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stormjay0 · 4 years

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Xisuma and Xelqua

I was thinking about how Grian used to be an admin (Wynncraft) and we’ve ended up here so... ficlet time!

As nights went on Hermitcraft, this was one of the quieter ones. Many of the hermits had gone to bed (Bdubs having been asleep for hours), with only a few still awake tinkering at some redstone project or growing vines for a build. The lights in the shopping district had gone dark, one by one, as shops closed up for the night amidst the smell of newly laid grass. The diamonds hanging from the trees caught the light of a star here and there, but most of the movement in the cowmercial district had long since died down.

A flickering window blinked in the distance. Any passerby who found it worth taking another look would see that the flicker came from a cozy flame dancing in the glass confines of a lantern, resting on a desk. The window in question was a small opening looking out into the thick jungle, just large enough for someone to rest on the sill and watch the parrots. It was also over 100 blocks off the ground.

The flame began to die out, flickering slowly and sadly downwards, only to spring up again as if given a shot of espresso. Or a shot of coal, in this case, because the admin who refueled it wouldn’t be caught dead with coffee. A strong black tea was another thing altogether.

Xisuma sighed and leaned back in his chair. Rubbing his eyes, he checked the time for the first time in a few hours. One in the morning wasn’t bad, he reasoned, and turned back to his work. Earlier today, he had relocated some administrative panels to this room in his jungle base, the least concrete-y of them. He silently thanked his past self; working on admin duties was at least 50% less fun on the concrete floor. His helmet lay switched off on the cozier, carpeted floor of the preferred room.

The panels themselves were resting between a desk and the wall behind it, propped up by their sturdy bedrock stands. Xisuma didn’t often think about that rare material that his panels were made of; many high-level admins required hardware (literally hard-ware) of that caliber, and though bedrock was almost impossible to obtain, it was well worth it for the administrative abilities of the panels.

Tonight was not a night for appreciating the panels, however; in fact, X was beginning to question if his work tonight was worth it in the first place. He was trying a particularly frustrating string of commands, as he was only halfway sure of how to accomplish the work he was trying to do.

Xisuma briefly stretched his neck and back, cracked his knuckles, and tried another combination. The usual [ERROR: Action not recognized] message appeared in urgent red over his screens, and he let out a short breath and considered hitting the panels in a last-ditch effort.

He didn’t have the chance to hit the panels, though, because another object hit a different panel very nearby- a Grian-shaped figure slammed into the window beside him at top speed.

X, not even surprised, slid open the glass and looked down. There was a thin ledge about five blocks below, and as Xisuma had expected, a heap of elytra wings and red sweater was sprawled atop it. He chuckled, shaking his head incredulously, and grabbed a water bucket so Grian could swim up the stream.

“Do I even want to ask what you’re doing up?”

Xisuma passed Grian a cup of chamomile tea, which the red-sweatered man immediately dumped 6 sugar packets into, cancelling out the calming chamomile effect.

“Well, you see, I was simply minding my own business over at Grumbot when I saw a light on over here- knew it was you immediately, definitely didn’t think there was a giant firefly hiding in the jungle.” Grian took a gulp of his tea. “Anyways, you’re up, and I’m up, so I may as well talk to you, Eck-sai-zooma.”

X rolled his eyes playfully at the mispronunciation. “Alright, but why were you at the Grumbot? That thing’s broken, ain’t it?”

“He was lonely!” Grian protested. “I wanted to visit my robot son.”

Xisuma raised an eyebrow.

“Aaaand I might’ve left a shulker box full of wool there.” Grian shrugged. “But it was a whole box!”

He looked around the room that he had crash-landed into and noticed the administrative panels. “You’re not working, are you, X? At this hour?”

Xisuma turned to look at the panels, still glowing red with error text. He sighed, and moved to switch them off. “I was working on a personal project, but you’re here, and I really need to take a break anyway.”

His finger was on the off switch when Grian spoke up. “Hey, I know how to fix this. It’s a perception chain, right? You just gotta-” He typed in a string of commands deftly with his head tilted sideways. “There! Got it!”

Xisuma stared at the message that had just popped up on the screen, glowing green. [Action approved. Enter commands to continue chain.] He turned back to look at Grian, who was now trying to hang his elytra upside-down from the ceiling.

“How’d you do that?”

Without turning around, Grian replied, “Oh, it was pretty easy! Just entered some combos that you hadn’t tried. The keywords on these change wayyy too often.”

Xisuma stared at Grian, looked back at the panels, and looked back at Grian. After a moment, he collected his thoughts enough to ask again.

“No, how did you know what to do? I’ve been an admin for years and even I couldn’t figure it out.” X was surprised that his question came out so calmly, when his brain was currently a mess of ‘HOW DID HE DO THAT’ and ‘WHAT THE HECK’.

“Oh!” Grian turned around, smiling sheepishly. “I don’t think I ever told you- I’m sure it was on my list, right after fixing that chest monster- I used to be an admin!”

He dropped to the floor, legs crossed, and took another swig of tea. “I used to moderate a server called Wynncraft. We had all kinds of people, but not like Hermitcraft- they came and went, played and left. Some came back, some didn’t, but everyone had a great time!”

He wrinkled his nose. “Or, they better have at least, I spent a long time on those maps.”

“Anyways, we had a ton of quests, and loot, and all that stuff! It was a pretty cool place. You learn a lot about being an admin when you have to mod ghosts.” Grian grinned. “Hah! Those were pretty terrifying.”

Xisuma was even more dumbstruck, but didn’t show it. Ghosts? No wonder Grian had known how to fix his problem- he was somehow experienced in some of the most complicated areas of administrating?

Grian leaned over to look at a different panel as Xisuma’s mouth moved silently, trying to think of something to say. The smaller man lightly tapped a thread of commands and looked up at X.

“What’re you trying to do with these? This looks like a ban bypass. Did you accidentally ban someone?” His eyes grew wide. “If you did we need to fix it right now! Which hermit was it?”

Xisuma collected himself and sat down by Grian. “No, it’s- it wasn’t unintentional.” He stared at the wall. “I banned him on purpose.”

Grian was halfway to asking X who it was when he saw the look on his face. Xisuma looked stoic and almost sad, gazing off into the distance. Grian turned back to the panels, and read the commands on them thoroughly. The former admin recognized most of the threads, but some of them, covered in error messages, weren’t commands he knew that worked. After a minute, he realized what Xisuma was trying to do. The actions entered seemed to be working towards an uncoded goal- the objective being to see someone in another dimension. Specifically, the void under the end islands. X wanted to see someone who had been banned and sent into the void.

Grian may not have known why, but he did know how to help. He began typing in another string of commands, the sound of which brought X back to reality. He leaned over Grian’s shoulder as Grian continued to type, talking as he went.

“The problem you had needed a bit of a workaround. I think the issue was in the way you went about it. See, to see the person, you can’t just open a window into where they are, you need to bring them here. Or at least a part of them, or- here, I’ll just show you.” He stopped typing and turned to Xisuma as the screen flashed the message [Enter administrative ID to give permissions.] “You’ve gotta enter me into your system so it lets me do this. Username should be Xelqua.”

X, distracted, looked at Grian after a minute. “Xelqua?”

“Old username. It’s what they called me when I got my administrative license.”

“Ah.” X reached for the panels. /permit user [Xelqua] }access_all

Grian finished up the last of the commands and held his finger over the enter key. “Ready to see whoever this is?”

Xisuma took a deep breath and didn’t respond.

Grian took that as a yes, and clicked the final button, looking anticipatorily at the spot where he had entered the coordinates for arrival.

Nothing happened for a moment. Then, the lantern dimmed of its own accord, and a fuzzy shape that looked a lot like Xisuma began to materialise in the center of the room. As the image became clearer, the person it showed did so too. Their face was just as shocked as Grian’s.

Xisuma’s face, however, was misty. He looked quietly at the projection now standing in his base.

“Hi, Ex.”

#grian #xisuma #xelqua #evil x #evil xisuma #xisumavoid #grianmc #hermitcraft #hermitblr #minecraft #mineblr #fanfic #hermitcraft fanfic #hermitcraft fic #hermitcraft fanfiction #my writing #xisuma and xelqua

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real-fanta-sea · 3 years

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If you're serious about the kiss thing...... You should do trikey with 56? Mikey's getting irritated about all the shit in Trevor's house

yep I’m serious, thanks for the request! It was fun to play with it, especially the part of annoyed Michael :D I used some strong language here, just so you know.

Ok, here we go *cracks knuckles*

Apart from being an exceptional place to hide from all kinds of law enforcement and pissed off gang bosses, Sandy Shores provides another highly valued quality - it's fucking hot. And not that convenient 'oh look it's the first sunny day of spring' kind of wee warm, but the brutal, penetrative heat of working by deep fryer in McDonald's during summer.

Michael smacked his lips, belched and threw an empty bottle over the battered railing of the front porch. It clanked and landed on dusty ground with a satisfying crunch, and the sun dried it in an instant. He lost count on how many of them he has already downed and disposed of, but drinking didn't help no matter what style he tried. Slow, fast, cold, warm. He tried everything. Except feeling a bit sluggish, there was no effect the lukewarm pisswasser could ever have on him after years of self-taxidermy with whiskey and coke.

The street went gradually silent by the time he finished yet another bottle, shadows grew longer, and the sun grilled him from a slightly different angle. A chatter of people was replaced by an out-of-tune orchestra of crickets and the Eagles blasting from a radio somewhere in the neighbourhood, both flowing through the air with the flavour of barbecue.

Another day successfully wasted Michael thought and shifted on the couch. If only the TV would work, he could have spent it watching movies. Or not, because the tin can ramshackle got so hot during the day he could barely breathe there. Fucking Trevor. If it wasn't for him, he could be sitting by a pool full of ice, eating ice cream and slurping milkshakes from frozen tits. Maybe even pay the girl to ride him, so he didn't have to move a finger. Or better yet, tie Trevor up, throw him into his tailgater, lock him there and make him watch them fuck... But did he really want it? Wouldn’t he be the one who would instantly let him out and have a wild make up sex with him?

An annoyed grunt later, Michael lazily tugged on the hem of his, now very rural looking, tank top and dried his forehead with it. Something deep within knew he shouldn't have used the words Trevor and Fuck in one sentence because it awakened a part of him he should better let sleep. That part that supplied his tipsy brain with vivid images of long limbs locked around him, dark hair all over dirty pillows and amber eyes rolled back, set in a very flushed face... No, nope, it wasn't what he wanted to think about, in fact, he just wanted another beer. Yeah, another beer to make that awkward semi go away. And maybe strip off his top to make that damn heat go away? Yup, that was what he wanted. Aaaand a cigarette. Perfection.

"FUCK FUCK FUCK!"

Michael's half snore was interrupted by a sound of shutting the car door and heavy boots stomping through the cooling dust. A quick glance from the porch told him the Bodhi was back from where it took off in the morning, and there was a tall figure growling near it, shuffling some boxes in the back. For a second, Michael thought he actually moved back in time, because his back was killing him pretty much the same way it did in the morning with the same taste of beer on lips. The only detail that didn't quite match was that his torso was now naked and pearled with sweat, and there was quite a lot of bottles and cans right below the railing.

Slowly and carefully, Michael stood up and stretched like a fat cat after a good afternoon nap. Trevor was still caught up by the truck, which gave M enough time to step a bit closer to the stairs and lean on a post to regain stability while observing the sight right in front of him. Trevor never was the most ripped guy, but the way his arms bulged when he lifted a box made Michael weaker than he would admit, and the way his jeans perked up his ass when he squatted made his mouth dry. Why the hell did he have to wear that black sleeveless top? Michael thought. He knows whenever he does, we end up fucking...

Just as he lip his bit for thinking about T that way, his best friend turned around for the first time since he arrived and locked eyes with Michael. For a brief moment, he looked surprised, even taken aback by that idiotic drunk grin on Michael's face and the way he leaned against the only solid post of the house, but it soon was replaced by pure fury.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

That was actually an excellent question. Or it would be, if Michael knew the answer to it.

"What? What do you mean?"

"You SLUT!!!"

Trevor charged towards him full speed in a split second and made Michael jump a little harder than he thought it would and jammed his lower back against the table, and both M and table cried in pain.

"What the fuck, Trevor! What's your fucking problem... ouch..."

Trevor leapt up the stairs, grabbed one of Michael's wrists and yanked him towards the door he kicked open.

"You fucking whore, YOU are the problem!"

Michael's brain quit the chat altogether and bailed out on him, leaving him staring on Trevor with gaping mouth and slightly raised eyebrows. He stumbled through the door, unable to free himself from Trevor's grip, and when T shut the door and threw him back first on them only to grab his shoulders to keep him still, all he could do was to stare into his fiery eyes.

"What were you thinking, showing off your tits to all our neighbours, huh?"

Michael gulped when Trevor leaned closer. Over the past few weeks, he learned the smell of gasoline and tobacco meant sloppy fucks on the kitchen counter and hungry kisses with bitten lips. That night, it all was topped with a gun powder.

"you dirty bitch, I leave you home alone for one day and when I come back what do I see? A pair of your slutty knockers right in my face."

His hands suddenly decided to fight his stupor, and as he felt Trevor's breath on his neck, he tugged on T's top and hungrily squeezed waist found there. The only answer was a deep purr and wet tip of Trevor's tongue right where his pulse drummed against the fine skin. With a small moan, he yanked Trevor closer and collided their hips, but Trevor was faster and grabbed both his wrists and pinned them against the tin door.

