ass." you reach up to flick your best friend's forehead but he catches your wrist and squeezes it.

"don't even think about it." he warns.

"you gonna fight me if i do?"

"you're going to lose." xiao scans your face closely, not liking the way your mischievous grin starts to grow. "i'm serious."

you must not take him seriously, because you use your other hand to flick his forehead with all your strength anyways. xiao's first instinct is to grab your other wrist, but as soon as you try to pull yourself back out of his grip, you pull too hard and topple backwards, taking xiao with you.

the first thing that crosses xiao's mind is that he's definitely seen something like this in those corny movies you like to watch.

you two are in a compromising position, with him hovering over you, pinning your wrists to the bed. it's not the first time you've been in a position like this, but something’s... off. xiao's already been battling with himself for the past fifteen minutes about this exact type of situation; being thrust directly into it does very little to help his conscience.

to make matters worse, you're not saying anything. you're just... staring at him. almost like you were expecting something. xiao has to force the next words out of his mouth.

"i told you," he says lowly, his voice foreign to his own ears, "you're going to lose."

you shudder almost imperceptibly beneath him, but he catches it. you wriggle your fingers, but still make no move to get out of his grasp. "and what happens if i lose, xiao?"

this is very, very dangerous territory. xiao doesn't know how you two got here, but you needed to get out of it fast before you did something you were going to regret.

he knows that this isn't safe, but he doesn't budge. he can't. greed locks him in place as he drinks in how vulnerable you are like this. you're completely helpless and yet you're not making any moves to fix it. xiao swallows tightly.

it wouldn't hurt to take just a little more... would it?

"do you really want to find out?" xiao can't stop his eyes from dropping to your lips. they're back on your eyes in a second, but he knows you saw that. his stomach flips when he sees you do the same. "losers tend to get hurt."

he tries his best to scare you, to get you to stop. because if you let him take any more, he doesn't think he'll be able to.

there's a slight curl to your lips that's between a smirk and a fond smile. "you won't hurt me, xiao."

xiao's not religious, but he starts to say a prayer in his head. "how can you be so sure of that?"

"i know you won't." again, your eyes drop to his lips. your brows furrow as though you're about to say something but you think against it. you smile invitingly instead. "we've been friends for years, xiao. i know you're thinking what i'm thinking."

you really weren't making this essy on him. the tips of his ears burn at your call-out. there's no hiding anything from you, really. granted, he's been hiding his feelings for you for almost six years, but you were really perceptive when you wanted to be. he just hates that you choose now of all times to notice when he wants you; his ears burn hotter when he wonders if you know just how much.

"if you want the truth, i'm really hoping we're not on the same page right now." he confesses. when you frown at him, he sighs. "what happens after that, then? if we really are thinking the same thing."

you roll your eyes and xiao starts to see the beginnings of a blush forming on your face. "there is no fucking way you made me pull some cheesy romance drama shit just for you to consider the pros and cons of making out with me."

"huh?"

"oh my god, you're so dense." you notice that xiao's grip has loosened on your wrists, so you free one of your hands and pull your best friend closer to your face, chuckling at the way his amber eyes blow wide. he stammers your name and you see his face start to turn pink. "do you get what i want you to do now?"

xiao, who was clearly unprepared for this outcome, is at a complete loss for words. it's moments like these when you remember that despite his popularity throughout the years, he's still got very little experience in this area. it's funny though, watching your hard-ass best friend be reduced to a blushing mess as the thought of kissing you.

"stop laughing, oh my god." xiao grumbles. he's not looking at you anymore. "you're so difficult."

"am i the difficult one here? i think i made myself pretty clear." you pause. "but, i mean, if you really don't want to, then i'll stop. i'm sorry, i kinda got carried away."

xiao scoffs at you. "now you apologize? you're such a handful."

"excuse me?"

"shut up." xiao murmurs. he doesn't give you a second to think before he's closing the distance between you two, pressing his lips to yours. it's hesitant and shy, like he's testing to make sure that this is really what you want -- like he is really what you want.

he eases up after a second to say something but you don't let him, tugging him back down into a firmer kiss. that's all the confirmation xiao needs to adjust himself, propping himself up on his forearm and squeezing the wrist he still has in his hand.

"fucking finally," he grumbles into the kiss. you make a mental note to tease him about that later. the second you swipe your tongue against xiao's bottom lip, you know that you two weren't going to be going home for a while, if at all.

xiao nips at your lip and a small noise escapes you against your will, causing him to hold your wrist even tighter. there might be a bruise there at this rate.

you make another mental note to apologize to xinyan in the morning.

✧ this... was not supposed to end up this way LMAOOO but idk i chickened out on the angst last minute bc best friend xiao needs to be boyfriend xiao much much faster okay.

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin xiao #xiao x reader #modern genshin au #z scribbles #good lord this was so... wow #like i wasnt expecting this to turn out the way that it did

1K notes · View notes

goggles-mcgee · 3 years

Note

In your Wish Me Away Au you said that Adrien can't believe that that is his reality, what exactly happened to him and Gabriel, as well as the class? Please and Thank You! ❤

Hi anon! I'm sorry this took so long to answer! I'm trying to go through all my asks now XD

So Adrien thought his life would be perfect. He was convinced the wish would bring his mother back, her and his father would be back to being how they were before she disappeared. Lovey dovey (if he had paid more attention he would have noticed how his mother was distancing him and her from Gabriel.) His father would be loving, attentive, and caring towards him. He would get the love of Ladybug after she saw that everything was fine after the Wish was made and they would finally get to be together. Finding out it was Marinette was a surprise but one he could work with. After all she was a great friend so he had no doubt they could form a great relationship if she showed her Ladybug side more often which she would because Ladybug had to be the real her. He would get to go to school and be happy with Ladybug and him and her would get to continue to be Paris’s beloved heroes.

Once the wish was made though? His mother did wake up but his father wasn't there and neither was Nathalie. Most worrying though was the fact that Ladybug wasn't there anymore either. He looked for her everywhere in the mansion. He helped his mother to a bed and get settled before he promised to explain everything once she rested before he had gone on a mad search across Paris to find Marinette. He was in more distress when he realized he no longer had the Cat Miraculous. He called Nino and tried to be nonchalant about asking if he knew where Marinette was or if she changed her number. It infuriated him when he wasn't given a positive answer. More so when Marinette’s number (or maybe her old number?) blocked him. In the end he had to return home and care for his mother. He tried explaining what happened but they got a call from the prison and it ended up being his dad! He couldn't leave his cell! And no one could get him out! They tried but they just found out he could make phone calls, so one of the guards gave him his phone while the rest tried to find Ladybug because this obviously had to be an akuma....no one said anything. Gabriel told Adrien to tell his mother everything.

So he did. It was to his surprise that she was not happy in the least. She refused to take his father's calls and she seemed really disappointed in him. But she agreed to help look for Ladybug with him. It wasn't until the broadcast when things went to hell. This fake Ladybug announced to Paris maybe even the whole world what his father did! And really? Bringing up silly school misunderstandings? No that didn't matter, what mattered was apparently Ladybug no longer existed. His mother cried. He threw a fit. There was no way she just disappeared. No way.

Then the burning sensation started. At first it was just an itch but then it grew and grew into a searing pain. He thought his finger was going go fall off! His mother was holding him and asking what was wrong as he held his hand close to his chest. It ended. And when it did he saw what happened. He had been marked. On his ring finger, where his ring used to sit, there was a burn in the shape of said ring so charred, so ugly, so red, there would be no way to hide it with makeup. No way to explain it off as an allergic reaction to some funky metal. Then there was a pain on his face. Shorter than the first pain, hurt all the same. When he looked in a mirror later on, he would see four scratch marks across his left cheek. It would be later that he would find out that he could not speak of the Miraculous. The only thing he could say about them was he was the traitor Chat Noir. He would be plagued by bad luck, some days better than others. It would depend on his actions of the day. Minimal bad luck would be him helping people out to be genuine and not because he wanted to look good. The worst luck would be if he was being deceitful, massively selfish, or came at anybody with ill intent. Even if he just thought of anything malicious, bad luck would follow. If he ever tried to place blame on his situation on anyone other than himself he would hear all the negative thoughts everyone in Paris ever had of him. Everything Marinette had ever made him turned to ash.

Gabriel woke up in a maximum security prison cell. None of his personal belongings on him. It was as infuriating as it terrifying. He called out to anyone who was listening and several guards rushed in in a panic. They tried to get him out but if they managed to open the cell door he found he couldn't take a step out without searing pain. If anyone tried to step in, it was like an invisible wall prevented them, so one of the guards slid him their cellphone so he could notify his family what was going on. They all thought it was an akuma so he let them continue to believe that. He fully believed Adrien, Nathalie, and Emilie would visit him in all the confusion. But Adrien was the only one who would talk to him. Emilie refused and apparently Nathalie had disappeared. Then the broadcast happened.

The guards no longer slipped him special meals, fresh clothes, the phone he had been using was magically taken away and given back to the guard who had lent it to him. He was a prisoner there. Fully. He couldn't believe it. He tried to call for Nooroo to no avail. He tried to call on Tikki, Plagg, the godforsaken voices he spoke to before. Nothing. Then the pain happened and no one rushed to check on him. They stood there watching. When it was over he opened his uniform to see a burn on his chest in the exact shape of the Butterfly Miraculous. That was not all, when he removed the top of his uniform after feeling pain on his back, he was notified and shown that he had two slashes on his back...right where wings most likely would have sat. He mourned for Nathalie, he truly did not think she would have been a price... when he slept...if you could even call it that, he saw Nathalie, and everytime she sacrificed her happiness for his. He felt her love for him. He felt her pain everytime he rejected her. He felt the pain she was in once she started wearing the Peacock Miraculous.

Then there were the other things. He remembered Mlle Dupain-Cheng, but that was not all, he would see her possible futures, what she could have become if he had not taken her from the world. She had so much potential. He saw how many in Paris would have mourned her and how deeply if they kept their memories. And not just as Ladybug, oh no, there were many who would have mourned the baker's daughter because she truly touched that many lives. There were days he could not move because of pain. Pain he felt because he was reliving the victims of akuma attacks. There were moments were he felt he surely was going to die but he didn't. He never did. And he would hear a voice say he would live a long healthy life before he met his end. He would have days were he felt all the fear, the anguish, the hate, the anger that Paris held for him. It truly was torture. Then Emilie divorced him.

I'll do a separate post for the class I think!

#wish me away ask #wish me away headcanons #adrien salt #adrien agreste salt #wish me away the punishments #gabriel agreste salt #mldccrossover #ml x dc #ml salt fic #ml class salt #goggles answer #goggles ask #goggles answers

244 notes · View notes

harusaki-hugo · 2 years

Note

Can i request part 3 joseph, avdol , jotaro and kakyoin having a s/o thats basically noelle from genshin impact?

First Meeting: Let's just say you are a speedwagon foundation maid/butler whose job is cleaning up the headquarter even though you are sure that you apply to be one of the special fighter [which is now disbanded after the fight with Kars or so you heard] but the fact that you are allowed to accompany any researcher for a clean-up sold you to accept the position. The first time you meet with some of the characters is at the Kujo household, insisting that you want to accompany them on this journey since you can't just sit back and watch Holy suffering. Also, you are ready to throw a hand at some vampire which you did.

Jotaro Kujo[Pt3]:

I don't understand, how did Jotaro bag this baddie?? Like you are such a gentle, kind, and polite person and he opposite of you, like a crow who sits beside a majestic peacock.

You are the one who picks him up. Like seriously, the first time he fall in love with you are after the fight with twin-blade polnareff, he too tired to move so you just like pick him up bridal style and bring him to safety, all with that cheery smile of you cause him to be more flustered.

The stronger lover, which makes him jealous, cause this man tries to help you move the cabinet but you just casually pick it up with one hand. Though he loves that strength of yours.

He never understands how you appear out of nowhere like he just sitting in some café while you are in another town, "I forgot my money." and there you are standing in front of him with his wallet that he is sure he left it at home. He is almost convinced that you have a stand that can teleport yourself but you are just his s/o, his beloved s/o

The one thing he is proud of is his s/o, you can do anything, almost everything.

Kakyoin Noriaki:

This gentleman is the only one who sweeps you off your feet. The only one who makes you fall in love with him first, and the only one who can keep you out of trouble.

This guy knows that you are a workaholic and he knows exactly what to do when you overwork yourself. He knows that you want to help everyone but at least he knew where the boundaries are, you only create more problem if you continue this, he says boldly causing you to stop yourself from doing some dangerous thing.

Which is bonk DIO with this not dangerous claymore made by SPW foundation.

He is quite impressed with your strength, as much he wants to help you he knows his limit and lets you handle what you can do but if the situation deems dangerous, he will not hassited to help you, no matter if he can or not.

A very trustworthy lover you are. He can tell you everything and he knows that you will never spill the secret to anyone.

Muhammad Avdol:

Avdol thought you are the purest person he had ever met. Your patient smile and the kindness you show catch his heart.

When you two first meet, he just hangs around SPW foundation before his mission catching iggy, which you are his tour guide. You give him a warm welcome, which makes him happy cause you know, society. However, after a while, he began to feel that something was amiss. You seemed to be able to read his mind: You correctly guessed his schedule, cooked his favorite dishes for him each day, and you somehow manage to guess Magician's Red location without actually being able to see him.

Well, at first he is suspicious of you so he asks around the foundation, later he found out that you are just that good at welcoming/ treating someone, you do no harm to him but you did steal his heart.

A sweet lover he rather stays together than join DIO.

Joseph Joestar [Pt3]:

Platonic:

He is this close to adopting you. Thinking you are a perfect sibling for his daughter and perhaps lover for his grandson.

A very concerned father. A concerned father who going to stop you from fighting DIO yourself.

He knows that you are more of a people pleaser, doing anything to help them and he not going to force you to stop, rather he tells you to slow down a bit.

You sometimes remind him of Ceaser. You should start relying on others, he told you, looking at your battered self with tear-filled eyes.

Romantic:

Let's just say, Suzie Q is also your lover. Cause we don't do cheating here Joseph. Seriously, we don't cheat.

You giving him a heart attack at how careless you are sometimes. He knows you are strong, much stronger than him but the fact that you are ready to throw a hand is concerning him too much.

Last time he ask you to build him a campfire so you three can do some outside camping but as soon as Suzie Q and Joseph come out there is a campfire, a whole tent with a blanket and pillow, you also bring out the griller, season the food and even taste it yourself to make sure it's done.

The only one who didn't blow at him for cheating. You are delighted that you have a stepson and happy to meet him soon. Also, the one that calms Suzie Q down.

Sometimes, joseph just sits back and thinks how lucky he is to have you as his and his wife's lover.

#jojo no kimyou na bouken #jojo bizarre adventure #jojo stardust crusaders #jojo #joseph joestar #jotaro kujo #pt3 jotaro #jjba stardust crusaders #muhammad avdol #noriaki kakyoin

24 notes · View notes

featherwriterweather · 3 years

Text

A dead girl walking

AU: I got so inspired by the song from the Heathers episode ‘A dead girl walking’ so I named this imagine after it.

Alert: Smut/badass girl

It was usual Friday night. I was at the Wyrm drinking shots of our favorite Tequilla with Tony. The booze was slowly taking control of me. Behind us the boys were playing the usual pool game. Sweet pea was winning, as usual. That made him scream on top of his lungs “Yeah”

We were getting annoyed with them. The non stop cockiness was getting exessive by the time of the third beer when Fangs and Sweet pea decided to bump into each other chests for yet another win over some other Serpents, who were older and a little more drunk than them.

“Are they for real? This is starting to really piss me off” I told Tony. She smiled at me behind the bar, pouring us another shots of Tequilla. We raised our glasses and locked them down.

“You know, maybe you need to do something about it. We both know you are sassy biotch. Go there and show them how you play and make them shut it.” she said poiting at the boys’ pool table with her head.

“You know what, Tony?! You are right! I’ll show them their places. It’s been something I really want to do so they can shut it once and for all.” I locked down yet another shot and went to the table. “So, you think you are great men, ha?”

“How much did you have to drink, northie?” Sweet pea said puffing his chest as a male peacock ready to fight for territory.

“Do want me to show you how a “northsider” can win this stupid game?” I stepped a little closer with my hands on my hips.

“Alright! But when you lose, don’t go crying in the bathroom. Take a stick, let’s see what you got! “ He crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“I would but I guess the only free one is up your ass!” I was so proud of myself of this line, especially when Tony came behind me laughing.

“You seem to have some serious competition here, Pea!” Tony told him.

“Fine by me! That’s a game of two. When I win, though, you will go up there and do a dance for us! Or you are going to chicken out now?” I am pretty sure he tried to scare me off by saying this, but that would never scare me. Actually, exactly the opposite. It only made me more eager to kick his ass.

“Good! But when I actually win over your pathetic game, you will take your ass up there boy, you will strip down and dance for all of the other Serpents.” I played him with some of his very own tricks.

“If you want to see me naked that much, I can take you to the restroom right now and show you some moves.” He pulled one of his side smiles.

“Are you sure there is something for me to see in there, boy?” I pointed to his dick with my finger as I looked him head to toe.

“ Just hit the balls!” He shoved the stick in my hand.

“It will hurt if I actully do it but okay” I laughed as I took the stick and hit the balls on the pool table making them go in all directions and some of them went inside the pockets. “It’s a little too crowded around this table boys. Move a little, cause I am getting hot.” I said as I gestured to Fangs and the older Serpent they played with to move back. I took my jacket leaving myself in tight off the shoulder shirt with deep cleavage. I aimed at another ball and bent down to hit it and send it directly to the pocket. Actually, my aim was not the ball but to distract Sweet pea so much that he wouldn’t be able to hit a ball straight.

For my misfortune, my ball skipped the pocket. He laughed and took his place aiming at the balls with his stick. I stood opposite him and pressed my hands on the table so I could bend down “casually” and clearly distract him. It didn’t really work. He was hitting the balls one after another until there was almost nothing left on the table.

“Are you fucking kidding me? How the hell did you do that?” I asked with my hand crossed in front of my chest making my boobs a little more squished. He came up to me, licked his lips, winked at me and tilted his head towards the pole where I had to do the dance.

“Brace yourself, babygirl. One more ball is left until I win that game and you go there and show me what you got.” he said aiming at the ball and shamelessly missing the pocket. “Dammit!”

“Ha-ha! I guess it’s now or never. If I get this ball inside the pocket, you will show me what you got, babyboy.” I winked at him and flipped my hair back as I went and aimed at the last ball standing. With one swift and well counted hit, I sent it into the right corner pocked. I stood up, leaning on the stick, looking proud as ever when I told him “Now,go there and undress for me.”

“I always knew you want to see me naked, but if I go there and do the dance, that means you don’t get to touch any of the body part you see.” He laughed at me.

“Well, I guess I will be okay with that, but I really want to see how you dance and take off piece by piece.” I told him. Everyone around us who was watching our game, was rolling on the floor of laughter. “I’ll go and refresh a little so I can give you time to choose a song and prepare to go up there and wow us”

I went to the toilet and went straight to the mirror to take a look at myself. Seconds after that I heard the door open, close and then lock. I looked towards it and saw Sweet pea leaning on it, smirking at me.

“So, you want to see me dance and strip. Why don’t we take it to somewhere private where you can actully give me money for it.” he said

“I’d love that but unfortunately it seems there is nowhere to put those money in as it seems awfully small in there.” I said pointing to his dick again.

He just laughed and came towards me. He took me by the hand and pulled me into him slapping playfully my bum. “I think you had a couple more beers than you had to” I said. But, to be honest, I didn’t really fight back what he was pushing towards.

“Don’t act like you don’t want it, too” he whispered to me as he pushed me back against the sink. I looked at his eyes and bit my lower lip. I could feel how hard he was because he was so pressed to my body. I took a hold of his shirt and pulled him so his lips met mine.

His hands started travelling on my body making stops at the buttons of my jeans. He opened them and pushed his hand inside making me gasp at the sudden sensation of his warm hand touching me over my lacy underwear. He smiled in his kisses which were leaving wet marks on my neck as he was enjoying the sounds of my moans. His fingers were like experienced explorers, making me wet by the minute. I was biting my lip so hard I could almost feel the blood on it. My hands were exploring his bare chest under his shirt. His erection was growing harder and harder making me want him more and more. I started undoing his belt and the buttons of his jeans. He made sure to help me and himself as he pulled down my jeans and underwear and then his. I turned myself to face the mirror and he pushed my legs open by kicking my right leg gently to the side. We did not speak at all. Not one word was said. He bit his full lips and entered me in one motion. I let out a loud moan which made him smile.

