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#all four feet in the air flying sunny attack
unaloid · 2 years
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this happened... i saw it happen
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angel-jada · 1 year
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1NC0M1NG CH4T FR0M . . . . . RORONOA ZORO
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✩ F0RUM N4M3 . . . . . KUNOICHI
✩ F0RUM C0NT3NT . . . . . the slightest hint of sip zoro, the story of how you met the strawhat crew ( and your swordsman ), f! reader, you’re a badass, Luffy saves you, nothing too crazy
✩ 4UD10 R3CS . . . . . I WANNA BE YOURS / arctic monkeys
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I can’t believe I didn’t account for this. I am such an idiot.
You knew the creak of a disembarking ship all too well, which only told you that the Strawhats were back way before the estimated time.
This is the last time I trust Kovu with gathering intel.
Sighing, you placed the rolled up prints of poneglyph in their respective tubes, then tied them to your back, silently ducking into the shadows when hearing footsteps outside the door.
You were currently aboard the Thousand Sunny, the flagship of the Strawhats, trying to steal their poneglyph prints for your boss.
It was a simple job, too. They were docked at some random island for supplies, the reindeer that was left behind to watch the ship had fallen asleep, and it was broad daylight.
No one would suspect a thing.
You should’ve been back on land by now, handing over the prints and finally breaking free from his abusive reign.
This job was your ticket to freedom.
Yet Kovu just had to fuck shit up.
I can’t stayed holed up in this room forever. They’ll get too far from land.
With a huff, you slowly opened the door, happy to sense that no one was around.
I need to find a way to get to the back of the ship. I can jump from there, and probably swim back.
You ran lightly towards the stairs, happy you went barefoot for this mission instead of using your getas.
There was no possible way to get back there without being seen, so the least you could do was be fast about it.
You were up the stairs in a blink and now running straight for the gigantic cannon-looking thing attached to the back of the boat.
Almost home free.
For the first time in who remembers when, you smiled, freedom just in reach.
Until it wasn’t.
“YOHOHOHOHO! Um, guys! There’s a lovely lady that is trying to sneak off the ship! AHHHHH! SHE HAS THE PONEGLYPHS!” A skeleton man shrieked, landing in front of and blocking your easy exit, drawing a sword from his cane.
Dammit! Time to try the front!
You back flipped, twisting yourself in the air so you landed the opposite way, allowing you to book it in the other direction.
“You can’t be serious!” an redheaded woman exclaimed, running up the steps and to the back deck with a small orange and white staff in hand.
Cat Burglar Nami.
She ran at you, the staff extending into something much larger.
She swung, aiming for your head but you dropped into a side lunge, using your extended leg to sweep her feet and knock her on her ass.
You grabbed her staff as he was distracted, squeezing it by accident. Out of nowhere, it extended impossibly long, shooting you into the air.
Luck may be on my side today.
You smirked as you flew up the side of the mast, getting about halfway up before planting your feet on it, running up the rest of the way.
You managed to get to the yard, perching yourself so you could look for another form of escape, when you sensed something.
Nico Robin.
You jumped off the yard, grabbing onto it like a monkey bar just as four pale arms sprouted from the wood, attempting to grab you.
“Whoa! That’s so cool!” a giddy voice exclaimed from below.
Your gaze slowly shifted to the deck below, only to see that trademark hat, and the notorious man that it rested on.
Strawhat!
You could sense another attack coming your way so you swung yourself as if you were on uneven bars and let go, flying into the air.
“Is she nuts?! She’s gonna kill herself from that height!” a large man with weirdly shaped blue hair exclaimed from below.
Cyborg Franky.
The swing was too short. You wouldn’t go overboard.
Curse these heavy cuffs!
One silver cuff was attached to each of your ankles, their being there out of your control.
Noticing you were getting dangerously close to the ground, you imbued your legs with some haki and landed safely, creating a small crater on the grassy deck.
As the dust settled, you realized you were surrounded by Strawhat, Zoro, and Blackfoot.
Shit.
“GAHHHH! SHE’S SO GORGEOUS! LOOK AT HER SHORT KIMONO!” Sanji shrieked as his eyes turned into hearts and blood shot from his nose.
Despite the blonde man’s...awkward display, you sensed another pair of eyes on you, so much so that it practically burned.
The Pirate Hunter?
The second you turned to him, your heart caught in your throat.
You had seen his face on his wanted poster a few times before, and you’d be stupid to deny that he wasn’t a handsome man, but looking at him in the flesh... the pictures didn’t even begin to do him justice.
And before you even realized, the two of you locked eyes, and in an instant, it felt as if your legs turned to jelly.
A warm, fluttery feeling spread throughout your stomach, and it felt as if everything else in the world had stopped.
What is this? Was I poisoned?
Just going off his glare, you could already tell that most cowered under his gaze. So why were you reacting this way?
You mentally slapped yourself.
You have to focus.
“You. What are you doing on my ship? And why are you stealing Robin’s poneglyphs?” Strawhat asked seriously, his face quite the contrast from his giddy expression before.
You sighed.
There was no way you could lie out of this mess.
“I am a kunoichi of Iguro clan. And I have been ordered to steal your poneglyph prints,” you stated, your tone firm.
“Any idea why?” Nami asked, her and the rest of the crew walking over.
“None. I am left completely in the dark,” you shook your head.
Your expression quickly turned determined.
“But I do know that this final job is my one way ticket out of hell, so peacefully or not, I’m leaving.”
You lowered yourself into a fighting stance, glaring at Strawhat as his lips grew a smirk.
He cracked his knuckles. “Alright then.”
“Luffy you better not hurt her!” Sanji fumed from the side.
Using your haki, you peered into the near future to see him punch you with an extended arm.
Can’t have that.
“Gum Gum Pistol!”
You tilted to the side, avoiding his hit with ease.
The entire crew gaped, save for Zoro.
Strawhat’s grin grew even larger, if that was possible, and wound up both arms.
A barrage of fists.
“Gum Gum Gatling!”
The barrage came quickly, but you dodged just like the first, flipping, lunging, and performing splits to dodge.
Imbuing your arms with haki, you grabbed one of his arms, harshly pulling him towards you. And like a bungee cord, he came, and you slammed a flattened hand into the pressure point on his neck, knocking him out.
“Luffy!” the crew exclaimed.
Zoro quickly drew two of his swords and ran for you, so you immediately dropped his captain and drew your own katana, meeting his two with a loud clash.
He smirked, which made that fluttery feeling return to your stomach. “I see you use Ittoryu.”
You smirked right back. “I’m knowledgeable in the style, yes.”
The both of you pushed off, returning to your stances before running at each other again.
Swords flew through the air as the both of you met the others attack perfectly.
You lunged into an attack, but he blocked it yet again, so you hook the outstretched foot to his ankle, deepening your lunge to pull him down.
He grunted, doing everything he could to keep his stance planted and balanced, so you imbued your foot with haki, and he did the same for his.
He seemed almost amused at the fact that you were still pushing your sword against his, openly showing that you were incredibly close to him in strength.
Not even Tashigi could do that.
And not only was he amused by the woman in front of him, but in silent awe.
Sure, your beauty was what caught his attention first. You had every feature that a woman would kill for.
Smooth, chestnut skin, plump lips, beautiful hip dips and curves, and beautiful (e/c) pearls, that looked as if they held galaxies in your glance.
But now that he saw your fighting prowess and raw strength along with it, well you could say you had him hook, line, and sinker.
You still kept strong, keeping your sword firm in it’s place as the Pirate Hunter continued to push down.
That is, until the pain equivalent of a thousand lightning bolts stemmed from your ankles, and you let on a cry of pain.
No! Not now!
Zoro realized this and quickly pulled away his swords before the electricity could be conducted to him.
You dropped your katana, falling over as you held yourself in agony, muffling your shouts of pain on your forearm.
“What’s wrong? What did you do to her, marimo?!” Sanji asked, yelling at the green-haired swordsman.
“I didn’t do anything to her!” Zoro fired back, glaring at the cook.
He didn’t know why, but seeing you in so much pain made him hurt. It was a sharp pulling feeling, as if his heart was on a string connected to you.
“The shocks seem to be coming from her ankles,” Robin pointed out, everyone’s attention turning to the cuffs that adorned your feet.
“How do we get it off her? ‘Cause that looks super painful,” Franky asked, grimacing at the sight of you writhing in pain.
It was then that Strawhat got back up from the ground, looking at you with a blank face.
“Oi, (y/n), can you hear me?” your boss asked, his voice coming from the cuffs.
“Shit,” you cursed, weakly trying to get up.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” you could practically hear his smirk of the other side.
“Lemme cut to the chase. You failed your mission, plain and simple. So you know the consequences.”
Your eyes went wide and tears threatened to spill as you realized what he meant.
“No!” you emptily gasped, trying to speak through the pain. “I’ve...I’ve worked with you for 10 years! My debt is paid! We had an agreement!”
“You stupid girl!” he shouted. “I was never going to honor our agreement! You’re too good of an assets to pass up! You will work under me for the rest of your pathetic, little life!”
The ship went dead silent, the Strawhat crew looking at you sorrily as tears poured down your cheeks.
10 years of your life, gone. All because you believed the word of a pirate.
He was right. You really were a stupid.
Painfully, you turned to Strawhat, who looked over the situation intently.
That’s when you got an idea. And settled on it in a blink.
Down on your hands and knees, you bowed your head to the captain, the rest of the crew letting out quiet gasps.
“Strawhat, I...hnnggh...I apologize for knocking you out earlier and...un-understand that I am in no place to ask you for such a favor but,”
You lowered your head to the ground, accepting that you would have to die in a state of embarrassment and weakness.
“Please kill me.”
If you thought the crew was shocked before, they were flabbergasted now.
Even Zoro.
“I’ve wasted the last 10 years of my life with that monster. And now that there is no end in sight, I do not wish to live.”
Strawhat kept the same neutral face as he slowly approached.
You took a deep breath, smiling as you realized your suffering would soon be over, and the bliss of nothingness would welcome you.
But it never came.
Strawhat instead walked past you, silently, and you understood.
I should’ve known.
Such a favor couldn’t be done for someone who just stole from him.
Suddenly, you felt the weight release from your ankles, and the shocks stop.
Your eyes shot wide as you lifted your head, snapping your head around to see that Strawhat had broken off the cuffs for you.
“Hey, guy! I don’t know if you can hear me anymore, but know that (y/n) is under my protection! And she won’t be paying back your stupid debt anymore!” he shouted into the broken pieces.
The small stream of tears that were rolling down your cheeks were now complete waterfalls.
In one motion, a man that you had just met, a man that you tried to steal from, had set you free. After 10 years of hellish torture, you were finally free.
But you still tried to compose yourself, sniffling as he turned back around to face you.
“Why didn’t you kill me?” you quietly asked, looking away from the man.
His smile grew into full on grin. “All you needed was a little help, there was no reason to kill you.”
Your eyes went wide.
There was no way. This had to be a trick.
“Next time just ask.”
Your ears perked at that part.
“Next time?” you asked.
“Oh, yeah! I meant to ask. Do ya wanna join my crew? It’d be so cool if we had a kunoichi!” He cheesed.
You were shocked to say the least, looking over the rest of the crew’s faces to see that they were smiling as well.
Never before had you been met with such kindness. He wasn’t even getting anything in return.
You sniffled, clearing your throat. “I would like that,” you smiled, looking down at the ground.
And as he cheered, and ordered Black Leg to cook a banquet in celebration, you wiped a stray tear from your cheek, looking up to the clear, blue sky.
Strawhat Luffy would never know the bounds of your thanks.
You could never repay him.
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dr3amofagame · 3 years
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so... the red banquet, huh?
im not going to lie, i was cheering on the eggpire the entire time (/lh) - what can i say, something abt the demon possessed resident evil crew just speaks to my heart. theyre FUN, ok? 
anyway, a lot of people were theorizing abt what c!dream showing up at the banquet could look like - and, well, i thought i’d write my version of it. this takes place in the “guard dog au” developed primarily by a gc im in on twitter (@stabbysideblog being the main originator of it, do check sunny out !!) - the basic premise is post-getting the revive book from c!dream, c!quackity continues to get his, uh, “use” out of him by basically treating him as a bodyguard/guard dog as he goes around the server - which should probably give you a pretty good idea of how this is going to go :] 
tws: death, grief, implied torture, starvation, abuse, blood, murder, unhealthy relationship, dehumanization, possession, trauma, mental illness, violence, dark content, dark imagery, emotional distress, mental instability, pandora’s vault/prison arc, c!quackity critical (not really, but a very dark portrayal of him) 
A strangled sob claws its way up Puffy’s throat as she watches Foolish fall.
He drops in a spray of golden ichor in the crimson, brilliant green eyes trained on hers, jaw slack in horror, pain, dipping to the ground and whiting out before he’s even fully collapsed. The others’ screams hardly even meet her ears; all she can see is her son, falling, her son, dying, her son, that same sunlit kindness still held in the curve of his lips in this room that knows nothing but pain and betrayal, gone gone gone gone-
Because of her.
Ant’s still staring at her, pupils thinned to needles from the brightness of the lava at their backs, ears alert but stance entirely calm as he twirls his sword, still dripping gold. His mouth is moving but she cannot hear anything above the ring ring ringing in her ears, the world swirling and blurring dangerously from the tears gathering in her eyes and spilling over her cheeks, Ant’s eyes polished rubies where there had once been a cloudless sky. Bad gestures at the crowd, pushed back towards the lava’s fire in their fear, leaving her to stand in the middle of the room as one desperate dying scream, the egg, standing as a silent witness to it all-
“Bad-” a flash of blue, and there’s someone standing in front of her, shoulders pulled back, a diamond sword glittering their right hand, “Stop it.”
“Quackity.”’
Bad snarls, tail whipping back and forth; Puffy takes a step back, then another, shoulders still shaking in grief for her son, for her friends, for everyone who’s about to lose their lives in this twisted realm of crimson and hellfire. There is no fear on Quackity’s face though he stands unarmored, and for the first time in this awful day something like worry flashes over Bad’s face. There’s history here, she realizes - what did Bad say about Quackity attacking? - but none of this is making sense, not the self-assured way Quackity is carrying himself, wings relaxed and folded at his back, not the simmering unease making itself known in the foreign cadence of Bad’s voice.
“Oh my gosh, look at what you’ve done,” Quackity says, voice almost patronizing, like a parent stumbling in on the mess their child has made out of their bedroom, “this is impressive, I’m not going to lie, this is quite impressive.” Puffy swallows thickly, hears the shuddering gasp of someone behind her - Fundy, probably, or Sam - as Quackity’s voice drops. “You have to stop right now.”
“Stop?”
“This whole Egg thing is just getting out of control - you just killed a man,” Quackity stalks across the netherbrick floor like he has all the time in the world, ignoring the crossbows that the Eggpire has trained on his back, guarded only by the off-white shirt he’s wearing, an untied tie hanging limply around his neck. She sucks in a sharp breath through her teeth - my son, they killed my son, she means to say, but the words stick to the walls of her throat and only escape her lungs in another series of wracking sobs. “Is that what you wanted to do, Bad?”
He laughs - laughs, of all things, and there is something here that Puffy is missing, that isn’t clicking through the muddied fog of grief hanging grey and suffocating around her head, but Quackity is speaking again and she can’t think about it all, not now, “-and I’m not gonna have it anymore, Bad.”
He slips over by the crowd, eyes glancing all of them huddled in one fearful mob over the tables, eyes dark and daring and cold; the Eggpire keeps their eyes trained on him, Bad’s eyebrows furrowed, Ant’s muzzle twisted in a snarl. Puffy watches, their words passing over her like water skidding against the surface of a rock splitting a stream in two, heart thudding in her ears, marking out the heartsick beats in this poisoned melody - one-two, her-son, her-son, her-son-
He stops in front of her in the middle of monologuing, eyes trained on her own like he’s trying to tell her something. His eyes flick down and she follows their gaze to his other hand, the one not clasped around a sword handle, watches as he gestures vaguely in the direction of the Eggpire. She frowns, confusion cutting through the grief - what is he trying to say? - and Quackity sighs, index finger slashing in the air in the shape of what might be an A as he spins on his heel to walk back towards Bad and the others.
“So how about we just stop playing?”
Quackity smiles, teeth white and glittering from the lava’s glow even as the Eggpire surrounds him, pushes him back against the wall. Bad seems to hesitate, hand clasped around the trigger of a crossbow he keeps pointed at the other’s head; when he speaks, he almost sounds mournful.
“I can’t,” he mutters, quiet, stepping forwards as his shoulders straighten, pushing Quackity back in a motion that the others are quick to follow. Puffy watches, an awful sinking feeling falling through the hole left in her chest by the sight of her son, falling, her son, dead - watches as Quackity’s wings open, shine golden in the lava’s light - what is he planning?
“You know why I can’t stop.”
Quackity heaves a heavy sigh through his lungs, “Bad- you and all your buddies here, drop your weapons, and leave. Let all of these people go.”
“Or what?” Ant’s voice is sharp, but Quackity barely pays him a second thought, swinging a glare at his head and cutting him off.
“I’m not talking to you,” he laughs, dismissive, “I’m talking to Bad.”
“No-” Puffy watches as Bad’s hand tightens on his crossbow, punctuating the word with a step forward. “You put your weapon down. If you wanted to stop us?” He’s too close to Quackity for Puffy to make out either of their faces, crossbow bolt aimed and ready to send straight through his skull. She stiffens, sees from the corner of her eye as the ones beside her look away, and resigns herself to the inevitable spray of blood on brick - not again not again don’t make me watch again - “You should’ve brought more than just yourself.”
Quackity laughs.
“I did,” his voice is dangerous in its levity, making Bad, then the rest of the Eggpire step back as his wings spread open further, watching with bated breath and wide eyes as a swarm of white descends from a hidden hole in the wall, “Or, well, I did the next best thing. I brought my worst enemy.”
“What?”
“Alright Quackity, where’s this Egg thing?”
Technoblade jumps down into the room in a familiar purple-black blur of expertly enchanted netherite armor, form impeccable despite the seeming exhaustion in his voice. At his feet, a pack of wolves gather, pace, muscles coiled and clearly ready to strike; he rolls his shoulders back, signature fireworks loaded into his crossbow, and the crowd behind Puffy immediately breaks into shocked murmuring and soft cheers.
On Quackity’s other side, someone else flips into the room, wearing a suit of all things, crisp and well-pressed; Purpled grins, entirely too gleeful as the Eggpire presses back further, held off by the dogs swarming and growling at their feet.
“Purpled- we hired you!”
“To be frank with you, Bad, a sword appears in Purpled’s hand and he flips it casually, blade thin and gleaming, “Quackity just had the better price.”
“We- we still outnumber you!” Bad’s voice is a near-scream in its desperation, his tail lashing back and forth as he shifts his weight forward, “It’s four against three- we’ll still win-” Despite herself, Puffy’s mind spins; either way, they’re still at a disadvantage from sheer numbers alone, never mind Quackity’s lack of armor. Maybe if they all work together, they’ll be able to sufficiently stop them, but there’s no way she can see this ending in anything less than a bloodbath-
“I didn’t want for it to come to this, Bad,” Quackity’s voice drops low and sweet, the sincerity in his tone belied by his glittering eyes and jagged grin. The shift in tone sends a shiver down her back, has even his allies shifting uncomfortably in what seems to be confusion - Puffy catches something like a murmured no from Sam, behind her, before Quackity whistles, loud.
It all happens too fast for her to follow; one moment, the Eggpire is standing, weapons raised and ready to fight; the next, and there is a new netherite-clad figure in the middle of the room, signature sparks of purple from a pearl still glittering around them, axe buried into Antfrost’s chest. The room devolves into shrieks as his body dissolves, Bad gasping sharply and something dark bubbling in Puffy’s chest - good - as the newcomer in the room moves over to Ponk, bloodstained axe swinging in a downward arc, only barely stopped in time by a diamond sword catching on the crook of the blade.
“Go!” Quackity’s voice rings out above the chaos, and Techno and Purpled - seemingly shaken from their shock - fly into motion, fireworks bursting in flashes of red and black that send Puffy blinking out stars from her eyes, Purpled moving to match blows against Hannah and Techno’s army biting at the ankles of the Eggpire leader. Around her, people scream in relief, cheering as the Eggpire, clad in eggshell-blue, are pushed back one by one, hindered by a shifting wave of teeth and claws and clashing blades and netherite moving smoothly over the uneven floor - Bad screams, “RETREAT!”, and they disappear into the wall.
Purpled curses; “I’m going after them.” Puffy watches, still reeling, as he dives into the corridor that Bad had revealed, a flash of purple and blue melting into the shadows; the mystery figure - still hauling a heavy, bloodstained axe, nearly dragging against the floor - moves forward as to follow.
Quackity snaps his fingers, and the figure stops, turns, immediately moving to the winged man’s side. Behind her, Puffy can make out cheers, gasping, hysterical sounds of relief; she can’t join them, feels nothing but the shuddering weight of her grief pressing further on her lungs as the adrenaline fades, head dizzy with Foolish’ sharp gasp in pain, Ant’s yowl of agony. Her eyes flick to the side, catch on Sam pacing, muttering under his breath; when his eyes meet hers, they widen in something like - alarm?
She shakes her head; she can’t think about all of that, right now. Her hooves stumble over the vines and rot strewn over the floor, carrying her forward to the glitter of gold on red, to where her son had fallen and she could do no more but watch with a scream caught between her teeth.
A hand lands on her shoulder- “I’m sorry we couldn’t make it in time.”
She whirls around; Quackity’s looking down at her, face twisted in sympathy. Behind him, the armored stranger looms, hair long and tangled, helmet keeping their face in shadow and hiding their features from view. There’s something distantly familiar to them, in the way they shift from one foot to the other, something that makes her eyes narrow and throat tighten-
“Who are you?” The words tumble from her mouth, making Quackity freeze, jaw snapping shut, the figure behind him tensing almost imperceptibly under their armor. “Who-”
Quackity’s eyes are dark, piercing; she can’t read them, the flat line of his mouth as confusing as it is frustrating. His eyes flick up to somewhere over her shoulder before moving back to her own
“How rude of me,” He smiles, gold tooth glinting, “I didn’t even introduce our special guest.”
His right wing presses against their back, and they drop, immediately, to their knees, making her step back in shock. Quackity’s hand slips easily under the edge of their helmet, ripping it off with little care and letting their hair fall in a wave of dusty browns over their face; he pulls the strands back roughly, revealing the paleness to their skin, the hollows in their cheeks-
“Dream?”
Her breath shudders in her chest, eyes snapping up to Quackity, still smiling, hand still pressed against the back of his skull. Dream’s face is pale, thin, clawed with new scars that highlight the jut of his cheekbones and the dullness of his eyes. He looks up at her, eyes glassy, skin almost grey, and for a moment she’s looking at Foolish, eyes unseeing in death, the luster of his skin stolen like the air from his lungs, and she nearly screams.
“Puffy, Puffy,” Quackity murmurs, almost kind, “It’s alright, see? Everything’s fine now.”
“He- he’s supposed to be in prison,” she hisses, not missing how he flinches, not missing how even that is hindered by the hand braced against his head. He looks strangely small kneeling at Quackity’s side, dwarfed by the netherite he’s wearing; even with an axe strapped to his back, the blade still wet with crimson and reeking of iron and decay, he hardly looks like the villain that had terrorized the server, the son she could no longer recognize in the midst of the bridges he burned.
“Oh- don’t worry about him,” Quackity shrugs, wings fluttering, “It’s all being done with the Warden’s permission, Puffy, I know what I’m doing.” As if to prove his point, his hand tightens on the other’s hair, tugging his head back by the roots; Dream hardly even reacts, simply letting himself be manhandled, throat bare and exposed to the air, similarly criss-crossed by scars. “He’s perfectly well-behaved now, you see?”
Her throat closes, the pit in her gut torn open by the sight of her son with a blade skewered through his heart only growing wider, hungrier, by the dullness in the eyes of the other. Foolish’ death had happened too fast for her to react: one moment, he was staring at her, eyes mournful in goodbye; the next, he was a tumble of gold and green and blue against the floor, half of his name still not having left her lips. Dream’s head swivels to hers, face entirely blank; there is nothing quick written in the gauntness of his face, more scar tissue than skin, in the shadows under his eyes or how they seem to stare, unseeing, in the long, knotted strands of hair twisted over Quackity’s knuckles. He looks like he’s been dying, slowly, for months, and the screaming cry of YOU FAILED ringing in her head in Ant’s voice only grows louder.
“What did you-” the words scrape roughly against the inside of her mouth, “What did you do?”
Quackity shrugs, letting go, and Dream’s head tips forward to stare at the floor. “What had to be done.”
He clicks his fingers again, and Dream stands, falling behind Quackity with his shoulders pulled up to his ears. Quackity hands him back his helmet, keeping his hand stretched out, palm up, even after Dream takes the netherite and fastens it back over his head. Puffy watches, heart stuck in her throat, as Dream fiddles with something by his throat, pulls out a thick coil of iron chains, pressing the end to Quackity’s outstretched hand - the other side, she realizes, fastened around his neck.
Her breath stutters when he looks back at Quackity, gut roiling at the familiarity - it’s an imperfect copy of the way he used to look at her, a skittish shadow at her tail, all awkward smiles and fidgeting hands. Only now, his eyes don’t dance with the same light, his lungs shivering in fear instead of wheezing laughter; she watches as his head follows Quackity like he’s the only person in the room, a duckling imprinted on the nearest person and ready to follow to the ends of the world and further, and her heart shatters all over again.
“Anyway,” Quackity’s eyes soften, lips curled in sympathy, “My condolences, Puffy, for your son. It really is a tragedy.”
She watches him leave with tears in her eyes, a sob once again caught in her throat. The images overlap - Foolish, smiling under the sun’s glow, sitting on the roof of his summer home - Dream, grinning in the treetops, eyes as green as the leaves surrounding him - Foolish, falling in a spray of ichor and a gasp of pain, Dream, grey-eyed and silent, dead as the crimson rot surrounding his beaten body-
My condolences for your son, Quackity’s words echo in her skull, and not for the first time, she laughs miserably, tears falling from her eyes.
Which one?
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elysianslove · 3 years
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this might seem weird but uh could i get an annie leonhart x reader— where like should i put a spoiler on this? uh aot spoilers ig but like she won’t hurt reader kind of thing like she refuses and actually like protects her when in titan form, i dunno maybe that’s weird but just an idea
first aot request omg im so excited!!!! this contains season 1 spoilers only!!! thank you for requesting, and i hope you enjoy, my love <333
warnings; descriptions of blood and death. angst. so much angst. 
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━ as the second red smoke signal fires into the air from your right, your heart sinks into your stomach. the feeling that’s settled deep in your bones isn’t unusual, considering the threat and danger the expedition poses in itself, but it’s incredibly unwelcome. you feel unsteady, a large contrast to the horse whose reigns you grip tight, white-knuckled. you inhale — the dirt gathering from the horses’ hooves, the scent of wet grass, and distant, faint smell of blood rest on the bridge of your noise — and you grasp the breath tightly within your lungs, counting down the seconds from ten, grounding yourself, and then you exhale. if you die on this battlefield today, then you can only hope your corpse is another setting stone towards the truth. 
your thoughts are interrupted when a thud silences your heartbeat for a split second too long, and then it repeats. it’s building up slow, and you recognize it — how could you not? — as easily as you would identify the sound of your fellow comrades’ footsteps. the thuds steadily increase in volume and speed, and it’s closer, too close, it’s right behind you, you’re going to die —
the sun disappears for a moment, shaded by the large figure of the titan that barricades through your formation, separating the five of you apart momentarily as you avoid being crushed beneath its feet, and forcing the tilt of your head back, then to the side, eyeing its figure. it’s large, larger than any titan you’d faced, let alone killed, obviously faster and much stronger, just by the quick observation of its physique, and it’s distinctly female. 
more importantly, however, it’s completely ignoring you. 
huh. an abnormal? 
the other members of your squad seem to have skimmed over that important detail, and instead of avoiding it, they convince themselves it’s their solitary duty to eliminate it. before you could react in any way, a hoarse cry of a warning — wait! it’s not... — completely ignored, three of them leap from their horses, odm gear attaching to the titan’s limbs, blades sharply prepared. 
it’s almost as if the titan is prepared for it. 
she grabs at the wires, tangling two of them together, before two of your companions land in her large fists, and she crushes them with ease. blood sprays across her body, staining her hands, and you watch with horrified eyes as whatever pieces are left of them falls to the ground. the other two soldiers, fueled by anger and frustration, charge at her with the same ferocity, any technique or plan abandoned, minds clouded with the remnants of their fellow comrades decaying frames. 
and just as easily, they fall victim to her. 
during the commotion, you’d landed off your horse, onto the soft grass beneath you. the horse neighs, despite your desperate attempts to calm it down and steady, and flees, leaving you deserted, with nothing but the corpses of your fellow soldiers and the one to blame for their demise. you’re not sure why you’re not filled to the brim with as much anger as them, why your blades aren’t in your fists, and you’re not charging at her as blindly and as cruelly as you can muster. maybe you’re in shock, maybe you’re drowning in guilt — if you’d been faster at warning them, four deaths would’ve been easily avoided, they would still be here, with you, but you’re all alone. alone, in unknown land. unknown, and very dangerous land. 
your thumps loudly in your chest, mirroring your erratic breathing. the sun is too bright, worsening the gradual warm up of your body. you feel bothered, suffocated and overwhelmed. it’s not supposed to be this way. how did it all happen so quick? what good of a soldier were you if you weren’t able to react quickly, quickly enough to save your people? 
the sun is hidden again. you feel cooler, the shade eliminating one threat towards your body. when something heavy rests on your head, you’re reminded awfully of the actual, real threat. your head lolls back, body trembling pathetically and eyes wide and watery. she’s kneeling by you, your head resting between her thumb and index finger, and you think to yourself that this is really how it ends, your head crushed between a massive titan’s fingers, gone as quickly as the blink of an eye. 
and then you look into her eyes, and your heart sinks for the millionth time that day. 