"You horny bitch, did showing off make you hot and wet? Or are you just happy to see me?"

Trevor's anger was gone, now replaced with his usual horniness, as he ground his hips against Michael's to let him know the thought got him hot too. And god that shit-eating grin on his face when he leaned in and bit Michael's lip, but didn't go for a full kiss... That was the point of no return. That fucking tease! Michael trashed under him and actually managed to get both hands freed just to leap forward and literally throw them both trough the bathroom door, for Trevor to land on the toilet bowl.

Michael could barely hear the sound of boxes and bottles clacking, falling to the dirty ground as he straddled Trevor and grabbed his head to steal that kiss he wanted since he saw him outside. Trevor just did his best to balance them both on the tiny bowl and waved his arms around, trying to grab onto something solid. Just as Michael decided to nib on Trevor's lip lightly and open T up for a nice french action, something hit the back of his head with an annoying accuracy. Then it clanked on the ground, followed by choked laughter and sound of plastic rustling. Michael instinctively shot up and stumbled back, massaging the hit place.

"Ouch! T, what the fuck was that?!"

"That was a shower curtain, cupcake... I must have torn it when you tried to flush us both down the bowl..."

"and you won't even say sorry you prick?"

"hmmm, how about showing you how sorry I am?"

Trevor possessed this strange ability to appear out of nowhere and cover M with kisses and hugs. Michael noticed only then how much taller Trevor really was when he was pinned against the shower wall and two hot hands slid past the waist of his jeans, kissing his lower lip too gently for Michael's liking. At first, he went with the flow, burying his fingers to Trevor's stubble and hair on the back of his head just to push him closer. Still, he set his mind to he didn't want it there, slow and gentle with water running down his back, not that night. Michael knew well when he brushes his tongue against Trevor's, pull back and bite his lip, T would not only let out a needy whimper, so unlike his manly growls, but he would also become weak enough to be pushed back to the kitchen where they could have much more fun. What he didn't count with was a nasty crunch under his foot when Trevor stumbled back towards the sink which immediately broke their kiss. A small moan of frustration made Michael more anxious for a moment than he would ever admit.

"What is it, T? Are you ok?"

"Fuck, Michael, you stepped on my laxatives!"

"What?"

"How am I supposed to shit without them?"

"Screw them, you won't need them when I'm done with you tonight."

"Gee how hot..."

But there was no way Michael would let Trevor finish that sentence - all he wanted was to pin him to the kitchen counter, tear those sweatpants apart and fuck him. Now it was him who stomped around, holding Trevor's hand and throwing him to the counter. It took him another second to grab a fist full of his hair and yank Trevor's head backwards to relish absolutely delicious silhouette of his throat with adam's apple bobbing up and down in excitement. Trevor's moans only fired him up further and probed the hardened bud under the black shirt - to a promising whimper and a force pushing him aside to which he willingly succumbed and let a pair of lips suck onto his own so hard he hit his head against a tv stand which cried in pain and fell apart along with the tv.

"Fuck Trevor...."

"Not now, Mikey, don't stop."

Michael felt the telltale twitch under his belly that watered down the pain and gave him enough power to roll over a couple of times, french kissing the fuck out of those perfect full lips, drawing nails to Trevor's now naked back and push his head closer. He almost didn't mind when the radio hit the ground and when Trevor threw him onto the table which made their beer spill on the filthy floor. With Trevor on top, latched onto his nipple and running his hand down to his tightened jeans, nothing could stop him from getting what he wanted. As he tried to kick his jeans off, there was a slight sensation on his foot, but nothing very clear. It could have been a cup or something - when suddenly Trevor bolted upwards, and Michael was forced to open his eyes and look into his horrified face.

"Trevor I swear this isn't funny, what is it this time..."

"Michael, we broke the Impotent Rage..."

"T are you trying to give me blue balls or what?"

"No, but you clearly want my home in shambles! Oh fuck look at that! This was a limited edition with a signature of the original cast!"

Trevor just emotionlessly bolted towards the couch, next to which lay a mass of broken blue plastic that might have been anything in Michael's opinion. And it was in the way of reaching destination orgasm which made him a tiny bit mad. Ok, maybe a lot.

"Pardon me, but it was you who put it to the wrong place! Why did you leave it on the shelf with all this trash? Why don't you just throw all this shit out?"

And with just one swing of the arm, he managed to throw the rest of Trevor's memorabilia to the floor where it shattered comfortably.

"And this whole place is a fucking dump! Have you ever heard about wall-mounted TV or glass shower door? When the fuck will you live somewhere normal? Jesus, what do I have to break to make this place look decent? And that stupid action figure? What's so special about it, anyway?"

He wouldn't regret it if Trevor didn't turn around with puppy eyes and didn't tell him in his hurt voice.

"Because it was a gift from you..."

Michael didn't quite know how he managed to pick Trevor up from the ground, bring him to the bed, plant gentle kisses to every inch of him and whisper he's so so sorry. He didn't even have to, because soon enough, Trevor pulled him closer again, rolled over on top of him and gave him a lesson from Canadian french that left Michael breathless. He just let it happen, running his hands all the way down from the back of Trevor's head, to feeling his stuble, chest hair, hard nipples and his raging boner, and his nails draw new tattoos on Trevor's back first and then drawing his fingers into soft inside of Trevor's tights enjoying the view of T riding him.

"Hey M..."

"Hm?"

Michael lit a cigarette, just relishing the sweaty and sticky afterglow with Trevor pressed close to his side.

"You broke my impotent rage, gimme that..."

And before he could say or do anything, Trevor snatched his last cigarette and inhaled so deep half of it was gone.

"Hey! Give it back!"

"Make me!"

Michael instantly shot up, determined to kiss that grin off Trevor's lips and lept forward only to bang his head against the headboard again. This time, Trevor didn't even try to hold back and let his bubbly laughter echo in Michael's aching head.

"Fuck you and fuck this damn trailer..."

"aww come on porkchop, you did both tonight - unless you are up for the round two?"

"Hmmm... Make me..."

#Trikey #kissing prompts #real_fanta_sea.fic

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muertawrites · 4 years

Text

Two Halves - Chapter Nine (Zuko x Reader)

Part Eight

Word Count: 3,200

Previously: The Dai Li staged an attack on the refugee district of Ba Sing Se, during which the Firelady killed an agent to stop him from assaulting a young girl. Her life was threatened by another agent, and after the attack, she and Zuko had an argument about her need for his protection, during which he admitted how much he cares for her. (and that’s what you missed on glee)

Warning: This chapter mentions details of violence and attempted assault. Reader discretion is advised.

Author’s Note: Aaaand we’re back! I’m glad I took the week off last week; I’m feeling much better (which doesn’t mean much but) and am slowly getting back into the swing of writing regularly. Hopefully next week I’ll have a one shot to post, or at the very least, will get around to writing the second part of Lunar New Year. I’ve also got some *chef’s kiss* immaculate Sokka content going up on Monday (which may or may not already be available on my Patreon 👀).

~ Muerta

Over the next few days, dozens of meetings are held. Despite relentless hours spent digging, Kuei’s intelligence agents can find no clear motive for the attack, other than to disrupt the peace that’s settled over Ba Sing Se since the end of the war.

“It's perplexing,” Kuei tells you during one of these meetings. “The Dai Li have never been outwardly violent; their crimes are always kept very hushed as a way of keeping the city under their control. This type of attack is out of character for them.”

“You're sure there wasn't a shift in leadership?” you attempt. “A change in tactics? A coup, even?”

Kuei shakes his head, staring grave faced down at the scrolls before him.

“No,” he affirms. “Even our informants within the Dai Li are confused by the choice to act so publicly.”

Aang diverts his trip to the Northern Air Temple back to the city, and Suki comes from Kyoshi Island with a group of warriors to lend a hand, Sokka in tow; when they arrive at the palace, he forgoes any type of formal greeting to the Earth King in favor of capturing you in his arms, hugging you as though he intends to cave in your ribs.

“Oh, thank the Spirits you're okay,” he gasps. “We’re moving to the Fire Nation and I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”

“Sokka, please,” Suki chides, placing a hand on your shoulder. “She nearly beheaded a guy - she doesn't need you chaperoning her.”

While Sokka fusses over your safety, refusing to be apart from you for more than an hour at a time (unless Zuko, Suki, or Aang are present), Suki and Aang jump right into giving you a bit of proper combat training - Suki gives you one of the signature fans of the Kyoshi Warriors, teaching you the basics of using it for defense, and Aang instructs you in chi blocking, showing you how a few swift jabs in precise places can incapacitate an enemy without injury.

“I actually learned it from an old friend of Zuko’s,” Aang confesses as you train in the empty ballroom. “She outwitted us more than once when we were kids.”

“Ty Lee is terrifying,” Zuko admits from where he sits propped against a pillar, sharpening one of his swords as he watches your lesson. “I'm glad my sister never had more influence on her.”

After your fight the night of the attack, Zuko takes a step back in his protectiveness of you. He no longer insists you be sheltered, instead allowing you to define your own limits of how chivalrous you need him to be; he seems more concerned over your mental health, inquiring multiple times a day about your feelings in the wake of nearly losing your life and taking another. You keep yourself together in public, refusing to show anything that could be used against you as weakness, but when alone with your friends - Zuko especially - you let your vulnerability slip, unable even in wearing a brave face to go about your days with the same shine you usually do. You wake Zuko more than once in the middle of the night due to a nightmare, which begins a ritual of you discussing things that make you happy before bed. He's just as bothered by the unrest as you are, a fact he doesn't hide from you.

To the dismay of everyone in the palace, it isn't just your friends that arrive to help with damage control - the international affairs committee hears of your actions during the attack and drops everything, sending diplomats to participate in Kuei’s meetings. Luckily, it's Advisor Sung who shows up instead of Advisor Qiang, and you're thankful to have the more even-tempered man to oppose.

“They're supposed to be on my side,” you remark to Kuei as you walk to one of the palace courtrooms together, on your way to a hearing about the raid - specifically, about the man you killed during it. “I feel like I shouldn't have to fight my own council while also trying to defend myself from everyone else.”

“If it's any consolation, most people in the Earth Kingdom support you,” he responds, affectionately patting your arm. “Zuko has done a great deal to help us rebuild since the war, and they admire your bravery to act alongside him. Plus, I'm the king - I make the rules here, whether your advisors like it or not.”

You grin lopsidedly at him, hooking your arm with his.

“Run away with me, Kuei,” you teasingly propose. “Let’s build a house in the desert; you and Zuko can be my harem.”

Kuei laughs and rests his hand over yours, bringing your knuckles to his lips in a friendly kiss.

“We need your good trouble here, my dear,” he tells you. “I also am not keen on the idea of being a concubine - your husband looked quite ready to execute me when we danced together, and I prefer to be on his good side.”

Inside the courtroom, a group of Kuei’s legal and affairs advisors gather beside Advisor Sung and his aides, all of them speaking in hushed tones. Toph and Zuko sit together to one side of the room with a few members of Kuei’s guard, having been gathered as witnesses. A young girl sits alone a few feet away from them, flanked by an older couple who each have an arm around her; you recognize her as the girl you saved the day of the raid.

“Your Majesty,” the presiding judge announces upon your arrival, bowing low as his fellows follow suit. “Shall we begin the hearing with your statement?”

“Yes, I believe we shall,” Kuei replies. He takes his place at the head of the room while you lower yourself beside Zuko; your husband silently tucks his hand into yours, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Please describe the events of the Dai Li raid,” the judge states; beside him, a scribe scribbles shorthand on a blank scroll. “Specifically, your part in it and what you witnessed the Firelady do during it.”

“Dai Li agents were looting businesses and attacking civilians,” Kuei describes. “Firelord Zuko and Toph Beifong set to subduing the delegates of the raid while the Firelady and I rode through the district to incapacitate as many agents as we possibly could.”

“Did you discuss beforehand whether or not you intended to inflict serious harm on the attackers?” the judge asks, politely raising a hand to pause the king.

“No,” Kuei answers. “The situation was urgent and there was no time.”

“Were you armed?”

“I was not - the Firelady used a katana in its sheath as a means of rendering any attackers we encountered immobile.”

“Did you ever see the Firelady unsheathe the katana or use its blade?”

“Only once.”

“Please describe the incident.”

Kuei clears his throat, purposely keeping his gaze fixed on the wall behind the judge and legal council.

“I believe she saw them before I did,” he begins, sounding distant and disjointed. “A Dai Li agent had a teenage girl pinned to a nearby building, with what seemed to be the intent to assault her; the Firelady unsheathed the katana and slit the agent’s throat to prevent him from doing so.”

“What gave you the impression that the agent intended to assault the girl?” the judge calmly questions.

“He had her dress pulled up over her waist,” Kuei responds; he knots his hands into the fabric of his robes, so subtly you're not sure anyone else notices, “and his trousers had been dropped around his thighs.”

“Do you believe there is anything else the Firelady could have done to incapacitate the attacker?”

“No; anything else would have risked injuring the girl due to the… intimate nature of their position.”

“What did the Firelady do after slitting the Dai Li’s throat?”

“She took the girl to a safer area of the street. A group of residents had gathered in an unbothered storefront - she rode with the girl and deposited her there.”

“Thank you,” the judge concludes, bowing respectfully. “That is all the information we need.”

Kuei nods as one of the legal advisors hands him a stack of papers, quickly shuffling through them before speaking up.

“We’ll interview the guard next, if you agree,” he says.