His trust were deep and fast. I was holding the sink tightly giving in the sensations of him filling me to the fullest. I wanted to scream and moan and swing my hips. I didn’t let myself scream, though. The fact that we could be heard was driving me crazy and scaring me at the same time. I moved my hips a little extracting a deep voiced moan from him. He was holding me tight. One hand was squeezing my breast while the other was drawing circles over my soft and aroused clit. I was so close to loosing it. I couldn’t contain myself. I could hear how wet I was. Every time he was pulling out, the wet sounds of us were making my head spin like a rollercoaster. I was getting weak in the knees as he continued to pull out and push back in his hard member.

I was sure he was getting closer to his orgasm. He was kissing my neck and biting gently my ear, all the while getting faster and faster with his trust. His hand was squeezing my breast hard which was making my nipples go hard between his fingers. His other hand continued to massage my clit making me throw my head back to his shoulder from pleasure. I was getting close, too. He knew it as I was getting really tight around his dick. I was losing all control as he was moving over my wet spot faster and faster. Soon enough I felt him come inside me which made me follow him right away, shaking with the waves of plasure. He contined to trust in me even though we both came hard. His hand found its way to my neck getly touching it. His trust became slow but still deep. His voice was husky and full of lust as he was moaning in my ear.

“I will pull out now, even though I really don’t want to. I will go to my bike like nothing happened, telling them I have to go because I feel drunk. You will come out after me telling Tony you have to go home for whatever reason. I will wait for you on my bike. You will come out the bar, get behind me on the bike and I will take you to my trailer where I will fuck your brains out. I will go all night. I will eat you out, then fuck you on the table, on the couch, on the bed and in the shower. I will leave marks all over your body and I swear to God, tomorrow, when you wake up, you will pleased as ever. And you will get wet every single time you even see me in school. Copy that!?” he whispered in my ear while his eyes were locked on mine in the mirror.

I nodded, even though his slow post orgasmic trust were making me go closer to another orgasm and I didn’t want him to stop. But the idea of what will happen in his house based on his words made me so impatient to throw away all the clothes that I couldn’t breath properly. He kissed me hard on the lips. Then he pulled up his pants, rearranged his hair and left the toilet. I pulled myself together and tried to catch my breath. Tony, of course, knew what happened. I could see it in the way she looked and laughed at me. Still she pretented to believe me I had to get home and left me go.

Just as he said, he was waiting for me on his bike. I took a seat behind him and we drove off into the night towards his trailer where I met the pleasures of a lifetime.

AU: I hope you like it. Please let me know if you want me write part 2 with what happens inside the trailer.

#sweet pea #sweet pea imagine #sweet pea and reader #sweet pea smut #riverdale imagine #riverdale smut #riverdale #riverdale southside imagine #serpents imagine #serpent boys #riverdale serpents #sweet pea x y/n #sweet pea x you #sweet pea x reader

197 notes · View notes

clandonnachaidh · 3 years

Text

Light Across The Seas That Sever (Ch6)

AO3

“Mind ye’ve got that meeting this afternoon?” Ian reminded him for the thousandth time as they all sat at the breakfast table and Jamie fought the urge not to roll his eyes, already mildly annoyed at the fact that his bowl of porridge wasn’t quite right. He should’ve made it himself without backing down when Jenny had insisted on doing it for him, that way it would’ve been thick enough to plaster a wall with, just how he liked it. But his sister would never surrender the spurtle, working it through the oats and milk until they became creamy and setting a large bowl of sugar on the table, much to Jamie’s distaste. Thick enough to clart a wall and with enough salt to make your eyes water, that was exactly how he’d had it since he was a bairn, their mother taking hers in the same way. Only Jenny and their father had preferred that their breakfast be covered in sugar and the sweetness of the Scottish strawberries that grew wild on Lallybroch estate.

“Aye, I ken fine well enough,” Jamie grunted without turning his eyes towards Ian who was trying to encourage a spoonful into Wee Ian’s mouth. “Whit was the name of the estate again?”

“’Tis the only estate in Tomich but did I no’ tell ye? He’s changed the meeting to the golf club.”

It had been his idea to begin with but now Jamie was uncertain about how their drunken plan was taking shape. After one too many whiskies of a night, he and Ian had been sprawled in front of the fire as they chastised the blend that they were imbibing, arrogantly announcing that the two of them could do much better. Jamie hadn’t thought anything of it as he’d stumbled to his bed and let sleep take him but a few days later he found himself mending a fence post in the back field as Ian continued his musing about Broch Mordha putting its stamp on the world as a new destination for a premier whisky distillery and the two of them, its innovative creators.

Jamie grunted as he rose to his feet and deposited his bowl into the deep sink, letting the tap run to soak the dish and refusing to turn his body to take in the picture perfect family scene that was sat at the kitchen table.

“Mr Dunsany—“

“He’s a Lord, is he no’?”

“Is there a reason yer being a particularly crabbit arse this morning, brother?” Jenny’s voice was dripping with irritation, not wanting her nice family breakfast to be ruined by the interminable grey cloud that had been brewing over Jamie’s head for the past few weeks.

“Jen, leave him be.”

“I will not. He’s been a moanin’ greetin’ face since he came back from that bloody reunion and ’tis hell time he snapped out of it,” she said a little louder to ensure that Jamie heard the emphasis that she placed on the insult as it flew from her mouth.

This caused him to turn on his heel and level his sister with a careful eye.

“I’m sorry, Janet, but sometimes I think ye forget that there is a world outside of Lallybroch. Life can be a damn sight more complicated than poppin’ out weans and tending tae chickens, ye ken.”

If her temper didn’t hit the roof, her eyebrows certainly made a good go of it. Silently, her fingers curled tightly around the spoon, stilling herself against the pull of Wee Ian’s chubby little hand that was fisted in the material of her shirt, demanding attention.

“I ken that fine well, James. But ye canna jus’ come home every time ye see her and sulk like a wee bairn that doesna get what he wants. Grow up a wee bit, aye?”

At the end of her parting shot, Jamie felt the anger licking at the sides of his throat. The rage that he’d been directing towards himself was now begging to be let loose on someone else, someone that would bite back and Christ, Jenny would do just that. It had been this way since he’d come home, the frustration melting into a sullenness that had punctured the idyllic bubble that the family lived in at Lallybroch. In his worst thoughts, he resented both his sister and his best friend and the happiness that they shared. Jamie loved them to their bones, of course he did, but after leaving Oxford with yet another memory of how he’d let Claire slip through his fingers, the last thing he wanted to see was the very evident love between Jenny and Ian and their three children.

And so he found himself, in a suit that was a bit tight across his shoulders but he’d purchased anyway in a department store on the Inverness High Street, shaking hands with Lord William Dunsany in the bar of a golf club that he’d never seen fit to frequent himself. Jamie tried his hardest not to let the glances from the club members get to him as they walked around the lounge with an understated belonging the he’d never feel himself. He made sure that he gave a strong handshake, looking the shorter man straight in the eye and made the informed decision to swap from his usual Scots to his best Received Pronunciation, assuming that Lord Dunsany was one of those people who claimed to be a ’Scotchman’ but was as English as they come with the age old story of inheriting Scottish land as a birthright. Jamie had realised, however, that the man certainly knew his whisky and would make a not-half-bad business partner with himself and Ian if he managed to convince him to part with some cash.

Jamie was fuzzy on the details of how’d they’d come to the agreement but two hours and four whiskies later, he found himself once more shaking hands with Dunsany. The Lord would foot the seed money in exchange for a fairly sizeable but not unfair amount of the business and as a personal favour, Jamie would escort his eldest daughter around Edinburgh the following evening.

“She’s up here with me to get away from some nonsense that’s gone on at home but she’s been cooped up in her hotel for days while her mother tries to organise a townhouse for her. I just want her to get out and see the city. Who better to show her around than a native?”

Late next afternoon, his slight hangover thankfully having subsided after a coffee and a square sausage roll, Jamie stepped off of the train and onto the platform of Waverley Station in the heart of Edinburgh.

The tang of the breweries immediately filled his nostrils and he breathed deeply as the ever present sound of bagpipes floated down from the upper level of the street. While Lallybroch where was his heart lived, and he loved the humour and familiarity of Glasgow, Edinburgh held a special place in his heart. He never got tired of grabbing a coffee and walking the length of George Street in the sun, the castle bursting into view if he turned his eyes to the east.

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he made his way towards the hotel that Dunsany had insisted on to putting him up in, the same one as his daughter just to make things simple. Although Jamie had spent many a morning diving into the spectacular breakfasts put on at one of his favourite places in Edinburgh, The Huxley, he had never imagined staying at The Caledonian that loomed over the small establishment just metres from its door.

Jamie didn’t quite know what to do as the doorman who was wearing a bloody top hat opened the door to the hotel for him so he settled on giving the man a polite smile, resisting an absurd urge to give him some type of formal bow. He had been in nice hotels before but nothing like this with its polished marble floor and a huge vases of fresh cut flowers on most surfaces that he could see.

“Mr Fraser, we have you in the Robert Louis Stevenson Suite for two nights. Here is your room key and it also includes the number for the Concierge, should you have any need. We have a table booked in the Peacock Alley bar for you and Miss Dunsany at 6pm this evening and I would be happy to make any dinner reservations you would like to make, within or outwith the hotel. Michael can get the rest of your bags from the car,” a neat blonde woman smiled at him from the reception desk as she inclined her head to the bellboy hovering at a polite distance over Jamie’s right shoulder.

“It’s nae bother, lass, I’ve only got the one bag,” Jamie muttered with a hint of embarrassment as he pulled the bag from the floor and swiped the keycards from the desk, smiling back at her. “Thank ye.”

When he stepped through the door that bore the name of one of Scotland’s most beloved authors, his growing Imposter Syndrome ramped up a few notches. Crossing the floor towards the window, Jamie was greeted by a beautiful view of the castle as it loomed over the city. He didn’t quite know how to act, having never been in such a large and clearly expensive hotel room. In fact, it wasn’t even a room, the woman at the desk had called it a suite.

Flicking through the TV channels for a little while, settling on the new show about Billy Connolly’s upbringing in Scotland, his fingers lazily scratched at the bare patch of skin just above his belt buckle. Something about being in a different city and having some time to himself made him feel lighter than he had in weeks and he gave himself permission to laugh at a particularly lewd joke that spilled from The Big Yin’s mouth on the TV.

Jamie’s phone, lying face up on the mattress beside his left shoulder, startled him as it gave a firm buzz. Sitting up, he opened the latest message from Geneva, telling him that she wanted to go out for dinner somewhere nice tonight. He was under no illusion as to the fact that when someone like Geneva Dunsany used the words ‘somewhere nice’, she was actually saying ‘somewhere expensive’. But thankfully, Jamie knew just the place and sent her a reply saying that he had it in hand before phoning down to the reception and having the helpful woman book a table at a restaurant he knew would be impressive enough but not so posh that he would feel out of his depth by eating there.

Although they’d messaged back and forth that afternoon, he hadn’t bothered to enlarge the tiny picture next to her name at the top of the screen. Toying with his phone, Jamie resolved that he had to know what the lass looked like, not wanting to have to shuffle embarrassingly around the bar trying to figure out who he was there to meet.

Her picture brought to its full size, he looked at her for the first time and tried was pleasantly surprised. She was clearly beautiful. Dark hair that flowed in loose waves over bare shoulders, her skin a beautiful olive brown from a summer tanning on a beach somewhere. She was looking at the camera dead on with a surety that came from a privileged upbringing, her face painted perfectly and a twist of the lips that couldn’t really be called a smile, as if she didn’t want to be seen to be having fun. She looked like every posh girl that Jamie had met in his life, every girl at university who would air kiss their friends on both cheeks while their manicured hands clutched at bags that cost more than his first car.

Suppressing a groan at the thought of spending a weekend with a person who no doubt came from an entirely separate world than the one he’d grown up in, Jamie divested himself of his socks as he plodded, bare feet on plush carpet, through to the bathroom to take a shower and clean himself up ahead of his evening.

Later, he sat at the bar, his fingers playing with the patterns on the cut crystal glass that housed his double whisky, he felt a gentle hand rest on his shoulder.

“James Fraser?”

His stomach dropped into the floor.

The thought hadn’t even crossed his mind at what hearing his name fall from the lips of an Englishwoman would do to him. He felt an absurd wave of revulsion swipe through him in an instant and he took a quick drink before turning on his stool to face her, swallowing the bile that had risen up in his throat.

“Och, lass, nobody really calls me James. Ye can call me Mac. ’Tis another one of my family names,” he tried to sound light and not as if the sounds of his name leaving her lips felt like the flesh on his back had been ripped open to the bone.

There was a reluctance in her eyes and he immediately knew that she was uncomfortable so he did his best to send her his most charming smile, gesturing for her to sit and then signalling to the bartender.

“What would ye like tae drink?”

“Martini, if you would, extra dry, extra dirty,” she ordered confidently as the bartender nodded and turned to begin preparing it for her.

With her chin in the air, she asked, “So, my father said you were a business associate?”

“Aye, I suppose I am now. My brother-in-law and myself wish to start our own whisky company. Your father has kindly offered to help.”

“My father isn’t generally in the habit of helping out of kindness.”

“Aye, well, hopefully he trusts that we ken what we’re doing. Or that we’ll figure it out at the very least,” Jamie tried to joke but she gave him nothing. There was something cold in her demeanour that he hoped he wouldn’t have to fight against for the whole evening.

After watching the martini disappear down Geneva’s throat in record time, he offered her an arm as they left the hotel and were hit by the cool air of Edinburgh in the evening. As soon as Jamie took the first step towards Princes Street, Geneva halted.

“We’re walking?”

“’Tis no’ far, only ten minutes or so. We have time before our reservation,” he replied, gently tugging on the arm that she’d looped through his so that she would begin to walk with him. Her feet stayed firmly planted on the concrete.

“These are £500 shoes, I’m not walking anywhere.”

“Lass, Edinburgh is a city tae get lost in. If we get a taxi we’ll just be looking at the sides of buses and traffic lights. Yer father asked me tae show ye the city,” letting her arm slip from his, Jamie took a step forward and gestured towards the castle, atmospherically lit from beneath now that the sun had gone down. He turned back to her with a kind smile and held out his hand. “Let me, aye?”

Reluctantly, she acquiesced and let him lead her away from the hotel. Jamie’s skin tingled at the contact and he realised that he hadn’t touched a woman apart from Jenny since the university reunion with Claire. He flexed his fingers experimentally and felt something swell in the pit of his stomach when Geneva tightened her grip in response.

The two of them made small talk as they walked through Princes Street gardens and up towards the restaurant, Geneva seeming happy enough with the venue that he’d chosen. He’d heard good things about The Witchery before and as they sat down at a table covered in a pristine white cloth, surrounded by painted dark wood on the walls and ceilings, he noticed how pretty Geneva looked in the candlelight. Only a fool would try to argue that she wasn’t beautiful. But there was a coldness to her that hadn’t warmed yet and so he kept on being as charming as he could, hoping that another glass of wine might bring down the steely demeanour that she seemed to hold on to for dear life.

Oxford had been full of girls like Geneva Dunsany. Wealthy, privileged and confident. After four years of university, Jamie had perfected the art of tuning out their inane conversation about which exotic place they’d spent their summer, who’s guestlist they’d been placed on for the weekend and what they were planning on wearing. So he knew how to respond to her constant stream of speech, nodding and agreeing in the right places and sending dazzling smiles across the table when he felt like rolling his eyes. Though somehow, he found that he didn’t actually dislike Geneva Dunsany. Something in her eyes, or maybe it was the way she chose her words, showed Jamie that the poor little rich girl personality was an act. Underneath the mask, she felt the same way that he did—unfathomably sad.

Something inside of him felt sorry for her, recognising the pain that he knew all too well in another. And while he didn’t particularly care for the woman, Jamie decided to be kind to her. He leaned closer across the table and started to respond to her stories with anecdotes of his own. With the help of another two martinis, she began to blossom in his company and the two shared a relatively pleasant evening together.

When they reached the hotel elevator, Jamie had nothing on his mind other than stripping off his constricting shirt and sleeping off the whisky cloud that was hanging somewhere around his temples.

“What’s on the agenda now, then?” Geneva asked as they stood side by side.

“Shower then bed, I think.”

“Sounds good to me,” she all but whispered, Jamie’s head twisting to see the dark look of seduction that was painted on her face. “Mind if I join you?”

He didn’t say no.

It was shocking how easily he slipped into the worst version of himself. There had been a few nights in the past where he’d spent too much time and money in the pub in Broch Mordha and woken up the morning with some woman curled around him at whatever bed and breakfast they’d invited him back to. He only ever slept with women who were in the area for the moment, never anyone who he’d run into again. It was always when he was half gone with drink, his body acting solely on blind need that he succumbed to his baser instincts.

The doors of the elevator opened and Geneva walked in purposefully, turning to look at him with an alluring smile. Jamie walked in beside her and pressed the number for her floor.

They found pleasure in each other’s bodies but it was skin deep at best. A simple matter of scratching an itch that they both clearly had and had resolved to using the other to sate that particular need. There were no delicate touches or gazes held for any real length of time. Jamie set himself to work, making sure that she got hers before followed suit. It was perfunctory. Pleasant. And when they both uttered their subdued sounds of fulfilment, Geneva immediately rolled away from him, shielding herself once more.

“Do ye want me to go?” Jamie’s voice broke through the dark silence of the room.

Her response was barely a whisper, “Please.”

He dressed quickly, roughly, and scrambled around in the dark for his phone that had fallen from his pocket. Geneva was lying as still as a statue but Jamie could hear the odd sniff from her and realised that she had begun to cry. After dithering between his options, his inherent gentlemanliness won out.

“Is there anything I can do?”

There was no response for a few seconds and he took that as his answer, beginning to move towards the door of the room when a single word stopped his hand from turning the doorknob.

“Stay.”

Keeping his eye on her as though she was a frightened animal that might bolt at any provocation, he slowly began to undress. When she moved over slightly to give him room to get under the covers, he did just that and felt a strange sense of kinship as she wrapped her body around his. Jamie held her, stroking her hair until she fell asleep in his arms. The sound of her gentle breathing was the only thing filling the room until his phone suddenly pinged with a notification.

Facebook Congratulate Claire Beauchamp on their engagement!

Before he could stop himself, he opened the app and looked at the posed photograph of the two of them, her left ring finger showing off an almost comically large diamond ring.

After telling our friends and family, we are so happy to announce that we are engaged! We thank everyone so far for their kind words and well wishes. From the future Mr and Mrs Frank Randall.

Every muscle on his body was thrumming with energy. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what the energy was made from. Rage? Fear? Utter desolation? Whatever it was, it was coiling its way around his ribs, holding him in stasis and holding him hostage as he experienced it.

He wasn’t even considered a friend anymore, seeing as he hadn’t been given the privilege of a private message, having to find out through fucking Facebook. She had clearly changed in her time in Boston, the Claire he knew would never have given up her name and become Mrs Frank Randall. Randall-Beauchamp at the very least, for Christs sake.

Tasting the rare metallic nature of blood in his mouth, Jamie realised that he was biting the inside of his cheek. He felt the need to get up and do something, anything to expel the energy that was going to burst out of him if he didn’t channel it into something. But he was stilled by the feel of Geneva’s naked body against his and a rush of guilt tried to swallow him whole.

How dare he question Claire’s life, assume to know her situation all the while he was in bed with another woman. Reminding himself for the hundredth time that Claire had made her choice and it wasn’t him, he swallowed his pride and went to send her a message, even though he knew it wasn’t a smart idea.

He shouldn’t have had that final whisky.

Jamie: Just seen the news. Congratulations to you and yours.

A blatant lie but what was he supposed to say?

To his surprise, her reply was almost immediate.

Claire: Thank you!

Short and to the point. Two words that would shut down any further conversation, a feigned attempt at excitement and gratitude that he prided himself on being able to see through.

He knew that he would have been one of many to send the same sentiment that day but he had kidded himself that his text would receive a more personalised response. Maybe all she thought of him was a copy and paste response as she planted her phone down screen first on the sofa before climbing into the arms of her future husband.

In an attempt to hold the tears at bay, Jamie curled an arm around Geneva’s prone body, bringing up his hands to his arm and pressing his palms into his eyes until he saw stars.