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the days that pass by after are a blur, a shocking blur. your brain and body aren’t responding accurately to each other, their reactions off. the information that you’re fed is overwhelming, but you don’t process it properly enough for the effect to linger long enough. 
all you remember hearing is annie, annie, annie.
you want to scream. 
somehow, amidst it all, a plan is formulated, and on a sunny morning, much like the one a few days past, you find yourself within wall sina, specifically, the stohess district. you’re not entirely sure why you walk by the most essential people of the plan, ranging from eren to mikasa to armin, but it had been some theory armin had thought up, and having trained with him, you’ve learned better than to trust his judgement. and with the four of you, is annie. 
annie, what have you done?
annie, is this real?
annie, lie to me. please.
you’re staring up at her from the lowest steps of a staircase leading to a tunnel, and her eyes — her eyes look so familiar like this, bright and blue and shining and beautiful and familiar. 
annie, with her beautiful blue eyes. 
you distinctly hear yourself plead for her to follow you down — annie please, please come with me — and you barely recognize the falter in her movements as she registers your voice, as she meets your eyes. 
annie, with her strong hands, picking you up always. 
the world shifts. it explodes around you, and it falls apart. slowly, you feel yourself pick apart at the seams, drifting away from yourself as you watch her emerge from the suffocating cloud of smoke. you feel a tug at your arm, but you can’t, you can’t. you’re rooted in your place, watching as she swings her arms and knocks away the attackers as if they were mere nuisances. 
annie, with her stupid desire to always be alone. 
— i want to be with you, i want to love you, annie, let me love you, annie, please, let my love you —
you’re lifted, too gently. it feels the same way you’d imagined flying through the clouds would be, with your body a little too light, your head a little fuzzy, with the blue enveloping you a warm blanket. except the blue is not the sky, it’s her, her, her. 
she holds you in her palm, and you stand, your hand outstretching towards her. you have seconds; you can hear the time ticking by you, almost in a mocking manner, and when your hand rests upon her cheek, she blinks slowly, and her eyes read i’m sorry. 
annie, with her beautiful blue eyes. 
annie, with her heart too big. 
annie, who you loved till you couldn’t breathe no longer. 
this time, your heart doesn’t sink. it simply breaks. 
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end note; so fitting that i start off writing for aot with an angst one shot 
467 notes · View notes
quokkacore · 3 years
Text
with great power I [lee jeno]
summary: there are two things jeno loves most about his life. one being spiderman, the other being you, his best friend. there’s just one issue: after your father’s death, you decide you hate both spiderman and yourself.
pairing: lee jeno x reader
genre: superhero au, high school au, coming of age, best friends to strangers(ish) to lovers, fluff, ANGST, minor crack
warnings (for this chapter): language, violence, gun violence, the mafia, parental death, police presence, sexual references, bullying (ily san im sorry), the dreamies being dicks to each other, police corruption, towards the end jeno experiences something similar to sensory overload, americanized names, pop culture references, VERY jeno centric
song rec: we go up - nct dream // any song - zico // 21 questions - waterparks // talk (remix feat. megan thee stallion & yo gotti) - khalid // sunrise - ateez // i really like you - carly rae jepsen // dare - gorillaz // stray kids - the tortoise and the hare
word count: 10.5k
a/n: this is so late...... i blame attack on titan. but hey!! better late than never :] a huge thanks to @doderyscoffee​ for beta reading <3
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main masterlist // story masterlist
chapter one: jeno and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week
Jeno despised Tuesdays. He was pretty sure that Tuesdays despised Jeno as well because all of his worst days just so happen to be Tuesdays. He was 96% sure that, if there was a god, his day off was on Tuesdays, or that the planets aligned in such a manner on Tuesdays that it caused universal despair and misery. If he was to take Donghyuck's word for it, his chakra attracted negative energy the most on Tuesdays.
When Jeno was 5, his goldfish Pippin had died on a Tuesday. When he had his ass handed to him on the playground by San Choi in the third grade, it was a Tuesday. And in the seventh grade, he'd failed his Spanish test, missed his bus and walked home in the rain only to find out that his Aunt Sunny was at work, he'd left his keys in his locker and that had to wait an hour before she got home to unlock it for him, all on a Tuesday. 
And wouldn't you know it, here he was, late for the first day of senior year, which was, of all days, a godforsaken Tuesday.
In his eternal wisdom, he'd stayed up gaming with Renjun until two in the morning, and because of it, slept through his three alarms, one set at six-thirty, the other at 6:45, the last one at 7:00. 
He'd woken up at 7:17, to the sound of his elderly neighbor's pet chihuahua barking at a pigeon, checked the time, immediately panicked, sped into the shower, gotten dressed in a haste, grabbed a few granola bars from the pantry, and ran out the door while trying to jam his backpack closed, and managed to catch the train at 7:40, which took about twenty minutes to get to his stop, plus a ten-minute walk to school, and class started at 8:10. Not to mention he’d have to stop by the office and pick up his schedule. At best, he’d be five minutes late to his first class. But tardies were tardies, regardless, and the last thing he needed was to lose his perfect attendance streak. 
He fished out his phone while standing on the train, waiting for his stop, scrolling through Instagram, and liking random pictures. A ping! from his phone caught his attention, then two, then a third. He smiled softly when your name popped up on his screen.
[7:48 AM]
y/n: pssst
y/n: shithead
y/n: where r u ????
[7:49 AM] 
y/n: i can sEE u online on ig u know
jeno: …… i'm on the train
jeno: woke up late
y/n: YOURE GONNA BE LATR
y/n: LATE*
y/n: ON THE FIRST DAY OF SENIOR YEAR
[7:50]
jeno: probably, yeah
jeno: it's the school district's fault, why would they make the first day of school on a fkn TUESDAY 
y/n: ohhh yeahh its terrible tuesday
y/n: [sent an attachment!]
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[7:51 AM]
jeno: SHUT UP
jeno: you're not funny >:(
jeno: how dare you laugh at my misfortune
y/n: au contraire im hilarious
jeno: meanie :(
jeno: im gonna be late i hate it here
jeno: it'll end up on my permanent record and i'm not gonna get into college and then i'm gonna die,,,
[7:52 AM] 
y/n: sometimes ur worse than hyuck i swear 
y/n: FIRST OF ALL permanent records dont even exist !!!!!! its propaganda duh
y/n: also ur literally never late 
y/n: im sure o n e tardy wont do anything chill
y/n: dont be stupid youll be fine
Don’t be stupid. Too little, too late, he thought, already having got off the train at a previous stop. Now, he was looking for an unoccupied street or alleyway, which, for once, was easy, taking a deep breath before he did the exact opposite of what you’d told him not to do. Don’t be stupid. 
The buildings are low, he thought to himself, it’ll be easier to see me. 
Don’t be stupid.
Too late!
Thwip!
Jeno didn’t hesitate to use the web fluid to pull himself up onto the wall, climbing in a haste, before running and jumping onto the next building. He quickly built up a quick pace, using the web fluid occasionally to swing onto a building slightly out of jumping range. 
Signs in English, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish flew past him as he seemingly flew over the Queens traffic, leaving Flushing behind and crossing quickly into College Point quicker than he would if he took the train. He glanced to his left and caught a view of the bay, and far across it, the LaGuardia airport watchtower.
Jeno had lived in New York City his entire life. He knew Queens like the back of his hand, knew every dingy alleyway, every sketchy street, which restaurants to avoid if you didn’t want to get food poisoning, which convenience store aunties were the nicest and didn’t pinch his cheeks too hard. It was his home, and most likely would be for the rest of his life. 
But seeing it like this, flying past him below as he glided with ease from building to building would never cease to be a sight to him. It was like watching from the perspective of an outsider, seeing people in their cars, walking along the street gave him a brand new perspective. A Jeno’s eye view, he called it, since he was pretty sure he was the only one in New York City.
Another noise from his phone brought him back to reality. He shook his head, stopping briefly to catch his breath and fish out his phone briefly. 
[7:57 AM] 
y/n: let me know when u get here !!!
No time to respond, he put away the phone and continued his trek to school. He had less than ten minutes to get there. But he knew he was already at least five minutes away, much quicker than he would be if he had decided to stick to the train. He smiled a bit to himself, feeling ever so slightly smug.
The hustle and bustle of the city definitely proved challenging to find a place to land without many eyes, but he figured it out eventually, landing behind a dumpster in an alleyway behind a restaurant that he knew was about three or four blocks from the school. He figured it would be a lot better to take it on foot from here. The notebooks he was carrying in his backpack bounced up and down with every step he took. 
After what seemed like forever, the gates to the school appeared in his view, and Jeno felt a joy in his heaving chest, something he would have never thought would happen upon seeing the absolute hellhole that was Samuel Morse High School. 
[8:06 AM]
jeno: just did >:D
Picking up his schedule was both quick and insanely long. He couldn’t stop himself from tapping his left foot while the secretary found his schedule and handed it to him. “Kibum, please hurry,” He muttered, and Kibum raised an eyebrow at him, but his gaze was teasing. “That’s Mr. Kim to you, in school at least.” 
He handed Jeno his schedule a few seconds later. “Tell your Aunt to come pick up her casserole dish, by the way. She left it at my house after my last viewing party.”
“The Bachelor?”
“Please. We’re too classy for that. Drag Race.”
“Ah. I see.”
“Jeno,” Kibum said, staring up at him from his desk, his gaze now much more serious, “Get to class. Happy first day of senior year.”
“Thanks, Mr. Kim.”
He managed to make it to chemistry class at 8:09 with seconds to spare. His eyes quickly scanned the room upon entering, hoping his friends were in the class with him. He caught a few familiar faces, most of which, like San Choi's, he wished to avoid. No one paid him any mind. Everyone was still speaking to the people next to them, no doubt exchanging stories of summer vacation. 
  A hand shot up towards the back, waving at him. A smile stretched across his face as he registered your face, feet not hesitating to carry him towards the empty seat next to you. His heart skipped a beat at seeing your smile, and he tried his best to ignore it.
“Hey,” You greeted, “That was fast. I thought you said you were gonna be late.”
Jeno shrugged, eyes landing on the dark shade of the lab table. “The train was a lot faster than I expected, apparently.”
You wrinkled your nose. “Why do you smell so bad?”
“I, uh… ran a little.” 
You grimaced, and Jeno tried to casually sniff at his slightly sweaty clothes. It’s not that bad. “I still don’t understand why you won’t let me drive you to school. You’re literally next door.”
“I don’t know,” He answered, rolling his eyes, “Maybe it’s because when it comes to that truck, you are absolutely insane. You won’t even let me drink water in that thing.”
The truck in question, a faded red 1998 Chevrolet S-10, had been your gift to yourself for your 17th birthday. You’d spent two summers saving up to buy yourself a truck, and that was what you were able to get for what you had. To say it was a huge piece of junk on wheels was an understatement. 
The thing smelled like mothballs no matter how many air fresheners you bought it, the engine sounded like an old man having a coughing fit, and there was a very suspicious stain in the backseat that wouldn’t go away no matter how many times you scrubbed it. But for some reason, you treated it like it was your own baby. The amount of times you’d yelled at Jaemin for trying to put his feet on the dashboard was too high to count.
You mirrored his movement, eyes rolling as you sighed. “At least let me drive you home after school today. Maybe you can stay and we can finally watch Blade Runner.”
You’d been trying to get him to watch the film for almost a month now, begging and pleading because you insisted that he’d love it. He offered an awkward stare, before opening his backpack and pulling out a notebook. “Can’t,” He mumbled, “I’m headed into Manhattan. I have my internship afterwards.”
“Oh, yeah,” You said nonchalantly, eyebrows shooting up as you remembered, “Park Industries.” 
He was about to reply when Mrs. Baker, the chemistry teacher, finally entered. She’d been working at SMHS for 30 years and had never, apparently, been nice, if his Aunt Sunny’s stories were anything to go by. However, she had apparently always spoken as if she smoked two packs a day. She was rambling about the importance of making the most of senior year academically, adult responsibilities, college, and whatnot. You and Jeno exchanged glances often throughout the monologue, hoping it would end soon. 
“Enough of that,” She said after what seemed like an eternity, “Everyone quiet down, I’m going to call roll.”
Names were quickly called, and Jeno was ready to pull out a pencil and start working with you until Mrs Baker demanded a switch in seats, beginning to call on random names in an effort to deter everyone from speaking. 
"Please not with Choi, please not with Choi," Jeno muttered under his breath, glancing warily at San, who was staring ahead, looking bored. 
San had had it out for Jeno ever since day one, in first grade. For some reason, everything Jeno did seemed to annoy the other boy. He wasn't funny enough, or too nerdy, or too quiet. Jeno was always too much or too little for him. 
You touched his forearm, and he looked towards you. 
“You’ll be fine,” You said softly, trying not to alert the teacher, “You’re not gonna get paired up with him, and you can take it to the office if you need to.” “Yeah, because I’m sure Coach Peralta would be thrilled if someone tried to get his precious midfielder in trouble.”
“Choi, San,” Mrs Baker’s voice rang throughout the room, and Jeno braced himself for the worst, eyebrows furrowing with worry. 
“You’ll be sitting with… L/N, Y/N.” 
Jeno’s shoulders slumped, but your face remained impassive. You picked up your stuff, and pouted silently at Jeno in apology, before making your way to the front. 
“Lee, Jeno,” Mrs Baker called a few minutes later, “You’ll be sitting with Jang, Yeeun.”
He breathed out a sigh of relief. Yeeun is nice, Jeno thought to himself, I could sit with Yeeun. She wasn’t part of his main friend group, but he had tutored her in math during sophomore year in exchange for her helping him with Spanish, and they’d been pretty friendly ever since. 
“Hey,” Yeeun greeted as Jeno sat down, and Jeno smiled at her. 
“Remember, these will be your assigned lab partners for the rest of the semester. No changes, no exceptions.” Mrs. Baker sat down at her desk, before beginning to talk about something Jeno didn’t really pay attention to.
You exchanged glances with Jeno, and he gave you a look of sympathy as you gestured at San with your eyes. San was talking to you about something—probably bragging about some soccer achievement—but you weren’t paying him much attention. Jeno swallowed something growing in his throat as he looked at how your hair looked today. 
It was nothing relatively new, the same hairstyle you used on most days. But still, there was a bit of a shine to it. He wondered vaguely if you had changed your shampoo, the other day you’d been complaining about how itchy your normal shampoo made your scalp—
“You still haven’t told her about how you feel?” Yeeun asked quietly, and Jeno’s head snapped back to look at her, eyes wide.
“W-what? Me. Like Y/N…” He laughed nervously, trying to keep his voice down. He scratched the back of his head, avoiding Yeeun’s accusatory stare. “You’re hilarious, Yeeun. Tell another one.”
Yeeun shook her head. “You’d better hurry before someone else snatches her up, Jen. She’s not gonna wait around for you forever.”
 “I don’t like her, Yeeun.” 
“Keep telling yourself that.”
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“Hey! Jeno Lee!”
“Hey! Jaemin Na! What do you want!” Jeno answered as he sat down, mimicking Jaemin’s tone next to him.
“Well, for starters, a million dollars, and second, a date with Yiren Wang, but I doubt you can help me with either of those, so...”
Jeno glanced at the rest of the table. Along with Jaemin, Mark,  Renjun, Donghyuck, and you were watching the interaction between the pair. “Where are the munchkins?” Jeno asked, noticing Chenle and Jisung’s absence. No one could really call them munchkins anymore. That nickname dated back to middle school, before the two underclassmen had gone through growth spurts.
“Eh, they should be here soon,” Renjun said, chewing on a french fry, “How’s your day been?”
“Pretty good so far, I guess. I got AP Calc with Mr. Washington later, though. That man wants me dead.”
You rolled your eyes. “He doesn’t want you dead. I’m telling you, you and Hyuck have been spending way too much time together. You’re being more dramatic than usual and Hyuck’s being more… weird than usual.”
“And just what is so weird about being enthusiastic about senior year, Y/N?” Donghyuck asked, shaking his head, “It’s our last year in this hellhole, I’m excited that we’re finally getting out of here. And besides—”
“Please don’t bring up the fact that you’re abandoning us next year.” Chenle seemingly appeared out of nowhere, sitting next to Renjun, Jisung following quickly behind him.
“Hi, Sungie,” You said with a smile, and Jisung smiled back. “Hi, Y/N.”
“What were you saying, Hyuck?” Jaemin looked at Donghyuck, who had taken the quick interaction as an opportunity to take a bite of his sandwich. His wide eyes darted to the slim boy, cheeks stuffed with chicken. 
“Oh,” He replied after swallowing, “This is gonna be my year. I’m getting male lead for the winter musical and no one is gonna stop me.”
“Do you even know what musical you guys are doing yet?” Mark asked, “What if it’s like… Shrek?”
Jisung made a face. “There’s a Shrek musical?”
Mark nodded, and Renjun laughed.
“I don’t know about male lead, if it’s Shrek. You should try out for Donkey,” The Chinese boy joked, “With those front teeth, you’re a shoo-in.”
The entire table was silent for a moment, before snorts and chortles started pouring out from everyone except Donghyuck.
“Fuck you, Huang.” 
Renjun flashed the friendliest smile he could muster. “Not if you paid me a million dollars.”
The subject remained on extracurriculars, everyone in your group except for Chenle and Jisung now wary of college applications. Donghyuck had been in theater ever since middle school, Renjun was in the robotics club and the debate team with Jaemin, who was also in the student council. Mark was on the math team with Jeno, and you had founded the film club. 
"You're not gonna believe who asked to sign up for film," You huffed, looking kind of confused. The rest of the table looked at you expectantly, and you pursed your lips, almost as if you were trying not to laugh.
"San Choi."
Renjun scoffed. Jaemin raised his eyebrows before letting out a single, humorless laugh. Jeno made a face, poking his plastic fork at you. 
"What is San Choi doing asking to sign up for film?"
"Fuck if I know. He said he needed one more extracurricular if he wanted to get into some college in Florida and he liked going to the movies, so he wanted to try out film."
Mark rolled his eyes. "I swear there's nothing in that guy's head but hot gas. It blows my mind."
"He's a dick," Chenle grumbled, "I'm still not over how he and Wooyoung taped Jisung to the flagpole last year."
Jisung scowled. "I thought we agreed to never bring that up again."
“Do you think they’ll finally calm the fuck down this year?” Jaemin wondered, looking wistful.
You took a sip of your coke and shook your head. “Doubt it. They’re not the hateful eight for a reason.”
The mood at the table turned tense, until Jaemin frowned at his french fries, before sighing and clapping his hands together dramatically. “I would like to hear,” He mused, “About the nuance that theatre gives the cinematic masterpiece that is Shrek when converted into musical form.”
Donghyuck beamed. “Oh, it’s amazing. You see…”
If it was difficult to get Donghyuck to stop talking in general, it was impossible when it was about theater.
The conversation continued on until the bell rang, and the eight of you had to go your separate ways. Jaemin and Jeno had the same class, so they both walked together down a relatively calm hallway. Jaemin looked both ways, before finally lowering his voice. 
“So, you’re going to see Mr. Park today?”
Jeno nodded, looking down at his shoes. “He said he wanted to give me an assignment. Says there’s something big going on.”
Jaemin’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “Did he say what kind of something?” 
Jeno shook his head, pouting slightly. “I’ll let you know tomorrow.” 
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Once school was out, Jeno was getting ready to get onto the subway once again, this time heading towards Midtown. It was only day one and, as Jeno had predicted, Mr. Washington probably was out to get him, because he’d swamped the class with homework.
As he left the school, he spotted you in the parking lot, leaning against your car door, texting someone. He glanced at his phone. He still had plenty of time, he figured. He walked over to you, and when you looked up, you smiled. 
“Hey!” Your voice had that signature tone of enthusiasm to it, and Jeno smiled back immediately. 
“Hello,” He sing-songed. “So, I was thinking… are you free on Friday night?”
You looked somewhere above his head, furrowing your eyebrows before you perked up again and nodded. “Yep! Why?”
“I’m free after nine. Maybe then I could come over to your house? So I can finally get you to stop harassing me about Blade Runner.”
You grinned, pumping your fists enthusiastically. “Hell yes,” You answered, “Do you want me to get like, some frozen pizzas or something?” 
“Pizza sounds good,” He said. “Who are you even waiting for?” 
You made a face that made it seem as if you’d just gotten a whiff of rotten milk. “Well—”
Your response was interrupted when the school doors slammed open, and eight figures poured out, carrying themselves with confidence Jeno both envied and despised. He frowned, trying not to react at their loud whooping and laughing. The Hateful Eight.
“Oh.” Jeno averted his gaze, meeting your eyes again.
“Yeah. If you don’t hear from me later it’s because I jumped out of my truck because I don’t wanna work with—”
“Well, hello, gorgeous!” San’s voice filled the parking lot, and Jeno took a deep breath. Your mouth stretched into a tight-lipped smile at the unwanted ‘compliment’. 
“Hey, San.” Your friendly passive aggressive tone almost made Jeno smile. “I’ve been waiting here for like, fifteen minutes. You could have just given me your number and asked me to send you pictures of my notes, you know.”
He shrugged, turning his body so that his back was turned to Jeno. “Sorry, babe. Coach wanted to talk to us about the upcoming season. When he gets going, it’s hard to get him to stop. And besides, where’s the fun in just asking for pictures when I could come here, talk to you, and take the pictures myself?”
You didn’t respond, but rather pulled out your backpack and began digging through it. When you pulled out your notebook, you handed it to San, who flashed a wink at you. You barely held back a gag. 
“Thanks, Y/N. I’ll just be a minute.” 
He walked over to the hood of your truck, and just as you were about to continue your conversation, two figures slung their arms around both of Jeno’s shoulders, causing him to flinch. 
Out of the fifteen soccer players on the team, San and his best friends—seven of them, to be precise—were the worst. The others were pretty nice. But right now, seeing two of those seven surround your best friend made you uneasy. 
Wooyoung was loud. He was also a temperamental brat. His dad owned three used car dealerships over in Brooklyn, so naturally, he thought he owned the entire world. He wasn’t someone who would get too physical in fights, like San, or Jongho, or Yeosang. But when he was angry, he could easily get you to jump into the stratosphere by yelling at you once. Over the years, he’d made several teaching assistants and substitute teachers cry, only getting let off with a slap on the wrist every time. 
 Yunho was terrifying for completely different reasons. He was friendly, but a little too friendly to the people he wanted to control. He could read people like books and could easily manipulate whoever he wanted. But he wasn’t afraid of getting physical either, especially not when he was built like a goddamn Power Rangers Megazord. 
All in all, they definitely weren't anyone you wanted near you, near your friends. Especially considering how much they had it out for your friends. 
"Hey, buddy," Yunho said, looking down at Jeno with a wide smile. "How was summer vacation?"
Jeno gnawed on the side of his cheek as he considered his answer. "Um, it was okay." He looked at you to catch your eyes darting between San, Yunho and Wooyoung, like you were analyzing the situation. "I kinda stayed in and played video games most of the t—"
"Cool, cool," Yunho answered, carding his free hand through his bleach blond hair. "What about you, Woo?"
"Oh, dude, it was so cool," He bragged, "I went to Brazil for like, a month. I went clubbing with Instagram models and shit, it was wild."
You stared at him as he patted Jeno on the back rather aggressively. "Where did you go? Have you ever even left New York?" 
You knew the answer. Only a few times when the debate team went to compete in different states. Jeno spoke up again. "Well, yeah a few t—"
"Doubt it," Yunho scoffed. He craned his head back. "San, you done yet?"
"Almost!" San answered. Yunho turned to face you, and for some reason his smile seemed genuinely kind. “What about you, Y/N?”
You never understood why it was that the soccer team hated your entire friend group, but seemed to tolerate you. It made no sense.
So you shrugged. “Not a lot, I guess. Did my summer reading. Hung out with my friends.” You flashed a reassuring smile at Jeno. “Right, Jen?”
Immediately, he relaxed a little bit. “Yeah.”
San appeared from behind Yunho, Jeno and Wooyoung. “Thanks, Y/N. I owe you one.”
You waved your hand, wanting them to get rid of them quickly. “Don’t mention it. But next time, just text me for my notes. I have to get to work, so…”
“Oh! My bad,” He answered with fake remorse, before unlocking his phone and handing it over to you. “Here. For next time.”
You stifled a deep sigh, punching in the numbers hesitantly. “Just for homework, got it?”
San took his phone back, holding a hand over his heart and raised his head. “On a gentleman's honor,” He declared, and you bit back a laugh. Jeno looked like he was going to hurl.
“San!” The team captain—Hongjoong—called from a few feet away, “Are you guys done yet or what?”
“Coming!” San yelled back.
“Alright, we’ll let you go,” Wooyoung said, patting Jeno on the back again, a bit too harsh for comfort. “Bye, Y/N! See you around.”
 The three of them stalked off, leaving you and a very frazzled Jeno. “Dicks,” You muttered once they were out of earshot. “You good?”
Jeno shook his head, waving his hand dismissively. “I’ll be fine.”
You tilted your head, frowning. “Jeno—”
“I gotta go,” He said quickly. “I’ll see you later?”
You nodded, offering a lopsided smile. “Yeah. Be careful!” 
Jeno offered a deep bow, fluttering his eyelashes. “On a gentleman’s honor,” He sighed, adding a very bad British accent to it. You burst out laughing, eyes squeezing shut.
You didn’t catch the way Jeno’s shoulders relaxed at the sound.
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I want you to know now
Baby, it could go down
I don’t wanna talk about it
Baby, let’s just go now
The train ride into Midtown didn’t take too long. He spent it digging through his backpack for his Park Industries lanyard, listening to music and thinking about you.
When you talk right to me 
You gon’ have to do me
Every time you think you’re leaving 
You running back to me
You’d met Jeno when you were six. Truth be told, he didn’t really remember. For him it was like you weren’t there at one point and by the time you were, you were thicker than thieves. It was a difficult time for him. He had just lost both of his parents, and was moving in with his Aunt Sunny and his Uncle Jinki, who were barely out of college at the time. He’d had to move to a new school and basically restart his entire life. You were the first sense of stability in his life for months. 
Your mom lived next to his aunt and uncle. So naturally, you went to the same school and went on the same bus. And somewhere along the way, you two clicked. You’d introduced him to Renjun, Jaemin and Donghyuck. You were there to comfort him whenever he got pushed off the slide by San or Wooyoung. 
He was there for you when your stepdad and stepbrother moved in when you were nine and you weren’t sure how to deal with it. He was there when your mom died when you were thirteen. He’d introduced you and your friends to Mark, Chenle and Jisung. 
And you were there when his Uncle Jinki got killed when he was fifteen. And because fate had an especially cruel sense of irony, it had happened on a Tuesday. You didn’t know, but at the time, he had just gotten his powers. Your comfort and words unknowingly had a secondary effect: he made the decision to use them for good, and… well. The rest was history. 
Can we just talk? Can we just talk?
Talk about where we're goin'
Before we get lost, lend me your thoughts
Can't get what we want without knowin'
Just like when he met you, he didn’t recall an exact moment where he realized he’d fallen in love with you. He knew there was a world where he loved you, but wasn’t in love with you. And he knew that there was a world here he’d fallen in love with you—he was living in that world now. He realized he was living in that world maybe when he was sixteen, and had been stuck in it ever since. 
You were it for him. He’d had crushes before. But never something like this, where he was so aware of your presence around him. It wasn’t the way he was hyper aware of someone like San, or like Yunho or Jongho. It wasn’t out of anxiety or fear, where a shift in mood activated his fight or flight. He was aware of you in a way that only people who truly know each other do, where he could pick up on subtle changes in your behavior, but not out of fear. Rather, out of a desire to take care of you and to not have you worry about anything. 
I've never felt like this before
I apologize if I'm movin' too far
Can we just talk? Can we just talk?
Figure out where we're goin'...
As the train rolled into the station that was a fifteen minute walk from Park Tower, Jeno put away his headphones and took a deep breath.
The “Jeno Tingle” as his Aunt Sunny called it—Jeno hated the term—had taken him a few years to gain control of. And while he could never truly turn it off, he could at least tune it out enough to be more at ease. The only time he did so was at school or when he was studying, just because he wanted to feel normal, and because being aware of everything going on around him really messed with his concentration. 
Jaemin didn’t understand. “If I was able to tell whenever Seonghwa was behind me because he wanted to scare me into doing his chemistry homework, I’d never turn that shit off,” He’d said once. But truthfully, Jeno didn’t really care. Because while yes, he was still slightly scared of the “hateful eight”, he knew damn well that if things got to be too much, he could kick their asses if he wanted to. 
It was his friends he worried about. He couldn’t be around them 24/7. You, not so much. He knew you knew how to fight. Even worse, he knew that San had the hots for you so you were off limits to the rest of them, be it bullying or flirting. But for everyone else… Well. He couldn’t hover over them like some guardian angel. 