For the next two hours, members of the guard - as well as Zuko and Toph - are interrogated, each giving their own account of the events of the raid. Toph, surprisingly, keeps her cool during the grilling, but one of the advisors pushes the wrong buttons when asking Zuko about his choice to not only allow you to come with him, but to take part in protecting the citizens of Ba Sing Se.

“You believed it was a good idea,” the advisor presses, “to let your wife - a woman with absolutely no combat training - defend civilians not under the care of her own government against an invasive attack?”

“Of course not,” Zuko replies. “But she’s my wife. My responsibility as a husband is to keep her away from harm while also keeping her by my side. It was either fight the leaders of the Dai Li beside her or send her with the Earth King. I chose what was safest for her. I'd even say she performed well, given her lack of experience.”

“You truly believe that?” the advisor needles.

“How many men attempted to kill the people of Ba Sing Se the day of the attack?” Zuko counters with his own question.

“Forty-seven,” the advisor quips. “Not including the leader and his right hand.”

“And how many civilians died?” Zuko prods.

The advisor falls silent, his expression dropping in vexed defeat as he swallows heavily.

“... None,” he mutters.

Zuko keeps his blank, piercing expression fixed on the advisor, saying nothing; after a tense moment, the man announces that he has no more questions.

Eventually, the girl you saved is called to make her statement. She paces to her seat before the king with nervous, trembling steps, tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

Advisor Sung approaches her, the Earth Kingdom legal team having decided they have enough evidence to deliberate if a sentence needs to be handed to you; the Fire Nation, however, needing more information to defend their Firelady against any wrongdoing - a stance you feel they won't be quick to take.

“Bulan Ngo,” Advisor Sung addresses her, his tone even and measured. “Can you please describe what happened to you the day of the Dai Li’s demonstration?”

The girl swallows, parting her lips and closing them as if unsure to speak; when she does find her words, her voice is timid.

“A… a group of agents... came into our apothecary,” she attempts, looking into her lap. “They took us out into the street… me and my mother. One of them… one of them s-said… I was pretty… and another… suggested he ‘try’ me…”

“What happened then?”

Bulan’s chin quivers. A single tear rolls down her cheek.

“He took me to the alley,” she whispers. “And he undressed me.”

“Did he touch you anywhere that made you feel uncomfortable?”

She nods, shutting her eyes tightly.

“He put his hand between my legs.”

“Did he penetrate you?”

“N… no… his pants were… he took his pants down, though.”

“Do you remember what happened next?”

“He pushed me onto the wall.”

At this point, nobody in the courtroom breathes, and you have to strain to hear what she says. Not far from you, her father draws in a sharp breath as he brings a hand to his mouth, trying in vain to cover up a sob.

“Did he say anything else to you?” Advisor Sung asks.

“He… he said… he wanted… he was going to… ‘fuck me good’... he told me,” Bulan manages. Tears pour from her eyes. “And… and then I… his neck was cut. I was covered in blood...”

“Did that scare you? When the Firelady attacked him?”

“I…”

Bulan heaves in, shaking her head.

“I don't know… I was scared already... I… I don't know…”

“Did you know the Dai Li agent was dead?”

“Y-yes… I saw his body… as the Firelady took me away…”

“What did he look like?”

“Stop.”

You spring from your place beside Zuko, fists clenched.

You hadn't meant to, but you screamed the word at Advisor Sung. Bulan flinches at the sound, her shoulders seeming to fold in on themselves as she begins to sob, holding a hand over her face to obscure the shrill gasps of her weeping.

“My lady?” Sung questions, startled.

“Stop,” you repeat. “She's upset. You already made her tell you every last detail of the wretched things that monster did to her - she doesn't need to tell you anything else. Let her go. Question somebody else.”

Advisor Sung stares at you for a moment, the muscle beneath his left eye twitching; he looks as if he’s on the verge of glaring at you, but he draws back, his features softening as he nods.

“Of course,” he secedes. “Your Majesty?”

“You have enough,” Kuei snaps. He's moved from his throne, come to Bulan’s side and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders; he coaxes her onto her feet, returning her to the safety of her parents. “That’s all I’ll allow you to take from my people.”

“I’ll finish the statement,” Bulan’s mother chimes in. She cuts into Advisor Sung with a searing, steady gaze, positioning herself in front of her family. “That woman saved my daughter.”

She points to you, setting her jaw as water lines the edges of her eyes.

“My daughter is only thirteen. Her pain isn't for the man who violated her. None of us mourn for him. We mourn the innocence he took from her. We are thankful he didn't take more. If he had done so, I would have rather he killed her - it would have been more merciful than forcing her to live with the memory. The Firelady saved my only child from a horrible fate. As her subjects, you should revere her for that.”

Bulan’s mother is crying by the end of her speech, silent tears that drench her skin and make her words fiercer. She turns to you and bows, lowering herself completely to the ground. When she stands once more, Kuei gives her permission to leave the courtroom, sending the members of the guard that were interviewed to escort the family home.

“This hearing is dismissed,” he announces, glowering at Advisor Sung. “The Earth Kingdom will press no charges.”

Zuko slams the sitting room door into its slot against the opposite wall, the sound ricocheting down the corridor you just came through. He rips his headpiece out of place, tossing it into the nearby cushions as he roughly runs one of his palms through his hair.

“What the hell was that?” he barks. “What were they trying to do? It’s the kind of behavior my father encouraged! I thought I got rid of it!”

He flings himself back onto a nearby chaise, his hand covering his face as he pinches the bridge of his nose. You collect his headpiece from the floor, setting it on the serving table in the center of the room before lowering yourself beside him; your hands find their way to his chest of their own volition, rubbing gentle, calming circles over his pectorals and down his abdomen.

“It's only been ten years since the war ended,” you remind him. “People like Sung grew up with your father’s influence ingrained in them - it’ll take another hundred years for it to go away.”

Zuko sighs, turning his head to look up at you.

“I should sack him,” he suggests.

“No,” you retort. “That won't solve the problem, either. Sung’s a good man, he just has some questionable people guiding him. Once he's out on his own, we’ll be able to bring him around.”

Zuko sits up, fixing you with a concerned, pensive stare; your hand still rests on his chest, settled into the space just below where his shoulder meets his neck.

“That's not what's bothering you,” you observe.

“The Dai Li who attacked you,” Zuko explains. “He called me ‘Zuzu’. That was my sister’s nickname for me when we were kids.”

You knit your brows.

“But… how would he…?”

“She worked with the Dai Li during the war. They helped her conquer the city.”

Zuko takes your hand in his, locking his fingers with yours.

“You think she's behind this,” you conclude.

“It's possible,” he admits. “Azula is manipulative. Uncle was right when he said my father would have just killed us, but Azula… She knows how to destroy things from the inside. She's good at it.”

You raise your free hand to his cheek, running your thumb over the damaged skin on the peak of his cheekbone; his eye, glassy and clouded the color of a full moon, stares vacantly back at you.

“... I might have to execute my sister,” he mutters.

You shake your head, the hand clasped within his moving to cup the other side of his face.

“You will not do that,” you assure him. “You aren't Ozai, Zuko; you don't have to love your family, because Spirits know they don't deserve it, but you're strong enough to overcome them without resorting to the cruelty your father did. He only got his power because of your grandfather - he was weak. You've earned your own place as Firelord.”

Zuko swallows hard; you watch the bone in his neck quiver as he does. It's then that you realize just how close you are to him, your faces only inches apart, your noses almost touching. One of his hands rests at your waist. He licks his lips, and you can't stop your mind from wondering how they would taste pressed against yours.

He pulls away, his fingers tucking the braid that rests to the left of your face behind your ear.

“You're right,” he whispers. Tears brim over his lower lashes, threatening to spill. “I'm not my father.”

“Knock, knock!”

The moment is broken by Kuei’s entrance, his knuckles rapping against the frame of the sitting room door as he steps through the threshold. He backs up a little when he notices the intimate position you're in, his cheeks pinkening with embarrassment.

“Oh, I'm sorry,” he sputters. “I just wanted to let you know that lunch is ready - Mushi came from the Dragon to cook for us.”

You turn to smile at the Earth King, standing to block Zuko from his view so that he can collect himself, wiping the water from his eyes.

“Thanks, Kuei,” you say. “We’ll be there soon - keep some dumplings warm for us!”

Kuei bashfully grins, nodding as he retreats into the hallway. Zuko paces up behind you, placing a hand to the small of your back.

“I'm fine,” he murmurs. His lips brush your temple in a chaste, tender kiss, which you feel all the way down your stomach and into your core. “Let's go.”

For the rest of your stay in the Earth Kingdom, Zuko keeps close to you; there isn't a moment when you're together that he doesn't have an arm at your waist or your hand cradled in his. Your friends all notice, shooting you teasing, knowing glances whenever they catch your eye.

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solalunar-eclipse · 4 years

Text

Scars You Can’t See - Chapter 4

Chapter title: Infiltration

Word count: about 3100 words

Author’s Note: Aaaand this is where everyone finds out that I’ve watched the first three Mission: Impossible movies.

First | Previous | Next

Shadow had learned about emotions early on during his time on ARK. Maria explained them to him as they came up- happiness, sadness, anger, fear and all the rest.

But Shadow really felt that there was no good word to describe his feelings at the moment. Everything was just...strange.

He and his friends were still trying to keep a low profile, since G.U.N. would absolutely have put out a search warrant by now. The team was planning to commit a second heist, with even larger consequences for everyone involved than the first one. They were going to do this with absolutely no backup and no supplies, equipment, or up-to-date inside knowledge.

And he was watching Rouge eat multiple pancakes drenched in syrup as though everything was completely normal.

Omega wasn’t with them, having been told to wait in the car (again). He didn’t need to eat, though, so he wasn’t too irritated this time.

Shadow had barely touched his waffles, only able to poke at them quietly with his fork. Any time he considered eating even a small piece, he would remember the mission and lose his appetite immediately. He pushed a small piece around in the sticky mock-maple syrup, staring at the golden square.

“You need to eat something, hon,” Rouge told him around a mouthful of food. “Get your strength up for the mission- don’t want your body giving out on you.”

He groaned, eyeing the food with distaste. “I know, I know…”

“Shadow. Do I have to tell you again?” she asked, her voice becoming more stern- almost parental.

The hybrid ate a forkful reluctantly, forcing himself to swallow. He barely tasted it at all, the sticky sweetness only vaguely registering.

Every few seconds, Shadow’s hand drifted to his phone, dying to turn it on and see what texts were being sent. Was Silver searching for clues accidentally left by G.U.N. in the news? Could Knuckles be drafting battle plans he knew would never be used? Was Sonic cracking jokes to lighten the mood?

Or were they even thinking about this at all?

How he wished he knew…

“Hon. Stop it.” Rouge said, dragging him out of his reverie. “I know what you’re thinking, and I’m sure they’re fine and talking about all sorts of things, including us. I promise.”

“I just hope that we got our message across and they’re being careful. At least half the members of the other teams only have a single brain cell.” Shadow muttered.

The bat laughed. “I will bet you an all-you-can-eat meal that Tails has knocked out either Sonic or Knuckles at least once, and that Silver is pitching wild conspiracy theories to Blaze while Amy tries and fails to maintain her sanity.”

Shadow smirked, before cringing as the reality of what they were about to do crashed back onto him with all the force of a tidal wave. This mission could very well be their last.

Rouge must’ve seen his expression shift, because she took his hand and smiled at him gently. “It’s going to be fine. We’ll get the evidence, send it to a couple newspapers, get G.U.N. to finally do something about...well, everything, and then we’ll all be fine. You’ll never have to touch a gun again, we’ll never have to worry about people getting hurt, and then we can go to that movie night, alright?”

The hybrid smiled faintly, feeling his weakened resolve start to return. He was fully aware that his friends were the only reason he was maintaining his sanity at this point. He hated to burden them this way. That was why he was really looking forward to the end of this wild experience. Then they wouldn’t have to worry about him anymore.

Thankfully, before long, they were back in the car and on the way to the G.U.N. storage building, and Shadow was able to force himself to push such thoughts to the back of his mind. Now that they had begun, this kind of distraction could be downright deadly.

The team had to make a stopoff first, though. Specifically, at the uniform warehouse for G.U.N.’s main electrical repair company- the perfect excuse to get into the facility. Omega drove the sedan up to the security gate, but everyone knew to let Rouge do the talking.

“Hi there!” she said brightly. To anyone else, the bat would’ve appeared to be the picture of sincerity. Shadow knew better, though.

He had enough experience to see the calculating glint in her eyes and the steady size she held her smile at. Not meek, but not crazy either. Just outgoing enough for the guard to quickly wave them through after she offered up an apology: “So sorry, mister, we seem to have misplaced ours and we’ve got a big job coming up, you know?”

Shadow was incredibly thankful that nobody questioned the two of them as they walked through the warehouse, either. He snatched two uniforms in their sizes (hopefully) from the near-endless racks, trying to look busy while Rouge covered for both of them. Nobody ever even thought to wonder who that bat and that hedgehog were, or why they were there.

They walked out with no trouble, the two uniforms, and even a polite wave from the security guard.

The hybrid felt nothing but a small hint of relief as Omega drove their car out of the industrial area where the warehouse was. They headed down the winding dirt roads towards the G.U.N. facility, and he busied himself with struggling into his outfit. He worked his way into a navy blue jacket and loose matching pants, pulling down a company-issued baseball cap to complete the look.

