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#but how would they react to having a friend who cared for them and understood their struggles?
aurakisses · 1 day
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‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚. ⋆
fireworks were always brighter when we were together.
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Mafuyu did not have a passion.
It wasn’t something she ever cared about. Her mother always preached that passions took time away from one's true goals in life. And it wasn’t like she had many of those either. Mafuyu was vague when she answered; elusive when asked about her plans for the future. "I'm going to medical school," was the mantra she told every peer in a disarmingly innocent way.
In her seventeen years of life, she learned that people feigned their interest, and with a quick, short explanation, she tended to rid them of curiosity.
And what was the point anyway? Her entire existence depended on whether she passed the entrance exams, and then her mother would take care of the rest. There was nothing she found passionate about her studies.
Yes, of course, she was part of the archery club, but it wasn’t because she liked it. A sliver of her conscience knew she joined out of obligation. Her mother was only looking out for her; she wasn’t as strict as her friends thought. Mafuyu was lucky that she was allowed to attend extracurricular activities in the first place, even if they were just a facade to keep her obedient. She was not that naive.
No. Mafuyu hated archery. She didn’t go to the club because of ambition. She only needed it to meet educated peers and create connections who enriched her culturally and challenged her academic prowess.
People who were completely opposite to Kanade.
Mafuyu didn’t tend to admit it, but Kanade was the only reason she went through with life. Her mind still remembered the flames that blazed through her chest when she heard one of her songs for the first time. It was one of the few times she believed someone finally understood her, and that's why she found the courage to compose a song with the same effect as Kanade's. She tried to replicate it with OWN; that fiery feeling that made her understand that she was not the only one who suffered and that there were more people like her.
But Mafuyu learned it was impossible to achieve it by herself.
After she told Niigo she found her true feelings, long after she said in SEKAI that her greatest wish was to disappear, they all reacted carefully, walking on eggshells in case they said the wrong thing around her. However, Mafuyu had been so close to happiness and closure that she didn’t care about anything else except her friends. She still remembered how Mizuki smiled when harmonizing the song created from Mafuyu's emotions, the way Ena tried to mask her tears by wearing a vexed front, and Kanade—
Kanade’s pale hand reached out to hold hers, a small gesture that didn’t go unnoticed amidst the music, and gifted her a smile that made something coil inside her lungs, something that grew even more intensely than when she was with the group. A feather-light touch, fingers curling hesitantly around hers, "You are not alone anymore, Mafuyu."
Those words brought her to an emotion resembling relief, her eyes stinging with the dawn of tears; she had to grip that hand to stay upright. Mafuyu blinked at their entwined fingers, then peered into her friend’s hyacinth eyes, dumbfounded. Her heart always fluttered when she remembered how Kanade ceased her smiling to stare at her with a furrowed brow.
Mafuyu's mind had gone curiously blank that day, but she needed to see that smile again. It was a scorching sensation, a needy ache that expanded along with the need to hoard that heat-like water that might slip through her fingers. Somehow, she replied, "No, we're not," and in that moment—that one, single second; it was true.
She never did stop replaying that scene in her mind like a worn-out videotape, the desire to keep the warmth emanating from Kanade burning.
In retrospect, that had probably been the beginning. And the end.
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
Even if Mafuyu’s recollection of events remained fuzzy most of the time, a part of her acknowledged that she used to smile before.
By day, she pushed those thoughts away. She did her homework; and attended cram school. They would consume her later; for now, she needed to focus. Some memories had been crucial to getting to the point she was at then, and they were the only ones that had not yet turned into nightmares.
But at night, when she dreamed of smiling, she woke up with the cloying stench of amaranth, a stinging, suffocating ghost pain of thorn-filled vines around her windpipe, and the pungent taste of roses on the tip of her tongue. And yet, she decided to fall asleep again, if only to keep that odd feeling they gave her alive.
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
Mafuyu and Kanade became friends before they met in SEKAI. They had known each other for a long time, speaking on Nightcord at midnight sharp. Or rather, listening to Ena and Mizuki argue for most of the evening. It was annoying at times, wanting to work on new songs but threading around the possibility that they would end up talking about mundane, everyday things that frankly left Mafuyu with the desire to rip every concord strand out of her scalp and toss them inside the trash.
Her seat creaked from under her, and she still didn't say a word.
Mafuyu had a tough time understanding why people willingly decided to waste time instead of getting to work. Miku said that's what friends are for, and while she did enjoy spending time with the other members of Niigo, Kanade's demo still wasn't done after a week, and that was enough time to spare, especially with her practice exams so close by.
"Shut up, Akito!" a door slammed shut, almost cutting off the call, and an unknown voice groaned from Ena's screen. "How many times do I have to tell you I'm the better cook!"
"I don't know, Enanan," Mizuki added with a hint of hesitation in their voice, "Your brother makes delicious pancakes… way softer than yours." A groan, "You shut your mouth, Amia! As far as I know, you weren't invited to this conversation!"
"Well, it's hard not to when you're yelling two feet from the screen…."
If Mafuyu had a brother, she would have agreed with him and moved on. Why waste her breath with a meaningless discussion? It wouldn't be the end of the world if she lost the argument over something that meant nothing. But Ena wasn't the same as her; Ena was defiant, and it was evident that she didn't like to lose, much less when it came to Akito and Mizuki. Today was one of those days where Ena refused to keep her mouth shut, of course, and she wouldn't let it go that easily.
Mafuyu envied that about her. Even though dealing with Ena was a pain the majority of the time, and most days, she had to find many ways not to offend her, just to avoid awakening the monster, she thought it was an admirable quality to have. Her passion and her pride knew no bounds.
And well, the more she listened to Ena, the more she tensed up. It was ridiculous to take notice of the different emotions she was capable of hoarding inside. Mom, Ena, and Mizuki made her feel things, even though none were the same.
"Honami…"
Kanade's voice sailed through her bedroom, relaxing her body completely, and the sensation was so strange that she had to shut her eyes and take a deep breath before saying anything.
The silent anger that ate through her body had completely dissipated, and she didn't have the strength to continue trembling. She found it curious how Kanade was the only one who could make her snap. When it came to Kanade, the emotions from Ena, Mizuki, and Mom were amplified to extreme levels. It was like she could make her experience all of them at once.
Mafuyu smiled to herself, bright and beatific. It was something she usually did at school not to look disinterested. Ena often commented on how creepy her face got when she did this. She said it showed her straightforwardness, lack of tact, and bluntness when asked for feedback. She didn't usually give much thought to it until they started working together. To call her straightforward was not a bad thing, per se, but Ena and Mizuki tended to differ. Plus, there was no reason to make such a face now. No one was judging her from behind the screen.
But she still did it, only for Kanade to hear her grin.
"Did you say something, Kanade?"
"Oh, it's," she trailed off, awe filling her voice, "I was thinking."
There was silence for a minute. Even Ena and Mizuki fell silent upon hearing Kanade. And knowing them, both probably felt guilty for arguing.
"Honami makes the best pancakes."
The way she mumbled, soft and barely breathing, made it sound almost inaudible; in a little girl's way, whispering about a crush in her class.
Mafuyu whipped her head towards the chat with wide eyes. A prickle crawled up her spine, and she swallowed nervously. Her heart skyrocketed, a feeling unlike anything she could name. It was much more gut-wrenching, something that made Mafuyu want to curl up into a ball and clamp her hands over her ears. Squeeze her eyes shut to block out the world. It was awful, vile, horrible. It was beyond her comprehension.
"You're always thinking about Mochizuki," Ena griped, chortling. "You really care about her, hm?"
"Yeah, with how much you talk about her, it sounds like you've been married for twenty years!"
"Married…?"
For some reason, Kanade's question nearly forced her to crush the computer mouse with her bare hands. It was strange whenever that happened. Mafuyu wasn't one to sense things; it wasn't worth it. But still, her chest tightened. Just the thought of Kanade getting married to someone who wasn’t her…
Why did it make her so miserable?
"That sounds nice."
Somewhere far, far below the surface, Mafuyu could feel something within herself shut down. She could almost hear it: an earthen, heavy thud, like a cellar door shutting, enclosing something horrible deep inside the soil and stone. In the distance, Kanade's words echoed and reverberated. “That sounds nice.” Over and over, until they became nothing more than a jumble of noise.
It was almost enough to make Mafuyu sick.
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
There used to be a time when her mother’s presence was comforting:
Mafuyu lay in her bed limp, pale, and nauseous. Her mouth remained shut—taut as if it would tear apart at the slightest cough. A cold tremor ran through her body, and she had to hide in the fleece blanket to find some warmth somewhere inside. "M-mommy…"
Each word coming out of her rattled like wind running through an abandoned house; from each exhalation came a breathless sigh, like a puff of breath in the winter sky. Her eyes seldom came into focus, and her mother became a mere shadow looming over her.
"You're burning up, Mafuyu! Let's get you into some new pajamas, okay?"
Watching her mother mess up her room that day filled Mafuyu with guilt; sin. She was sick but still didn't want to see her mother upset. The worried lines on her face told her everything she needed to know, and she couldn't help but feel grief for her mother.
"I'm sorry for today," she mumbled aloud, then coughed. "I know you're busy with your neighborhood association, but because of me…."
"Hehe, what are you saying? It's not your fault you caught a cold, Mafuyu!"
Her mother ducked her head, and her lips curved gently upward, but it was far too short to be a smile. "You need to rest up after you change clothes, okay?" She murmured, "So you can show me your beautiful grin again."
Beautiful grin... when was that? The only thing she wanted when dreaming of these moments was to keep the flame alive, to have some semblance of emotion. Mafuyu couldn't be bothered to remember when things used to be good.
"Okay…"
Why was it so demanding to reflect on her past?
"By the way, we've got some apples from the neighbor. I heard they are perfect for treating a cold! How would you like to eat them?"
"…Bunnies. I want them peeled into bunny shapes."
"Mafuyu really likes bunnies, huh?"
Did she like them? Maybe she used to have some blight regarding bunnies. Her memory was vague, but she knew about the blush-colored plush she used to drag all over the city. Bonbon, she thought. That thing mysteriously vanished after its rosy cheeks grew hoary; though remembering exactly what animal it was became an uphill battle.
"Please wait a moment while I cut them," she said, her voice soft and far away. She swallowed, used her soft hands to cut the slices into little bunnies, and looked off into some unfathomable distance. Her fingers moved with dexterity, shaping the pieces precisely.
However, Mafuyu noticed her mother forgot to shape one of the rabbit's ears. Her caregiver never made mistakes, so Mafuyu had chalked it up to her fever at the time. "Yes, it's done."
Apples were a pretty color; Cadmium over her organic chemistry homework–Her teacher marked that paper a 100 with the same shade–even if they had no taste now. But her childhood self didn't need to know that yet.
"Thank you."
"Can you eat them properly? I'm worried they are still too hard…"
"...a little…"
"It can't be helped after all, hehe," Mom gently closed her fingers around the steel spoon, then reached up, brushed a lock of hair out of her face, and pressed her frigid palm to her cheek.
"Open up, Mafuyu! Say ahh!"
Mafuyu felt so… adored that day. She used to giggle when her mother gently untangled messy strands. Before, her hands used to be warm, but now, whenever her mother helped Mafuyu tie her ponytail, she couldn't stop the overwhelming cold that seized her body when her fingers scratched her from spreading completely. Maybe one of these days she’d wake up to the smell of pancakes and a kiss on the forehead.
"It's delicious… thank you, Mom."
Mafuyu could only dream.
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
"Asahina?"
Mafuyu blinked once. Twice.
She sat on a wooden bench under the shaded area of the archery club. Shizuku Hinomori, her companion for the afternoon, fixed her school skirt and shifted a little closer to Mafuyu. Every movement of hers was lovely, and Mafuyu had a nagging sensation that any other person would have reacted differently when faced with the model this closely.
"Are you okay?" Mafuyu almost jumped when she felt a wintry hand resting on her forehead. The other didn't seem to notice—or overlooked her reaction.
"It doesn't feel like you have a fever..."
She sputtered and moved her head surreptitiously out of Hinomori's reach. Her bento was still condensing, even from atop her uniform. Mafuyu was sure she resembled a statue, wide-eyed and slowly feeling the water from under her bowl trickle down her legs. Luckily she was very good at making excuses, and it didn't take long for her to come up with one that was somewhat credible to her friend.
"I'm okay, Hinomori. I was just moving the bangs out of my eyes."
"You look sad."
Her classmate had always been a total mystery to her; she did and said nonsensical things without the slightest concern for her reputation.
Yet, she admitted that Hinomori could be quite observant within her airheaded personality. Anyone who only painted her as the beautiful, dumb member of MMJ clearly never bothered to spend more than a second with her. It was evident she possessed an emotional intelligence that not everyone recognized.
Sometimes, Mafuyu discerned their souls were similar in nature, and reality always showed itself when Hinomori was in the archery club. Her face became serious, focused. An air of relaxation arose solely when one's posture was straight, focusing on nothing, just the stretching of the drawstring and the target before the eyes.
That tended to be the only thing that fascinated Mafuyu about Miyamasuzaka: the number of people and different personalities that made them what they were. And yes, Hinomori was right; she was upset, or at least there was a similar feeling clumping inside her, one that made her want to scream until her throat ached under the stress of her vocal cords. The only emotion Mafuyu identified was and always would be, envy.
"But I will not pry if that's your wish."
"…I think that's for the best."
Hinomori had always been a respected idol. And any idol knew their fans like they were an extension of themselves. So Mafuyu loved sitting with her, only because Hinomori treated her like what she truly was: a simple and ordinary individual. Save for her endeavors, Hinomori was her friend, and Mafuyu noticed the relief that emanated from those spearmint irises every time she treated her classmate like a person. It was the least she could do for her.
"Thank you for having lunch with me, Asahina; I asked Shii if she wanted to join us too, but she's eating with Mochizuki today."
Splinters pinched Mafuyu with every breath she took. They dug into her skin, prying, pulsing. The bench was still moist, and the damp oak made her shiver in place. She tried to mask her disgust but she was exhausted and numb; her body felt like it was not her own. Mafuyu gasped for air, choking on nothing.
It didn't matter.
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
Kanade settled Mafuyu's soul.
There was no other way to describe it. Kanade was calm, even-tempered, and unflappable. Her mother would call her detached and see through her like she wasn't quite there. But Mafuyu knew better. Kanade was like her namesake: music delicately floating around at night, soothing her soul. If someone met Kanade and wasn't immediately drawn in by her magnetic aura–something was wrong with that person.
"Don't leave me." It was a low-voiced confession. One that made Mafuyu break out in hives. Her forehead creased, and she fisted her hands in the fabric of her cotton skirt, then peered at Kanade from under her bangs. "Please."
Kanade scratched her cheek, burning a hole in the pillow beside Mafuyu's head. She was still wearing her shoes, even though Mafuyu had shed them long ago, as it was common courtesy to take them off before entering someone's house. Kanade probably tucked her in bed immediately after carrying her to the house before anything else, and that thought was so lovely; so Kanade, that she couldn't find the strength to chastise the composer for her ill manners.
"I see. It's alright," Kanade said at last, "I'll always be here with you. Hold my hand. You're not alone."
There it was again. "You are not alone." She sneaked a glance at Kanade. There was a softness to her expression now, a hint of hope. The glint in those azure eyes made Mafuyu's chest feel bizarre.
She swallowed the fluttering sensation as it traveled down to her stomach. "No," she responded cautiously. "We’re not."
Kanade's answering smile was quiet and subtle, easy to miss. Mafuyu didn't miss it.
The fluttering in her stomach grew louder as if she'd swallowed a dozen butterflies or a hundred flower petals, and she had a sudden burst of uncharacteristic courage.
"Your hand is warm."
She squeezed Kanade's hand with a bravery that stunned even her. They intertwined their fingers, and Mafuyu stared at Kanade with an intensity beyond any words she could think of to say. Kanade blinked at their coiled digits, but instead of turning away or shaking off Mafuyu, she simply looked up again.
"Yours is too."
That night, she dreamed of her mother, feeding her apples and caring for her sick body. When she woke up, with Kanade snoring quietly beside her, she felt her cheek uncharacteristically wet.
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
“What do you want to do, Mafuyu?”
“Don’t make a decision you will regret later, okay?”
…she wouldn't make it in time for her curfew anyway.
“Now that I’m here after all… I’ll watch a little of the night show and then go home.”
Mafuyu was disobeying her mother. She missed her mock test, and now she was skipping curfew. But even so…
Kanade’s hand was cold compared to hers. Yet it wasn't a deadly frigid; it didn't give her chills or shape her face with fear. No, it was… comforting, somehow. She didn't know why Kanade stirred her insides. Why…?
It was a type of heat that didn't bother her. She always experienced it when she spent time with Kanade. It was pleasing on her chest. Why did that happen?
“All right! Then we have to hurry up! We must go fast, or we’ll have to watch from afar!”
This strange emotion with Kanade, along with her friends. It relieved her. But then… what was the difference between Kanade and Mom? Why were her mother's hands bleak? And Kanade’s weren’t? Why was it that when she was with her mother emptiness consumed her? It was painful. She had barbs all over her muscles, and there was a rope suffocating her neck. It was better not to think about it now.
“Hey, Mafuyu?” Kanade grasped her hand tighter, “Do you still feel cold?”
“No,” Mafuyu blurted, “I think it must be because… I’m here with you. With everyone.”
A chuckle, “I also feel warm when I’m with everyone.”
Hearing Kanade utter that phrase awakened something… unexpected. Time became vague and disconnected. The rides seemed to warp and distend, undulating in mind-boggling fractals; the sun dipped below the horizon, the rays of light transforming the long shadows around the trees into dark, spindly, spidery legs that threatened to crawl over her and drag her into oblivion.
The realization that Kanade saw her in a separate light than she did was stifling.
After Kanade let go of her hand; after the big bulb in the sky lowered, and she rushed to the bathroom the moment dusk appeared, bright cyan, golden, and endless fireworks; inside the music and the actors, Mafuyu disappeared into the crowd and struggled to breathe. She was drowning; she coughed, once, twice—
And a single petal emerged from between her lips.
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
Despite the toxic concoction of negative emotions accumulating inside Mafuyu's ribcage, her room remained neat and tidy. Her mother hated messes, so she made sure not to move too many things before she cleaned up after herself every day.
Her desk was organized, with a cup for pens and another for pencils, a box in a drawer where her extra papers were kept, a specific shelf for her school books, and a calendar to write down homework and exams. The bookshelves were devoted mainly to her notebooks, and she maintained a carefully organized system, all of her biology journals neatly arranged alphabetically and by topic.
Only one thing violated this carefully maintained order: an empty aquarium.
It didn't live on her desk but on an ebony table next to her nightstand. There was nothing extraordinary about it; the glass was pristine, so clean that she could catch her reflection. Not even fish swam in the space; it just housed a couple of seagrasses and some doleful algae that swayed from side to side in the same rhythm as her breath, sometimes releasing oxygen bubbles that slowly rose to the surface to pop before fleeing the water.
Mafuyu had no reason to have that aquarium in her room. Other families would place it in the living room and overfill it with colorful and showy animals. No, she didn't have any; but she didn't need them.
Her real hobby was, in fact, only staring at the aquarium.
She liked to contemplate her life while she watched it. Or even empty her mind to think of nothing. Those were her favorite sessions. She only peered into her reflection's eyes; the longer it stood before her, the blurrier it became. There came a time when she felt herself become transparent, slowly disappearing from the face of the earth. She could forget about her problems for a brief moment, and not feel any emotion. Only disappear.
But even if those used to be her feelings before she created SEKAI, she could never let them resurface. Not when Kanade always promised to compose a song that would save Mafuyu from her misery one day. And she would wait for Kanade, as long as she needed. Mafuyu would continue to exist until Kanade fulfilled her promise.
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
The sound of fireworks and muffled voices snapped Mafuyu back to reality. She looked around her in a weary rush, but she calmed down once she regained her memory.
She was in Kanade's house, at the request of Mizuki, who suggested time and time again she flee her home. And they were right, although she found it hard to admit it. Her mother kept getting worse and worse with each passing day, so Kanade offered her room like always with the excuse of watching a movie. And so she allowed herself to sleep, her arms around another person and her head resting on a thick mound of pillows.
With much effort, she sat up to look at Kanade, who was staring at the computer.
“Everything would be better if I just disappeared…”
"Kanade?"
The other paused the movie almost at the hour mark, already nearing its end. Listening to her voice, Kanade rearranged herself to snuggle up against Mafuyu. Her eyes were narrowed and glued to the screen, her face painted with a soft smile. Slowly, her hyacinth irises shifted to the side to catch Mafuyu's gaze. She turned her head almost weakly as if she had fallen asleep for a while.
“You’re awake.”
“I’m sorry for falling asleep,” Mafuyu muttered calmly, with a bit of guilt in her tone.
“Don’t be sorry. You need to rest,” Kanade mumbled, and Mafuyu blinked owlishly at her. “You deserve it.”
“Can you hold my hand?” is what she would have asked Kanade if it weren’t for the ever-increasing pain building up in her chest. Instead, she craned her neck to peer at the laptop, squinting.
She forgot to mention it, but Mafuyu had already seen this movie more times than she could ever count. And a part of her perceived that Kanade knew it too.
Mafuyu wasn't one to cry for nonsensical reasons, but she couldn't help but do it every time the leading girl came on the scene. Memories of that time at the classic doll show came to her again. How she panicked when that shattered one lay forgotten in the bathroom. The tightness was the same.