Now that the “Jeno Tingle” was on, it allowed him to sense everyone within a certain range around him. He could zero in on certain sounds with ease, and his reflexes became heightened. Halfway on his walk up Park Avenue, he jumped away from a chihuahua on its leash a second before it started barking at him.
When he entered the first floor lobby of the Park Building, he scoured the crowd of employees and visitors until he landed on one familiar face. 
He'd met Doyoung about a year after his dad started dating your mom. Things between your parents were starting to get serious, and Doyoung was four years older than you were. When they moved into your house, Doyoung as your new stepbrother became the de facto chaperone and babysitter. If you wanted to go to the mall with Jeno, he had to take you. Every time you dragged Jeno to the movies, Doyoung had to go also. 
To an extent, it wasn't that bad. Doyoung was cool, and he was smart—he was the one who got Jeno interested in computers and chemistry. He graduated high school at 16, and finished his bachelor's degree at 19. He'd also interned at Park Industries, and secured a job there almost immediately after college. 
To an extent, he was the whole reason Mr. Park knew who he was, because of one incident. It was relatively soon after he started the whole vigilante thing. Jeno, still figuring out how to maneuver on the webs that shot out of his wrists, had accidentally crashed into your backyard late at night, when only Doyoung was awake. He was standing in the back door while he was waiting for his dog to finish peeing. 
Initially, the older boy had freaked out, thinking that it was a burglar or something. When he yelled out that his dad was a cop and was asleep in the house, Jeno panicked, and pulled off his mask, holding up his hands.
“Woah, woahwoahwoah! Doyoung! It’s me, it’s me!” 
Doyoung’s eyes had widened to the size of saucers, paying no mind to the dog as it sauntered up to Jeno, before turning onto its back in a request for belly rubs.
"You're the spider guy everyone's been talking about!?"
"Spider man," Jeno had answered, voice cracking as he dusted himself off. He cringed at the sound of his voice. "...and yes."
Of course, his cover was blown, and he'd begged Doyoung not to tell anyone, especially not you. And while Doyoung had promised not to tell you, it didn't stop him from telling his boss. 
That had been almost three years ago now. The rest was history, and after that Jeno didn’t have to run around in bright red sweatpants and dollar store swimming goggles. Now, he had a nanotech suit that allowed him to activate protocols of the suit through voice commands using something top-secret Mr. Park called D.R.E.A.M technology. Direct Response Engaged As Machine—yeah, Jeno didn’t get it either. 
Doyoung offered Jeno a smile as he escorted Jeno past security, showing them his employee clearance pass. "Hey. How have you been?"
Jeno shrugged, recounting his day in minor detail as he was led into an elevator labeled authorized personnel only. 
This elevator only went up to the 35th floor, seeing as everything past that was only cleared for a certain list of people approved by Mr. Park and his security team, and everything past the 90th floor were Mr. Park's private living quarters. 
Now, as Doyoung led him to another elevator to head up to the 85th floor, which was always where Jeno got to meet with Mr. Park—which wasn't often, maybe once or twice a year—he wondered where he would be if he hadn’t surprised Doyoung that night. He would probably still be using those ugly red sweatpants as part of his disguise.
"How's Y/N?" Doyoung asked. 
"Oh, she seems okay. That guy who hates me keeps coming onto her though. He's a huge douchebag."
Doyoung frowned. "He's not harassing her, is he? Because if he is—"
"He just won't stop flirting, even though she clearly isn't interested," Jeno said bitterly, "He isn't physical or anything. Trust me, it wouldn't end well for him if he was."
Doyoung wasn't quite sure how to respond to the younger boy's dark tone. He looked down, clearing his throat awkwardly.
“So… how’s the apartment?” Jeno asked. Doyoung perked up instantly.
“Oh, now that Taeyong’s moved in and did his interior design thing, it looks great. He’s really done a great job at it.”
“When am I gonna meet this guy? He sounds cool.”
“He’s really cool,” Doyoung hummed, cheeks heating up. “Things are getting really serious.”
Jeno smiled at how flustered Doyoung, who was normally so level headed and calm, became at the mention of his boyfriend.
“You guys sound like a really good couple,” He said. Doyoung chuckled, waving his hand. “Oh, well—” 
 The elevator dinged, and Doyoung sighed. “I’ll tell you later. C’mon.”
The hallway it opened up to was lined with pictures of the company's history, starting from pictures of black and white of people in vintage clothing, to pictures in sepia tones to finally pictures of the current CEO at locations around the world: Chanyeol Park.
Jeno walked behind Doyoung as he led him down the hallway, before stopping in front of a door, and a friendly looking man in a suit. 
Junmyeon was a part of Chanyeol’s Security and Intelligence team, and often sat in on these meetings with Jeno. The chain of contact also included him. If Jeno couldn’t contact Doyoung (which rarely happened), he’d contact Junmyeon. And if he couldn’t contact either of them, or it was an emergency, only then could he contact Chanyeol. So far, that had only happened once.
"Hey, Junmyeon," Doyoung said, "Mr. Park's 4:30 is here." 
Junmyeon nodded, before smiling at Jeno and giving him a wave. "Hey, kid."
Jeno offered an awkward grin. "Hi, Mr. Kim."
Junmyeon rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Kid, you're making me feel ancient. I've told you a million times, just call me Junmyeon."
Jeno shuffled awkwardly, before nodding at the older man, watching as he pressed a button on his earpiece. "Hey, Yeol. Jeno's here."
The muffled response was barely heard, but Jeno automatically understood what Mr. Park said. Junmyeon turned to open the door, and let the pair inside. The “office”—if it could even be called that—opened up to more of a lounge, than anything. A wall of glass overlooked the Manhattan skyline, but Jeno knew that from the outside it looked only like a wall, due to camouflage technology developed by Mr. Park himself. As Doyoung and Junmyeon stayed back, closer to the door, Jeno took a few steps toward the man in question.
Chanyeol was standing a few feet in front of the glass window, working on a holographic model of a new piece of tech. His face was turned downward in a concentrated frown. He barely spared the teenager a glance as he said fondly, “Hey, kid.”
Jeno was used to this. Chanyeol wasn’t cold per se, but he wasn’t warm at all. He knew that Chanyeol cared about him, even if he didn’t really show it in a conventional way. Chanyeol was a very… eccentric man, so he had his own way of saying and doing things. 
“Hi, Mr. Park. Um… you wanted to talk to me?”
“Yep! Needed some help from the friendly neighborhood Spiderman… A little birdie told me about something going on in Queens.”
“Queens?” Jeno asked, gripping the straps of his backpack. “You mean, other than the usual stuff?”
“Other than the usual stuff,” Chanyeol repeated, nodding. With a wave of his hand, the hologram disappeared, and another one appeared in its place. This time, instead of a 3D model, a few pictures and another, smaller 3D model appeared. Chanyeol turned to face him, frown deepening. He pointed at the model—a long, shiny oval-shaped purple stone. It reminded Jeno of an amethyst, but instead of turning white at the base, it turned to an iridescent jade tone. “You know what this is, right?”
Jeno nodded, remembering seeing the rocks all over the news when he was a kid. “That’s… that’s a Chitauri stone. From the invasion a few years back.”
Chanyeol nodded, standing up straight. “These stones have the potential to power weapons with no need to recharge, or change them out. They’re an infinite, extremely strong power source, Jeno, and in the wrong hands can be very dangerous.”
Jeno took a deep breath, feeling his stomach sink slowly. Chanyeol sighed. “Cleanup of the city after the invasion was long, and difficult, and obviously the government and the company weren’t able to get everything. It caused a black market to pop up. Now, the NYPD has been investigating it for years, but they have their limits… that’s where you come in.”
“M-me, Mr. Park?”
Chanyeol gave him a crooked, reassuring smile. He pointed at one of the pictures, which was of a man who most likely didn’t know he was photographed. He was walking somewhere, face looking angry and stern.
“You don’t know who this is, right?”
Jeno shook his head, and Chanyeol turned his head to nod at Junmyeon. “You’re up, tough guy.”
Junmyeon huffed, before walking up to Jeno. He put his hand on Jeno’s shoulder as if he could tell that he was growing anxious. 
“Jeno, that’s Henry Duke. From what we understand on the intel team, he’s one of the cornerstones of the alien tech black market. He’s one of the top dogs. From what we understand, he likes to be present for all major negotiations that his group makes. A source of ours told us that there’s going to be a negotiation on Friday night not too far away from LaGuardia. We want you to go out there and just get a feel of what’s going on.”
“Just watch them, right?” Jeno looked at Junmyeon, who patted his back reassuringly. “Just watch. Don’t engage unless you absolutely have to.”
“You can do that, right?” Chanyeol said quietly, crossing his arms. “Because if not, then it’s totally—”
“Yeah, of course I can! Friday—shit, Friday. At what time are they supposed to be meeting up?”
Junmyeon furrowed his eyebrows, before answering, “Around eight or nine.”
Jeno bit his lip, thinking about the promise he’d made to you. It would just have to wait, he supposed. Chanyeol rarely asked anything this big of him.
“Alright,” Jeno agreed, “I’ll do it.”
Chanyeol grinned, clapping his hands together. 
“Perfect.” 
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They discussed logistics briefly after. Doyoung would be on call with Jeno, his custom made suit allowing them to communicate, letting Doyoung see everything Jeno was seeing via a video feed coming from the ultra thin lenses placed in the white eye sockets of the mask. Doyoung would then report to Junmyeon, who would report to Chanyeol, who would probably report to the FBI. Jeno was only to engage if absolutely necessary.
After that, he set out on patrol. He usually found some discreet place to hide his backpack, and then went all over Queens looking for trouble, quite literally. Around five thirty, he stopped a robbery in Murray Hill. Then, around seven, he stopped a man from stealing a woman’s purse in Elmhurst. Nothing too much.
Around eight, he finally headed home, this time dressed normally, using the train and not web fluid. He walked home, tired, knowing that he’d immediately have to do that cursed AP calc homework. When he got home, he opened his backpack pocket to look for his keys, rummaging between his notebooks and other things. 
Shuffling through his stuff, he furrowed his eyebrows as he couldn’t find them. Thinking back, he remembered this morning, when he’d left in a rush… and had very obviously left his keys on his desk.
“Shit,” He muttered to himself. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, remembering that Aunt Sunny had said she’d be working overtime tonight. He could very easily sneak in through his window, but he was pretty sure he’d locked it the night before, and it was too early. People’s lights were still on—anyone could see him if they just looked up, and then he would be screwed. 
Huffing and zipping his backpack up, he marched up to your house, before ringing the doorbell. He shifted his weight back and forth, from his heels to the balls of his feet, until the door opened up. A familiar man with a face just like Doyoung's, but older, with graying hair and arms scarred and muscled from years of working on the police force stood in the doorway.
“Jeno?” Your dad offered him a warm smile. “Hey, kiddo, what’s up?”
“Hi, Mr. Kim,” Jeno said, smiling back. He shifted nervously. “I, um… I left my keys in my room this morning, and my aunt’s working late, so… could I… maybe wait here? Y/N’s home, right?” 
The man nodded. “Of course, of course. Come in!” 
Your dad had always been super friendly, even from the day Jeno had first met him. You'd told Jeno once that he was the only real father figure you'd ever had. Once everything settled after him and your mom got married, you started calling him dad altogether. And since you and Jeno were practically glued at the hip, he got along with your dad almost as well as you did.
“Okay.” Jeno stepped in and set down his backpack at the base of the coat rack next to the door, as he’d done a million times before. Jeno stepped into the living room, and sat down on the couch. He folded his hands in his lap and looked up at your dad.
"I think Y/N's in the shower, but she should be done soon. You can just wait here if you want… have you eaten anything yet?”
“Uh, I had a granola bar on the train, but that’s it.”
“We have some leftover pasta here, if you want—”
“Thanks, Mr. Kim, really! I’m fine.”
Your dad nodded, sitting down on his recliner. “So, have you started your college list, yet? Y/N said you wanted to stay here in New York.”
Jeno nodded, pushing some hair out of his face. “Well, yeah. It would make things a lot easier, I think. I might want to apply to NYU, but I think I’ll just go to community college, or something.”
Your dad shook his head. “You’re a pretty smart kid, Jeno. I think you could get into Columbia if you set out to. Plus, Chanyeol Park doesn’t give out internships to anybody. That’s your secret weapon.”
Jeno smiled. “Well, you’ve got a point.” 
Your dad gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder. “Come on, trying won’t hurt!” Your dad made a face, and then rubbed his knuckles. “Have you been working out? Those muscles weren’t there the last time I did that.”
Jeno laughed, trying to think of an excuse. “Oh, a little bit? The house needed some fixing up over the summer, and I wanted to help Aunt Sunny, so…”
“Jeno?” 
He turned immediately, eyes landing on you at the base of the staircase. You’d changed into an old t-shirt and pajama pants. Your hair was slightly damp. “What are you doing here?” You asked, with a curious smile.
His shoulders slumped, and he grinned sheepishly. “Terrible Tuesday strikes again. I forgot my keys.”
You grimaced. “Brutal, dude. You wanna come up?” Your eyes moved to your dad. “Or am I interrupting guy time?”
“Oh, definitely,” Jeno answered, playing along. He took a cocky tone as he rested his hands on the back of his neck. “Your dad was just telling me about how much the NYPD needs me.” 
You stifled a laugh. You dad seemed to be holding back a laugh too. "Hey, you're joking, but if you keep working out like that, and if by some impossible chance, the college thing doesn't work out… We might just be able to catch Spiderman if we finally got some brain cells on the force."
"Ugh, dad," You groaned, unaware of Jeno's gut twisting, "Not again."
"Yeah, Mr. Kim," Jeno said, scratching the back of his head, "He's not that bad."
Your dad shook his head. "Look, I don't hate the guy. In all honesty, crime rates have dropped since he started doing his thing. But he thinks he's above the law, and his methods can be a bit… unorthodox sometimes. He’s been undermining us for years and his tech is state of the art. Makes me wonder about what we should do to modernize the force."
Jeno looked downward, wondering what would happen if your dad knew the truth.
"Well, I guess we may just never find out. Jeno'd make a horrible cop. He couldn't hurt a fly if you paid him a million dollars."
But you came to the rescue as you grabbed his backpack, and soon enough he was up the stairs with you, heading into your bedroom, laughing to yourselves when you heard your dad jokingly call out, "Fifteen inch distance, you two! Door stays open!"
He sat on your desk chair while you lay on your bed, limbs splaying out. 
"So you left your keys."
Jeno groaned. "Don't remind me. I was in such a rush to leave, that I… I forgot. I'm so stupid."
You rolled your eyes, rolling over onto your stomach to look at him. "You're not stupid, Jen. You made an honest mistake because you were in a hurry." 
Standing up, you walked over to him and leaned against the desk. "Seriously, Jeno. What's gotten into you, lately? You freak out about every little thing. It's starting to worry me." 
Jeno shook his head. "I don't know," He admitted. "I think I'm just scared about how after this year, everything changes. Renjun’s headed upstate. Jaemin’s going to Boston. You want to go to LA. I think Hyuck and I are the only ones who want to stay here. I just… I don't want things to change." 
Your expression turned sad as he continued. "Everyone is expecting great things from me. You're smart, Jeno. You can get into an Ivy. Or, you have a Park internship, you'll be fine. What if I don't want things to be fine? What if I want them to just stay the same?"
You stayed silent for a few moments, trying to think of what to say. Jeno was relatively level headed for someone your age, but even he had moments of doubt and panic. It made moments like these difficult.  You sighed before grabbing him by the hand. Wordlessly, you tugged him over to the bed, sitting him down and leaning your head on his shoulder. He could feel the dampness in your hair seeping slowly into his shirt.
"I guess I understand what you mean," You mumbled, trying to reason with him, "But come on. You wouldn't really want everything to stay the same. You can't tell me you want to keep getting AP calc homework. And I definitely doubt that you'd want to have your ass kicked by San for the rest of your life."
Jeno looked at the floor. "You're right. But you know that's not what I mean—"
"I know," You huffed, "I'm just saying. Change… it's inevitable. The longer you fight it, the harder it is."
Jeno nodded. "This sucks."
"It does," You agreed, taking his hand in yours. "But at least we have each other's backs, y'know?"
Something of a smile appeared on his face. You were so close to him, leaning on him, stroking his knuckles with your thumb. He hoped you couldn't hear his heart pounding in his chest. 
"We really do, huh?" His voice turned quiet, with a bit of a sleepy lull to it. He allowed his head to rest on yours. "You're so comfortable. Can I like, use you as a pillow for the rest of my life?"
You giggled. "I'll consider it on two conditions."
"Oh, you'll consider. How generous of you."
"Yes, I'll consider. Now, do you wanna hear my terms or not?" 
Jeno raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead," He said, before putting on his best Marlon Brando voice, "Make me an offer I can't refuse."
Snorting, you lifted your head off of his. "Okay. One, you finish your calculus homework here before Sunny gets home."
He pursed his lips. "Okay, I could probably do that. What's the other one?"
"Let me drive you to school for the rest of the year." 
Jeno stared at you, and you nodded, eyes wide. "Trust me, Jen. You wouldn't need to wake up so early! And plus, you can't text the guy manning the subway asking him to give you five minutes because you need to find your keys."
Jeno gnawed on the inside of his cheek. You did have a point, and to be honest, he could probably refrain from putting his feet up on your dashboard.
"Deal." 
You grinned. "Awesome," You answered, before nodding towards his backpack. "Now get to work, Einstein."
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The rest of the week wasn't that bad. Yes, you were absolutely batshit insane about your truck in the morning, but he soon realized he didn't really mind. Not when it allowed you both to spend some twenty extra minutes together in the mornings, and they were spent joking around and listening to your extremely varied playlist. 
On the other hand, he was saddled with more and more homework, greater and greater expectations. The looming threat of Friday's mission rolled around, and it made Jeno feel like time was passing much too slowly but also way too quickly. There was so much on his mind. He had chemistry with you on Thursdays in the afternoon, which also meant that San was there. Which also meant that sometimes, his heightened senses would pick up on San dropping a tacky pick up line which made Jeno want to punch him in the jaw.
Finally, finally, Friday afternoon rolled around. As he bid you goodbye and promised to see you later, he tried to ignore the feeling in his stomach. The feeling that something was about to go very, very wrong. He went out on patrol, ready for Doyoung to set up the call and tell him where he needed to go. It didn’t help that there wasn’t a lot for him to do that day. Crime had seemed to slow down altogether. 
When the time finally came, and the sun was beginning to set, Doyoung rang in at about 7, telling him the location. An old warehouse near LaGuardia airport, hidden from prying eyes. Jeno made his way to the place, avoiding security cameras Doyoung warned him about, and found a place to hide. There was a hole in the warehouse roof, which allowed him to peer right into the building without being seen. It was about thirty feet from the ground.
“Why is it always old, abandoned warehouses?” Jeno grumbled. He heard Doyoung laugh quietly. 
“Beats me,” Doyoung sighed. 
And so they waited. Jeno wondered vaguely if you were still working. He wasn’t sure. They made time talking quietly, until a black SUV rolled into the warehouse. “Woah, Doyoung,” He murmured, “Hold up.”
Jeno leaned forward, but quickly realized he probably wouldn’t be able to hear what was being said. “D.R.E.A.M, activate Heightened Intelligence Protocol.”
Activating Heightened Intelligence Protocol.
The protocol allowed Jeno to use the lenses over his eyes to zoom in on specific targets, as well as use a microphone embedded in the suit to pick up audio from far away and feed it directly into his ears.
He watched as three figures got out of the car, a fourth remaining in the driver’s seat. The trio stood in front of the car, and Jeno recognized the man in the middle as the man Junmyeon had been talking about.
“Alright, there’s Henry Duke,” He said, “The one in the middle.”
 “Got it,” Doyoung replied, sounding satisfied. “Now all we have to do is wait for the other party.”
“Did Junmyeon’s sources say anything about who it would be?”
“No. They weren’t able to find that out. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Jeno’s eyes never left the man. “Do you think it’s something international?”
Doyoung sighed. “I’m not sure. If it is international, then you need to be even more careful.”
“Got it. I think—Wait, here they come.” 
A second vehicle, this one another black SUV, rolled up not too far away from the first car. The lights turned off and the engine sputtered to a stop, and four men stepped out of the vehicle.
Jeno’s stomach dropped, and of its own accord, his mouth let loose a quiet, “What the fuck,” as he registered the person leading them. 
“What?” Doyoung asked, before realizing what—who—he was looking at. “...Is that my dad?”
“I think it is,” Jeno whispered, fingertips suddenly numb. Who was he kidding? They both knew who it was. 
“So,” One of the men next to your dad said, “You show us yours, we’ll show you ours?”
Henry Duke clapped his hands together with an impish grin. “I suppose. Reagan, get the case.”
One of the two men standing beside him started off toward the trunk of the car. “It caught me off guard when I heard that the force wanted to purchase these. Almost made me wonder if this was your attempt at a sting operation.”
“What made you change your mind?” Your dad asked. Jeno swallowed at how cold he sounded. This wasn’t your dad, and it didn’t seem like Officer Kim either. This was someone Jeno had never met before. 
“Honestly, Kim?” Duke raised an eyebrow, shrugging. “It was you. Your cooperativeness and willing to feed us information, as well as your… insurance agreement. And besides, you made a very interesting point when you said that the Avengers Initiative and Park’s alum Spiderman is ruining the way the law operates around here. That type of bitterness… hard to fake.”
Your dad huffed. “We’re fucking tired of it.”
The man leaning against the car your dad had stepped out of scoffed. “If this helps us catch the little asshole, then so be it.”
Jeno frowned. “I’m not little—”
“Jeno, shut up!” Doyoung snapped. 
“—Alright, then.” The man holding the briefcase—Reagan—clicked it open, as if it were a prize reveal on The Price is Right. Five guns, all modified to hold glowing Chitauri stones were placed carefully together side by side.
“You know the basics. No radiation. Keep it away from security scanners and x-rays. They will blow up. And second of all, these are at half the price, along with the promise from the chief of police that my business won’t be touched, and will only be distributed to officers in on the operation and have agreed to turn off their body cameras when they decide to use these weapons. Should this not be a sting operation, we’ll be back here to negotiate.”
Jeno leaned forward, watching anxiously.
“Yes, sir,” Your dad answered, nodding. “We have the money here.”
“Hand it over, then.”
That was when Jeno made his mistake. He leaned forward too much, and proceeded to fall right through the hole, bringing down some scraps of the roof with him. As he tumbled through the air, the zoom on his lenses caused him to grow dizzy as he had no idea what he was looking at. He caught himself before he could fall, clumsily commanding D.R.E.A.M to go back to turn off the current protocol. His vision returned to normal, and he swung up onto a rafter holding the warehouse up.
“So, we have company.” Duke didn’t sound as amused as he had before. His face turned into a sneer. “Get him.”
In less than a second, before Jeno could say anything, five guns were pointed directly at him. He managed to swing away before any bullets could hit him. 
“Jeno, get out of there now,” Doyoung ordered. 
“What about the guns?” Jeno asked, swinging to another rafter. “They know I’m here, I might as well get them before I go—”
“No! Jeno, listen to what I’m telling you. You’ve done more than enough, and you need to let it g—”
Your dad aimed, and a bullet fired right at Jeno’s chest. For a second, he forgot that the chest area of the suit was lined with bulletproof material. While it didn’t shoot into his chest, it ricocheted right off him, and since he was in motion, it somehow caused the bullet to bounce back in the direction in which it came. 
The wind was knocked out of Jeno, but it was nothing compared to watching the bullet land in the middle of your father’s chest. On the other line, he heard Doyoung yell, followed by the sound of something falling. And then, as he made his way back towards the hole he’d fallen out of, he couldn’t rip his eyes away from the body as it crumpled to the ground. 
The others around him scrambled to get back into their respective cars. Jeno was back on the roof now, trying not to hyperventilate. “I’m sorry,” He gasped, “Do—Doyoung, I-I’m sorry, I didn’t want to—”
“Jeno, you need to get out of there, now,” Doyoung said, voice raspy. “GO!” 
So he did, and Doyoung cut off the call once he was out of the vicinity. Jeno didn’t blame him. He swung across buildings, feeling numb as he looked for the apartment complex roof where he’d decided to hide his backpack.
When he finally did, he changed in a hurry, before slumping against the wall and forcing himself to take deep breaths. 
Doyoung’s dad—your dad—was dead. And it was all his fault. 
He cried on the way down the staircase. He cried on his way to the subway. The entire time, he ignored people’s stares. Suddenly everything was too loud, and if he met someone in the eyes he’d just about break down in the middle of the station. 
As he got onto the train, Jeno thought about all of the things your dad had done for you, and for Jeno. All the times he'd taken you both to Coney Island in the summer when you were younger. The year Pokemon Go came out he took the both of you driving around in his car so you and Jeno could catch as many Pokemon as you could. 
He’d formally adopted you when you were thirteen. You were his daughter in nearly every sense of the word, regardless of blood. And now he was dead, because of a stupid mistake that Jeno had made.
What would you say if you knew? He didn’t want to know. Checking the time on his phone, he saw he’d gotten a message from you just three minutes ago.
[8:36 PM]
y/n: lemme know when ur outside!! :)
“Fuck,” He murmured, wiping his eyes. He knew he needed to stop crying before he got to your house, and he had about ten minutes before he got to his stop, and then another five minute walk to the neighborhood. He focused on taking deep breaths and taking long swigs from his water bottle in the meantime, trying to tune out the sound of other people talking and the sound of the train on the rails.
The walk was the longest five minute walk he’d ever taken. The flashing lights of convenience stores did nothing to calm him down. As the stores in his peripheral vision began transitioning into suburban homes, he felt his heart speed up again. The constant movement as he walked meant he missed his phone vibrating in his backpack as you rang his number.
After what seemed like an eternity, two familiar houses came into his line of vision, and his shoulders slumped as he spotted you on your porch, looking small and teary, curled up into a little ball. In one hand, you were clutching your phone.
His stomach twisted as he put on a confused tone, even though he knew damn well that you knew. “...Y/N?”
You stood up, running to him and burying yourself into his chest, crumpling into his arms. You would have fell over if Jeno hadn’t held both of you up. 
“Jeno,” You sobbed, “You’re n-not go-onna believe it.”
He brought a hand up to caress your hair, holding back tears of his own as he asked a question he already knew the answer to.
“Y/N, what happened?”
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taglist: @decembermoonskz @itsapapisongo @lenaluvs​ @crescentjen​
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theeslytherinslut · 3 years
Text
12 Grimmauld Place (3/?)
Pairings: Sirius Black x reader, Remus Lupin x readers brother 
Word Count: 2,072
Warnings: angst, language
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 
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It was the only room you’d seen thus far that didn’t have peeling layers of dark-colored paints, ranging from deep emeralds to smoky greys and jet blacks. Instead, it was painted likely the lightest shade of grey Sirius could convince his mother to agree to, but looking around, that was probably the only thing she would’ve approved of in this room. 
Laughing to yourself quietly, you had a stark, strangely sad realization: this was still a teenager's room. Scantily clad Muggle women postered the walls draped across expensive-looking cars, Gryffindor apparel was strewn everywhere possible, what looked to be a Quidditch banner hung from the ceiling, and various Honeydukes wrappings littered the floor. A large, expensive, very elaborately made chair stood in the corner of the room, buried underneath layers of dark clothing. 
“Sorry, probably should’ve cleaned up...wasn’t exactly expecting company though, not that you’re a bother! Merlin, it’s lovely to have someone so love--so...it’s nice to have someone else here.” Sirius finished, as red as the scarlet robes hanging from his canopy bed as he stuttered his way through his explanation. 
“This is...this is incredible,” you said, moving through the room to find a picture of Sirius and James with their arms thrown across each other's shoulders, laughing jovially as Remus shook his finger at them in the distance. Chuckling to yourself, you continued to look at the handful of old pictures that littered his dresser. 
Another picture nearby showed Sirius sneaking up on James as he very clearly flirted with Lily, her face lighting up with laughter as James jumped up in fright. 
“He was always so easy when Lily was around...” Sirius trailed off, smiling sadly at the photos before you. Looking to the other corner of the mirror, you saw three more photos shoved into the cracks. 
The first was a picture of the group of them lounged around the Great Lake; you’d guessed Peter was behind the camera because only the four of them smiled up at you. James’ head lay in Lily’s lap, hers rested on Sirius’ shoulder, who waved up cheerily at you. As Lily sat up to meet James halfway for a quick kiss, Sirius stretched out his arm and pulled in a sheepish looking Remus, ruffling the top of his head affectionately. You smiled at the sight of your brother with his friends. The happiness that radiated from this picture was intoxicating, you never wanted to look away. 
The next was of them in what must’ve been the Gryffindor common room. Being a Slytherin, you’d never seen the inside of anyone else’s common rooms. Large, comfy furniture was placed strategically around the room, drapings of what you’d assumed to be scarlet and gold draped the walls, an inviting fire dominated the center of the room. 
This picture was another of the group of them, but this time a frightened-looking James and a smirking Sirius were evidently getting scolded fiercely by Lily. You laughed upon seeing Remus standing behind Lily in a sort of gesture of good faith but seemingly offered no words to his insolent friends. 
“Hexed a fourth year Slytherin,” he explained, you turned to glare playfully at him, and he smiled, “The git tried to stick gum in my hair! I think there might’ve been an incident with myself and a girlfriend of his, though...Anyway, James caught him just before and...well, he was with Madam Pomfrey for a few days, I think. Lily gave us a right good telling off for that one, came close to Minnie’s scoldings,” Sirius sighed wistfully, likely reliving the day in his head.  