Shadow glowered over at Rouge, noticing that she had completed the entire process both quickly and effortlessly, not even messing up her hair in the process.

“How in the name of chaos did you manage that?” he growled.

“What?” she asked innocently, smiling at him.

“Your hair.” he snapped.

“Oh, it’s all experience, Shadow! I’m used to quick costume changes- it comes with the job, you know.” Rouge replied pleasantly.

Shadow was certain that she enjoyed torturing him like this. He scoffed, irritated, and chose not to dignify that statement with a response. Instead, he stared at the rear view mirror and pushed his skewed quills this way and that until he was satisfied.

The team was there within the hour, parked a ways down the road. They didn’t get out, though- they just...stared at it for quite a while. The structure was situated in the middle of the fields with no other buildings for miles around. Perfect for a place people shouldn’t know existed. Shadow silently thanked the stars that Team Dark had needed a high level of clearance to do their job- and for Omega’s pride.

The facility was made of cold, dark steel, shaped like a perfect rectangle. It had no guard towers, no large, automated weapons systems, yet it still appeared incredibly large and imposing. The few guards visible were stationed at the gate and patrolling the perimeter.

It almost seemed like G.U.N. didn’t expect an attack.

The apprehension in the car was suffocating. Shadow got out first, forcing himself to move. If he didn’t, the hybrid doubted he’d be able to go through with the plan at all. “So where to now?” he asked, checking his appearance one last time in the reflection on the car door. It still didn’t look like his reflection. That was good.

“Through that big door.” Rouge said confidently, pointing it out. She’d gotten Shadow to slice two slits in her shirt, making sure her wings were available at a moment’s notice. “Then we let Omega in at the side- I’ll be the one to disable the camera.”

They walked cautiously towards the door, but there was no need for worry. The guards waved them right through. Shadow forced a small smile onto his face, despite the motion feeling incredibly fake. He had to sell it for this to work.

The moment the two got through the door, they rushed through a maintenance hall to the side door. Rouge took a deep breath and let it out quietly. “Game face, Shadow.”

He acknowledged her with a nod, pushing his thought processes fully into ‘mission mode’. He couldn’t remember exactly when he’d learned how to do this, but his suspicions were that having to steal a Chaos Emerald for a supervillain had played a pretty big role.

Rouge flew up to the camera and disconnected it from behind, with a practice that revealed her many years of experience as a thief. Omega was difficult to spot, but Shadow saw him hunched down in the long, golden grass. The robot looked both ways before blasting across the field to the opening.

Once he was inside, the three headed back towards the main corridor. “Let’s go.” Rouge whispered, her voice utterly serious.

Team Dark made their way through the halls slowly, ears (and auditory receptors) searching for any kind of noise. They made sure to avoid all the security cameras, too, moving slowly but staying out of sight.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps made all three freeze. Low chatter reached their position, the words unintelligible but signifying danger all the same. The noise was getting closer.

And closer.

Shadow shoved Rouge and Omega roughly into a nearby supply closet and shut it silently- there wasn’t enough room for him too. He jumped up to the ceiling and clung to the ducts there, making sure to hide in one of the darkest parts. As the voices approached, he felt incredibly thankful for his strength.

The guards appeared at the end of the hallway, and he held his breath, not daring to move a muscle. They spoke loudly, utterly unaware of their secret audience.

“Ugh. I hate it when these lights short out,” one said as they walked through a dark patch of the hall.

“I know, right? This is like the third time this week.”

“...”

Shadow waited, bracing his feet further against one of the larger pipes….

“I like it better in the security room. These walking shifts suck.”

“Yeah, you can just chill and eat there. We’ve got that shift later, did ya know?”

“Oh, sweet. Then I can finally eat this sandwich. Got it off that new restaurant…”

“...”

Evidently, they were too wrapped up in their conversation to notice the hybrid’s presence in between the lights. Once the guards were long gone, all three sighed, relieved.

The next set of patrollers were much easier to avoid, thankfully. All they had to do was hide around a corner out of sight, and then it was a straight shot to the video storage rooms.

Each entered a separate room, making eye contact one last time before heading in. Shadow turned the cold handle cautiously, slipping around the corner of the doorframe and staying in the darkness. He allowed the lock to slide silently into place, looking around for security cameras. There were none...interesting. He supposed that G.U.N. didn’t want any record of what was stored here, either.

Shadow stalked amongst the shelves for a minute, but froze in place when the handle rattled and the lock clicked open. He stood utterly still, holding his breath again as the guard shone his light around the space. When they left, he remained still while they checked the other storage rooms, only letting himself move once they were gone.

The hybrid began to walk again, his face blank and cold. He scanned the shelves methodically, gaze flicking among the white plastic boxes stacked row by row. He couldn’t afford to waste a single second, so he moved quickly.

Perfect Chaos...the Master Emerald...Big the Cat?

There.

Shadow spotted the box labeled ‘ARK Files’....but it appeared that there were multiple of these. He pulled them out and onto the floor, searching for the right dates. There were tapes stretching all the way back to the construction of Space Colony ARK, in ‘39. After an agonizing minute, Shadow found the tapes from ‘51 in the third box, so he returned the other two and exited the room as silently as he came.

He tapped out the team’s special code on the wall: one, one-two, one-two-three. It was, of course, based on Omega’s series numbers.

Rouge and Omega left their rooms, and the bat smiled darkly at him once she saw the container in his arms. Good, she mouthed. Now out.

They were nearly caught as they hurried through the halls, since carrying a decent-sized box significantly limited Shadow’s maneuverability. When a pair of voices started up again, he was the one shoved in the same closet as last time, along with Omega. Rouge, too, chose to hide on the ceiling, but hooked her knees around a duct first; after all, she was a bat. Hanging on tightly to another pipe with her hands, she watched as the guards passed right underneath her with no trouble.

Nobody ever thought to look up for people hiding.

Team Dark finally made it back to the hall they’d started in, and the two ‘organics’, as Omega put it, removed their uniforms and left them in a pile on the floor. The E-series robot himself, meanwhile, added the box to his ever-growing stash of G.U.N. blackmail inside his compartment.

Shadow pushed open the door carefully and the three rushed outside. They pressed themselves against the building (or made a valiant attempt to do so in Omega’s case) to hide from any potential guards.

As they began to make their way across the tall fields of grass, Rouge’s ears flicked up. “Guards. Four o’clock. Get down.”

Shadow’s special agent training kicked in and he hit the dirt, turning his head to see Omega doing the same. One last rush of adrenaline flooded his system, his body shaking slightly with energy and almost numb at the exact same time.

He fought for control of himself despite this, refusing to give in to his exhaustion. Shadow wasn’t out of danger yet, and he couldn’t afford to let anything slide.

The guards passed by quickly, honestly, but it seemed like hours. The location of the team’s car was in the front of his mind, almost pinging as though he had a radar system inside his head. The hybrid practically felt each individual step of the two humans, even as he ached to get up and sprint away as fast as possible.

As soon as the guards were gone, all three blasted across the fields, jumped into their car, and reversed out of there at top speed.

They couldn’t return to the motel- of that everyone was certain. Shadow would have to be extremely careful about using his alias again, too, since G.U.N. would be onto them in a matter of minutes. The team was already preparing to find a new place to stay. But they had the files, and they had each other.

They were close now.

…

Back at G.U.N. headquarters, the commander returned from vacation to find about twenty different memos on his desk, as well as hundreds of emails demanding to know what was going on.

He sighed, looking at the mess. “What is going on?”

The words rogue agents and secrecy compromised caught his eye, making the commander sit up a little straighter in his seat. This kind of situation could be downright dangerous for the organization as a whole, depending on who the agents were and how big the breach was. He continued reading.

Agents Shadow, Rouge and Omega removed classified files from the premises and evaded capture later that day…

The commander swore under his breath, significantly more worried than before. Rogue agents were one thing, but rogue agents with superpowers and incredible resources on their side? That was another entirely. But why would they want to betray G.U.N.- he’d thought that they were committed to working on the right side of the law now!

Files stolen: Personal File on Maria Robotnik.

Oh.

He supposed that this made a little more sense. After all, the commander had acted rather rashly based on his memories of her as well. But what in the world could have set Shadow off so badly that he’d act against G.U.N.? Especially if he knew the commander’s past….

He called in a squad leader on the spot. When the middle-aged woman appeared at his desk, he looked her straight in the eyes. “I presume you’ve heard about the security breach.”

“Yes, sir.” she replied.

“I need you to send out two of our best recon agents. If Team Dark really has decided to betray us, then I need to know everything about why and what they’ll do next. Do everything you can to get some time with Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles Prower. They’re close with the team, and they might have some answers for us. Got it?”

“Understood, sir!” she said crisply, before turning to leave his office.

Once he was alone again, the commander heaved a sigh and stared at his computer screen, preparing to type out an email sending the entire organization into a Level 3 Alert. What in the name of Chaos was going on here?

…

If the commander had followed his subordinate, he might have begun to understand what was happening.

He was not an unjustly cruel man- for the most part. The Shadow issue had been an emotional time, and that was an anomaly. However, this violent tendency was not an anomaly in and of itself.

In the end, G.U.N. was a military organization. They did have a history of resorting to violence too quickly (Maria’s death was a glaring reminder of that for the commander). They had jurisdiction that was far wider than most would expect. And they were often called in first during uncertain situations, before any other government agency.

So when the squad leader returned to her team’s office, she told them about their mission: to get as much information as possible about Team Dark’s motivations, behaviors, and potential future movements….with full authorization, from her, to do so by any means necessary.

After all, this was a security breach, and a danger to the entire organization. It had been classified a Level 3 Alert, and was likely to go up at any moment.

They had authorization to do whatever they needed.

What could go wrong there?

#scars you can't see #sycs #shadow the hedgehog #rouge the bat #e 123 omega #here we go...#interesting fact: i actually misspelled rogue as rouge instead of the other way around once #i broke 3000 words again!! yay #in case you can't tell...gun has some ISSUES #sol’s fanfiction

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slash-em-up · 4 years

Text

Marry Your Monsters Pt. 6

Step back. A second meeting.

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

7 Years Prior:

Barry brayed when he laughed.

This was just a fact, neither negative nor positive – and if that was the only part to that story Miranda wouldn’t be desperate for an excuse to leave his side right now.

An obnoxious laugh wasn’t anything to be ashamed of if it was genuine – the problem was, Barry only laughed like that when he was trying to make inroads with someone.

Come to think of it, Miranda didn’t think she’d ever heard his real laugh. But she supposed that’s how you made partner at a law-firm by thirty-seven. Brown-nosing like a fool.

However, considering that she’d only agreed to come to the party with the man because he’d put her in connection with people she might otherwise not have even seen, let alone talked to... couldn’t that also be considered a type of boot-licking?

Or just a legal type of prostitution. Fuck. That wasn’t an image she ever wanted in her mind again.

Miranda made a pact with herself then and there – there was no way she was going home with Barry tonight. So help her god, that man would not see her naked.

Ever since she’d graduated law school she’d had to claw and fight for her place in the suit-jacket wearing and cigar-smoking world of defense attorneys. Despite ‘Legally Blonde’ coming out recently she still felt like she was playing a man’s game in a man’s world – woefully ill-equipped in the rules of a game she hadn't learned how to play just yet. But she would. That’s where Barry came in.

If only he weren’t so very, VERY boring.

“...so then I said ‘Jimmy, isn’t that from the time we went to Olive Garden together?’ and he said ‘yes!’”

Aaaand off went the laugh. Loud, and right in her ear. She needed something a lot stronger than the champagne she was sipping to get through the night.

“Pardon me gentlemen. I think it’s time for a scotch.” Miranda smiled, excusing herself from the group.

“Oh hey, get me one too, won’t you Mimi? Double, with two ice cubes?”

A murmur of assent rose from the group.

Great. She was the waitress now. And Mimi?! Please. She’d outgrown ‘Randi’ in college and she’d never been a ‘Mimi’.

Her lips thinned as she stared back at the man who’d asked her for a scotch.

“I think you can order that yourself, Ted. Or do you need me to find a court stenographer around here to read your order back to you?”

A few men in the circle chuckled at her sass. A few winced. Ted narrowed his eyes.

“Careful Mimi – wouldn’t want that attitude to get back to Mr. Haeyden.”

Haeyden, Haeyden & Lock was the firm Miranda had taken a position with – if Ted was in with Mr. Haeyden that comment might blow her chances of making partner in the next decade or two.

She grimaced but tried to hide it behind a winning smile.

“Two cubes you said, Ted?”

Ted smirked.

“That-a girl.”

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

Miranda just barely refrained from stomping over to the bar to order the drinks.

When did she become such a push-over? Was her career really so important that she was going to let some toupee-wearing jag-off order her around?

Where had her self-respect gone?

God dammit.

She leaned heavily against the bar and ordered the drinks.

“And can I get a shot of tequila for the road?”

The bartender nodded; and then glanced to the side where a person leaned against the bar by Miranda, rapping a knuckle against the wood and holding up two fingers, signaling for the bartender to make that two tequilas.

Internally Miranda groaned, so not in the mood to be hit on right now.

“Look, it’s an open bar -” she started, turning towards the man.

“ - you don’t need to try and...” her sentence cut off as she fully faced the man and looked up... and up... into a pair of familiar warm brown eyes.

“Jesse?”

The man responded with a toothy grin, nodding once.

Time had certainly been kind to him – lean muscle filling in the areas where he’d been too slender in college, attractive wrinkles just barely beginning to form around his eyes and the corners of his mouth.