#light across the seas that severed #clan donnachaidh #ao3 #outlander fanfic #jamie fraser #Claire beauchamp #outlander #modern au

80 notes · View notes

abluescarfonwaston · 3 years

Note

Hi! So, um,, I know this isn't something you should ask a writer so please feel free to ignore this. I was wondering,, , your "the white wolves" story has brought me so much joy and I am grateful that you wrote it! I was just wondering, if you're not going to finish it (this isn't meant to pressure you. If you don't want to finish it that is 100% fine and your choice and I'm thankful for the five chapters you gave us!!!) so, anyway, I was wondering what the conclusion was going to be? If you're comfortable answering that. If not, that's absolutely fine of course and I'm sorry for asking.

Thank you so much for your lovely stories and I hope you're having a wonderful day!

Okay first off, we're totally cool don't even worry about it. I am always touched people still care about and think about an unfinished piece from like 10 months ago. And now that I have seen that it's almost been a year I feel it is important to point out that while this fic has clearly been physically abandoned, it has not been emotionally. Or Else I would not have spent the last hour pacing back and forth angrily lamenting that I do not have more hands. I do not want to provide you with an unsatisfactory summary in an undercut about how the story was going to unfold. It is not that I mind sharing these details - I have done so to others who have asked. It's just that admitting something I still love so dearly may never get done hurts.

Hopefully one day I will find that voice again.

Spoilers for a fic that will (probably) never get finished under the cut. It is 2.6k and includes most of the final section.

The next sequence in the story is them all taking a nap on the side of the road. Jaskier gets up and calls Yennifer for help. Do you know that part in the books where Yennifer saves Dandelion and he doesn't know why? Because I owed you one. You kept him from being alone. I think about that alot. I think that's why she comes. Not then. She meets them at the keep in a few days time. She is too tired to arrive before then.

There is a scene of the four of them in an inn. Of Ciri, afraid to sleep least she destroy the inn like she destroyed that forested grove. We have a moment when he looks at candle on the inn nightstand and remembers a inn fire that almost killed him and how he hadn't wanted to sleep in an inn ever again. (I foreshadowed it. It's allowed. I once read that Regis saved Dandelion from an inn fire. I thought it was canon. I know its not. I think. I only ever read the short stories. They sit on my shelf. One day I'll read them.) He understands. Still he tucks her in and tells her it will be alright. That is the empty words of adults who lie to children that they think do not know better. No. It is the empty words of a bard whose job is to write lullabies that get children to bed on time. Besides it will be fine. Even if things go bad, we will be with you the entire time.

These are the two scenes I largely blame for the fact I stopped writing this fic. I got stuck on Yennifer's conversation and then wasn't sure how to get that inn scene to actually play out. Anyway. Back to the part you were actually asking about. What's the deal with the wolves? Both of them.

They arrive at the keep. They are greeted and loved and yeered at and pestered. Jaskier is nervous and concerned as he eyes the silver in their blades. It is strange they believe the doppler. But he was a very good Doppler. He digs his fingers into white fur. Remember you promised. You promised you were him. Don't let it be a lie.

And oh I have lost the voice but they are in the great hall with Vesemir and Eskel and Lambert and Geralt and Geralt and Yennifer. She peers into his eyes and does not reveal him. Silver medallions brush against skin and he does not flinch or melt. Geralt of Rivia is Geralt of Rivia. Of this there is no doubt.

The conversation turns to Ciri and Jaskier quietly slips out. It is snowing, just a few flurries on the still air. The wolf flows him to the room they set their bags in. Geralt's room.

This was not how it was meant to go. This is not how it was meant to go. Yennifer was supposed to look at the doppler and then at him and go what the hell and they would slip away and break the curse on the wolf - on Geralt. And they would quietly change hands. The Doppler into the wolf. The wolf into Geralt. Ciri would not know of the quiet deception they had pulled. The magicians trick with revolving mirrors.

Because clearly the doppler loved them. Because clearly the doppler had chosen them. Do you ever think about how in the short story Geralt is ready to kill the doppler that wears his face and it knows this because it is also him so it turns into Dandelion. Because he Knows Geralt would never hurt Dandelion? It's falling in with a lie. It is so easy to in love with a lie. Jaskier knows this.

It was supposed to be like this. Laying in a bed in the Keep with a white wolf next to him. Playing ballads for Geralt and Yennifer and Ciri and not hurting. Because he'd lay next to the wolf at night and bury his face in its fur. And in the spring they would run off to the coast together. You can wear a different face, whatever one you'd like, and will prove to you again and again that I still love you.

I am good at loving people. You know this about me. I might not be able to love you first. That might be why you love me. Because I loved Geralt of Rivia first. So completely that whatever motive you had you abandoned for the sake of it. For the taste of it. I know what it is like to want so desperately to be loved. Wearing different faces and personalities in the chance that someone might.

I know that very well.

But unlike you I'm always still just Jaskier.

The wolf slips in the door behind him.

Jaskier rounds on him. 'What the actual fuck? What the fuck are you? You Promised me. You Promised me you were him." The medallion bounces off his chest and he hates it. Rips it from his neck and brandishes it like a weapon. "I kept this for you! I thought you were him! You promised me you were him! What are you?! I told you I would help you even if you weren't him! Why?!"

The circle of the medallion cuts into his hand.

"Is this funny to you? Bringing me all the way up here and making me look a fool?! Making me watch Geralt picker her Again? Is this funny to you? You and this sadistic game?!"

And he throws the medallion. It hits the wolf dead on. Hit's his bowed forehead. Right between the eyes. Just in front of his flattened ears.

He has always been a good shot.

It is snowing outside. Just a few more flurries. The winter stretches out, immeasurably long in front of him.

He knows who Geralt chooses. That those 'I love you's are lies. No. Not lies. Geralt did not mean to lie. Not intentional. But it was so easy when your heart is broken to bury yourself in someone that does. Love you. Drowning men love life boats but they'd much rather be on the ship that cast them out.

He knows. It exactly what he was doing too.

I love you doppler. I could love you too.

The winter stretches immeasurably long in front of him.

"I can't do this." There is a bag in his hand. A case. "I can't do this."

There is a whine but he does not hear it as he rushes out the door. He can't do this. Down the stone hall. Wind whips through a hairline fracture in the Keeps walls and cuts his cheeks red where they are wet. He can't do this. Out the doors. Through the large wooden gates. He can't do this.

The winter stretches immeasurably long in front of him.

In the great hall a sickening feeling curdles in Geralt's gut. Honestly its seeing Yennifer again. This is all so wildly out of hand. Even if he knows they need her. That Ciri needs her.

"It's startin' to snow. Your idiot better come back soon."

"What?" He turned to Lambert who had curled up in a mountain of blankets in the window nearest the fire.

"Said it's starting to snow, dumbass."

"No the other part."

"Peacock left a while ago. Think he had the right idea. If I'd know she was coming I'd have stayed down south."

"What?" Snow was coming down hard. Big wet flakes. Could hardly see the keep walls through them. "Why didn't you say so sooner?!"

He shrugged. "His dog went after him."

His gut does a funny thing then. It eases in relief before his brain catches up and yanks tight in terror.

The wolf went after Jaskier.

Jaskier is alone.

With the wolf.

In a snow storm.

Jaskier is is alone in a snow storm. He walks down the mountain alone. As he knew he would. Why did he think it would be any different this time? Why does he never learn? He is a fool.

The wind picks up. The snow buries the path. He huddles in a protected alcove and wishes he'd been thinking clearly enough to steal one of Geralt's cloaks. Just to be petty.

He is probably going to freeze on this mountain. Walking down it alone. He might die. But even if he doesn't something will have died. Something in his chest that he cradled like wounded bird.

How many times must you touch fire, how many times must you be burned before you learn? How many times Jaskier? How many times?

He pulled his doublet tighter around him.

Just the one more time it seemed. Just once more.

Barking. Just one voice barking. Barking into the snow and wind in the distance.

Are you looking for your pack? Did you get lost? Separated? I hope they find you. I hope they answer you. I wish I had a pack to call out to.

The snow drifts down in heavy blankets and there is nothing to do but sleep. All he wants to do is sleep.

There is warmth in his dreams. Heavy and warm and soft and reeking of wet dog and something deeper. Something less domesticated and tame.

"You found him?"

Geralt's voice. Deep and soft. Reaches him. Buried in the snow. Cruel and kind in equal measure. To make him hear that voice before he, probably, dies.

"... Thank you."

There is a gasp. He recognizes it. That shocked little inhale of Geralt's.

"I think... That druid overpaid."

He wakes up to a stone ceiling. To thick and heavy furs covering him. to a wolf pressed into his side. To a man known as the white wolf pressed into the other.

Words will find him soon. But for now they are held back by a dam of confusion and exhaustion.

Geralt reaches an arm over him and scratches at the wolf's forehead. "Hm." Got it. The hum says. The same one he uses when Jaskier reminds him to pick something up in town. Hm. Got it.

The dam breaks.

"Oh so you're just okay with each other now? Everything is hunky dory? Jaskier goes out into a snow storm and you drag him - Unwillingly mind you - back here and now you're best fucking friends?! Well it's not all A-O-Kay over here so perhaps you might let me up so I can demand Yennifer do me the solid of getting me out of this godforsaken keep?" He wiggled under the mountain of blankets that held him captive.

"Wha-" Geralt's hand pressed down on his chest. Preventing escape.

"Or you know just go back to the love of your life, take your one goddamn blessing and leave me be!"

"Jask-"

"Oh don't give me that- you're gonna run right off after Yennifer and we both know it and you," Glared. Bared his teeth at the wolf. "Are a lying manipulative bastard and I hope she turns you into a gnat or a pigeon or - or something!"

"Jaskier!"

His jaw clicked closed. He did not soften his gaze.

"We- He - it's not. He didn't lie."

He scowled harder at Geralt.

"You remember that druid Ciri told you I helped?"

"... Vaguely."

A woman and woman who was not her wife. But was. In his story, in his song, he would tell it as if she was.

You saved my heart, I don't know what I'd have done if she. She. Witcher how can I ever repay you?

What food do you have on you?

Uh.

Fine. We don't have time. Don't tell them which way have gone.

No that's not- perhaps the law of su-

No. No. Lie. That will be enough.

It's not!

"He," Nodded to the wolf. "Was how she decided to pay."

He studied Geralt. Then the wolf. Their matching golden eyes.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

Geralt grimaced. Hair falling over his face. "He's a familiar. She made him for me. Of me."

He studied the wolf again, distrustingly. "How does that work?"

Shrugged a shoulder. "You'd have to ask Yen."

"Don't care that much." He tried to wave his hand and the idea off but couldn't get it free from the covers. "Shouldn't you have known then? If he's made of you?"

"We weren't... connected. You have to. Touch."

"Oh and she thought you'd just go out of your way to touch a big white wolf? Honestly what was the plan there? You'd have just killed the damn thing."

"Mhmm."

"Seriously what kind of mad man goes out and pets a two hundred pound wolf? Could have at least tied a note to its neck for explanation before setting it loose on the countryside, wandering around looking for you."

"It wasn't..." He hummed his prodding question. "Looking for me. That's not what it was supposed to do."

"And pray tell what was it supposed to do?"

Geralt was quiet. The charged quiet that said he knew the answer but didn't want to tell him.

Eventually. With a fair bit of glaring and wiggling on his part, he answered.

"She was repaying the favor."

"Oh and what's that supposed to mean?! What you saved her partner and she sent the wolf to go out and save yours?" He scoffed. "What did she magic you 'a white wolf to protect your heart when you could not?' as you did for her? Is that it? Absolutely absurd, I wouldn't write that drivel."

Neither Geralt met his eye.

"Geralt...?"

"That's..." He ducked his head. "Hm."

Right.

"But then why-"

A wolf appears in the darkness. All white fur and golden eyes. Protects him from the bandits. Brings him a rabbit when his stomach growls.

I love you Jaskier. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize.

They lay on the bedroll and Geralt kisses him like a thousand drunken kisses. Like a thousand sober ones. And the wolf follows after Ciri and comforts her when they cannot.

The wolf seeks him out in that ruined clearing while Geralt cradles Ciri. While Geralt debates with Yennifer and Vesemir over Ciri's fate. Her training.

I love you Jaskier.

Protect his heart, white wolf, when he cannot.

"Oh."

He let his head fall to the side. Watched Geralt watch him with those golden eyes he had memorized decades ago. Listened to the sound of his breathing that was more familiar than his own.

"Tell me again."

Geralt cocked his head a fraction. Brow furrowed in confusion.

"Tell me again, what I did not believe. If it is true. Tell me again. Geralt of Rivia."

"Tell you...?"

"I love you, Geralt. Despite all sense and reason. Do not lie to me. Do not pretend if I am fated to walk down that mountain alone again. Do not lie to me."

His eyes widened. He pushed himself up and over him. Caged him in his muscular, scarred arms. Shoved the wolf aside.

It grumbled. Huffed. Walked out of the room. Towards Ciri. Towards his heart.

"Jaskier. I love you." He said again.

And this time. This time he believed him.

"Then, You absolute fool and dullard." With only Geralt to hold him down he worked his arms free. Held Geralt's head in his hands. Traced the stubble of his jaw that he could, if he needed to, shave blind. From memory alone. "Kiss me. I have waited long enough."

Geralt leaned down and did.

He remembered the barking of a single wolf. It's howls into the storm. Searching for its pack.

I hope your pack finds you. He wished to its unseen form.

Mine did.

#writing #the white wolves #geraskier

49 notes · View notes

fific7 · 3 years

Text

Dangerous and Divine - Part 17

Billy Russo x Reader

Summary: Billy Russo is an itch you don’t want to scratch. But he’s all over you like a rash.

A/N: This does not follow canon, it’s mainly fluff & lemon zest 🍋 Hopefully you’ve guessed by now that is my “Billy Russo Deserves Real Love AU” as I totally refuse to accept what happened in S2! The GIF is from Exposed, unreleased pilot show in case you’re wondering 😌... Billy vibes.

Warnings: 18+ NSFW due to sexual content including oral and unprotected* sex between consenting adults. Some drinking & swearing.

*Irl, please don’t go wild in the country without protection.

(My GIF)

“Are you sure about that, Billy?” He laughed nervously, but replied, “Very sure, sweetheart.”

You thought that was really brave of him, considering you were holding his favourite weapon in your hand. You shrugged, “I’ll get the information out of you one way or another, Russo.”

He laughed, “You’ll need to get past all the Marine training first, sweetheart!”

You rolled his cock between your palms then gave his balls a long firm squeeze, hearing a loud groan from him. “What was that you were you saying, sweetheart?” you snarked back at him. Laughing, he gasped, “Do your worst!”

You wrapped two fingers round his tip and squeezed quite hard, eliciting a low grunt from Billy. Then you really set to work on him, using a lethal combination of your mouth and hands. You could hear him whimpering above you, but thought you’d better not risk calling him a puppy again.

“What’s this surprise, hmm Russo?” you asked, before swirling your tongue right around his tip and down onto his slit, teasing it before dragging your teeth very gently down his length. Billy thrashed on the bed, crying out and grabbing a handful of your hair, “uhhh... unnhh!!!” You were now licking his cock very slowly and deliberately; all of a sudden Billy’s hips jerked forward like a pile driver, he shouted “Fuck!!!” and came, really hard.

You daintily wiped a finger across your lips once you’d finished swallowing Billy’s come and rested your chin on his chest, giving him your version of puppydog eyes. “Aww, c’mon Billy, tell me!” You tickled his lower stomach and smiled when you saw the muscles rippling and contracting under your touch. His head was lying right back on the pillows, chin upturned towards the ceiling and you gazed fondly at his beardy neck. He was huffing out breaths and finally tilted his head down towards you, gazing at you with wide eyes.

He merely shook his head, saying nothing and still gasping. “Cat got your tongue?” you teased, remembering how he’d ribbed you for being speechless after sex. His husky voice said, “No, an angel’s got it,” smiling down at you and you stuck your tongue out at him. “Whilst that little session just blew my goddamn fuckin’ mind as well as my balls, I’m not cavin’, sweetheart,” he smirked. “You’re just gonna have to be patient.”

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

The next morning, you were gently shaken awake. You forced your eyes open, rubbing them while yawning, only to see Billy standing over you, bare naked and holding a tray. “Breakfast in bed, sweetheart,” he cooed, putting the tray down on the bedside table beside you. Trying to drag your eyes away from the view currently being presented to you, eventually you managed to stutter, “That.. uh, that’s uhh really sweet of you, Billy.”

Of course the Russo Smirk was in place, and his hands were now on his hips. He knew exactly what you were looking at, and why you were losing your words. He was putting himself on display for you like a peacock, you thought. Then your mind skipped to all those nature programmes you’d watched, where the female of the species sat on a branch and watched the males displaying themselves, before picking the best of the bunch and mating with them.

Hmmm, you thought, Mother Nature had something there - better than the humans did. Although you did take offence over the fact that the females were usually always small and dowdy and boring-looking. While they did get the pick of the males at the end of the day, you weren’t happy with that aspect of things. However, you suspected that underneath those unassuming exteriors, the females were actually done up like guest contestants on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and gave their chosen males a massive shock when they reached the bedroom (nest, hole in a tree, rainforest, whatever) and unveiled themselves in all their true splendour.

You tore your thoughts away from nature and its mysteries, and found yourself still staring at Billy’s lush body. Then you realised he was waving his hand in front of your face, “Hey! Hello! Hey, sweetheart!” You stared up at him, “Oh, uhhh, sorry - I was thinking about birds of paradise.” He burst out laughing, “Huh?” You shook your head, “I’ll explain it to you sometime. I’m not as crazy as I sound.”

He leapt full-length onto the bed beside you, bouncing you up slightly off the bed in the process. Reaching over and picking up the tray from the side, he placed it carefully on your lap. Your eyes widened in pleasure as you looked down at the plate... he’d made Eggs Benedict! “Oh my god, Billy - you didn’t!” He smiled, looking smug, “You told me it’s your favourite! Well, alongside scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. An’ I’ve already shown off my scrambled eggs to you, so here ya go... my Eggs Benedict but without the ham. Just like the lady ordered.”

You picked up the paper napkin and unfolded it, noticing that Billy had drawn a big heart on it with a little smiley face in the middle. Chuckling, you turned it towards him, “Really? Are you sure you were in the Marines, Billy Russo? A sniper? Trained in unarmed combat and still walking around with weapons concealed in every available part of your body??!!” He smiled, looking down at the tray and fiddling with the edge of it, face that cute shade of pink again.

His eyes came up and met yours again, “I know, I know!” Laughing, he carried on, “Look, angel... this is all still a bit unreal for me, okay? Spent my whole life bein’ a ‘never get involved’ kinda guy, to put it mildly - and politely.” His hand went to your face, and his thumb ran gently over your bottom lip. “Met you, an’... an’....boom! It’s like I’ve been hit by a fuckin’ grenade or sumthin’.” He laughed, “Knocked me clean out I reckon, yeah. Woke up and hey - I’m stoned in love with you. Still tryin’ to get my head round it, but it’s how I feel...” he shrugged, still stroking softly, “...maybe this is payback, y’know? Fate just thought, there’s that Billy Russo runnin’ all over town with lots of different women, let’s just teach him a lesson.”

His big dark eyes met yours, an apologetic look in them and a lock of hair falling cutely over one temple. He continued, “Let’s hit him so hard with a case of love at first sight it’ll knock him into next year, never mind next week.” His hand moved to your cheek, laying it gently against it, “And here I am. A lovesick Romeo, as a certain person put it. I’ve fallen so hard and so fast for you and it really, really scares me. I think if you left me, I... well, I think I’d die. I love you so damn much, angel.”

You were staring at him, mesmerised, as he spilled this to you. Couldn’t even get irritated at the passing mention of the Scorned Woman. Feeling your face blush, and sure you’d melted into a human puddle, you leant towards him and kissed him. With passion. He kissed you back, arm going round your neck and pulling you closer to him. You pulled away, putting your lips to his ear and whispering, “I love you, Russo.”

He reared back, a huge smile on his face, “You said it! You said ‘I love you’ to me!!!”

Still blushing, you nodded, “Uh-huh, I did.”

He grabbed you and pulled you up against his chest, and you heard a deep chuckle, “I knew pester power would work one-a these days!”

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

You’d untangled yourself from him after that, saying that your eggs were getting cold. “Hey!” he said, “.... we’re talkin’ ’bout serious stuff here, sweetheart!”

You smiled, “Food is serious to me too, y’know!” He’d shaken his head, mock-sulking, “Okay then, here we go.” Your hand went to the cutlery, but he grabbed it before you could. Then he cut into one of the poached eggs and toasted sourdough base, and you watched entranced as the egg yolk slowly ran out of it like liquid gold and mixed in with the hollandaise sauce.

