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royallyprincesslilly · 1 year

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Title: Crown For Two {9}

Henry Cavill AU x OFC Xari Thornton

Warning: Mild Cursing, Cheesy Christmas Themes, Fluff,

Words: 8.2k

Summary: Xari Thornton is a travel photographer with a blog and social media that garners some heavy-duty traffic. People tune in to see where she is and what she’s doing there, all in hopes of either living vicariously through her or to plan their next vacation.

Her slogan: “Traveling the path to the most off-beaten places, so you don’t have to.”

Her next stop on her four-destination travel itinerary of “Places You May Never Have Heard Of” is Sandvell, a small European country. When her plane makes an impromptu stop due to bad weather, she has no idea where she is. It feels like she’s stepped inside of a snow globe and back in time in a modern way. It leaves her fascinated.

This bad weather forces her to stay at an Inn, The Beaux, for the night. She explores and meets the friendly locals. One local in particular captures her lens with eyes as blue as the ocean and a jaw that was chiseled from stone. Once they separate, she gets herself into a harrowing situation.

As soon as she awakens, she realizes she’s not in some fever dream, but a palace and the owner of the palace is none other than the local she met before with the piercing blue eyes, His Royal Highness Henry Wellington Leopold Danglishton, First of his name, Crown Prince of Brexendor.

Note: AND WE’RE BACK!!! It’s December again which means we all need a cheesy Christmas romance. 😁 I know this has been gone for a long, long time and I am thankful for each of you who still care about it. As a reminder, it’s going to be fast-paced a bit, and I am gonna overload you with pictures because why the hell not, it’s a Christmas Fic. 😁 Feel free to come by and tell me what you guys think.

As always, thank you all for reading, I appreciate each and every one of you.

If you enjoyed this, please, LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG!!! ❤️❤️

***NOT Edited/Proofread***

***Interactive***

Previous Chapters: {1} | {2} | {3} | {4} | {5} | {6} | {7} | {8} |

-Y/N-

“Hey you’ve reached Neka. I’m too busy living my life the way I want to and can’t be bothered to answer. Leave a message and I’ll call you back. If I want to.”

You sighed hearing your sister’s very familiar voicemail message.

“Aneka, it’s me. Where are you? I get this place is obscenely huge and there is plenty to explore but pick up the damn phone. Let me know you’re okay.”

You ended the call and sighed again as you made sure you had everything in your purse. A few moments later, you stopped thinking again about going to this thing. Half of you was telling you it was a bad idea and that you should stay away from everything related to this country including its crown prince. However, the other side was traitorous and telling you to run carefree and live by the seat of your panties and take them off for said crown prince.

What’s the worst that could happen? You recognized the question from the carefree and often diabolical devil on your shoulder.

Humiliation and heartbreak are what. The words from the practical and cautious angel on the other side of your shoulder piped up.

You stood there thinking about both sides for a few moments then continued putting items into your purse.

Good girl, live a little, have some fun and get a few orgasms at the same time. Win/win. The devil was on a roll.

It is all fun and games until you get your heart broken by an actual prince who has obligations to be with someone other than you.

The angel’s words were like a gut punch. It was right.

MSG Aneka: I’m sorry RiRi. I’m going to this thing in the park. You should come I hear it’s a lot of fun.

Your sister never ceased to amaze you. She’d found out about the citizen’s Brexenavide on her own and was already in the thick of it. She had no problem going with the flow and having a good time when she saw it could be had. You sighed again, finally deciding to just do it. However, a few minutes after making the decision you scowled remembering who you’d be driving with.

There was something about this Freddie girl that rubbed you the wrong way. Something about her that screamed she was not to be trusted and that included enough to be in the same car. You groaned because you’d long left high school and the petty turf wars of petty bitches behind. You were an adult now who had bills and obligations and checking a rich bitch wasn’t one of them. A smirk spread across your face as you came to the realization that you were happy to rise to the occasion though. After looking yourself over, you divided to change. While your current outfit was cute, one look outside said you needed something warmer.

At that thought there was a knock at your door. When you opened it, you found a honey eyed member of the staff you recognized. She smiled and bowed her head slightly.

“Ms. Xari. I come with a message from Princess Jemma.”

Recognition hit you then, “Tamina, right?”

She smiled wider and nodded, clearly delighted you remembered her.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Come in, please.”

“No need ma’am. This is from the princess. She wanted you to have it for the event today. Her direct message is to wear it and it will ensure no one will be able to take their eyes off of you.”