“Wait...” you trailed off upon seeing the last. 
The third picture was in the Great Hall; though many people were in the picture, the center focus seemed to be a group of Slytherin girls standing in the entryway. There, in the center of the photograph, laughing heartily, was you. Your Y/H/C hair was seemingly shining underneath what was likely a very sunny day, your teeth gleaming as you laughed at something someone had said. 
“Is that..?” you turned around, looking to find him sheepishly smirking at his feet. 
“Yes, I believe it is,” he said. A smile was on his face, but he was scrutinizing yours. “I think I nicked it off Remus at some point.”  
“Why?” you shook your head. Surely Sirius Black hadn’t been fawning over you as well? Surely you hadn’t wasted all these years apart because neither one of you had the bollocks. “You could’ve had anybody...” 
“Well, I could--and did,” he stated matter-of-factly. “Please, don’t misunderstand me. I’m not proud of my whorish boyhood--though it only seems fair having given my recent dating history, funnily enough, a dementor's kiss is not a hot thing.” he broke off when you let out a rip of laughter. “But all that is behind me. I can still hear James suggesting I settle down with a nice girl instead of working my way through the female half of our year. Remus gave up on that idea long ago, I think.”
His smile turned sad at the mention of his friend, and your eyes fell back to the picture of the two of them being scolded by Lily. 
“I’m sorry, Sirius,” you said honestly. “The last half of your life...it must’ve been awful. Losing your best mate, your brother essentially, and then being blamed and imprisoned in fucking Azkaban for a decade for it.” 
Sirius didn’t answer, merely looked darkly at the floor. You took your cue to steer the conversation in another direction. Tightening your towel around you, you cleared your throat. 
“So, this nice girl James wanted you to find, any luck thus far? Do I know her?” you asked, lightening the mood. 
“What do you think? This decrepit house isn’t exactly overflowing with options. Unless you count portraits of past, insane, family members, then I’m swimming!” he laughed, skirting around an answer.
“Nothing like a little pureblood incest,” you laughed in return. A draft of cold air blanketed the room, and you shivered. “So, er, I didn’t exactly have time to pack a bag on my way out; you don’t by chance have any clothes you wouldn’t mind me using, do you?” 
“Oh, right! Sorry, it’s absolutely freezing in this drafty old house.” Sirius commented, gesturing to your goosebump covered arms. He turned and clapped his hands, flying to his closet. 
“Well, I’ve got a bunch of my old school clothes in here...Seems dear old Mum had at least half a heart. This stuff might fit you a tad better,” he murmured, running his hands along the swinging clothes in his old closet. After a moment, he let out a barking laugh. “Here!” 
He threw you a maroon hoodie, and you gave him a look, knowing he was teasing you about the housing. Opening the balled up fabric, you smiled despite yourself seeing the front. It was a Gryffindor Quidditch sweatshirt. You grinned giddily as you turned it around and saw Sirius’ last name splayed across the back, complete with his number. What you wouldn’t have given to wear this years ago...
“Did you need pants, too?” Sirius asked, an odd look on his face as you smiled down at his sweatshirt. 
“Oh, no. That’s okay. This looks like it should cover everything--I’m a hot sleeper.” you explained sheepishly.
Turning, you padded softly over to the adjoining bathroom and clicked the door shut. 
What a turn of events. Standing in Sirius Black’s bathroom, you took stock of the night. 
You’d been attacked and almost killed by Fenrir Greyback, only just managing to escape what would have been a horrid death--or worse. After being mended by Madam Pomfrey, Sirius Black was to continue nursing you back to health. Sirius Black, your greatest childhood crush, and the way your heart hammered in your chest even now told you it might not be all the way extinguished. Never once did you think you’d see where he lived, let alone be undressing in his bedroom. 
And his bedroom...what a time capsule it was. It made you feel like you were in school again, hoping to catch him in the hallways between classes, always peering through the stacks of books as he and James teased Remus during his studies. And further, it seemed all that time you hadn’t been the only one watching. Sirius Black had been watching you almost as much as you had him in your school years. Evident in that hidden in his bedroom was a photo of you, a photo you didn’t know he snuck. A photo surrounded by the greatest hits of his school years, surrounded by those he considered family. 
Trying not to let it all go to your head, you groaned when you slipped the sweatshirt over your head. Though the pain in your body wanted to bring you back to reality, the full, uninhibited scent of Sirius sent you reeling once more. A sickly sweet, smoky scent was the most noticeable. Tobacco, maybe? Suddenly, the image of a young Sirius lounged beneath a tree on the skirts of the Great Lake was brought to mind, smoke rolling from his mouth as he brought his hand down from his lips. Of course, another inherently muggle form of rebellion, a double whammy to his family. 
Something woodsy lingered underneath, as if the hoodie had been swaying in the breeze of some forgotten forest for the last twelve years instead of shut up in this abandoned house. Head swimming, you gingerly stepped out into the bedroom before you got lost in your thoughts. 
“So, er, about the bed situa...” Sirius said, trailing off as he turned around to see you leaning against his doorway, sweatshirt draped to the tops of your thighs.
“Sorry, shit, I can put something else on if you want...don’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything. I mean, we’ve known each other all this time--sort of, anyway. I must be like a sister to you...this is probably super weird. I’ll just fetch a pair of pants,” you nervously rambled. Sirius’ face had not changed since he saw you, and you were beginning to feel incredibly anxious about it all. 
“No, no. Seriously, I wouldn’t dream of it,” Sirius said, his old playful smile playing on his lips. Rolling your eyes, you damned the blush creeping up your cheeks. 
“Here, I found you these," Sirius said, tossing you a pair of thick brown socks.  "I remember hearing you whine about your hands being cold all the time, figured the same might apply to your toes in an old drafty house like this.” 
“You remember?” you asked him. 
“Yes, well, I overheard you whining about it a time or two, and Remus was always mentioning you whining about being cold...I just remembered, that’s all.” Sirius said, his tone becoming oddly choppy. 
“Well, you’re right. My toes were positively popsicles, but I didn’t want to be a complainer or anything, though...” you trailed off, pulling the thick socks onto your ice-cold feet. 
“Ah yes, get attacked by a murderous werewolf, blast yourself into a wall, shatter a few bones, but lest you complain!” Sirius teased you, smiling once more. 
In the next second of silence that occurred, your stomach rumbled loudly, and you smiled sheepishly. 
“Bastard got me right in the middle of making dinner,” you explained. 
“Well, come on then. I’ll have Kreacher fix us something; what would you like?” Sirius asked, seemingly happy that he could help. 
“What’s he good at?” you shrugged, hungry for anything. Winking at you, Sirius barked for Kreacher as he led you down into the kitchen. 
“Yes, Master?” Kreacher croaked, bowing so lowly his nose brushed against the dusty floor. 
“Fix us some herb dumpling stew, won’t you? And some of those delicious little mince pies you make.” Sirius said, and at once, the elf nodded and stepped over to the stove. 
“And some apple pie?” you asked hopefully as you sank into the seat across from Sirius at the long kitchen table. 
“Whatever she asks, Kreacher,” Sirius commanded, smiling fondly at your excited state. 
“Of course, Master...Kreacher gladly serves those pure of blood...gladly...whatever she asks..” he agreed in his funny speech patterns. 
While Kreacher was cooking, Sirius reckoned it was time to alert Remus and the rest of the Order, and you couldn’t find a reason to disagree.Sighing, you watched him disappear to retrieve Remus.   
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trashyswitch · 3 years
Text
Jeremy and the Unusual Reunion
Jeremy ends up being pulled into an animatronic reunion. Literally. But the reunion ends up full of laughs with old companions, laughs with new companions, and an unexpected meet up with an old coworker.
Sequel to 'Jeremy and the Mysterious Robots'.
I feel like I've been on roller coaster ride after roller coaster ride...and some of them have not been very pleasant. But, I'm making the best out of the situation. I hope you enjoy this fanfic! And if you offered up a fanfic, don't worry! I'm working on it!
Jeremy was going for a walk in the street. He was enjoying the sunny day with the nice little breeze that filled his face. Today was really the perfect day to go walking. Cars driving by, the sun shining on your face, the birds flying through the buildings, even younger and older kids biking up and down the street in groups of 4 or 8.
But all the happiness quickly changed when he felt his hand get grabbed. He was about to turn to see who it was, when Jeremy was yanked backwards into an alleyway. Jeremy yelped as he was pulled really quickly past the bricks, and grunted as his body hit a wall. Jeremy had the air knocked out of him as a result, making it extra hard to breathe for a few moments.
A being with what felt like electrical cords for hands, grabbed his upper arms and held them against the wall beside his middle. “Why hello, Michael~” Ennard greeted. “Still alive, I see?”
Jeremy looked up, and immediately started screaming! It was a huge animatronic abomination made primarily of cords and a clown head with a party hat and a big red nose. Oh no...Not the Pizzeria beings again!
Ennard slammed Jeremy’s body into the wall again. “SHUT UP.”
But Jeremy refused to shut up. “LET ME GO! I’M NOT MICHAEL! I DON’T KNOW WHO MICHAEL I-”
Suddenly, a white feminine-looking hand covered up Jeremy’s mouth. “There! Soooo much quieter!” The being talking was a version of Foxy that Jeremy had never seen before. It...looked very feminine and had girly attributes to it. An example: Pink long nails.
Jeremy didn’t know how to feel about this.
“Funny...He was right. This isn’t Michael…” Ennard reacted calmly. “Michael has darker hair...and a similar facial shape…”
Suddenly, a worn down version of Toy Chica walked up to the person and gasped. “Jeremy! Fancy seeing you here!” Chica squawked.
Jeremy widened his eyes. Oh no...Not the toys…
Hey boys! Jeremy’s still here!” Chica reacted.
Toy Freddy, Toy Bonnie and Foxy walked themself to Jeremy and smiled. “
Did someone order an old friend?!" Toy Freddy asked enthusiastically.
Oh no...NOT THESE GUYS AGAIN!
"You won't get tired of my voice... will you?" Toy Chica asked.
To save his butt, Jeremy shook his head no.
“Okay! Good!” Chica replied.
"Is there someone here who needs some extra-special cheering up?" Toy Freddy asked.
Uh oh...That’s not good. Not good at all!
Toy Freddy smiled and turned to the other animatronics. “My friend here is very ticklish! I remember all his ticklish spots too!” Freddy told him.
Oh no...OH GOD NO!
“Oooooh! That tickles me just thinking about it! Do tell!” Funtime Foxy begged.
“Aaaalrighty!” Toy Freddy started pointing to different spots. “His belly is very ticklish! But his armpits are really bad! His hips are a good spot too! And don’t forget those toesies!” Toy Freddy explained.
Jeremy curled his toes, just thinking about it. This cannot be happening...What ever happened to his peaceful walk? Is that just thrown out the window now?
“Alright Jeremy! Time for the tickle tickle tickles!” Freddy decided as he started tickling and poking Jeremy’s belly.
Jeremy jumped and widened his eyes, and quickly covered his mouth. He wasn’t breaking. He wasn’t gonna give them the satisfaction. No way, no how-
Theeen someone went for the armpits…
“aaAAAHAHAHAHA! NOHOHO AHARMPIHIHIHIHITS!” Jeremy shouted.
Well...so much for ‘no breaking’...
“That was quick! Have you been getting more ticklish while I was gone?” Toy Freddy asked curiously.
Hell if he knew! Does anyone get more ticklish over time?! Or is it just him?!
Jeremy squeaked and laughed as his armpits were attacked and played with. This was NOT how he imagined his day to go. But, he had to admit: tickling is better than death.
“OOooooh! He really IS ticklish! Can I try?” Funtime Foxy asked.
“Of course you can! Your nails will work perfectly for what we’re doing!” Toy Freddy replied.
Oh no...NOT THE NAILS!
Funtime Foxy walked to Jeremy’s foot and picked it up. Jeremy immediately grew nervous as he stared at the pink nails. They looked sharp! But they looked SUPER ticklish too…
“Aaaalright! Time to work my magic!” Funtime Foxy started wiggling their fingers eagerly at the toes. Then, they touched down and started skittering all over. “A kitchy kitchy kitchy koo! A kitchy kitchy kitchy kitchy kitchy kitchy koo!”
Jeremy squealed out of surprise and clamped his teeth. His lips began to ripple into a smile as he struggled to handle the ticklish feeling that covered his feet. He soon started humming and giggling a little. “MMmmmmmhmhmhmhmhmhmhm! Hmhmhmhmhmhm-nohohohohohoho!” Jeremy whined. “Stahahap it that ticklhlhlhles!” Jeremy whined a little more.
“Oh really, giggly Jeremy?” Toy Freddy teased. “I couldn’t tell! I thought you found something funny to laugh at!” Toy Freddy teased.
BonBon looked up at Funtime Freddy. “Maybe he was giggling at you!” Bonbon teased to Funtime Freddy.
Funtime Freddy gasped and huffed. “How dare he!” Funtime Freddy looked down at Bonbon and smirked. “Hey Bon-Bon! GO GE-GET HIM!” Funtime Freddy threw Bonbon right at Jeremy. Bonbon smacked Jeremy in the face, but slid down to his belly. Quickly, Bonbon started giggling and wiggling into his shirt.
Jeremy widened his eyes. “Nohohow HOHOHOLD OHOHON! HAHAHAHA THAHAHAT TIHIHIHICKLES! HAHAhahahahAHAHAHAHAha!”
The little version of Bonnie wiggled and shook itself further under the fabric of his shirt, and started tickling with his nubs and blowing robotic raspberries into his belly button.
Jeremy SCREAMED and pretty much tripled his wiggling! He was wiggling so much at this point, that an average human adult would’ve lost grip of his ticklish spots! But NOPE! These were ROBOTS with EXTRA strength on their side. There was NO WAY he was getting out of THIS grip. No way for a long shot!
“HAHAHahahahaAHAHAHAHAHAHA- HEHEHEHEHELP! HEHEHEHELP MEHEHEHEHE!” Jeremy begged to Funtime Freddy’s general direction.
Funtime Freddy just chuckled. “Sorry buddy. But I only have one hand right now! You’re just gonna have to let Bonbon do his tickly thing.” Funtime Freddy replied casually.
If these robots were programmed with any sort of artificial ticklishness, then Jeremy would 100% go for all the spots at once. This was SO unfair! It was 1 against 10-12 animatronics! How was THAT ever fair?! This is like being licked and played with by 12 horses! Though, even horses would offer more empathy to Jeremy than these robots.
Bonbon was giggling along with him as he scurried up Jeremy’s armpit. Almost on cue, Ennard grabbed onto Jeremy’s arm and held it above his head. With the arm open and out of the way, Bonbon wiggled itself to the upper chest and started attacking Jeremy’s armpit with both little nubby hands, AND with the ears! Literally! Even the ears were bending up and down and tickling his armpit! And it felt like being tickled by four nubby hands!
“NOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHO! AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NAHAHAT THE AHAHAHARMPIHIHIHIHIHIHAHAHAHAHA!” Jeremy screamed.
“You’re so silly!” Bonbon declared rather happily.
“That’s enough…” a raspy voice told them. Bonbon jumped and stopped immediately. He refused to come out of the shirt though...Perhaps it was afraid of the voice.
“Come on Bonbon! It’s just-” Funtime Freddy widened his eyes as he realized who it actually was. Funtime Freddy moved out of the way for the creature and stood to the side. This allowed Jeremy a moment or two to see who was talking.
Jeremy stared at the creature in horror and surprise…
It was a green, completely ruined animatronic in the shape of a bunny!
Jeremy felt intense fear filling his thoughts as he gazed upon the green bunny. He felt the desperate need to get the hell out of there! But these freaking robots wouldn’t let him go without another evil tickle attack on the way!
The bunny hobbled closer and stared at the human. Jeremy grew uncomfortable super quickly. The bunny moved into the light, revealing its human, and animatronic mixed appearance. It was hideous to look at!
Jeremy SHRIEKED and wiggled more as he stared at the huge metal buck teeth. IT WAS GONNA EAT HIM! IT WAS GONNA CHOMP HIM LIKE THE OTHER ANIMATRONIC DID! AAAAAAH!
The green bunny scoffed. “Pathetic…” The green bunny muttered before looking a little closer at him. “Wait a minute...This isn’t him at all…” The green bunny turned to the animatronics with a blank animatronic expression. But his inner face could easily tell you he was pissed. “You useless machines! This is the wrong person!” The bunny yelled.
“We know, sir Afton. But the old ones remember him!” Funtime Freddy told him, pointing to the toy animatronics like a toddler.
“What?!” The bunny asked, turning to the toy animatronics.
“This was the security guard that worked at night!” Toy Freddy declared. “Gerald was his name!” he added.
Jeremy couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “It’s Fitzgerald, Fazbear.” Jeremy clarified.
‘Fitzgerald…’ The bunny thought...
“Wait…” The bunny grabbed onto Jeremy’s head and started looking for something on his head. Jeremy started to freak out at first, but slowly calmed down as the bunny moved his bangs out of the way in a surprisingly gentle manner. “It can’t be…”
The bunny soon took notice of the scar on his face and very softly felt it like a blind person would feel braille dots. Jeremy had calmed down rather quickly, and seemed to have grown more curious rather than concerned.
“It is…” The bunny muttered. “Jeremy Fitzgerald…What a pleasant surprise to see you again.” The bunny spoke.
Jeremy looked super nervous and yet, quite confused. Truth was, he was more focused on how boney and hard the bunny’s fingers were…
The bunny quickly noticed this strange reaction. “I see...I imagine you don’t recognize me at all…” the voice told him.
“I...don't, sadly. Do I know you?” Jeremy asked. “You seem to be the only...humane animatronic so far.”
“Humane is not far off, Fitzgerald…” The bunny showed Jeremy his hand and showed him the skull.
Jeremy widened his eyes. “The animatronics have hu-”
“I was in a workplace accident thirty years ago...I still don’t fully understand why I survived.”
Jeremy felt like all the air had evaporated from his lungs. “M-Mike…”
“Mike? Oh no no no…” The bunny opened its mouth as if to smile. “William...William Afton. Former co-owner of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza...And founder of Fazbear Entertainment.” The bunny cleared up.
Jeremy was 5 seconds away from shrieking. William Afton was also a murderer! And he’s alive after all this time!
Jeremy finally pulled his hands out of Ennard’s grip and pulled Bonbon out of his shirt. “Get away from me! You MONSTER!”
The bunny widened his eyes and narrowed his eyes in anger. “And I treated you quite kindly…”
“YOU MURDERER! HOW COULD YOU?!” Jeremy reached into the suit and grabbed the first thing he could. Whatever it was, it was hard and felt like a vertical puzzle piece. “I’ll- I’ll break whatever’s in my hand!”
The bunny chuckled in its very low voice. “There is a metal spine attached to the suit that holds me together. Even if you broke my spine...I will still be able to kill you.”
Jeremy widened his eyes and finally settled for kicking him in the groin to run. But Jeremy’s entire body froze to a halt as intense, mind-numbing pain filled his foot.
Jeremy SCREAMED and pulled his pulsing foot back. He grabbed his foot and hopped backwards to the wall. “Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow! What are you MADE OF?!” Jeremy shouted as he hissed and rubbed his paining foot.
The bunny bursted out laughing at him. “You thought you could immobilize me? I believe you have forgotten I’m partly made of metal.” The bunny reminded him calmly.
The bunny got closer to Jeremy, and stared into him with his icey eyes. “You should’ve went for spine…”
The bunny backed away from Jeremy and looked over at the animatronics for a moment. Then...he looked back at Jeremy with an evil glare on his face. “Seize him.”
Jeremy shrieked and struggled to get away as a crowd of 12 or 15 animatronics completely surrounded Jeremy.
The bunny opened his mouth more, showing his bucktooth smile. “Have some fun with him.” He told the animatronics.
It didn’t take long for squeaks and laughter to fill the backstreet again. Jeremy squirmed around like a worm, and laughed hysterically as multiple ticklish spots were attacked at once.
“NOHOHOHOHOHO! DOHOHON’T LEHEHEHEHEAVE MEHEHEHEHEHEHE WIHIHIHITH THEHEHEHEHEM!” He begged.
“You don’t want me to help you...I might just kill you.” The bunny joked in a dark manner.
Jeremy just about lost it when he said that. Okay! Screw that! Scratch him off the list of people to be saved by!
But there was no one else to save him! Only the murderer Afton could save him from the tickle attacks! And he was the one that caused them to continue!
“Oh! Hey Funtime Foxy! Go for his sides! They’re really bad too!” Toy Freddy suggested.
“Oooooh! Okay!” Funtime Foxy reached her hand out and started squeezing and skittering her pretty pink nails onto both of Jeremy’s sides. “Kitchy kitchy kitchy kitchy koooooo!”
Freddy chuckled. “Hey, where’s the puppet? We should get him here too!”
OH NO! NOT THE PUPPET!
Jeremy yelped and pulled on his bound arms. “NO! NOT THE PUPPET! NAHAHAT THE PUPPET! PLEASE NO!”
Suddenly, a music box sound went off in the background...and a black and white thin creature slowly rose from the box.
“Hey Puppet! Jeremy’s back! Wanna come help us?” Toy Freddy asked.
The puppet climbed out of the music box and tilted his head.
“Yeah! Look at Jeremy! Hasn’t he changed since we last saw him? He looks old now!” Toy Freddy told the puppet.
“HEY! Shut up, you dinosaur!” Jeremy shot back.
Toy Freddy gasped at the retort. “Excuse me?!”
“Yeah! You heard me! Or did you, old hag?” Jeremy teased.
I recognize you, but I’m not afraid of you. Not anymore.” The puppet said with a giggle.
“Oh...Oh that’s wonderful.” Jeremy muttered.
Toy Freddy grabbed Jeremy’s sides. “CHEER UP TIME!” he shouted before squeezing his sides.
Jeremy bursted out laughing wildly and flopped around. It tickled so much! Oh my goodness! Jeremy was a mess of hysterics, and he was growing to love it! Maybe this wasn’t as bad as he thought...
The bunny sighed and rolled his eyes with a little smile as he thought:
‘What a child…’
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wannabeauthorclive · 3 years
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[Image ID: Dark blue banner of the ocean with four pirate ships saying “Over Land and Sea” with “Camp NaNo WIP Update” underneath. End ID]
I have been really bad at giving updates about how nano is going for me. I said I would do one of these every Sunday, that failed. I’m only doing this one because I finished!! I did it! I hit my goal!!
Project — Over Land and Sea
End Goal — 30,000 words
Daily Goal — 1,000 words
Total written — 30,162 words
Overall Notes — I’m absolutely loving this project and how it’s coming along! It has been difficult juggling all my characters, by it’s a struggle I am willing to do. I also made Desmond a protag (along with Black and Silver) cause I love him too much not to, and it fits the story. I was able to reach my daily goal almost every day and I’m really proud of that! Some days were definitely harder than others, but that’s ok, it’s all part of the journey. I’m changing a lot from my initial outline so I’m glad I kept it in a way that I could change it if I wanted. 
Thank you every single one of you -- I don’t think I could have made it this far without you. You’re all wonderful friends and are so so supportive and I love you! Thank you!
~~~ Four of my favorite scenes under the cut! ~~~
Desmond’s POV
He looks over at Captain Black, still a good fifty feet away, and sends her a wicked, wicked smile. For a split second, he could see the panic in her eyes before it’s gone again, wiped away and leaving the Captain Black everyone knows and either hates or loves. She shoots him a wicked grin of her own and his smile falters before returning full force. This will be fun.
He would go and greet her halfway, but alas, he must stay in-between the crew and the ship. She walks right up behind her crew and moves to stand in front of them defensibly. Her posture never sways and her face never softens as she stares at Desmond. Part of him thinks she’s staring into his soul, which is impossible. Impossible.
“We haven’t gotten the chance to properly introduce ourselves.” Desmond starts, holding out his hand. Captain Black doesn’t take it, doesn’t even glance at it. He withdraws his hand, nodding in acceptance of the refusal. “I am Desmond Ponsa.”
Captain Black’s crew’s eyes go even wider while Captain Black herself just snarls. “I know exactly who you are, Ponsa.”
Silver Sterling’s POV 
The newspaper. That’s how she found out about Black in the first place, no letters from her or Desmond, and certainly no espionage agent. Could the press be able to track pirate better than a chase could? Someone who has seen the Queen of the Seas lately would sure to report it for good money, and people pay good money for information. But if she tracked Viras’s press, she’d have to catch Captain Black before she moved on. Would Silver be fast enough?
She straightens in the tub, her relaxed posture fully gone. Maybe if she was already moving, maybe if she could find where the Captain would probably stop for supplies. It’d be a wild goose chase, trying to find a pirate. It’s a wild goose chase trying to find someone who has roots, but a pirate? It’s nearly impossible.
That’s what she loves doing, though. The impossible. Proving people were wrong to say she couldn’t do something. That’s what she has been told her whole life. “You can’t do that.” “Only men are able to do that.” “Berian women don’t do that, it doesn’t fit with society.”
And every single one of those things people told her she couldn’t do, she did. That’s one reason why she loved her sister, she didn’t even ask if she could do something or not. She just did them and by the time people could tell her she couldn’t do that, she had already gone and done it.
“The impossible is only impossible to those who are afraid.” Her sisters voice whispers in her ear. That was her motto, said before every risky thing they did. And the words solidified Silver’s idea further.
Captain Black’s POV (TW: mental health problems, serious anxiety)
“No, no, no. No.” Black repeats, her voice quavering but leaving no room for argument. Leaving the wheel, not seeing her crew, not watching for the National Guard, not commanding her ship would be sure to send her into a panic attack. If her anxiety is getting to hard for her to captain her ship properly, she shouldn’t be here at all.
But whatever happens, she’s not gonna let her anxiety and memory blackouts take control over her and dictate wether she is capable of captaining her ship. She’s gonna find a way to put an end to all of it before it gets to that point. Black won’t risk the safety of her crew but she won’t give up being captain unless she is fully incapable. And that’s not gonna be any time soon.
“Black!” Black jerks out of her stupor. “Black, god, you can’t do that.” Ironside whispers, relief and worry and scared blanketing her tone. “You’re here one moment and not the next and something has to change. We can’t be in battle and that happening.” She says forcefully.
This is why Black loves Ironside, she doesn’t step around anything. Straight to the point. Black doesn’t respond, she just keeps staring out over the sea. Waiting for the National Guard give a surprise attack on this bright and cloud-free, sunny day.
Ironside sighs. Her friend’s mind is breaking. It has been for a long while, this is the first time any of them noticed it though. She glances behind her at the faces of the crew, gathered around to see if their captain, friend, and family is alright. A spike of guilt hits her, she should have seen it. But none of them did and now, now Black is paying the price.
It’s like Black’s sanity is slipping out of her fingers like sand and it’s so hard to watch. So, so hard. But she has to, it may be the only way she can help.
Captain Black’s POV (TW: violence, death)
A quick second is all it takes for Black to notice the pistol aimed at Lakoma’s head. A quick second for Black to realize that blood is gonna be split. Not their blood, not if Black can help it. And by God, she can help it. She isn’t losing anyone today. A borderline wicked smile replaces her grin and with a flick of a wrist, two daggers are in her hands.
She sees the panic in her crew’s eyes as the entire Viras Treasury surrounds them. Too many people. They’ve never fought this many before. “Keep going!” She screams at them. She has. She’s fought this many people.
Another flick of the wrist and the dagger is flying through the air. It finds its target in the belly of  the same guard with his pistol aimed at Lakoma and another dagger is flying. Another dagger, another guard down.
Tons of weapons can be hidden among the folds of her dress and Black is ever grateful for her weapons. Two more daggers come out, two more daggers hit their mark. One in a throat, one in an eye.
Out of the corner of her eye, Braveheart is beating down one after another soldier, Lakoma is throwing daggers faster than Black can see while gun shots ring out from Tonya.
If only Captain Black had her Cutlass sword, this would all be much easier. She is unstoppable with her sword, no one can get out of her way. But alas, her sword is a size too big to fit in her dress.
A moment in her head and a guard was able to get too close. He throws his weight into his rapier to slice her — obviously not well trained, rapiers are stabbing weapons, not slashing ones — and she quickly ducks under him. With a swift kick to the balls, his rapier is now hers and she demonstrates how you really use a rapier. A stab though the gut. Or heart, but she goes at the gut. The pain lasts longer.
Taglist: @baguettethebooklover @a-completely-normal-writer @mel-writes-with-her-dragons @hysteriwah @tiredlittleoldme @the-writing-avocado @vellichor-virgo @radiomacbeth @wildwrites @crowewritesstuff @crystallized-ink​ @strangerays​ @47crayons @ladywithalamp (ask to be +/-)
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ateezmakemeweep · 4 years
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richboy!seonghwa (part 25)
word count: 9k
angst, fluff, smut
(part 24) (series masterlist)
with only a week left of break, you and yeosang intended to make the most of it. he had taken you on dates nearly every day, whether it be to dinner or iceskating or sledding followed by hot chocolate and movies on his couch.
but there was one more thing he wanted to do with you.
which is why he planned a weekend trip to the ski lodge, surprising you two nights ago when he told you to pack a bag and that he'd pick you up at eight o'clock in the morning. it's also why you currently have a death grip on his hand, looking down at the snowy hill and remembering why the hell you hadn't been too keen on skiing last time.
"yeosang, i'm gonna break my leg."
"you're not gonna break your leg," he tells you, hearing the smile in his voice as you stare down at all of the trees and people and bushes you could potentially crash into you. "but i am getting sick of waiting so if you don't do it in two minutes, i'm pushing you."
you snap your head to look at him, eyes full of betrayal and outrage. "don't you dare!"