“You shaved your head...”

Jesse huffed in amusement at her obvious statement, running a hand over his bald scalp.

‘It’s good to see you Miranda.’ he signed.

“Wow, it’s really good to see you too. What’s it been, ten years?”

The man nodded, tilting his head to observe her better.

‘You look good. And here with the H,H & L crew; I guess you finally got what you’d been working for.’

Miranda’s ASL was a little rusty; but she still understood the gist of what Jesse was saying.

“Oh yeah... I’ve been there for a couple years now... Right out of Law School actually... And how are you? I didn’t expect to see you at a charity event...”

Their drinks arrived, and Jesse turned away a moment to swipe a few lime slices out of the bar cubbies, handing her one and using his height to bend over and pull a salt-shaker out from behind the counter.

‘I’m doing fantastic. Can’t you tell by the fact that I came over in the middle of a party to do a free tequila shot?’

A guffaw of laughter escaped Miranda before she clapped her hand tightly over her mouth – but the damage was done. Jesse was grinning ear-to-ear at her loss of decorum.

She recovered and held her shot glass aloft.

“To a wonderful party.”

Jesse raised his in salute before setting it to the side, licking his hand, and carefully prepping the salt and lime.

Miranda followed suit and met his mischievous glance with a wry grin of her own.

“1, 2, 3!”

They both downed their shots together, coming up with a gag at the cheap taste of the alcohol, and laughing at their childishness.

“I haven’t done that in years!”

Jesse was still smiling as he signed ‘Really? I do that every night.’

Miranda giggled.

“Still the party-boy, huh?”

The grin stretching across Jesse’s face faltered, and slowly dropped.

‘Yeah, still that same old asshole.’

Miranda flinched, all the accusations she’d thrown around so many years ago coming back like a flood.

She straightened, looking Jesse as close to dead in the eye as she could.

“Maybe that asshole wasn’t quite the kind of asshole I was thinking he was.”

Jesse looked at her curiously.

“... I was wrong... maybe I was too quick to come to conclusions about you...I mean, that was really the first time we’d ever talked and -”

Her explanation was cut off by two very unwelcome interlopers.

“Hey Mimi! Where’s that scotch?”

Ted and Barry sauntered up to the counter, standing to her left before noticing who she was talking to – immediately making their way to her side, and crowding her behind them.

“Mr. Cromeans, no one said you’d be here tonight!”

“How’s your grandfather, we heard he hadn’t been in the best of health recently...”

“Business going well? I heard through the grapevine you’d been diversifying your portfolio. Always a smart idea – if you’re interested I can put you in touch with -”

Miranda interjected loudly.

“EXCUSE ME, gentlemen. I believe I was talking with Mr. Cromeans. Perhaps you’d like to order your drinks while we finish our conversation?”

Both men looked at Miranda like she’d grown a second head.

Jesse fought to hold his smile back at their flabbergasted looks; only deigning to raise an eyebrow at the two when they looked to him for a reaction.

‘You heard the lady.’

Miranda moved back to Jesse’s side as the two lawyers muttered and slunk off to the other side of the bar.

‘Don’t take this the wrong way; but I think that was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen...’

The skin on Miranda’s neck heated to what she suspected was a bright red at Jesse’s words, and at her own brashness.

“Good, because I think that probably cost me any hope of a partnership I have in the near future...”

Jesse’s bright-white smile was back full-force as he signed casually.

‘If you’re really looking for some more serious work, I might have something you’d be interested in. How do you feel about corporate law?’

Miranda blinked.

“It wasn’t my strongest subject; but I’m a fast learner...”

She leaned forward into the man’s space, feeling emboldened by both the alcohol and the ‘devil may care’ attitude Jesse seemed to exude.

“How about I take you out for drinks and we can talk about it?”

Jesse’s shoulders rose and fell in silent, hearty laughter – eyes bright with delight at her boldness.

‘Why Miranda, I thought you’d never ask...’

#jesse cromeans x mrs. cromeans #jesse cromeans #chromeskull #laid to rest #chromeskull: laid to rest 2 #jessica writes #Horror Movies #slasher fiction #IDK why but when the inspo for this story comes it comes in waves not drips #im not complaining

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bulbpix · 4 years

Text

If You Just Listened - Part 18

Arthur was a little confused. No, he was very confused.

Have you ever kissed anyone before? What kind of question was that? You were acting very strange the last few times he'd seen you. He was beginning to think something was wrong.

He furrowed his brows at you. "Why do you want to know?"

You were now beginning to realize your plan wasn't so well thought out. You shrugged, turning towards the TV to hide the anxiousness in your expression.

"I dunno, I was just curious." "Well, have you?" "Have I what?"

Arthur was mildly annoyed by your avoidance of the question. He pressed forward.

"Well, if you're so curious about whether or not I've ever kissed anyone, I figured it would only be fair if you answered that question first."

Your nerves were so heightened you thought you'd turn into a babbling mess. Arthur was right, but he'd never been this aggressive in his communication before. This was definitely not the same Arthur from when you first met.

"I... I... I mean, yeah. Yeah, I have."

"Hm." Arthur nodded, turning towards the TV.

More silence.

Your heart was slamming against your ribs like a drum. What were you supposed to say now? Your plan had backfired so much more badly than you thought it would.

"Yeah."

You turned to Arthur. "Yeah?"

Arthur smiled to himself.

"I mean yeah, I've kissed people before."

"Oh." You were honestly surprised. Was that mean? You didn't really know what answer you were expecting, but you were caught off guard nonetheless.

"When was your first kiss?"

Arthur sighed, running his fingers through his hair. He looked like he was beginning to get apprehensive. "When I was young, there was this girl that got dared to kiss me. I should've known that it was a dare, looking back now. But at the time... Well, you know."

You pursed your lips. Bad question to ask. God, this plan was a miserable failure. The best you could do now was somehow try to salvage what you could.

"Ah. Well. At least you wanted that kiss. When I was in high school this asshole just ran up and kissed me in the hallway without asking. It was gross."

Arthur raised his eyebrows, turning his head towards you.

"Wow." "Yeah."

More silence. Your curiosity had gotten the better of you now. You wondered far you could push for more information. Your plan had already gone up in flames, what harm could it do?

"So... was this girl pretty?" Arthur yawned, leaning more on the counter. "Well. At the time, I thought she was. So, yeah. Yeah, I guess."

You nodded, swinging your legs more. "And... was she the only person you've kissed?"

Arthur became visibly flushed, his brows furrowing as he turned to you.

"What the... What's going on? Why are you asking me this stuff?"

Shit.

"I'm just curious! Jeez... It's not that serious."

Arthur squinted at you, before returning to his slouching position.

"No, there was another. But it didn't really mean anything." "Didn't mean anything? How do you kiss someone without it meaning anything?"

Arthur turned to you, narrowing his eyes.

"Are you okay?"

Your cheeks immediately went pink.

"Did someone do something to you? Was your shift okay today at work? We can go back there, I'll talk to them if you need me to-"

You shook your head, raising your hands.

"No, no! Nothing happened."

"Then what is this all about?"

You stammered, struggling to find a response.

"I don't- What? Arthur I just- I don't even..."

You took a breath, trying to think. You stared at your lap, desperately attempting to create some thought. Anything.

That's when an idea struck you.

"I just haven't kissed anyone in such a long time, you know. I just felt kind of embarrassed, so I wanted to talk about it..."

Arthur stared at you, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Really?"

You pursed your lips, nodding slightly.

"Yeah."

Arthur felt a pang of guilt for pressuring you so much. He didn't know the reason you wanted to discuss such a weird topic, and now that he did, he couldn't help but feel a little bad for getting so worked up.

But then again, he didn't know your true intentions.

"I mean, I haven't kissed anyone in a long time either," he sighed.

This is it.

Your palms became clammy. You could do this.

"Maybe it doesn't have to be this way." You swallowed.

"What do you mean?"

"Well..." you began. "We're probably bad kissers. Being out of practice for so long, and everything, you know?"

"Yeah...?"

"So, until the next time we kiss people, maybe we should practice..."

Arthur raised an eyebrow.

You fidgeted with your fingers.

"...with each other."

Arthur had no idea what was happening. All he knew was that his head was spinning. It almost felt like his stomach had fallen to the floor. What did you ask him? He thought he was going to faint. Like someone had set his whole body on fire, but in a good way, if that made any sense. He hadn't even realized how long he had been staring at you now. He swore his jaw had fallen off.

He reached up to touch it.

Nope, still there.

Do people do that? Do people practice kissing? Was that a thing? He was still recovering from the time you'd touched his shoulder. But to kiss you? To KISS you? Arthur looked down at his hands. He moved his fingers, squeezing and relaxing his knuckles.

He wasn't imagining this.

"I'm sorry- You want to... practice... kissing?" He stuttered.

You fought every urge to look away in embarrassment. You held your chin up, and nodded.

"Yeah. Do you want to do this?"

Arthur could barely comprehend what was going on, but he nodded. Slowly, he walked in front of you, standing as straight as he could and pressing down his shirt.

You sat up as much as you could on the counter, puffing your chest out. With a trembling hand, you pushed a stray hair out of your face.

"Okay..." you whispered. "Okay...." he responded.

The both of you stared at one another for a moment, unsure of what to do next.

"Okay, so just-" "I'll go here-"

The both of you shared an awkward, but comforting laugh after speaking over each other.

Arthur took a deep breath as he moved in front of you.

You tried to hide your quick breathing while you leaned forward, puckering your lips.

Arthur gulped.

Slowly and methodically, he leaned in closer. Your noses were touching. Neither of you were prepared for this. The closeness of your faces revealed just how nervous the two of you were, which, in a way, provided some ease to the situation.

Aaaand, MWAH!

You barely felt Arthur's mouth as he delivered one quick, hasty peck.

He stood up straight again, his chest rising and falling like he had just finished a jog. His face was glowing red.

"Alright," he breathed. "That wasn't so bad."

You scratched your forehead, not quite satisfied. Not at all, really.

"No, Arthur. I meant like... You know, like a real kiss."

Arthur bit his lip, blinking a few times.

"O-oh," he muttered in his now quivering voice. "No, right. Of course. Right"

He planted his palms on the counter on either side of you, pointing his head down toward your lap to compose himself. You looked down at his hair, resisting the urge to bury your nose in it again. He was so close now. You didn't know if you were ready for this.

He leaned back as if he was getting ready for a running start before standing upright again. He looked up, his light eyes practically piercing yours. His nose flared as he let out one last hard breath.

And before you could form your next thought, his lips were on yours.

He had moved towards you so quickly and forcefully that he pushed you back, you had to hang on to the counter to keep yourself from leaning entirely flat.

Your blood was rushing around your entire body now. One kiss, then another, then another. Your mind was racing. You had no idea Arthur was so... talented.

Arthur's lips were incredibly soft. How? You had no clue. But God, you didn't want this to stop.

After regaining some of your balance, you decided to be brave. Carefully, you moved your hands in front of you, resting them on Arthur's chest. You gently traced your fingers upwards, laying them softly on his neck. A chill rushed up his spine at your touch, urging him closer to you. He pushed himself between your legs, your knees against his hips.

A faint breath escaped you as his chest shifted against yours. Your touch gave him some courage, his wide palms coming off the counter and pressing against your back. You felt his body shudder against yours, his hands now exploring you. He moved them downward, until they reached your waist. He squeezed it firmly, before yanking you somehow even closer to him, earning a small and innocent gasp from you. A ravenous fire was burning within him, he felt like he could eat you up right then and there. He bit your lower lip, tugging it slightly before resuming his feast. Your fingers went up into his hair, clutching it fiercely. You were on cloud 9.

After what felt like hours, you both desperately needed to catch your breath. You pulled your mouth away, resting your forehead against his. He looked up at your fluttering eyelids, your rosy cheeks. He wanted to hold you forever.

"So..." he panted. "That was good... um, practice," you murmured between breaths.

He smiled, his gaze shifting down to your lap. He stood up, resting one hand on his hip and pushing his hair back with the other. You shared a chuckle.

You slipped yourself off the counter, brushing yourself off. You looked up at Arthur. Without your work heels, you noticed how much taller he was than you. It made you blush.

You put on your shoes, clearing your throat. "I better head home now."

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "Oh," he responded quietly. "Okay."

You giggled. "I live right above you, you know. It's not like I'll be far."

He sighed, smiling. "Yeah. Yeah, I know."

He led you to the exit, leaning against the doorway and tucking his hands in his pockets as you stepped outside. He looked like a sad little kid. You wanted to pinch his cheeks.

"You know if- if you want to practice again. I can always... I can always help you out, if you need to- well... If you want, I mean."

You shook your head, laughing quietly to yourself. You stood on your toes, leaving a small peck on his lips.

"I'll let you know." You smiled and waved at him as you entered the staircase.

As the staircase door closed, Arthur let out a dreamy sigh, sliding down the doorway until he sat on the floor.

A/N- BURN, BABY. BURN. LET THAT SHIT SHIZZLE. HELL YEAH.

@geronimosanna @theworldthroughmynikon @niniita-ah @captainohgod @memory-mortis @handsomeguyslover @bitterspectrum @sosearchingromeo @aesikupills @mardema @ajokeformur-ray @lonesomevillain @a-tall-hobbit

#arthur fleck #joker x you #joker x reader #arthur fleck x reader #joker #arthur fleck x you #joker x y/n #arthur fleck x y/n #If you just listened

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mightyfineblog · 5 years

Text

‘Sexy Hair’ Roger Taylor x Reader

Summary: Roger Taylor and you, have been missing each other for a little too long. He comes back with a surprising ‘present’, at which aren’t happy at all. Supposedly, you two come to an agreement. In bed.