He made another couple of cuts with the knife and then stuck the fork into the bit of egg he’d cut off for you, swirling it around to pick up more sauce. “Open up, sweetheart,” he grinned, a suggestive look on his face. Rolling your eyes, you did as he said, and he placed the dripping forkload carefully into your mouth. Savouring it as you chewed, you mumbled round the mouthful, “This is really good! Did you make the sauce yourself? Or did it come out of a jar?”

Billy looked outraged, “A jar!! A jar??” he growled, “No, it did not! It was made from scratch by these fair hands,” and he held up his big hands in front of you, turning them back and forward. You looked lovingly at them; you adored Billy’s long slim fingers. “Okay, Chef - sorry I’m sure!” you laughed.

You’d let Billy feed you another forkful before grabbing the knife and fork off him, and then you started cutting up and shovelling the eggs into your mouth in a rather unladylike manner. Billy looked a bit offended, and you realised you’d spoiled his little romantic moment, so you ran your fingers through his hair, saying guiltily between mouthfuls, “Too slow, sweets. They’re getting cold, plus I’m really enjoying this so I needed to speed up my intake.” A small smile played over his lips, “Okay, then.”

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

After breakfast and a nice soak in the bath together, where you absolutely didn’t give Billy a helping hand when he got a sudden and rampant hard-on (okay, yes - you did), the two of you threw on some casual clothes and went out for a walk to make the most of the sunny morning. He slid his hand into yours and interlinked fingers with you.

Billy’s place was on the Upper East Side in Lenox Hill, while you lived on the Upper West Side in the Lincoln Square neighbourhood, so you were on familiar territory as he steered you towards Central Park. Strolling through the park, no particular place to go, people-watching as you sat beside The Lake in the sun for a while. The two of you talked about a whole load of nothing before deciding to go for a late lunch in a diner Billy knew and liked back in his neighbourhood.

As you ate, you noticed that Billy was fidgeting quite a bit and kept looking at his watch. You poked him with the blunt end of your fork, “Billy!” He jumped slightly, and you carried on, “You’re fidgeting. Have you got somewhere to be or something? - you’re checking your watch every two seconds!” Not meeting your eyes, he cleared his throat while shaking his head, “Nah, angel - just keen to get back out for some sun and fresh air.” You laughed, “Well, Manhattan fresh air.” “Yeah, true,” he said, now looking at you, “...you nearly done?” “Not quite, Billy, got some beer left too.” He stroked your hand, “Oh, no rush!”

You continued to chew on your chicken wrap, watching Billy as you did so. He’d already finished his food and beer, and was still fidgety - pulling at the sleeves of his leather jacket, fiddling with his hair, moving the ketchup bottles around the table and back again.

What is wrong with that boy? you thought. He’s like the proverbial cat on a hot tin roof. Finally you finished your food and drained the last of your beer. Billy had already paid, bounding over to the counter to settle up without even waiting for the waitress to bring the check.

Once outside and heading back to the park for a further stroll, you tugged at his hand... you were being disgustingly ’coupley’ today, you thought, a bit annoyed at yourself, but what the hell... and asked, “Billy, what’s the surprise?” He just laughed, shaking his head. “Tell me!” Aware that you were sounding more than a bit brattish, you added, “...please, Billy, go on!”

“No, angel, cos then it wouldn’t be a surprise, now would it?” You managed to resist the need to stamp your foot, but your bottom lip was pouting of its own accord. He leant down and gave you a long, sexy kiss and you gave in, resigning yourself to the fact that the tall ex-Marine was not going to confess anything so you’d better stop sulking. You grabbed a handful of hair, and Billy laughed, taking his mouth off yours, “C’mon, sweetheart - let’s head back to my place. We’ll take the scenic route.”

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Billy took you on a very circuitous route back to his place, and it took well over an hour to make it back there. As you both walked along the hallway towards his apartment, he dug out his keys and then promptly dropped them before he could slot the key into the lock. You stared at him, what the hell was wrong with Russo? Whatever he might be, he was all about precision and attention to detail - he was not a klutz! Now you - yeah, you’d be the one to drop your keys but not Billy!

However, he’d quickly bent down and grabbed them off the floor, successfully unlocking and opening the door this time. You followed him inside, and then your mouth dropped open.

Soft music was playing on Billy’s state-of-the-art music system. There was an intimate little round table sitting in front of the big picture window in the lounge. A string of LED stars was strung across and down the sides of the window. The table was laid for two, looking like a restaurant place setting - gleaming champagne flutes, plates and cutlery, fancily folded linen napkins, a pearly pink peony in a slim vase in the middle, an ice bucket on a stand next to the table, a bottle of Krug champagne sitting up perkily in it. You swung round to Billy, “What....?”

But you looked up into empty space. Your eyes travelled downwards until they found Billy - down on one knee in front of you. A small velvet ring box was held - unopened as yet - in a vice-like grip in those long, slender fingers you loved so much, and Billy’s big dark eyes were gazing fearfully into yours.

He looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

@blackbirddaredevil23 @galaxyjane @omgrachwrites @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead @ourloveisforthelovely @swthxrry

#ben barnes #billy russo #billy russo x reader #billy russo fanfiction #billy russo imagine

91 notes · View notes

familyagrestefanblog · 3 years

Text

Miraculous Shanghai theories and analysis

All those leaks and informations we got for the Shanghai special caught my interest BIG TIME and I wanted to post my theories and thoughts before it airs.

Just as a warning, I wrote all of this yesterday before the new promo poster got released this morning but fortunately it's doesn't disprove anything I'm about to say.

So let's go!

Let's start with my tamest theory of this post to clear the track for the batshit craziness that gonna follow: The Peacock miraculous will be involved in the Shanghai special as well.

This doesn't necessarily mean that we will see Mayura but at the very least the Peacock miraculous will be brought up.

I'm certain of this because of two things:

1. The specials logo

It's nothing wild. The yin-yang is obviously Ladybug and Chat Noir and when we cross out the other rainbow colors of the Renling promo pic we are left with two colors: Hawkmoths purple and Mayuras blue.

And 2. In a trailer we saw Gabriel in an old ruin which definitely could be the Guardian temple before Ladybug restores it in "Feast" (the special takes place somewhere in between s2 and s3 so that checks out).

Maybe he goes back to where they found their two miraculous and the Grimoire and then checks out the ruins (cuz honestly why not?) or maybe he is on his way to the creepy underground place. We will see.

Okay but now, let's start with the good stuff! :D

I'm putting it under "continue reading" because it's quite alot and it gets... specific lol

Let's continue with the Renlings and the fact that this time around we are not going to get a new Miracle Box but they are all combined into ONE Miraculous.

That may sounds incredibly overpowered and out of nowhere without context but I think I might now what we are looking at.

The Renlings were called the Kwamis "cousins" so we have to go back to the Chinese Zodiac our Miracle box is based on, because it isn't only made of 12 animals. Cause our 12 animals are also segmented under 8 guardians of the zodiac. And how many Renlings to we get? 8.

Four of these Zodiac guardians are assigned to 2 animals and the other four guard one.

They are segmented as the following:

Thousand Hands Guan Yin - Rat

Akasagarbha Bodhisattva - Ox & Tiger

Manjusri Bodhisattva- Rabbit

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva- Dragon & Snake

Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva- Horse

Vairochana Buddha - Goat & Monkey

Acalanatha - Rooster

Amitabha Buddha - Dog & pig

But let me get back to this later.

Unfortunately I legitimately can not explain why these particular animals were chosen to represent the guardians. All I can say is that my initial thought still holds up and the monkey, bear, tiger, dragon, mantis, snake, horse and hawk (look im calling it a hawk in this post idk) are all martial art styles. But they neither belong to one group nor is one of the groups complete.

Maybe I just missed something here (which is definitely possible) but I just can't find the reason for these animals for the guardians. Beside the Dragon as most important one of course, but that's a given.

Anyway, let's continue. A detail that can support my zodiac guardian theory is that while we can only see two animal circles in the promo pic entirely, one of the two has ONE DOT in its picture and the other one has TWO.

Signifying for how many Kwamis the one guardian is assigned to? Possibly.

The dragon in the middle is shown with 8 dots all together, that means is it fair to say that the dragon functions as the main guardian that combines them all. That explains why our new girl for the special has a 8-in-1 Miraculous, why her eyes change for each Renling and why she is trained so professionally.

We don't know yet why the Renlings are all put into one Miraculous, since they work differently from the Kwamis, but I have this thought that the Renlings (in their ONE necklace) were created because of what happened to the guardian temple almost 200 years ago.

Countless Miracle Boxes were lost that day and Fu's Box with the Ladybug and Cat were thought so as well. Possibly the Renlings were an attempt to recreate the powers of at the very least the lost zodiac Kwamis. The Dragon was made into the main guardian and is supposed to step in place for the LB and Cat as we can see on its different color coding echoing the yin-yang, but It obviously didn't work and the Renlings neither possess the same powers or can they be put in separate Miraculous nor is the Dragon a healthy replacement for the yin-yang.

But is was a desperate attempt in a situation that was believed to be lost and I find that thought exciting!

(Btw i have a similar theory for the Superheros from the New York special but that's a theory for another day)

Where to continue, where to continue?

Alright let's stay with the 8 Dragon dots because THOSE caught my interest in more than one way.

As I already said, I think the 4 white dots and 4 block ones stand for the 2 types of zodiac guardians, but now let's take a look at the animal circles surrounding the dragon.

We can see the Bear, the Hawk and a bit of another one between the Bear and Chat Noir in addition to the Dragon. These four circles have animal pictures that are completely colored in (just like the dragon brighter dots)

And now look closely at the animal circles around Chats head. Those are not colored in! Just like the other four Dragon dots. So isn't in interesting that they had our two leads basically hide those four particular animal circles? Almost as if there is a reason for this, huh?

And you know, I looked further and maybe I found something here. And for this let's take another look at the Renlings, shall we?

Four of these Renlings have something in common with our two main characters, can you guess what?

I'll give a hint: The eyes.

I compared all the promo picks we got from the Renlings and noticed that:

1. The snake and the horse have blue eyes like Marinette

2. The monkey has green eyes like Adrien

And 3. The Mantis is the only Renling with special eyes like Chat

The other 4 Renlings have brown eyes in different shades.

But this on it own isn't too exciting. So what if some Renlings share the same eyes as our leads? Well, would you believe it? When I filled in the placements of the other animals circles, through a shot we got in the leaks, I noticed that those 4 Renlings that shear their eyes with Marinette and Adrien are ALSO the 4 animal circles our leads just so happen to hide from us.

How interesting

But that not all I got. Not even CLOSE, I'm just getting started here!

Because not only do Marinettes Snake & Horse and Adriens Monkey & Mantis stand out here, oh no, it gets BETTER!

Now let's take the two promo pics from the Renlings we got where they are finished and colorized.

Did you know that both times they are put in the same formation, just with slightly swapped placement among the Renlings?

And once again here one could say "So what? They were lazy while designing the pics, that's it" but NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH hear me out!

Not only are the Renlings put both times into the same formation, the way they switched their placements isn't random at all:

1. Marinettes Snake and Horse stay both times on exactly the same spot.

2. The tiger and the bear switch places

3. So do the dragon and monkey

4. And the mantis and hawk.

The way the Renlings are shown to us on the promo pics is anything BUT random and that is something that will always get me interested! :D

But you know what? I'm still not done yet. Let's continue with this creepy ass stone door we see Gabriel at

Because as I mentioned, while Marinettes Snake and Horse stay unchanged in their formations, Adriens Monkey and Mantis not only do change places but they aren't paired with another either. So does that mean that Adriens guardian Renlings are just inconsistent? No, not at all. They just have a different meaning and place then Marinettes.

First of all: the Renlings special hair is bright green, just like the color of the tiger (a CAT) on the rainbow scale we got and Adriens/Chats + Monkey & Mantis eyes. And second: in the other promo pic the Renlings have a pink background, just like the rainbow scale color or the Mantis!

Coincidence? I don't care anymore, next point! :D

Because not only THAT but when we take a closer look at the creepy stone door we can make out the placement of every guardian animal as well. And MY, is this fascinating:

As the colors make it clear when you compare these guardian animal door placements to the rainbow scale from the promo pic, here Adriens Monkey & Mantis are in the right places but Marinettes animals are a bit off.

In fact. Everything about the placements of the animals (besides Adriens) are just a bit off.

- Marinettes animals and the bear are almost in the right place just mirror-reversed.

- The Tiger and the Hawk are one place too left.

- And the Dragon shouldn't be in the middle, it should take the place between Adriens animals but it was forced out of position to replace the yin-yang.

But taking the dragon out broke the balance of the animal circle. Everything here is slightly off by one point and that is much more significant than you would initially think. Because when you now turn the whole circle one quarter to the left (there is a reason for it, trust me) and put the dragon back in place then you will get a good part of the picture I've been looking for a long while.

What I'm showing you here are the 4 Chinese creatures of the cardinal directions and they are basically what I would expect to be on the upper layer of a Chinese Miracle box (I'll get to this on another day). And as you can see here, we are basically almost there aren't we?

The tiger of the West and Dragon of the east are in place and while the creature of the North is normally the turtle it is always accompanied by a snake, which is now on the upper place.

"but what about the bear? And a snake is NOT a turtle!" I'm getting to it, my goodness :/

Regarding the bear one thing needs to be said: it is definitely true, the bear is in the wrong place. I don't even know why there is a bear in this formation in the first place and it stuck out to me since day one. The creature of the south is a bird, the HAWK should be here.

But there is a difference between "this thing is in the wrong place and completely random wtf??" and "This thing is in the wrong place but I can see a pattern continuing from other formations that are off as well".

The bear is not only here, it's also:

- alongside the tiger (who is btw suspicious af as well) covering the center points from the Renlings formation that should belong to Adriens animals.

- is with Marinettes animals the only other one that is basically on it right place on the creepy stone door, just mirror-reversed.

-is the new "peak" of the zodiac guardian animal circles because moving the dragon out to the middle left the other ones off-balance and now its kinda tilted to the left. But when we look at the creepy door with not corrected animal placements we see that this was indeed the hawks place. And remember as well, the bear and the hawk are the only two animal circles we see in the promo pic besides the dragon

Meaning in short: That damn bear stole the hawks place and I need it to stop.

Which brings me to the turtle and a whole new can of worms (miraculous should pay me for this omfg...).

Because what if I tell you that the snake, who is normally just accompanying the turtle, being the creature of the north here instead of the turtle is not only "okay enough" it is actually the needed puzzle piece to connect this zodiac Renlings circle with the Chinese Miracle box in the design master Fu had it?

Let me explain

Do you remember when I started talking about the Renlings I said I would come back to the way the rl zodiac guardians are paired with the zodiac animals "later"? Well, later is NOW, because there is one more way those 8 dots from that damn dragon caught my interest and it also explains why I just turned the guardian stone circle one quarter to the left.

Because believe and behold, this is not the only place where things are "slightly off".

A while I started taking closer looks and research on the original miracle box design and the Kwami spirit circle we saw in "Sandboy".

I will try to not go into unnecessary details with this now because all of that needs its own post. I'm already going off the hooks with this one. But just like here I noticed with these two things rather quickly that "things are slightly off, but in a suspiciously systematic way".

Going straight ahead to the example I'm talking about, the order the 12 zodiac animals follow on the side of the box is straight up upside-down. The first zodiac animal is the rat (or mouse) and the last one the pig and YET in the box the rat is right at the bottom and the pig on the top.

This upside down arrangement of the animals results in the wrong animals being the 4 who have a guardian assigned for themselves

The four single miraculous in between the 4 directions are obviously the ones I'm talking about. Here they are Tiger, Snake, Pig, Monkey (I hope you are making a connection here) but that's wrong, as are the other 4x2 ones.

BUT

When we now flip it upside down again, having the rat start on the pigs place and the pig end on the rats, then things suddenly are correct.

Here the rl guardian pairings again:

Thousand Hands Guan Yin - Rat

Akasagarbha Bodhisattva - Ox & Tiger

Manjusri Bodhisattva- Rabbit

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva- Dragon & Snake

Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva- Horse

Vairochana Buddha - Goat & Monkey

Acalanatha - Rooster

Amitabha Buddha - Dog & pig

As you can see, now it's correct.

You may wonder what this has to do with the Dragon dots, so lets look at the Kwami spirit circle next.

I've been analyzing and taking this thing apart now for MONTHS now. And while I'm certainly having a blast, the fact that I now officially have an entire FOLDER at home dedicated to this thing alone is quite...

Bruh...

But thankfully we will really only need the basics for this theory here.

Through zooming in and watching the "Sandboy" Kwami spirit World scenes over and over again I was able to figure out the placement of each Kwami.

When you now follow the moons in the middle towards the Kwamis you will notice that only the moon at the top alignes with one and that's DUUSU. The other 4 miss the Kwamis just by a bit.

But remember what I said the entire time. Everything is just slightly off by ONE little factor but when we "fixed" that factor for the stone wall there was still something left that didn't fit. That's because not only are the Shanghai zodiac guardians structures off, it was built on top of a structure that is ALREADY slightly off by another factor!

Something is fundamentally WRONG with Kwami balance in the current ml universe and what I think happened to throw everything off is NOOROO.

Keeping this point short for everybodys sanity, in the french version of "Sandboy" we find out that Nooroo is having his 3500 cycle birthday and him being the Kwami which gets its birthday pointed out is no coincidence. (Guys please just go with me here, I really dont have the strenght to elaborate on this now as well)

So when Nooroo is the factor that brought imbalance to the Kwami system then how does the spirit circle look like WITHOUT Nooroo?

Now THIS is more like it!

Without Nooroo the size of the circle changes slightly all around and now the other 4 moons align with the Dragon, rat, chicken and horse.

And believe it or not, but take a guess what it looks like when we now highlight these 4 Kwamis in the arrangement of the 12 zodiac Kwamis both upside down and correct?

It's the 2 types of Dragon dots.

And let's take this further. When the 12 Zodiac Kwamis are upside down then so is obviously the entire upper layer of the Miracle box as well, which explains why, although the 5 Miraculous places around the yin-yang are based on the 5 chinese elements, the way they are arranged here is once again upside down.

Meaning the yin-yang is upside down as well, but not only that. I always found it weird that the yin-yang here is placed SIDEWAYS when this is not exactly the normal way of showing it.

So when we now turn the yin-yang a quarter to the left and take the 5 Miraculous surrounding it along, we might be closer to the puzzles solution. Because when we now take Nooroo out (as he wouldn't be there when things had gone right) then Fu's miracle box should have looked like this:

Notice 2 things here in particular:

1. Now the Turtle is at the top, which completes the connection between the Renlings Snake and the Kwamis Turtle to create the only creature of the 4 directions that is portrayed with one accompanied: the Turtle of the North.

And while I'm already at it, this is also the reason why Fu's/Ninos Miraculous is the only one that doesn't fit the hero color scheme when activated.

The Turtle of the North is colored BLACK and sometimes with additional white, just like the activated Miraculous.

And 2. Now after being mirror reversed and turned one quarter to the left the Ladybugs and Cats yin-yang isn't sideways anymore and looks EXACTLY like the yin-yang used in the Shanghai promo pictures. Almost like this is the way it is supposed to be or something.

Alright. Ive told you ALOT now but this is precisely the reason why I wanted to post this before the special airs. I'm definitely not entirely right with all of this, there is alot I haven't figured out about these things yet or simply haven't seen yet. What I just showed to you is not anywhere close to done so some questions are still left open.

I wanted to make another point about how the zodiac monkey, mantis and horse are the only 3 Renlings that do not have any symbol on their bodies and how this could connect to the object Hawkmoth has in that one leak

But even i think this is going to far now and I should wait until I watched the special xD

But my point in all of this (and everything I haven't even touched upon here but will in the future) is that everything in s1-s3 was influenced by this fundamental off-balance of the Kwami system that I think was caused with Nooroos creation. Which is very fitting for the Kwami of our main villain I may say. And the fact that these 4 miraculous are also somehow linked to the peacock out of all miraculous gives us an explanation for its villainous usage as well.

I think the Shanghai special will start the exploration of what happened by at least laying down and introducing the most important aspects of this particular topic.

To say that I am TRILLED for this special is quite the understatement and I'm gonna have a BLAST analysing the hell out of its lore!