What the hell did that mean? You reached out to Tamina and took the two garment bags that were lying across her forearms.

“Thank you, Tamina. Please thank the princess.”

Tamina bowed again before walking off. When you turned back into your room you staggered to the bed from the weight of the items in your arms and laid the bags across your bed. Unzipping the first one, your eyes widened at the sight of a chic, and beautiful outfit resting there. The items looked designer, and no doubt must have costed several thousand dollars. Your hand brushed against the shiny leather of the pants and instantly recognized it was high quality. It went perfect with the cropped knitted sweater that rested just atop it.

You didn’t know how Jemma knew you were a sucker for leather pants, but you were busting at the seams to try them on. Every woman needed a great pair of leather pants that made their ass pop. You reached for the second bag and opened it and gasped. A plush fur coat that brought the whole thing together waited for you to touch it. You were so tempted, and that temptation proved to be too much. When your fingers entangled in the fur, you cooed. It was perfect. Leather and fur, how luxurious, you thought.

When in Rome, or Brexendor. Live a little. The angel on your shoulder had a point. Within minutes, you’d peeled off your own clothing and changed into the ones sent by Jemma. Surprisingly they were a perfect fit. The moment you buttoned the pants you sighed. They were made for you. Once you’d pulled it all together, you stood in front of the full-length mirror in the room and surveyed your look from every angle. Every angle passed the test. You looked damn good. For the final test, you dropped down like you were doing the beat drop challenge and kept your eyes on your ass. A wide grin spread across your face.

“Thank you, Jemma!”

You hurried into the closet, remembering you’d already packed the perfect boots to wear with this outfit. When you’d packed, Aneka had made fun of you saying you were going to slip on a patch of ice and break your neck because of them. You didn’t bother telling her it would never happen because no one pays nearly nine hundred dollars for boots that were designed for cold weather in mind with the chance of said boots sending you to your death because they couldn’t hold up. You’d worn these two times before and they’d never failed you.

Standing in front of the mirror again, this time in the knee-high fur heeled boots you smirked. Jemma’s words came to mind then.

“Wear it and it will ensure no one will be able to take their eyes off of you.”

You wondered if Henry would be among those who couldn’t keep their eyes off of you. Memories of the night before flooded your mind and within seconds you were frozen reminiscing of the way his hands felt against your skin, the scent of his breath as he moaned against your ear, the taste of his lips and the intensity in his eyes when his locked with yours. You had to put a hand out to stabilize yourself because the thought of his body pressing on top of yours made your knees buck

With much effort, you pulled yourself back to reality. If you thought about him any longer you knew you’d be on edge all day which you guessed would be akin to torture. There was a nagging feeling inside of you that told you that you’d need to be alert today. After checking your make up once more, you grabbed your purse and phone then made your way downstairs. As you passed by the staff you stopped for small talk, inquiring about everyone’s health and thanking them for all they’d done for you thus far. Each of them looked surprised but more than happy to stop and chat with you.

When you stepped outside into the entry roundabout of the palace, you saw a long line of cars waiting and plenty of bustling bodies still in preparing mode for the departure. You watched the dignitaries load in their cars and pull off one by one. From the looks of all this pomp and flair, you knew this event was much more than just meeting the citizens. Perhaps this was a test of some sorts. You saw the man who’d been introduced as the prime minister do a quick perimeter check, surveying the around area before he looked in your direction. You expected him to get into the car as normal, but he didn’t. Instead, he stared in your direction and the longer he did the more the hairs on the back of your neck stood like your entire being was trying to tell you something about the man.

The feel of someone touching your left elbow startled you.

“My apologies Lady Thornton,” said one of the palace butlers.

“It’s all right.”

“Your car.”

His hand stretched to the left at a silver car with its door open and waiting. Through the window, you could see the woman who’d so eagerly offered herself and her car to get you to the event. You were under no false pretenses about her sincerity in doing so. There was something more to her supposedly kind offer. You weren’t in a hurry to find out just how much more but from the way you’d caught her looking at Henry the night of the ball you had your guesses. You allowed the butler to direct you to the car and see you inside.

As soon as you sat, the woman across from you pasted a smile on her face. It was one of those basic instinct smiles, a smile that housed a thousand lies, and a thousand and one daggers.

“Xari, darling!”

Your eyes widened. It had been a while since you’d been around this level of fake.

“Thank you offering to get me to the event,” you breached.