"baby, i showed you what to do for the last two hours."
"and i'm not ready!" you whine, "why couldn't we just go ice skating here?"
"why do you think?" he asks lowly, eyebrow quirked up as he looks over your face knowingly.
"seonghwa!" you squeal, eyes roaming the sunny, snowy landscape before turning around excitedly. "this is so pretty!" you squeak.
"aren't you," he mumbles, placing his hands on your already cold, red cheeks. "but i told you to wear a hat."
"i forgot," you whine, "and don't think we're gonna graze over that cheesy line!" a giant smirk covers his face as he takes the black hat off his head to secure it over yours. you both giggle when he tugs it too far down, blocking your eyes for a minute and when he pulls it back up, he's bent down slightly so you're face to face.
"there you are," he says playfully and you roll your eyes despite the smile threatening to spread across your face. it's not until he takes your hand and walks a few feet behind him that you notice the two pairs of ice skates in the snow.
"is this safe to skate on?" you ask and he looks at you with a mock look of hurt, pushing snow off the bench before guiding you to sit.
"would i really suggest we do something that'd harm you?" he asks while taking off your snow boots.
"well i did just think you were going to murder me," you quip sarcastically and he rolls his eyes, shimming the skate on your foot and tying them up. "how'd you know my size?"
"i guessed," he says shyly and you smile down at him. "you were right!"
"you were wrong!" you screech, the sound of your high-pitched yelp echoing in the cold air, "i'm still gonna break my leg! there's no side to hold onto!"
"you haven't even stepped on the ice, y/n," seonghwa says, humor in his tone despite standing there with his arm outstretched for the past twenty minutes.
"i'm scared!"
"i told you i'm not gonna let you fall," he says, skating towards you and what is with rich people and their full capabilities for winter sports? "can't you trust me?"
your face falls, eyes diverting as a tiny huff leaves your mouth: perhaps the reminder was a little too much for both of you. but when you guys had passed it on your way, you remembered how much fun it was. how pretty the view was and how light-hearted you were despite the drama that had followed.
but it was nothing like the reminder you and yeosang had walking into the elevator this morning, coy smirks and your cheeks flushing as your boyfriend said you all but attacked him.
"i attacked you?!" you yelped in outrage, pushing him to the side lightly. "don't even try it."
and naturally, the boy had flung himself into the wall, raising an eyebrow at you teasingly as if to say 'round two?' but before you could say a sassy comment, roll your eyes and teasingly berate him, he reached out and grabbed you. your bodies collided shortly followed by your lips, the kiss and tongue slipping into your mouth quickly humbling you.
it had all the same passion and intensity as last time, except this one felt a little more...familiar. it wasn't as sloppy and rough, as charged with overwhelming anger or sexual tension. he pulls back and looks over your face, the smirk tugging at his red lips.
"were you trying to say something?"
you roll your eyes at the boy, pushing him further back into the wall and tugging his mouth back down to yours. "shut up."
"shut up," you grumble to yeosang who only lets out a snort, the hand not being crushed by yours on the small of your back.
"one minute," he says lowly.
"yeosang, no!" you whine, craning your neck to look at him with a pout. "i'm not ready."
"you are, i promise," he says, placing a peck on your nose that two little kids flying by on skies gag at. the both of you look at one another and burst into laughter, yeosang half tempted to crush your lips against his and really make a scene. but because there's only about 40-seconds left, and you haven't conquered your skiing fear yet, he refrains.
"i don't think i am," you say, "i think i'm gonna fall into a tree and die."
"i'm gonna be right next to you the whole time," he says, lifting his hand up to play with the pom-pom of your hat. "worse comes to worse i break your fall and i die."
you snap your head to look at your boyfriend, the bewildered expression on your face bringing a wide, handsome smile to his face. "that doesn't make me feel better! in fact, it's making me feel a lot worse and i think we should just-"
"knees bent. arms in front. slow."
and with that, he lightly pushes at your back and there your skis go, gliding easily down the snow. the surprised shriek leaves your mouth causes yeosang to snort, rolling his eyes as he watches you from right beside him.
your feet are steady under you and you're going a whole lot slower than you thought, feeling yeosang's presence next to you and hearing his quiet, approving hums.
"not as bad as you thought, huh?"
"it's....kind of fun," you admit. because even though you're moving at a snail's pace and 7-year-old's are zipping by you, you're able to do it.
you haven't toppled down the hill or twisted your ankle and crashed into a tree. the snow is firm under you and the hill is covered in white, picturesque snow with the bright winter sun shining in the sky.
you giggle when yeosang zips in and out of you like the show off he is, squealing when he falters ever so slightly. but he confidently recovers and shakes his head, insisting it'd take a lot more than that for him to fall, especially on the bunny hill.
"i'm yeosang, i'm so cool and athletic! i'll never fall, especially on the bunny hill. because don't you know who i am? i'm a big strong masculine man."
your boyfriend looks at you from his seat on the first-aid chair, the attendant dapping at his cheek with an alcohol pad not being able to hold back a snort. yeosang snaps his head to look at the girl, squinting his eyes at her before letting out a huff.
"i thought you were falling so i moved too fast."
"uh huh," you say, your eyebrows quirked up and a sarcastic smile on your face. you giggle into your hand when a large band-aid covers his cheek, the girl telling him apologetically they ran out of the smaller sized ones.
"this is ridiculous, y/n, i'm taking it off," he tells you, your hands intertwined as you walk out of the small first-aid station.
"you can't!" you squeal, smacking his chest lightly. "at least not yet." your eyes catch a familiar looking cafe down the street and you smile up at him, telling him how much better his crushed ego and scratched cheek would feel after a hot chocolate.
"my ego isn't crushed," he grumbles. you giggle, tightening your hand in his before speed walking towards the warm cafe. he tells you over and over how he really thought you were gonna fall, how instead of making fun of him you should be thanking him.
"thank you for saving me from not falling and instead, messing up your face," you tell him as you wait in line, rubbing over the band-aid with a slight pout. "hopefully it doesn't scar. might have to break up with you then."
his eyes narrow at he shakes his head, ripping his hand from yours and pulling you into his chest. "you're such a little shit today," he mumbles lowly in your ear. "just wait till i get you alone tonight."
you bite your lip to hide your smile, looking up at him and resting your chin on his chest. "till we're alone?" you ask, "what are we gonna do?"
they call next and and yeosang orders two hot chocolates, your body still tucked under his arm and making the two workers behind the counter smile sadly; there's something about seeing two people in love that makes their lonely selves sad. they watch you both bounce away happily, your pleas about wanting to pay for just one thing outweighed by him promising that'll never happen.
"they're cute," the one worker mumbles to the other. "sickeningly," the other comments, watching as you guys take a seat by the window. "must be nice."
"how 'bout i buy you a souvenir?" you insist, "like a 'my girlfriend bought me this shirt' or something!"
yeosang's face twists into one of utter disgust, shaking his head immediately. "i think i would've preferred my face getting sliced open."
you throw your head back in laughter, yeosang's deep chuckle and soft eyes watching you causing your whole chest to feel warm. everything with him is so easy and fun and natural, an instinctual connection and banter that has a certain four letter word on the tip of your tongue.
you'd never said that to anyone before and the thought of saying it kind of scares you. not because you don't think the feelings will be mutual (though you really don't know, that could be the case even though you sincerely hope it isn't) but also because it's such a turning point in a relationship. it's an extra layer of vulnerability stripped away and really will make everything feel so incredibly serious and real.
his name is called from the counter and he cranes his neck around, two cups steaming with a cookie in between causing him to jump up. "be right back," he says, winking when you sees you let out a sigh; you could've at least gotten it since he paid.
you watch him confidently walk up to the counter, rolling your eyes playfully before looking out the window. the sun is about to set, the last few brave skiers finishing their last trail for the day skillfully. it felt like you were just at this lodge last week opposed to almost five months ago, five months full of drama and confusion and heartbreak.
"thank you," you say quietly, "i have cash if you-"
his blank stare causes the words to die in your throat. so instead, you mirror him and take the hot cup in your hands, closing your eyes contently when the warmness hits your cold hands. you take a little sip to test the temperature, humming when you discover it's not burning and take a longer sip.
you pull back and seonghwa laughs, reaching his hand out to wipe the little bit of foam off your top lip. you swallow nervously, shyly looking down and another laugh leaves his mouth.
"what, that was too much for you but not falling right on top of me?"
you head pops up at his teasing tone, a surprised look on your face that he just called you out for getting shy.
"that was an accident," you grumble, "i told you the bunny hill was too daunting."
"little kids were lapping you," he says with a smile, "not by a little either."
you squint your eyes at him, taking another sip of your drink until you start to roam his face. because you can't look at him for that long or your heart starts to malfunction and it's then you realize how red his ears are.
"seonghwa! your ears!" you squeak.
"what about them?" he asks, one hand shooting up to feel it, "oh, it's cold."
"cold?! it looks freezing!" you reach out to touch it and gasp when it feels like ice. he watches as you take the scarf off from around your neck quickly and stand, looking at you warily.
"what are you-"
he can only freeze as you make your way in front of him, wrapping the beige and red fabric around his head and he's never felt more ridiculous but happy in his life. you make sure to cover his ears before pulling back to peak at him.
it makes you burst out laughing.
"aw, you look cute," you tell him sweetly because oh my, god he looks cute.
"i look like a grandmother."
"okay, but a cute warm grandmother whose ears won't fall off," you say as you sit back down, smiling to yourself as you take out your phone.
"what are you-"
"smile!"
you shake your head of the memory, looking at the view outside of the window and then down at the table. you swallow and breathe out shakily, feeling a slight pit in your stomach. because while this trip is great with yeosang, there's also a lot of reminders. reminders of seonghwa and reminders of how you felt back then and how you and your boyfriend were still rocky and fighting.
until you weren't. until he showed you another side of him that he'd never shown anyone and the inklings of just how good you guys seem to be for each other started to show. but still, it makes a part of you sad. makes you wish you had handled things differently and-
you jump when the tray clatters against the table, looking up at yeosang who's watching you carefully. "what's wrong?" he asks and you're not surprised in the slightest that he can tell your mind was just clouded and occupied.
"nothing, just thinking," you hum, bringing the cup to your lips and smiling at the chocolatey scent wafting in your nose. he watches you sip down the drink with a soft look in his eye, reaching out to wipe at the foam on your lips. you jump at the feel of his cold fingers, his eyebrow shooting up at you.
"something's wrong with you," he says again. but you only shake your head, knocking his foot under the table playfully.
"no," you insist, "your hands are just cold."
his eyes stay on yours for a few seconds, narrowed at you like he's trying to tell if you're lying. but when you narrow yours back playfully, a smile quirks at his lips and he brings the cup to his mouth.
"hey," you say randomly, trying to stray your memories to anything but seonghwa. "can i ask you something?"
he raises his eyebrow questioningly, nodding his head at you silently.
"why'd you pay for me?" you ask him. and when his face is clouded with confusion, turning his head to the side and about to ask what you're talking about, you clarify. "for the school ski trip. i never got to ask you."
his takes a sip of his drink to hide his smirk, remembering the day he decided so vividly. She was listening to you talk to mingi and yunho so openly about your situation, remembering how you defended him even though he mostly definitely didn't deserve it.
but nevertheless, a part of him admired you. because you had been handling everything so well, the other kids and your scholarship spot, when he also knew the other half of your problems were coming from him.
"i heard you talking to pretty boy and his lover," yeosang says, a small smirk on your face at the mention of those two. "and i don't know, i just...wanted you there."
"even though you hated me?"
he lets out a scoff as he rolls his eyes, reaching out to take your face in his hand. "i never hated you," he says lowly, "but i wanted to."
you let out a snort, ripping your face from his hold as you roll your eyes back at him. "what a dick you are!"
he bites his lip to hide his smile, looking over your face with the softest expression you've ever seen. "i knew you'd break me down, somehow," he tells you casually, candidly, like he's just telling you about the weather forecast. "there was just something so...obnoxiously alluring about you."
"obnoxiously alluring," you hum, nodding your head at him skeptically. "you're killing it right now."
he smirks, playfully kicking your foot under the table. "but wasn't i correct? look at us now baby," he says, the teasing wink he throws you causing you to scoff.
"you know what else i remember?" you say after a few moments.
"hm?" he hums, not having a damn clue where your mind is deciding to go with this.
"remember when you gave me that blueberry muffin?"
a scoff leaves his mouth as he rolls his eyes, knocking your foot under the table again. "i don't know what you're talking about."
"oh no?" you giggle, turning your head to the side innocently. "because if i remember correctly, it was your favorite and you gave it to little 'ol me."
he bites the inside of his cheek as his eyes roam your face, his elbow resting on the back of his chair and you'd be lying if you said the position didn't make desire pool in your stomach.
"you're really pushing me today, aren't you?"
you bite your bottom lip, hiding your smile as you sip up the rest of your hot chocolate. you look up at him with wide, innocent eyes that are eventually what do you in for the chaos that comes your way later between the four walls of your bedroom.
because you were all giggly and teasing for the rest of night, walking through the snowy town with him as your bodies bumped into one another affectionately. but then the second you guys got to your room, you saw the change take over yeosang.
pushing you back onto the bed with a dark, heated look in his eye. his strong hands tugging at that waistband of your pants and underwear and shoving them down in one go.
"you were especially bratty today," he hums between your legs, looking up at you and smirking when he sees you're already on your back panting. his fingers trail along your slightly wet thighs, tracing shapes into your skin until a tiny whine penetrates the air.
"what was that?" you hear his voice ask, smug and teasing and almost condescending. but it's something you've come to love. "are you getting frustrated?"
"yeosang, please," you gasp out, feeling how much you've dripped between your thighs from his tantalizingly slow and close touches.
"all polite now that you're on your back," he says, feeling how hard he's grown but attempting to control himself. "tell me, baby, what is that you want?"
but before you can say anything, his finger touches your clit and you moan out loudly. he flicks at it for a few moments, listening intently to the perfect noises leaving your mouth. "do you wanna come like this?"
"yes," you pant.
so he flicks and rubs his finger skillfully over your sensitive clit, your legs shaking and moans getting louder and louder until he rips it away. you look down at him with frustrated heat in your eyes, about ready to cry because you were so close to coming.
"yeosang,"
"but what about like this?" he asks, lowering his head at you slightly before his hands hold down your hips and his tongue is on your clit. you scream out at the sudden feel of it, already stimulated and sensitive from his fingers but feeling so much more when he trails his tongue over your clit and down to your slit.
"oh, my god, please," you whine, moving your hips against his face so his mouth can go back to where you want him most. and because he already knows you're not getting what you really want, he abides.
laps and swirls his tongue back around your clit as he curls his finger inside you. another orgasm is quickly following, your ears whooshing and legs shaking as you clench around him. you're about to scream out his name when, again, he rips his mouth and fingers away from you.
"what the fuck, yeosang," you whine, rolling your head to look up at him through dazed eyes. "i wanna come."
he only smirks at you, tugging his pants down and loving the way your eyes travel down to his dripping, hard cock.
"but that's not up to you, is it?" he says, crawling up on the bed and placing a kiss on your lips. "now suck my cock and maybe i'll think about it."
and about as desperate to come as you are to please, you push him down and straddle him backwards to take his cock in your mouth. you swirl your tongue around the tip, swallowing him eagerly as your hand jerks him skillfully; after all, you'd gotten a lot of practice these past few months.
because while you guys haven't gone all the way yet, you've spent many nights on his couch in this exact position. his cock in your mouth with your ass in face, tempting him with your wetness to please let you come.
and just like all those times, he can't resist. so he pulls your hips over his face, bucking his cock into your mouth for good measure, before his mouth covers your pussy. you moan against him as he tongues at your clit and slit, the immense pleasure humming in both of you making everything more intense and passionate.
it's why you both moan out at the same time, your loud groan vibrating against his cock as your pussy muffles his. you nearly collapse on top of him, only on your back when yeosang sits up and flips you over.
he cleans you up with the stray t-shirt on the floor, placing a tired kiss on your lips before his arms wrap around you from behind. "you gotta stop using that position against me," he mumbles lowly in your ear.
you can only tiredly giggle, turning in his hold to bury your face in his chest. "you gotta stop trying to punish me."
and if you thought orgasm denial was his form of punishment, you came to realize that night overstimulation was far worse.
you guys get back to yeosang's house around dinner time, plopping down on his couch after the long car ride and deciding to call for chinese food before he brings you home. you're now laid on the couch together, his body under yours as you rest your head on his chest and watch the movie through heavy, tired eyes.
"can you sleepover?" he mumbles in your ear, "i'm gonna miss waking up with you."
you look up him with a pout on your face, pecking his lips sweetly before resting your chin on him. "i know," you whine quietly.
his eyes roam over your face, the soft light hitting you from the tv causing his heart to constrict. he thinks (knows) he loves you and has been wanting to say something but anytime he tries, something stops him. whether it be an external or internal interruption, something always stops him.
"so you will?" he asks, not even recognizing the soft, hopeful tone of his own voice.
"i think my mom will go crazy if i don't come home," you tell him sadly. "but i'll come back over tomorrow."
but apparently that's not good enough for him.
because he tightens his hold on you and crushes you against him, shaking his head adamantly and causing you to giggle against him. "i'll stay fiveee more minutes," you whine, burying your head in his neck and listening to him to inhale sharply when your breath tickles his skin.
he walks you to his car after what becomes fifteen more minutes, your hands intertwined over the console as you both sit in a comfortable silence.
"thank you for this weekend," your soft voice says suddenly. "i had a lot of fun."
he looks over to smile softly at you, lifting your hand to his mouth to place a kiss. "of course, baby. me too."
"i'm happy your face didn't scar," you tell him, reaching over with your other hand to run your finger against his cheek.
"me too," he says sarcastically, "otherwise, you would've broken up with me."
you turn your face away to giggle, missing the way his gaze lovingly runs over you before as he licks at his dry lips.
when you pull up to your house, he opens your door (you never would've believed the first week of school that this man almost always insisted on doing this) before taking out your suitcase. just as you both start making your way up your walkway to the stairs, your phone starts ringing in your pocket. you narrow your eyes in confusion before taking it out, you just texted your parents you were coming home; why would they call you?
yeosang sees your face fall when you look at the caller id, watching as you hesitantly press the answer button.
"seonghwa?"
the boy didn't really know what set him off that night. it could've been multiple things, honestly.
the months of pretending to be okay with everything that happened, pretending it didn't kill him watching you and yeosang smile and laugh and be happy together. pretend that the other week at the new years eve party, he didn't wanna beat the shit out of yeosang and protect you the way he always did.
but then, he supposes, the picture he saw this morning was thing that truly sent him over the edge. because upon seeing you and yeosang's selfie in front of the ski lodge, it felt like a slap in the face.
his mind couldn't help but be smacked with memories from that trip, the good and the bad.
the drive up, seeing you every morning for breakfast, your ice skating date, your first kiss. but then it was shortly followed by the fact that the next day, you and yeosang had kissed.
he remembers feeling nervous and insecure when he found you in his room the night of the blackout, sensing a feeling in the air and seeing something in yeosang's eyes that should've made it obvious to him that the boy was quickly falling for your charms.
but he was too blind to see anything. too blinded by the fact he had a week to spend with you, that his feelings were growing stronger and there was something so magnetic about you that drew him in. something that continued to draw him in and make him feel horrible due to the fact you were with his best friend.
because he's happy for yeosang, he needs someone like you. but it doesn't make his heart hurt any less.
and alcohol. alcohol makes his heart hurt less, at least for a little bit.
so he stumbled into a bar at dusk, fake id in hand that he didn't even need to flash. because once the female bar tender saw him sitting there in obvious distress, he was basically given all the beers and shots he could handle. and he could handle a lot.
enough to get him talking to the two men next to him, older guys in their 60s who immediately could sense the boy was troubled and heartbroken.
"a fight with your girlfriend?" they asked. seonghwa let out a scornful scoff, throwing back a shot and not even hissing at the sting and burn anymore.
"no," he grumbled, "i wish." because even if he had you, at least he'd be able to fight with you. though he knows, given how whipped he seems to be, he probably wouldn't even do that.
the two men listen intently to him talk about you and the situation, tell them about how he first saw you in his backyard and was immediately taken by your nervous rambling and cute, frazzled appearance. how when he saw you at school, he couldn't believe you guys were crossing paths again and he felt this strange sense to protect you. how the ski trip solidified his feelings and how he was so excited to confess to you and ask you on a date.
"so wha-what happened?" they asked, all three of the men slurring and drunk. "did she reject you?"
"worse," seonghwa laughs out bitterly. "she liked my best friend. even kissed him at that same ski trip."
"no shit," one guy says, the shock evident in his voice.
"yeosang?" the other one says, completely invested in this teen drama. "the one who paid for her?!"
seonghwa nods his head and the two men hit one another in shock, slurring about how they knew that guy was gonna cause trouble.
but even if his drunken state, seonghwa defended you and yeosang fiercely. told them you were never officially with him and that you didn't owe him anything. that even though yeosang knew, he was able to confide in you about things he's never told anyone.
the two men, however, were less kind-hearted. telling him that his best friend knew his feelings and shouldn't have confided in you in the first place. that you had to have known he liked you and saw what a great, nice guy he is.
"it doesn't even matter," seonghwa slurred to them. "y/n made her choice."
it's the sadly pathetic sentence he repeated all night, drinking and drinking and drinking until he almost forget who he was even talking about. but then he stumbled outside after bumming a cigarette from his two new friends who insisted he call you and confess now.
"you guys are fu-fuckin' nuts," he says, blowing out the smoke into the cold air. "i can't do that."
"you can tr-tryy!" the one man insists.
"yeah!" the second one encourages. "c'mo-c'mon, maybe she'll hear you out."
and if they hadn't convinced him for nearly 30 minutes and if he didn't have an absurd amount of alcohol in his system, he wouldn't have. but there were a multitude of factors that made him agree, the two men cheering as he scrolled and stumbled around to find your contact name.
and at just the sound of your voice, he felt himself lose every bit of restraint and sanity he had.
"seonghwa?" you repeat, only hearing labored breathing in your ear. you see yeosang's wide-eyed gaze on you, his eyebrow raised curiously.
"h-hi, y/n."
you immediately hear the drunken slur in his voice, biting your lip as you look at your boyfriend.
"hi. are-are you okay?"
you hear shouts of "team seonghwa! team seonghwa!" in the back, almost convinced he'd been drinking with mingi and yunho had the voices not sounded so much older and unfamiliar.
"ye-yeah," he hiccups.
there'a few beats of silence, seonghwa not saying a word as you watching yeosang mouth 'what's going on?'
"actually, no. i'm not okay," he says suddenly.
you swallow the lump in your throat, hearing the pain and agony in his drunken voice.
you had thought seonghwa had come to terms with everything but you suppose that was silly. because you have your love and affection for yeosang and still find yourself thinking about him and your memories from time to time.
"what's wrong?" you ask, watching yeosang intently watch you.
"i like you," seonghwa says lowly, "i still fucking like you and i know i shouldn't." you hear undetectable shouts in the background but you think they sound encouraging and cheerful.
"seonghwa..." you say warningly, feeling yeosang getting more and more curious.
"i know i shouldn't be sa-saying this," he slurs again, "but i am pretttty drunk and my new friends thought i should tell you. they also think yeosang's a...fucking asshole. but i told t-them he's not that bad."
you can tell by the look on your boyfriend's face he heard that, a hint of a smirk on his face because yeosang can give it the boy; even though he just confessed to his girlfriend, he's still trying to be respectful.
"but i- think a part of me hates him," seonghwa admits, "he knew how much i liked you and he still fucked me over. you-you were confused and new. but him...he's my best friend and he still did that."
you look at yeosang questioningly, knowing he's hearing all of this and not sure how to gauge his blank look now.
"where are you seonghwa? are you getting an uber home?"
"nahhhh," the boy says, "i just ca-came out for a smoke. we might do another round of shots."
"i don't think that's a good idea," you tell him gently. "i think you should go home."
"n-no," the boy hiccups, "i'm just alone there. like how yeo-yeosang used to be alone but now has you. that might be another reason why a part of me fucking ha-hates him."
and with that, the call ends and you feel your eyes water. because you've never heard seonghwa talk like that before, even when he was mad the night he found out and the other times you've seen him drunk. he had never sounded so...defeated and sad.
"yeosang, i think i should pick him-"
"no."
you let out a sigh, walking up to your boyfriend and holding both his hands in yours.
"it's dangerous, yeosang," you say with a frown. "he could get hurt or into a fight."
"all the more reason you're not going," yeosang says, lifting his hands to your face before tightening his hold on your suitcase and attempting to lead you toward your house. "i'll walk you in and go get him."
but you stand your ground, planting your feet to the floor and rip your hands out of his grasp.
he lets out an annoyed, shaky breath, snapping his head back to look at you. and he can see in your eyes that no matter what he says, you're gonna go. because maybe a part of you still feels responsible or guilty for the way things played out and effected him.
but that's not your problem anymore, he thinks, why should you care when he's your boyfriend?
"you're gonna go no matter what i say, aren't you?"
you swallow the nervous lump in your throat, his short tone holding so much anger and frustration it scares you a little. it's such a contrast to the nice weekend you had together, the weekend you try to remind him of before adding you just want to make sure he's safe.
"why?" yeosang snaps, his voice raising ever so slightly. "then i wanna make sure he's safe too. i'll come too."
"you heard him on the phone, babe, i think... that would make everything worse."
you watch yeosang's jaw clench angrily, his hand twisting around your suitcase handle. it feels like everything between you, for him, is slowly crumbling. because one drunken call from seonghwa has you ready to drop everything and run to him.
when he was drunk, you wanted nothing to do with him and begged him to stop.
"do you like him still too?" he snaps, knowing nothing he's saying right now is accurate or his true feelings. "are you just sticking with me until you know for sure? then you'll go with mr. perfect?"
your face falls immediately, tears pricking your eyes again as you watch him stare at you with coldness in his eyes. "are you fucking kidding me?"
"no, y/n, i'm not," he snaps, throwing your suitcase down as he backs away from you. "it seems awfully fucking suspicious you'd drop everything for him."
"he's shitfaced out in public and upset, yeosang," you snap, taking a step closer to him. "it could be anyone and i'd be concerned you asshole."
he lets out a laugh, rolling his eyes as he licks at his lips. "right, concerned. concerned about the guy you kissed right before me who always saved you. now you have to save him."
you narrow your eyes at him, a laugh or utter disbelief leaving your mouth as you shake your head at him. you can't believe this is happening after your weekend together, you had felt so sickeningly happy with him just fifteen minutes ago.
"fuck you, yeosang," you snap, picking your suitcase up from the ground and backing away from him. "in case you forgot, he was saving me from you. because you were always the one being an asshole to me and making me cry."
his jaw clenches at the reminder, his hands balling into fists as anger and embarrassment and shame fill him. he can't even call out your name as he watches you walk into the house, thinking that maybe you're gonna listen to him.
but he knows you. so he isn't surprised when you spin back around and open your mouth. "i'm going in the house to get my car key and then i'm gonna go make sure our friend is safe. the next time you wanna throw my confusion in my face, make sure it's about something correct."
he waits until you're in the house to let out a string of curses, his hands pulling at his hair as he resists the urge to pull it out or scream. and so he doesn't have to see you pull away and drive to seonghwa, he gets in his car and takes off down the street.
you realize when you get in your own car that you have no idea what bar he's at, cursing to yourself before you decide calling mingi might be your best way. he answers on the third ring and you hear him and yunho say hello in sync, excitedly asking you about your skiing trip and if it was weird being back there.
"seonghwa just called me from the bar drunk and me and yeosang got into a fight over it because he was being a major fucking asshole, no surprise there, but now i don't know where seonghwa is and there are probably so many bars but mingi do you know where people usually-"
"okay hold on baby girl, you gotta breathe for us," you hear yunho's voice say calmingly. "stop talking and just breathe for a minute. in and out, five times, okay?"
you listen to the boy's calming voice, ignoring the sting of tears threatening to fall from behind your eyes. it's not the time to think about this, about how much yeosang hurt you and about how much you wanna drive to his house and finish this fight with him.
but if something happened to seonghwa, you would never forgive yourself. you would feel 100% to blame and you're positive everyone else would too. and that's why you have to fucking go, contrary to your idiotic boyfriend's beliefs.
after you've calmed down and rejected the boy's incessant assurances that they would come with you, mingi gives you the address to a bar known to serve underage people all the time. you thank him and tell them you promise you'll update them tomorrow, hanging up before they can respond and backing your mom's car out of the driveway.
you haven't driven since your road test and it shows but luckily the bar is only ten minutes from your house. and you thank the gods above for song mingi because there seonghwa is, two old men sitting right beside him as the talk in a circle. you quickly get out of your running car, pulling your sweater around yourself as you make your way over to them.
"seonghwa?" you ask lowly, the two men snapping their heads up to you and their eyes widening.
"y/n!" they say in unison.
you would've laughed at this oddity under any other circumstances, two old men knowing you by name because seonghwa probably dished all of your dirty laundry to them.
"y/n," the boy himself says, looking up at you with light in his eyes, like he's trying to figure out if you're real. you give him a small smile, waving at him before craning your neck towards your car.
"hi," you say him gently, looking over his face and feeling your heart break at the sight of him. this isn't anything like that seonghwa you've known and it's all your fault. "you want me to give you a ride?"