So I guess there is only one thing left for me to say:

Miraculous crew

#miraculous #Ml theory #Ml Shanghai theory #Ml Shangai spoilers #Ml spoilers #Ml leaks #I'm thrilled but in so much pain right now wtf

79 notes · View notes

liquid-luck-00 · 4 years

Text

Connections 6

Chapter 6

this is based on @thepeacetea daminette soulmate au

Masterlist *** First *** Previous *** Next

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

Grandfather hated soulmates and the entire league shared that sentiment. His Mother was glad for the fact that he did not have any soul mark. That was good he wasn’t tied to anyone; he didn’t have to worry about it. It wasn’t until he was six that something changed, and he was thankful that he was alone in his room when it happened. A thought fluttered through his mind alone he instantly recognized was not his own.

An invisible bond. My soulmate will be affected by the *********** magic that affects me. They are my other half; I have to protect them.

“Tt” Damian allowed to be stated aloud. Protect me huh, as if! That was when it occurred to him I have a soulmate.

Damian bolted up and sat straight. If I have a soulmate and I just heard their thoughts. Well if this was their thoughts. Do they know mine. Damian was beginning to become infuriated with this new piece of knowledge, what struck him as odd was the fact that he felt like something was missing in the thought. It was as if that last piece could help him understand this peculiar event. In that moment, his mother came into his room.

“Damian it is time to go” His mother snapped him out of his thoughts, and he pushed this into the back of his mind. He followed his mother, and this was simply filled away in his mind under things that were useless or frustrating.

---

It wasn’t until three years later would his bond would infuriate him again. As far as he knew nothing was out of the ordinary. No one batted and eye when he already knew how to handle guns, they simply praised him for being a natural and he himself did not think of it either.

But then he had to get ready for the Lazarus Ritual. His mother came to retrieve him and then everything changed. He remembered walking behind his mother blinked and he was sitting in a large room. In his lap was a book filled with drawings. Wait what the Hell was he wearing. He looked at his hands and his skin was lighter, he was wearing a wait is this a skirt. Then he looked up and saw this thing. It was this little red blob with a black spot on its forehead between clear blue eyes. That was when he began to scowl.

The question left his lips before he could process anymore “Maza ank (What are you)?” he practically spat continuing still “Ayn anna (Where am I)?” the blob seemed to only stare in shock.

The little thing looked at him and then smiled. Why would it smile. “I’m Tikki and it is nice to meet you, soulmate to my chosen” it seemed to choose its words carefully, wait why did it respond in English. But it answered half of my question he was about to respond but this Tikki spoke again “As to where you are, I am not at liberty to say.”

He decided to shift to English as this creature seemed to speak it “What is the meaning of this soulmate to your chosen rubbish?”

“just as it sounds you are the soulmate of my chosen. You being here is a result of your bond.” He scowled and stared at the blob and it sighed. “You have an invisible bond but because your other half is my chosen you both have a bond different than anyone else’s on the planet.” He began to scowl harder if that was even possible. “this bond will only continue to grow but know that what one learns the other knows as well. I am assuming it is because of you that my chosen knows how to fight.”

This pulled at Damian’s interest they know how to fight because of me then what do I know because of them. He looked at the blob again and decided to ask “does your chosen know how to handle firearms, before today?” he half hoped he was wrong because if they did his soulmate may just be as dangerous as him if not more if this creature was anything to go off of.

It was quiet and then it nodded “yes my chosen has known how to handle firearms for years now.”

Shit. Well at least I know that they can handle themselves.

“I believe our time has come to an end. Until we meet once again soulmate of my chosen.” It spoke as he blinked and then he was standing on a balcony cliff overlooking the Lazarus pit as they took his grandfather out to his chambers. He dimly remembered his mother calling him and leaving him in his quarters. Then the memory of the ritual surfaced. It was odd he was watching it but it felt detached from himself almost like a video recording, there was no feeling just the ritual and the proceedings but he felt nothing from it.

---

Mari was going through her sketchbook talking about what she was planning for her dad, she blinked and she was walking behind a woman, her aura was deadly so she schooled her emotions and presented a blank face almost bored and then they exited the dark halls into an outcrop balcony of sorts overlooking a large cavern with a pool of bubbling acid green water on the other side.

She scanned the cave and then she noticed several people dressed in all black surrounding another man. From her vantage she saw a cruel face that was surrounded by black and white hair and beard. His eyes were the same acid green as the water and the aura around him as well. He wore a regal robe in a deep crimson accentuated by black and gold designs.

The cruel mad began to speak and she understood it as being Arabic.

“All here are to bear witness to the revitalization of the Demon Head. By the power of the Lazurus Pit…” more was said and then Marinette watched as the man took the robe off and stepped into the Pit. He completely submerged and the water glowed a sickly green and then he remerged. He put on the robe and continued to speak.

Mari knew that what she just witnessed was an abuse of the magic in the water, and she forced herself to remain impassive. She knew that everyone in the room would turn on her if she showed any emotion that would betray her. And then it hit her she knew no one and was talking with Tikki sitting in the parlor of Wayne Manor so how did she end up here. She watched as the man with cruel eyes left and she blinked again and then she saw Tikki staring at her expectantly, and she simply shook her head, Tikki looked sad and then Alfred came in.

“Miss Mari” he tried to get her attention kneeling next to her on the couch, but she simply stared straight forwards. Everyone came into the room trying to find out why Alfred sounded frazzled.

Then she looked up and stared at Jason, she finally found her voice and asked “J… Jay… Jay-Jay why are… why are you covered in chaos magic” everyone was staring at her so she tried asking another way. “Why are you covered in magic from the Lazarus Pit?” everyone looked scared and now Mari was confused as well.

“How do you know that name, Mari?” Tikki asked her, breaking the silence.

“I” she didn’t know how to explain what just happened to her “I just heard it, I saw it, it was it was like a ritual”

“Tikki is this normal for a miraculous holder” Bruce asked looking at Tikki hoping for an answer

Tikki simply shook her head “No it isn’t. seeing the Lazarus arura is for a Ladybug, but this knowledge is not normal…” then she stopped ad gave Mari a knowing and sad smile. “Mari do you think?” Tikki didn’t have to finish the question for Mari to understand.

As Tikki asked her everything seemed to fall into place she was close to crying from fear or joy she didn’t know. “it might be, it’s the most logical.”

“What does this incur exactly?” Alfred spoke from kneeling beside Marinette.

“Her soulmate” Tikki said and that left everyone quiet once again. “Mari knows how to fight, that much you know but what you don’t is that she has never had any type of training. The same goes for several languages she has never studied, she can read a person’s body language without any difficulty, and now this.” Everyone was staring at her now almost like they knew something that she didn’t and that scared her.

Bruce kneeled down and pulled Mari into a hug. And whispered in her ear quiet enough so no one else heard but her “I’ll explain but for now it is okay to cry if your scared something must have happened for this to affect you so much”

Her eyes widened in surprise before she began to cry, and Bruce took her in his arms and together with Tikki left the parlor to her room.

---

Once they were in Mari’s room Bruce wrapped her in a blanket and sat next to her on the bed when the door opened. There stood Jason in front and right behind him were Dick and Tim, further in the hallway was probably Alfred. Bruce glared at them and they closed the door and heard several pairs of feet leave.

Bruce sighed and shared a look with Tikki before he spoke “Pixie do you know what the Lazarus Pit is?”

She shook her head no “not completely, no.”

“What do you know?” this time Tikki spoke.

“I could tell it was filled with magic. It was a pool of bubbling acid green water.”

“you said it was like a ritual can you explain” Bruce tried to keep his voice level. He had hoped to never have to explain this to Mari, Mari looked down into her lap and Tikki flew into her sights.

“He said it was a Revitalization Ritual. Something about a Demon”

He was surprised when Tikki started to speak. “The Lazarus Pit was created by a wish combining the miraculous of the Ladybug and the Black cat. The Ladybug magic allows anyone touched by the water to be revived, healed, and extends their life. It was created by the first wish. However, the Black cat’s magic breaks the soul of the person it touches, thus making them quick to anger and dangerous there is only one exception, but it is more of a rumor as it has never happened.”

Bruce asked without thinking “Can you heal someone from the pit after they come back?” If this is true we can help Jason.

“It is possible, but it would only be stated in the grimoire, and it was lost along with the peacock and Butterfly miraculous” Bruce couldn’t help the small frown but it was soon replaced by shock as little Mari hugged him.

“We will help Jay-Jay with or without magic” Bruce let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and hugged Mari.

“I know” he then looked at the girl and he now continued. “The Pit is controlled by a group called the League of Assassins and the Demon you heard of is a man by the name of Ra’s al Ghul.”

Mari looked pensive “Tall, cruel acid green eyes with black and white hair and beard” she stated as if recalling something.

Bruce just looked at her shocked “yes” he couldn’t believe this how did sweet little Mari meet such a man. “How. How do you know him?”

“I saw him during the ritual” this just brought up more questions, but all his questions died on his lips as he saw Tikki rise.

“Mari you swapped with your soulmate today” she stated it as a fact as if she knew and was confirming it. Mari nodded her head, and Tikki sighed. “I spoke with them while you were swapped it happened right before Alfred came into the room. They were direct and to the point, and I don’t think they knew that they even had a soulmate until today.”

This was news but then again knowing Ra’s despises weakness any assassin in training under him would as well. It also figures if it is an invisible bond, they are so rare that there is very little known how they interact with the soul. In this moment he knew that he would protect the little pixie in front of him wrapped up in a blanket, and he knew that her ‘Brothers’ would protect her as well.

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

Taglist🐞🦇

@thanks-captain-obvious @mandy989 @our-preciousss @readingismyoxygen @birdy912 @shifty-lesbian-retro-goblin @todaylillypads @laurcad123 @deamonangel27 @be-happy-every-day-please @fandom-trapped-03 @thequeenofpotatoeunicornss @t1dwarrior-of-earth @saays-bitch @kawaiigiantjudgefish @k-poplunardreams @animegirlweeb @animezodiac707 @weird-pale-blonde-person @myazael @toodaloo-kangaroo @moonlightstar64 @miraculous-simmer7 @wannajointhecrabcult @blackmagicforever @iamabrownfox @inkattbi @i-wanna-be-a-ninja @justcourttee @consumeconstantly @abrx2002 @livelifeauthorstyle @certifiedbidisaster @dreamykitty25 @ironspiderstark @fantasyislive @ertyzeta @dast218 @susiej1118 @sassakitty @lilyreadbooks12 @dawnwave16 @mochegato

#damienette #miraculous ladybug #batman #maribat #soulmate #marinette #marinette stone #ml marinette #mlb x dc #dc x miraculous #dc x mlb #damian al ghul #miraculus ladybug #maridami #Connections AU #marinette x damian #damian x marinette

453 notes · View notes

lilyharvord · 3 years

Note

I’m not sure whether you take prompts in general and if you would for the shades of magic but here we go just in case :) you know in a gathering of shadows when alucard barges into lila and kell, I’ve always thought he would give her shit about it but never knew what the conversation would be so that idk?your writing is also amazing and you’re so talented

AAAHAHHAHAHAHAHA Okay I’m so excited because you’re the first person to ask me to do a Shade of Magic Prompt???!!! I am totally open to doing prompts, my ask box is always open ((((: . (hella nervous cause this would be my first intro to the fandom, but I’m so here for this!!!!) *cracks knuckles* I did it. ((((:

Sometimes, Delilah Bard wanted to watch the world burn. It was nothing personal, never. But sometimes, it needed to burn. And right now, as she lost another round of Sanct to Alucard, it needed to go up like a tinder box.

“You’re cheating.” She grumbled, tossing her cards unceremoniously onto the pile. Her old captain smirked, the little white scar above his eye where his sapphire used to rest crinkling

“That is how one plays Sanct, Bard.” He laughed as he pulled the pile of loot towards him. Fingering a particularly nice precious stone that Lila had been loath to give up, he smirked. “I’ll play you in another round just to show you.”

“I’ve already emptied my pockets, and I don’t plan to lose anything else.” Lila pushed her chair back along the plush carpet of his rooms. Reaching for her half full glass of dark red liquid, she gazed out at the Isle, glowing faintly in the evening light.

Resting the rim of the glass against her lip, she tried to ignore the beauty of the view. She didn’t miss it like Kell did, but whenever they did return, she found herself having a hard time leaving it behind as the Nightspire pulled away from dock. While her mind had stopped chanting run whenever she felt that gentle tug she associated with staying put, she still refused to admit she wanted to remain in London. The sea was still her calling... and it didn’t hurt being captain of her own ship.

The past few months they had been away had been harder on Kell than ever before. It had been almost three years since Osaron, and yet that pain had never left him. He waved her concern away at every turn, but it didn’t stop her from asking around in markets and taverns. Subtle questions about magic and it’s loss. She blamed Holland, of course, he had been the one still drawing on their magic in the end. A little warning could have saved them the pain Kell dealt with now.

Her brow creased and her reflection in the polished glass mimicked it. The other Antari had long been quiet. Kell didn’t speak of him, and Lila didn’t exactly mind that. It still worried her though.

“Gold for your thoughts?”

“You have all my gold.” Lila forced a smirk, her short cropped hair shifting as she glanced over her shoulder.

“Very well,” Alucard sighed as he leaned back in his chair and took up his own glass of wine, “I’m thinking that if those two don’t hurry up I’m going to die of boredom in this very room.”

“How regrettable.” Lila bemoaned mockingly, before sipping at her drink. It was sweeter than any wine he had ever given her but just as rich, if not richer. Being a close confidant of the King certainly helped support her friend’s expensive tastes.

“It is regrettable, Bard. Because I’ll blame that royal pain-in-the-ass for it, and then who will keep you company on those long voyages?” His lips curled into a rapier sharp grin as he gazed at her over the rim of his glass.

Setting her glass back down on the table and standing over the captain turned noble turned consort, Lila frowned down at him. Her fingers danced to the knife strapped into her thigh, hidden beneath the lovely new coat she had bought today. It had even more pockets and straps for her to hang and hide knives, much to Kell’s chagrin when she showed him. Alucard didn’t appear the slightest bit swayed by her posturing though, in fact, his eyes burned with mischief at the sight of her reaction.

“I do not need constant companionship, unlike you.” She ran her fingertip along the rim of her glass, calling up a bead of wine that she flicked his direction. He barely swiped it out of the way before it could splatter on his pristine white shirt. it plopped onto the table, and Lila laughed at his offended expression before lifting the glass completely to down the last of that delicious, honey sweet wine.

“That’s not what I saw years ago.” Alucard’s grin returned in full force when she set the glass back onto the table, earning Lila’s full attention with those words. Her brow quirked in speculation, and she drummed her fingers on the table, awaiting a further explanation.

Searching her memories for what he could possibly be referring to, she settled on a faint one of a closet sized cabin. A rush of heat bloomed along her cheeks, and she pushed off the table. “You’re insufferable.”

Howling with laughter at Lila’s retreat, Alucard swept up the cards from their games and shuffled them once more. “Play me in another round of Sanct,” he said with a wink, “and if you win, I’ll pretend I never saw that little... interaction.”

“There was nothing to see.” Lila slammed her hands on the table, furious that he would pick something she was so obviously poor at. If he had chosen something else, perhaps like magic, or knife throwing, or even pickpocketing she would have agreed to the wager.

“I don’t know, I’ve never seen that royal bastard so flushed and bothered. Looked like there was plenty either about to happen or had just happened.” Alucard bridged the cards to shuffle them, lifting his eyes to Lila’s mismatched ones for a heartbeat. That glossy black orb she had for a black eye winked in the light as she jeered at him for his comment.

“Nothing happened.” Lila reiterated as she picked up her glass to pour herself another one. Insufferable, he was so insufferable. Perhaps she should chuck him in the Isle, watch him paddle to the side and get out dripping wet. Then again, Rhy might thank her for that. On second thought, maybe she should bury him in the floor up to his waist, or perhaps open a door into a wind blown bluff and leave him there.

The whisper of cards skidding across the table filled the silence as Lila lifted her now full glass back to her lips and drank deeply. When she glanced over her shoulder, Alucard waved an inviting hand to the table. “Tell you what,” he said before leaning his elbows forward and smirking at her, “if you agree to play another hand with me, I’ll stop bothering you about it.”

It seemed a little too good to be true. Something like that was bound to keep Alucard entertained for years to come. He wouldn’t give leverage up so easily, unless he had gone soft during his time in the palace, which Lila very much doubted.

Slinking back to the table, she sat with a grunt in her chair and tapped the cards she had been dealt. “What do you get out of it?”

“Well,” picking up his cards, Alucard shrugged, “just because I stopped annoying you with it, doesn’t mean I won’t go after our lovely black eyed prince about it.”

Lila’s mouth opened to refute him, and tell him to leave Kell alone about the whole thing. He was like a skittish pony where topics like that were concerned. If Alucard brought it up... Christ help them all. She hesitated a moment though, a bright smile pull on her lips. Oh he would go as red as his hair if Alucard brought it up, and he’d stammer and stumble to try and defend himself, or her honor. Oh it might just be worth the entertainment.

Chuckling to herself, Lila lifted up the cards and grinned at the three saints in her hand. “If I win, I want that hat you have hanging over there.” She pointed the midnight blue one, with the peacock feather sticking out of it. It would complete her new ensemble, and as a captain it was only fitting that she have nice things like that.

Alucard frowned, and glanced warily in the direction of the hat. Chuckling to himself, he laid his cards face down again and reached for the lin in his pile. Tossing it to the center of the table, he winked, “if you lose, I bring that story up in front of the entire court.”

Lila reached into her pocket for the remaining two lin she had and pressed them to the table. With a wicked grin, she slid them into the pile and said, “very well.”

35 notes · View notes

malaks-perch · 4 years

Text

finding what is familiar

julian devorak x reader

the guy who believes magic is logical has convinced himself that he can help you find your familiar....

warnings: none... hurt/comfort. definitely fluff.

“if you're looking for your familiar, then this—" he waved his arms out at the heights of the gargantious architecture that was the colesium. "would be the place to look."

on one of the days julian would sit while you and asra would practice magic during one of your little 'pow wows' as julian referred to it, he asked why you didn't have a pet like asra did.

when asra told him that faust was not a pet, but a familiar. julian outright laughed and shook his head. explaining that there wasn't no way that a person and an animal could have a connection through magic. maybe a very close relationship, but never sharing emotions. especially through magic.

asra brought malak's interesting connection to julian up and the doctor shook his head, claiming that he and malak were different. their relationship was special. he couldn't explain how, but it was.

you told him that finding your familiar takes time. that it in fact was a delicate process that should not be rushed and you might be well into your years before you would find your familiar. but julian was having none of that.

the man who insisted there was logic behind all magic wanted to help you find your famiiiar. you couldn't exactly say no to him. especially after you tried to tell him the ingredients for mazelinka's soup contained some magical properties. so you'd let him lead you here.

"hate to break it to you, julian, but..." you shrugged, as you let your gaze trail around the aging pillars before checking beneath a rock. "it's only a colesium."

"my dearest magician. the most amazing things are found in the most unexpected places!" julian grinned, letting his hands graze the walls of the battle arena.

you grinned, walking towards him, never meeting his eyes before giving him a doe eyed look, "Like.. you, for example?"

he flushed, sputtering out before you playfully rolled your eyes and followed your magic to the middle of the stadium. tugging a stray piece of rope and pulling up the trap door that revealed a dark hole with a ladder leading down into the abyss.

julian's devilish smile made you feel a tad more confident, but a little shaken that out of all places he wanted to search, down here was where he wanted to look with you. "You think my familiar is hiding out down there?"

"only one way to find out." he shrugged, slipping down the ladder for you to follow moments after.

beneath the old colesium, julian was right. a whole market beneath your feet with dim lights fluttering and vendors chattering, calling out to people as they passed by in the shady interior.

"breath-taking, isn't it?" julian asked as you eagerly nodded.

your eyes lit up as julian nudged you forward, looping your arm and guiding you through the black market.

you held julian's arm, eyeing the different things as vendors offered mysterious jars as you passed by. both you and julian would pick up a few ingredients as here and there, things new and things old, paying vendors for little things you wouldn't have to go looking for in far off places until julian had strayed.

he was prodding at a beautiful peacock. smiling as a child would at seeing such a wonderous creature right here in vesuvia. his gaze met yours and as soon as his attention was back on the caged bird it had latched his beak on his finger.

he shrieked and you were at his side in a second, trying to refrain from laughing for his sake, feeding the peacock so it would let go of julian's precious fingers.

he let out a shaky breath, nodding at the creature that swooned for the affectionate grooming you gave it's crest as it ate from your hand. "w-would this be your familiar?"

you shook your head, fingers tracing over julian's as you guided the shaken doctor from the vendor's stand.

julian's eyes leaving the bird's as he brought his finger up to his face to examine the appendage.