She smiled wider, if that was possible then leaned closer and took your hand in hers. “No thank you needed, dear. I have always been keen on helping those less fortunate.”

You heard the bells of a boxing match in your head. She’d started round one.

“Wow, um--.”

“What a cute outfit you’ve chosen for yourself. I worried your tastes would be too—tactless for what the Brexendor press are used to, but I am surprised to see tactlessness will be missing from the day, at least in your outfit.”

You cocked your head to the side. How did she manage to make so many insults sound so pleasant? You stifled a snort because thanks to your upbringing you’d been forced to go through debutant classes where you learned everything from etiquette to the art of polite disrespect. It was a southern thing. Those classes had prepared you to deal with the southern aunties, upper class grandmothers and quite a few socialites who thought they were better than everyone else because they had a trust fund and a rotation of cars for every day of the week.

You opened your mouth to speak but the door on the right of the car opened first. First it was your sister, Aneka who ducked inside and sat beside you, then Albee, the man with the pretty eyes from the ball who sat beside Freddie.

“Aneka?”

She looped her arm with yours and smiled. “I thought you’d left already?”

“I was but I got—distracted,” she said coyly smiling at Albee who smirked right back.

“What are you doing in my car, Albee? Though I know yours is far less luxurious than mine I am sure you have your own car,” Freddie cheeked.

Albee didn’t look fazed in the least, instead he smirked and made himself more comfortable in his seat. “Freddie you are aware that we are the same rank, correct?”

“Duchess Frederica,” she retorted through clenched teeth.

Albee scoffed. “Freddie. We’re all friends here, no need for titles. Only those who feel themselves more important than you truly are need to lean on such trivial things.”

Freddie glared at him with one brow raised.

“Since you are offering transport, I humbly accept your offer. Driver, carry on.”

Before Freddie could reply, the car took motion, and she didn’t look one bit happy about it. You and Aneka exchanged glances speaking through them as you usually did. You were tempted to bust out your secret language from when you were kids but didn’t want to come off as intentionally rude. This was a tit for tat game.

“And who are you?”

Freddie’s calculating eyes landed on Aneka, but she didn’t shrink back, Aneka instead raised her brow and put on a sugar sweet smile on her face.

“Aneka, Xari’s sister.”

Freddi’s eyebrow darted upward as she took both of you in. “So there are two less fortunate souls that need our charity.”

“The only thing unfortunate is your dye job. Did you pay for that?”

The fire in Freddie’s eyes sparked and you saw Aneka had struck a nerve. It was after all her specialty.

“Oh don’t tease dear Freddie about her hair. She loves it more than Jesus and little children,” Albee teased.

“Children are disgusting,” she added never taking her eyes off of Aneka.

“Interesting. That is not what I recall you telling the queen just a few weeks ago. What was it? Oh, I do so love children and cannot wait until I can become a mother. I do believe it is my life’s purpose.”

You couldn’t help but snort. Dipping your head to the side to hide in Aneka’s shoulder you snickered.

“I knew I scented fake on you, but I didn’t know it was this much of it,” Aneka added.

“Fake? Are we talking about fake as in your supposed Gucci shoes or perhaps that atrocity you call hair atop your head? That level of fake?”

Aneka lunged forward but your hand across her chest like a theme park ride safety bar stopped her.

“Ri, Aneka began but the look you gave her stopped any further words.

“So your hair is a sore topic? Remember that before you even attempt to go toe to toe with me.”

You could hear Aneka’s teeth grinding. You knew she had it in her to beat Freddie’s ass in record time then step out the car without so much as a scratch on her. However, this was not the place and definitely not the time. You didn’t want to offend the queen or the family especially with the level of hospitality they were currently showing you both.

“Take it easy Freddie. We wouldn’t want a repeat of what happened two Christmases ago. I don’t think the gossip would die down so quickly this time,” Albee cautioned.

The look Freddie gave him could have frozen anyone’s heart, but he didn’t look bothered at all. His smile was bright as he met the challenge of her icy gaze. It was clear that this was normal for the two of them. Either this was a huge scheme between them to dupe the newcomer or the two disliked each other.

“Why am I not surprised that you have found yet another commoner to slum it with. Do you not have any sense of pride or self-worth? Do you not feel them beneath you?”

Aneka made a move to lunge at Freddie again, but you held firmly to her and brought her attention to look out the window.

“Tsk, Tsk Freddie. Where is your decorum? My sense of pride and worth were never in question. Yours however—I can after all say I have never had a lifelong pursuit of someone who didn’t want me in the slightest bit.”