"where's yeosang?" seonghwa asks, trying to get a look at the car. the men behind him yell "traitor!" causing you to jump and seonghwa, even in his drunken state, stumbles toward you and put his hand on your shoulder.
"he's home," you tell him, not even sure if that's the truth. "but he knows i'm here picking you up. so how bout i bring you home?"
seonghwa can only hum, looking at your pleading expression and letting out a sigh. because under any circumstance, in any state of mind, it appears he's still weak enough to never deny you. you watch him turn around and say goodbye to his friends, the two men patting his shoulder like their his grandfathers telling him what a nice guy he is and that any girl would be lucky to have him.
you feel your heart tug and pang with hurt, smiling at them softly before guiding seonghwa toward the passenger side door. you help him in and close the door as you watch him fumble with the seatbelt, letting out a shaky sigh before you hear your name being called.
you look up to see one of the men coming toward you, even in his drunken state not posing to be a threat.
"it was ni-nice that you came," the man hiccups. "he talked about you all night."
and you don't know if the comment was meant to make you feel good or hurt you but you simply nod, thanking them for taking care of him before walking around to get in the car. you pull out into the street and attempt to find your way to his house, feeling his glossy gaze on you.
"i didn't k-know you can drive."
a part of you wants to laugh at that because even with everything that happened between you two, you still don't know a lot about each other it seems.
"yeah, i have my license, just not my own car," you explain to him. "so i borrow my mom's sometimes."
he nods his head in understanding, his head lolling to the side as he looks out the window. you can only swallow the lump in your throat, your eyes widening when you hear him open it and hum at the cold air.
"you okay?" you ask him. because the last thing you want is for him to vomit in your mom's car.
"fine," he mumbles before a deep chuckle leaves his mouth. "but maybe hurry up so i don-don't puke all over your mom's car. make a left at the stop sign."
and you're pleased to see that even though he's drank to the point of puking, he was still able to give you directions. because once you see that, you recognize the streets of his neighborhood before quickly pulling into his driveway. you notice that only his two cars are there meaning that the house is probably empty.
"shockerrr, empty house," he slurs, his head lolling down and to the side as he looks at you. "you're pretty, y/n. you know that?"
your lips press into one another, biting your lip nervously as you shake your head at him.
"stop, seonghwa."
he lets out a groan, pushing his head back into the chair. "i-i know i shouldn't say that. because you're yeosang's girl and you al-also don't like drunk people or alcohol. but-but i liked you first, you know." and even in his drunken state, it sounds juvenile to his own ears
"that sounds so-stupid," he says through a hiccup. "but i do. i like you- so fucking much and i- i wish i didn't."
you bite the inside of your cheek to distract yourself from the burning of tears behind your eyes. because the way he seems so broken and upset is your fault. you can maybe even blame it a little on yeosang but it's mostly you. because you wouldn't have gotten in the middle of them in the first place if you never showed up at this backyard and agreed to sit with him 4th period.
"do you need help getting inside?"
seonghwa looks at you before shaking his head.
"n-no," he hiccups, his hand searching around for the handle. "i'm so fucking si-sick of people leaving out that door." and with that, the car door squeaks open and he shakily rises to get out; but not before turning his neck back to look at you.
"thank you fo-for getting me, y/n," he tells you, the drunken smile on his flushed face still managing to be incredibly handsome. "i hope yeosang isn't mad at you." he closes the door before you can answer, watching him stumble up the walkway lined with perfectly trimmed hedges and flowers.
the perfectly trimmed hedges and flowers he promptly leans over and vomits into, a sigh leaving your mouth as you grab your phone and turn off the car. you run over to him, grabbing him by the shirt before he can stumble forward and smack his head into the side of his house.
"whoaaa, you caught me," he chuckled out, the sound so light and airy it almost makes you smile.
"i did," you say gently. "let's get you inside now."
"you don-don't have to," he says. because he can't really say that he doesn't want to you. that he really can't deal with another person, but especially you, leaving him alone in this ginormous, empty house.
"i do," you tell him softly, moving your hand to guide him by his waist. "i'll stay until you fall asleep, okay? so you don't have to see me leave."
he doesn't say anything as you guide him into his house and up the stairs to his room. you turn on his light and tell him to change while you go downstairs to get him food and a glass of water. you fumble around in his kitchen for a few minutes, toasting two pieces of bread and filling him up a tall glass of water before grabbing two advils for the morning.
but when you go back into his room, you see he's passed out over the covers still in his clothes from the day. you let out a sigh, putting the plate and cup on the bedside table before going over to him. you kneel down, your hand hesitantly reaching out to run through his hair.
he looks so much younger in his sleep, relaxed and peaceful despite the way he was stumbling around like a drunk. the tears pricking your eyes all night finally come to the surface, falling back onto your butt as you cover your face with your hands.
every time you think your crushing guilt is gone, it always finds a way to surface back. it's like you can't get away from the confusion and decisions you've had to deal with thus far, your stomach still in a knot at your fight with yeosang and how you've gotten zero messages from him. how seonghwa has gotten to the point where he drank his sorrows away at the bar and found solace in two strangers.
how ever since you came to this town, you've done nothing but fuck with people's emotions and turn two best friends against each other.
"y/n," you hear seonghwa's deep, slurred voice. "don't cry."
your head snaps up to see him turned on his side watching you, his arm stretched out as he holds his hand out awaitingly. you only look down at it, your tears nearly blurring your vision, as you shake your head. you can't hold his hand, you refuse. it's not right to you or him or yeosang. because tonight, that would probably mean a whole lot more to all three of you.
"i'm sorry, seonghwa," you whisper to him.
"me too," he says, his eyes trailing over your face and you see the affection in them even through his drunken glossy gaze. "i'm sorry i still want you."
you feel a tear escape your cheek as you shake your head, knowing full well you don't deserve to be hearing this. that you shouldn't be listening to him tell you this in the vulnerable, altered state he's in.
he wipes at the tear on your cheek gently, the delicate swipe of his finger across your skin so foreign but so familiar it cracks your heart just a little bit more. he can only look at your face silently, like he's trying to remember this moment even though he knows he probably won't tomorrow.
"i'm glad you came b-but i'm happy i won't remember any of this tomorrow," seonghwa tells you, "because i'm so pathetic, it just might give me hope."
"you're not pathetic," you tell him brokenly, shaking your head as you wipe at the tears rolling down your cheeks.
"then what would you call it, y/n?" he asks, his eyes getting heavier and heavier as his exhaustion sets in. "pining over someone who doesn't want you? feeling like you love someone you barely knew?"
you can only swallow the lump in your throat watching his eyes close, waiting until his breaths turn even and tiny snores are leaving his mouth to cry into your hands for a few moments. because you think what's worse than doing this to him is the fact that he thinks he's pathetic for it.
because if things were different, you'd be right there with him. pining over him and loving someone you barely knew.
you watch him sleep for a few more minutes, placing the water and two pills next to his bed before slowly running your fingers through his hair as you mumble one last apology. you leave his room afterward with the plate of toast in your hand, your phone in your ear as you softly speak to san over the phone.
"i'm sorry for bothering you but can you stay with seonghwa tonight?"
the boy is over in less than ten minutes, walking through the door with an expression that nearly makes you cry on the spot. you tell him a gist of what happened, how you and yeosang fought and how it's all your fault that seonghwa spiraled into a binge drinking episode.
"stop, it's not," san assures you, his hand running through your hair calmingly. "we're all rich kids. you know we got a ton of fuckin' problems." a wet, broken laugh leaves your mouth as you shake your head, wiping at your wet face with your wrist.
"i'm serious though," san says lowly, "don't feel bad. it was a tough situation for all of you but it isn't anyone's fault."
and even though you don't believe that, you nod your head and thank him for coming. you couldn't have seonghwa waking up alone in the middle of the night, alone and confused with the worst hangover of his life.
san walks you to your car and gives you one last hug, assuring you everything will be okay with yeosang and that he'll make sure seonghwa is fine tomorrow.
but even with san's assurances, you still break down on your car ride home. because seonghwa feels bad because of you, yeosang still hasn't texted you and the lump in your throat is so big you feel like you're about to suffocate.
and just when you think you've cried all the tears you could, the sight of mingi and yunho waiting on your front steps really does you in. they immediately grab you in a hug when you get out of your car, crushed between the two boys who wipe at your tears and tell you everything will be okay.
(part 26)
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wickxdangels · 4 years
Text
Travis Stoll Imagine; Dream Girl
Hello!! We are back this Monday with a Percy Jackson Imagine! I started reading the series last week and i’m currently on the third book which is so exciting! I love the Stoll brothers so making this imagine was so fun! i hope you guys like it! :) As always, I apologize if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes, please let me know! And also, thank you everyone for the support and the cute comments i’ve been getting on my other stories! I love you all xx (also, sorry i couldn’t find a better pic to place)
Pairing; Travis Stoll x Reader
Warnings; None
Request; Would write a Travis Stoll x reader who is daughter of Ares who’s Clarisse’s second in command/best friend even though they’re opposite personalities and Connor is so sick of Travis’ pining for her that he decides to get them together?
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It was a bright, hot and sunny day in Camp Half-Blood; the satyrs were running in the woods playing hide and seek with the dryads, who turned into trees whenever they tried to steal a kiss from them. Young demigods runnings through the camp wearing those bright-eye-cramping orange shirts, some of the kids from the Hermes Cabin were picking up the locks from the Camp Gift Shop. It was pretty much a normal summer day like any other.
Y/n was sitting down on top of a wooden-table, cleaning and filing her sword, it was something she found relaxing and it helped to calm down her ADHD for a bit. Mid-cleaning, she felt a pair of eyes staring into her. This has probably been the fifth time she has felt it in this week alone. She quickly looked up, not finding anyone on reach staring at her, it was infuriating not knowing who those stares belonged to but she brushed it off, it was stupid to get mad at something childish like that.
“Attention, attention, campers.” The voice of Mr. D, the camp director, said as he walked close by to the campers. Lots of them stop what they were doing to look at the news he was about to say. “Today we will be playing Capture The Flag, in about two hours or so, you all know what to do, gear up and blah blah..” That earned the cheers of lots of campers, and Mr. D with a quick a wave of his hand he dismissed them as he kept walking towards the Big House, to play some pinocle perhaps, as he complained how teenagers were always so loud.
Y/n then kept filing her sword as a blonde haired and all girl walked towards her, Clarisse La Rue, her half-sister. “Did you hear that? We’ll finally get to have another reason to beat up some kids and get back our flag from the Blue team!” The girl exclaimed with a sinister smile on her lips.
Y/n simply chuckled at her words and nodded. “Indeed, sis. It’s been too long since the last time we played, that flag needs to be back on Ares’s Team.” she said as she blew on her sword, grinning at her sister as she nodded.
“C’mon, let’s go get something to eat before the game, my stomach is killing me.” Clarisse said as Y/n tagged alone.
Y/n and Clarisse were both daughters of Ares, god of war. They belonged to Cabin 5, where lots of her other half-brothers lived year-round just like both of them. Ares kids shared lots of physical attributes, like their muscular bodies and tall height, meaning all of them looked big and scary, a good pro when it came to war or simple games like the one they were about to play. But when it came to personality, both girls couldn’t be more different.
Clarisse was the designated Camp Half-Blood bully, she was the one that messed with the new campers, just like she did with Percy Jackson. She would find the tiniest of reasons to start a riot and just set the world on fire if she could, just like their father.
Y/n on the other hand, was a bit more calm. Or well, as calm as a daughter of Ares could get. She enjoyed battles, she enjoyed kicking butt from here and there but sometimes she would just get tired of the same old. She wouldn’t pick fights as much as Clarisse did, well, not now anyways. But whenever her sister needed a fighting partner she would be there without a doubt, not giving a damn who started the fight, simply being there to put up a good show.
Some feet away, behind a tree was Travis Stoll, whose favorite hobby has radically changed from picking-up locks or throwing the best pranks in camp with his brother, to spying on Y/n behind trees…or behind anything really. He saw as the girl of his dreams walked away with his most-hated-camper, who was no one else but her sister, Clarisse.
“I really can’t believe you’re still secretly pinning over her, Travis! It’s been what? Four, five years? Don’t you think it’s time to act like a big boy and tell her for once and for all?” His younger brother’s voice made him jump from his hiding spot as he turned around to face him.
“Connor! Do you have to be that loud all the time?” He cried out, grabbing his brothers shoulder as they walked out of the forests and towards their cabin. “And you know I cannot do that, she’s literally my archenemy’s sister! And best friend! Also, not to forget about her dozen of brothers with anger-issues!” Travis complained, sighing as he kicked a little rock that was in his way. “I don’t know why life has to be so hard!”
“Travis, shut up. Jeez, you’re always complaining, it’s been five years! Five of which I had to hear you whining about Clarisse and how she would maim you if you were ever to confess your feelings for Y/n…can’t we get over that? I mean, the day will come when she’ll maim you regardless of your confession or not..” His brother shrugged, placing a comforting arm around him. “Also, I have a bet going on with Pollux.. and for me to earn the money means that you’ll have to confess your feelings for her today…” Connor confessed with a grin on his lips, highlighting his elvish features who looked so much like his brother’s.
Travis stopped mid-way as he stared at his brother, a deadly stare to be exact.
“YOU DID WHAT?” He sort-of yelled at him, making his younger brother grimace a bit. “How much did you bet, though?” He slowly asked, bit interested after all, money was money.
“Around twenty drachmas and some hundred bucks..” Connor shrugged as he scratched the back of his neck. “Is that an ‘okay brother, I’ll make you win the bet’?” He curiously asked with a sheepish smile.
“Ugh, you’re so gonna share that with me. And you’re gonna do my laundry for a month! After all, I don’t know.. I might end up missing a limb..”
“You always love to exaggerate, Travis. Chill, things might turn good.” He shrugged at his older brother as he raised both of his eyebrows in a funny manner.
Two hours later, after getting something to eat and putting on their armors, the Ares cabin walked towards the centre of the camp, there the rest of their allies, Cabins Four, Nine, Ten and Twelve were already in position and armed with their respective weapons of choice.
The blue team stood on their left side, she could’ve sworn she felt the usual stare again and she just knew it came from the blue team. At least she was a bit closer to knowing who her stalker is.
“Attention Campers, let’s get this over with.” Mr. D’s voice resounded through the crowd, besides him stood Chiron, who acted as the referee and was there in case anyone needed medical help. “For tonight’s game of Capture The flag, the blue team is lead by Annabeth and Percy, who have allied with Cabins Seven and Eleven.” He rolled his eyes as he then proceeded. “And Team Red is led by Clarisse and Y/n, who are joined by the remaining cabins.” He was too lazy to mention all of the cabins but it was no surprise coming from him. “You all know the rules by now, the creek is the boundary line, and the entire forest is fair game. Magic items are permitted, killing and maiming—much to my regret—are not.” He sighed as he tiredly placed his hands on his waist.
“I’ll be close by in case anyone is in need of my assistance.” Chiron commented as he looked at the campers in front of him.
“I believe Travis will be needing your assistance later on, Chiron!” Connor joked, making some of their teammates chuckle as Travis could only blush at the statement, he looked towards Y/n, hoping she wasn’t staring at him now, but much to his luck, she was chuckling along with Clarisse who had a deadly stare at him, making him shriver.
“Yeah, yeah. Well kids, off you go now! Shoo!” Mr. D said as he waved his hands, both of the teams were now running towards the forest and the hills.
The Ares cabin took the lead of the rest of the cabins as they ran towards their different positions, some of them were on border patrol duty as other were hiding behind bushes or trees, waiting for the other campers to come by so they could jump on them.
“Y/n, guard our flag! I’ll try to steal theirs!” Clarisse grinned as she ran off towards the lake, Y/n could only chuckle as she grabbed tightly on her sword and ran towards their red flag, ready to fight anyone who came in sight.
As she ran towards the forest, she could see her brothers fighting with the other campers, or well, the enemies. Her battle reflexes came in handy when someone was about to jump on her but she swiftly avoided her, bringing her sword up as she fought a blonde-haired girl from the Athena cabin, quickly disarming her before sending her flying backwards towards a tree with a hard kick on the chest. She’ll definitely be needing some ambrosia after this, she thought.
She chuckled as she kept running, she had missed the feeling of the air hitting in her face as she ran, the way her instincts would work whenever someone was attacking her, the balanced weight of her favorite sword in her hand.
One of the guys from the Apollo cabin came after her, making her chuckle when she easily avoided one of their arrows as it landed on a tree. “That wasn’t very smart, was it?” She asked with a smirk as she then ran towards him and before he could take another arrow, she kicked the bow out of his hands. “Bad choice.” She said before bringing the sword up, the kid was quick to avoid a hit before he tripped backwards on a branch, she was about to keep fighting as one of her brothers came to her.
“I’ve got this punk! Go protect the flag!” Her brother said before she nodded and smirked at the kid.
“Well, you’re just in luck!” She winked at him before running through the forest once again, making sure to avoid any distractions on the way.
Her feet were fast as she ran, ducking whenever she saw an arrow being shot at her and jumping whenever she would meet with a camper passed out on the floor, not many minutes later and the flag was already in her sight, she came closer to it, checking her surroundings for any enemy in sight.
Not many seconds had passed when she heard some steps coming on her way, she quickly jumped on top of a tree branch hiding, she saw as a guy came close to the flag but did not grab it, instead he looked around as if searching for someone.
She then took the advantage and jumped on top of him, making him land with his back on the floor as she had him trapped between her legs. “Huh, a son of Hermes. I thought it would be one of Athena’s kid the one who would come for the flag.” She said as she brought her sword up to his face, he looked just like every other Hermes’s kid, elvish features, curly hair, tall and kind of cute.
“No! Wait! I’m not here for the flag..” He confessed, having her so close to his body made him shriver, luckily his face was already red from the game if not he would be blushing madly.
“You are aware that we are playing Capture The Flag, don’t you?” She chuckled as she stared at him, her eyes looking directly into his blue ones as he felt the shiest he has ever felt in his life.
“Y-yes, yes! What I meant it’s that, I’ve been meaning to confess you something..” He said as she stood up, holding a hand out for him as he slowly grabbed it, she pulled and helped him stand up.
“Okay, now you’re kind of creeping me out, Travis.. What is it?”
“How.. how do you know who I am?” He asked, kind of surprised she didn’t mistake him for his brother, which happened quite a lot.
“We were friends, remember? When I first got here, you were one of that befriended me. I stayed in your cabin for some weeks before Ares claimed me. We used to play pranks on the Aphrodite kids so much that you thought I was one of Hermes kid’s as well.” She said chuckling as he nodded, he remember those times. That was the time when he started to develop his current huge crush on her.
“I.. I didn’t know you remembered that.” He gave her a bright smile as he scratched the back of his neck in a shy manner, something she thought she had never seen before on any kid of Hermes.
“Of course, I do! Now, what were you going to tell me?”
“Oh! That! Well, you see—” sadly he was too slow and too immersed on their chat that he did not see Clarisse flying at him, knocking him off his feet as they rolled down on the floor.
“It was you!” Clarisse yelled as she threw some punches at him, he luckily evaded some but not all of them, so he groaned when she had delivered a square punch to his right eye.
Now that’s gonna leave a nasty bruise, he thought.
“Clarisse! What are you doing? He was gonna say something to me!” Y/n said as she ran towards them, trying to pull her sister off of him.
“It’s him, y/n! He’s the one who’s been lurking behind trees and staring at you!” Clarisse said with disgust as she stood up from top of him, delivering nasty glances at Travis.
“Oh.. so you’re my little stalker, huh?” Y/n said with a smirk on her lips as she looked at Travis, helping him stand as he slowly nodded, grabbing onto his side as he looked embarrassed.
“Okay, I’ll have to say that that wasn’t the smartest thing to do.. but yeah. It was me.” He confessed to her, giving her a little smile as she stared at him. “And besides that, what I wanted to say it’s that… I like you, like, a lot.” he said. “A crazy amount probably, and I know you may not like me back! Knowing that I’m your sister’s most hated person in this camp besides my brother.. and Percy..” he explained
“This is disgusting! Completely disgusting!” Clarisse gagged at the scene in front of her, she has always disliked the Stoll brothers even more after the little prank they pulled on her few years ago.
“I.. I’m quite shocked, actually.” she confessed, her cheeks tinting a light red but when she was about to actually reply to him, she saw how another figure behind Clarisse and Travis took the chance of the flag being unprotected and quickly snatched it.
In the background, all could hear a horn being played in signal that the game has finished.
The result? Blue team were the winners, once again.
It turns out that, Travis’s younger brother Connor, knowing that he was going to confess his feelings towards Y/n, seized the opportunity of us being entertained by his brother’s confession to grab the flag, it was all part of his plan.
Which helped to ignite even more, the hatred Clarisse had towards the Stoll brothers.
The whole game ended up quite quickly after that, with the campers of the blue team cheering for their new victory and the red team growling at them and cursing them out.
Y/n never had the chance to talk to Travis in that moment, seeing how Chiron with other campers, took the injured ones towards the infirmary to help with the wounds.
That’s when Y/n knew it was now or never. She escaped from the celebrations of the night, walking towards the infirmary to check on the wounded Stoll brother. She walked through it, looking at some of the demigods sleeping on the beds and other being taken care by Argus and some dryads. Once he saw the familiar curly hair, she walked towards it, grabbing a pack of ice a girl was carrying towards him. “I can take it from here.” she explained to the girl as she just nodded and left.
She then walked to his bed, sitting down at the edge of it and softly pressing the ice pack on his already-bruised eye. “Who knew.. that purple eye really suits you.” she softly spoke, waking up the prankster from his nap.
“Y/n? What are you doing here?” he asked as he quickly sat up, groaning from the pain as he realized it wasn’t a good idea after all with his bruised ribs.
“Clarisse really did a number on you, didn’t she?” the girl said as she softly helped him to lay down once again, slowly. “I’m sorry about that, she can be easily carried away by her emotions.”
“I really can’t believe you two are sisters, you two are nothing alike.” he said, wincing as he laid down. “You’re gentle and understanding, meanwhile Clarisse would throw a punch at literally anyone who crosses her path.”
“Well, that’s because I have never really fought with you, you know? When we are in battle, that’s when we are scary alike.” she chuckled, holding the ice pack on his eye as they talked. “So.. I never really replied to what you said to me back there.”
“You don’t really have to. I know it must’ve been silly, I just couldn’t really hold it in anymore, you know? You’re so beautiful and so strong! And you love pulling pranks on people, which is so hot! And whenever you’re fighting you’ve got this beautiful frown that—”
“Could you shut up for a second?” she said quickly before a smirk appeared on her lips. “I know I’m hot and all of that, but I just really wanted to say that… I think you’re really cute.” her smirk turned into a smile at him as she looked at him, he could’ve sworn his insides were on fire, which could’ve been due to the punches he’d got but he knew it was because of her smile. “And I would like to see where this could go..”
“Wait! You’re serious, right? This is not a prank, right? Cause that wouldn’t be so hot..” He explained making her giggle. “It’s not a prank, you dummy!” she interrupted him. “I like you, like, a lot.” she smiled, saying the exact words he had said to her back in the forest.
“Oh! Wow! I— I really, don’t know what to say! Jeez, I think I’m blushing again!” Travis confessed with his cheeks flaming red as he looked at her.
“Shh, don’t talk.. Less words and more…actions.” she smirked before laying the ice pack on the bed and slowly leaning her face against his, until their lips were touched; she was careful to grab his cheek, not wanting to hurt his purple eye as he returned the soft kiss she laid on his lips.
It was all he ever dreamed, kissing her felt like drinking ambrosia, her lips tasted so sweet. His stomach felt like the excitement he would get before pulling any prank, multiplied by a hundred. He just knew that this was it. This was all he ever wished for. This was the girl of his dreams.
That was it, until a wave or realization fell over him as she softly pulled away from him. “Oh, gods! now Clarisse is so going to murder me!”
That only made her laugh even more. “Leave her to me, she’s really not that scary, I promise.” she assured him. “Now, what did I say about talking?” she asked.
“Oh! Yes, yes. Less words, more actions, got it!” he smiled mischievously as he then pressed his lips against hers once again.
“Oh, I forgot to ask. What’s the bet Connor has goin on with Pollux about?” she asked, looking at his eyes for a bit before raising his brow.
“Oh, now you shut up. I’ll explain later, I’m badly injured and I demand more kisses.” he said with the cutest little pout she has ever seen, she rolled her eyes. “It’s just some bruised ribs.. and a bruised eye.” she joked before wrapping her arms around him and kissing him again.
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needtherapy · 3 years
Text
soaring, carried aloft on the wind...continued 16
A story for Xichen and Mingjue, in another time and another place.
The Beifeng, the mighty empire of the north, invaded more than a year ago, moving inexorably south and east.
In order to buy peace, the chief of the Lan clan has given the Beifeng warlord a gift, his second oldest son in marriage. However, when Xichen finds out he makes a plan.
He, too, can give a gift to the Beifeng warlord, and he will not regret it.
Part 1: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13  Part 2: 14 / 15 / 16 … HOME
It’s complete on AO3 here.
Notes: Check the tags if you’re concerned about the pairings ;)
For translations of the entirely fictitious Beifeng language, you’ll have to scroll to notes. I’m only going to translate something that’s not clear in the text. Sadly, there’s just not any other good way to do it on Tumblr!
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Chapter 16 Now
It rains for a week as spring approaches, great sheets of water that turn the Ikarahu camp into rivers of mud. Everyone is miserable, dirty, and fractious. Huaisang and Guangyao get into an argument that ends in shouting, and they stop talking to each other for three days, taking turns complaining to Xichen. Even Mingjue seems altered—pensive and solemn, his boisterous affection distracted by thoughts he doesn’t share. Xichen spends most of his time reading and avoiding people, huddling under blankets by his warm brazier.
But once the storms pass and all the water seeps back into the ground, the end of winter turns sunny and clear, as if the gods are apologizing for their earlier tantrum.
After so many days inside, Xichen welcomes Huaisang’s suggestion of a day’s ride into the foothills to the west of the camp. He’s aware that there is likely a secondary reason for the suggestion—with Huaisang, there is rarely only one reason—but the chance to feel the wind on his face overrides any care he has for Huaisang’s schemes.
They are a larger group than Xichen expected: himself, Huaisang, Guangyao, Qingyang, Titakau, and three guards. But of course they would need guards. Even Huaisang would not be so incautious as to risk their safety, and now that he considers it, three guards seems like fewer than Mingjue would have insisted on. Xichen wonders if Huaisang made his brother aware of his plans.
After only a few minutes of riding, a rolling canter that, on Liebing’s light feet, feels almost as smooth as walking, Xichen slows at the sound of pounding hoofbeats behind them.
“Aurakat! Wingani! Roka eneti di eta hira om ga tega ehi heromu,” Mingjue yells, pulling up his horse in front of Huaisang and forcing him to stop.
“Three soldiers for four people is plenty, anakau,” Huaisang argues. “Unless you think Xichen is incapable of defending himself.”
It is a low blow, and Xichen has to bite his lip to keep from laughing at Mingjue’s consternation.
“I did mention we were having a picnic. What did you think that meant?” Huaisang asks with a flippant smirk.
“Will you come with us, ahoraho?” Xichen asks, distracting Mingjue, who looks ready to tackle Huasiang off his horse. “If you are not too busy?”
With a huff, Mingjue scowls at Huaisang one more time before falling back to join Xichen. They ride in silence for a while, in part because Xichen is at a loss for words. Without the army, without the camp, he’s not sure what to talk about. He has rarely felt awkward around Mingjue, but he suddenly can’t think of a single thing to say. Instead he watches his friends. Qingyang laughs at something Titakau says, and Xichen can see Titakau smiling, even from here. Ahead of them, Huaisang pokes Guangyao in the shoulder and points to something in the distance, the silhouette of a huge eagle eventually gliding into sight, banking above them and heading north, toward the mountains. Guangyao watches the path of the bird until it disappears from sight.
“Poets in my country speak of your land as empty and barren, but I think they have never been here,” Mingjue says suddenly, breaking the silence. “There is beauty in your plains and hills, as there is in our datik.”
Xichen blinks at him, taken aback by Mingjue’s interest in poetry as much as his continued insistence that the mountains of Xichen’s home are mere hills.
Mingjue grins, reading Xichen’s expression. “They are not even covered in snow, Xichen. But tell me, do your poets write of Ikara?”
They do, and Xichen tells him that Ikara is seen as a mystical place, frightful and wild, with giants of men who ravage maidens and warrior women who wield dark magic. Mingjue roars with laughter.
“Xichen, you are kindio touha...more danger...hm...more dangerous...than most of our people. Although I do not know how it is possible. How do your people grow strong drinking the weak tea?”
Xichen pretends to be offended as he explains the supremacy of delicate, aged white tea. After so many months, it is unexpectedly charming to see yet another side of Mingjue. Xichen hadn’t fully appreciated how heavily caring for the well-being of so many people weighs on Mingjue. Within the encampment, Mingjue is always kipakau, always the general. But the further they get from the city of tents, the less he seems like a commander and more like an ordinary man Xichen doesn’t know well enough yet.
They enter a copse of pine trees, and Xichen is subdued by the beauty of this evergreen forest. Even though it is not yet true spring, there is the whisper of wind in the boughs, bird song all around him, and the peace of it inhabits him like home. When they emerge into a clearing on the other side of the woods, a quiet lake with the remains of summer reeds on its shores lays before them. Xichen nearly asks how Huaisang knew it was here, because it is clearly his intended destination.