No matter how many times she tried–when Kanade's hand was on hers–she couldn’t find a reason to cry.
“Shoko!”
Mafuyu had nightmares about computer screens and deafening fireworks.
When she woke up, there was an empty feeling in her chest, as if something was missing, or rather, something was stolen from her. Even before her eyes snapped open, she was leaning over the edge of her bed, all her insides clenching at once. She opened her mouth and expelled a stream of bloody flower petals to the ground, slashing her lips violently. Her fingers trembled, digging into the sheets, and the petals coming out of her mouth were black, and very dark, barely more than shadows in the dead of night; she wanted to scream, but her mouth was full of flowers and she couldn't speak, I can’t breathe, I can't—
She’d never seen such a beautiful bouquet of black lilies before.
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
Cackling, Mizuki nearly toppled over at the outraged face Ena gave Mafuyu. The artist pointed at her with a wooden pencil, her open sketchbook between her knees. Even the unfinished drawing had "Absurd!" written all over the face—like it usually did on those nights when the four met at SEKAI for their MV sessions.
"You—are you serious? You really don't know what Tanabata is?!"
Mafuyu peeked at Kanade, who cringed into her neck at her expectant gaze and tried to explain. "It's," she mumbled uncertainly, playing with her fingers, "a festival… we're talking about the festival, right?"
Then Mizuki laughed even harder, delighted to see Ena's exasperated face.
Mafuyu raised an eyebrow. What was so important about Tanabata? Perhaps Mafuyu regarded the festival once, on some distant occasion, but she struggled to rouse it now. Was it that interesting to the others that she hadn't heard of such a celebration before?
"I don't know what Tanabata is either," Miku declared, and Mafuyu was silently grateful for the acknowledging nod the other gave her. "Could you explain it to me?"
"I guess," Ena whined, a little too annoyed. She tapped the tip of the pencil on her chin. "It is a festival that occurs on the seventh day of the seventh month. Supposedly, it is the only day of the year that the two lovers, Orihime and Hikoboshi, can meet."
Miku shifted and moved closer to Ena, squashing her dress with interest. Seeing this, Ena pressed her lips together, something she usually did when she felt regretful. "It's a pretty known festival; almost everyone in Japan celebrates it." She didn't look at them; instead, her head dipped as she dropped her pencil. "That's why it shocked me to hear you didn't know about it, Mafuyu. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make fun of you."
"It's fine. I was interested to hear more about this day regardless."
After all, Hinomori invited her to celebrate the day with all her friends. She wanted to know what the festival was about before going, and she couldn't deny that Ena's little explanation inundated her with genuine intrigue. Why was she so interested in the story of the two lovers?
Mizuki cleared her throat, clearly pleased by the question she posed. "Allow me to tell you. The story of the legend of Tanabata."
As Ena groaned this time, Kanade chuckled, brushing against Mafuyu's shoulder. She froze, feeling something akin to flowers bristle in her chest.
"The story goes like this:"
Princess Orihime, the seamstress, wove beautiful clothes by the heavenly river, the Milky Way. Because Orihime worked so hard making beautiful clothes, she became sad and desperate to find love. Her father, a god of the heavens, loved her very much and arranged for her to meet Hikoboshi, the cowherd who lived on the other side of the Milky Way. The two fell in love instantly and got married. Their passion and devotion were so deep that Orihime stopped weaving, and Hikoboshi allowed his cows to wander the skies.
Angry, Orihime's father forbade the lovers to be together, but Orihime begged him to let them stay. He loved his daughter, so he decreed that the star-crossed lovers could meet once a year on the 7th day of the 7th month if Orihime wove again.
"That's not the entire story," Ena grumbled and shot a glare at Mizuki. "It’s said that the first day they were to meet, they found the river too difficult to cross. Orihime got so discouraged that a flock of magpies came and made a bridge for her. It is said that if it rained on Tanabata, the magpies would not come, and the two lovers would have to wait another year to meet. That's why Japan always wishes for good weather on Tanabata."
"And that's why we write our desires on paper and hang them on trees," Kanade added, clearly amused despite herself. "It's good fortune if the lovers do get to meet, and who knows… your wishes might come true."
“I’m gonna wish Morishita finally leaves a comment on one of my art pieces,” Ena declared with a surprisingly genuine haughtiness. Mafuyu had heard of this Morishita at her school; she was a pretty popular mangaka. She couldn't care less about her at all, and the fact that it was Ena who wished for something as mundane as that surprised her even less.
"Don't be ridiculous, Enanan," Mizuki barked beside her.
“Why wish for that? I would ask for something bigger, like… oh, you know! A closet that can hold all the clothes in the world!”
"That's impossible, Mizuki."
"Not if you wish for it!"
It amused Mafuyu to see her friends argue sometimes. She found it curious how they had different ideas regarding their artistic creativity. Mizuki was more hyperactive in person, while Ena contrasted with her ill temperament. However, when it was time to work, she found that Mizuki took the job more seriously, while the artist eased up the process because she had more freedom.
It was the same with wishes. On New Year, they seemed to take things seriously, but now they didn't want to. Was it because they wanted to mess with Miku? Or was there another reason?
"I wish we could all go to the festival and spend the night with the rest of our friends."
Kanade was always honest no matter who she was with. She appreciated that about her, and it was one of the reasons she liked her so much.
“I… wish for that too,” Miku added, closing her eyes. "If you could, I want all of you to bring the festival’s happiness to SEKAI."
Mafuyu wanted the same. She also sought fulfillment of Miku's wish. And if she could bring a smile to SEKAI as a gift, she would do it for her, and for everyone else who lingered here. It was the least they could do for Miku and the others.
She unconsciously smiled, and the look Kanade threw her was warm, but it was as if she was looking right through her. So she excused herself and fled the scene, wandering around SEKAI like her stomach was about to explode.
It was probably the reason the flowers in her throat finally broke free.
Mafuyu stared at them, wide-eyed and frozen, her mind spinning helplessly. There were at least a dozen buds, small and imperfectly formed, the flowers box-shaped, and their wing-like petals wrinkled and collapsed. They were surrounded by countless loose petals, each smaller than her thumb, their bright pearl hue marred only by the dark magenta at their base, as if smeared with blood.
“Japanese Camellia,” Miku provided. “Best kept as a houseplant; they thrive in partial shade with plenty of protection from the bright afternoon sun. In the language of flowers, it means unrequited love.”
Unrequited love. Love. She was in love with Kanade.
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
Drizzle some water on the wound… Dab with a cloth…
The girl's small sobs ceased when Mafuyu removed her hand from her knees. Her medical instincts had kicked in when she saw that child crying alone by the fountain.
It touched her to help others. That could only be achieved with treatment, and bringing out a smile in others after they were cared for, became something inexplicably restorative.
That's why she always pretended to be fine at school. Just because she cared little about her own life didn't mean that helping others ceased to fill the void in her chest, even if it was only for a second. After all, she had always been the perfect little Mafuyu.
"Thank you, big sister!"
"Remember to be more careful next time, okay?"
“Mafuyu…?!” Ena had a hand over her mouth, mirroring the rest of her friends. “You're smiling…”
Her fingers caressed the corners of her mouth gently. “I'm… doing that?”
She couldn't control the laughter that came out of her, especially when she felt Ena's arms go around her torso, and Kanade's hand, always her hand, held tightly against hers. That was where it was meant to be.
Mafuyu was born to be with everyone. Together. Despite her eventual demise at the hands of her incurable illness; a fitting death for a girl who had never made a single decision in her life.
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
Mafuyu wanted to be a nurse. She loved helping people since she was little, and she strove to take care of her elementary classmates whenever possible. Unfortunately, her mother disagreed with her practices when she discovered this. "It's for uneducated girls," she used to tell her. "Why be a nurse when you can be a doctor? Doctors earn more money."
And she came to believe her mother, for a while. There was no other way out, anyway, and she wouldn’t find it.
Because in Mafuyu's life, choices were nonexistent. Mom would always be there to decide for her.
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
"You should tell Kanade," Ena pleaded with her. "I don't think she's going to abandon you-"
"You don’t know that. And you know I can't do that." She left a few words unsaid, which she had already argued her point with days ago.
Making Kanade feel responsible for cutting what little time they already had left together? She couldn’t do that. Not a chance. She wouldn’t allow Kanade to feel guilty after her death. Mafuyu had already made peace with her circumstances.
“But if you'd just try…” she begged.
"No." Her defiant tone made Ena stop.
It was obvious Kanade wasn't in love with her. Not when there was Honami, who took care of her as no one would ever take care of Mafuyu. Not when Mafuyu had been arid, and spoke without a filter to everyone but Kanade. Never when Mafuyu pretended to be kind to everyone, while Honami remained naturally thoughtful, without having to lie to be liked by anyone.
Kanade never realized the ugly green emotions that washed over Mafuyu every time she mentioned Honami on Nightcord until her chest tightened with shame that she excused herself to cough it all up. She never took notice of her, even when Mafuyu's napkin was stained with vermillion flecks; shamelessly hidden in her pocket and tossed into the void of her SEKAI.
Maybe Mafuyu wouldn't be special to Kanade in the way she wanted, but she was fine with that.
That was alright because at least she meant enough for Kanade to look at her like that in the first place. It became a gift, one she was never going to take for granted.
Ena's fingers floated delicately over the coarse fabric of her canvas, incoherently fused with pastels. On another day, she would have told Ena that the colors made the painting look dirty and that the shape of the petals was uneven compared to the tree trunk. The mixture of pine, fig, and ivory seemed identical to the mess she'd vomited up that morning, except the one on her bedroom floor had also been speckled with red.
She sighed and then looked at Ena. It appeared as she blinked back tears when Mafuyu smiled warmly at her.
Mafuyu pointed to the messy pastels on the floor, “Do you think Kanade would like this color or the other one better?”
They became locked in a silent battle, until eventually, Ena relented and pointed to a different one to the far right with her pencil. "Wysteria." She mulled it over for a second. “It matches your hair. She would like that."
Her chest felt lighter than it had all week hearing that. "One could only hope."
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
Mafuyu's dreams used to be filled with endless fireworks.
Then, they became tainted with something too vile and terrible to name or even look at. They reached for her in the dark, with vines coiling around her throat and working their way into her mouth, pushing down into her throat, her lungs, and her heart, and it would kill her. Destroy her.
Still, if she had to die, then she'd have chosen to die for Kanade.
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
SEKAI turned out to be empty today.
Mafuyu was kneeling before the cyclamen she just hurled a few seconds ago. She didn't have enough strength to stand in front of the flower, so her knees buckled until she ended up making eye contact with her reflection. It was an act of supplication; an act of mercy. Somehow, she cleared a space for the long cyclamen and set the bud on the ground, positioning it so that her bloodied flowers faced away from it. She didn't want to taint it; it didn't matter if she created all of them as a product of her disease.
And it didn't surprise her then when she coughed and choked; when she spat a mouthful of stringy scarlet petals into the palm of her hand.
She stared at her petals, so bright, so lovely. Spider lilies, she thought, and her heart contracted in her chest. She wanted to crush these petals in her fist, squeeze them tight, and hold them close to her; she wanted to cast them aside and let the void take them.
"You should tell her."
Kaito appeared before her as if he had been summoned. Mafuyu sighed through her nose.
She’d heard that phrase before, from Ena and Miku. She wasn't in the mood to deal with Kaito as well and plummeted to the ground with the feeling of Kaito's hand on her back. Mafuyu reeled from the emptiness of her SEKAI and rolled towards him. His face was drawn with a solemn line, which Mafuyu already expected to see, though, surprisingly, he said nothing more. She blinked slowly at him, an insult on her lips, but he raised a hand to her, sternly telling her to stop.
"Don't talk," he commanded, and his voice was so convincing that she acted as such. She wanted to speak. Oh, how she longed to say something. She needed to tell him how much she cared about Kanade. How much she loved her, and how important she was to her. But she couldn't. As always, Kaito was right.
All alone, I remembered laughing with you,
For some reason, my emotions just kept on making noise.
Was it fine like this? Where did I make a mistake?
This heat in my chest won’t subside, why?
“…Kanade…”
For some reason, I’ve grown lonely,
As my heart has withered, and nothing has flavor,
Inside of the days I’ve grown used to, I wonder if tomorrow will be like this too…
Tears did not stop rolling down her cheeks, her chest rising and falling to the tick of his song. She couldn't stop thinking about Kanade, about the music that made Mafuyu cry and laugh. The music that made her fall in love. She was grateful that this was her SEKAI. She didn't need to say anything and Kaito would already know what she was thinking.
“…Take care of this flower… Take care of it as if it were…”
She sobbed, silently, into Kaito's chest. He rubbed his hand up and down her back with gentleness, and she could feel the stutter of pain from her breath every time she took a particularly strong breath, which meant her hyperventilated cry was nowhere near coming to an end. What they said at school was true–when one was closer to death, one felt the most alive.
Loving Kanade would never be a regret in her life. She gave her everything she ever wanted; and more than she needed. Perhaps there would never be a song to save Mafuyu. But really, she’d rather die than live a life without discovering the feeling that loving Kanade gave her. She was calm now, she was convinced of it. But she was also human and intensely mortal.
Humans were inherently selfish, she knew that, and regrets were always rooted in them. She only wished, in the next life or the afterlife, that Kanade would have half as much love for her as the flowers that grew and twined around her heart.
“Keep visiting,” Kaito told her. His voice was dry against the wetness of her tears. “Keep visiting until every flower consumes you, Mafuyu. Then you can go."
Mafuyu nodded mutely against his chest.
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
In Mafuyu's entire life, she never had a choice.
But for the first time, she was finally doing the right thing. It didn't matter how many times she suffered, how many carnations, hyacinths and thorns ate away at her insides. No matter how many memories were wiped clean from her subconscious; if she were deaf, blind, or mute; she would always fall in love with Kanade, in this life and the next.
And yet, she could have lived through a thousand lifetimes and still not deserve Kanade in any of those.
Mafuyu drew her bow. It was mid-spring, perhaps. It was neither hot nor cold, and the wind blew calm as afternoon fell and the rays struggled to reach them. Hinomori had once mentioned that she liked to sit facing the school doors because the sun would catch her and bathe her back with warmth for a certain hour, which was a revitalizing sensation. Mafuyu couldn't match that. When the sun touched her, she felt she could collapse at any moment, that the light would pierce her skin and turn her to dust.
The sun was not revitalizing to her at all; it was agonizing, more like. It was searing heat, a fever that boiled her insides but never finished killing her, flooding her body in a suffocating anxiety that made her throat knot. Because if life inevitably culminated in death, then what was the point of making her wait?
There, being a part of Kanade's identity without leaving a significant dent in her life, she figured she was in a similar situation. No matter how much she wanted, Kanade only had eyes for Mochizuki. And how could she blame her?
Mochizuki was the only reason Kanade was still alive.
And Kanade was the only reason Mafuyu was alive. She never felt something with such intensity before, something that made her suffer as much as Hanahaki. And the simple fact that Mafuyu was carrying those feelings for Kanade meant that she had already been saved. If she could keep that pain alive, that was already a reason to stay until the day of her last breath.
"Your ponytail is lopsided today, Asahina."
Mafuyu released the arrow, listening to the string twang thanks to the force.
She was willing to keep these flowers alive for Kanade. Her love was worth dying for. This would be her first and last choice.
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
Mafuyu spent the Tanabata Eve like most people would: hanging empty paper on trees and gallivanting around with her friends.
Unlike most people who would go down to the river during festivals to set off fireworks or spend the night praying at a shrine, Mizuki and Akito suggested that they go down to Shibuya Station instead, where no one but them would be around. So now, laughter echoed around them, and the people strolling by judged them, puzzled, but they didn’t care.
“Miss… Asahina?”
Mafuyu averted her gaze from Kamishiro’s explosive cherry bombs and instead fixed on the delicate voice. She nearly choked on her saliva when she rested her eyes on Mochizuki, who smiled at her with pure, unbridled innocence. So much so that Mafuyu felt almost guilty for all the nauseating things she thought about her.
The youngest fiddled with a pen in her hands, surely looking for a way to offer it to Mafuyu. “We are writing our wishes… do- do you want to come?”
She had no idea how the paper ended up in her hands. The only thing she recalled was the black ink staining her sleeve and the way Mochizuki was looking at her with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. Because, of course, what kind of person doesn't smile in the middle of a festival? It was the first year she finally knew what to wish for, and it was time for her to put it into words, once and for all.
…Except she decided to ask Mochizuki what her wish was instead.
"My wish?" She seemed taken aback by the question, but Mochizuki being Mochizuki, she kindly answered. Without any shame in sight.
“My wish is that we can all spend another year together. My friends,” silver eyes turned to one of her classmates, Hinomori's sister, if Mafuyu remembered correctly. “And your friends,” this time, she made eye contact with Mafuyu, and her grin was so wide that she could see her perfectly straight teeth. White like Kanade's hair.
Kanade’s reflection dwelled in Mochizuki's pupils.
“I want us to be happy. All of us, together.”
Mafuyu’s eyelids fluttered shut upon hearing that, a small tingle tickling her lips. She needed that too. She wished to spend another year with her friends. Although that was impossible because unfortunately, this disease would kill her eventually.
Mochizuki's wish could not come true. Mafuyu was sure she wouldn't last another year, and no matter how much she wanted it to be possible, she was going to die.
Fingers clenched around her paper now. Her hands were shaking, bunched up in her kimono. She didn't want to think about it. Especially not tonight, when the weather was clear, without a single cloud in the sky.
So when Mafuyu opened her eyes–almost wet with tears–and met the look of alarm from Mochizuki, she couldn't stop the corners of her lips from turning up. Even if it was just a little.
"Thank you, Honami. I also wish we could spend another year together.”
Mochizuki's gasp was muffled by the boom of a nearby firework. Orange, like all the sunsets that once brought her happiness. Orange, like the lotuses Mafuyu unfairly assigned Mochizuki.
Seeing her face light up was enough to know that Kanade was in good hands. She always wondered if the girl knew how much she had done for the four of them; for Niigo. Maybe Mafuyu couldn't fulfill her junior’s wish, but she deserved happiness anyway. With Kanade.
Mafuyu could never have the heart to hate her.
“Honami! Asahina!”
Otori approached them with sparklers in both hands. A dangerous act; her mother would have scolded her before launching the gift in the trash. But today Mafuyu wasn't with her mother, so she gratefully accepted the sparkler from Otori’s hands and laughed alongside everyone. Today, she was surrounded by all the people she loved. Mizuki, Ena, Hinomori, Otori.
Kanade. We’re not alone anymore.
When Orihime and Hikoboshi finally met, Mafuyu vomited white orchids, long petals, and silky ivory. She felt them slide down her throat, rub against her palate, catch between her teeth, and spit them out in pieces. She lifted them, choking until she cried, and then, when the flood stopped, she pushed the loose, wet petals into the soil on top of them with her bare hands.
In the end, the sight of Kanade’s hand around somebody else; and their shared fireworks, soft and gleaming—the way Kanade stared at Mochizuki, in the way she once reserved for her, was too much to bear.
She never did finish writing her wish. Only asked the stars that Mochizuki loved Kanade with all that she had to give and that she cared for her even after her death.
Mafuyu’s lungs sprang. They caught fire, burning, killing everything in their path. Everything hurt, and it was impossible to breathe with the petals clogging her trachea, and the roses settling themselves in her ribcage as she lay with her back on the prickly grass.
“They are only two simple stars, Altair and Vega. There’s no real story behind them. Don’t forget to remind your friends today’s legend is pure nonsense, okay Mafuyu?”
“…Shut… up.”
Her eyes flew to the heavens, watching in agony as the two lovers got the one thing she wanted. Still, Mafuyu longed to prove her mother wrong. They did meet, I saw it with my own eyes, Mom.
She escaped shortly after, despite her friend's protests. Hinomori let her go. Ena didn't.
When the last firework went off, Mafuyu couldn’t bring herself to care.
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
Time was static and yet it moved forward. The minutes dragged on endlessly; days vanished in the twinkling of an eye. Her health quickly deteriorated. SEKAI did too. Only Mafuyu's flowers bloomed, lush with color and life. Her lungs bloomed with tulips and daffodils, ablaze with anemones and torch lilies. Flowers bloomed inside to die in her bathtub and then grew again.
One day, she told herself insistently. One more day, and I will grow courage. One day I'll tell you. I will, Kanade, I will—
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
And then one warm summer night
I'll hear fireworks outside
And I'll listen to the memories as they cry, cry, cry
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
The reality was that Mafuyu didn’t have a passion.
Until she met Kanade, and then, she became hers. Kanade was her only passion in life, but the thorn-filled roses, carnations, and suffocating hyacinths growing within her were the painful reminder that Mafuyu was never hers.
𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸𓇢𓆸
You are cordially invited to the Yoisaki-Mochizuki wedding on,
The seventh day of the seventh month.
Keep a seat reserved at our table for those who couldn’t join us on this day.
In loving memory of Mr Yoisaki,
who is not here today but always in our hearts
and, our dear friend Mafuyu Asahina,
May the cherry blossoms always bloom for you.
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‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚. ⋆
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archivist-the-knight · 7 months
Text
love looking at the "who would win in a fight" memes and going "they'd all be friends and have tea NEXT"
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azulhood · 3 months
Text
Jazz was, at her core, a pessimist.