You tucked that bit of information away for when you were alone to dissect it. All conversation stopped and you pointed things out to Aneka. Everything you pointed out Albee took it upon himself to either explain or give backstory to. It was interesting the information he revealed about the country. It was clear from his voice he also loved his home. With every other sentence he spoke, Freddie had a snide remark for. Either it was something to make him look bad or to point out how out of bounds you were to even be here.

Thankfully, the car pulled into the destination when it did because you were quickly approaching the limit to your acceptance and ability to turn the other cheek. You looked at all the things that were set up for this event. Off to the side where the path was fully paved, there were stations set up for snacks, drinks, souvenirs, pictures and a few other things such as arts and crafts. Across the massive open field there was plenty to do. The car rolled past a toboggan area where children and adults were already speeding down the steep slope having a fabulous time. There was even an ice-skating rink that looked like the perfect photo-op to showcase how picturesque this country really was. You caught sight of other stalls set up with games, even child and family friendly park rides and even animals for petting.

“Wow, give me this over a ball any day,” Aneka said.

Freddie scoffed, rolling her eyes, “Gauche,” she hissed.

The car door opened but before Freddie could make a move you slammed it shut again and locked it. You’d had enough.

“I have sat here this entire car ride and listened to your disrespect and belittlement of myself, and my sister and I let you get it all out because I know those who feel threatened the most always feel the need to wail and moan about it so their voices are the ones heard the loudest to distract from how insignificant they truly feel and are.”

Freddie’s eyes blazed. She opened her mouth to speak but you continued, keeping your voice steady. “I wasn’t going to point out your insignificance, but I feel I must now. If you had any respect for yourself, your country and people you would shut your mouth and practice a little thing we call in America and by we, I mean women with mine and Aneka’s hair, call self-restraint and self-love. Because you would truly understand that you reflect upon your country and people. It is very telling of your low intelligence when all you can do is attempt to make others feel lowly about themselves because you put so much value on wealth. This holier than thou act will only lead to one thing in your life, shame and loneliness. Though I think you are fully aware of the loneliness part. You can’t make me feel bad about myself because I know my worth and it is astronomically higher than yours and we both know he sees that.”

Freddie sputtered clearly trying to find the words for a comeback. You gave her a good five seconds to compute but even that wasn’t enough. Poor little Tink Tink, you thought as you unlocked the door. It opened as soon as you did like the driver had been trying the entire time. You didn’t wait for her to climb out you took the initiative and took the driver’s hand and climbed out of the car holding onto Aneka’s hand bringing her with you.

As soon as you stepped out of the car, you caught Henry’s eye. His brows were burrowed and there was a look of concern on his face. You gave him a polite smile and head nod as you rounded the car. Slowly, he brought his attention to the group of men before him. Albee stepped beside you then leaned close to your ear.

“She has fangs,” he whispered.

You smirked, “And my bite and bark are both deadly.”

His smile widened as he tipped his invisible hat to you.

“I like you,” Albee added as the line of dignitaries began moving. “And I can see why he likes you too.”

His voice was lower this time, but it was his words that had you stumbling. Thanks to Aneka’s grip on your arm, it was barely noticeable. Thank goodness too because the press were hungrily snapping pictures of everyone and everything. You and the others stood to the side as Henry, the queen and Jemma shook hands and took the lead in the festivities. Your eyes couldn’t help but follow Henry as he shook the hands of several people while exchanging pleasantries. His smile was wide and the gleam in his eyes said he was genuinely happy to be there and interact with them all.

When you saw him dip down to greet a few children, your ovaries practically exploded. The kids melted and in turn he did too. He played around with them as his mother and sister took over with greeting the adults. The more you watched the more your heart thumped thinking how adorable he looked.

“Romancing the daughters of the dignitaries, Duke Baldrik?”

Your attention turned to a photog standing in front of the three of you snapping pictures. The bright lights blinded you momentarily making you bring your hand to shield your face.

“Ha, not at all, Albee replied with a bachelor perfect smile.

“They look unfamiliar. Who might they be?”

“Honored guests of the crown,” Albee offered holding out his arms for both you and Aneka to take. Once you did, he tipped his head to the photog and began ushering you toward the stalls that were set up.

“Enjoy the event,” Albee called out.

As soon as he was out of earshot, he blew out. “While the press here is not entirely as bad as it is in America, I do have to caution you. Do not underestimate them.”