Words: 2.4K+

Warnings: funny, cute, fluffy, sweet angst, smut.

Mood: John Mayer – Your Body is a Wonderland

This one is for @rebelrebelyourefaceisamess

Here is it. Enjoy:

“Rogerr! Babyy!” you wide a grin on the telephone, high pitched voice.

“Hi, sweetcheeks. How’s my baby girl?” he coos at you.

“It’s terrible, a complete and utter disaster.” You laugh as you speak.

“Why? Something happened?” he uncertainly answers.

“Nah nothing important, can’t wait for you to come back, already, it’s been ages” you pout.

“And I miss you so fucking much too...” he bites his lips.

“So much, it fucking hurts!” you speak though your teeth.

“You sound worried, is everything really okay back home?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be? Like, nothing really happening here…” you lie.

“Speak to me.” His voice low, warning.

“I’m burning alive here… The paparazzi are all up on me, and I have to face it all alone. Just, been missing your strength, you know… You holding my hand and tell me everything’s going be fine.” You take a deep breath.

“I.. I… don’t know what to tell you… You shouldn’t be put through this, all on your own…”

“Shh, now” you swallow “Let me hear you for a second.” You close your eyes, your head falls back on the wall, you slide down slowly.

“Hey! Don’t think about it too much.” His voice calming your nerves down.

“I’ll be home, before you know it. And will put a smile on your face.” He cheers you up and you feel his lips curving into a smile.

“Plus, I… I have something to show you” he teases.

“Show me what?” … “Roger!” you warn.

“You gonna love it, it’s for both of us actually.” “Tell me.”

“Wouldn’t be a surprise, then!” shit eating grin on his face “Gotta hang up now”

“Okay.. bye then” you blow a kiss to the phone “Love you.”

“Love you too.” he whispers. “Bye, Y/N.”

“So you didn’t tell her?” Brian cocks his head to Roger.

“No. I couldn’t, just yet...” he giggles.

“I’d pay money, to watch.” John laughs on the other side.

“Would you stop it?!” Roger storms off.

Brian and John laugh. “Sure, it’ll be a show. But, the question is..?” Brian lets John finish his sentence. “Is she going to love it, or hate it.” He points a finger. “Let’s place a bet.” Freddie joins with an evil grin.

“Ya’ll done, laughing on my back?” Roger shouts fussed from his drum set “Last time I checked, we had a show to perform.” Way to go Roger.

Finally, it was time for the band to return from their world tour. You weren’t expecting much, but you kept thinking about what Roger said, about a surprise, drove you wild. Like any other girl in the world, you’d expect a present. Underwear, right? … For ‘us, both’..?

Your eagerness had taken over you so much, you couldn’t sit at home, so you took action to welcome Roger at the airport. Well, that was easier said than done. Precautions were important, so Freddie had ordered for you to be picked up from home by a private driver, incognito.

You wanted to look perfect for Roger, so you dolled up a bit. A flared cute little dress, low boots, a denim jacket, and some lipstick and you were ready to greet your boyfriend.

Once at the airport, you were nervously stomping at arrivals, arms crossed, biting your lip in anticipation. Then you see it. 5 trolleys with at least 3 luggages on each, and you know it. No other than Freddie would bring so many clothes across the world. Then all the instrument cases. And finally, one, two, three…

“Where’s Roger?” You jump on Freddie’s neck for a hug.

“Well, I missed you too, darling” he cocks his head.

“Of course, welcome back Freddie” you give his cheek a kiss. Then John and Brian.

“While hugging John you see a nonchalant Roger, casualty strolling towards you.

“Wait a minute!” you brush off John to the side. The boys are all staring, carefully expecting.

“Hold on! Everybody stop what you’re doing!” You shout across. You hear them giggle.

Roger, wearing a shit-eating grin on his face, is coming towards you, arms open.

You stormed to him, nearly falling both on the floor. You crash lips, his arms around your waist, keeping you close. Your hands automatically fly to his neck to grab on his hair, but. But, then there’s almost nothing to hold on to. Pulling away you frown in horror.

“Roger Fucking Taylor! What’ve you DONE?” You angrily stare, completely and utterly horrified.

“Missed you too.” he is smirking at you.

You take a step back, and swallow. In your anger, you are so taken in that moment, you don’t even realise what you are doing.

Slap!

He tilts his head back to look at you “Y/N! What on earth, was that for?!”

“How could you! How could you cut your hair?!” You scream in hysteria.

“What? You don’t like it? I look fucking hot!” he confidently checks his reflection.

“Have you lost your mind, Taylor?” you start, this time slapping lightly behind his neck at each word.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch” he pulls away chuckling.

“Alright lads, give me the moonaay!” John taps Freddie and Brian on their shoulders.

You drag Roger out to the car and shove him his inside.

On the ride back home, you are furiously looking out the window for a while.

“Was this your surprise?! What you had to ‘show’ me?! Jesus Christ.” you hiss biting on your knuckles, trying keep it together.

“Yeah, the hairdresser said, twas the hottest hairstyle now ‘Irresistable’”

“If I see him, I’ll fucking chop his hands off, to make sure he won’t touch your hair again.” You pissing at him.

“Come oon, look at me, at least” he coos and his hand reaches for yours. But you slide it off, looking away.

“Babe, please” he flickers his eyelashes at you. “Just, look at me, and then deny my sexiness”.

You turn your head his way. His blonde locks aren’t long as long, but “Still, manageable to twist your fingers”.

“No!” you state low.

“Sure, love? Your eyes are telling different story.” He cocks a smile.

You lick your lips, but won’t admit defeat.

Back home, you’re still fussing about it. You rush through him, push him out of your way, you hiss at him, he annoys you. He notices and decides to put a full stop on it.

“Alright, alright.” he lifts his hands to you, “Sorry, okay?”

“Sorry, what?” you frown childishly, just to give him some more hard time.

“I’m sorry, sigh, for not talking to you first about it” he struggles out.

You are jumping on the inside, but you cannot let him know, yet.

“And?” you perk up.

“Aand?”

“Aaaand, you now, have to make it up to me…” your finger taps on your cheek to pretend thinking of a way, of retaliation.

“Hmmm, let me see...” he comes closer. You lift an eyebrow.

“What if I show you, how much in fact…” he steps closing the space between your bodies. Your arms, let the guard down.

“In fact…” he continues “you’re going to love it even more now” he cocks his head to the side, gently holding you in his hands.

“Don’t know what you talking about, Roger” you fail to keep seriousness, and he sees it.

Leaning for a kiss, his hands are brushing your back. His soft lips barely touching yours, he inhales your smell. “Mmm” he purrs “Missed you so much” places soft kisses on your lips. “Didn’t you miss me?” his fingers gently trace circles on your neck and collarbone.

“Mmmm, sure did” you moan back.

“Hold on for a second!” you pull back. “You, Mr., are trying to distract me here.” You conclude. “I am still cross with you!” you point your index finger to him.

He chuckles and kisses it. “Come on, babydoll…” he pulls you back in his arms “You’re still attracted to me. In fact, much more than before…” his hot breath on your shoulder. “So?” he lifts a brow at you.

“So?! What?” you won’t let him win this one.

“Talk to me, tell me how hideous I look” he mumbled nibbling at your sweet spot. His fingers traveling on your lower back, massaging circles.

“Mmno” you protest “well…” you sadly pout. He is being so sensual on you, and all this time separated, you are craving him so much. “I can still pull on it… and bury my fingers in it…”.

“Mhmm, keep going” he softly encourages.

“Maybe it isn’t all that bad…” you spit out quickly, just to get it over with.

He chuckles and a shit-eating grin appears on his face. “I knew it, petal. I knew, you’d still love me. Maybe, even more now, than before?”

“Enough, Taylor! Just fucking kiss me!” you shut his smart mouth up.

He lifts your leg and wraps it around his waist, while you hang on his neck. He caresses your thigh and slides his hand under your dress, where he gives your bum cheek a small pinch, earning a squeak from you. Chuckling, your head falls on the crook of his neck. His other hand is caressing gently your hair to your back.

“Oh, how much I’ve missed you” you finally admit. At which, he lifts your other leg around his waist, and holds you by your arse. Your hands hold dearly to his neck, while your mouth sucks on his oh-so-perfect jaw. He carries you to the bedroom, where he sits with you in his lap.

“Mmm” you moan to his lips as your hands are caressing his chest, your hips have their own mind, as you involuntary rock yourself in his lap.

Roger’s one hand slides down to your thigh, grabbing it navigating your moves, grinding your core to his crotch. Meanwhile his other hand is pressing your head firm to his mouth, his tongue playing with yours.

You slide down a hand between your and his body, palming over his beginning to erect bulge and move it up and down, you make him grunt into your kiss. Pulling and sucking his lower lip, you feel him caving for you. He pulls away and looks straight in your eyes, making you blush, you hide a smile, looking down.

“Look at me, beautiful.” He lifts your chin up. “I love it, how, I still make you blush” he pokes your nose and tosses you next to him. Before you know it, he is above you, legs parting yours, he nips on your neck, sucking your sweet spot. You feel yourself panting, as his hands lift your dress over your head and toss it across the room. You pop on your elbows, pressing kisses on his jaw, going very slowly to his chest, unbuttoning his shirt. You whisper on his shoulder “You’re my paradise. You’d always make me blush…”

“Uughh, baby” he holds you as he flips you over, so you are on top again. Sliding a pillow under his neck, he lifts his head so he could watch you.

His hands travel from your waist up to your breasts, squeezing them a bit, making you whimper. Biting your lip, you close your eyes and grind on his now erected shaft, head thrown back, you do this for a good few minutes. Until, you feel so aroused, you can’t stall anymore, you lift yourself up and unbutton his jeans and slide them down to his ankles. Just when you’re about to straddle him again he stops you.

“Let me” he eyes your underwear. You gulp and give yourself in. Standing between his legs, he tugs at your lacy knickers, while kissing your belly button.

Being completely naked in front of him, you push him back and slide his underwear to reveal his rock hard member. Straddling him, your hand wraps and gives his cock, a few pumps up and down, while brushing against your dripping, glistening heat. With your free hand, supporting on his chest, you slowly glide down on him. Closing your eyes, lips parted you let a moan as your walls stretch around him. Once all the way down, your heads falls forward, and breathe a few moments, adjusting. His hands cup your face and he reaches to kiss you.

“Fuck, Y/N! You’re so tight around me!” he hisses in your neck. Looking into his eyes you gulp and speak through teeth “Been too long, Rog. Fucking missed you inside of me”, as you start moving up, and then sink down on him again. He lifts his hips to meet yours, hitting your spot every time, and he knows it from the little whine you let each time. His hands are cupping your breasts, teasing your nipples between his fingers.

You toss your head to the ceiling, panting, you praise your boyfriend, when his thumb presses hard against your clit “Fuck, Roger! You make me feel so good”. You build up you your orgasm, when your fists pull the sheets from each side.

“That’s right, princess. Give to me. Come on my cock!” he sloppier hits you with each move. “Fuck, Rog!” you loudly whine “I’m so close…”

“Mhm, baby, perfect.” he bites a lip. He is throbbing the same time as you. With one final powerful thrust he pushes you so hard you fall forward onto him. Your walls clench around him, a volcano explodes, the stars fall from the sky. Releasing together you both grunt and he stays for a while in you, breathlessly you can’t form a coherence.

Then you lift yourself up to look at him, he has the dreamiest, satisfied eyes in the world. Pressing a soft kiss, he murmurs in your mouth “God, I missed you! And Christ, I love you much!” he trembles. Swallowing you kiss him back “So, so much!”

Laying beside him, he hugs you and your noses are brushing each other. You coming back to your senses, remember, that you were still mad about his hair, and frown. He chuckles, “Still, on ‘bout that?”

Taking a deep breath, in defeat you bury a hand in his hair, and shake your head. “I can live with that” you twist a few of the longer strands on the back. Then you drag you hand forward and mess with it, a bit more. “You fool. I’d love you anyway” you sigh finally.

“My baby girl!” he smirks at you. “I love you too”.

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dcwastelands · 5 years

Text

For Honor Event - Part 2- July 20 2019

Eevelion:

An hour, give or take, and a half dozen jugs of water, either quaffed or poured directly on people, later, and everyone had mostly recovered from their ordeals in the drinking contest. With today's contestants back in fighting form Gaius, the ghost, mounted their steed and began the trot toward their next battleground, grabbing a flagpole out of the ground as they marched "COME CHAMPIONS! FOR WE NEAR THE END, THY FINAL CHALLENGE AWAITS!"

Gigi:

Well Braces' arm was feeling a little better, still he didn't know how exactly to feel about being here, maybe it hadn't been such a great idea to come descend from heaven when it was none of his business and was still none of his business ever since he died. Was he doing more harm than good, being here in such a well, rusty state?

He followed onward, only hoping this ghost would be able to be taken out with a fair amount of ease.

Lolo had been on the wayside for most of these matches; and she still wasn't sure how she felt about direct interaction quite yet. She clutched flounce's carrying strap worriedly, hoping this wouldn't be the day she had to use it and if she did....she wouldn't make a fool of herself.

Sera:

Spanx walked with everyone toward the final location. One event left. She hoped it was something she was good at whatever it was.