"it's supposed to be special." you smiled, staring up at julian as you glanced at some of the caged animals before turning your gaze to the far left to keep your gaze off of them. their distressed calls and scarred bodies was enough to make you feel nauseated.

julian noticed you lean into him and clutching his arm tighter upon the louder the animals got, pulling you into one of the sectioned walls so that you could have a moment to yourself.

it was when your hands came up to block your face from him when he shushed you and moved your fingers so he could see your teary eyes. he cupped your face and brought you close to him.

“i didn’t think bringing you down here would upset you.” he wiped at the tears at the corners of your eyes, loathing what started as a wonderous adventure had turned into you being overwhelmed by the true darkness of the black market’s underbelly. “we can look somewhere else-”

you quickly shook your head and wrapped your arms around his waist to bury your face in his chest. he pressed his lips to the top of your head, “i don’t.. i can’t imagine my familiar being down here.”

a crack of a whip and a cry had you flinching deeper into julian’s chest. anyone who had the audacity to maime an animal, let alone lay their hand on one, should be arrested. especially given how they were trafficked here and most definitely homesick.

“i don’t think they’re down here.” you muttered into his chest as he rubbed his hand up and down your back. “if they were down here, there would’ve been some kind of sign by now.”

“how?” julian asked, raising a brow. “don’t tell me it’s that person to familiar connection thing asra was—"

he shook his head upon seeing you smile, he couldn’t fight his own from coming upon seeing yours. “i’m supposed to know.”

“it doesn’t make sense.” julian shook his head, leaning back into the wall as you leaned into him. “some magic jumbo is going to help us find your pet.”

“it’s not a pet, julian.” you laughed as julian began guiding you through the vendors to again, well past the animals that you had once seen. “i was hoping to show you. i know it’s.. it’s...”

“farfetched?” julian raised a brow, but you playfully scowled at him and stuck your tongue to making him laughing turn.

“down beast!” a whip cracking again and a roar sounding throughout the market.

a ping of magic made you stop abruptly.

your eyes clouded over, pupils dialating as you stood stiff as a board. a light glow began to show on your skin.

julian gawked. he quickly grabbed your face, turning you so that you stared up into his. the white of your sclera shifting into blues and purples, stars seemingly dotted over your eyes.

“y/n!” julian gently tapped your cheek. “please, darling- say something!”

your eyes turned back to their normal color. before julian could even mention getting some serious medical help, you were grabbing his hand and tugging him into a run, pushing through a crowd that surrounded a particular corner of the markets.

eyes met yours from inside a cage. you wandered forward before julian could tug you back. the animal growled, snout curling to reveal jagged teeth.

with no hesitation whatsoever, you reached into the cage, cupping the animal’s large head before it relaxed. a glow outlined you oncemore as you stared so adoringly into golden eyes. your lips curled into a smile when the animal stepped toward you, the glow washing down the animal’s black stripes and down it’s tail.

it leaned it’s head on the bars and you mirrored the huge animal, feeling it’s fur brush against your skin.

“A tiger?!” julian gaped.

you grinned, scratching beneath it’s chin as a low rumbling came from it. the merchant standing slack-jawed a few feet away.

“how much?” you asked, only sparing the man a glance.

the magic radiating off of the two of you was too much, a crowd gathering behind julian who watched in awe.

the merchant was having none of it, magic and all, he was pissed off. “i’m not selling that tiger, he’s my golden goose!”

you leaned into the bars, lip jutted out and the tiger’s sad eyes seemed to catch on. a giant paw reaching between the paw reaching between he bars and landing on your arm. it let out an anguished moan trying to get you closer.

julian crossed his arms at the sight. “i’ll be..” he watched you lean into the cage, stroking your hands over the animal’s head while the tiger hummed sadly, it’s eyes set on you. “that’s their familiar!” julian piped up, pointing at the tiger that suddenly growled at him.

your hand on it’s snout made the tiger calm and watch the man with curious eyes. it’s head cocked as it questioned the lanky’s man purpose here.

“they’ve been searching for this animal their entire life!” julian set a hand on his chest, he cupped your cheek, “my dear, he won’t let you buy him.”

“i heard.” you sighed, leaning into the cage once more.

“then get out of here.” the merchant rudely pointed in the direction from whence you came.

the tiger growled at the man, feverishly glancing btween you and the fat merchant. tears filled your eyes and you shook your head, “i.. i can’t.” your hands were back in the cage, cupping the tiger’s head. “i can’t leave him. i’ll pay for him, i’m willing to pay for him.”

julian’s heart broke for you. he prayed to whoever was watching that his plan would work.

his hand wrapped around yours, “come on-”

“b-but.. love-” you gripped the bars, the tiger growling, letting out distressed cries as julian pulled you into him, “n-no...” you pressed your hands over your mouth as tears streamed down your face at the frantic tiger in front of you.

the man let his whip out and you rushed forward, “stop!”

before julian could grab you, you were grabbing the merchant’s arm. in one fluid motion, you were beneath the man on the ground. the sound of his skin hitting yours crueler than the whip that should’ve cracked instead.

you slid back towards julian who was fuming. before he could open his mouth to make a scene, a full-bodied roar sounded through the underground market. dirt from the roof over your heads. the tiger stalking left and right in it’s cage, murderous eyes set on the merchant when you called out to it.

“i’m okay.” you told it, hugging julian’s side. julian wiping a hand underneath the quickly forming bruise on your cheek. you placed your hand over his, meeting his worried gaze, “i’m okay.”

“they stop you from striking that poor, caged animal! So you hit them instead?!” julian scoffed, doing nothing to hide the venom in his tone. another glance at your face and there was blood leaking from an angry stroke of pink on your face. julian pulled away from you so all could see the wound.

“they were willing to pay for it!”

“yeah, let them pay for it!”

“that tiger clearly does better with them! let them have it!”

people surrounded you all when the man rolled his eyes and let his arms sit atop his bulbous stomach. “i’ll settle for five hundred.”

you opened your mouth to say something and julian angrily gestured to you, “you insult them! you berate them! you abuse them! and you expect them to pay your outragious price?!”

“you’re lucky i even opened a price range!” the man scowled.

the tiger growled from behind him, menacing gold eyes cut at him. it huffed, glaring down at the man, paw stretched with claws extended and grazing the few hairs on the man’s head.

“three hundred.”

julian raised a brow and crossed his arms, “a beggar wouldn’t even bat his eye toward this stand.”

“two hundred! i will go no lower than that.”

julian raised his arms to release the most ravenous wrath that any one eyed, pirate doctor could when you hurriedly yanked him toward you and set a hand over his mouth. “that’s good enough for me!”

the man begrudgingly took your money and as the crowd was caught up in the victory, no one took notice of you fiddling with the lock holding the tiger until a series of chuffs sounded through the cheers.

“a-ahh, my love? maybe that’s not a good idea-” people were yelling and screaming at the sight of the latch being unlocking. you grinned, standing back when the door came flying off. nearly missing you as it crashed into a bunch of caged animals. birds began chaotically slamming into each other, wings clipping heads while animals ranging from weasels to boars

julian grabbed you in all the chaos and pointed to your familiar that was charging straight towards the fat merchant who stared it head on, screaming as he stood perfectly still.

“stop!” you magic surged through the underground market making people stop to grab their bearings, all the animals finally clearing out when eyes fell on the tiger that was breaths away from the man standing perfectly still.

your familiar turned meeting your eyes, it’s face softened upon seeing you, silently asking if this one man was fair game. you shook your head and patted your thighs.

“come on.”

it growled at the man who fell onto his back, scrambling as if someone were after him.

your familiar was at your feet, letting out chuffs as it rubbed his head over your legs. your fingers buried in it’s soft fur as you leaned down to pull it into you.

julian gently pulled at your arm at the many eyes staring at you both. “we should really go now.”

all three of you set a brisk pace until you found yourselves in a forest. your familiar knocking you down and laying it’s body over yours with a hum, chuffing and rubbing it’s striped head over your chest.

julian shook his head, running a hand through his hair. he should’ve expected a magician of your status to have such a magnificent companion at your side.

you peeked up over the head of the tiger that laid on you, completely content to have you at it’s side. a smile directed at julian who found himself melting all over again. “thank you, julian.”

he smiled, sitting beside you with a smile of his own. “anything for you.”

120 notes · View notes

septicbro1005 · 4 years

Text

Paint Me How You See Me

A/N: Okay, you have no idea how excited I was to see that I had permission to write this. I literally am so happy I could scream. Will I? Not out loud. This actually made me so excited that I got up and started walking around my room and smiling holy shit. Alright. Enough of that. I was inspired to write this story by a comic made by the fantastic @venadorosas and I just am so damn excited to write this! I am not an art student myself, but I will do my best to replicate it with what I know. I hope I do the comic justice! Just a few more things before this thing starts: I'm gonna do myself and make this a Quirkless AU as well as make Yuuei a university instead of a high school. This is unedited, so if there are sentences or misspellings, that is why, and I apologize. Anyway, let's get rolling!

Kirishima's POV

One stroke after the other.

Small, swift.

One stroke makes a world of a difference.

So don't… mess… up.

I only have one canvas left after this one, but I'm saving it for something important. Something special. Just need to figure out what.

I mean, yeah, I have others on back order, and Mr. Miyoshi is usually pretty cool with giving me some, but I still need to think about what to do with the 106 cm by 106 cm canvas.

A canvas that big needs something worth being put on there.

"Psst, Kiri--" "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhut," I hissed out through clenched teeth.

"You nee--" "I said shut,"

"B--" "No. Shut. Lemme finish,"

The person who proceeded to pester me, even after I told him to be quiet, was none other than Hanta Sero.

He was an art student, along with myself and several others I know by name.

One of which was Katsuki Bakugou.

And damn, was he confusing.

He was this aloof dude who talked to maybe two people by his own volition.

Some random girl who I see him talk to ever now and again. I think we've spoken twice? All I remember is she told me to call her Tsu.

And then me.

Sure, he'd talk to the professors and people like that, but if he didn't have to speak, he wouldn't.

Yet, he spoke to me.

Not only did he barely talk to people, but he also is probably one of the best looking people on campus.

I kid you not, the first time I saw this dude, I was totally sure I'd met Adonis in human form.

His ash blond hair was styled into a fluffy undercut that I would pay money for to be able to run my hands through, even once. His gauges and helix piercings gave him a bit of an edge, but that's what made him more alluring. He came into class one day, wearing a wife beater, which put a tattoo on full display, resting on his right shoulder.

It isn't just his looks that are attractive either. The way he holds himself, presents himself, just his whole aura is indescribable, to keep it brief.

And he was the person I was painting this for.

This wasn't his first commission. Not by a long shot. And this one was fairly simple as well. Still, I poured my heart and soul into it, just like every piece.

But with his commissions, I feel the need to work that much harder. To push myself that much farther. To make it perfect, in a word.

Now, I know that perfection is impossible, but I still want to achieve it.

I mean, if Bakugou could, I could too, right?

"Kirishima, I've been talking to you for the past couple of seconds and you haven't shushed me. Don't zone out on me right now, man,"

Sero's voice managed to pull me out of this trance, but only a bit.

The ash blond with the scarlet glare was still in the back of my mind.

"What?"

"You need lunch, man," Sero said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Listen, I thank you for your concern, but I had a protein shake maybe six hours ago. I'm dandy," I mumbled, doing a few more soft strokes before standing up. "Plus, I'm not even hungry,"

"Dunno what kind of protein shake you're drinking, but you still need sustenance. C'mon," Sero attempted to persuade me as I walked to the sink to clean the small brush.

"I'm cool, dude. I have a granola bar or two in my bag. I'll eat when I'm hungry," I chuckled lightly, turning on the water and cleaning the brush.

Sero sighed in defeat, as this marked the second week in a row where I substituted breakfast with a protein drink and lunch with a granola bar.

"Alright, fine. Make sure you eat dinner tonight, or Mr. Miyoshi is gonna kick you out again," Sero said, beginning to walk to the door.

"I know, I know,"

"I'll be off, then,"

"Peace out, dude,"

I heard the door to the studio shut, and it was just me in here.

Just me and the paint.

"Hey, Siri,"

My phone lit up, hearing its name.

"Play Rex Orange County on Spotify,"

As I began to finish up some touches on the snow covered forests surrounding a bright red cardinal, the song Uno filled my ears.

The song had no real relevance, but I love that song so much. I dunno if its just because it sounds so simple and sweet, but I just think the song's pretty great.

I'd say after maybe forty-five minutes of doing seemingly pointless touch-ups, I stood back, admiring my work.

Not much needed to be done, but I needed this to be phenomenal.

"I'll just use a simple varnish once everything is dry, then I can move it into the back," I muttered to myself, as if someone was there and I had to be quiet. "Can I finish it today? I could tell him where it is, and wait for the money to come in, I guess,"

A few seconds pause later, and I continued.

"Wow, great job, Eijirou. You sound like a dickwad who just wants money,"

A short sigh, a granola bar and maybe a half an hour or so later, everything seemed dry.

"Let's varnish this motherfucker, and I'll text him when that's done," I mumbled, going into the cabinets, looking for the varnish.

No other assignments at the moment… okay! Cool! I can probably head back to my dorm, chill there, and text Bakugou when it's done!

When I finally found it, I got to work on the varnish.

***

"And sent," I whispered as I approached the dormitories.

I just sent Bakugou a short text, telling him where to find it, how to send me the money (although he probably knows the process by heart at this point) and all that jazz.

My dorm building was in sight when my phone buzzed once.

It was a different buzzing pattern than all the others.

"Oh, Bakugou responded this quickly?" I thought aloud.

Opening my phone, I checked the message.

Sent the ¥321.7K

My eyes widened at the number.

"I sure as hell didn't tell him to send me that much, what the hell?"

What!? The commission was only ¥48.2K?!

His response was immediate.

Left a tip.

Get yourself something nice.

"Whoa," I murmured.

Now, I knew Bakugou was on the higher end of the economic spectrum, but hot damn!

He did usually give me more money than I told him to, but that fact that he gave me that much more this time just seemed to solidify the thought of him being rich.

So manly.

Heading into my dorm building, I looked to the elevators, only to see an out of order sign on them both.

"Are you kidding me?" I whispered. "Fine, guess I'm just gonna take the damn stairs,"

I got a notification, seeing the ¥321.7K was successfully put into my account, and I knew this commission was over.

But at this point, I knew what to expect from Bakugou. Next time I see him, he's gonna ask me about another one.

Not that I mind, not one damn bit. I'm cool with any excuse to talk to him, and I'm happy to please him with my art.

I just gotta brace myself for the next time I see him.

Trudging up the stairs, I began pondering what he would want next.

He seems to really like requesting animals, mainly birds such as crows and cardinals, but will he do something different? Ooh, maybe a peacock! Or maybe he'd want some other winged creature… like maybe an insect? Or possibly he'll switch it up on me.

As I ended up on the next staircase, I heard someone else's footsteps approaching.

Looking up, my eyes were met with a familiar scarlet pair of eyes.

"Oh, hey, Bakugou!" I said with a wave.

"Hey," he replied with a simple nod.

Fuck, he was just as gorgeous as always.

A grey turtleneck hugged his torso, with a black and white pinstripe button up on over it. The shirt was tucked into a pair of black jeans, a wallet chain dangling on his right side. A pair of black converse and a dog tag finished his look, alongside my composure.

"Thanks again for the great work," he said, his husky voice hypnotizing me further.

"You haven't already picked it up, have you?" I asked, cocking my head to the side. "I don't think I saw you walk past me to get to the parking lot,"

"Nah, but I know it's gonna look good," his compliment was accompanied by a smirk.

Short-lived, yes. But a smirk nonetheless.

"Aw, thanks dude! Always happy to make something for my best customer!" I felt myself beam at him.

"See you around, Red," he said, continuing down the stairs.

"Bye," I waved with a small smile on my face as he disappeared down the stairs.

I quickly hauled ass up to my floor, speed walked to my door and slammed the keys in.

Gay panic in private, dude.

Opening the door, I pulled my key out and shut the door.

"I'm back, Omi!" I shouted into the apartment to see if my roommate was here.

"Hey," my roommate responded from his bed.

"Is it cool if I hop in the shower real quick?" I asked, jerking a thumb toward the bathroom.

"Sure thing. Keep it brief," Omi said, making me roll my eyes.

"Okay, dad," I sighed, but I gave a smile to show it was all in jest.

After locking myself in the bathroom and stripping myself down to absolutely nothing, I got in the shower and had a gay crisis.

Because that's the only place you can have those, y'know?

But a good ol' Panic! In The Shower was enough to calm my nerves.

As I stepped out of the bathroom to grab clothing, I heard Omi laughing.

"What?"

"That Bakugou guy really messes you up, huh?" his laughter was thrown in between words, but I knew exactly what he was referencing.

"If I'm being too loud, just knock on the door, dude! Tell me to shut it, I don't care," I flushed, looking at the ground, my hand tightening around the towel that hung on my waist.

Omi just kept laughing at me as I grabbed my clothes; a simple crimson riot shirt, boxers, black shorts and my wave socks.

It isn't like I'm going anywhere tonight, right?

…

Is what I originally thought until I was dressed and realized I left my motherfucking cardigan at the studio.

"Ugh, fuck," I groaned, rubbing a towel on my head.

"Left your cardigan again?"

"Perhaps,"

"You might as well just wrap it around your waist," Omi suggested.

"And risk getting paint on it?" I looked at Omi like he was a motherfucking psychopath. "Hell no. The cardigan was my grandmother's, so I ain't doing shit to it,"

"Clearly, if you're leaving it in the studio again," Omi mumbled.

"Shush!" I whined, grabbing my keys and slipping on my red sneakers. "I'll be back,"

"Okay,"

Leaving my dorm, I began going down the stairs when I ran into someone.

It was Bakugou, again.

And just when I thought my gay panic was over for the day.

"Oh, hey," I said as casually as possible.

Which probably sounded forces as fuck, because it felt like my heart was just about ready to implode.

"Red," Bakugou was looking me up and down.

I don't think I've ever felt more self-conscious about my appearance in my life.

"I've got another request, if it isn't too much,"

"O-oh, okay!"

Why did I stutter?! That was so unmanly!

"So, what is it?"

I looked into his gorgeous eyes, trying to see further into him, but I was only met with his right hand slamming into the wall next to my head.

Oh shit, oh fuck. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna collapse, right here. Right now. I can't handle this.

"Uh, dude? You--" "Paint me how you see me, Kirishima,"

Uh, what?

I was stuck between saying "Got it," and "What?" so my dumbass just responded with this:

"Gweh?"

We sat there, in silence, staring at each other.

My face was flushing bright red, and I wanted to look away, but I didn't. I couldn't. His eyes just drew me in.

He moved his arm to his side, and began to head up the stairs.

Quick, say something coherent!

"O-on it!"

I swear, I saw him smile a bit before he was completely gone.

What was I doing again?

***

It's been around three weeks.

It's been three weeks of planning, sketching, and small, swift strokes.

And plenty of panic, but that's irrelevant. There was a bit of disco, so it balances out anyway.

Mr. Miyoshi did end up setting a curfew on me, to make sure I didn't pass out at the studio, but it wasn't set until it had already happened.

But, since I wanted to work on it after the curfew, I brought it to the dorm, keeping it on newspaper and buying the paint I needed.

I had the picture in my mind, which I did my best to replicate without him genuinely modelling for me.

It was a ¾ shot of his shirtless back, with him looking over his right shoulder, giving a perfect view of his side profile. I also made sure I replicated his tattoo to the best of my abilities, and I think it came out okay.

But that isn't all!

Monarch butterflies lined his back, as a fiery looking echo was placed slightly to the left.

Those warm colors contrasted like hell, compared to the blues and navy of the background.

Just to fuck around with more color, flecks of brighter colors adorned the background, giving it sort of galaxy look.

I thought it looked gorgeous.

And not just because it's Bakugou.

You know how when you make something, and you worked so damn hard on it, and when it's done, you're just filled with pride?

This is one of those works for me.

"Omi!" I yelled about before cringing.

It's 01:35.

"Yeah?"

Why the fuck does he sound like he's been awake?

"First of all, have you been awake this whole time? Second of all, could you grab me my phone?" I said a little quieter.

"It's done?" Omi asked, coming over with my phone.

"I'm happy with it," I said with a huge grin.

"Looks fantastic," Omi pat my shoulder before walking off.

Using my nose, I unlocked my phone and took a picture before putting my phone down.