Oh sure, she wanted the best outcomes and strived to always see the best in people. But listening to her parents talk about and share crime scene photos of someone who was brutally murdered and who may haunt the place they were headed to while true crime podcasts played instead of road trip tunes as they traveled to whatever graveyard had caught their interest had dulled young Jazz's faith in humanity.
Jazz still had memories of a young her standing in an abandoned insane asylum (or abandoned hospital, or old house, or graveyard, or whatever place they dragged her too) holding a small torch with shaky hands and begging to leave because she was terrified "Can we go? Please? this place is scaring me" only to be told "In a minute Jazzy, we down want the ghost getting away."
They had settled down after Danny was born, choosing to stay in one placed instead of traveling all over the country. She still expected them to unexpectedly announce that they were going on the road again, she had plans in case they did (saying she'd stay behind with the van to take care of Danny was better then both of them getting used as ghost bait) But surprisingly they didn't.
And Jazz was thrilled. Sure, she and Danny were known as the kids of the towns crazy ghosthunters, and sure, she basically had to raise her brother since her parents would rarely leave their lab let alone focus on something not ghost related, and yes, she did have to carefully plan out how to use the family's money so that none of them starved.
But no more sleeping in cheap hotels or their van, no more making friends at playgrounds that she'd never see the next day, no more countless hours spent in places where people died, no more English lessons while on the road. She went to school now, she had friends that she saw more than once, she had a home that wasn't filled with cockroaches and the sounds of a argument from the room next door. She had a semi-normal life.
In this time of normality, she relaxed, she let her guard down. Then Danny died and only came back halfway.
And Jazz was back to being that little girl who was scared of ghosts, only this time she was scared for a ghost.
Danny didn't tell her at first, and even though it hurt she understood, and so while she waited for him to tell her, she planned.
She took job after job, from mowing someone's lawn to working at a checkout. Money had been put aside in bags filled with clothes and a pair of new id that she had gotten from Tucker, ("Just in case our parents get classified as supervillains and we need to flee" She said not giving anyway that she knew of Danny's ghostly problem, Tucker had made the id anyway even if he thought she was joking and did not in fact have a plan should that situation happen) One of their neighbors was willing to let her buy their old car despite her family's driving history. A safe house (more like safe apartment) was bought in the only place that was willing to let a teen buy property, Gotham City.
Danny fought numerous enemies until the only enemy that was left was telling their ghost hunter parents that their son was half dead.
Compared to her, Danny was an optimist, seeing the best in everyone without even having to try like she did. Believing that the best would happen like if he didn't, he would break into a million pieces and not know how to put himself together again.
Even though he was scared Danny believed that their parents wouldn't react badly, Jazz hoped they wouldn't but was prepared if they did.
And finally, after many nights spent wide awake in case her parents tried to rip Danny apart molecule by molecule while she slept, the shoe dropped. Their parents loved them, but their work came first, it always came first. Jazz loved her parents, she truly did, but she loved Danny more. And in the end, that made her choice of driving all the way to Gotham with nothing but their go bags all the more easier.
And that was how Jazz and Danny ended up as the neighbors of one Jason Todd.
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bad268 · 2 months
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a kimi story where the reader is ollie’s sister and they’re a secret and ollie finds out please
Impromptu Meeting (Andrea Kimi Antonelli X Bearman! Reader)
Fandom: RPF/F2/F3
Requested: Clearly (AHHH I LOVE THIS)
Warnings: Making out, brief sex joke (if you squint)
POV: Second Person (You/your/They/them)
W.C. 1253
Summary: Maybe sharing a room wasn't a good idea...
As always, my requests are OPEN
MASTERLIST // HITLIST
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~~(^Pinterest)
It was not how you imagined introducing your boyfriend to your family, let alone your brother.
You were supposed to be there to support Ollie (which you were!), and it wasn’t like you were sneaking off to another garage or wearing another team’s kit. Thankfully, Kimi had signed to Prema at the beginning of the season, so that was not something you needed to worry about. 
When you first met Kimi through a mutual friend, he did not know your brother. Granted, you only introduced yourself by your first name, but drivers stuck with drivers. You assumed he knew that you were associated with one of the drivers. It wasn’t until the middle of the Formula 2 season that Kimi finally made the connection.
You had stayed up the entire night before, catching up on assignments you had been putting off in order to spend more time with Kimi. You had traveled to the track a few days early to meet with him, and you told your family it was for a school trip. You would meet them at the track by Thursday. 
It was currently Wednesday, and you were cuddling with Kimi in your hotel room. You may or may not be struggling to stay awake, but that was not really a problem since Kimi had done all of the promotional things he needed to do that morning. Plus, the whole team, namely one of their drivers, was not there yet, so they did not want to get too far ahead without the rest of the team. 
You were watching some random lifetime movie on the television as you laid on Kimi’s chest. He may have been reading race strategies, but you were not going to force him to pay attention to the movie when you weren't paying attention anyway. You were more captivated with listening to his heartbeat and watching his concentration focus on the piece of paper. At one point, you moved up a little to lay your head on his shoulder, so you could look at the paper too. Despite growing up surrounded by racing, you still could not understand most of the strategies for the life of you.
“Y’know,” You broke the silence as you shifted your attention to his face. He looked down at you, his concentration being broken as soon as you moved, but he did not say anything. “I really wish I understood any of that jargon. Sometimes I wish I could read it and think ‘Ah, yes! This will be a one-stop race and we’ll pit for mediums.’ I really do sometimes.”
“I thought you just liked the sport,” Kimi laughed as he set the papers to the side. “You really don’t care about the behind the scenes or the strategies. You like cars going fast, and you like the people in the cars.”
“Sometimes, I really wish you didn’t know me as well as you do,” You giggled as you leaned up to peck his lips. He reciprocated immediately, pulling you onto his lap as he wrapped his arms around your back to hold you to him. Your lips moved in sync for who-knows how long, and you were only broken apart by the sound of bags being dropped on the floor. That’s when you finally pulled apart, thinking it was Kimi’s dad or Anthoine, but no. It was Ollie with his jaw on the floor and his hand over his eyes. You moved away from Kimi and approached Ollie, but it’s not like he could see you. You approached him cautiously, reaching out your hand, “Ollie, I can explain.”
To say Kimi was confused would be an understatement. He knew Ollie was going to come today, but why would you need to explain to Ollie? The Prema boys almost always shared a hotel room. He had walked in on Ollie with a few people, so why was he reacting this way when the tables were turned?
“I don’t need to see this!” Ollie complained as he turned around and walked back into the hallway. 
“Ollie, wait,” You followed after him, causing Kimi to also climb out of the bed, wanting to get to the bottom of this. He grabbed a keycard just in case as he followed you both toward the stairwell and out to the back of the hotel. “Ollie, please. Give me a chance to explain.”
“You and my teammate? Really?” Ollie sighed, turning around to face you. It did not sound like a disappointed sigh, just a confused one. You could work with that. “Why my teammate? Also, I thought you had a boyfriend!”
“I do! It’s Kimi,” You explained as you moved to stand in front of Ollie. “It’s been Kimi this whole time. We’ve been seeing each other since Paul and I went to the FRECA race at Mugello last year but became official after Hockenheim.”
“All this time I thought you liked Paul,” Ollie commented to himself, but it caused you to laugh. “What?”
“I’ve been around Paul for too long,” You laughed, finally letting out a breath you had been holding. “He’s like a brother too much.”
“Hey! You already have a brother! Don’t go replacing me already!” Ollie protested, and that caught Kimi’s attention. He had been hiding by the stairs, watching you two converse in the parking lot, but at that point, he could not hold back his shock.
“Brother?” He said out loud on accident, causing both of you to look at him. He never realized how similar you looked until that moment. Not identical, but now that you both stood side-by-side, looking at him, it was fairly obvious that you were siblings. “You’re related.”
“Maybe,” You chuckled at the look on his face. Just as much, maybe more, shock than when Ollie saw you and Kimi. 
“Yeah, that’s my younger sibling,” Ollie said as he pointed at you before brushing past you to walk up to Kimi. “I get that you’re my teammate, but if you screw this up, I will push you off the track.”
“You’re not gonna forbid me from dating your sibling?” Kimi was confused, but he would accept it with open arms if it meant he got to stay with you.
“No,” Ollie sighed with a smile. “I’ve heard enough about how well you treat them, so I’m not concerned. Don’t make me concerned, Andrea.”
“I’ll try my best,” Kimi replied back with a smile as Ollie pulled him into a hug. Having your older brother’s approval was something you always wanted, so you smiled as well. 
“Oh, one more thing,” Ollie started as he turned to look at you, still standing in the spot you were at previously. You slowly walked over to join the two. Ollie turned from smiley to downright serious in the blink of an eye; it almost scared you. “I don’t wanna walk in on you making out ever again.”
“Then, the same rule goes to you,” Kimi joked back, causing you to gape at Ollie.
“You’re making out with people? Ew.” You jokingly pushed away from Ollie, wiping your hands on your shirt.
“You did the same thing! Don’t even try to flip this on me!” Ollie tried to defend
“I have a feeling we should not be sharing a room anymore,” Kimi trailed off to himself as he slowly started moving towards the stairwell again.
“What’s that supposed to mean, Andrea?” Ollie accused as Kimi took off up the stairs. “No! Get back here! We’re not done with this conversation!”
~~~~~
© BAD268 2024. DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT PERMISSION.
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blackbirdie1234 · 5 months
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Hey!! I love your fic's so much!
Can I request a Jacob x Fem!reader where they are friends but reader has a crush on Jacob. When he shifts he leaves and does what he did to Bella like ignoring her and Billy won't answer the door.
Mutual pinning but neither knows. He imprints on reader.
Thank you so much keep up the great writing :)
Also, I was wondering if you are going to be doing the vampires as well?
Hi!, Thank you so much for the request! I appreciate the kind words <3
I will be doing fanfics for the vampires as well! As of right now I only have the wolves, but I am planning on making a master list for the vamps and Bella. If you want to make a request for them I can definitely do that! I am planning on making a fic for Jasper soon!
A/N: Not proofread! I aged Jacob up a bit, you both are seventeen here. I didn't know exactly how to end this but I think I might do a spin-off series off of this fic so if you are interested in that let me know. Also, sorry for the late posting I am currently sick and going through it lmao. Hope you enjoy <3
Warnings: Jacob being an ass, cursing, angst, Y/N with a backbone.
Wolf’s Out Of The Bag
Jacob Black x Fem!reader
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You were staring blankly down at your phone. Ten phone calls, ten phone calls sent to voicemail. Ten desperate, pleading voicemails. No callback, no text, nothing received. You snapped your phone closed and threw it down on the bed.
It had been two weeks since Jacob stormed off from your house after getting into a small disagreement, at least it started off that way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"It's nothing you need to worry about, Jacob," You grumbled with a slight roll of your eyes. Hoping he would drop the subject.
He was giving you an irritated look. You lightly pushed him with your shoulder giving him a small smile.
"I didn't think you'd care that much, it was one date and it's never happening again," you noted with a light-hearted laugh to ease the tension.
He turned to face you, irritation turning to anger. You could actually feel the heat radiating off of his body next to yours.
"Wow you must be really dumb, I mean how could you even think about going on a date with that pig. He's not good enough for you, but then again if you were desperate enough to give him a chance maybe I'm wrong" He barked getting more bitter with each word.
You look at him in shock.
"Why would you say that to me" You said not believing what you were hearing. "It's really none of your business who I go out with, you aren't my bodyguard, you don't have to 'protect' me. When did you get the right to decide who is 'good enough' for me? Huh? You're being a dick and I don't know why but it better change right now." You say sternly. He has never acted like this before and this sudden behavior change is not sitting well with you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jacob left shortly after that. He had gotten so angry he was shaking, you can't even remember the words that were thrown after that. Now, he wasn't answering the phone. Billy said he came down with mono, you didn't know how much you believed it but decided to trust that Billy wouldn't lie to you.
Jacob was your best friend, you loved him a lot. You had never had such an intense fight, you never thought he would react the way he did. You only went on the stupid date to get Jacob out of your head, you thought that maybe you would get over Jacob if you found someone else to pay attention to. You were wrong, no one made you feel the way that Jacob did. Jacob made you feel at home, you couldn't explain why but it was like he was the person you were meant to be with. He was the one who understood you fully and would never judge you for anything you said or did. Until now......
You were deeply hurt by what Jacob said to you, and if he thought that you would get over it he was surely mistaken. He had never said anything more hurtful to you in your entire friendship. You had thought about just letting it go, letting life run its course even if it meant Jacob being out of your life, but you couldn't just sit and let him speak to you that way. You wanted answers. Sitting in your room waiting for him to call and explain was becoming too stressful. You sat there for hours overthinking and no matter what you were doing you were replaying the moment in your mind.
You must be going crazy. At least that's what you were trying to convince yourself after seeing Jacob cliff-jumping with Sam Uley and his gang. You had decided that you would go to La Push, and relax your body and mind on one of the only partly cloudy days in Forks. The skies were pretty clear but there was a storm coming soon, so you decided to do it now. Never in your life did you think you would see what you were seeing now. Are you fucking serious? was all you could think as you drove your car straight to Billy Black's house. You wanted to make sure it was really Jacob, so you went to the man who had told you how 'serious' his condition was in the first place.
As you pulled into the driveway the clouds began covering the sky in a dark grey mass. You hopped out of the car and began walking to the front door, Billy had opened the door as soon as you stepped onto the wood. His face had a mix of concern and confusion as he noticed your agitated expression and the way your chest was slightly heaving from anger.
"Where is he" you say with a grumble.
"He's not here, he went out," He says seriously but looking down a bit not wanting to make eye contact. Billy didn't like lying to you and to your face it was even worse.
Just as you were about to speak you looked to the side and saw that far away down the hill, Jacob stood playfully nudging another man as a few more came out of the woods.
"Don't Y/N" Billy said in warning.
You started stomping down the hill, ignoring Billy's yells. Billy calling your name caught the attention of Jacob, as his face shifted from laughing to completely still. You continued to walk towards Jacob as the rain started, it quickly went from a drizzle to full pouring as you finally reached him.
To say you were fuming would be an understatement.
"What the actual fuck Jacob!" you say basically screaming at the shirtless man, who was now staring directly into your eyes with what looked like pure amazement but you ignored it the best you could, whatever love for him you felt in that moment may have been strong but you were too angry to care so you continued.
"So we have one fight and you ignore me for two weeks?! I called you ten times, ten times Jacob. You couldn't bother picking up the phone at least once, you could've told me you didn't want to be friends but no! You had your daddy lie to me" You say with an angry laugh.
"I thought you were sick Jacob! Too sick to pick up the damn phone and text me! Come to find out you were just having too much fun cliff jumping with the guys we used to make fun of! You know what you can have them, If you want to throw away seventeen years of friendship then be my guest." You say finally taking a breath.
The weight off of your chest feels amazing, but as you finish Jacob falls to his knees. The boys behind him look between you two with pure shock on their faces before they start laughing and smiling. You look up at them shocked and confused thinking they were making fun of you. They start walking away but not before patting Jake on the back. Sam leans down and whispers something to him as he sits there still on his knees staring at you.
"Do you even care about a word I just said to you? You know what never mind if you think this is a joke I might as well leave," You say turning around and starting to walk away.
Jacob suddenly found his voice as he quickly got to his feet and stumbled trying to reach you.
"WAIT! Wait, wait, Y/N please hold on!" He spoke hurriedly. Grasping for your hand and pulling you around. Hand now resting on your waist.
"I am so, so sorry. Please let me explain everything, I promise I won't lie to you anymore. I can explain everything now, just come inside and dry off." He said pleadingly, trying his best to get you to listen to him.
You thought for a moment, you didn't trust him at all but the way he was speaking you knew he was telling the truth to some extent. It was hard for him to lie to you, you know how Jacob works, you know the subtle mannerisms he has when he's not telling the truth. Considering all of this you finally speak.
"Fine, but if things don't add up or I find out you are still lying, I am gone," You say sternly, pulling his hands away from you and walking up the hill.
When you get to the house, Jacob gives you warm tea and a blanket which you take from him without a word. He comes over and sits across from you. He almost reaches for your hand but stops himself.
"The day that I left your house, something changed, I changed...." He claimed, looking at your reaction with a hint of fear but continued "This is going to sound crazy, but you have to believe me on this..... I am a werewolf"
You stared at him for a moment before throwing the blanket off and standing up, Jacob followed suit immediately. You threw him a glare before starting to walk out.
"No, No, Y/N wait!" he shouted after you, reaching out and grabbing your hand. "I am telling the truth let me show you" He spoke as he continued outside your hand still in his.
" I swear Jacob if this is a pra....."
You went dead silent as he began taking his boots, and then his shorts off. Now standing in just his underwear. He gave you a curt nod and then started bending and shaking profusely. You could barely blink before your best friend stood in front of you only he wasn't human anymore, he was a massive wolf.
You jumped back a bit as the wolf started coming towards you, noticing your fear he slowly laid down on the ground and gave out a small whine to signal he would not hurt you. You were in complete shock, how was this possible? Everything you ever heard about the stories of the Quileute tribe growing up was true, and your best friend was living proof. A thousand thoughts ran through your mind, but they were silenced by the wolf standing up and trotting to the back of the house. Jacob then emerged in different clothes than before.
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't tell you Y/N" Jacob expressed, grabbing your hands hesitantly until you leaned into the touch slightly.
"Why couldn't you tell me, you know I would never judge you, nor would I ever tell anyone " You pressed before giving him a confused stare "Wait why are you telling me now?"
He looked at you a gave you a crooked smile.
"It's one of the rules that came with the gig" He laughs a bit before pulling you a bit closer. "The reason I can tell you now is because you are my soulmate," He says beaming down at you.
You stare up at him with a bewildered expression.
"I'm your what?" you say breathing out.
"You are my imprint, Y/N. It's a wolf's soulmate, it is the reason for their existence, you feel like it isn't gravity holding you to the ground anymore, it's them. You can be anything the imprint wants you to be, a friend, a protector, a lover, all that matters is that the two are connected. Like vines on trees overlapping each other both on the same path, interlocked." He pauses, putting his hand on your face and caressing your cheek gently.
"I know this might be overwhelming and a lot to handle. I really want you to know how deeply sorry I am for everything that I said. I'm not going to sit here and blame it all on the wolf because it wasn't, I was jealous. I was jealous that you went on that date with someone that wasn't me and I didn't mean a word that I said about you. I'm going to be fully honest with you from now on, starting with the fact that I have been in love with you since the second grade. I know that trusting me will take time, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to earn it back. I understand that I have hurt you, so it might take a very long time but I will always be there for you. Everything is up to you, I understand if you want to reject the connection. The connection can be anything you want it to be, but I really truly do not want to lose you and the past two weeks without you have been hell on earth for me. I'm just really sorry Y/N." He pleads letting go of your hands and allowing you to process.
"I... I love you too Jacob. I have for a while now. I'm not going to forgive you easily but I am glad you understand how much you have hurt me. I am willing to give this a shot, mainly because I can feel the connection and would be an idiot if I said that I didn't." You laugh a bit as he looks at you with the biggest smile on his face.
"But if you ever say or do that to me again I will put you in a dog house and leave you there," You say with an evil smile laughing at the way his face drops before he joins in.
You two get out of the rain and drive separately to Emily's house where you meet the pack and they explain in much more detail what being a wolf really entails. You and Emily become quick friends, and as the days go on you slowly fall into a routine that is pure chaos but you wouldn't have it any other way. You and Jacob work on your relationship, slowly building back trust and falling deeper and deeper into love with each other. You have fully accepted your place in a world filled with wolves and life seems to be going great, that is until they tell you exactly why they turn into the big ferocious beasts....... there are vampires in Forks.
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vivwritesfics · 4 months
Text
Set The World On Fire
Chapter Two
Lando Norris had been incredibly angry when they met. Incredibly angry, but sweet enough to help her. Turns out he just needed somebody to talk to, somebody to be there for him.
He was easy to fall for, and that put her in a world of danger
Mafia AU
1.7K
Warnings: drinking, drunk driving (nobody gets hurt but I don't condone this)
Series Masterlist
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Lando wasn't in a bad mood when he returned to the club. Actually talking to somebody about his little problem seemed to have helped, even if only slightly.
He sat himself back in his booth and got himself a fresh whisky. He didn't want the dancers, he never did. He surveyed the people coming in and out of his club. The man she'd entered with was still there, trying to chat up his bar maid. He had to back off or Lando was gonna be all over him, throwing him out of his club.
As the night progressed the club emptied out. Thursdays were never a busy night. Normally Lando didn't bother coming on a Thursday, but he needed to get out of the house, to get drunk.
He poured himself another whisky.
Suddenly four men came walking through the door of his club. Lando was stood to attention, recognising them all too well. Fuck, they were here already? That meant he was, too.
Lando watched as Sainz's men milled about his club, staring at his girls. They whistled and threw their money about, some of them ordering drinks at the bar. They spoke in Spanish, Lando not quite able to understand what they were saying.
He had two more whiskies before the club closed. The rowdy group of men were pushed outside, the door locking them out. The staff set on cleaning the place up while Lando had one more whisky and made his way out of his club.
He was very drunk when he drove home. It was dangerous, a wonder he made it home at all. There were no other cars on the road and he was driving a lot slower than he thought he was, which must have helped.
When he made it back to his family estate, there was another car parked out the front. Lando climbed out of his own. He left the car door open as he walked up the steps and pushed open the front door. Somebody would take care of his car for him, probably.