Leona:

Considering how terrible his luck had been up to now, this last event couldnt be too bad. It seemed like he got the worst out of the way already. And despite being wet, things were almost over. With a grunt, he'd saunter over to the next event.

Zaku:

Obi walks alongside with everyone, and hey, the alcohol to body size distribution thing was true. Ain't that some shit? But hey, looks like they were a step towards completing these trials.

Eevelion:

The ghost would lead his opponents to the bridge over the stream, the prop castle standing on the other side. Bringing his horse to a stop in the middle of the bridge he would turn towards the group and firmly stab the flag into the stone before raising his lance and loudly proclaiming “HERE THIS KNIGHT MAKES HIS FINAL STAND, I DECLARE THAT I WILL NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO PASS THIS BRIDGE, AND WELCOME ALL WHO WOULD CHALLENGE MY CLAIM, MAKE THY GREATEST ATTEMPT TO PASS ME AND SEIZE THIS FINAL VICTORY, OR BE THROWN OFF IN SHAME!”

Eevelion:

Crown bounced up to the front of the bridge, doing a few stretches, she hadn't participated in anything to this point and wanted to at least be there for the finale. She'd wait for everyone to be ready before bounding onto the stone tiles of the bridge ahead of everyone else.

Sera:

Spanx moved forward, carefully keeping an eye on the others, her shield raised. She didn't plan to get across herself, but maybe she could help someone else in that department.

Gigi:

Lolo made a small move forward; Braces ending up farther out than he wanted to be; he'd have to take on the ghost at this distance, wouldn't he....

Leona:

Gakuran was hesitant to charge out front. So he played it safe and only took a few steps. Considering their current position, he might ant to pace himself.

Zaku:

Obi took his first steps towards the bridge and wow was this thing shorter or was he just tall? Definitely the second option. But hey, slow and steady wins the race. Just be careful out there, Crown child.

Eevelion:

The ghost chuckled to himself as his opponents set foot on the bridge, he'd rear his horse back before charging forward, knocking Crown to the side before taking his lance and swinging it around him, knocking Braces and Crown away from him.

Gigi:

And as expected Braces got knocked back; he tried to use the pole he still had to get a swipe at the steed's legs but...it didn't really do much. He scurried off forward, trying to get back to the center some. He might suck but he wasn't going to lose.

Lolo, on the other hand, noticed the ghost was coming in close and decided to....retreat immediately. Not yet.

Sera:

The ghost stops just before hitting Spanx. She lets her shield down a bit and charges forward, giving the ghost a nice tap with her shield hoping to slow him down a bit and catch up to the others to help them get the rest of the way home.

Eevelion:

Crown, having taken a few hits and being nearly thrown off, runs back to the center of the bridge to give herself some defense in case the ghost gets her again. Meanwhile, the ghost having taken a few hits against himself notices the obvious threat of the girl running ahead of the pack, twirling his lance to hit back his attackers before turning and moving up towards her as much as he could.

Leona:

Still recovering from the drinking, pre and post event made him a bit sluggish. He couldn't manage a good hit but at the very least kept it distracted. "The whole points just out running it right?" He questioned near Lolo and Obi. "If we keep its attention maybe we can win." Before being pushed back a bit. Gakuran braces himself to be pushed back and recovers for a follow up.

Zaku:

Well, not like the archangel was expecting some kind of sparring. Blocking with Guinness, the giant of an angel is knocked back, nearing the edge. Hearing Gakuran's suggestion, he nods in response. "Just keep it busy, yeah? Sounds good to me."

Gigi:

Braces hopes moving toward crown and letting the ghost be preoccupied with someone else while he moves unassumingly works. He's surprisingly quiet as he makes the one slow, solitary movement.

Meanwhile, Lolo is hiding behind the angels yet, still unsure if she wants to actually face off against it herself. Flouce is extended to its full, shining form now...just in case. "I think so? It works as far as a strategy goes, I guess..."

Sera:

Knowing she probably could take another one of those hits, and that he can effortless knock everyone down if we all got too close, Spanx decides to move forward instead. She's gotta make sure she can be enough of a distraction for the guys ahead when they get a bit closer.

Gigi:

And Lolo moves so she's right behind the ghost, almost, clutching Flounce nervously. She couldn't do much but buying time? That she could do.

Braces was pretty sure he was in eyeshot of the ghost now, and pressed onward.

Leona:

Gakuran would do his best to tank. His natural roll, as he expected his offense to be lacking in this offense. He was proven right when he attempted another attack and failed. "Whatever you two up there do, don't stop running!"

Eevelion:

The ghost would push back his attackers once more before speeding after Crown, who was running as fast as she could to stay as far away from the ghost as possible, the ghost gives an annoyed grunt as she managed to just stay outside of his reach.

Zaku:

Giving Guinness a good rev, Obi swipes at the ghost.

Aaaand is subsequently knocked back. Welp, he felt good about that hit nonetheless.

Gigi:

Lolo got pushed back by the ghost strike that wasn't targeted at her so much, but she was behind the angel that was targeted and she tried to brace the hit as best as she could with the pole end of Flounce. She moved beside Gakuran accordingly, stopping to stoop the weapon's pole on her thigh as she caught her breath. geez

Sera:

The ghost wizzed passed Spanx and she knew this was her last opportunity to slow him down some. She ran into him with her shield and connected.

Zaku:

Regaining movement, Obi moved towards Gakuran and Lolo, looking ahead to Crown sprinting towards the other side of the birdge. God speed, dotter. God speed.

Leona:

Having been pushed back into Lolo was a set back, but didn't stop him. He moved forward confident they had at least won. Even if he hadn't been able to do much.

Eevelion:

As Crown continued to sprint down the bridge the ghost chased her down like a bat out of hell, he would have caught up with her, had it not been for Spanx's attack, the last in a long line of the contenders doing everything they could to slow him, throwing off their mounts speed by just a hair, a hair that allowed Crown to just manage to reach the finish line. She would throw her hands up in triumph as the ghost planted their lance into the ground in defeat and dismounted.

Gigi:

Braces was just barely behind Crown; but it didn't matter, what was done was done, and he gave a sigh of relief as he himself passed the finish line, raising a fist up at chest level.

Lolo took a few steps forward before sitting down; this was it, the ghost was dismounted. There wasn't much more to really do, was there?

Zaku:

Looking towards the other side of the bridge, Obi smiled warmly as he looked over at the young blonde, hands raised in victory. That's his godkiddo right there.

Leona:

"Good Job you two" Remarked Gakuran to Lolo & Obi. "Crown won it for us but our team work cant be ignored." He even gave an acknowledging nod toward Spanx whom got the final winning blow. But now there was nothing to do but wait and see the result.

Sera:

Spanx shot up in excitement and shouted, "Good job Crown!! I knew you could make it!!"

Gigi:

She gave a small laugh. "Yeah....I guess so." Maybe that was all she had to do, really.

Eevelion:

Crown met Brace's request for a fistbump with a palm to his knuckles, not really supposed to high-five a fistbump but she was distracted, she couldn't believe she got to take part in her first knight games, and even more, she won! That starstruck look on her face only temporarily being broken by the ghost giving off light. The ghost would address the others “WELL DONE CHAMPIONS, FOR VICTORY OR DEFEAT, THOU HATH GIVEN THIS OLD KNIGHT ONE FINAL CHANCE TO TAKE TO THE FIELD AND CLAIM HONOR, FOR THAT I THANK THEE.” He'd fiddle with his helmet some before taking it off, revealing a perfectly round stark black head with round beady yellow eyes “IT'S STRANGE, WITH THIS I FEEL, COMPLETE. He'd look around at the party “ONCE MORE I THANK THEE ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, I FEEL AS IF I AM FINALLY READY TO MOVE ON.” As he said this his body started to fade into motes of light that blew away on the breeze, leaving behind only his lance planted into the bridge.

Zaku:

Huh...that was a feeling that Obi hadn't felt in a while. A job well done. No excessive fighting, no property damage, just getting work done. He gives a small salute to the knight as he dissipates.

"Rest easy."

Gigi:

He didn't even really care that the bump was as halfhearted as it was because....well, it had been a while since he'd seen something like this.

A peaceful passing.

It was such a simple thing, really, but ...he felt his eyes grow warm, and a smile snuck up on him.

"Fare the well, sir gaius." Braces walked over slowly as the light settled.

He planted his own pole nearby, hand lingering on it.

Gigi:

Lolo never really had the opportunity to see something like this; she was still so used to a lot of the blowy-uppy fighty parts of the whole angels and ghosts thing. She knew this sort of thing happened, but theory and practice are a whole other thing....and while the explosions were really cool and all this was...she felt a certain way. She barely knew this ghost, but it ...it felt good to just watch him leave with simple defeat.

She'd never seen a ren faire. How long had he been there before they came? How long had he waited?

She just sat and watched, still on the ground.

"You're welcome," She said, ever so quietly.

Sera:

Spanx released a big sigh of relief while watching the ghost dissipate. He was nice, and she was relieved that they were successful without having to resort to violence. Well her back would disagree on that point.

Eevelion:

Crown would gaze at the ghost's remains as they drifted away before giving a small bow and saying “Rest in peace, good sir knight.” Meanwhile it would seem the handlers had commandeered the van, having parked it at the start of the bridge, honking the horn to signal everyone to get in. Once everyone was gathered around the handler that gave the briefing would congratulate them all “Well done everyone, we're glad to see repenting the ghost went off with... I think only one broken bone? Also possibly some liver damage, you can get that checked when we get back to Psi if you're worried. Anyways, hopefully this was a valuable experience to you all. Now, are we good to get going or does anyone have to do something before we move?” The driver handler tapped their foot on the pedal impatiently, ready to head back to Psi.

Leona:

Content with a job well done, Gakuran gave his silent goodbye to the ghost. Moving back to join the Handlers in the van. He was ready to take a nice relaxing nap and unwind from a long day getting beat.

Gigi:

Damn, that was right, his arm still was sort of borked up. Thankfully he didn't have to do much in the last leg, but now that all the adrenaline was starting to wear off, yeah that hurt. "Maybe?" He gave a bit of a groan as he sat down. Honestly he was hoping he could walk it off, he's dealt with worse dealing with ghosts anyway.....

Lolo took a while getting up and getting Flounce packed up, but as she was running back she gave one final glance ove rher head before finally taking a seat.

"Does that happen a lot?"

Zaku:

He nods in response to the driver's ready to go, waiting for everyone to head in before he could take his seat. He does however give a thumbs up towards Spanx and gives his god daughter a ruffle of the head. "You all did good out there."

Sera:

"Thanks Obi, that means a lot coming from you." She began to shuffle back into the car, still stretching her aching muscles.

Zaku:

Reassuring hand on shoulder for Spanx. Ah, the after ghost fight aches. Granted for Obi that would be couple with a few good city blocks being decimated, but the sympathy is shared. He's an oldboy after all. But hey, she did a good job.

Eevelion:

With everyone seemingly finished up for the day the handler closed the van door and hopped into the passenger seat, shuttling the party back to Psi to rest after a job well done.

#dcwastelands #dcwlogs #dcw angel event

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sylvaniaschoolofmagic · 7 years

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Quidditch pt. 2 (The Trouble with Treble)

[Sonic and Knuckles wonder how the hell Vector hasn’t burned down his own house yet, and discover something interesting about Espio.]

Sneaking out of the castle after dinner wasn’t as easy as the two friends had expected. They promised not to tell anyone about what they were doing, which included Mighty and Ray, who had been hanging around the entrance hall all evening. Knuckles wouldn’t have a hard time leaving the castle through a window, especially since he could glide. Plus, the Hufflepuff common room was only partially underground, so climbing out one of those windows would just lead him directly to the lawn outside. Sonic, however, would be in Gryffindor tower, a much harder locale to escape from if one was trying to be stealthy. He could jump out the window and then run down the side of the tower to catch himself, but there was a much higher chance of someone seeing him if he did that.

What they eventually wound up doing was having Knuckles sneak out through the Hufflepuff common room, then sneak over to the base of Gryffindor tower, and catch Sonic as he jumped out. It was much quieter than the hedgehog sprinting wildly down the side of the tall tower, and Knuckles’s strength made it an easy catch. Because they had to coordinate their breakout, though, they took a little while to sneak out of the castle. They hoped they wouldn’t be too late to meet Espio, if he’d been able to sneak out at all.

“Espio’s a chameleon,” Knuckles whispered as the two started sneaking across the grounds, keeping close to the treeline so they wouldn’t be easily spotted from the castle. “He can probably blend in pretty well. I bet he got out of the castle no problem.”

“Yeah, but even the best chameleons can’t become completely invisible,” Sonic tsked under his breath. “And even then, he wouldn’t be able to turn his clothes invisible. He’d have to be out here without shoes on, and it’s been getting colder out.”

“Well then, we’ll ask him when we get there. On top of all the other stuff we need to talk about,” the echidna hissed as they crept through the grassy hills.

They half snuck half ran to Vector’s hut, not going full speed but fast enough to make up for lost time. The grass rustled underfoot, and they could hear the trees creaking in the autumn wind as they passed. It was light enough outside that they could see where they were going, but it was still pretty dark and creepy. All in all, not a night they would like to be caught sneaking out on.

The two reached Vector’s hut by the edge of the forbidden forest, their trek not taking too long at all. They slowed as they reached the house, the lights on but all the curtains drawn. Smoke was billowing out the chimney, suggesting there was a big fire in the fireplace even though it wasn’t terribly cold yet. They could hear voices coming from inside: Vector’s unmistakable brass, and Espio’s more hushed tones. The two friends shared a nod before Sonic walked up to the door, placing fist to wood.