“Thank you,” Aneka said with a flirtatious smile.

If was clear now that she was into him. Of course, she was, you thought. Aneka liked them pretty.

“My pleasure. The longer you are here the more you will be able to figure out which ones prefer some scandal on top of their news and who truly have the crown’s best interest at heart. Him—scandal fattens his pockets.”

You scanned the photographer from before who was now snapping pictures of Freddie who was now with two other women who looked just as stuck up as she did. She looked to be loving the attention and the compliments she was getting from everyone around her. Figured. Rolling your eyes, you turned your back on her.

“Are you not afraid?”

“Afraid of what?”

“The power she wields.”

“Call me dense because I know nothing of her power. All I see is a sad little bitch.”

Albee snorted and heartily laughed bringing the attention of most around you, even Henry.

“My goodness. You are a breath of fresh air. Would you like me to enlighten you of her power, or the power of her name?”

You looked at a few figurines at the stall smiling at how cute they were.

“Nah, I don’t care.”

“I do. Know thy enemy, Art of War, Sun Tzu,” Aneka butt in.

Albee’s smile widened. “I do think I am going to enjoy this season.”

As the three of you walked around taking in the many activities, that had been prepared Albee told you all about Freddie and her family. He didn’t leave much out including her net worth and the influence her family had in the past. When he told you about her lifetime hope and dream of becoming the queen, you almost laughed. Of course she wanted to be queen. She was clearly obsessed with power and wanted the second highest position in the country. However, when Albee revealed that Henry didn’t seem to be keen on that idea you couldn’t keep a smile off your face. It was short lived though, because it dawned on you then that you’d stepped right into another season of “The Bachelor: Who Wants the Crown”. Rich women would fight to their last press on nail for more money and more power and it was even better if it came with a crown and a pretty hot prince.

From the look Aneka gave you, she was thinking the same thing. You tentatively listened as Albee pointed out the who was who of the group all with backstory. He was clearly well informed from growing up within all of this but firm the way he spoke about the rest of them in comparison to Henry you could tell he harbored no ill will toward him. Perhaps there really were some good people besides the queen and Jemma after all.

Fo the next few hours you, Aneka and Albee explored the park flitting from game to game and stall to stall. Every few seconds you were snapping pictures trying to capture the joy and liveliness that was all around you. Everyone was so friendly you couldn’t help but feel right at home among them. Kids easily approached you to play and sing and show you the ropes of a few local games. Grandmothers with kind eyes happily shared stories and happy memories of previous Brexenavides while offering local delicacies like candied nuts that came in a plethora of flavors that you quickly became addicted to.

Before you knew it, you’d wandered off by yourself with no sight of Aneka or Albee. You wondered if it was purposely done so she could get some alone time with him. Deciding not to go find them, you wandered the area some more until you felt a snowball hit your back. Expecting to see a child, you spun around but found Henry with the evidence on his leather gloves. Your jaw dropped.

“Your highness,” you gasped.

His laugh echoed around you as he approached you.

“Forgive me my lady.”

“There goes that title again. I’m no lady.”

Henry took you in for a few moments. “I beg to differ. I have always seen a lady as one who is refined, polite and well spoken, someone who makes those around them feel valued.”

“And that is me?”

“Yes. Since you’ve arrived, I have overheard many of the maids talking about your kindness to them how you never make them feel less than and how you are always polite, stopping to talk to them as if you care about their feelings.”

“And I take it that is something out of character in Brexendor.”

Henry took a deep breath. “Among my family not at all, but when the palace gets filled with dignitaries and other world leaders, I am ashamed to say yes.”

You nodded and popped a few more candied nuts into your mouth. You tipped the bag toward him.

“Are those what I think they are?”

He dipped inside and came away with a small handful that he tossed into his mouth. The moan he let out was deep and it took you right back to the night before. Goosebumps skirted across your skin making you stand taller as a shiver ran through you.

“Are you cold?”

“Uh—no. I’m all right.”

“I am sorry I got carried away. These have always been my favorite. I remember the first outing my father took me to. He knew I was not looking forward to it and that I was anxious about making a good impression on him and the family. Once I got into the car, he had a bag of these waiting for me. As we drove, we talked about sports, video games and my tutor who I mightily disliked. We ate the whole bag within minutes and by the time we got to the appearance all of my nerves had wilted away. Every outing I went on whether it was with him or without there was a bag of these waiting for me.”

The smile on his face was so warm but it was also sorrowful.

“That’s beautiful.”