His sister was asleep. Even drunk Lando could tell that. He tried to be quiet as he moved through the house, but he knocked into every piece of furniture, cursing with volume as he did so.
There were voices. They were hushed, like the people didn't want to be heard. Lando tried to follow them, tried to locate the voices. In his sizable house he walked into the wrong room a few times before he stumbled into the kitchen.
There his sister was with a glass of milk. "Hey," he said as he leaned against the door. The room was spinning as he ran his hands through his hair, trying to ease the headache that was already starting, and loosened his tie.
And then he spotted who his sister was talking to. Carlos fucking Sainz. Lando wasn't entirely sure how to react to that. His eyes went wide as he looked at the man that used to be his best friend. "Carlos. You're not meant to be here."
The look his sister was giving him, she looked so disappointed with him. But she usually did when he returned from the club. It was something Lando was used to by now. He didn't care anymore.
The longer Lando stared at Carlos, the more enraged he became. He stumbled into the room, grabbed a hold of his sister and tried to push her behind him. "Stay away from my-" he hiccupped "-sister."
Everything was blurry. Carlos's face was like an out of focus picture as he stared at it. "Lando," his sister said as she grabbed a hold of him and walked him over to the kitchen table. Reluctantly, he sat down in the chair she had pulled out for him and continued to stare at Carlos as she ran to grab him a glass of water.
"Get the fuck out of my kitchen." It was sudden and abrupt, but it was unsurprising. His words were slurred, but Carlos and his sister understood him anyway.
"Lando, be nice," she said as she put the water down and sat beside him.
But Carlos shook his head, his hair bouncing about. "No, he is right," he said. "I should not have come early. I apologise."
Lando didn't care about his apology. He didn't want to hear it, he wanted him out of his house. "You stay. We're having words," he commanded and Carlos obeyed. He stayed sat in his seat, his hands clasped in front of him.
He told his sister to go to bed and she did. She left her glass of milk where it was a disappeared further into the house. Lando didn't look at her when she left. He kept his focus on Carlos.
Even when she was out of the room, Lando knew she was still listening in. On shaky legs he stood and pushed the kitchen door shut, slamming it in front of him.
There he stayed for just a minute. The weight of the gun in his pocket was incredibly light. He could have pulled it out and shot Carlos in the head, nobody had to know. Except his men were here with him. If he turned up dead, there would be an all out war.
But it would have been so easy.
Lando turned and took his seat. He sat and let out a breath, one that stank of whisky. "Why the fuck are you here?" Lando spat at him. He made a gesture with his arms as he spoke, one big enough to knock over his glass of water. "Why the fuck are you here with my sister?"
"You're drunk, Lando."
Of course he was drunk. It didn't take a genius to work that out/ "You're not supposed to be here until tomorrow."
"My father had another business to attend to," Carlos answered quickly.
"Well, why did you come here?"
Carlos stared at him for a moment. This wasn't the Lando he once knew. "We were friends once upon a time," he answered. "Do you remember that, Lando? Do you remember when we were children?"
"Yes Carlos. I remember being a kid. I remember our fathers pointing guns at each other."
Carlos shook his head. "No, I'm talking about when we were boys and we'd spend all day playing together. We'd chase each other around the garden while our fathers did business."
"What's your point?"
"What happened to you, Lando?"
"I grew up."
***
The white card was on the counter that separated her kitchen from her living room. She hadn't called yet, hadn't wanted to seem too desperate. But it wasn't like they had been flirting. He clearly just wanted some company.
In her pyjamas she watched television, a bowl of popcorn in her lap. The date had been atrocious, but the night wasn't all bad.
The club had been sleazy, sure, but she hadn't minded it. The back room was... nice. There had been paperwork on the floor and a full cabinet of booze to the left of the desk. It hadn't looked like a typical back office. But Lando had been nice. He had been lovely, actually.
She looked back at the white card on her counter top. It was too early to call. The club would probably be closed and he certainly wouldn't be there.
She didn't know what was going on in her city, that there was a crime family operating everything. She didn't know about the mafia families that ruled the world, or that she had just met the man set to lead one of them. She didn't know about Hamilton and how he ruled over everything.
Her phone buzzed on the coffee table in front of her.
Where'd you go? Came a text from the man she had left in the club.
He'd only just noticed. It had been several hours, and he'd only just noticed. She didn't respond. She blocked his number and placed her phone down beside her, returning her attention to her movie.
But then she got an idea. If that was Lando's number on the little white card, then she could text him, right. If it was the number for the club, then the text wouldn't go through, and she wouldn't be missing out on anything.
She quickly grabbed the white card from the counter and put the number into her phone. Lando - Strip Club. The contact name made it sound so much more sleazy than it was. He should have been sleazy. He was in his early twenties and he owned a strip club - was there anything sleazier?
Is this Lando from the club? She texted and put her phone down on the coffee table in front of her.
Just a few minutes later it vibrated. Who the fuck is this? Not the friendliest of responses, sure, but it didn't entirely come as a surprise. But at least she knew she had his number and not the number for the club.
That was when she realised she never told him her name. Even if she said it to him, he wouldn't know. It's the girl from the club, the one you called a cab for, she sent.
Those three little dots appeared at the bottom of the screen. Seconds later, a text came though. Let me switch you to my personal phone.
It was another few seconds before another text came through, this time from a different number. Hey club girl, it's Lando, the text said. She saved it to her phone again, under the same contact number.
Club girl has a name, you know she sent back, hoping he'd view it in jest. It's Y/N, btw - i'm Y/N, btw
nice to finally have a face to the name, Lando responded. pretty name for a pretty face
Oh, that had to be flirting, she decided. There was no way to read it as anything but. So, she tried to reply with something equally as flirty, but it ended up just being awkward.
It was a good thing Lando liked awkward.
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anticapitalistclown · 3 months
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Hello! Can you do when they saw reader and their baby girl or boy sleeping together on the bed hc's? 🙊
omg sure! <3
since the characters aren't specified, I'll do the ones I get requested the most, if you don't mind.
Jake, Gun and Vin Jin reacting to reader and their baby sleeping together on the bed headcanons
Jake
he doesn't mind when his kids sneak in your shared bed
honestly, he appreciates the parenthood times, enjoying every hour he gets to spend with his kids, and you, his beloved family.
and finding you sleeping, snuggled with the life you both created, just melts his heart.
After a long day that he had out with the old big deal boys, Jake rushed home to his family, he sure had a great time with his friends, but it was late, and he so understands how hard it is to put both your sons to sleep.
Quietly he made his way into the bedroom, listening the sounds from the TV, there you were deep asleep, snuggling with your eldest son, your arms hugging him with care, his face resting on your chest, Jake knows from first hand how comforting it is to sleep hearing your heartbeat, your hold protecting the ones who are in, telling them that everything was fine there in your arms, he kissed your forehead. He directed his eyes to the youngest, he was awake, sitting next to you and your son, his eyes focused on the cartoons, his tiny hands not leaving the remote.
He sighted and closed the TV, too much screen would be bad for the baby, Jake held the youngest in his arms, rubbing the little one's back with his hand, walking around the apartment in order to make him sleep. It was successfully done, Jake didn't last long to join you on bed, your youngest sleeping close to his father.
Gun
Gun is the first one to spoil your daughter, so if his child is afraid, dad would not hesitate to bring her up to your shared bed.
having that little child in his arms, knowing that he can make her feel protected (because honestly she is truly protected) just calms him, as a father, he feels so grateful to have that child in his life.
you understood that co-sleeping was something normal in Japan, but doing whatever your daughter wants will just worse her attitude.
After finally getting home, he quietly made his way to your bedroom, spotting you cuddling with your daughter, and he was the one who had to take the blame for spoiling her?
He closed the light to prevent waking you both, his lips kissing the tip of your nose, making you grunt "shh, keep sleeping" he caressed your hair, putting some strands behind your ear, then his hand caressing your daughter's cheek. Then his eyes admiring her features, that silky black hair she got from him, her eyebrows she got from you, her nose she got from him, her cute lips, that always arcs in a smile whenever she sees him, that were just same as yours.
"thank you" he murmured, admiring you and the life you both created together, watching you both sleep until he joined soon after.
Vin Jin
he spent part of his childhood sleeping next to his mother, so he has no problem on having your daughter join you to sleep.
Vin is the one who tends to spoil her more, joking with her or extending bedtime in order to play more with her, that of course makes her to prefer sleeping with dad and mom.
also, since both of you work, having time with your daughter is quite difficult so even if it's sleeping together, Vin just wants to spend time with his family.
The weather was snowy, it was so cold that Vin just wanted to be home asap, while he was shivering from the cold, in his head he could only think of his daughter, hoping that she wasn't cold "I'll bring her to sleep with us".
When he got home he sighed with relief as he felt the warmth of home. He went to his daughter's room to take her to sleep with mom and dad, but he found her bed empty.
When he entered his room, he found you and your daughter sleeping snuggled, he smiled to himself, grateful of being able to see you both every day. He joined you both waking unintentionally you both "dad is cold" your daughter murmured, her little arms hugging him, your leg wrapped around his waist "we have to warm daddy" you murmured, Vin hugged you both on his arms, receiving your warmth
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Text
This isn't Your Fault
Pairing: Tara Carpenter x Reader
Summary: “Tara,” you said, the calmness of your voice surprising you. “This isn’t you fault.”
Warnings: Violence
Word Count: 3.3k+
Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
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“Hey, babe,” you answered the phone cheerfully. “How was the party?” Tara had begged you to go to the frat party, but you declined. As much as you loved the girl, there was no way in hell she was going to get you to go to a frat party. You already hated parties and socializing in general. There was nothing in the world that could convince you to go to something that involved both, especially when all the people involved would be drinking.
“Ugh,” Tara groaned. “It was going great until Sam showed up and tased someone in the balls.”
“I’m sorry?” you weren’t sure you heard her right, it sounded like she said her sister tased someone in the balls. You opened a cabinet, grabbing a glass.
“There was some drunk frat douche who may have been trying to get me to come upstairs with him.”
“Oh my god, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” You knew Tara was smiling into her phone just from the way her voice softened, it brought a smile to your face as well.
Tara loved when someone cared about her. She loved when someone cared enough to be there for her and protect her. You knew that, just from the way her eyes always lit up when you’d check in or instantly come over if she was having a bad day. You saw it in the way despite wanting freedom from her sister, she still respected her and wanted her approval. You and Tara had been dating for over six months now and she still refused to introduce you to her sister. You had met her friends but none of them knew you guys were dating. You understood, truly, after what they had all been through you got that they were hesitant to trust strangers. Even though she said she was afraid of how Sam would react, and that she’d scare you off you knew the real reason Tara didn’t want to introduce you yet was because she was afraid Sam wouldn’t approve of you.
You believed your relationship with Tara was stronger than that, that Tara wouldn’t break up with you just because her sister or friends didn’t like you. You knew it would make things difficult though. If they didn’t like you, or really if Sam didn’t like you, you knew Tara would be hurt. She’d be torn between being with you and knowing her sister didn’t approve. Which is why until Tara was ready, you were more than happy to wait to officially meet Sam.
“Chad stopped the guy, getting into a fight in the process,” Tara continued.
You smiled at that; you knew there was always a reason you liked Chad. “Good,” you said instead.
“Then Sam showed up and the tasing happened,” she let out a long sigh. “I just want a normal life.”
“I know,” you whispered sympathetically. “You know she just wants to keep you safe though, right?”
Tara groaned, causing you to laugh. “I know,” she mumbled. “This is just the exact reason why I won’t introduce you.” You could imagine Tara throwing up her hands as she said that. “She wants me to open up and share with her but then when I try to have a life outside of the friend group, she tases someone!”
“Whenever you decide to introduce me, I’m sure it will go fine.” You reached above the island, grabbing one of the pans hanging and set it on the stove. “I’m sure I won’t get tased.” You walked around the island, moving to grab the food you intended to have for dinner before pausing in your tracks. “Right?” you asked hesitantly with an awkward chuckle before you got to moving again.
“Maybe,” Tara mumbled. Your steps paused again, you wanted to meet the most important person in Tara’s life, but Tara was making it incredibly difficult for you to not be terrified of her sister. “Just stand behind me when that eventual meeting happens.”
You let out a nervous chuckle. You were sure it would go fine. You were sure that Sam would probably glare at you and maybe judge you right away, assuming you were out to get them or something. You hoped though that eventually Sam would warm up to you. You were sure Sam could be scary, you’d seen her staring down anyone who so much glanced at her wrong when she followed Tara somewhere, she was certainly one intimidating woman. You knew she was really just incredibly protective over her little sister, a bit overprotective if you asked Tara.
Her friends weren’t much different, at least Mindy and Chad, the ones who survived Woodsboro with them. You had met them in casual settings, at parties, in the library, and even shared a class with Mindy. They were all a tight knit group, they talked with others but letting someone in their friend group was a process apparently. When you eventually officially met them, you were sure you’d be interrogated by Mindy and Chad would probably be like Sam, glaring at you from across the room. Out of the three of them Tara said Mindy was the calmer more reasonable one, but she could get a little intense when she was going over a suspect list or accusing people of murders.
Mindy was the one you were the least worried about. You actually had a couple classes with Anika and worked together on a few papers. You still hadn’t met Mindy enough to walk up and talk to her, but she would give you a nod if she saw you and she was always nice when she came to pick Anika up from a study session. She would also usually squint at you, watching you for anything suspicious but she did that with most people, so you didn’t take it personally.
“My fearless protector,” you said softly.
“Shut up,” Tara said.
You chuckled, shaking your head. Tara was short and everyone underestimated her. The truth was she had just as much fight in her as her sister. Whenever you were out if someone made a rude comment or God forbid hit on you, Tara would shoot them a furious glare that would make anyone on the receiving end wish they were dead. There was even one time when you were out and someone recognized Tara, then the moron decided to make a comment about Sam, and you were lucky to pull Tara out of there before the police could be called. She about launched herself over the table, arms already out and ready to strangle the man.
Your laughter quickly ended when you heard a creak. You froze, your breath catching in your throat. You didn’t take the phone away from your ear as you glanced down the hall. You didn’t see anyone, and the front door was still closed. You were the only one home, your parents being out of town for the week. You swore you heard the floor creak though. Every fiber of your body told you to not go down the hall, the little alarm going off in your head screaming that something wasn’t right.
“You, okay?” Tara asked. You could hear the concern in her voice.
“Yeah,” you answered distractedly. You cleared your throat saying, “Yeah,” again more convincingly. “So, what’s planned for the rest of the night?” you decided to change the subject.
“Sleep,” Tara mumbled. “I’m already starting to feel this hangover. Can I come over tomorrow?”
“Is that a good idea?” You swung around the island, resting your hand on the refrigerator door. “I doubt Sam will want you out of her sight after tonight.”
“Fuck what she wants. I miss you,” she whined.
You glanced up from the floor, catching the reflection of a white mask in the window as you opened the fridge door. You swallowed, preparing yourself for what was about to happen.
“Tara,” you said, the calmness of your voice surprising you. “This isn’t you fault.”
“What?” she asked, confused.
You slammed the refrigerator door closed, spinning around to face your attacker just as he swung his knife, the metal blade clashing against the steel fridge door. You ran towards the stove, letting your phone clatter onto the island as you empty your hands to grab the pan you had intended to use to cook dinner.
You brought the pan up just as Ghostface brought his knife down towards you. The sound of metal against metal filling the air. You moved the pan, blocking every slash and every stab. At one point when he went to stab you instead of blocking you brought the pan up, swinging it down hard on his hand that held the knife. He groaned, dropping the knife in the process. You brought the pan back up, whacking him across the face. He stumbled to the side, catching himself on the counter. You brought the pan down on his head again. While he was down on his knees you turned and ran, reaching over the island to grab your phone again.
You ran down the hall, sliding into the front door, after taking the turn a little too tight. You had your hand on the doorknob when you saw Ghostface already on his feet again, making his way to you. You changed course, running up the stairs to your room instead. You heard the knife impale the front door, cracking the wood as it was yanked out.
You reached your room, slamming the door behind you, knowing it would only buy you a few extra seconds. You jumped on your bed, rolling over the other side as gracefully as you could. You grabbed the baseball bat you always had resting against the wall by your bedside, getting in a swinging position as you stared down the door, waiting for Ghostface to burst through.
You held the phone in your hand, the same one that was gripping the bat. You vaguely heard Tara’s voice coming through the speaker, you knew she must be going out of her mind not knowing what was happening. You wanted to answer her, tell her Ghostface was here and to get out of town as fast as she could. You couldn’t release your grip on the bat though, your eyes were glued to your bedroom door.
The bedroom door shuddered as if someone was pounding on it. With each shake you stepped back, bumping into the wall behind you. You tightened your grip on the bat, your knuckles turning white. When suddenly the shuddering stopped. You held your breath as the doorknob slowly turned, the door squeaking open. Standing in the doorway was Ghostface, knife shining at his side. He tilted his head at you as he stepped into your room, crossing over the invisible threshold.
You and Ghostface watched each other, waiting for the other to make their move. It was so quiet you could swear you heard your own heart beating. In the blink of an eye Ghostface surged forward, launching himself over the bed, he didn’t make it over your bed in one jump though. His feet got caught up in the blankets causing him to stumble down.
You took the opportunity to run around the side of the bed, narrowly missing a swipe of Ghostface’s knife as he swung out at you. You heard a light thud then realized you had a better grip on your bat, you had dropped your phone. You slid to a stop just as you hit the stairs, gripping the railing so you didn’t go flying down them. You quickly recovered, rushing down the steps as quick as possible. Part of you wanted to go back for your phone but you knew doing so would only end in your death.
You got to the front door, turning the knob to unlock it then flung the door open. Ghostface stomped down the steps, jumping when he was halfway, slamming his body into the open door, effectively closing it again. You stumbled back, barely getting out of the way of the door about to crush your arm.
Ghostface pushed himself off the door with a grunt, jumping right at you. He knocked you to the ground, the force of his tackle causing you to let go of your bat.
You looked at your bat, rolling just out of reach. You looked back up, seeing Ghostface hovering over you. He gripped his knife in his right hand, swiftly bringing it down towards your chest.
You caught his wrist just as the knife touched your shirt, pushing back against him so it was now hovering a few inches from your chest. He brought his other hand over, putting more weight on the hand with the knife. It inched closer and closer to your chest. You stared up at the white mask, into the hollow black eyes. You knew there was a person behind the mask, but you couldn’t make out any features.
You kicked your legs, trying to get any leverage on him. You brought your knee up, knowing for sure he was a he by the way he groaned, loosening his grip on the knife. You knocked the knife out of his hand, rolling out from under him in the processes.
He moved slowly, still clearly in pain from your hit. He reached over, stretching out his hand towards his knife. You were closer, reaching up and smacking it across the floor.
You were on your knees about to pull yourself up the rest of the way when you looked up seeing Ghostface standing above you, he had recovered before you. He sent three swift kicks to your stomach, knocking the breath out of you. You rolled over onto your back, looking up at him as you gasped for breath.
You rolled over again, trying to bring yourself back to your feet, there was no way you were going down without a fight. Your hands were spread out, face down on the floor to help push you up. Ghostface walked closer to you, the only thing you saw were his boots stopping before you.
Ghostface lifted his leg high, bringing his heavy combat boot down onto your hand. He gave his boot a final twist, allowing you to hear the crunch of your bones before he took his foot away. You rolled back onto your back, clutching your hand as you screamed in pain. Tears were already streaming down your face as you tried to regain control of your breathing.
Ghostface walked around you, moving towards his knife. You pressed your injured hand to your chest, reaching out towards your bat with the other hand. Ghostface forgot about his knife, kneeling down in front of you, tilting his head as he watched you struggle trying to reach the bat. He picked the bat up just as your fingertips grazed the handle.
He stood above you, tilting his head as he shook the bat back and forth in a taunting manor before raising it above his head.
“No!” you screamed right before Ghostface brought the bat down onto your ribs.
He brought the bat down again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
The force of his swings never letting up. You struggled to catch your breath. Gasping for air as you took short shallow breaths, you couldn’t take a deep breath.
There was what sounded like tires screeching outside. Through bleary vision you could see Ghostface look up and out the window before dropping your bat with a clang and bolting towards the backdoor.
“Y/N!” someone shouted. You blinked your eyes slowly, your eyelids becoming heavy.
The next thing you were aware of was a warm pressure on your shoulder. You turned your head to see a hand resting on your shoulder. Your eyes trailed from the hand, up an arm, and to a face, your girlfriends face, Tara’s face. You saw blurry figures beside her that you couldn’t make out. You could only stare into Tara’s worried eyes. She seemed to be sobbing, her mouth was moving but you couldn’t hear the words coming out before your eyes slowly shut, everything going black.
When you opened your eyes again you were in a dark room, panic instantly shot through you. You tried to sit up, instantly hissing in pain. You sucked in a breath but once again, pained shot through you. You dropped your head back down, taking small breaths. It didn’t feel like you were on the hard wood floor anymore, whatever was behind your head felt soft and fluffy. Your eyes darted all around the room, not recognizing your surroundings, the walls were bare and basic, you didn’t know where you were.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Tara whispered softly, her tear-stained face appearing above you. “You’re okay,” she gripped your hand tightly with her own, brushing your hair out of your face with her other hand. “You’re in the hospital.”
“Wh-what are you doing here?” you rasped out, your dry mouth the least of your worries because each word caused pain to shoot through you.