I just looked at the painting, with Bakugou's slight pout catching my eyes.

I have absolutely zero clue what came over me, but I lifted my forefinger to my mouth, and pressed a small peck to it.

My forefinger rested against the painting's lips, and I just felt warm.

And that was probably the best feeling ever.

I gotta give this to him in person. It's about time I told him.

***

What floor are you on again?

Number two. Room 204.

Okay, I'm coming over.

I let out a shuddery breath, looking at the canvas, which I covered with a blanket.

I need to tell him.

It's time.

I kept opening my phone, making sure I had the song ready to play at the click of a button.

He needs to know.

A loud knock landed on my door, and I jumped.

I walked over to the door, playing the song as I opened it.

"Hey, Bakugou! Come in!"

The ash blond entered, wearing a button up and jeans again, just no turtleneck this time.

"So, I wanted to give this one to you in person… because I…" I was stumbling over my words.

Calm down, Eijirou. You got this.

"Because this could very well be the last commission you want from me,"

This made Bakugou's usual deadpan change ever so slightly. His left brow rose up as his head tilted to the side.

"And why might that be?"

"I…"

Fucking say it.

Spit it out.

"I like you," I barely got out before throwing my gaze at the ground. "I like you a lot. You're just so cool and collected, and from what I know about you, I like it. And I want to know more. I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, but I just had to get that out,"

Before I even looked at him, I walked over to the painting, still looking at the ground, and pulled the blanket off.

Everything was silent, except for the music in the background. But even the song was at a quieter part than the rest of it.

I felt Bakugou's eyes on me and not the painting, which terrified me to no end.

Should I have even said anything?

"You don't have to pay if you don't want to or if you don't like it. And…" I took in a shaky breath, looking at the ground, lazily gesturing to the painting and then myself. "If you don't want to be friends anymore, if you even thought of us as friends, then you can ignore me,"

His footsteps were soft, but I knew they were coming. So when his black converse appeared in my vision, I looked off to the side as my vision blurred with tears that threatened to spill.

A finger went under my chin, turning my face to him.

His eyes met mine, and he was smiling.

"You really are oblivious, huh?"

"Gweh?"

Fucking, again?

Bakugou laughed before leaning in a bit, his head turning to the left.

"Can I kiss you as a tip?"

My whole brain has short-circuited, but I turned my head to the right and leaned in closer.

My eyes slowly closed, and when his lips met mine, I was immediately thrown into a state of euphoria.

Holy shit, this is happening.

This is actually happening!

I couldn't help the smile that bloomed on my face as I draped my arms over his shoulders, and I couldn't stop laughing either.

It was so fucking amazing.

Small blazes of tears made tracks down my cheeks, but I didn't care. Unless my nose starts running, I'm not gonna let some tears mess up this kiss.

But, all good things must come to an end, as Bakugou pulled back.

His eyes were on mine, and for once, they were soft. A small grin was pasted on his features, his hands on my face.

"Why are you crying?" he asked as his thumb rubbed at my dampened cheek.

I just felt myself giggle in response.

"Well, I was originally gonna cry because I thought you wouldn't be cool with my confession, but these tears quickly turned sweet," I just couldn't stop laughing. "Shit, I'm so happy,"

We just stood there for a few moments of content silence before Bakugou spoke up.

"So, how the hell am I supposed to bring this painting to my dorm?"

"I can help you bring it up there!" I offered.

"I get to bring two masterpieces to my dorm? Great!" Bakugou oozed confidence as he said that.

"Dear christ," I began giggling again, since that was unexpected.

We grabbed the painting, and I made sure Bakugou was careful with it, but was also holding it properly.

"Hey, Omi! Could you get the door?"

"Sure,"

"Your roommate was here?" Bakugou asked.

"Well, it's his dorm too." I pointed out as Omi got the door for me. "Plus, it isn't like I wasn't so obviously crushing on you,"

"It really wasn't," Omi said, patting my back carefully. "But congratulations to the both of you,"

"Thanks, Omi,"

Bakugou just gave a small murmur to thank Omi.

"Alright, Bakugou, you go through the door first, then we can keep walking," I said, turning us so Bakugou could walk out the door properly.

"Okay,"

After a quick minute of maneuvering, we managed to get the painting up the stairs without damaging it.

"So you're which dorm?"

"302," Bakugou said as we got to his door.

"Coolio!" I grinned.

"Dork," Bakugou snickered at me. "How d'you want this to be put down?"

"We can just rest it against the wall," I said, propping the painting up on the wall.

"Give me a quick sec," Bakugou mumbled, unlocking the door.

He swung the door open and made sure it stayed open.

"Alright,"

"At this point, I'm gonna follow you. You know where you wanna put this?" I asked him.

"Uhm… I think Misumi wouldn't mind if I placed this on his side of the room until I know exactly where to hang it," Bakugou said as we walked into the room.

***

My paintings were all on the wall. The snow surrounded cardinal, the murder of crows, all of them.

Except one.

The other paintings sort of made a frame, with a 106 cm x 106 cm square in the middle.

"Hey, honey?" I called out.

"What's up, Rourou?" Katsuki asked from the other room.

"Could you grab me the step ladder?"

"Shorty," I heard Katsuki laugh.

"I heard that, Katsu! You aren't as quiet as you think!"

"Says you, of all people!" Katsuki chuckled, coming on with the step ladder.

"Thank you, baby," I said, pecking his cheek.

"Of course. Putting up the last one?" He asked.

"Yep!" I said, grabbing the painting I made all those years back.

The monarch butterflies dotting his spine, his scarlet glare, gorgeous fluffy hair, all of it brought together, and hung up on our wall.

I got off the step ladder, and looked at the paintings. Every single one of them.

A hand snaked around my waist and pulled me in close.

"I love you so much, baby," Katsuki whispered, kissing my forehead.

"I love you too,"

His hand rubbed against my waist, but I could feel one thing that was inconsistent with the feeling of the rest of his hand.

A golden band sat on his left ring finger, practically identical to the one that sat on my left ring finger.

A/N: And that's all! Honestly, I'm very pleased with this, and think this came out well! I hope that those of you who see this like it too! I want to thank @venadorosas for allowing me to write a story based off of their comic and for making such fantastic art. If you like my writing, I'm also on Wattpad, so check me out there, if you're up for it. Same username and profile picture. I do believe that this is it! I apologize for the ending, as it feels a little odd to me, I just don't have any idea how to end it properly. I sincerely hope that I did the comic justice. Love y'all! Stay safe and healthy! - Septic

#kiribaku #bakushima #eijirou kirishima #katsuki bakugou #fluff #fanficition #seriously when i saw i could do this i was so excited #holy shit #okay #inspired by a comic #gay #college au #art student au #i also threw in references to the game a3!#because why the fuck not #septic #unedited #so it's messy and i apologize for any misspellings

130 notes · View notes

quicksilversquared · 4 years

Text

The Wavering Peahen: Chapter 5

When Nathalie started feeling oddly ill again, both she and Gabriel were worried that the Peacock Miraculous might somehow (impossibly) be to blame again.

So naturally, they pick someone else to be the Peacock for a bit. You know, as a test subject. Except the new Peacock… doesn’t exactly know that.

links in the reblog

"Oh my god, you guys, you'll never guess what my mom did for me!" Lila announced as she arrived at the picnic just a little bit on the late side and, other than her phone and a hastily-made Thermos of tea, completely empty-handed. If anyone asked, she would just claim that she had meant to make something, but she had overslept and not been able to start early enough to pull off what she had intended. "It was so sweet of her!"

Heads turned her way, and several of the other girls stepped closer like they were being drawn by a string. Rose was the first to speak up.

"What did she do, Lila?"

"She brought my old phone to a specialist so they could recover some of my old photos off of it- it got destroyed during one of my mission trips to South America and I lost all sorts of data!" Lila practically wilted at the 'memory'. "Thankfully my contacts were backed up in the cloud, but I lost all of my photos! All of those memories, gone! I thought that there was no way to get them back!"

Rose gasped in excitement. "But she got them recovered! That's so great!"

"Some were lost for good- most of them, actually. But I got some back and now they're on my phone and on the cloud, just in case." Lila glanced around. "I don't know if- would anyone like to see them, maybe?"

Rose nodded at once, practically teleporting to Lila's side in her eagerness to see. Alya wasn't far behind, and then Mylène and Nino came behind her. Lila beamed, pulling out her phone and swiping to open up her photos. She had stuck in some landscape photos that she had snagged online to mix it up so that not all of her photos were shots of her and famous people, but obviously the celeb shots were the star of the show.

"Oh, that's Prince Ali!" Rose said happily, half-hanging over Lila's arm to see the phone screen better. "You two definitely look close!"

"Yes, well, we've worked with each other several times," Lila told her. "So of course we're close! I took this picture maybe a year and a half ago? I was at his castle for two weeks while discussing all of the different types of charity work we were doing and ideas for going forward. It was lovely there, really. The beds were so comfortable, and the food was amazing!"

There was a chorus of 'that's so cool!'s and 'you're so lucky!'s. Lila beamed, happy with the attention, and dove into her prepared story, tying in a few of the few of stories that she had told before. More of their classmates gathered around, trying to get a glimpse of her phone. Lila held it up to show the photos off as she went, ever-thoughtful. One story turned into two, then ten, then a dozen as she flipped through the photos. It was a lot- normally she just did one story at a time, peppering them in where they were relevant- but she had been too sick to come up with many stories recently and of course the photos provided a perfect opportunity do a bit of talking.

(Maybe it was a bit too much talking, considering that she was still recovering from her illness and her throat was already sore and she was still feeling a bit faint every so often, but she was on a roll and needed to press her advantage while she had it. These photos were gold, and she needed to milk them for all they were worth.)

"Oh, those shots of you and Ladybug are great!" Alya exclaimed once Lila swiped to the first of the Ladybug pictures. Even though it was just a Ladybug look-alike, Lila had found herself gritting her teeth as she forced herself to cozy up to the sentimonster's side. She hadn't given in to the urge to punch the sentimonster in the face, just as a bit of stress relief, but that had less to do with being nice and more to do with her being worried that she was going to lose control of the sentimonster and have it turn on her. "Those must have been pretty recent, right? Were they on your old phone, too?"

"Ah- no, those were just from yesterday afternoon," Lila fibbed quickly, trying not to cringe. She probably should have held off of putting the Ladybug pictures on her phone- those would always be relevant, she could show them off some other time if she ever hit a lull in attention- but it was too late for that now. Maybe she could get a couple more posters and do another sentimonster session before Hawkmoth took the Miraculous back so that she would have more photo evidence in the future. "She was out on a run and saw me when I was on a walk to try to brainstorm ideas to help the global anti-pollution initiative with Prince Ali. Since we're friends, she decided to drop down and say hi! It was so nice of her."

"She must have been keeping a low profile," Alya commented, leaning in closer. "I didn't get any reports of superhero spottings yesterday, but I know they've been out before without people noticing! Did she help come up with any ideas?"

"No, she wanted to get going again before she got noticed and mobbed," Lila told her. "Which is understandable! She said she would think it over and get back to me if she came up with anything."

Alya nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. I'm sure she'll come up with something, though! Considering how creative she is with Lucky Charms, I bet that she'll think up something cool."

Lila tried not to let her smile get too strained as she faked her enthusiasm. "Yeah! I mean, if it's anything too out there, it might be hard to get people on board, but some out of the box ideas might just be what the world needs!"

"Would you mind sharing those photos on the Ladyblog?" Alya asked eagerly. "I always love adding good pictures of the superheroes, and those are fantastic."

Trying not to smile too obviously, Lila nodded. "Of course! That's fine." Honestly, the more people who saw it, the better. That way, if Ladybug decided to be a brat again and tried to call Lila out, it would be far easier for Lila to claim that they had had a falling out and Ladybug was being an asshole about it and for that to actually be believed. "I'll send the photos to you right away, actually, before I forget."

Alya grinned, whipping out her phone eagerly. "Great! Lemme just- ah, I should probably think of an actual article or something to go along with the photos, huh? Uh- maybe something about how Ladybug isn't just saving the world from evil, but also from pollution? Obviously I'd say that you're the one doing most of the pollution work," she added hastily to Lila. "Or two superheroines- one saving the world from supervillains, the other saving the world from pollution? I like that better! And then I'll just mention the crossover, her helping you come up with ideas and you helping her behind the scenes with akuma attacks sometimes!"

Lila nodded, attaching the photos to an email and sending it off to Alya. "That sounds good! And if you want any more details, just ask!"

"I will, trust me!"

Ten minutes later, Lila's audience started getting restless, clearly done with story time. She wrapped up quickly, claiming that she didn't want to take up everyone's time and monopolize the attention and promising to show off the remainder of the photos at school. Some people stuck around to ask a few questions, but others wandered off. Lila wasn't bothered. After all, the stories would get around eventually.

Eventually, Lila got to step away to peruse the picnic table. She didn't pick anything up since she still wasn't feeling 100% after her earlier dizzy spell, and getting nauseous and barfing would bring her a sort of attention that she didn't want, but it was a nice break from remembering all of her stories and playing her part.

The food spread looked pretty good- though Lila wrinkled her nose at an array of baked goods that had clearly come from Marinette's family's bakery- and she made a note of a few things that she wanted to try later, when she felt better. With one more glance around, Lila stepped away from the table and back towards the rest of her classmates. As she did, she nearly bumped into Marinette. The other girl's eyes narrowed at her but she didn't say anything, opting to simply walk past Lila instead.

Well. That wouldn't do.

"You missed out on seeing my pictures earlier," Lila said, raising her voice just enough that Marinette wouldn't be able to miss it. "Which is a pity, really. There were some really nice ones that my mom recovered off of my old phone. If you wanted, I could still show you a couple."

Marinette snorted. "So you've taken up Photoshop as a hobby, I take it?" she asked dryly. "And I think I'll pass on looking at the photos. If I wanted to see something that wasn't real, I'd go watch an action hero movie. That would at least be enjoyable."

Lila sniffed. "You're just so certain that they're doctored. Do you know how jealous that makes you sound? It's not a very attractive look on you at all."

"Puh-leeze. There was a photo of me and Jagged Stone on the cover of Metal Lord not even a year ago, and I've got actual selfies of me and Clara Nightingale on my phone from when she was doing her music video. I don't need Photoshop." Marinette rolled her eyes, stepping further away from Lila. "Some of us actually have the connections that you pretend to have. If anyone is jealous, it's you."

With that, she turned and left, heading across the park to join Alya and Nino and Adrien. Alya was still hunched over her phone- no doubt hastily getting a rough draft of her article done- but the others were just chatting and relaxing. The fact that Adrien was still clearly on Marinette's side was really annoying, but soon enough he wouldn't be. Not once Lila took some video of the senti-Marinette being a brat. Because it would take video to persuade him, she knew that. Photos wouldn't be enough, not when he was already suspicious of her. She would probably have to wait a week or so to actually show anyone the video, space things out to make them more believable-

Lila's breath caught in her throat as another dizzy spell washed over her. All of a sudden, she wasn't so positive that it was a good idea to come out today. She had just been recovering from a decently long sickness, and then she got up super early and had been pushing herself all day. Yeah, it had been nice to show off her photos right away, but maybe it would have been smarter to wait until Monday. Lila could have ridden out her dizzy spells at home, both the major ones and the smaller ones that had been plaguing her while she showed off her photos.

...maybe she could just sit down and she would be fine?

"Lila! Over here!" Rose called, almost as though she was reading Lila's mind. She waved and patted the bench next to her. "Max was about to start telling us about the changes he made to his game!"

Lila nearly groaned at the thought. Listening to Max meant listening to stats and graphics and coding nonsense that she really couldn't care less about. She avoided it when she could. But it also meant that she wouldn't have to talk, and if she tuned out and missed something and got asked about it, she could just claim that she had gotten lost on all of the technical details.

So really, it was practically perfect.

"What kinds of changes?" Lila asked, walking over and sitting on the fee bit of bench. "New villains?"

Max nodded, pushing his glasses back up on his nose. "That is some of it, yes. Having an ever-expanding cast of characters keeps it interesting and a challenge for those who have already played a lot and know how to defeat their opponents. There were some complaints that there were then too many rounds between the start and the boss villain, so I now have an option for people to select the number of akumas that they want to battle and which akumas they get is randomized. I also have added difficulty levels, for those wanting to deviate from the standard game. After examining the akuma stats, I have identified some that are more or less challenging than average and so the non-normal difficulty selections have a more limited pool of opponents to choose from. I also added Mayura to the game. I considered putting in Pavona, too, but..."

"She could be the boss villain for easy mode," Rose suggested. "Since she's not as good of a fighter as Hawkmoth!"

Max considered that, nodding absently. "Yes, I could see that. I have different coding for different fight levels already, so I could use the one I developed for the lowest akumas."

"The lowest akumas?" Lila asked, incredulous. "She- surely she's better than the lowest akumas, right? When she was out, she wasn't exactly just getting tossed to the side."

There was a long pause. Lila blinked, looking around.

Surely everyone could admit that Pavona wasn't completely useless on the battlefield, right? They had eyes, even if they were ridiculously biased towards the superheroes. There had been times when Pavona had been more than holding her own.

(Well. Times when she hadn't been failing spectacularly, at least, and mostly because the heroes were outnumbered, but she was choosing to ignore that.)

"I mean, I guess she's a better fighter than that giant baby," Alix offered after a long moment. "Not that that's hard, exactly. But as far as game context goes, it doesn't really make sense for the final boss to be as easy or easier than the akumas that came before it."

Max nodded, jotting that down. "That's a good point! I might make her a slight bit more of a threat than she actually is in real life, just for the game's sake. Though she does have the sentimonster thing going for her- maybe I can keep her fight level the same, but just have a couple different sentimonsters that she'll get paired with. That'll be the bit making the boss battle harder."

"That was a good point about how Pavona shouldn't be easier than the akumas in the game, Lila!" Rose chirped, beaming at her. "That'll definitely help improve the game!"

"Yeah, no problem," Lila managed, hoping that she didn't sound like she was talking through gritted teeth. She steadied herself against the table as her vision blurred out again for a moment, her mind going dizzy with it. "I'm always happy to help!"

"I think the problem that I'm facing then is coding so that Pavona and the sentimonster work together," Max said, tapping his pencil against the spine of his notebook. "And the same for the challenge mode, I think. It would have Hawkmoth and Mayura as the final boss, and they would work together. For that, some of the later levels could have randomized akuma-sentimonster pairings!"

"Ooh, good idea!"

"Nice!"

Lila tuned out as the conversation wandered off into more details of the game, improvements that could be made to the akuma powers to make them more flexible and not so fixed. Max eventually wandered off into a discussion- or a monologue, really, even while checked out Lila couldn't help but note that no one else was contributing much anything to the discussion- about coding specifics, and Lila tried not to sigh.

Boring. Boring, boring, boring.

Even after sitting and relaxing for nearly half an hour, Lila still had absolutely no appetite. In fact, the mere thought of eating much anything was making her feel a bit ill, which was a bit concerning.

And yet she found herself staring down at a full plate of food in her lap.

To her own credit, she had tried to get out of eating anything, claiming that she had woken up late and eaten breakfast late and therefore didn't have an appetite, and besides her mom hadn't remembered to buy the things she needed to make something to bring and she would feel bad about taking food when she hadn't brought any. But her classmates had insisted that it was fine, that no one blamed her for not being able to bring anything, and that really, couldn't she eat just a little? So Lila had been pretty much forced to relent and load up her plate.

Maybe she could have let on that she had a bit of lingering nausea from her illness, but she had (for once) not wanted any more attention on her. She had been completely in charge of the narrative earlier, keeping the focus and gossip on what she wanted her classmates to pay attention to, and having the talk about her turn from her celebrity connections to her mysterious illness would be not exactly ideal. An illness could push the focus on her proof to the backs of their minds, easily forgotten about given some time, and she was not about to let a little cold do that.

Lila was made of stronger stuff than that, she knew she was. After all, she was a supervillain. Things weren't going to be easy.

But it was still frustrating that the challenge was coming from something as everyday as a stupid cold.

(She should have just left it at I ate breakfast late and so I'm not very hungry and then maybe she could have gotten away with just taking a little fruit and nothing else. The comment about not having brought anything, in retrospect, made the breakfast thing sound like a flimsy excuse for not eating.)

Hopefully she would feel better again soon. It was just so stupid that she had been feeling so great, and then all of a sudden, she was feeling worse than she had before. Sure, she had been able to milk her cold for all it was worth as far as homework went, but much longer and the teachers wouldn't turn a blind eye to that anymore. And sure, she had gotten out of actually doing anything in gym while she was sick, but she could do that just as easily with a claim that her arthritis was acting up or that she had rolled her ankle the previous day.