He nodded popping another one into his mouth. “Then he died and since—I haven’t had not even one.”

The sadness rolling off of him touched your heart. You wanted to wrap your arms around him and tell him everything was going to be all right. You wanted to comfort him in a way that this open space did not permit. You glanced around and caught sight of the toboggan area.

“How good are you at toboggan?”

Henry scoffed the dusted off his hands. “I am the toboggan king.”

You giggled and rolled your eyes. “Put your money where your mouth is, your highness.”

“Money? Are we betting?”

“Bet your ass we are.”

“My ass? My, my Lady Thornton, how forward you are to think that is up for grabs.”

The look he gave you was a steamy one.

“Is there something else that should be up for grabs, your highness? Perhaps something—harder to—accomplish—something bigger?”

Heat flashed behind his icicle blue orbs as he held your gaze. Henry took a step to you then another. With clenched jaws, he sighed.

“Winner makes the request?”

“Wager accepted.”

The two of you walked over to the toboggan areas. As soon as you approached those around marveled at having him so close. It didn’t matter their age they were all captivated by him. To have that much power, you thought. How was he not some self-absorbed asshole?

“After you,” Henry offered, holding his hand out to an empty toboggan. You smirked then climbed on taking care to use your long jacket to pool between your legs so there would be no unsavory photos later.

Once you were comfortable, you glanced to your left, he was seated in his own toboggan ready and waiting with a boyish excited smile on his face. You wondered when the last time was that he’d smiled like that.

“Last chance to back out Lady Thornton.”

You playfully rolled your eyes. “A lady never goes back on a wager. Are you sure you don’t want to forfeit before you lose terribly in front of your citizens? A true king knows when he is in over his head.”

Henry laughed loudly again and everyone around him giggled clearly catching his excited joy.

“That is true, but I assure you my lady, this is not one of those times.”

You smiled and focused in front of you. Someone off to the side began counting down from four and when you shouted one a pair of strong hands gave you one push sending you down the steep hill. You’d underestimated the hill greatly and your scream said so. Henry laughed then leaned backward. You watched him inch before you, leading by almost a foot. You did the same and smiled when you cut his lead by a few inches. With the bottom of the hill in sight, you needed a last-ditch effort to come out on top. Not knowing if it would work or not, you rocked back and forth hoping it would increase your speed. Instead, it made the toboggan choppy.

All too late, you saw the fist sized rock in front of you. However, it was too late. The slate of the toboggan nudged it sending the back of it forward and you sailing through the air. It all happened in slow motion, and you fully caught sight of Henry coasting into the finish line and to a stop. He stood and held his hands in the air in triumph, but that excitement faded when he saw your current state. You heard him shout your name then come barreling toward you. You braced yourself for the hard impact you knew was coming and tried to prepare for the face full of snow you were about to ingest. When you felt the hard collision, it knocked the wind out of your lungs. You rolled a few times but barely felt any pain.

Finally, when you came to a stop, it took several moments to open your eyes. Atop you was Henry with his face mere inches from yours. For a few seconds, you thought you’d transported back in time, and you were in the garden room with him again. The patches of snow in his hair slowly registered as did the fact that he was calling your name with his hands on your cheek.

“Xari.”

“Did I win?”

Henry’s features softened as he gave you a half smile.

“Not even close.”

You giggled at first, but it got louder and more uncontrolled. Henry joined in neither of you fully registering that you were not alone and in fact in front of dozens of people. Feet stamped to you, and you turned your face shielding it from the patches of snow.

“Your highness, are you all right?”

Reality was colder than the snow you laid upon.

“Ehm, yes. I am quite all right,” Henry said as he stood. “Just doing the right thing and saving the damsel in distress.”

You snorted as you took his outstretched hand and allowed him to pull you up. “I suppose I earned that title. Thank you, your highness.”

Henry nodded, bowing his head ever so slightly. “A pleasure, Lady Thronton.”

“This way your highness,” Henry’s advisor breached directing the way.

As he walked off you took note of Freddie and her friends standing off to the side watching you. The look on all their faces told you that you were now on their radar. A few more hours passed, and you took the time to get to every ride and activity. You wanted to experience it all so you could really write about it later. This event was definitely a must for any visitors during this time of year.

When you ducked into a photo booth, you sighed out taking the time to catch your breath and give your feet a break. Before you could get too comfortable, another body ducked in beside you.

“Ex--.”

Henry’s smiling face stopped you.

“Fancy meeting you here.”