“I needed to make sure you were okay.” You caught movement out of the side of your eye, seeing someone else had been in the room and was slipping out to give you and Tara privacy. You didn’t get a good visual and you’d only ever seen pictures Tara showed you, but it almost looked like Sam.
“You-you need to get out of town.” You gritted your teeth, trying to swallow the pain. “You need to get somewhere safe.”
“No, no, I’m not leaving you,” she shook her head as if she couldn’t believe you said that. “I’m not leaving you,” she repeated, leaving you no more room to argue.
Your eyes drifted to your hand not intertwined with Tara’s, it was wrapped in a cast. The cast covered your entire hand, going up all your fingers, leaving only your pointer one free, then it stretched down just past your wrist so you couldn’t bend it. The only thought that went through your mind oddly was that you were just glad it hadn’t been your dominant hand.
You looked back up at Tara, noticing she was staring at your injured hand as well. “How are you feeling?” she asked, not able to peel her eyes away from the cast.
“If I sit completely still and don’t breathe then the pain is only agonizing,” you answered. “Instead of excruciating.”
“I’m sorry,” Tara whispered, tears already beginning to fill her eyes.
“This wasn’t your fault,” you tried to lean up, instantly wincing in pain as you slowly lowered yourself back down again. “Please don’t cry.” You untangled your hand from hers, reaching up to brush the few stray tears that had begun to fall. “This wasn’t your fault.”
“If it wasn’t for me, you never would have been targeted,” her voice cracked.
You shook your head. “No, no, it’s not your fault a psycho wants to hurt you. This isn’t on you. I love you.” You tilted her chin until she was looking you in the eye. “I love you,” you whispered again.
“I love you too,” she leaned forward, resting her forehead against yours, a few of her tears dripping down onto you.
“This was a hell of a way to meet your sister,” you said, trying to break the tension.
Tara leaned back into her chair, wrapping her hand in yours again. “And you still haven’t even officially met yet,” she chuckled.
“Damn,” you sighed. “I was hoping unconscious me had already done all the work.”
“At least she knows you aren’t potentially a Ghostface,” Tara joked.
You laughed, instantly wincing in pain. “Don’t joke.”
“I’m sorry,” she smiled down at you. “She does want to officially meet you though.”
“Can’t wait,” you whispered. You closed your eyes as Tara stroked her fingers through your hair, allowing you to peacefully to drift off to sleep.
2K notes · View notes
letstalkaboutshtufff · 2 months
Text
I’m Sorry I Wasn’t Enough
Neteyam x reader
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Pairing: Neteyam Sully x Reader Mate
Warnings: Mentions of Arranged Marriage, violence, blood.
Summary: A year after your marriage you are looking back on things, more specifically your non existent relationship with your mate. When something happens and you’re in danger how will Neteyam react? Oh and you’re injured?
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Today marked the one year anniversary of your bonding ceremony to the future oleykten of the omatikaya. One year and one month since your life had changed forever
Neteyam te Sully, son of Toruk Makto… your husband. You remember it like it was yesterday..
The war with the sky people had gotten increasingly difficult, Toruk makto had been meeting with your Grandfather to discuss a potential alliance between the clans to aid in the fight against the sky people.
It was a shock to all when your Grandfather said they would only help if there was a blood alliance. Meaning you, the sole heir were to be married to Neteyam, there clans heir.
It was a smart move for all parties involved on paper. A decision that would strengthen everyone, combining resources, combining armies, combining… well everything. But happiness for everyone else unfortunately meant the sacrifice for you and Neteyam.
Toruk Makto had asked you many times if you were alright with it, to which you politely said you were ready to do anything to aid the cause against the sky people.
It’s not like you could have said anything else.
Your parents were not alive to defend you, your grandfather was a good leader but couldn’t care less about your happiness. “Good leaders need to make sacrifices for the people.”
Neteyam understood the same thing. He also wanted nothing more than to prove himself.
So you both agreed without so much as having more than one conversation together.
Within a few days you had packed all your belongings and were mounting an Ikran. Your new life awaited you.
A month later you were mated before Eywa to Neteyam. Bonded in every way except the heart.
Neteyam wasn’t cruel no but he was… serious. The heavy burden of war on his responsible shoulders. He was civil with you. Spoke when nessesary to you but other than that… you barely ever saw him.
His days were either filled with preparing for raids or the raids himself and he would enter your home pod late when you were asleep and leave at first light.
The only time you ever felt any sort of emotion from him was during your first and only mating bond. Connecting your queues forced emotion to flow through the both of you, and he had been gentle and caring. But you realized soon after that that was a one time occurrence and that warmth was not a thing your mate was capable of.
Well at least not with you. He was caring with his family, you’d watched him interact with them from afar. He was careful not to show this side of him to many but you did manage to see it several times before he noticed you were there, then he’d swiftly mask his face.
You really didn’t understand his coldness. You were mated for life shouldn’t you both make an effort to at least be friends?
You tried to be someone he would proud to call his mate. You helped around the village, especially with the wounded, you made sure not to fight with anyone and keep a cool head. You did everything you could but he never saw you.. never saw your efforts.. even though you saw his.
Over the year you watched your mate. You grew to admire his strength and character. Perhaps that is why it hurt so much. You had feelings for a man who barely acknowledged your existence.
You let out a deep sigh. The trees of the forest were the only ever witnesses to your sorrow. You adjusted your net covering around you. It was getting colder, your old home never reached cool temperatures so you were not prepared for it.
You really didn’t have friends save for Neteyams siblings. And even there you didn’t spend that much time with them seeing how much trouble they liked to get into. You didn’t want to risk upsetting your mate.
You would admit that you were lonely however. When you weren’t needed in the village you spent your time exploring the never ending forest that was your home. You weren’t raised in one so you were always venturing out and exploring.
Today however due to your more than usual sadness, what with it being your anniversary and all you had walked further than you intended.
You paused your steps hearing several voices up ahead, what were Navi doing all the way out here?
You slowly crept closer to the sounds but made sure to stay hidden behind the trees.
Your eyes widened when you caught sight of the Navi- no Avatars that were clad in military gear and holding AR’s.
You carefully moved backwards until you were out of earshot.
You knew you had to tell your mate. They were clearly dangerous.
You felt for the weird contraption around your neck, you never had to use it before. You pressed down on it,
“N-neteyam?” You spoke shakily.
A few seconds passed before you heard a click. “Y/n…? Is that you?”
You could hear the slight confusion in his voice. At least he recognized you.
“Y-yes um, I’m out in the forest and there’s these Avatars… but they don’t look normal, they are dressed in camo and are holding AR’s…”
“What’s you pos?”
“W-what?” You furrowed your brows.
“Your position, where are you right now?” He spoke a bit more sternly.
“I’m-“
Wait where were you?
“Y/n?”
“I’m not sure but they were standing in front of an old worn down building..like a shack… something from the sky people I think..”
You could hear an intake of breath, “Y/n listen to me carefully, you’re going to get out of there without making a sound ok? Get back here immediately.”
You nodded before realizing he couldn’t see you, “ok I’m coming” you released the button and started to run as quietly as you could back the way you came.
Adrenaline coursed through you, you looked back several times to ensure you weren’t being followed.
You stopped to catch your breath, hopefully this was far enough-
“Ah!” You cried out falling backwards seeing a fresh bullet lodged in the now smoking tree beside you.
You quickly regained your footing and started barreling forward.
A round of explosive pops rang from behind you, debris grazing your back.
Oh Great Mother help me!
You cried out as another bullet whizzed right by your ear causing you to lose balance.
You heard shouts but they spoke in a language unknown to you.
You moved to get up when suddenly your queue was yanked back forcefully.
You hissed at your abuser, but he only smiled. Again he spoke in a language you didn’t understand.
“L-Let me go!” You tried clawing at his hand but he only yanked harder causing your vision to go white in seering pain.
Was he going to kill you? You wish you could at least understand what he was shouting at you.
He used your queue to turn you harshly around. You hissed again now able to fully see your attacker.
He only rolled his eyes said something that again failed your understanding and swiftly backhanded you into the dirt.
While you lay on the ground in pain he held a hand to his ear saying something into his comm.
You had to do something, he was going to kill you or take you back to the others…
Your eyes perked up seeing something glinting strapped to his boot.
You figured it was best to attack while he was distracted…
I guess it’s now or never,
You swiftly grabbed the knife and plunged it into his stomach.
“Gah! You bitch!”
You didn’t stick around to see his reaction, you were already darting away. You heard the cocking of his gun and immediately started weaving through trees.
*POP* *POP* *POP*
It was a miracle you avoided all the bullets.
You made the mistake of looking back for a split second and found yourself tumbling over a root.
You gasped and tried to right yourself but he was already there pointing his gun.
Your eyes met his murderous ones and you knew this was it.
You let out one more frightened hiss and watched his finger start to pull.
*POP POP*
You couldn’t help the cry that left your mouth but- why weren’t you in pain?
“Y/N move!” Suddenly an arm was yanking you up onto your feet.
“N-neteyam!?” You couldn’t believe your eyes. He was about to speak when moments later more gunshots rang out. You gasped seeing more avatars emerging from the trees.
“Neteyam get her out of here! Move!” Jake jumped in front of you both and motioned for you to run. A few Navi warriors aiding him shooting their own weapons.
Neteyam pulled you through the trees at record speed, he quickly pulled you onto his Ikran before mounting it himself behind you and flying away. His eyes scanning the trees to make sure no one was aiming anything at them.
“Are you injured?” He asked in that raw tone he used in the middle of battle. Serious and to the point.
You shook your head, not trusting your voice not to crack. That was the last thing you wanted to do was cry in front of him.
He sighed before adjusting his reins. His silence was like poison. Slowly seeping into you making you feel ten times worse then when you were just under that guys gun.
You were breathing heavily when he landed the ikran on the mountain ledge.
He dismounted first then held out his hand, you let him help you down thanking Eywa that your legs didn’t give out on you in front of the entire village who were currently staring.
“Neteyam!” Tuk ran up and hugged your mate tightly.
The silly siblings all ran up to you guys asking what happened.
“Are you hurt sister?” Kiri eyed you up and down wearily.
“I’m alright, don’t worry…”
“Y/n!” Tuk was quick to switch to you and you embraced her warmly wanting to ease the fear on her face.
“Everyone is alright Tuk, please don’t cry…” you stroked her back calming her down, or maybe you were using her as a buffer.
You hesitantly glanced up to where Neteyam was speaking to his mother. He looked pissed. Neytiris eyes met your worried ones for a split second, softening slightly before turning back to her son. Her eyes widened in some sort of threat before sighing and coming to you.
“Are you alright daughter?” She placed a hand on your shoulder.
“I’m alright…I’m sorry for all of this I-“ she shushed you quickly.
“Don’t, it’s alright, everyone is alright…” you sighed and nodded to her thankful that she wasn’t upset with you for putting her family in danger.
“Y/n” you sucked in a breath and met your mates eyes. You wanted to let out a whimper at the anger they held.
He motioned for you to follow him. Every step felt like someone had placed a stone in your heart.
He pulled aside the flap of your tent and looked forward waiting for you to enter.
With shakey breaths you ducked under and stepped into your home.
Your fingers pulling at your netted covering as a nervous distraction.
You had seen Neteyam angry countless times before, at warriors who disobeyed orders. At his brother for causing trouble, at anyone who seriously stepped out of line.
You shivered in place now that for the first time that anger was directed at you.
He yanked the flap back down and rounded on you.
“What the hell were you thinking!?” His eyes shooting daggers through you.
“I-I I’m sorry I didn’t mean-“
“Do you know how much danger you’ve put everyone in?! They could’ve followed you back to our village and done who knows what!”
“I never would have-“
“What were you thinking wandering around there!? That areas off limits for a reason!”
“I didn’t know- Neteyam I-!”
“Enough! I don’t want to hear your excuses.” You felt the tears running down your cheeks and it seemed to trigger Neteyam to at least bring his anger down a notch.
He turned around letting out a sigh,
He hated you, that was evident now. He may have hidden his distaste before but now that you had finally angered him his true colors showed.
It only made your tears come faster. The adrenaline finally wearing off, you realized just how scared you had been. Your body ached, craving nothing more than to curl up and rest.
Not to mention an annoying pinching feeling on your abdomen that was getting increasingly more painful. Like a sting from a beertus beetle.
You ignored it focusing on the man before you.
He held a hand up to his neck, you could hear his father speaking on the other side.
They talked for a minute, you released a breath you didn’t know you were holding when you heard that everyone was alright.
Neteyam ended the line and his head turned towards you. He seemed a bit calmer now that he knew everyone was ok.
Your eyes couldn’t handle his glare at the moment so instead they landed on the mat beneath you.
It was quiet for several moments, the air thick with tension.
“You are never to go there or anywhere near that area again understood?” He spoke to you like you were one of his soldiers.
“Understood…” your voice was hoarse but at least it didn’t break.
He nodded before turning to leave and meet with his father to discuss this new threat.
Your heard his footsteps start to fade which meant he was going to leave. Of course he would. Why would he want to stay with someone like you?
Your eyes were still glued to the mat. A beautifully woven mat that was a gift from your Mother in law. It was dyed in beautiful colors.
Huh? Did something spill on it? Your eyebrows furrowed seeing red droplets. Hopefully that wouldn’t stain.. was it juice? You hoped it-
Another drop, forming right before your eyes. You looked up at the ceiling, frowning when you didn’t see anything. Then something clicked and you moved your netted cover to the side, you expected to see a cut or deep scrape from your falls. But you felt like a bucket of ice had been dumped on you when you saw it.
Why Great mother? Why were you testing me like this?
You let out a distressed whimper. Your eyes shot to the entrance where your mate had just stepped out of seconds before. You could still hear his footsteps.
You could call to him. He would hear you. But you didn’t. You couldn’t.. your mate already hated you. You would not tell him this and make him even angrier.
You would not tell him you had been shot…
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You cursed realizing quickly that that was probably the dumbest mistake you had made. Because moments later you were too dizzy to stand and were sprawled out onto the floor clutching your side.
How could you get help now? Was this how you were going to die? It certainly looked like it..
You thought of your mate. He hated you, maybe it was…. You whimpered at your next thought.
Maybe this was for the better. He would find a new mate and be happy.
Yeah, you could do this for him… why should such a good person be miserable..?
But wait… would this damage his reputation? That he let sky people kill his mate?
Was this actually going to hurt him?
A Navi males reputation was everything. If he couldn’t protect his family who would trust him to protect the people.
No, you couldn’t be selfish. If you died, he would suffer in his position.
For the second time ever you reached up to your neck, fingers slippery from the blood.
“N-neteyam…” was that your voice? It sounded so different…
Would he even answer? He probably thought you were trying to make excuses for what happened. You tried calling out a few more times.
You felt your heart sink at the silence, it looked like he had shut the line off.
As your vision began to blur at the edges you realized that it looked like his reputation was going to suffer after all.
Even though you knew he wasn’t listening you held the button down once more, one final time…
“I’m s-sorry Neteyam.. I really tried to be a w-worthy m-mate.. I’m sorry I couldn’t do b-better mmh, p-pl.. please tell the p-people it was m-my fault not yours…I… I really did love you N-Neteyam, I-i h-hope your next mate will make you happy-“
Your fingers slipped from exhaustion and your vision failed you completely.
Goodbye my Neteyam…
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Neteyam had never moved so fast in all his life.…
Ooooh a cliffhanger hehehe, also is anyone actually reading this? Should I do a part 2👀❤️
396 notes · View notes
calmcoldevening · 1 year
Text
Why did they want to keep you with them? (slashers x reader)
TW! Mention of rape and abuse
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Michael Myers
• Michael came to your house to kill you.
• He was prevented by one scene: you were crying and screaming, trying to escape from the grip of your "boyfriend", who forcibly undressed you. Disgusting attempted rape.
• Michael lay low, watching you for a while, watching your pleas and futile attempts to escape. Your gaze reflected the pain of betrayal. This was different from what Myers saw in the eyes of his victims during the murders.
• You reminded him of his mother. Michael grew up around women, and he saw how his mother often cried at night after a particularly hard shift at "work". And although he didn't feel anything towards you at that moment, he understood that it was wrong.
• In place of you and this guy, Michael saw Deborah and Ronnie. And he couldn't stand this sofa imbecile. Such a vile, cruel and disgusting person is not worthy of life, right?
• When he was done with the guy, Myers came up to you and squatted down. You, clearly still on the verge of hysteria and loss of consciousness, clung to his shoulders, burying your face in a blue jumpsuit. Michael didn't know how to react, he didn't feel anything, but something inside was telling him to comfort.
• The voices behaved strangely. At any other time they would have said kill, but not now. And only the mother's voice stood out among this gray series of sounds: "Calm her, Michael."
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Bubba Sawyer
• That day you were traveling with Sally, her brother and friends. You've been pretty distant. You were always stressed out by such noisy companies, but Pam begged you, as one of her best friends, to go with them.
• When a strange hitchhiker jumps into your van, you are attracted to his behavior. Why is he so jumpy? Sick in the head? Perhaps. Your fears are confirmed when he snatches a knife from Franklin and cuts open his hand. You look at his distraught face and run up to him, thinking how to stop the blood faster. After walking in for a while, you grab your backpack and take out bandages and some ointments that you bought earlier at the nearest pharmacy. As carefully as possible, you rub his palm and wrap a clean bandage on top. Nubbins, as you will find out later, looks at you with shock and incomprehension.
• When you become one of the Sawyers' victims, it becomes a choice who they want to put at the table as a guest during a dinner party. The choice falls on you and Sally.
• Nubbins immediately recognizes you and begins to actively tell his brothers something. Did you help Nubbins? Bubba is impressed. You didn't offend his brother, but on the contrary, you showed sympathy!
• Bubba is heading towards you (you and Sally are sitting on the infamous bone sofa). He touches your cheek with his thick finger, and you smile nervously. You're ready to cry from fear right now; your lips are trembling, but no tears are flowing. Bubba repeats his action, this time stroking your chin. He smacks his lips strangely from time to time; you can see his crooked teeth.
• To be honest, Nubbins and Drayton never understood why their brother left you, but he continued to be adamant, carefully taking you to his room. He untied your limbs only in the late afternoon, when he was sure he could keep an eye on you.
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Vincent Sinclair
• You came to Ambrose and decided to go to the store for a snack. Bo immediately called out to you and offered to go to his house. The boy is cute, smiling — why not?
• When you entered the Sinclair house, you immediately realized that the guy, or guys, it seems he had brothers, had not had proper care and care for a long time: all the rooms were dusty, and the kitchen was littered with dirty dishes and empty boxes of instant food.
• Without thinking twice, you decided to first clear the space a little, and then concoct something in a hurry. In the end, Bo gave it the go-ahead.
• While you are washing the dishes, a strong blow is heard upstairs, and then Bo's angry screams. You hurriedly wipe your hands and almost run to the second floor. Slowly approaching the right room, you hear Bo's furious voice. "Fuck, couldn't you've been more careful, huh? Now she's definitely gonna run away, damn it. And all because of you, bastard!". Then there was a thud.
• You run into the room and see Bo towering over a long-haired guy. He fell on his ass and pressed his hands to his face. You rush to him and help him up. "Are you okay? What was that? Does anything hurt?" you shower the man with questions and only now notice that his face is wearing a mask.
• "Get away from him. And you, freak, move it. You don't want to get another slap in the face, do you?". You frown and stand in front of the guy, blocking him from Bo. You let the long-haired one lean on your shoulder. "Don't yell at him. Can't you see that he's sick?".
• The only thing Vincent can think about at this moment is how you protect him, not afraid to raise your voice to Bo, and what kind of affectionate and warm hands you have. You gently hold him by his broad back, and even through the mask he feels a pleasant scent of perfume. Maybe I shouldn't kill you?
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Bo Sinclair
• You arrived in Ambrose with your friends. Although, they could hardly be called that. They were extremely toxic and called you names all the time.
• Your car needed an inspection: while driving, something was knocking violently under the hood, so when one of the guys talked to Lester, you drove into town.
• This place seemed nice enough to you, even though it looked a little creepy and abandoned.
• When Bo was talking to a guy from your company who was driving a car, he saw a young man yelling at you and sometimes swinging. Bo frowned, but did not show his mood change to others. "Why doesn't the girl go to our local "House of Wax"? This place will really make you want to stay" Bo joked, pointing towards a hill near the city. You went in the indicated direction with a clear desire to distract yourself from these vile people, leaving your pseudo-friends in the care of Bo.
• A little later you will discover that all your companions have mysteriously "left", leaving you in this city all alone to fend for yourself.
• Bo will calm you down and try in every possible way to show that you can trust him (what's there, you cried into his vest, and he gently stroked you on the back). The man was grinning.
• In fact, he just saw himself in you at that moment. He remembered how his parents treated him brutally, chained him to a chair with stones and constantly set an example for his younger brother. Something about you, so shrinking and scared, seemed to him exciting and interesting. Perhaps he found in your eyes the same feelings that he experienced in his life, there was something familiar about you, even native, that made him want to protect you and fence you off from these terrible people.
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Well i love them too much hah. I wrote this with my ex-girlfriend a long time ago, so I was not sure if it was worth posting. But what's done is done. These boys are too cute for me not to write this one. So have a good day :)
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azrielsdove · 6 months
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The High Lords: Rhysand x Tamlin!sister!reader
Warnings: 18+, Smut, Fighting, Light mentions of violence
Part 2
***
You knew this was wrong.
You knew what your brother would do.
You knew you shouldn’t be enjoying this.