“Time for lunch!” Huaisang announces as he dismounts, and with an unnecessarily dramatic gesture, he sets up a large flame burning in the grass.
Even with no wood to sustain it, the flame produces heat, fueled by the magic in the air. Xichen and Guangyao exchange a look. It is another reminder of how different Ikarahu magic is, and Xichen wonders how long the fire can last.
The ground is dry, if cold, and they unpack thick wool blankets to sit on. Their three guards’ horses had been carrying baskets of food, all designed to be eaten cold, as well as jars of ale and water, and Xichen is amused at how carefully Huaisang has prepared this adventure.
Huaisang whistles and Kitingi joins them, although she settles on Guangyao’s shoulder, not Huaisang’s, and bites his hair affectionately. He hands her tiny pieces of food he usually has at the ready. Guangyao’s face softens as it always does around Kitingi, and he scratches the top of her head, smoothing her feathers as she eats. Xichen thinks she might prefer Guangyao even to Mingjue these days.
Titakau whispers something to Qingyang, and Qingyang laughs. “I don’t know, auhani. I’ll ask. Why doesn’t she fly away? She isn’t tethered like the other munaku.”
“I feed her too well,” Huaisang jokes, but Mingjue gives her a true answer. “Aurakat only pretends he does not care,” he explains, smirking at Huaisang as though revealing a deep, dark secret, and Huaisang throws a cup at him. “He raised her from a chick. She could leave any time, but she stays for love.”
They finish eating, and then they sword fight. It would have been a strange way to pass the afternoon in the Cloud Recesses, but Huaisang claims to be cold after their meal and challenges his brother to a duel, a match even Xichen has never seen before. It shouldn’t have been a contest, but once they start, it’s obvious that Huaisang has learned from spending his life sparring with Mingjue. He knows every counter to every move, and he even pulls out his kitingi fan as an extra distraction, blocking Kaumadis with hard swipes and spinning the sharp blades of the fan in front of Mingjue’s face. It doesn’t seem likely that he’ll win, but he keeps Mingjue on his toes until Mingjue laughingly dodges a parry and picks Huaisang up, slinging him over his shoulder and depositing him back onto a blanket by Guangyao.
“Enough! You will have me dancing for hours, anati,” he says and looks as though he intends to sit too, but Xichen stands.
“Will you dance with me, ahoraho?” he asks, drawing Sikunadis, and Mingjue’s eyes darken.
Xichen likes that look on Mingjue’s face. He turns his back to the rest of the group, biting his lip and giving Mingjue a private smile he intends to convey just how much. Mingjue shakes his head.
“You do not fight fair, aitapaho,” he complains with a wink.
It is not a serious bout, not in the tall dry grass, and not after Mingjue has already sparred with Huaisang, but Xichen never tires of learning how he can use Sikunadis differently than an ordinary sword. As Huaisang had suspected, the sword responds to his magic, filling like a well, holding the power for as long as necessary and allowing Xichen to recover his strength. And when he pushes in more power than the sword can hold, the release is magnified, a brilliant explosion of darkness and light that can fling even a shielded attacker away.
Xichen would not say he is showing off, but at first, he lets Mingjue take more risks and get closer than usual, leaning back to let Kaumadis glide past his face, flipping sideways to evade strikes, and putting even more speed into his parries. When he realizes Mingjue is tiring, he runs his fingers across the back of Mingjue’s neck as he spins behind him, grinning when Mingjue groans and falters.
He wins against Mingjue easily and far too quickly, only using enough of the power reserves inside Sikunadis to buzz against Mingjue when he tags him on the back first, then the stomach. Mingjue falls to the ground, laughing and raising his hands in defeat. He holds Xichen’s gaze just long enough to promise rewards when they get back to camp, long enough to make Xichen grin foolishly.
“Guangyao? Do you wish to fight with me?” Xichen asks, not wanting to leave anyone out, and Guangyao deliberates before shaking his head.
“I am no expert, and Zewu-Jun is. I might only be able to keep up with Oringa'anhu Ikira,” he says, entirely serious, smiling only when Huaisang realizes he’s been insulted and reacts with mock outrage.
Qingyang declines as well, but to Xichen’s surprise, Titakau agrees to fight, borrowing Huaisang’s sword. She has excellent form and technique, and she is nearly as quick as Xichen. She catches him off guard twice, forcing him to scramble to block. They end the match in a draw, and Xichen compliments her skill. She ducks her head and tells him that her father is a swordsmith, and she has held a sword since she was a baby.
“Ei kamhawa mau peita ei eta ino iro tiato, gani ora anot inko paketau sima auha di Ipira'orhew Ikira. Et paketau di sima eta kipakau,” Titakau says, smiling shyly.
Qingyang translates, “My father was embarrassed when I became a healer, but now he is so proud that I am in service to Ipira'orhew Ikira. Everyone is proud to serve the crown prince.” With a quick grin that lights her eyes, Qingyang adds, “I am as well, you know.”
Mingjue makes a sound of dismissal and shakes his head, but he’s smiling. There is a thoughtful crease in Guangyao’s eyebrows for a split second before Kitingi leaps off of his shoulder with a sudden scream, flapping high into the air and wheeling to dive into the nearby underbrush. Huaisang and Guangyao follow her to see if she snared whatever she was hunting.
Xichen is curious about which part of Titakau’s words intrigued Guangyao, but he lets the thought go when Mingjue wraps a blanket around him and kisses Xichen’s cheek, sitting next to him with a sigh. Xichen pulls Mingjue’s hand under the blanket and rubs his thumb over Mingjue’s knuckles, leaning against him to absorb his warmth. He wonders what his father or brother would think of how easily he shows and accepts affection like the Ikarahu. He had never minded the formal distance his family kept in the Cloud Recesses. It had felt respectful and unintrusive. But now he craves the simplest touch; there is a space inside him that can never be full enough. Wangji would probably look away in embarrassment, he thinks. Or, remembering the look on Wangji’s face when he talked about his archer, maybe not. He can’t hide his smile and he decides not to ruin his day by thinking about what his father’s reaction might be. Perhaps he is an unfilial son, but he is glad his father will never have the chance to disapprove.
Guangyao and Huaisang finally retrieve a chattering Kitingi from the bush clutching a finch in her claws, and somehow, they are arguing. It’s only been minutes, and Xichen can’t understand how they’ve already found something to disagree about.
“An ambush will not work,” Guangyao says as they rejoin the group, unhooking the two birds and setting the little finch free. “I don’t care if your hawk is always successful. You’ve been camped outside of Jinlin Tai for months. They know you’re here.”
“That’s why it will work, Guangyao,” Huaisang explains, patient to the point of condescension. “They expect us to continue the siege or bring the whole army. We’ve tried waiting patiently. A frontal assault will result in too many casualties. Perhaps we need a different strategy.”
Guangyao’s eyes narrow, and he frowns. “Perhaps you should stop pestering them entirely.”
Huaisang’s grin is swift and careless, but his voice softens. “You know we won’t. Perhaps they should give in.”
Xichen wonders if they realize how obvious it is that they aren’t only talking about Jinlin Tai anymore.
Notes: Aurakat! Wingani! Roka eneti di eta hira om ga tega ehi heromu. = Aurakat! You idiot! This is not enough men for safety.
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hpdabbles · 3 years
Note
MORE FOR MAGICAL RAMEN PLEASE! I WOULD LIKE TO SEE NARUTO'S DEDICATION IN SEEING REMUS AGAIN
Naruto- who refuses to go by Harry no matter how much it would have meant to his new parents- allowed himself to laugh as yet another bully stumbled away. His cousin had attempted to have him jump but the civilians were sadly way over their heads if they thought they could take on Naruto, who had finally worked his body up to chunin levels. 
He flexes his hands, fingers thumping in the familiar ache of his knuckles releasing the tension they had been placed in for throwing punches. He leans back on his heels, his chakra humming and causing extensive amounts of energy his young body couldn’t control yet, which has him in consent movement.
His aunt hates that he can’t keep still but so did many of his instructors back at the academy and like then he merely sticks out his tongue, all while keeping his sunny disposition. 
The Dursleys are at their wit's ends with him. His uncle had tried to be big and intimating but Naruto has taken down foes just as large and twice as strong. His aunt tried to lock him in a cupboard with no food, but Naruto picked the lock and hunted his own meal- though it was rather hard with nearly no forest near him. 
They threaten to throw him out in the street which he cheerfully informs them, that would be nothing he couldn’t handle and he would be taking his dead parents money with him. Naruto had learn how to save his funds, and budget from a lifetime of being a scorn orphan, which meant he knew just how much power gold really held. 
He wasn’t sure how he would go about getting the child services to give him the money that belong to the Potters since this new world had ridiculous child protection laws but he was sure he find a way. His uncle and aunt knew it too, after seeing his never wavering stubbornness.
It didn’t stop them from spreading rumors about him and his parents, rumors that turn him into a trouble making burden but again, Naruto was used to the sneers and looks of distain. It hurt but it wasn’t going to stop him from finding the three men who were more like family then the two adults and chubby child he was dumped on.  
It finally came down to a a agreement. The Dursleys pretend Naruto didn’t exist if he keep up with his chores- D rank missions really- and they turn a blind eye to everything off about him.
Like the fact that while “unusually” intelligent for his age he detested any paperwork and especially classwork, he self-taught himself his personalize Taijustu in the park under the amazed eyes of the neighbors impressed despite themselves  and out of many preying eyes he regain his Justus. 
The chores were much easier to do with his shadow clones. Though the first time he summon them his Aunt threw a fit, trying to tell him “magic” would not be allowed in her house. 
Naruto and his clones had laughed at her,  simultaneously until she fled back to her room, urging Dudley to stay in his until Naruto finished with the chores. He agree not to use it in public- as even he knew civilians didn’t react well to ninjas making a prolong stay among them especially when they used Justus. It made them unlikely to hire the Leaf for missions.  A ninja that couldn’t get missions was a ninja that failed his village. 
It was a bit strange to be the only ninja with a functioning chakra system for miles and miles. Naruto tried to find others like him for years but no matter where he went none of the people had tapped into their chakra’s. Sometimes it felt like they didn’t even have a system which went against everything he was taught as Naruto Uzumaki. 
Naruto did not let any of this get in the way of his search for ‘Emus, Dog-man, and Rat-man. He created flyers from the foggy memories, and placed them everywhere. He asked random people in the street. He sent out clones to near by cities and broke into any government building he could find- their security is terrible- but nothing had come up.
His attempt to gather information from his guardians yield the same results though he got the sense they knew more then they let on. Back in the Leaf village Naruto’s team had always been more of front line combat then information gathers or trackers and his lack of support from those departments were making his search that much harder.
He finally understood what Iruka-sensei meant when he used to say every role a Leaf Ninja played was a role needed for the success village.
It was during one of his daily on foot searches that Naruto had a owl land before him carrying a letter. He paused from where he was stapling a poster of  Dog-man, a terrible drawing and a brief description of the last time seen, were the only thing on the poster with his house number as a place to contact should anyone have any information. 
The owl hoots, sticking out it’s leg at him. 
“A messenger bird...” Naruto breathes stun. It’s not much but it’s been so long since he had something familiar like what his life as a Leaf Ninja in this new world that he thought he would never see a messenger bird again. It feels like a small part of him, of his old life, had been return.  
Carefully, while licking his dry lips, he reaches out to take the letter. Years of animal care kick in as he gently unwarps the string holding the envelope, and hands over bits of the granola bar he had in his pocket for the bird to eat. 
He waits until the Owl finished picking the bits form his palm, smiling when it climbs onto his arm and runs up his forearm to rest on his shoulder. The talons are digging into his skin, the dull pain a breath of fresh air as he suddenly remember the same type of feeling when he send back reports to his village. 
Carefully he opens the letter.
Naruto reads the lines over and over again. It’s a letter congratulating him on his acceptance to a magical school, a list of supplies and a map to where he can find them. He tries to search for lies but he can’t figure out what is and isn’t though written form. It’s only because they sent a messenger bird, a form of communication he knows is not common place, that he doesn’t crumble up the strange paper and accepts the fact.
Harry Potter is a wizard and Naruto is Harry Potter.
He sends back a agreement to be present the first day of school and races home, his stack of posters flying behind him in his red wagon. He doesn’t bother with letting his aunt and uncle argue that they won’t allow him to go because this may be the closest he’s ever been to finding  ‘Emus, Dog-man, and Rat-man. 
He stares them down, unwilling to back off or crumble until they agree. He is bouncing all over the place, excited even when his aunt takes him to a strange pub hands him a wallet of money and tells him to buy what he needs before speeding away.
Naruto likes the Leaky cauldron even though it goes dead salient when he walks in. His eyes run over the stun customers down right gleeful he has finally, finally , found the chakra users.
Sure the systems feel slightly different like the samurai felt different but not exactly the same as the honor based sword swingers. The people in this establishment had tapped their chakra’s and that alone gave him new found hope. 
“I say, Harry Potter! As I live and breath! Sir it’s a honor” A gruffy old man says stepping into his line of sight and shaking Naruto’s hand. The dark hair boy- still after all these years he was not used to not seeing sunshine bright hair- blinks up at him but he smiles anyway.
He likes meeting new people, after all a stranger could be his new friend and his new precious  person . 
“Hi there!” He chirps signature grin springing to life on his lips. The man looks blinded. “It’s nice to meet you. Call me Naruto please.”
As if though that was a signal everyone around him leaps to their feet racing over to introduce themselves as well and Naruto can’t fandom why. He always wanted a warm hero’s welcome like this but he hasn’t done anything to earn it yet. Not here. There was no war or grand fight he part took in to earn the kind of awe and devotion of the population like the aftermath of Pain’s attack did.
It while he meeting everyone that his eyes land on a family of red heads half sitting and half standing in the corner, looking as if they all want to get closer too but aren’t sure if they should. There is a woman, a man, five children- four male on female- and Naruto has to crane his neck to keep them in sight as the crowd around him grows. 
He doesn’t know what about them caught his attention but his eyes zero in on the one in the glasses.
Or more specifically on the rat resting on the teenager’s shoulder. A quick scan with his chakra confirms what he already knew. He pushes the hands trying to shake his own and breaks though the crowd faster then what the people are expecting. Ninja speed is still faster then what these wizards are used to.
Before the red-head teenager knows what is happening Naruto has reached out and taken the rat, holding the squealing creature to his face smiling widely. Maybe even madly. “RAT-MAN I FOUND YOU!”
Everyone stares at him. 
“Um...that’s Scabbers” The red head around his age says slowly.  “He is Percy’s pet.”
“No this is Rat-man!” Naruto corrects breezily, he pulls the thrashing animal closer gently petting it’s head. “He used to visit me as a baby. I never forget his chakra. Rat-man have you seen ‘Emus or Dog-man? I can’t find them anywhere!”
The boy is staring at him with the kind of look one would give a screaming man in the street. Weary and unable to look away.
“Stop shaking Scabbers!” The red-head with glasses Percy he thinks, yells. He holds out his hand. “You’re scaring him! Give him back!”
“No! I just found him! I’ve been looking for years for him.” Naruto yells back pressing the animal to his chest and sticking out his tongue at the rapidly red face turning teenager.
“I think there may have been a mistake.” The man who looks like all the children, their father, says stepping in and holding a stick. “Scabbers has been in our family. He isn’t a man.”
“He is!” Naruto argues. 
The man has the kind of look Kakashi-sensei used to wear. The one that says he only agree to amuse Naruto. “How about I cast Animagus reversal spell. Then we can see if he is a man or my son’s pet.” 
Naruto fingers tighten around the suddenly much more violently thrashing rat. “It won’t hurt him? He is my parents’ friend.”
“He won’t feel a thing.” The man swears and Naruto nods keeping a weary eye on the man’s chakra in case he tries anything but feeling nothing but good intentions from him and holding out the rat. A light blue light zaps out of the man’s wand landing on the Rat-man and at once his features change. Naruto doesn’t let go, not even when the body out grows his hands and the man turns back into a human.
He keeps a tight hold until the man is sitting before the gasping audience. Naruto doesn’t care for the rapidly paling face of the red headed family or the scrambling of people who try to get away. He throws himself around Rat-man’s neck and squeezes.  “I knew you were okay! I knew you haven’t been caught even when Mom and Dad got killed. Where have you been? Why are you hiding like a rat? Do you like ramen? Hey hey, do you still have that skull and snake tattoo?”
His celebration and rapid firing questions is cut short by a couple of wizards in red robes called Aurors body slamming Rat-man into the ground.
Naruto finds them very rude.
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auxiliarydetective · 3 years
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Writer's Month - Day 10: sunshine | aged up/deaged
Another fandom? Yes. Another OC? Yes. Do I regret this? Yes. Will I apologize. No. It's too late for that. Time for some cringe, because this is based off an anime. Namely One Piece. What you need to know for this story is that my OC (Inari) has an ability that's based off a master-servant relationship. Basically, Inari always has a master. She has to obey their every command and, in return, gets powers related to their personality or own powers and abilities. Her allegiance/her master changes whenever someone defeats her old master or she is saved from death by someone, leading that person to become her new master.
Okay, have fun. Don't die from the cringe.
Inari stretched and let the sun shine down on her face. It was a lovely day in the New World, even if it had been somewhat chaotic. First the volcanic ashes raining down and now this stranger that Luffy had decided to pick up… Hopefully he was at least nice. A sudden crash coming from the kitchen ripped Inari out of her thoughts. “I’ll go check it out”, she called to Franky, who was standing at the helm. She jumped up and sprinted across the ship, to the kitchen, almost bumping into Zoro and Sanji in the doorway. The door and wall segment of Sick Bay had been blasted apart and Luffy was laying on the floor in the rubble, getting up. The stranger had woken up. He stood where the door once had been with his gigantic mechanical arm, standing at double an average person’s height, looking menacing as ever. “Nami-san, go outside”, Sanji told Nami. Nami nodded, visibly happy to get out of there. “Take care of it, please”, she said, then hurried out. “Straw Hat Luffy”, the stranger said menacingly, walking slowly towards Luffy. “Why are you a pirate?” Luffy grinned. “To become the Pirate King”, he said with pride. The stranger’s mechanical arm made an intimidating wind-up sound as he clenched its large fist. “Pirate King… Pirate King?!” Suddenly, he hurled his fist down on Luffy, who was narrowly able to escape. Zoro and Sanji, being the number two and three fighters of the crew, charged at the stranger in defence of their captain. Inari rushed after them, seeing it as her duty, even if her allegiance currently did not lay with any of them. Angrily, the stranger ripped the dinner table out of its place and hurled it away while Luffy was still standing on it, almost sending him flying into the stove. “Get out, everyone!”, Inari called to the rest of the crew. “We’ll handle this!” Just then, Sanji landed the first hit, as evidenced by a loud bang. But the stranger managed to block his attack and throw him away since Sanji’s foot had gotten stuck in one of the parts of his mechanical arm. Luckily, Sanji landed safely and skillfully on his feet. Then, Zoro stormed at the man, drawing his sword. A sharp, metallic clang cut through the air as it clashed against the large metal arm. The stranger blocked the attack, prompting Zoro to jump out of the way of his punch. Now it was Luffy’s time to attack. He managed to get only two punches in before being knocked away by a kick in the stomach. Inari watched closely from cover behind the overturned dinner table, unsure of what to do. “He’s strong”, she gasped. Never since their encounter with Kuma two years ago had she seen someone who had been able to hold their own against all three members of the “Monster Trio” of Luffy, Zoro and Sanji. “Be careful, Inari-san”, Sanji warned her. Quickly, he jumped into an attack from behind. But this backfired horribly on him as he was thrown right back, crashing into the ladder that led up to the balcony. Zoro attempted the same right after, but was also blocked. Then, he charged right at the stranger, only to be grabbed and slammed into the ground, leaving him winded. Inari gasped for air. Zoro usually took many more hits before showing even the slightest sign of damage. Luffy tried taking revenge, but was blocked off. Angrily, Inari threw a jet of water at the stranger’s chest to throw him off balance. This did practically nothing. It was like fighting a fire with a water pistol. But at least it distracted him and gave Zoro the time he needed to get on his feet. “Damn you, Z!”, Luffy yelled before charging into action once again. “Z…”, Inari whispered. The name branded itself into her skull. Steadily, the four of them kept attacking this Z. If this was going to be an endurance battle, so be it! He could not hold up against all of them forever. Suddenly, something large bumped into the ship. Z grinned. “They’re here.” A cold shower ran down Inari’s spine. More attackers? If they were on his level, the other six crew members would not be able to hold even one of them off for long. Inari drew her war fans and charged into close combat like her peers.
Even if her attacks were not leaving a scratch, the least she could do was try. Finally, they got a minute to breathe as they were able to knock Z back together. “Things are getting bad out there as well”, Sanji remarked. Really, there was shouting coming from outside. It did not sound like much, but Inari knew to trust his extensively trained senses. “Let’s end this now, everyone!”, Luffy decided. They charged at Z with new energy, doing the best they could in this small space while also trying not to destroy more things. Suddenly, Inari found herself face to face with Z, his giant mechanical fist slamming down towards her. Just before it could crack open her skull, she felt herself being grabbed by the waist and pulled out of danger. She felt the flurry under her skin of her allegiance changing. It may sound hard to believe, but she could feel her powers switching, the symbol on her left arm being warped into a different shape and her hair and eyes changing color. “Are you okay, Inari-san?”, Sanji asked worriedly, setting her down on her feet. “Yeah, I’m fine”, Inari said quickly. She knew that, every time her allegiance changed, it meant she had just narrowly been saved from death. Even though this had happened countless times already, it still gave her shivers every time it happened. She took a deep breath and the fear was out of her system. Behind them, Zoro tumbled across the floor, catching himself after another attack. He cursed and charged forward again. “Go outside and help the others”, Sanji said to Inari. “He’s not an enemy for you.” Inari could already feel her body getting ready to move to the door by itself. That had been an order. She nodded, smiled and sprinted for the door, dodging the splinters that were shooting from the dinner table splintering apart.
When she stepped on deck, she was greeted by a frightening sight. They were surrounded by large warships. On the grass stood a man in a weird ninja-like costume, doing a weird dance. Squiggling and tightening in his rhythm were vines that were squeezing the air out of Usopp, Franky and Brook, even if the latter did not possess lungs in the first place. There was also a woman with blue hair in a cape, presenting purple flames in her hand. But what confused her more was what was further away from her: Robin had shrunk, seeing as her sweater was now too big for her, and looked significantly younger. But Nami had turned into a kid and was completely sunken in her coat. And Chopper… Chopper was tiny. He looked like a tiny plush figure one might win at a price counter, with large eyes, a large head and a small body. “Inari!”, Chopper screamed, his voice even more high-pitched than usual. “You have to defeat her from afar! Don’t come down here!” Inari furrowed her brows and nodded. She took on a combative position, slashing her fans at the strange caped woman. Blades of air rushed at her opponent. Her first strike hit, as did the second and third, drawing the woman closer to the middle of the mast. The strange man continued his dance, aggressively chanting “Mosa! Mosa!” At his commands, vines wound themselves towards Inari, but they fell victim to her bladed fan. However, this made her lose her focus on the woman, who shot a ball of her purple fire at her. Inari was able to catch the ball in a gust of wind and divert it. Suddenly, a loud noise erupted behind her. She whirled around, just in time to be simultaneously hit by a ball of purple fire and hurled away by the shock wave of an explosion that tore apart the entire floor the kitchen was one. She shot backwards through the air and crashed into the mast, losing consciousness. When she landed on the floor beneath, between Sanji and Zoro, who had also been knocked away by the explosion, she had shrunk significantly in size. The jumpsuit that had once been short now almost fit her entire body. Her tattoo covered not only her wrist but almost the entirety of her forearm. During the bombing that followed, Inari did not move an inch. She woke up only hours later in her bed, with a throbbing pain in her head and the body of a six-year-old. Her room looked gigantic now. When she stepped out onto the deck, she collapsed to her knees. Everything was damaged or even fully destroyed. Their beautiful ship… “Oh, Sunny…”, Inari whispered. “What are we going to do now?”
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amarabliss · 4 years
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Galahdian Dreams - 7 (Nyx Ulric/Reader)
Synopsis: Your father was the king of Insomnia. He was good and just. You never thought you’d meet anyone like him after he was taken from the world. Your Uncle Regis, has taken the throne and followed through on your father’s plans. It was good to see the city in capable hands.
Enter Nyx Ulric, refugee, Glaive, fighter…how is it he can see all your secrets? He knows how to set you off and he’s promised to not let you go…(AU for sure, Regis wasn’t supposed to take the throne, and our lovely Nyx has more of a past then we thought…)
Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six
**WARNING** please be aware there are depictions of violence that may be triggering. Please remember to spread tolerance in the world and not hate. 
Be the first step to a better future.
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Nyx groaned as he rolled over his bed reaching for his phone that had just went off. Everything was hazy from the night before, but as he read the text from you it slowly started come back into focus.
Y/N – Captain Drautos got me back…please rest well… (1am)
Y/N – Don’t think because you have the day off gets you off the hook. (9am)
Y/N – Please take care of youself…(Now)
You misspelled a word he smiled a little. That wasn’t like you at all, you must’ve been very worried for him. He set his phone down as he threw his feet off his bed, the cold floor brought him back to the night before.
The both of you had only stayed for an hour more. Everyone begged you to come back. Even Crowe pulled you to the side and spoke to you for a while, which worried him…
“So…” He walked backwards as they headed back to the Citadel, “what’cha think?”
You smiled at him shoving your hands into his jacket to keep warm, “You have very nice friends.”
“And…” He smirked leaning forward looking at your face when you looked away.
“It was nice to not have the weight of expectations on my shoulders.” You looked back at him eyes bright with happiness, “It was nice to just talk about what I like to do without someone telling me to focus on something else. I hope I can go back.”
“You’re always welcome.” He stopped in front of you smiling, “Just let me know when you want to go…”
“Are all the wards like that one? With a market at the front?” You asked as he started walking next to you again.
“Other wards? This is the only one…” You stopped looking at him face dropping, “What is it?”
“That can’t be right…you can’t all live in that small area?” You shook your head when he confirmed that they did. It hadn’t even been ten minutes and already you were falling back into your royal role, “That wasn’t part of the plan…”
“Plan?” He titled his head looking at you confused.
“After the initial attack on Galahd my father drew up a plan for aid and refugees…” You put you hand to your face as worry and anger flashed in your eyes, “I helped him with it…there were specific things in place to allow for more people…to keep everyone safe.”
“Okay…well…” He stepped closer to you as he put his hand on your arm to try and comfort you, “we can worry about everything tomorrow…”
As you began to nod someone began to approach them shouting, “Hey! Get your hands off her!”
Nyx turned to look and was met with a haymaker. A bright light flashed behind his eyes as fell to the ground landing hard on his arm. He heard you cry out alarmed as he tried to get up receiving a swift kick into the stomach forcing what air he had out, “Stop! Stop it!”
Nyx groaned and grunted as a group of men gathered around him beating him. You kept screaming at them to stop as he managed to cover his head, “Stop!”
“Keep her quiet! She’s no better than them if she’s hanging around with them…” Nyx felt his fist ball up hearing that. You let out a muffled scream…it sounded like you were struggling.
By order of the king, Glaives were not to use their abilities on citizens of Insomnia. In this case, he needed to protect his charge…a grey area leaning favorably in his direction…he hoped.
He reached out drawing the electricity from the lamps around him as a source. He waited until he gathered enough before he grabbed one of his assailant’s legs sending them flying away with the electric force.
The surprise attack paused the abuse he was receiving enough for him to roll out of the way to his knees. He stood up looking at the other two who had been attacking him and the third holding you back. When he finally spoke, his voice was deep like a low growl, “Let her go.”
“Shit…shit he’s a Glaive…” The one was wise enough to see that at least. The mention of that gave the other two hesitant looks.
“Get your friend…” Nyx continued his low tone as he balled up his fist letting electricity crackle around it again, “and get out of here…”
The two moved around him slowly to collect their buddy. The other one held onto you for a moment longer before he shoved you toward him taking off. Nyx caught you watching them run down the street. Once he was sure they were away his body shook before his knees gave out.
“Nyx!” You tried so hard to hold him up, but he was too heavy. You crumpled under him, half guiding him down, cradling his head so he didn’t hit the ground, “Nyx…no no no…open your eyes…Nyx!”
He cracked them slightly grimacing a little, “Ar-are you okay?”
“Me…no…don’t worry about me…” You shook your head putting your hand against the side of his face. He must’ve looked bad because your face was red with tears, “Oh Six…What do I do?”
He groaned reaching into his pants with difficulty pulling out his phone unlocking it, “Call…Titus…”
“Titus…who…” Was the last thing he heard from you before he passed out.
He washed his hands in the sink after using the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. His nose was swollen and broken, lip cut, large gash on the side of his head ending somewhere in his hair…and bruises…he couldn’t blame you for being terrified. Head wounds bleed like a bitch.
He stood up straight clenching his jaw as the bandage around his ribs began giving him resistance. Astrals this was gonna be a rough couple of days…
He limped back to bed laying down, gently letting his head plop down into his pillow. He shut his eyes just about finding rest when his phone buzzed. He let out a frustrated sigh reaching for it. He shook his head as he answered, “Titus…”
“Ah…he lives.” Titus didn’t sound completely furious yet, “How are you feeling?”
“Like I was jumped and had the shit kicked out of me…” Nyx smirked a little shutting his eyes, “Oh wait…”
“Yeah you’re laughing now…it could’ve been a lot worse.” He could hear him rustling through papers, “Seriously, how are you doing?”