You snorted and shook your head.

“Shouldn’t you be working?”

“Funny thing. I came here fully prepared to work but knowing you are here only makes me want to experience this with you—through your eyes.”

You searched his then smirked.

“So, you’re—hiding out?”

He nodded and you had to laugh then. “Oh, your highness.”

“Every time you say that it sounds so dirty, and it brings my head to very ungentlemanly things.”

You leaned forward and began making selections for the pictures.

“Is that so?”

“Quite so. Is it intentional on your part?”

Shrugging, you looked at him.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, your highness.”

His eyes dropped to your lips and within seconds he pulled you flush against his lips at the same time the flash of the camera went off. You both moaned neither pulling away, both intensifying the kiss. His tongue curled around yours making you wrap your arms around his neck at the same time he brought his hand to the back of your neck. He held you tenderly like you were precious but firm not wanting you to slip away. When you came in here, you hadn’t planned on this being a make out spot but now you couldn’t care less about the pictures.

His lips were sweet but cold and his tongue warm and intoxicating. Somehow, he tasted like peppermint and chocolate, and it was now your new favorite flavor combination. Needing to be closer, you sank your fingers into his tresses and gripped. The guttural moan he let out reverberated all over you, hardening your nipples and moistening your underwear.

“Mm, I can kiss you all day every day and never tire of your lips,” Henry whispered.

“All day? However will you get any work done?”

He smiled then kissed you again nibbling your bottom lip.

“I guess I shall not.”

Your eyes met and you saw the truth of his words. How sweet, you thought before you traced your tongue along his bottom lip then his top carefully outlining his perfect cupid’s bow. He didn’t move an inch. When his eyes fluttered closed giving you the most amazing angle of his long lashes, you softly sighed. Henry then claimed your lips pulling you closer to him so your bodies melded together becoming one figure. His lips hungrily kissed you, nibbling, sucking, licking as he pleased not caring where you were or who could happen upon you at any moment.

“Eh-em, your highness incoming. Duchess Freddie.”

McArthur’s voice broke the lustful haze surrounding you forcing you both to reluctantly pull away. Henry groaned his displeasure then glanced behind you.

“I think I have worked enough today. Care to join me on a personalized tour?”

You smiled brightly then took his head. “As you wish.”

“A low growl escaped him, and it sent your heart fluttering ten times as fast. “I do hope you remember those words when I most need them.”

His grin was mischievous, and you made a note to say them again. The list of words and phrases that elicited a sultry reaction was steadily growing and you planned on monopolizing him at every chance. Henry stood and led you out the other entrance to the booth that was opposite where McArthur must have been standing. His steps were quick as he dashed away like it was the scene of a crime. Perhaps it was seeing how you were now wet and wanting him. When he pulled you through a clearing of pine trees, you squealed, your sense of adventure and excitement picking up.

Once secluded behind the trees, he backed you into a mass of them tucking you in the tight crevice there then kissed you again. You eagerly accepted the kiss. He felt too sublime against you not to. His lips dipped to your jaw then trailed to your neck where it was clear he was a man with a plan.

Henry groaned on your neck then nibbled your earlobe, “What are you doing to me, Xari? How have you taken every single brain cell I have and imprinted your face upon them? How have you touched my skin and made it impossible for me to see anyone else doing it? How have you come here and tortured me so?”

You could hear the yearning in his voice. It was overwhelming, making you want to give in completely to him no matter the consequences. You were speechless. sensing this, he placed a chaste kiss at the tip of your nose then took your hand again and led you through the maze of trees. When you emerged, you saw the spread of rides before you just waiting for you both to let loose like children. McArthur stood just at the large Birch a few feet away with his back turned to you.

“Your highness, the queen said she can manage the rest of the event with the dignitaries and the press and princess Jemma said she will take point with the children and citizens. They are both instructing you to play the role of the proper host to out palace guest,” McArthur informed.

You pinched your lips. You knew what a set up sounded like. You couldn’t help but wonder why they were seemingly pushing him to entertain you. Before you could think any further, Henry looped your arm through his and led you across the field. McArthur handed Henry a newsboy hat and a dark scarf to replace his royal blue one he was currently wearing. Once he was disguised, you scoffed because while it gave him a little more coverage you were sure his people knew him thoroughly and would easily spot you. McArthur handed you a large wide brimmed hat that gave you full coverage from every angle.

“To protect your privacy, Lady Thornton,” McArthur clarified.