You knew to stay far, far away from the High Lord of the Night Court.
But you did not care as his hands slid up your skin and his lips pressed to yours.
***
Life at the Spring Court was simple. You spent most of your days in the gardens around your estate, often hiding from your slightly overprotective brother. As much as you love him, he tends to react to anything that happens to you a tad aggressively. You understood his fear comes from losing the rest of your family and that he was naturally going to be careful with you. You just wished he would relax a little more and trust you to take care of yourself.
The biggest issue recently has been that of any potential suitors. He realizes you need more to life than strolling the gardens, and had graciously arranged for you to meet all eligible bachelors. Chosen by him, of course.
Not that you even wanted that.
Sure, you had noticed a select few males on the rare nights you went to the village. You felt the desire for touch and for love like anyone else. Unfortunately, your romantic heart craved the mate connection. You knew it was rare and the chances of you having one were low, though that didn’t stop you from dreaming about who he could be.
Once Tamlin got the idea that you should be married in his head, he would not let go of it. Countless arguments had passed between the two of you, with no progress made in your favor. Your last one was particularly nasty, ending with you yelling that you might as well marry Lucien if all Tamlin cared about was marrying you off.
You hadn’t spoken since.
Of course, marrying Lucien wouldn’t be so bad. You would be lying if you said you didn’t notice how handsome he was, and how kind he was to you. He wasn’t your mate though. You suppose if it came down to it you could definitely do worse. And oh, how it would anger Tamlin. His emissary, his best friend, your husband. Often Lucien would flirt with you in front of Tamlin, just to see him get upset. Though as much as you delighted in that game, your heart will always long for more.
***
Calanmai. The biggest night of the year in the spring court. You look forward to it every year, to the dancing and the music and the wine. You carefully selected your dress months ago, and have been preparing everyday leading up to it. You felt like this year was extra special, something big was going to happen.
Until Tamlin tells you he doesn’t want you to go.
The anger that rose in you was unlike anything you had ever felt. “You can NOT keep me from going. You may be my brother but you will not control what I do!” You shouted at him, your whole body shaking. Tamlin shuffled the papers he was reading and spoke without looking at you, “It is my job to keep you safe. Calanmai is not safe for you. Dangerous faries come, and you know what they tried to do last year.” You let out a groan of frustration. Last year a group of males had tried to take you away into the darkness of the wood. Lucien was there immediately to get them away, barely allowing them to leave within an inch of their lives. You can’t say that event didn’t unnerve you, but you would be wiser this year. He couldn’t hide you away forever.
“Lucien and I have a plan this year! He will stay with me the whole time. It will be fine!” You shot back, not willing to take no as an answer. Tamlin slammed his papers down and looked up at you. “No. Lucien doesn’t need to babysit you all night. He deserves a day off as well.” Your mouth dropped open at that. “Babysit?! Babysit! If you would just let me train, I could keep myself safe and no one would have to worry! You are going to be the cause of my death if you don’t sto-“ your words were cut off by your brothers yell of “Enough!”. He stood and walked over to you, grabbing your arms. “You. Will. Not. Go. Do you understand me? I am your High Lord, you will obey me. You have no idea what could happen out there.” His hands tightened on you when you started to pull away. “Fuck you, Tamlin. Fuck you.” You spat as you tore out of his grasp and ran from his study.
You felt the tears, hot and angry, spilling down your cheeks. You ran out of the manor into the dark night without having any plan of where you were going. You wanted to run away, to leave your brother and start over. Too caught up in your own mind, you didn’t notice the shape rapidly approaching you until you crashed straight into a hard chest. Arms quickly wrapped around your waist and you looked up into Lucien’s familiar face. You watched as he took in your tears and his eyes flashed with rage. “He told you you couldn’t go, didn’t he?” he spoke, hardly above a whisper. You could only nod as you folded into him, letting your sobs out. He ran a soothing hand across your back, pressing a kiss to your hair. “I’m so sorry. I tried to argue with him, but you know how it is.” He pulled away to look down at you. “Do not give up, my sweet flower. All hope is not lost. Why do you think I was out here so late?” He asked with a twinkle in his eye.
You allowed Lucien to lead you back home, drying your tears. He walked you to your room to ensure you avoided Tamlin, telling you to wait for him tomorrow. He would give you his plan then.
***
The next day you carefully got ready, not wanting Tamlin to notice what you were doing. The last thing you needed was him discovering your plan to sneak off to Calanmai. Lucien had returned early this morning to tell you what he had planned. He knew Tamlin would lose focus and would forget to even care if you came or not. Lucien was going to head down with Tamlin as normal, and once he was able to slip away he would come back for you. You would sneak out one of the back entrances, avoiding any guards Tamlin may have left. Once you were at the celebration, no one would be sound enough to realize you weren’t supposed to be there.
You pulled your dress out as excitement curled up your spine. The light, flowing green fabric covered you right where you needed it to, the fabric turning sheer as it floated around you. You gazed at yourself appreciatively in the mirror, knowing this look was your best. When Lucien finally came to collect you, he hesitated for a second as he looked you over. “You look…beyond beautiful.” He finally said, holding his arm out for you. You gladly took it and you two were off.
It was extremely easy to escape the manor without being caught, as any guard left had abandoned their post for the celebration. You smiled at the lucky fact, pace increasing the closer you got to the fires. You grabbed Lucien’s hand and took off running, laughing as you raced down the hills. Once you were there, you expertly slipped through the crowd until you could grab a glass of fairie wine. You moaned as the delicious taste went down your throat, thankful you were able to make it. You pulled Lucien in for a hug and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “Thank you,” you whispered as you let go. He only nodded before stepping a short distance away, hoping that if Tamlin saw him he wouldn’t see you.
You mingled into the crowd, dancing with anyone you found. You had several more glasses of wine until you felt like you were floating across the ground. Soon, it was time for Tamlin to choose who he would bed that night. You can’t say you enjoyed this part, and you typically took this opportunity to slip off into the trees for a while. You grabbed another glass of wine and went off, not too far to be in danger but far enough you didn’t have to hear your brother with his female of the night.
You leaned against a tree as the cool night air swirled around you. The dancing and drinking had made you quite warm, and the breeze was a welcome feeling. You stood there quietly for a few minutes, connecting with the nature around you.
Until you felt it.
Something in your chest pulled as darkness began to swirl around you. You shot up from your tree, eyes wide as you looked around. You were about to yell for Lucien when you heard someone say, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” You turned to find the most devilishly handsome male you had ever seen.
“Oh,” was all you said as you took in the familiar face in front of you. He smirked down at you, laughter in his voice, “Do you not remember me, darling?” He stepped closer, boxing you into the tree. His head lowered to yours, violet eyes staring holes into you. “Tamlins sweet younger sister, out here in these woods all alone. Tut tut. Doesn’t he know how dangerous it can be out here?” His words rushed over you, heat rising through your body. You should feel scared, you should be fighting, you should be running and screaming. Yet you don’t want to.
“Rhysand.” You finally say, noting the High Lord of the Night Court is who is in front of you. “Tamlin will not be pleased that you are here.” He pulled his head back and let out a laugh as he moved away from you. “He never is.” He says, eyes bright. You can’t help the smile that comes as you tease, “It’s been quite some time, Rhysand. Have you been hiding from me?” Something flashes through his eyes at your words and before you can breathe he has his body pressed to yours again. “Oh, my darling. Did you miss me?” He murmurs as his lips trace your cheeks. You feel that heat rise through you again, your hands fisting his top. “Why are you back now?” you asked, looking up at him. His eyes show something you can’t read before he says, “I felt like paying my dear old friend a visit. It helps that he has such a delicious sister for me to see as well.” His hands tighten around you as your cheeks flush red.
You had always enjoyed Rhysand when he came. Usually he came to argue with Tamlin about something, but he always stopped and spoke with you. You two had developed a secret friendship over the years, one even Lucien didn’t know about. You and Rhysand had much more in common than you thought. After every visit, Tamlin would find you to rant about how terrible he was and to always stay away from him. You knew there was more history between them than what you were told. Unfortunately, no one would tell you what it was. So you quietly spoke with Rhysand, enjoying when you saw him. It had been quite some time since he had graced the Spring Court. You were curious as to why he came now. It certainly wasn’t to meet with your brother, not tonight. Why else would he be here?
“Why now? I’ve called for you many times, Rhys. I began to think you abandoned me.” You spoke the words lightly, but the hurt shown in your eyes. He ducked his head almost in shame, eyes blazing as he looked at you. “I did not mean to, darling. It is not so easy for me to show up here without good reason. Things have been rather peaceful in recent years, and I couldn’t figure a way to sneak here without creating problems. I never abandoned you though. I have always kept watch.” There’s a smile hinting at his lips as your mind races to figure out what he meant. You gasp and shove him away from you. “You! You dirty pig! You’ve been able to spy on me with that?!” You try not to yell, hand going to the small eye on your hip. You and Rhys had made a deal long ago, early in your friendship, to always trust the other. You had been desperate for a friend then, and you knew it was a bad idea to get mixed up with him.
Rhys chuckled, hands up in surrender. “Not always! Just when I can feel that you are extra upset. It’s how I know he wasn’t going to let you come tonight. I felt the fight you had, and your anguish. I had to make sure you were okay.” You felt your heart grow soft at his words. You held your arms out, beckoning him to come back to you. He gladly wrapped himself back around you, holding you tight. “I missed you Rhys.” You whispered into his chest, squeezing him tighter. “And I missed you, darling girl.” You rose your head to look at him, enjoying the way the moonlight washed over his face. You knew he was handsome, but tonight he was even more so. His hands lightly traced up your back and a shiver went through your body. You noticed the way his eyes darkened, the way the air around you changed.
“I know he’s trying to marry you off.” Rhys spoke suddenly, the coldness in his words shocking you. You nodded once, saying “I told him I might as well marry Lucien. That I don’t want anyone he has chosen for me.” He laughed at that, “I assume he did not take that one well.” You shook your head, a smile on your lips. “No. He sent Lucien away on border patrol for a week, seemingly scared I would jump his bones and force Tamlin to marry us.” You laughed as you spoke, but Rhysands fingers dug into your skin at your words. “And would you have?” He asked, face serious. You let out a coy smile before answering, “Maybe.”
In a split second you were pressed back against the tree you were leaning on earlier, with his hands on either side of your head. You looked up at him with surprise as you noted the anger on his face. “Rhys?” You asked cautiously, a hand rising to cup his face. He turned into your touch, kissing your palm. “I know I shouldn’t be angry.” He whispers into your skin. His words send a flash of lightning through you. You weren’t sure what was wrong with you. All you knew was you wanted him.
No, you needed him.
Without thinking you leaned forward and pressed your lips to his. You instantly regretted what you had done as embarrassment flowed through you, moving to pull away. His hand came up behind your head and pushed you right back to him. His kiss was hard, needy. You fell back against the tee and moaned into this touch, hearing him curse against your mouth. His lips disappeared from yours and began traveling down your neck. He bit an especially sensitive spot and you gasped out his name. One hand pinned your waist to the tree behind you as the other ran down your leg. He began bunching your skirts up, desperate to feel your skin. His hand ran up your thigh, gripping tightly once he reached the top. You pulled his mouth back to yours, pressing your body into his. He ground his hips down onto yours, your body arched into his. A deep moan fell from you at that action, need coursing through your veins. You let out a soft whine when Rhys pulled away from you, leaving you suddenly cold.
“If we don’t stop now, I don’t think I will be able to.” He said, hands running through his hair. Your mind was a jumble of thoughts, all centering around Rhys and the way you needed him to fuck you right now. You took a step closer, placing a hand on his chest. “I don’t want you to stop,” you said, pulling him back down to you. The kiss was different this time, more intense, more hurried. He pulled your skirts up again without hesitation, his fingers finding you immediately. You fell back onto your tree once more, submitting to Rhysands touch. You made a noise of disapproval as he pulled his lips from yours again, before he dropped to his knees in front of you. He looked up at you wickedly, waiting for your permission to continue. You weren’t even done nodding before he tore your underwear and attached his lips to you. You nearly screamed at the sensation, head falling back in bliss. Rhys grabbed one leg and threw it over his shoulder, his hand gripping the opposite thigh hard enough to bruise. You let your hands thread through his hair, his name falling from your lips like a prayer as he worked you. “Go on, sweet thing. Let go for me.” He spoke against you, sliding a finger into you as well. You screamed loud enough for anyone to hear as your orgasm washed over you, more powerful than any you had ever felt. Rhys devoured you through it, prolonging the feeling until you were shaking from overstimulation. He carefully set your leg down and rose to look at you. The desire on his face, with his lips wet from you, was enough to have you ready for him again. You pulled him down to kiss you again, his hands traveling up your skin.
“I need you Rhys. Please,” you begged against his mouth, moving your hand to undo the ties on his pants. He groaned into your mouth as you pulled him out, pumping him in your hand. Your confidence faltered for a moment at the size of him, unsure if he would even fit. You had taken males before, unknown to your brother, but none had been like this. Rhys noticed your hesitation, pulling away to look at you. “We don’t have to continue if you don’t want to, sweet darling.” He spoke, brushing your hair out of your face. You responded by pumping him in your hand again, relishing in the way his eyes rolled back in pleasure. He pushed you back, sliding himself through your wet folds. You whimpered at the feeling, ready to feel him inside you. You felt his tip nudge at you before he pushed the first inch in. You arched into him as the pleasure washed over you. “More Rhys, more,” you moaned out, pulling him closer. Every inch of him brought you more and more pleasure, until you were certain you could finish just like this. Once he bottomed out in you he gasped out your name, bringing your lips to his once more.
He began to thrust softly into you, your nails digging into his back. He sped up, pushing harder and harder until you screamed his name against his mouth. He pulled his lips from yours, sucking a path down you neck. Your leg rose to hook over his hip, needing to feel him as deep as possible. One of his hands slid down you again, circling you with his fingers. You pushed harder into his touch, seconds away from finishing again. “I want to finish with you Rhys,” you mumbled out, gripping his back tighter. He let out a growl at your words and nipped your neck, thrusting unforgivingly into you. “Come with me,” he whispered into your ear, biting down on your earlobe. You let out a shout as the pleasure ripped through you, barely noticing the tatters of his shirt as you tore through it. Rhys came with a loud growl, burying himself into you.
It was then that you felt it. That snap. That feeling you had been longing for your whole life. Your eyes widened as you realized what just happened, looking to Rhys to see if he felt it too. He looked at you, questioning the look in your eyes. He slowly pulled out, helping you fix your dress and fixing himself. You began to feel an ache in your chest, realizing he didn’t feel the snap with you.
Until he took your hands in his and pressed a gentle kiss to your lips. “It snapped for me long ago,” he whispered, voice raw. Your eyes widened even more, processing this new information. Rhys was your mate. Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court. Rhysand, your brothers enemy. Rhysand, Rhysand, Rhysand.
Tamlin was going to kill you both.
***
I’m very tempted to write a part 2 to this!! Please let me know if that is something you would enjoy. My inbox is open for any requests or comments <3
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bulliestrolls · 5 months
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A Streams Psyche [FLEEK AU]
Introduction to the Fleek AU and what's to come (this was so fun to write hiii)
Honestly, Creek’s never been a huge fan of Branch.
At first, it wasn’t personal at all, or at least he didn’t mean for it to be, he just didn’t like how Branch treated his friends. He was always such a grouch and he was such a downer at every given moment, and it was such a drag to listen to over and over again. If anything, Creek was grateful that Branch typically barricaded himself from everyone else, I mean, if he wasn’t going to be positive, then what was the point of having him around? And yet that never seemed to stop Poppy, her being the future Queen of pop and also his best companion. 
Poppy always seemed adamant on having Branch join their crew and changing his ways. While he never really understood why she wanted to so badly, he couldn’t help but admire her attitude. Something about the peppiness always brought a smile to his face, and he always supported her decisions as a best friend should. Usually though, it never seemed to work in her favor. Branch always blew her off and gave a stink eye to her and everyone else, and quite frankly it got on Creek’s nerves. 
He always did his best to cheer up Poppy whenever it happened, finding it strange how upset she gets over it. Why should she even care if he doesn’t? What was the need to show emotion over someone that didn’t even matter in the long run? Regardless of his thoughts, he succeeded often in bringing back her spirits, the gang usually partying together the remainder of the night as a result. Creek always greatly enjoyed their company, and loved to share his exercises with everyone, his life seemed perfect.
That was until the bergens attack on Pop village. 
Even now, he remembered that day so vividly. Poppy had planned a gigantic celebration for the village to party over them being free from the monsters for so many years. Everyone was so excited to join in on the festivities, everyone except the one who he can’t even think about anymore without clenching his jaw. 
Branch. 
As usual, that damned troll was set on ruining the rest of their fun, claiming how they’re being far too loud and the bergens would get them. Same shit as usual, it was incredible how Creek didn’t gain a headache from the repetitiveness of it. He’s tried before to talk some sense into the troll, but Branch always shoved him away, seemingly as if he were more irate with him than anyone else, which was pretty confusing to Creek. 
Branch, of course, had ended up retreating back to his lonesome bunker, and the rest of the group set up in preparation for the lovely party. And what a party it was, it would’ve been one for the books if the attack hadn’t happened right after. Before much notice, he saw the yellow beady eyes looking down at everyone, and all he can recall is the screams of his friends and the pleas for help which were left unanswered. 
Next thing he had known, he and his buddies were stuffed into a back, shaking with fear and breathing hard, their fate unknown. He remembers not reacting as strongly as his friends had back then. Really, he remembered only thinking of how to relax everyone and for them to have an open and clear mind. How come he hadn’t really processed how awful the situation had been?
Whatever hope he had given his companions started to dwindle the more time went on, especially when everyone had been thrown into a cage, a bergen staring down at them. Even in that situation, Creek had been adamant on everyone remaining calm, and that help would be there soon. He didn’t know if he was even being honest with himself at that moment, he already knew how hopeless the situation had been. And the problem only cemented itself when he was grabbed to be eaten by the Bergens king. 
The moment was instant, he remembered his friends shouting and crying out his name and it all became muffled as the world around him darkened. Originally he had thought he had shut his eyes only to realize he was inside the king's mouth. He was terrified, for the first time in his life, and he could do nothing but accept his fate. Only.. the king’s mouth didn’t do anything. He hadn’t chewed, or swallowed, and it left Creek puzzled.
He still had time! He let out a deep inhale before using all of his core strength to push against the walls of the mouth, letting out a guttural scream until he found himself falling out of it, being met with the two bergens, and the fear kicking back into gear. What was the plan at that point? They were skyscrapers compared to him, running was out of the question. All he could do in that moment was beg for his life, pleading mercy and willing to do anything to be granted such. 
It seemed to have been a running thing through his life, the will to do anything he could in order to get what he wanted. In this case, that was making out of this alive. 
And so, he had made a deal to spare pop village and everyone in exchange to live. He truly wished it didn’t have to be that way, not when he has achieved such a strong bond with the others, but he didn’t have any other choice in the matter, so he reluctantly agreed. The next time he had seen everyone, they were all ecstatic to see that he was still alive, and he couldn’t help but smile despite the circumstances. It was short-lived however, when his eyes traveled to Branch, who seemed shocked and… annoyed that Creek was there. 
Really? Even after everything he was still acting like that? Before he had known it, Branch was exclaiming Creeks’ betrayal, his hair wrapping around Creeks neck harshly, cutting off his circulation to breathe. Relief overflooded him when Poppy had pushed Branch back and tried to talk reason into him. When everyone turned over to him however, he wasn’t quite sure of what to say. 
He… didn’t want to lie so he told them the truth of his betrayal, but it was for good reason. He hadn’t been able to get another word in before Poppy was doing the exact same assault Branch was previously. That was expected from Branch, but from HER? His heart was shattering, wondering where his Poppy had gone. She would never have acted like this towards him before, this must’ve been all his doing. He must’ve been changing her.
Why?
Why was she acting like that towards him? Surely she would’ve understood he didn’t have a choice in the matter, he would die otherwise! He insisted that the other trolls would’ve done what he had to if they were placed in his situation. When Branch had resisted her, Creek’s head felt like it was going to blow when he saw him holding onto Poppy like that. What the hell gives, exactly? It wasn’t like this until only now, and it confused the hell out of him. 
If anything, HE should’ve been the one to be angry in this situation. None of them had done anything to save him from his supposed doom, they all thought he was dead, after all. And, while he may not have enjoyed having to betray pop village, he felt a bit of sadistic glee when it involved Branch being part of the equation, especially now. After all, he made all of his friends hate him, telling them things behind his back. Things that showed Creek was the villain in the scenario, which he couldn’t help feel were ridiculous. SURELY they all would’ve done the same in this scenario, right? Right? Branch would’ve, definitely! He didn’t like ANY of them until only recently, apparently. 
The thought of it all made his head spin, he hated it. He hated him. None of this would’ve happened if it weren’t for that fucker. Creek could’ve calmed his friends down about the betrayal if not for HIS outburst. He wouldn’t have already been rooted against if not for Branch, his friends would’ve believed him, surely. Maybe… maybe this all was for the best! Yeah, yeah that’s it! At least in this way, Creek could properly punish Branch for all he believed was his fault, and maybe, just maybe, he could change Branch to their side once and for all, a feat Poppy wasn’t able to achieve so he would do it for her instead. Then… everything would return to normal. 
He had hoped at least that everything would return to normal.