After the knock, the voices inside stopped dead. Some skittering could be heard, and Sonic and Knuckles exchanged some confused glances. “Uh, it’s us? Sonic and Knuckles?” the young hedgehog said, just loud enough that his voice would carry through the door. “Espio told us to come?”

A moment later, the door cracked open, Vector peering out at them with one eye. “Hey, kids. Thanks fer comin’,” he said, pulling the door open all the way and quickly ushering them inside.

The small hut felt like an oven inside, the fire blazing hot and immediately drying out their mouths. The little house was primarily just one big room inside, with a large bed with multiple quilts shoved against one wall, and a well-loved kitchen against the other. There was a round table with chairs that were too large for the young students, and on one of the shelves was an old muggle record player that looked like it had been rigged to run on magic.

Espio was sitting on one of the too-tall chairs, his legs pulled up and away from the floor. This was likely because there was something shifting under Vector’s bed, causing the whole thing to shake and bump up and down as it moved. “Hey, glad you could make it,” the chameleon said nonchalantly, as if this kind of scenario was something that happened every day.

“What,” Knuckles said, eyes fixed on the bed as Vector closed the door behind him, “is under there?”

The croc beamed as he stepped over to the bed. “Oh, this little fella’s name is Treble. ‘Cause she’s a little treble-maker!” he laughed, goading the mystery creature out from under his bed. He was met by a little puff of flame, causing him to quickly retract his hand. Sonic noticed that his normally-white gloves were pretty burned up, somehow still holding together.

As the creature emerged, Sonic and Knuckles knew why Espio was curled up on a chair, and instantly moved to join him. A large, feral lizard crawled out from under Vector’s bed, smoke pouring out of its nostrils with every breath it took. It had dark scales, long, talon-like claws, and yellow eyes that seemed to focus on everything at once. Its snout was long, as was its body, and it had a pair of leathery, crumpled up wings on its back.

“Vector,” Knuckles croaked, perched on top of the croc’s dining table, “is that… a dragon?”

“‘Course she’s a dragon!” Vector laughed as Treble nipped at the toes of his shoes. “Y’ever see anythin’ else that breathes fire like that? Why’d’ya think it’s so hot in here, huh?”

“Whoa,” Sonic breathed, eyes open wide. He knew he lived in a world of magic and all, but he never expected to see a dragon up close like this. In fact, before that moment, he had never thought, oh hey, dragons exist! That’s right! He’d heard them mentioned in conversations once or twice, but it was always about how dragons used to be everywhere on Mobius. Nothing like this. “Um, is that really… Safe to have? It’s kinda big, and your house is sort of… small. And made of wood.”

“Yeah, that’s what I needed your help with,” Espio admitted. “Vector got the dragon egg without considering the consequences of raising an illegal dragon in his hut,” he said, giving the groundskeeper a squinted glare, “and now we need to get rid of her.”

“Can’t you just let her go? Release her into the wild?” Sonic asked, eyes glued to the dragon that was stalking around the floor of the hut.

“Are you kiddin’?” Vector said. “She won’t last out there! She’s too small and vulnerable to be on her own! She’s just a baby!”

“She’s a DRAGON,” Knuckles hissed, maneuvering himself to stay as far away from Treble as possible.

“We’ve already got a solution worked out,” Espio said. “We arranged for some former Sylvania students to come and take her. They’re studying dragons in Chu-nan, so she can grow up safely with her own kind. That way, Vector is happy, Treble is happy, and I don’t have to help him hide a dragon in here anymore.”

“Okay, awesome,” Sonic clapped his hands together. “So… where do we come in?”

“The only way for those guys to pick up Treble and get out of here quickly without being spotted is for us to get her up to the top of the astronomy tower,” the chameleon practically groaned. “Vector’s got a crate all set up for her, but the problem is getting her up there. Knuckles, you could carry her easily, couldn’t you?”

“Yeah, I should be able to,” Knuckles said, though he didn’t sound happy about it in the slightest. “Only looks like she weighs a hundred or two pounds. But still, getting her from here up to the top of the tallest tower in the castle won’t be easy. We’ll be spotted in a second.”

“Not if Sonic keeps a lookout and lures any teachers away from us. I’ve seen him run, he won’t get caught.”

“That’s true,” the hedgehog agreed. “I can get Froggy and whoever else off your guys’s tail, easy.”

“And if that’s not enough,” the chameleon said, a bit more confidently now, “I have a trick up my sleeve that’ll get us out of a pinch. What do you guys say?”

Knuckles grumbled something under his breath, a string of syllables that Sonic couldn’t quite understand. “It’s not like we have much of a choice,” he said, louder now. “Either we help you out, or Vector gets busted for having a dragon on campus, and we get hunted down as accomplices because we knew about it.” He sent Espio a dirty look. “You so owe us after this.”

“I’ll help you with every homework assignment for the rest of the year.”

“And?”

“And I’ll give you cash. Ten sickles. Each of you.“

"Aaaand?”

“Fine, and you can borrow my manga collection! All of it! Deal?”

“Deal,” the echidna smirked, shaking his hand.

Sonic shot Knuckles a quizzical look. “You like manga?”

“Nope. Just wanted to get under his skin,” Knuckles shrugged.

Espio rolled his eyes as Sonic laughed. “Oh good,” the hedgehog said, “I thought you only pushed my buttons. Good to know you do that with everyone.”

“If you kids are done chattin’,” Vector said, leaning over to pick up Treble like she was just a huge house cat, “we gotta get this girl boxed up and up on the top of the astronomy tower before eleven.”

Getting Treble into her crate proved to be a huge hassle. They not only had to cram the dragon into the container (that luckily had been charmed with a fireproofing spell), they also had to fit in fifty additional pounds of raw meat and brandy for the dragon to eat, and her blanket (a chewed up, ripped, and charred husk of cloth), and her teddy bear (which looked remarkably like the blanket, only with bits of fluff stuck to it). She wanted to be in the confined crate even less than she wanted to be in Vector’s confining hut. By they time they got her and her luggage into the crate and sealed it up, it was a few minutes after ten. They had under an hour to get the payload to the very top of the castle without anyone noticing them. Piece of cake.

ooo

Carrying Treble through the castle while trying to be stealthy was not easy. The dragon didn’t enjoy being in a crate, and she liked being carried around even less. She wasn’t too heavy for Knuckles to lift, but she kept moving and shifting, making her crate more difficult to hold.

“Where the heck did Vector even get a dragon?” Knuckles hissed, struggling a little bit juggling the crate and walking up the stairs. Espio was with him, helping him keep balance and guiding his feet. Sonic had run a little bit ahead, keeping an eye out for anyone wandering the castle halls at night.

“Apparently,” Espio rolled his eyes, “he won the egg off some guy in a pub. It hatched about two weeks ago.”

“This thing’s only two weeks old? Holy–”

Sonic sped down the stairs to them, his face reading pure panic mode. “Eggman’s coming,” he breathed.

Knuckles’s eyes went wide, and he cursed under his breath. “What do we do?”

“Set Treble down,” Espio said. “You two get out of sight.”

“What about you?!” Sonic gasped. “You can’t just–”

“I’ll handle it, it’ll be fine. Trust me.” The chameleon shooed them off, gripping the crate as Knuckles set it down on the stairs. The echidna climbed over the railing on the stairs and dropped down, landing on a staircase below as Sonic zipped away as silently as he could.

Knuckles landed safely on the stairs, and he looked back up at Espio. What the hell does he think he’s doing? He’s going to get himself caught! he thought, his heart nervously pounding in his chest. He could hear Eggman’s boisterous footfalls coming down the steps, getting closer and closer. He saw Espio set his hands solidly on the crate, and then… Espio vanished entirely, his clothes and the crate disappearing along with him. Knuckles blinked, wondering if he just missed something, or if he was tired and imagining things because he was up so late at night. But lo and behold, Eggman walked down the steps without noticing anything out of the ordinary. The professor hummed and muttered to himself as he walked right past Espio and the dragon, more preoccupied by whatever was on his mind than his surroundings. What the… How did he…? Knuckles thought, completely baffled.

Once Eggman was completely gone and out of earshot, he climbed back up the steps, getting back to where Espio and Treble were. Sonic returned a moment later, and Espio and their charge flickered back into view.

“Whoa!” Sonic whisper-shouted as the chameleon and the crate reappeared right before his eyes. “How’d you do that?!”

Espio shrugged, his breathing a little heavier than he had been a minute ago. “I mean, all chameleons can blend into their environment. I’ve always just been really good at it, I guess.”

“Yeah, but that was completely invisible!”

Knuckles nodded, furrowing his brow. “Yeah, plus you did it to your clothes, and the crate as well. I’ve never heard of anyone being able to do that.”

“I… Look, I don’t know. It’s just… a thing I can do,” the chameleon said awkwardly. The crate shifted and bumped, and he held it steady. “C’mon, we gotta get her upstairs.” He handed the crate off to Knuckles and started climbing the steps.

Sonic and Knuckles shared a surprised look for a moment before they started to follow after him.

The rest of the journey up to the astronomy tower wasn’t too eventful, with no other teachers currently stalking the upper floors. Treble had quieted down for the most part. Perhaps being invisible had mellowed her out, because she wasn’t moving around as much as she was before. Carrying her up to the top of the astronomy tower was a fairly easy job, especially with that part of the castle as empty as it was.

They climbed out of the hatch door at the top of the tower, climbing out into the chilly open air. Knuckles hoisted the crate up onto the roof and heaved a sigh of relief. “Finally, that felt like it took forever.”

“We got her up here, though!” Sonic smiled, stretching his arms up over his head. “Now we just gotta wait for her to get picked up. Then she’s home free!” He bent down next to the crate, peeking in through the gaps in the wood.

“Don’t tell me you’re getting attached,” Knuckles gruffed.

“Well, I mean, she is pretty cool. Not every day you get to smuggle a dragon through the school.”

The echidna rolled his eyes, and Espio grinned. “I don’t think I’ll be missing her much. My tail still has some bite marks.”

“Ouch, yeah, I guess you’ve been helping Vector out with her, huh?” Sonic chuckled. He patted the top of the crate and stood back up, looking between the box and Espio.

“Heh, yeah. Unfortunately. Thank you both for helping out with this by the way, I don’t know if I could have done this without your help.”

Sonic beamed. “No prob, Es!’

Knuckles raised an eyeridge, putting his hands on his hips. “You’re welcome, though it looked like you had things covered just fine back there.”

The Ravenclaw tucked his hands inside of his pockets and tapped one of his shoes against the stone floor. “Honestly, that was kind of a fluke back there. I’ve never made myself and something that big totally invisible before. I don’t even know how I do that in the first place.”

“I think I might have an idea,” Knuckles smirked. He opened his mouth to say more, but several brooms whooshed overhead, their riders circling around and landing next to them all on the roof of the tower.

Right on time for the trade-off, the small group of alumni had arrived. They didn’t stick around to chat much, having time to do little more than shake hands and say “thank you” before they started hitching the crate up to their brooms. That was fine by Knuckles; he was looking forward to going back inside and collapsing in his bed. It was a little too late in the evening for pleasantries.

It only took a few minutes before Treble was secure, her crate attached to each broom by a rope. The alumni left almost as quickly and quietly as they had come, wanting to get the dragon away from the school grounds as soon as possible. Sonic actually waved goodbye as they flew off.

“I can’t believe that actually worked,” Espio sighed. Though his posture change was subtle, he shifted and looked more relaxed already. He was eyeing the spot in the sky where the other wizards and Treble had headed, now far enough away that they were out of sight.

“Me either,” Sonic said, yawning now that their job was done. It was getting close to midnight, which for the eleven-year-old, was much later than he was used to staying up. “I’m ready to hit the hay. Either of you want a lift back to your dorms?”

“Um, the Ravenclaw common room is close enough to walk,” the chameleon said in a somewhat nervous tone. “And besides, I don’t have the strongest stomach. I don’t think I’m ready to move at your speed.”

The hedgehog shrugged. “Alright, suit yourself. Knuckles?”

“Yeah, I’ll take you up on that,” Knuckles said, rolling his shoulders around in his sockets. He was tired from carrying the heavy crate up all the way up there, and he didn’t want to have to climb all the stairs to get back down to the basement. “C’mon, before someone catches us up here. See you in class, Espio.”

“Yes, see you there,” Espio waved as Sonic and Knuckles climbed back through the hatch and entered the castle.

It didn’t take long for Sonic to carry his friend down to the basement, hoisting Knuckles up bridal style and dashing down staircase after staircase. When they got to the kitchen corridor, he set Knuckles down, giving the echidna a second to regain his balance after the dizzying run.

“Eugh, and I thought climbing up the astronomy tower was bad enough,” Knuckles grunted.

“Yeah, but it was worth it. Treble’s going to a good home now, instead of being stuck in Vector’s tiny house.”

“True. And we learned something about Espio in the process.”

“The whole turning invisible thing?” Sonic looked around, suddenly hoping that Espio wasn’t lurking invisible nearby to hear them talk about him. “Yeah, that was insane.”

“Mm. We’ll have to keep an eye on him,” the echidna said with a knowing nod. “I’m pretty sure we’re not the only Chaos-gifted kids in this school.”

#surprise espio is a big weeb #also chaos touched ;)#1st year #espio #sonic #knuckles #vector #writing #katie

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