“Sore…super headache…” Nyx listed off as he rolled to his side groaning, “hurts to breath…”
“All normal things to feel. Crowe is afraid you might have a concussion; I think you’re fine. Regardless, everyone is going to be calling you today.” Titus told him and before he could protest, “And if you don’t answer Libertus is going to come over and sit with you.”
Nyx let out a frustrated growl opening his eyes, “Fine…”
“You know why…” Titus started as Nyx interrupted.
“Yeah…yeah…I know.” He rolled back to his back staring at the ceiling, “…is Y/N alright?”
“Physically…yes…not a scratch on her.” Titus told him as more shuffling occurred.
“And mentally?” Nyx felt his chest tighten thinking back to when he first met you.
“Scared…upset…” Titus sighed clearly stopping whatever work he was working, “I got her back here with no one noticing…though I’m not as stealthy as you.”
“I’m sure you did great.” Nyx frowned letting silence fill the line for a moment, “Who’s with her?”
“Pelna…I figured his sunny attitude might help put her at ease.” He told him with a sigh, “If that isn’t…”
“It’s fine.” Nyx shook his head, “I’m not worried about anything…I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“No, that’s not what…” Titus began again as Nyx interrupted once more, “Dammit Nyx! For once in your life just listen to me!”
Nyx fell silent waiting for him to go on, “You have to take care of yourself. You are more important then you think. Last night…last night could have been the end of us…so please…I will take care of everything here. You just heal.”
Nyx shut his eyes nodding before he spoke quietly, “Alright…I understand.”
“…thank you.” Titus sighed, “I know that it’s hard for you to just sit by.”
“Yeah…” Nyx frowned a little as he opened his eyes again, “I think Y/N’s figured me out…”
“What do you mean?” The sound of a stapler rang out on the other side.
“I think she knows who I am…” There was a definite pause on the other side, “I didn’t tell her…”
“Are you going to?” Titus waited for an answer but received none, “Nyx?”
“I think I have too…” Nyx sighed frowning putting his free hand to his face, “So much for anonymity…”
“Will you leave your position?” Titus asked sounding eager.
“Not if I don’t have to.” Hearing a heavy sigh made him smile, “You didn’t think it’d be that easy, did you?”
“You realize that opens a very big can of worms…” Titus told him as another stapler sounded.
“Doesn’t have to…what are you doing?” He winced as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Dossiers… it’s a new policy the higher ups want. We need to have information on everyone who’s a Glaive.” Titus told him begrudgingly.
“Is something happening?” Nyx sat up letting out a curse putting a hand to his chest.
“You alright?” Nyx couldn’t help but smile hearing the Captain’s concern.
“Yep…just me being me. Can’t sit still.” He told him picking fuzz of his sheets.
“Just don’t be stupid…please…my heart can’t take the stress.” Nyx laughed before he groaned. Titus chuckled sounding pleased in his pain, “As for if something going on…do you really think they’d tell me?”
Nyx sighed draping his arm over his knee, “I can do some digging…”
“Nyx…” It was the same exhausted tone he used to give him back home.
“I can do it right from here…won’t even leave the house.” Nyx told him with a smile, “I just happen to know a Crownsguard who has a parent that protects the king…”
“I wouldn’t be able to stop you even if I was there babysitting you myself…” Titus sighed. Nyx could practically see him rubbing his face in frustration, “Just please…”
“I will. I won’t leave…I’ll just sit in my chair or lay in bed.” Nyx reassured him, “I’ll even answer the phone when everyone calls.”
“Appreciate that…take it easy.” Titus told him hanging up.
Nyx sighed looking around his apartment. He needed to clean this place…luckily he had the perfect excuse not to do that today. He chuckled to himself falling back gently. He looked at his phone in his hand pulling up your messages.
He stared at them for a long time before he worked up the courage to text you back.
Nyx – Glad you got back in one piece…really sorry I wasn’t on my game.
… … …
His eyes widened when he saw the little dots almost immediately alerting him that you were responding.
Y/N – It wasn’t your fault. I’m sorry that my people are so full of hate.
Y/N – How are you feeling?
He smiled involuntarily at the question before his fingers went to work.
Nyx – I have had better days, but I’ve definitely had worse…
… … …
Why did his heart skip simply by seeing dots? Yeah…sure he thought you were attractive, but he didn’t know what you liked to do besides gardening. You were book smart, eloquent with your words, and you used to be linked with your people...something since falling away from the light you lost.
But was a month of hanging around one another enough time to really know anyone? Was taking you out to meet his friends more then just trying to get you to trust him?
Y/N – Captain Drautos was sure your ribs were broken…if you need anything, please ask.
Nyx – Nothing I can’t handle. I’ll be back in a couple of days.
Y/N – Take more time if you need it. Pelna is doing a great job in your absence.
Nyx – I bet he’s not as quiet as I am though. Studying in the library must be hard…
Y/N – You’re not wrong, he likes to chat, but it’s okay. I don’t feel like studying today.
He chuckled and continued carrying on a conversation with you for a while before his eyes began to get heavy, lowering with each blink until they finally shut.
When his eyes opened again, he was laying under a large palm tree in hammock. The breeze smelled sweet as it blew across him. He smiled feeling content under the Galahdian sky.
“Nyx!” He looked over seeing Lena running toward him big smile on his face already dressed for their special guests, “They’re here!”
He groaned waving his hand at her before rolling over, “Psh…”
“You don’t want to meet your future?” She leaned on the hammock looking at him, “I heard she’s really pretty…”
“She’s probably pale and pasty…” Nyx covered his head with his arm as she leaned closer to him.
Lena scowled poking him in the ribs making him jump, “Mom worked really hard on this…and you agreed to it! So, don’t disappoint her!”
He peeked his eye open looking through past his arm at her letting out a big sigh, “I can’t get out of this one, can I?”
“’Fraid not, kinda a requirement to meet your betrothed before the wedding.” Lena crossed her arms cocking her hip to one side. She was going to make someone very happy in the future, and also be very frustrating to handle.
He rolled his eyes hopping out of the hammock smirking at her, “When did you get so smart?”
“It’s a natural talent I have. It must’ve skipped you!” She let out a laugh as he started attacking her sides with tickles, “Nyx stop! Stop it!”
He laughed a little letting her run off as he reached for his achkan jacket. He knew his responsibility he just wanted to avoid it as long as he could. He never felt like he’d be able to do his father justice. Though his mother told him to rule with his own heart, and not his father’s…it was hard not to want to live up to a man who instilled strength in his nation.
He closed each button walking slowly toward the entrance of their home. He’d heard about the Lucian capitol and he wondered if it’s princess would be underwhelmed by them just living in a large estate instead of castle reaching for the sky. He also wondered if you’d even wanted to do this or if King Malcolm was forcing you into it for the resources…
“Nyx…late as always.” He smiled leaning down kissing his mother’s cheeks before she looked him over, “At least you’re dressed for the occasion...”
“I know how important this is to you mom.” He took his place next to her as Lena took her spot on the other side, “I know how important this is for our country.”
Selena looked at him letting out a sigh, “Good…I know this arrangement may not be ideal…but I do hope one day you both find a way to love one another.”
He looked at her and smiled, “I’m sure it will all work out.”
She smiled at him giving his arm a supportive squeeze before she stepped out. Lena looked at him and he gave her a wink before following them both out to meet their arriving guests. He stood on the steps behind his mother and sister as sleek black car pulled up.
Two men stepped out looking around the area before they both went to the back doors opening them. The first to step out was King Malcolm. He smiled greeting his mother with a low bow. He turned waving his arm out to an older woman introducing her as his wife.
His eyes shifted to the third person stepping out on the other side of the car. No doubt the woman he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with. Sunlight bounced off your hair as you looked out over the forest.
When you turned, he felt a million butterflies flutter in his stomach. You had kind eyes and a beautiful smile. You moved with grace around the car as you told the young man with dark hair following you around to back off, “Gladio it’s fine. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t…”
“Well just lemme know…” He crossed his arms looking up towards Nyx with a glare as he whispered toward you, “Can’t be too careful!”
You shushed him making Nyx chuckle. It reminded him of himself and how he interacted with his own guards. Luckily when he was at home he wasn’t required to tote them around. One thing was for sure you were at least playful.
“And this is my daughter, Y/N.” Your father introduced you to his mother.
You smiled at her bowing low like your father, “It’s so wonderful to finally meet you. My father has said nothing but wonderful things about Galahd and its people.”
“Oh my…she is bright, isn’t she?” Selena smiled glancing toward Nyx, “Perhaps this is a blessing and you can teach my son some etiquette of the court?”
Nyx rolled his eyes a little stepping down as his mother introduced him and his sister, “This is my younger daughter, Selena.”
“You can call me Lena, little less confusing.” She curtsied excitedly with curious eyes.
“And this my son and heir to my position, Nyx.” Selena waved toward him.
He stepped next to his mother bowing to your parents, then bowing to you offering his hand out, “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Your father did not do you justice.”
When you took his hand, he kissed the top of it making you blush, “The pleasure is mine.”
“Wonderful.” Selena smiled at them all throwing her hands out gently, “We’ll let you all get settled before we have lunch. I’m sure the boat ride over was long.”
“We had fair weather and calm seas…” Malcolm began to speak as he and your mother walked with the queen.
Nyx let go of your hand looking at Lena nodding his head for her to skedaddle. She smirked at him before stepping up to you, “I just wanted to say welcome to Galahd. If you have any questions, it’s probably better to ask me or mom…”
“Lena…” He coughed a little as she laughed walking away, “She didn’t mean that.”
“Oh, it seems she did or else she wouldn’t have said it.” You smirked at him eyes twinkling.
He laughed a little as you both began going up the stairs, “She’s an instigator is more like it.”
“Troublemaker you mean…” You stopped turning around seeing your guard slowly creeping up behind you, “You do have better things to do. I’m in good hands from what my father tells me. The prince is well versed in fighting.”
Nyx felt warmth spread throughout his shoulders when you looked at him smiling as your guard moved past you both, “You trust your father’s opinion of me?”
“He’s a good judge of character. We wouldn’t be here otherwise, and I’m certain he wouldn’t have asked me to marry you if you were not a good man.” You looked back making a face, “What is that whistling noise?”
“Whistling?” He looked up as fear rose in his chest. He saw bombs drifting downward from Niflheim ships.
He reached for you as walked inside…
“No!” He shot up letting out cry of pain rolling to the side putting a hand on his side. He took in several sharp breaths trying to get the pain under control.
“Hey hey hey…take it easy.” He looked up as Crowe came into view helping him to sit up, “That must’ve been some dream.”
“Just…” He took in a few more deep breaths, “…never mind…what are you doing here?”
“I figured you were hungry…and I also thought I’d check you over again.” She told him reaching for his phone waving it in his face, “And you slept through three check-ins.”
“Ah…so Titus sent you.”  He groaned again as he leaned back on his elbows “I appreciate the concern, but really I’m fine.”
“Clearly…” She rolled her eyes tossing his phone next to home before she began to undo the bandages, “You really got wrecked last night. Had us all worried…If Y/N hadn’t called Titus…”
“I’d still be okay because she would have figured it out.” Nyx interrupted her.
“I suppose…but Nyx if you’re going to be bringing her around…you should really consider teaching her a thing or two.” Crowe told him with a sigh as she started feeling his side.
“She knows how to fight…it’s just…” He shook his head wincing away from her touch, “They stopped her training pretty much as soon as she started…no power, no fighting I guess.”
“Well you should give her a refresher if her own people are gonna be bigots.” She shook her head started to wrap him up again.
He didn’t respond as he chewed his bottom lip. Crowe wasn’t wrong, it would benefit you to know some self-defense. He couldn’t be there every time, though he wouldn’t admit that.
He glanced at his phone as it went off. His eyes widened as the preview held the whole message.
Pelna – call y/n…
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crystalelemental · 4 years
Text
Alright, I have reached the League in Platinum.  We’re going in.  I’ll be doing one long post again, instead of the breakdown per character, to avoid cluttering Dashboards.  The team:
Eleanor the Dusknoir (Brave, lv 60).  Elemental Punches and Shadow Punch.  I had wanted Trick Room, but can’t find a justification to remove any of the coverage.
Cadence the Chimecho (Modest, lv 58).  Extrasensory, Shadow Ball, Charge Beam, Hidden Power.
Florence the Cherrim (Timid, lv 58).  Solarbeam, Hidden Power Fire, Leech Seed, Sunny Day.
Arianne the Floatzel (Rash, lv 58).  Surf, Waterfall, Ice Beam, Crunch.
Perrine the Gliscor (Careful, lv 57).  Earthquake, Rock Slide, Aerial Ace, Swords Dance.
Melanie the Skuntank (Naive, lv 56).  Night Slash, Poison Jab, Flamethrower, Strength.
As always, I don’t use items during the match, but will heal up between matches.  If a Pokemon faints, however, they’re out for good.
First up is Aaron, a guy who claims to be Bug, but whose main I am certain is Drapion.  I decided to lead with Perrine, since I’m not taking any chances early on, and Rock/Ground coverage should clear this entire team.  I was confidence the Yanmega lead was Speed Boost, unfortunately I had guessed Protect and tried to boost first, so it got two Air Slash on me.  Thankfully, one Swords Dance let Perrine absolutely demolish his team.  That said, I’m pleasantly surprised by his spread.  Scizor was terrifying, I wasn’t sure we could OHKO, and Heracross covers the Rock/Ground coverage that’s so good against the rest of his team.  Gliscor is just a surprisingly hard counter.  I also really enjoy Air Slash/Speed Boost Yanmega as a lead.  That’s pretty nasty.
Next up is Bertha.  I always kinda liked Bertha.  Anyway, this is Florence’s time to shine.  Gliscor was scary.  Fire Fang as I set sunlight, I am astonished we didn’t die.  Once sun was set, though, Solarbeam took it down.  And took down everything else.  I didn’t feel like messing with Hippowdon.  I could feel something was up, and we were too low on HP and Sandstorm was active.  I swapped over to Arianne.  Turns out, I was right to do so.  Stone Edge crit.  That would’ve killed Florence, but Arianne survived and got the KO with Surf.  So far so good.
Next up is Flint, who has always been my least favorite.  I think Diamond and Pearl made me mad at him.  Fire-type Elite Four, but only two Fire types out of the five.  Pathetic.  Anyway, Platinum has more options, so I confidently lead with Arianne.  We take out four of his Pokemon with Waterfall alone, but Flame Body procs with Magmortar, so it wasn’t a perfect run.  Still, I’m disappointed.  At least he has all Fire types, but come on.  It’s kinda like Volkner, just a stream of the same type, all easy to handle with a counter.
Now for the asshole.  Lucian is a pain in my ass every time.  Anyway, I decide to go Eleanor.  Maybe it’s a mistake, but I feel like she can take him.  Unfortunately, my decision to not play Trick Room comes to bite me instantly, as Mr. Mime uses Reflect.  Uphill battle from turn one.  Thankfully Shadow Punch still OHKO’d.  Espeon has Shadow Ball, and got the lucky Sp. Def. drop.  So that’s bad.  Eleanor is basically dead on her feet when it arrives.  That fucking Bronzong.  I switched to Florence.  He got a crit with Gyro Ball, and evaded my Leech Seed the first time, necessitating a second.  So that’s great, two Calm Minds for his special defense.  If this could be going any worse...  I swap to Skuntank.  Thankfully, I got it right, Psychic.  I opt for Night Slash.  While not as strong, it seems the safest option.  It knows Earthquake.  Of course.  God dammit, Lucian.  Only half damage, and a bit of Leech Seed healing keeps us alive, but wow, we have three injured Pokemon and he’s only half done.  Alakazam’s next, and I briefly entertain the idea of switching before realizing that would be a disaster and stay put.  Focus Blast hits, and Skuntank lives with 17 HP.  That...was scary.  But now it’s worse, because we’re staring down Gallade.  In the possibly worst call, I switch to Perrine.  He hits with Stone Edge, because misses don’t happen for him.  Thankfully, I have a Flying move with Aerial Ace.  Unfortunately, it survives.  But a second one finishes it.  Four severely injured Pokemon, but no deaths.  What a painful fight.
But not nearly as bad as the ultimate being.  God, Cynthia is such a badass, I love her.  I decide to lead Florence.  I know, I know, risky business with the Milotic, but I really don’t have a good lead against Spiritomb, so I have to trust in this game plan.  I go for Leech Seed to get some passive damage and healing, and plan to switch to Skuntank next tu-oh god she knows Silver Wind.  OH GOD SHE GOT THE BOOST.  FUCK, IT’S TURN ONE AND WE’RE ALREADY ON RED ALERT.  Okay, switch to Skuntank and another Silver Wi-IT GOT IT AGAIN, FUCK ME.  I try twice to poison with Poison Jab.  No dice.  I try to finish it before Full Restore can be used with Night Slash.  It survives.  Skuntank goes down.  DOING GREAT, GUYS.
At this point, it’s full-on red alert, I go straight to Perrine and start the Swords Dance boost as she Full Restores.  I get to the second, and find out Shadow Ball absolutely trucks through Perrine’s weaker special defense.  That Careful nature isn’t saving you for shit, girl.  I take the shot with Earthquake.  And it hangs on by a thread, and gets a KO with Psychic.  We are so, so fucked.
I bring in Florence, and to my surprise, she doesn’t heal again.  Spiritomb gets a shot off as I set up Sunny Day, but we’re not dead.  A small victory, but I count it.  Togekiss comes in.  I can’t beat that.  I try to Leech Seed.  It evaded the attack.  Why?
I bring in Cadence, realizing that we really cannot bring in the other two right now, and...oof.  Togekiss outspeeds.  And knows Air Slash. She gets a flinch on the second hit, and now Cadence is down.  If this could get any worse, it’d be a miracle.  But Arianne can...oh my god id only dealt like half damage with Ice BEam, and she nearly killed me in one shot with Shock Wave.  Good god, why is this happening?  Roserade’s in, Ice BEam does shit-all, and Arianne is down.  Only Eleanor remains.  She wins, but not before taking some damage.
Lucario hits Stone Edge, because I haven’t suffered enoguh.  Fire Punch doesn’t even one-shot.  Another full restore as I punch again, and no luck.  Also it knows Shadow Ball.  And got the special defense drop.  And to end the match, Milotic got a crit on Ice Beam.
I have never experienced such intense bad luck in a match before.  Christ.
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Text
Humans are Space Orcs, “Declaring War.”
Hope you guys have a great day,and I hope you enjoy the story. 
“There is only one way that we are ever going to finish this!” The human slammed their fist down atop the table and stood, “There is only one way we are ever going to finish this, and that is to turn our eyes on the home of our enemy. This will not be stopped until we bring hellfire to their home planet! And show them what it means to attack humanity and the GA!”
There was uproar around the council chamber as representatives took to their feet in open protest or support to such a plan. Yelling grew up around them until no one could be heard over the din.
It was only the gavel -- bestowed on the Rundi chairwoman as a gift from one of the human counselors -- that was able to silence the crowd. 
“Silence!”
The room quieted only slightly as the chairwoman glanced around at the council chamber, “This is not a decision we should rush blindly into, counselor. This is not a time for blind anger, this is not a time for revenge. This is a time to think carefully and strategically. While the majority of this council supports you in the war effort, we do not support blindly charging in after those who oppose us.”
“With all due respect chairwoman, that is not what we are suggesting either. I am suggesting the logical course of action. The Burg have attacked our homeworld, earth, and it has attacked the groomm homeworld, and if what the Kree are saying is correct, and they were not involved in this attack, which i still doubt, they have come dangerously close to their homeworld as well. They have proven that they have no regard for the rules of intergalactic combat, and if they are going to disregard the rules, they should be treated in accordance.”
“We do not discard the rules just because others will not follow them, counselor.”
The human counselor stood, “To the contrary. The Burg were never a part of the GA, and while they were afforded the protections as an ally of the state, they have since discarded those rights. All laws regarding GA warfare are predicated on the idea that others, even enemies will understand the importance of these codes of combat. No nuclear or fission weapons, no planetary destroying weapons, no intervening with the function of another solar system’s star, and no direct attacks on civilians or a genesis homeworld.” 
She stood and looked down at the other delegates, “Well the burg have attacked two of our homeworld without consequence. They have proven the use of weapons capable of destroying entire fleets, and if the technology is developed, entire worlds. Commander Vir had to die for us to gain that knowledge, and I will not have his sacrifice be in vein.”
There was a shout of agreement from some of the crowd most enthusiastically from the Celzex and the drev.
“I approve the human message.” THe Drev councilor said, standing.
The chairwoman turned to look at the Drev, “I thought your people were not supposed to go to war based on the idea of revenge.”
The Drev shook his silver head, “While we considered the commander one of our own, that is not what we are saying. The burg tactics during battle were dishonorable and cowardly. They went behind our backs to use technology as a means to their ends instead of pure skill. They have proven themselves to be cowards. They have attacked our people on their home planets.” He looked around at the others, “On our planet, though war is not personal, if someone walks into MY house and slays MY brother, than I WILL declare war, because if he gets away with it once without consequence, he will do it again. The Burg have proven time and time again that they can misbehave on the galactic stage and face no consequences.” He turned in a wide circle all four hands out, “And I say that ends here. If they want to attack our homes, let us invade ours. If they want to strike at our morale, let us strike at theirs. If they want us to suffer, than let us show them the meaning of suffering.”
A cheer rose up from part of the room given heartily by the Celzex and especially Lord Celex, who sat on his pedestal next to the Drev commander -- the two of them having gotten along so well in the past.”
Things were hushed for a moment and then one of the Vrul leaders stood, “A stirring speech to be sure, Sentinel, but let us look at this in a more logical manner. Taking a war to them would be both impractical and costly. The resources we would alone are astronomical. yes , it is sad that we lost Commander Vir, and it is also sad that we lost Dr. krill, a member of my own species, but one man and a single ship is not worth a war.”
A tesraki from across the room snorted, “You are delusional if you think the burg will think the same. What happens when they decide to invade your planet. Do you wish us to just stand idly by and not waste resources.”
The Vrul stood straighter, “Do not take us for fools, we all know that the terasaki simply want war to be able to profit from it.”
The Tesraki stood fists clenched, “I would watch what comes out of our mouth, counselor! For I have thought this through where you have not. If we do not strike at the Burg where they are weak, then they will return,and next time it will be my home planet, my children, and my grandchildren…. But of course you wouldn’t know about that would you, being from a species that systematically slaughters their own people when they aren't useful anymore!”
The gavel slammed down again filling the room with it’s ringing, “That is enough! I will not have. Speciesist sentiments spouted in my counsel chambers.  You all should be ashamed.” The counsel woman stood from her seat, “I, and the Rundi people tend to agree with humanity and the Drev. The Burg have gone to far, and they must have a punishment equal to their attacks. If nothing we should work to ride to their home planet and threaten them directly. If they do not see the logic in surrendering, than we shall move forward with plans.” She turned to look at the Vrul counselor, “Your people are not being asked to join us or even support us. You are simply being asked to accept our decision and not interfere with the war going forward.”
There was more muttered agreement around the hall.
The GA had just declared war on the Burg nation.
*** 
Sunny stood alone on the Tarmac. This part of the military base was old, and no longer much used. It had rained earlier in the day leaving the tarmac wet and filling the air with a fresh cleansing smell that scrubbed out the holes at the base of her neck and her throat.
She looked down at her handiwork.
It wasn’t so bad if she did say so herself, though she hardly doubted the GA would let her fly it… not that she planned on asking for permission.
“It was a ship, sort of. One that she had reclaimed from an old junkyard and had dragged out here to fix. Once upon a time someone had declared the thing unusable, but she knew better, and as a talented engineer she had proven them wrong. It wasn’t a large ship, mind you. It might hold up to thirty people if given the chance, though she didn’t see that being much of a possibility. This was something she found she would probably do alone.
She sighed and turned to look at the fading sky, head tilted back. In one hand she held her long spear, and in the other she hald a short spear…. Made once for someone else.
She sighed and barely heard it as the footsteps approached from behind, pausing at her shoulder.
“IS this what it felt like for you?” She wondered 
Cannon shifted where he stood, “Maybe a little.”
“I miss him.”
“I know.”
“Feels like I can’t breathe… Its cold.”
“I know.”
She turned to look at her brother, towering a good three feet over her, “I have to do this.”
Cannon didn’t look convinced.
“You know I have to.” 
“That’s what mother said.”
Sunny went stiff her eyes falling on him.
He sighed, “I just want to make sure you don’t turn into her, which…. Is why I am coming with you.”
She stopped in surprise, and he smiled, “Don’t think I don’t know what you are planning, and I want to join…. In fact, there are a few other people who insisted on coming too.” He glanced over her shoulder, and she spun on her heels, watching as a group of figures marched up the tarmac.
She recognized a good few of them, Narobi, Ramirez, Maverick, Conn, being those in the first line.
They walked up and Ramirez gave her a sort of half smile, “Mav and I thought you could use some muscle.”
Narobi nodded, “and someone to keep this hunk of junk in the air” Conn ignored the greetings and floated past her, “This thing is trash.” he commented looking over her ship.
Sunny frowned but ignored him mostly.
When the group of them stepped aside, she was surprised to find Katie marching abroad with a large suitcase, “You idiots are going to need a doctor if this is going to work.” She turned, “Also, I brought someone to pilot this thing.”
Sunny’s heart immediately fell at the thought. It was true she needed a pilot, but thinking about that reminded her acutely of how Adam was missing.
The young man walked forward, even younger than Adam, no more than a boy, but she recognized him as one of the recruits who had been involved in the last engagement with the burg. He raised a hand in salute face serious, “Lt. McCaster at your service.” He paused, “I know I cant fly like the commander did, but I learned a lot from him, so I hope it will be enough.”
He stepped past.
There were two more figures left, standing outside on the field. They were both wearing uniforms though something seemed rather off about all of it. Hats covered their eyes.
Sunny looked down in confusion, until one of the figures raised her head to look sunny in the face.
Bright grey eyes and honey blond hair.
“Martha!” 
She put a finger to her lips, eyes serious, “I can’t stay long.” She said quietly, and we had to sneak onto base.” She paused to look at Sunny, “I wish I could go with you, but I have to stay here…. I have too many other people to take care of.” But I brought someone with me who I couldnt talk out of coming.”
Sunny  looked over, and watched as the other pulled back his hat.
She barely recognized Thomas with his hair cut so short.
“Keep him safe, I don’t want another one of my sons gone.” She looked up at Sunny, “You can do that for me, can’t you?”
“Sunny nodded seriously.”
Martha nodded back
Thomas looked around at everyone, and Sunny found it hard to look at him. He had Adam’s nose and eyes, though his face shape was different, “Look, I havent done a whole lot of worthwhile things in my life, but I, well, no one messes with my family, and that's the honest to god truth of it, so I… I’m here to help.”
There was a small chorus of approval from the rest of the group.
Sunny was about to turn and address them all when another group of figures marched up the tarmac.
She knew Drev when she saw them, and she was surprised to see A hunched figured at their head.
“Hijan?” She said quietly
Martha turned on the spot as the wizened old Drev walked up, A white cape billowing from her shoulder, a spear in either upper hand. It seemed odd to see her like thta, and with a universal translator in her ear no less, “Do you have room for a few more?”
Sunny nodded a bit dumbstruck, while Martha stepped forward, pushing back her cap a little more.
“Hijan…. You took care of my son on Anin?”
The old Drev warrior looked down at the small human almost four feet shorter than her. “Your son in blood my son in spirit.”
Martha smiled, “Than from one mother to another….. Make sure his disappearance was not in vein.”
Hijan raised her spear, “To my last breath.”
***
I lay on the soft padded floor feeling the gentle rocking and listening to the sound of the pulsing alien engines. What I lay on was some kind of white cotton or, moss sort of substance, but whatever it was it was nice, and helped to soothe my aching back.
The alien creature looked over at me, or at least I think it did.
It was a strange creature, about seven feet tall and mat grey. It had five large legs and a small protrusion on the top of its body. My most accurate comparison would be the Hexapods from that old movie Arrival or the Omnidroid from the first incredibles movie. It was so completely alien that I wasn’t even sure how the thing communicated, though it was nice enough to me at least.
They had found me shortly after my run in with the blue raptor thing, and stumbling through the bushes I had looked up only to see a group of these things surrounding me. Obviously I had been freaked out, like pee your pants and scream like a little girl kind of freaked out, but they had been slow and almost gentle, and once I had let them forward they had sealed my wounds.
They even let me keep my things when I was bundled aboard their strange alien ship, nothing more than a hovering silver ball over the sand. I was put into this strange room while one of them watched over me.
It was nice, soft, and comfortable, though I was loath to think of the radio that I had dropped somewhere back on the planet, though I still had the knife and the broken spearhead.
I lay back quietly on the padding eyes mostly closed.
I was weak from blood-loss and the pain, so I only partially noticed as an opening appeared on the opposite wall and another one of the creatures walked in. of a moment I could see across the hall and into a similar room to mine before the wall was sealed.
I watched the two Omnidroids communicate with each other, hearing nothing more than a very deep rumble, which was so powerful it seemed to shake my bones.
No way I was going to understand that.
Somehow, the rumbling was rather soothing, and I closed my eyes just to listen.
I was sure now that wherever that wormhole had taken me, it wasn’t anywhere I was familiar with. The GA had no record of the Omnidroids, and if they did I would have been the first to know about it, not because I was important enough for them to tell, but because I was a nerd for new aliens.
Now all that remained was one question.
Where were they taking me, and what were they going to do? 
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