(There was also the issue of what she could possibly do if someone brought concerns to their teachers and they insisted on calling Lila's mom. She couldn't let that happen, or else all of her hard work would be for nothing.

Maybe she could spread the lie that her mom was already on top of it and taking her in to the doctor's office for a checkup. If the teachers knew that Mrs. Rossi was already aware of Lila's health problem, then perhaps they would be less inclined to reach out as well.)

"Aren't you hungry, Lila?" Rose asked anxiously, and Lila startled out of her thoughts. She had been staring at her plate without eating anything for too long, clearly. "You've just been pushing your food around and not eating anything."

"Ah, well, I did have a late breakfast," Lila managed, doing her best to make her excuses sound confident, even as another wave of dizziness passed over her. Was it just her imagination, or were they getting more frequent? "I must have eaten more than I thought then, so I'm not very hungry yet. I- maybe I'll just set my plate away to eat later. I just couldn't resist taking some food, it all looked so good."

"Oh, okay," Rose agreed after a moment's pause. "It's too bad we don't have a heating lamp or something to keep the food warm and fresh for you! Some of it won't be as good cold."

Lila flashed her a smile. "Thanks for the concern, but I'm sure it will still be good! And if not- well, the next time we have a picnic, I'll be sure to wake up earlier or not eat as much breakfast."

"We'll have to do this again soon, then!"

Lila smiled and nodded. "That sounds fun! It'll be a good way to keep up with everyone over the summer- well, at least if I'm still in the country and not traveling. I don't know what my mom's plans are yet."

Everyone nodded, letting out little murmurs of understanding.

"Hopefully you'll get to go some cool places!" Mylène piped up. "I mean, I hope you'll be around for part of the summer so that you can go on all of the group activities like picnics and pool trips, but I know how important it is for you to get to travel and meet people who can help out with your charities and environmental work and everything!"

Lila forced another smile in the direction where- well, she could mostly see Mylène between the spots that had momentarily taken over her vision. She blinked, and her vision cleared. "Yeah, it would be nice to get to hang out and be a normal kid for a bit, but I also want to see some of my friends from other places in person again! I've been keeping in touch by email and video call, of course, but it's just not the same."

"The downside to traveling," Mylène agreed. "I've made friends while traveling before- average people, not princes and whatnot- but I never end up staying in touch with them for that long once I leave. Our emails just end up tapering off."

Several of the others nodded in agreement. Lila almost did, too- after all, she always let communications with her former classmates taper off and end after a few months after she had to move or switch schools- before she caught herself.

Right. No talking about her real life experiences, or else people would start picking up on the inconsistencies and the ways that Lila's real life didn't line up with the other stories that she had told.

The conversation slowly turned to the kinds of friendships other people had made while on vacation with their families and how long they kept communicating once they had left, and Lila tuned it out in favor of trying to force down a few bites of food. There were a couple things that weren't overly sweet or spicy that didn't make her stomach want to completely turn itself inside out, so Lila nibbled on them while she pretended to listen to her classmates blather on about completely non-impressive people who they had met.

"Lila, if you aren't hungry yet, you don't have to eat," Rose said suddenly, cutting herself off mid-sentence. She glanced over at the picnic table, then perked up. "Hey, the container I brought my salad in is empty! You could just put your food in that and bring it home to eat later if you wanted!"

"That's so kind of you, Rose!" Lila managed. Ugh, forcing herself to eat anything had clearly been a bad choice. She had thought that she would be able to handle a few bites, but she was feeling more nauseous than ever. She didn't want to let that on, though. She wouldn't. She couldn't distract from her own stories and photos by being ill. "That sounds like a great idea. I don't want the food I took to have to go to waste. I-" she cut herself off as her stomach rolled again.

Maybe talking right now wasn't the best idea.

"Let's go get it, then!" Rose chirped, popping up out of her seat. "And you can grab anything you want to eat later from the table, too, while we're doing that. I know no one's going to mind if you take stuff to go!"

Lila pushed herself to her feet to follow Rose, doing her best to act as though everything was normal as she swung her legs over the bench and started walking. Her vision had almost completely fuzzed out as soon as she got up, but she couldn't let that stop her. It would clear up soon enough, after all. It always had before.

She took one step, then another, then a third, forcing them even and casual. On the fourth, Lila felt herself wobble, suddenly both dizzy and weak.

And on the fifth step, everything went black.

#Miraculous Ladybug #My writing #The Wavering Peahen

34 notes · View notes

miraculousbelladonna · 4 years

Text

The Edict, Part 2

Part 1 - AO3

She thinks that if she were human, if she were anything less than what she is, (a god, the embodiment of creation, of life) it would have broken her.

*****

Miles away, locked in a secret compartment behind a painting, Nooroo and Duusu feel the release of power, and they feel the shift in guardianship. They hold each other, ecstatic, waiting for their miraculous to be reclaimed, to return to the miracle box with their brethren, but it doesn’t happen. They feel the end of the summoning, Tikki’s final release of power, and their miraculous don’t move.

They’re still there. They’re stuck.

It hits them. They realize the gravity of what’s been done to them.

They’ve been away for so long, and Tikki doesn’t know who has them. She can’t revoke a miraculous when she doesn’t know whom she’s revoking it from, when she doesn’t have a name, which is the one and only limit to her power over the miraculous.

There’s a loophole when guardianship is being revoked, in which she can recall all the miraculous the guardian has distributed, but the butterfly and peacock miraculous were lost years ago, even before the previous guardian acquired guardianship.

They all agreed to it back when the miraculous were formed, because it seemed innocent enough. They would never not know who had a miraculous.

Not even Plagg could have imagined the depravity and selfishness of humans. The innate, almost compulsive, need not just to have, but to take. To own.

They found out soon enough.

Which is why nobody, not the Guardian, not even the Order, knows about the limit to Tikki’s power. The mage who made the miraculi took it to her grave with her. The kwami themselves are never allowed to discuss it unless they are all safely within the miracle box, nor can they be compelled or ordered to divulge the information.

That is the only solace for Nooroo and Duusuu. The fact that their abusers will never know, they will never have even an inkling of an idea, and they cannot be forced to give the information up.

They didn’t realize that someone would abuse them so profoundly, so consistently, and that if they did, that not even the Kwami of Creation would know who was culpable.

Gabriel and Nathalie have perverted the miraculi in a truly heinous way. Terrorizing innocent people and using their emotions as cannon fodder.

Nooroo and Duusuu are exhausted. They are spent. They don’t have enough in them to be angry, not anymore.

But, it’s a new day. There’s a new guardian. For now, it’s enough. It has to be enough.

They cry themselves to sleep in each other’s arms.

*****

There’s something beeping, she doesn’t know where she is, and she’s got something stuck in her throat.

Her throat is working to get rid of the intrusion, and she’s coughing so hard her chest hurts, everything hurts, hands flailing as she tries to get her bearings, all while the beeping gets faster and louder until it’s practically screaming in her ear.

Suddenly, out of seemingly nowhere, someone is at her side whispering in her ear. “Hey Marinette, welcome back honey. You’re in a hospital and you have a tube down your throat to help you breathe. You’re ok, I just need you to relax for me.” She tries to listen to the voice, it’s soothing and somewhat familiar, but her body is still rejecting the intrusion.

“I know it’s uncomfortable, sweetheart. This is a good thing, I promise. Just relax, and try to keep breathing like normal. Inhale, exhale.” She does.

“That’s it honey. You’re doing amazing. Now, we’re gonna go ahead and take the tube out now, just open your mouth, say AAAAAH, nice and easy, and … done! There we go.”

She’s still feels like she needs to cough, and her throat is beyond sore, but it’s easier to breathe now.

Which is when she registers the pain in her side, in her chest.

Her face scrunches as she shifts and tries to sit up, wincing as it shoots more pain through her body, and the voice who she now realizes belongs to a nurse floats back to her.

“Marinette, sweetie, don’t try to sit up on your own. Let me grab a couple of pillows to help prop you up.” She does so and explains as she props Marinette up on the pillows so she’s in a position in between lying down and sitting up. Reclined enough to be comfortable, but sitting up enough to show that she’s awake.

“You have a tube in your chest right now. I know it hurts, we can give you some more pain medicine for it in just a minute, but first I have to take your vitals. You’ve had a very busy night, you’ve given all of us quite a few scares.”

She relaxes as much as she can with the pain still shooting through her. “Why? What are chest tubes for?”

The nurse, who’s name tag says Claire, stills a little at the question. “I’m going to take your vitals really quick, and then I’m going to go grab the doctor and your parents to let them know you’re awake. The doctor will be able to explain more about what's been going on, and I know your parents have been in the waiting room all night.”

She’s confused. “All night?” Exactly how long has she been here? Why is she here? What’s going on?

Claire’s eyes are soft when she looks up after finishing documenting her vitals. She nods at Marinette solemnly. “They’ve been here all night. I’ll be right back, honey. If you need anything, anything at all, just press that red button on the remote on your left and it’ll notify the nurses station, and they’ll send someone right to you.”

*****

Tikki comes back to herself and notices that the miracle box is still open.

She sees the empty slots where the peacock and butterfly miraculous go, understands the meaning of it, and thinks that if she were human, if she were anything less than what she is, (a god, the embodiment of creation, of life) it would have broken her.

The hurt still pangs deep in her chest.

She closes the box and mutters an incantation that will make it seem unassuming to any eye except the Guardian’s, in this case, it takes the form of a sewing machine, and it hits her.

Marinette is the Guardian. The consequences of the imbalance would have lifted as soon as the guardianship was passed. Marinette is the guardian, and she is alone in the hospital without even knowing what’s happening.

Marinette is alone.

She doesn’t think she’s ever flown faster in her life.

*****

Adrien wakes up with his alarm, which strikes him as odd, because Plagg is usually harassing him for cheese hours before, but he isn’t going to protest a little extra sleep.

He rolls over to turn his alarm off, and runs his hand through his hair as he looks to the ceiling.

He realizes that his ring hasn’t snagged his hair like it usually does, and when he looks at his hand, he sees it’s because it isn’t there.

His miraculous is gone.

He bolts out of bed, frantic, calling for Plagg, upending his pillows and sheets, looking under his bed, under his tables, chairs, hoping desperately that it fell off, that he’s going to find it any second now.

He doesn’t.

Plagg doesn’t show up when he calls for him, and the ring isn’t anywhere in his room.

He’s confused, and angry.

The Gorilla drops him off at school, and he walks right through the building and out the back. He’s not going to school when his miraculous is missing. He’s going to go see the guardian, who better have a decent answer for him.

He is Chat Noir. The miraculous of destruction belongs to him, no one else.

He makes it to the tiny shop in good time, and doesn’t think twice before barging in.

He’s angry, and he is owed some answers. If the guardian needed his miraculous for something, he should’ve told him.

He steps into the shop, and it’s eerily quiet, there’s no music playing, no scent of freshly made tea, and it has the hairs on his neck standing on end.

He steps further into the shop and sees the old man lying on the floor, surrounded by the wreckage of ridiculously overgrown plants, and he has no idea what’s going on.

“Master Fu! Master Fu! What happened?”

He goes over and shakes him, frantic now, did someone rob him? How did they get his miraculous?

The old man sits up, and when he sees Adrien, he starts crying. Adrien helps him stand up, still confused.

“Master! What happened? Where is my miraculous? What did you do?”

Fu shakes his head and taps his throat, still crying, and why is this old man so pathetic? How did he end up with power over someone like Adrien?

Well, Adrien realizes. He doesn’t have power over him anymore.

The old man has nothing on him, and from the looks of his shop, he doesn’t have anything over anyone else either.

Master Fu sees what’s coming, he sees the shift in Adrien’s expression, the shadow that passes over his eyes, but without the power of the miraculous on his side, he’s too slow and old to react.

Adrien shoves him, hard, and he trips over the mess of plants and vines and leaves on his floor.

Adrien smiles as he watches the man fall. Smiles as he cries out in pain, breaking a bone, maybe a few, considering his age. He watches him writhe in pain on the floor, struggle and fail to get up, and he turns on his heel and walks right back out of the shop.

He’ll find out what happened on his own.

He stops in the middle of the street on his way back to school when he realizes … maybe he doesn’t have to find out on his own. There’s already someone out there looking for the black cat miraculous.

An eerie grin stretches across his face as he realizes, all he has to do is get himself akumatized. All he has to do is double cross Hawkmoth at the last minute to get his miraculous back, his lady will realize how much she needs him, and everything will be purrfect.

Now, all he has to do is make sure his akuma form looks exactly like he does as Chat Noir. He’s almost positive he and Hawkmoth can come to some sort of agreement, in that regard.

*****

Tikki flies to the room Marinette is in, and hovers outside the window until she sees the nurse leave.

She flies in immediately as soon as the door closes behind her, and she’s frantic as she flies to Marinette, who isn’t moving, and oh no, what if it didn’t work, what if something went wrong, what has she done?

Marinette turns to her, eyes crinkling in confusion and a little bit of fear as she asks, “Tikki. What’s going on?”

Tikki almost sobs in relief at the sight of Marinette’s eyes, so blue and open and alive, and she flies up to rest on her forehead.

“Oh, Marinette. I thought I’d lost you. A lot has happened tonight, too much to go into right now, but I promise it’ll all make sense soon. How are you feeling?”

“I’m ok. My chest hurts and the nurse didn’t tell me what this tube is for, but I’m ok.”

Tikki seems to radiate warmth from her spot on Marinette’s forehead. “Good. I’m glad you’re feeling better. Human doctors are so particular, we’ll have to see what they can do about that tube.”

There’s a knock on the door and Tikki darts under the pillow as Marinette says, “Come in!”

Her parents all but barge into the room, her mother is trembling, one hand over her mouth, the other reaching out to Marinette but not quite touching her, almost like she’s afraid to, and her dad falls to his knees beside her bed, weeping.

She still doesn’t really get what’s going on, and her face twists in confusion as she reaches out to her parents. “Maman. Papa. I’m fine. What’s going on?”

Her mother steps closer to the bed, sees the tube that’s still in Marinette’s right side, and blanches. Her voice is shaky as she turns to the doctor, and it’s obvious she’s trying to hold back tears as she asks, “Surely that’s not necessary anymore? The nurse said her vitals were good, and she’s breathing on her own. She doesn’t still need that, does she?”

The doctors mouth tightens in sympathy. “I understand how it looks, but although Marinette’s vitals are good, and it’s an extremely positive sign that she woke up rejecting the tube and able to breathe on her own, we do need to keep her here for observation for at least 8 hours, with a check up every hour on the hour. We might be able to take the tube out in a couple of hours if no more liquid has built up in her lungs, but for now it’s safer to keep it in. We will of course, be administering pain meds accordingly in the meantime.”

“Liquid in my lungs? What happened?”

Tom rests his giant hand on Marinette’s, engulfing it, and she turns to him, still confused. “Papa. Please tell me what’s going on.”

His face crumples and he starts weeping again as he finally tells her the truth. What everyone has been dancing around since she woke up. “You were drowning. You kept drowning and dying and drowning and dying and no one knew what was going on, or why, the akuma was defeated, but then Ladybug disappeared and you were still drowning and you kept - you just - you just kept dying!” He’s sobbing even harder as the doctor hands him a box of tissues, and he pauses to blow his nose.

“You were experiencing what we in the medical world call ‘dry-drowning.’ Your body wasn’t submerged, but it was reacting as if it were. Your lungs kept filling with fluid and you were essentially, drowning. Your heart stopped a couple of times last night, so you did experience cardiac death, but our code team was able to bring you back every time. You’re a very strong young lady, Marinette. None of us will be forgetting that anytime soon.”

There’s a tinge to the doctors voice as he calls her strong, an undercurrent of knowing, of seeing, and her eyes widen as the doctor reaches up to rub his ear in a way that looks completely innocent.

She looks frantically from him to the nurse, whose eyes are watering as she nods and does the same motion the doctor did.

Her parents are none the wiser, still weeping in relief at Marinette’s bedside, and she swallows heavily.

“Thank you. I really -” Her voice cracks with emotion as she realizes just what these doctors have done for her. “I really appreciate that. I’m feeling kind of tired. Can I have some of that pain medicine now? And maybe a nap?”

Her parents crying peters out after she takes the pain meds, and she’s in a comfortable floaty haze as they leave with the doctor to go and sign paperwork and talk about what’s going to be happening for the next 8 hours, and what’ll happen after that.

The nurse is left alone with her after they leave, and as she tucks a warmed blanket around Marinette, she ducks to whisper, “Don’t worry, Ladybug. We’ll keep your identity a secret. None of us have been akumatized, and we all go to a therapist regularly to help us regulate our emotions enough to make sure we never will be. Your secret is safe with us. You’ve also got doctor - patient confidentiality. But we meant what we said. We won’t forget what you’ve done for us, and this city.”

She stands up and steps away from Marinette, under the pretense of checking the heart monitor as she says, louder, “I’ll go ahead and leave you to it. If you need anything, even if you just want another warmed blanket, just press the red button on the remote.”

Marinette’s eyes are watering as Claire dims the light and leaves, closing the door behind her.

Tikki flies out from under the pillow, hands covering her mouth in shock.

“Oh, Tikki. Did you hear that? They found out my identity but I’m not in any danger, and they were so kind to me, they didn’t have to do that.” She’s crying now, tears streaming down her face as she talks. “They didn’t have to do any of that.” She cries as Tikki just floats there, almost glowing with pride.

This is humanity. This is the very best of it.

“Oh Marinette, don’t ever say that. You deserve this kindness and so much more. You deserve the world. Now. I do have some things to tell you that I wish could wait but unfortunately can't.”

“Things? Like why I’m here in the first place?”

Tikki’s expression goes hard as she remembers what she did. What she had to do.

“Yes. First things first. You, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, are the new guardian of the miraculous.”

Marinette’s face goes pale with shock. She holds one finger out to Tikki as she pushes the red button on the remote.

Tikki hovers out of sight as Claire comes back in.

“Can I have some ice water please?”

Claire brings it to her.

She drinks it all immediately, wincing at the soreness in her throat.

“Okay. So, I’m the guardian. I thought I had only been here for a night? How the hell did I miss so much?”

Tikki winces as she regales Marinette with the story of what happened, keeping in mind to pause ans wait when Marinette gets too angry, so her heart can calm down. Considering how many times her heart stopped last night, they have it on an extra sensitive monitor, and someone rushes in anytime she gets too excited.

“Ok. Ok. O. K. That is entirely too much for me to process right now. Especially after I spent the entire night apparently dying. I’m going to take a nap. We will continue this discussion when I wake up.”

Tikki can’t help the grin that spreads across her face at Marinette’s declaration. “Of course. I know you’re probably exhausted. I’ll give you a little creation boost while you sleep.”

“Is that why you were so warm on my head earlier? Not gonna lie, that was a little weird.”

“I was just trying to give you an extra boost!” Tikki gasps, falsely indignant. “To help you heal!”

Marinette can’t help the snort that comes out of her, but she regrets it immediately. “Ouch - Tikki. Stop being so hilarious. It hurts to laugh.”

Tikki’s expression sobers, and she lowers herself onto Marinette’s head again. “Sleep, Marinette. I’ll give you as much of a boost as possible. Once they take the tube out I can heal you completely, but not a minute before then, or we might have some uncomfortable explanations on our hands.”

“That’s fine Tikki. Thank you.” She succumbs to the haziness of the pain medicine, and the last thing she feels is Tikki giving her a kiss on the forehead.

Tikki glows as she lets her power bleed into Marinette from where she’s resting on the girls forehead. She works hard to contain it, to funnel it into Marinette and make sure it’s not radiating around her, and does her best not to think about how it’s not fine. Nothing about this is fine. Marinette’s chest and ribs are bruised with the force of the CPR performed multiple times last night. Her lungs are battered from the inside out. Her throat is raw. Nothing about this is fine.

But it will be.

Marinette is the guardian now. Everything is about to change.

tags: @smolplantmum @vixen-uchiha @lavenderchaitea @tired-butterfly @marinettepotterandplagg @interobanginyourmom @saphiraazure2708 @starwindmaden @valeks-princess @scribblinggraveyard @justanothersepticeyefan @gray-of-the-fallen @alissasmith21

#ml salt #ml salt fic #miraculous ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #adrien salt #master fu #tikki #plagg #nooroo #duusuu #my fic #the edict #yes the nurse claire is claire temple from the marvel universe #i love her

770 notes · View notes