Creek ended up returning to Pop village and doing what had to be done, which he felt sorrow for, at least that’s what he showed. It wasn’t really known how he was feeling about it all, but he did pity them all for being so weak and powerless in the situation. 
Some time later he finds that plans went south, and he was rolling out of the bergens kingdom with their chef, who was on fire. It was yet another moment of blink fast and you’d miss it. That was also the moment he realized that he didn’t need to betray them at all and everyone was still alive, which gave him momentary happiness, only for it to dwindle at the fact that everyone was leaving him to die. All he could do at that point was to scream along with the other bergen until the fire was put out and she was dead. Except that’s not exactly what happened. For some reason, the fire hadn’t killed her, which was a bit of a shock to him. It might’ve been due to the rough and thick skin of the bergens, but he wasn’t entirely sure. Regardless, since she was out of it from the pain, he thought he could maybe make an escape.
That was until he felt her cold and bony hand grab him, preparing to finish the job and eat him herself. God, he was just going to die no matter what he did, huh? How was any of it fair at all? 
The moment was thankfully short-lived, or at least so he thought, as he felt both of them falling down into a pit. The bergen had died almost instantaneously, sinking down into the stomach acid of the creature that had swallowed them both. He had more time to react than her about it, his small stature having him fall down at a slower pace. With quick thinking he gathered his hair strength to break out, but he still gained acid burns from being in there already. He screamt from the pain but was desperate to get out, to live.
He eventually had made it out of the monster's pit, gasping heavily as he had access to basic air once more, thanking whatever entity above him that was giving him a second chance at life. The troll had focused on tending to his wounds, letting out a hiss of agony at every touch, but it needed to be done. Once he had finally had a chance to think properly once more after his second near-death experience, it washed down on him like a dam. 
None of them cared if he died, hell, it seemed as if nobody even realized he was gone. What could he do from here? He certainly couldn’t have returned to pop village, at least not right now. If they were willing to give him up to a bergen, then they’d likely execute him on the spot for his ‘crimes’. All he could do right now was prepare for his eventual return, knowing that whenever that may have been, there was no going back to the way things used to be. His relationship with them all had been completely severed, and the way he could feel about things felt more warped than ever. 
In the months and the year it took until he returned, he practiced learning basic expressions, reacting to things suddenly and unreasonably to see their effect on others. How to truly react to things became null to him ever since that day, and it was a struggle to come across as normal afterwards. Nevertheless, he persisted, adamant on changing people's minds on him, and getting them to love him once more. 
As expected, his return was at first unwelcomed, him being met with Branch yet again, who was right at Poppy’s side. He couldn’t help but scoff mentally at the fact he was replaced with THIS troll of all things, but he kept his calm and cool stature, claiming guilt and being apologetic to everyone, even though he still didn’t really believe he did anything wrong. It was a stressful situation after all, still, he let them know he was willing to repent for everything and do whatever it takes to gain back everyone’s trust once more. Branch’s face during that moment couldn’t help but creep into Creek’s mind, remembering its vile expression clearly. 
For the most part, everything had been calm. He worked hard and dutifully, really gaining back his place back into the village. It was going according to his plan beside the.. Setbacks. For some reason, anytime he saw Branch, there was the unbridled and raw rage that built inside of him. Sure, he could just stay away from where Branch is, but it’s not that easy unfortunately. Not when he’s constantly walking behind Poppy like a mutt. That is also not to mention Branch had recently reunited with his family members, his brothers. 
Oh great, there’s more of them multiplying. They’re like amoeba. Disgusting, filthy amoeba. 
It seemed that no matter what Creek did, he was always met with Branch’s face in one way or another. Sometimes it got so bad that he lost sleep due to it. He’s also had violent spells on his lonesome just thinking about it all, punching at walls and ripping out his hair just to do something about the thing he had no control of. That was getting pretty old though, and he decided if he couldn’t get away from Branch, he should work on ways of getting rid of him. 
There was one brother that Creek didn’t seem to mind, whose name was Floyd. Floyd was the second youngest brother, according to Branch, and was also quite the apathetic being. Creek never intended getting close or even talking to him, but one thing led to another and it turned out that they could connect pretty well. Floyd would always check up on him, and even started doing yoga, which made Creek overjoyed. Nothing else was expected of their partnership, that is until he had noticed how uncomfortable it had made Branch. Not only that, but Poppy even talked to Branch about how nothing could be done because Creek wasn’t hurting anyone. The comment of her not liking him either stung, but was quickly wiped once he realized what this could mean for him. 
This was it. THIS was how he could fix his issue with Branch, it all made sense! Creek hated seeing Branch happy, and that must be where all of the rage came from! If Branch were in ruins however, then Creek could return back to normal, even feeling a bit of joy from it. His friendship with Floyd was enough to unsettle Branch, so why not take it a step further? He could start flirting with him, taking him out on dates, hell, maybe one day he could even ask for his hand in marriage. Oh, Creek bet that would kill Branch. The thoughts in his head raced with ideas for what he could plan with Floyd, and it made him positively giddy.
If only he had known what this all would’ve done to him, then maybe he would’ve rethought everything.
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stardustizuku · 4 months
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I’ve recently been thinking on why there’s people who interpret Kuro in such a drastically different way.
And something I notice is that you can easily tell how someone experiences the series, based on what they think of the GWA.
The way you interpret the Green Witch Arc is indicative of of how you have been interpreting the story so far, and how you’ll interpret it going forward
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Generally, there’s two interpretations:
1.- The Reaction Ciel had to the mustard gas, are his true feelings coming afloat
2.- The Reaction Ciel had to the mustard gas, isn’t how he feels.
The first interpretation (and I’m really not trying to be mean about it this time) comes from a very, uhm, shall I call it Teenage-Like? mindset of how pain and trauma works.
I call it Teenage-Like, because I’ve seen it in mostly literature aimed at teenagers, be it fanfics or YA. It comes from an inability for teenagers to actually voice how they feel towards their parents. A helpless feeling of being ignored.
I don’t wanna point fingers but this is the basis of a lot of Self Harm tendencies (physical, emotional, psychological, or others like EDs or digital self harm) come from. A need for people to notice you are in pain. But because you feel like you cannot voice it yourself (or don’t deserve it, it can vary) you start to lash out. Put yourself in higher risks, to have someone find out there is something wrong with you.
So the moment the main character finally breaks down, or has a moment of weakness, it’s interpreted as someone finally being truthful.
This is how Ciel’s reaction is interpreted by the first half.
The mustard gas is simply a trigger of pain, that causes all of Ciel to unravel. He’s in pain right now, cause he’s always in pain. He’s avoidant to Sebastian, cause he’s always been scared of him. He doesn’t trust him. He doesn’t trust adults. Finny is the only one who actually cares.
This makes the fact that Sebastian ,essentially, slapped him to get him to react, come off as cruel.
The boy is finally being honest, and you just tell him he’s being childish? Horrible.
Obviously, that’s not my interpretation.
Okay so, what happens once you’re not a teenager? Once you don’t have an adult figure to take care of you? What happens once you start avoiding telling your parents the pain you’re in, not because you think they won’t care, but because they’ll care too much and get worried and you don’t want them to get worried?
You start to realize pain is not the end of the world.
While, when being a teenager, getting sick meant someone gets to take care of you and maybe notice you aren’t okay, as an adult getting sick potentially means - not going to work. Which means your won’t have money to buy food, which means you’ll probably go hungry.
So getting sick becomes less of a way to get away from the responsibilities you have, and more of a burden.
That’s why you’ll see, in media aimed at adults,mental breakdown less depicted as an opportunity to be honest, and more of a sickness that needs to be healed.
You can have a more honest and truthful conversation, while you are sound of mind. There’s no power dynamic between friends, like it would with adult figures and children. So this song and dance, isn’t necessary.
You don’t have to be sick to be understood. And your friends will rather try to help you, than understand you when you’re suffering. That’s the nature of adult relationships.
This is more or less the framing that comes from Ciel’s breakdown (in the second interpretation).
The Mustard Gas isn’t showing Ciel’s true nature - it’s showing Ciel at his most vulnerable. This means, not in his sound mind.
Saying things he normally wouldn’t, hurting people he normally would hold close, and clinging to people he generally would never try to get close to.
Simply put, it isn’t just “a bit of pain to make him unravel” but a “Ciel is getting psychologically tortured by a weapon used for chemical warfare”.
He’s past being honest. He’s having such a severe reaction, that he cannot function. He’s being tortured and broken, to the point he is no longer himself.
He isn’t being “truthful” he’s scared.
And fear can make you do things that, in your sound mind, you would never do.
The point is that, Ciel isn’t saying what he truly feels or being “honest”. It’s him scared out of his mind, saying everything and anything to make the fear stop.
And the biggest proof is how he treats Sebastian.
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The fact that Ciel asks Sebastian to “go away” or “not come near” is perhaps the most glaring reason as to how badly this Gas messed with him.
I’ve said this before but to Ciel, Sebastian is a lifeline. He’s the only tool he has for his revenge. The thing that, even after he lost r!Ciel, he was willing to sacrifice it all to achieve.
And at this point in time, Sebastian is also the only emotional anchor Ciel has.
As far back as the second episode, Ciel has asked Sebastian to stay. Even when he’s having flashbacks, even when he’s having an episode. In fact, Sebastian leaving him is a great source of anxiety - since as seen in BoC in the Asthma Scene, without him Ciel feels powerless enough to die.
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He feels more protected with him, because he KNOWS Sebastian will protect him and that Sebastian will follow his orders.
Again going with the analogy of a dog - He feels more comfortable having the chained beast by his bed, simply bcs others are trying to hurt him and the beast won’t eat him right now.
So him asking Sebastian to go away, is throwing away his biggest safety net for a surrogate for r!Ciel, just means he’s reverting to the mentality he had during the cult.
If Sebastian is constantly telling him “it’s okay, they can’t hurt you anymore, you’re outside the cage, you can do what you WANT”
Ciel clinging to Finny is him going “no, im staying in the cage bcs at least the cage is familiar”
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And no matter what the first camp tells you, staying in the cage, trapped inside your pain ISNT the healthy option.
(We could argue Ciel’s need for revenge rather than healing is also unhealthy, but no one in the second camp would even call Ciel anything other than a villain in someone else’s story)
So, Sebastian slapping him and going “no, that’s not what you want”, isn’t as cruel as it would be in the first interpretation. Because as we see, he’s right. That’s not what Ciel wants. And it’s proved by the next scene where Sebastian talks to Ciel about what he truly wants.
Rather than Sebastian telling Ciel to “get over it”, it’s closest to a “snap out of it, something’s wrong”
This is further proved by the fact that, Sebastian first instinct isn’t to scare him. He does back away, he does try to wait and gently coax him. But Ciel literally cannot reason with him.
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That small but significant difference in interpretation has wildly different outcomes in how you perceive both, the characters and the story.
If you pick the first, you’re reading Sebastian as an enemy. Someone who does not respect Ciel. You see his attempt to eat Ciel’s soul as a breach of trust, and proof that he doesn’t care for him.
But if you pick the second option, you see Sebastian as an ally. Someone who’s running out of time and ways to save Ciel. His actions, while crass, ultimately help Ciel. What he was trying to do, was help.
Yana, very clearly, wanted the second interpretation. However, I cannot, in good conscience, tell you it’s the only interpretation. People are free to pick and chose how they read the text, irrelevant of how little of the actual text they’re reading.
But I will say, picking the first is symbolic of a less mature way of thinking. Common on those who like to infantilize trauma and trauma responses. It’s the easy, safe and comforting way of reading the text. As I said, it’s common in those who want their pain to be acknowledged.
That reading of Kuro is one that speak to me, that you’re not really ready to confront pain. And someone with that mentality, is not someone who’s reading of the text I find particularly interesting. Sure, you can share it, I’ll never stop you, but know you’re speaking to me in an entirely different language. You’re interpreting the text so differently, that I don’t think it’s even the same text anymore.
Again, you’re essentially writing analysis on fanfiction. And I’m not all too interested in dissecting your own trauma sloppily painted over British Aesthetic.
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brucewaynehater101 · 22 days
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Do you think after BruceQuest the bat kids + Oracle and Alfred (maybe or maybe not Batman)
all but blatantly cut contact with the Justice League?
Even if Batman forgives them for leaving him for dead even with all the evidence in front of them, they've still shown themselves wildly unreliable to even their own members
Unless the Justice League forces themselves into a Bat's conflict or other situation or the bats genuinely have no other option
Bats lean towards each other for help, next best thing is Young Justice or other heroes of their generation, and as last resorts, mercenaries or villains, maybe even ex-LOA members
The Justice league (including Batman if he sticks with em) are the last last resort and are the last people to learn of Bat-involved incidents, if at all
Maybe rogues outside of Ra's learns what BruceQuest was, how it ruined Red Robin's reputation irreparably and uses it to annihilate the League's PR by showing the truth to the world?
I know Mr Lex Luthor would lap that shit up
Especially if Batman is still on good terms yet Red Robin is still dealing with the aftermath years later
Everyone is pulling their hair out because Lex is doing an objectively good thing for the wrong reason and when his villainy is toppled again—
Red Robin isn't going to live his life like his repaired reputation is gonna last
Ooh. How would the Bats react to the JL post BruceQuest?
Cass, Steph, Duke, and Jason do not have a relationship or rely on the JL. Jason probably is already upset at the JL for a variety of reasons. All that would change if the batfam is Team Tim would be those batkids being colder to the JL. Maybe they also pull off pranks.
In the end, those Batkids would be the equivalent of hearing your sibling talking about their toxic workplace and hating those fuckers (who you rarely see/interact with) on principle.
For Damian? It's a toss-up. It depends on how he views Tim and the JL. If Damian wants to become Batman, he might see the JL as a necessary step for that. He might need to have several conversations with various family members and his friends (like Colin and Jon) to understand his own position and thoughts on the JL.
For Babs, I hc she helped them a lot with their systems and other work. She probably feels guilty about Tim (not believing/supporting him and his traumatizing trip he did alone). If she was also on Team Tim, she would pass all system management to Vic and maintain a slightly frosty professional distance from them. Her Birds of Prey would become aware that she helps them, but she only assists the JL in dire circumstances.
Dick would have mixed feelings about it. He kind of told other heroes that Tim wasn't to be trusted and that he was having a mental breakdown due to grief. Now, what they did with that information is not Dick's fault. They should have supported the teenager and understood that Dick was also crumbling under his grief/responsibilities. So, Dick feels conflicted. He wants to make it up to Tim, though, and probably maintains a more professional distance from JL.
Alfred is also guilty of not being there for Tim when he needed help and care. However, I like to imagine he makes very pointed comments at JL members when they visit for their direct actions in that situation.
I do think that the batkids join together to mutually say "fuck you" to the JL, but in their own ways.
Batman/Bruce is iffy. On one hand, people like to use the BruceQuest as Bruce's kick in the pants to be a better father. On the other hand, he does his whole Batman Inc shit and is in Gotham less. So, it depends on how you picture him dealing with that trauma and his relationships with his family. If he's doing the less local Batman stuff, then he's probably more with the JL (and thus not on his kids' side).
The Lex Luthor theory you have going on? Brilliant 👏
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kitty-tea · 4 months
Text
Like father, like son
Welcome to the third and final part of the story!
Here’s part one and part two
(Link to masterlist)
Summary: James finally gets what he wants.
A/n: thank you to everyone who’s read the story so far! Sorry this is so long and full of filthy, smutty goodness :)
Pairing: dilf!James Potter x reader
NSFW 18+ only!
Word count: 5.4k
Tags/warnings: dilf!James Potter, super long, unprotected sex, age gap, low-key unhinged, almost-somnophilia, pet names, extremely filthy smut, NSFW, oral sex, p in v sex, teasing, reader is of age, dub-con (depends on how you look at it)
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Hey, how have you been? It’s been a while since we’ve spoken to each other. I know you’ve been busy with the Auror Recruitment Programme. Dad and I are really happy for you. We both miss you very much, and it would mean a lot to me if you would come to our house for my 18th birthday. We know you’re very busy, so it’ll just be dinner with the three of us and we’ll let you leave the next morning. We’ll even let you sleep on the pull-out couch just like old times.
-Your friend, Harry
You stared at the letter in your hand that Hedwig had dropped onto your kitchen counter after you let her in. The words “we both miss you very much” stuck out to you. You were reminded of how fast time passed since Lily’s death. The first month after it happened, the three of you were a complete mess. James had gotten a letter from Professor McGonagall saying that Harry’s grades were starting to slip, and he was in danger of having to repeat sixth year on top of getting kicked off the Quidditch team (something that upset both you and James as former players for the same team) if something wasn’t done about it. With you out of school and unable to spend as much time with him, there was nothing you could do for him other than to keep sending him letters of encouragement. Luckily for him, his supportive group of friends were more than willing to help him get back to his feet and help keep him on track to graduating. You still understood that neither James nor his son would ever get over Lily’s death because you never got over your parent’s deaths. You understood each other’s pain. You’d never be that type of person to tell someone to get over a loved one’s death no matter how long ago it was.
You scribbled your response to Harry’s letter promising him that you’ll be at his house, and tied the parchment around Hedwig’s ankle before sending her off.
You sat still on your chair with a dreamy feeling inside of you. If you were a cartoon character, there would be hearts in place of your eyes. That dreamy feeling only swelled within you more by each day until it was the day for you to see James.
James felt selfish for using his son’s birthday as an excuse to see you. He was the one who brought you up during dinner, casually mentioning that you hadn’t spoken with them in a long time. He then mentioned that with Harry’s birthday coming up, it would be the perfect opportunity for you to spend time together.
That’s how he found himself answering the door at six in the evening. His heart somersaulted into his stomach at the sight of you.
“Oh, hi James.” His eyes didn’t overlook the way your cheeks turned as pink as the sunset or the same shy smile you started giving him all those years ago.
“Come in, Harry’s inside setting the table.” He stepped aside as you walked in with your overnight bag slung onto your shoulder.
James didn’t care if you caught his eyes hungrily exploring your body. Actually, he wanted you to catch him, so he could see how you’d react. Would you blush an even deeper shade of red and turn away? Or would you boldly hold his stare?
And what the hell were you wearing? You were (definitely) trying to seduce him with the tiny skirt that almost showed the plump skin of your ass and that white blouse that was high enough to show your belly button and exposed your shoulders. There was no way you were wearing a bra with the way your nipples were showing through the soft fabric, just tempting James to reach his thumb out and rub it over the hard peaks.
He then realized he couldn’t remember how long it’d been since he let his mind wander to you as he’d pleasure himself in the privacy of his own room.
He really needed to get himself together. He was not about to let his inappropriate thoughts about you slip out in front of his son.
“Happy birthday!” Your voice snapped James out of his thoughts as he saw you run over to Harry and give him a hug.
“I’m glad you could make it!” He returned your hug. “Come on, let’s eat. Aren’t you starving?”
“I know you are.” You rolled your eyes and laughed, only to abruptly stop with a blush when your eyes did indeed catch James looking at your body, specifically at your thighs that he saw you rubbing together. “Oh… yeah, what’s for dinner?” Your voice stumbled.
“My favorite, obviously because I’m the birthday boy.” Harry said in a joking snobbish way.
Throughout dinner, James sat back during most discussions you and Harry were having, enjoying the peaceful quietness without having to worry about the chaos that had been happening in the rest of the Wizarding World.
James didn’t know or care what time it was when his eyes opened to the sight of the still darkened sky outside his bedroom window and the dry, raw feeling inside his throat. He needed water which meant he’d have to go past the living room where you were sleeping in order to get to the kitchen.
Being careful not to make too much noise as he stepped past Harry’s bedroom door, he made his way down the stairs.
If the word temptation was a person, James was sure it would be you. His eyes gravitated up your exposed legs before landing on the hem of the short, pink satin robe you were wearing, your sleeping form undisturbed by his presence.
A more sinister part of his mind was begging him to walk over to you and untie your robe. One little peek wouldn’t hurt right? It told him, but he screamed at that part of him to shut up and that Lily would’ve been furious enough to come out of her grave to give him some sort of a spiritual beating and an earful if he did something that devious to you. It was just a thought. Not everything he thought needed to be acted out.
He wasn’t married anymore. He didn’t have to feel guilty about his dirty thoughts about you, right?
James found that his previous thirst for water was replaced by something else. He sat on the armchair next to the pull-out couch as he reminded himself about what he’d been taught: that men are allowed to look but not touch. But he wanted to touch you. His fingers twitched around the armrest as he imagined tracing them along your exposed inner thighs before dipping below the hem. Would his fingers feel a warm slickness or a piece of fabric? Were you wearing any underwear at all? It was hard to tell with your legs closed.
James couldn’t take it anymore. He didn’t care anymore that his conscience had no control over his body as he got up from his chair and the backs of his fingers found themselves brushing a strand of hair out of your face and down your neck. He made up this pathetic excuse in his mind that he had to check your pulse to make sure you were alive.
That excuse was so pathetic that James instantly snatched his hand back and mentally scolded himself before swiftly retreating to his bedroom.
Stepping out of the bathroom with your toothbrush bag, you adjusted your robe. You heard sounds coming from the kitchen which you deduced was James cooking something. You were right, for you spotted him behind the island where he was balancing a mixing bowl in one hand and holding a whisk in the other as you poked your head into the kitchen. You also noticed instantly that he was shirtless. And his muscles were on full display.
Although you’ve imagined what he’d look like without a shirt countless times, nothing could compare to the real view.
“Good morning. I didn’t see you there. I’m making pancakes.” You didn’t know what sounded more delicious: the pancakes, or the sound of his raspy morning voice.
You forced yourself to move your entire body into the kitchen.
You couldn’t remember how to speak as you felt your cheeks flame up and your eyes glue itself to his abs.
“Would you like to help?” Oh, you wanted to help him with something, alright. Just not the type of help he was implying.
You nodded and James gave you a smile as you made it to the kitchen island and set your toothbrush bag down. It was more like a smirk.
“What’s so funny?” You cringed at how your voice sounded like an angry little kid.
“It was like you were hiding from me.” Your heart fluttered even more inside your chest at the sound of his laughter. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite.”
When you hadn’t broken out of your trance, James brushed a strand of your hair behind your ear.
“Are you alright?” He asked. You weren’t paying attention to what he was saying. You were busy staring at every body part of his from his eyes down to the V-line of his abs that extended below the waistband of his sweats.
You also weren’t paying attention to how you were squeezing your legs together to soothe the ache that was starting to form there.
“Hey, relax. You’re all tensed up.” You gasped at the feeling of his cold hand on the heated skin of your bare thigh. You bit your lip to suppress a whimper as you felt his thumb gently rub circles in an upwards direction.
If what James was already doing to you felt this good, you thought the pleasure he would bring to you if he touched you in other places would be beyond anything you felt in your life.
“I don’t like what you’ve been doing to me, babydoll.” James murmured into your ear, his voice making you melt. “What were you thinking? Tempting me last night in that short skirt and your tits practically on display? In front of my own son? Everyone else thinks you’re such a good girl, but I see right through you.”
“What are you talking about?” You asked in your confused and dizzy state.
James scoffed. “Even a Muggle would be able to read you. You’re just as terrible at Occlumency as you are talented at Legilimency.”
So he did know about your crush on him… the question was how long had he known?
“Oh, I’ve known for a while…” James smirked, answering your mind. “Since I was married, actually. And I’ve seen your little sex dreams. They’re even better than those cheap porno films. Don’t even try to deny it.”
“James… you’re scaring me.” Your lower lip quivered. How on earth did things escalate this fast? You were beyond horrified that he could see things in your mind that even you tried hiding from yourself. There was no going back now. No more lying to yourself that you only saw James as a father figure.
“Father figure?” James asked incredulously. “Quite frankly, I’m flabbergasted that with all the magic you have, you never once saw the things I’ve thought while I was around you. If you would’ve used Legilimency on me at all, you would’ve seen all those filthy thoughts I’ve had about you that no father should have.”
“James!” You gasped as his hand disappeared below your robe and landed on your hip bone.
You were clenching your thighs so hard that you could feel some of the stickiness from your cunt leaking onto them.
“Open your legs. I want to know how filthy my little girl is.” He whispered and you obeyed. You sucked in a breath as you felt his long index finger venture into the crease of your thigh before using it to collect your warm slick and spread it up and down your pussy. You moaned and instinctively grinded against his fingers.
“Have you always been this wet in front of me?” He whispered.
You shamefully looked down. You didn’t want to answer him, why should you when he already knew?
“Dad? Are you in there? Where’s-” You heard Harry’s voice from inside the living room.
“Yeah, she’s right here in the kitchen with me! Don’t come in yet! We’re both making a surprise breakfast for you!” James hurriedly interrupted him.
Really? You thought as you rolled your eyes. If things were to get more out of control, you’d be on your way to making a surprise baby.
You bit your lip as James slid his finger inside and curled them upwards hitting that deep spot within you that you couldn’t reach as well with your own shorter fingers. With his thumb, he rubbed tight circles around your clit, making your legs want to give out from underneath you. You didn’t know which of those two spots he was touching you felt better.
“Okay. Should I go wait in my room?” You almost forgot Harry was still there. What kind of game was James playing with you, talking to his son so casually as if he wasn’t doing something dirty with you?
“Yeah, we’ll call you over when we’re done!” James shouted. You let out an exhale as you heard Harry’s footsteps rush upstairs.
“Just look at you. My sweet, perfect little doll.” James’ eyes followed the fingers on his hand that weren’t buried in your cunt up and down your body. “Can I look at these?” He softly cupped his other hand under your breast making sure to give them a gentle squeeze.
You breathlessly nodded and tensed under his touch as he used his index finger to slide the robe off both of your shoulders. You felt your nipples harden into peaks at both the sudden air and James’ hungry gaze on them.
Your eyes slid shut as his lips left a trail of kisses that started from between your breasts and ended at the side of your neck where he started sucking on the sensitive skin. The harder James was sucking on that one area, the harder it became for you to hide your whimpers. With each pump of his fingers inside of you combined with the pleasure he was giving you on your neck, you felt your body getting closer towards the edge of something until you couldn’t hold on anymore. You couldn’t control your hips as they thrust themselves onto his hand. Your panting was shaking your body just as violently as did your orgasm.
“Oh, James.” You quietly whimpered into his ear as your hands found their way to his messy hair.
“Doesn’t it feel good?” His soft voice replied back.
“Feels so… good.” You pushed the sentence out of you as the last remaining trembles from your orgasm left your body along with James’ fingers.
“James!” You suddenly exclaimed, remembering. “Breakfast!”
“I know, I didn’t forget.” A smile broke out on his face.
He continued to look at you like you were the most perfect thing he’d seen as he helped put your robe back onto your shoulders and clean you up with a towel.
You were still blushing and avoiding eye contact with him while you were helping him in the kitchen, but that didn’t stop him from gently caressing any part of your body he could from behind you every few minutes.
You gasped every time his face would find the crook of your neck or his hands that would wrap around your waist.
Soon, James left to go knock on Harry’s bedroom door to let him know breakfast was ready while you stayed behind to get the table ready.
James came back (with a shirt on unfortunately) with Harry running like a little kid in front of him, dressed in jeans and a hoodie.
“I’m starving!” Harry shouted excitedly, eyeing his plate. You laughed at him, glad to see his energetic old self that you missed.
You and Harry mostly spent the rest of breakfast catching up some more, before he told you he’d leave soon to go to the Weasleys’ for the actual party they were throwing him where the rest of his friends would be.
James sat across from you while you sat next to Harry at the table like how it used to be.
“What happened to your neck?” You and James froze upon seeing Harry point to the bruise that was the same color as the jelly on his plate.
“I…tripped.” You promptly used your hair to cover up the area so that Harry wouldn’t have enough time to inspect it.
“You need to be more careful next time. The corners of the tables can be quite sharp.” James chided you gently as if he wasn’t the one that caused this.
“Oh. Funny how I didn’t hear you screaming earlier.” Harry shrugged. “You should put some ice on it.”
“Well you know she’s in Auror training and she’s been learning how to keep quiet.” James said with emphasis on the last two words with a sly look in your direction. He then got up to walk to the freezer.
He returned a moment later with an ice cube wrapped around a paper towel. You felt a spark where your fingers touched his as he handed it over to you, almost convincing you to put it over your reddening cheeks instead.
After the three of you had finished breakfast and Harry had disapparated out of the living room, it was you and James alone.
“Do you need me to help you wash dishes?” You asked awkwardly, shifting your weight from one foot to the other. “I can stay here and help. I got the day off today.”
“Or you could wait for me in my bedroom.” James murmured as he sneakily slid his thumbs up your thighs. “You could help me in there.”
“Deal.” You got on your tiptoes and gave his cheek a quick kiss before departing for his bedroom.
As you came up in front of the door to James’ bedroom, your hands started to shake as you pushed it open. In all the time you spent there, this was the only room in the house you had never stepped foot in. You were starting to feel awkward, knowing this used to be Lily’s room too, and the bed that was in the middle of the room was most likely the same bed that she shared with James too.
You started to feel anxious with all these thoughts that popped in your mind like, “What if James is just using me as a distraction to help him get over Lily?” “Does James want me to replace her?” “Would I be insulting Lily’s memory if I slept with her husband on the same bed as her after everything she’s done for me?”
As for what you thought about James, you didn’t want to use him as someone to just sleep around with. You didn’t ever want to replace Lily. She was a completely different person from you. That was it. She was a person with thoughts and feelings, not some object with mass-produced replicas. You didn’t know how to answer that last question you asked yourself internally.
You walked over to the bed, taking the time to run your fingers over the soft blanket that covered the bed. You then took in the rest of the room. You watched the tree in front of the window shade the room from the full sunlight, giving the white walls and floor the illusion of a blue-ish gray undertone. You noticed that unlike the rest of the house, there was an absence of pictures. You assumed it was so that James wouldn’t be reminded of the pain of losing his wife as he was trying to go to sleep. Besides the bed, the only furniture there was were the drawers, a vanity, and a desk with a chair. The only two doors besides the entrance were what looked to be the master bathroom and the closet.
Although you and James had known each other for years, you didn’t feel right to go and snoop around his stuff. But he did snoop around your mind. Is that any different? That still wasn’t a good enough excuse for you to go through his physical stuff.
You instead elected to take a seat on the foot of the bed with your legs crossed, your mind spacing out over to the tree by the window.
“I hope someone didn’t start without me.” James’ voice snapped you out of your thoughts. He was leaning on the doorframe, his glasses and side-smile leaning with him.
You shyly turned away as he took a seat next to you on the bed.
“You’re so pretty.” James said as he twirled a strand of your hair around his finger. “What’s wrong?”
He gently cupped your face with his other hand, turning you towards his direction. You nervously looked down to where your lips were nearly touching.
“Do you actually want to do this with me? Am I just a distraction for you?” You whispered the last sentence. You couldn’t bring yourself to mention Lily directly.
“No, Sweetheart. You’re so much better than that.” James brought one of your hands to his lips and kissed the back of it.
At that moment, James wanted you all to himself. He knew there would be consequences later if that happened. He could give you a choice to either sneak around with you behind his son’s back or go public with everyone else about your relationship and face the risk of shame. That was if you wanted it as much as he did, which he knew you did, but were you willing to give in and go that far? Would you change your mind?
And Harry? So what if he had a crush on you? You weren’t ever going to go for him anyways. James was the one who got what he wanted, not him. Not everyone gets what they want in life. Damn, he was thinking selfishly, so unlike how a father should.
No matter how happy or sad you looked, James couldn’t stop thinking of how gorgeous everything about you was, your eyes, your soft lips, the way your hair fell and framed your face, the blush on your cheeks that was as potent as the flame in his heart, it was like you were pulling him in without trying as his lips automatically found its way to yours.
As he got a taste of you, he knew he was instantly addicted. Just the taste of your lips wasn’t enough for him. He needed to hold your body close to him, so he wrapped his arm around you and grabbed one of your legs and put it over him, making you sit on his lap, facing him.
If he hadn’t required air to be alive, he didn’t think he’d ever be able to let go of you. The both of you were left panting as you got a look at each other.
“Take this off.” He pleaded, tugging at the string of your robe.
As soon as you took your satin robe off, he wasted no time in flipping you over onto your back, making your hair spill out below you and knocking the air out of you.
“I can finally have this beautiful body all to myself.” You mewled as his thumb flicked over the hardened bud on your breast.
“Aren’t you just deliciously adorable?” James let a filthy smirk grow on his face as he squeezed your breast and attached his mouth to your nipple, sucking on it. “I can’t wait to taste the rest of you.”
You started to squirm more and more under him with each lick on your nipple until you couldn’t control your whimpering.
“It’s okay, Baby. You don’t need to hold back.” James cooed.
He got up from where he was above you. He yanked his white t-shirt over his head before he pulled down his sweatpants, revealing the outline of his erection in his boxers to you.
“Do you want to feel it?” James took a hold of your smaller hand. Sitting up, you bit your lip and nodded.
“It’s so…big.” The way your voice sounded so innocent like you were discovering something fascinating only made the hardness of his erection more painful. James sucked in a breath as your hand gave him a gentle squeeze.
“Fuck, open your legs.” He commanded urgently.
When you were too distracted by studying the dimensions of his cock to respond, James took matters into his own hands by jamming both hands between your knees to pry them apart.
The sight of your glistening arousal in front of him was a reward in itself. But he couldn’t stop there.
“I already made you cum today and you’re still wet for more. You’re such a greedy little slut.” James purred deeply. “How about this? You use those pretty lips to suck me off while you touch yourself.”
Your big doe eyes only widened at him as your mouth hung open. Just that look on your face only made James want to cum even more.
“Come on, Babydoll,” He reveled in how nervous and tiny he was making you feel. “Don’t be shy. I know you touch yourself while thinking about me. And now, I’m right here.”
He took your hand off his cock. He could feel your eyes studying his movements as he hooked his fingers under the waistband of his boxers and pulled it down, making his dick spring out in front of your face.
“Get on your knees.” He easily pulled your smaller body off the bed and onto the floor, while he took his seat where you were.
There you were, naked in front of him, on your knees, staring up at his cock, like you were worshiping it.
James could feel your hesitation as your fingers reached out over the tip.
“You wanna taste it?” James brushed his fingers through your hair, attempting to relax you. You nodded. “Why don’t you ask?”
“C-Can I taste it, please?” How could he ever deny you, especially with you asking him so innocently and politely?
“Of course.” He couldn’t take his eyes off yours as you continued looking up at him while letting his cock slip past your lips. You then reached your hand down between your legs, touching yourself just as he had instructed.
He couldn’t believe what he was seeing with his eyes. You were there, really sucking his cock, making the dirty fantasies that had been manifesting inside him come true.
“Fuck, that’s it Baby.” James grunted as he pushed your head down on his cock. “You’re doing so well. You’re so perfect.”
When your wet tongue hit the vein on the underside, James let a string of curses erupt out of him. That seemed to encourage you to keep going as you wrapped your free hand around the base and pumped it in sync with your mouth.
A little while later, James could feel himself getting closer to cumming when his body tensed up.
“Keep going, Baby! Good job!” He kept praising you breathlessly as he stroked your cheek.
He finally felt his cum spill into your mouth as you swallowed it, some of it still spilling down your chin.
“Fuck,” James sighed as he gathered his cum that was on your chin with his thumb and pushed it into your mouth. He felt his gaze darken as you greedily sucked and licked the entire thing. “You’ve been such a good girl. Let me make it up to you.”
James pulled you off the floor and into his body, holding you close to him as he inhaled the scent of your perfume.
As you let the heat of James’ body wrap around you, he flipped you over so that you were on your back again. Glasses or no glasses, he was the most handsome man you’d seen in your life. You no longer gave a damn that he was almost old enough to be your father. Maybe you did have a type. He had made you feel like you were the most special girl in the entire world, and you never wanted to stop feeling that way.
“Hold onto me, okay? I’m going to make you feel good. Don’t you want that?” James asked as he kissed you under your jaw, making you whimper at the pleasure he was imposing on the sensitive area.
“Yeah I want your cock deep in my pussy.” James seemed surprised at the uncharacteristic filth that came out of you to which he raised his eyebrows.
“Fuck, I didn’t think you had such a filthy mouth to go with that innocent face.” James said as he brought his lips onto yours.
As he did so, you felt something against your entrance, presumably the tip of James’ cock. He wiggled around some more until he had finally coated his cock in the slickness of your walls.
“Are you alright?” James rubbed his thumb against the apple of your cheek.
You nodded as you bit your lip. You just needed a little time to adjust to him. His cock was longer and wider than anything you ever inserted into yourself. But he filled you up in the best way possible better than your fingers or even the handle of your hairbrush could.
“It feels so good James.” You were panting as you grabbed a hold of his shoulders. Another scream left you as James’ finger rubbed your clit, adding more pleasure to your cunt.
“I want you to cum for me, Beautiful.” James grunted as he continued to thrust his cock deep into you, making you whimper and moan under him.
You were now getting addicted to the full feeling of James’ cock inside you along with the stimulation on your clit. Your head was starting to feel like it was floating on clouds. In your cock-drunk state, you kept moaning James’ name and telling him how good he was making you feel, just how you did in your countless sex dreams about him.
You couldn’t believe this was real, and it was happening to you.
“James! James! Fuck! I’m so… so close.” You sobbed into his shoulder.
“I got you Baby.” He cooed.
“Feels so big and good…” You continued moaning sentences until it turned into incoherent mumbles.
The full feeling of James’ cock combined with the intense tingling on your clit had your walls squeezing around him soon. You started screaming James’ name again through your orgasm that flooded through you.
“Fucking hell!” He suddenly grabbed your hips, and looked at you as if something came over him.
He then pulled his cock out in the middle of your orgasm. He was kneeling above your spent body with his hard cock in his hand that was still coated in your juices.
With a couple strokes, you felt the warm liquid drip down onto your tits and your stomach. You were now painted with James’ cum, and he was the artist admiring his work.
Both of you took deep breaths as you looked at each other while coming down from your highs.
As soon as James had recovered, he got up and ran his hands through his messy hair. You were too tired to sit up, so you could only watch as he put on his boxers before he went into the master bathroom. You heard the water running, and not long after, James had returned with a towel in his hand.
“How do you feel?” He asked gently as he wiped the towel across where his cum was on your body.
“A little tired.” You sighed. James rubbed the towel in circular motions on your breasts, effectively massaging them. After he cleaned you up, he discarded the towel onto the nightstand.
“Come over here, Beautiful.” James opened his arms up and you rolled into his embrace. You closed your eyes as he pressed faint kisses on the back of your naked shoulder, making you shiver.
You were scared, but also excited to see what your future would look like with James.
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@xcinnamonmalfoyx
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Note
The order fits into self aware au. How would Malleus, Jade and Leona react to an extremely caring reader?
Self-aware au
I do not take any responsibility for you reading this no matter which age group you are from!
WARNINGS: Yandere themes, obsession, possessiveness, manipulation, violence, murder, injuries, family problems, unhealthy relationship
Leona Kingscholar/Jade Leech/Malleus Draconia-Player is extremely caring
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Let's be honest, Leona is a sucker for attention even if he doesn't show it
I mean, house cat over there was deprived of affection throughout his entire childhood so what did you expect? A healthy headspace? Haha no
So when he was sitting there, daring at the student who just stepped on his tail when he felt it for the first time
And at first it was not a great sensation
He always felt someone looking at him, watching him, him never being able to escape...
But after he also watched the black haired annoyance he soon understood what was going on... or at least he thought he did
Malleus and his little fanclu-I mean his “friends” were known for having a rather “interesting” interest in the Overseer and since that started they were saying that they were watching them
Ok so he has his own little pair of eyes staring at him no. Great great. No way he likes tho-WHY IS HE PURRING??!
Now that things have been going like that for a longer while he does notice though that you treat him different than others
Whilst you would be like “may, I can wait with your spell material” you are with him “OUT OF THE WAY! I NEED TO TAKE CARE OF MY CAT!!!”
Whilst everyone is just trying to get a tiny bit of that attention and care he is just like “I have no idea what I did but I like it”
But I think I mentioned him being starved as a kid of attention and care from his family and his general surroundings, right?
Well it's going to show right here, right now
Whilst he basis in what you give him like sunbathing he is more or less just terrorizing others
If someone dares to try to get close to him so that they might get some of his cake he will create a new sand pit
Even though his family doesn't know Leona is aware that they would be at least thankful that his magic doesn't leave any trace to follow at the scene of the crime
Just keep that attention up! Otherwise he might just snap and make short process with everyone
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Confusion. Just confusion (at first at least)
Here he is, hat stand extravagance, witnessing how an all-knowing entity starting down on them is especially caring towards him
I mean, it all started on the day that exchange student ran after their friends after they got entangled in a contract with Azul
At first he thought you hated him
You were known as someone who was for fair contracts
And danger noodle over here knows that Azul plays dirty
Like “dumping mineral oil into the sea” kind of dirty
Why else were you always sending him out there to “squeeze the fishies” (-Floyd Leech, the not-so-extravagant hat stand)?
Why else were you always staring at him when he was talking to Yuu?
You gushing about him and how much you liked and wanted to take care of him didn't even cross his mind
Well, until the team was defeated for the first time
Oh boy, you were angry
But you were even more concerned about him
S-so you were just caring for him? Ha...Haha... HAHAHA- (Don't forget to breathe, Jade)
Is he overjoyed about that? Yes
Does he play dirty to keep that care to himself? Absolutely
The next time you see an NPC they might be a bit silent and avoid you
Jade is good at collecting dirt on people, you know?
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Aww how cute! We like the lighter!
Jokes aside, Malleus knew immediately that you were there even though he wasn't present in the prologue ceremony
So when Lilia came home that night he just bursted through the front door, doorknob in hand, yelling words about the Overseer
The general had to calm down so that the "young" fae could finally understand what the was saying
Ah, so you were here... WAIT WHAT??!
But then... *sad dragon fae noises*
Why? Well he thought he was either so boring that you left him alone or that you avoided him because you disliked him
I mean, imagine, the one being you always looked up to, thinking they understood you to some degree, is now staying far away from you
But then why were you always heading into battle with him? And why were you so angry the first time he had an elemental disadvantage?
When you finally had enough material you shoved that straight down his throat, saying something about “can't let him get hurt” and “not this pretty nifty little thing!”
So... you liked him? Why were you avoiding him then? ... You know what? He won't ask
That doesn't mean it's good for his ego though
Whenever he sees the house cat in the garden he just has that expression that literally screams smugness
But if someone dares to say that you don't care for him?
Roasted chicken my friend. Roasted chicken
His letters to his granny are now always filled with “how kind and caring the Overseer is” and “if there is a spell to get you here”
... You know what is waiting for you, right?
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