You smiled as you put it on. “Thank you, McArthur.

A few minutes later you were seated in a ride called Santa’s Sleigh which was similar to those back and forth rocking pirate ships only it was led by the reindeers with Santa in the back.

“Feel free to scream your highness, I will allow everyone to think it is me.”

“I do not scream Lady Thornton, however, if you make it worth my while I will be the loudest in the land.”

You giggled and enjoyed the ride teasing him the entire time. Your interaction was so natural it almost felt unreal. Though he didn’t touch you above your waist, his thigh remained pressed to yours no matter what. By the fourth ride, you’d deduced it was purposely done. Knowing that you couldn’t stop your heart from fluttering. Ride after ride you laughed, joked and teased one another. Ride after ride he made sure to keep some part of your bodies touching. Ride after ride you exchanged flirtatious glances that only increased your body temperature. It may have been twenty or so degrees out, but you were a sweltering ninety-nine degrees.

“This is your favorite ride?”

Henry’s questioning eyes were glued to the carousel that was decked with reindeers, sacks of Santa’s presents, giant boulder like forms of coal, Santa’s mailbox and other notable Christmas decorations. The sun had now set and the lights that bathed the ride made it seem so magical. This entire country was plotting against you here, you thought to yourself.

“Sure is.”

“Then, shall we?”

Like a six your old child rather than a grown ass woman, you scampered toward the ride then walked around it trying to decide the best figurine. It was a tough choice, but you ended up picking a reindeer which had Henry choosing the same one beside yours. Before he climbed on, he took the time to carefully buckle you into the harness tightening the straps as needed. As he did so, his hands touched your waist and hips and from the look on his face you knew this too was purposely done.

“Be careful your highness. You are very close to alerting the outside world to just how horny you are.”

The smirk he wore slipped and his brows furrowed.

“Is that what you think I am?”

His voice was tight btu other than that it gave nothing away.

“Um—isn’t it true?”

His jaw clenched and a scowl fell across his lips. Backing away, he claimed onto his own reindeer but didn’t bother buckling the straps. A cold breeze engulfed you making you feel the bitter coldness for the first time. Had you said something wrong?

The carousel went round and round sending you and Henry up and down, but he didn’t speak at any point. Instead, he held onto the pole while staring off into the distance. You allowed the silence to stretch for a few moments then when you turned to speak to him, you found his eyes already on you.

“Something wrong?”

Henry opened his mouth to speak but shook his head instead. You didn’t believe him. He definitely had something to say but you didn’t push him.

“Why is the carousel your favorite ride?”

You smirked then shook your head. “It just is.”

“Even if it was not obvious you were lying, I would not believe that. Come on tell me.”

“You won’t laugh?”

“I might.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, but your look was met with a hearty chuckle.

“Come on tell me.”

Hugging the pole of the reindeer tighter, you rested the side of your head on it, looking at him. “When I was about 8, I always saw it when looked so—pretty. It was usually the only ride that looked so—magical no matter what time of day or where I went. My father told me that it was a portal to a magical world. He said there was always one sometimes two chosen figures that were spelled to open the portal but only those destined to find it could. So, whenever I saw a carousel, I made it a point to ride it hoping to find the right figure to unlock the portal and take me away.”

The smile Henry wore was an adoring one. “That may be the cutest image ever. An 8-year-old you climbing onto these things hoping it opened a portal to another world.”

You nodded. “My parents indulged me, I was lucky. As I got older, I grew out of the heavy belief there was a magical portal and began to see how beautiful and romantic carousels were and went to realizing that perhaps they were magical after all, but not because of going to another world but how they made you feel and the memories you could make with those who matter while on them.”

You hadn’t meant to spill so much to him. Glancing at him, you tried not to cringe realizing his eyes were glued to you. However, the longer he stared at you the more you felt like jumping off the ride and running back to the maze of trees.

“So how many memories have you made with those who matter on one of these?”

You smirked then shrugged. “One or two.”

His huff made you pinch your lips in an effort to not laugh. “Interesting.”

Making your best innocent face, you turned the question back onto him. “

“And you?”

“I feel like you are the one who will laugh at me here.”

“Why?”

“Because this—this is the first carousel I have ridden with anyone—leisurely, well that was not family that is.

Your eyes widened. “Ever?”

“Ever.”

“Oh my goodness, Henry—am I your first?”

His smile was mischievous. “It would appear so, Lady Thornton.”

You bit your bottom lip then smiled widely. You didn’t know why you felt so prideful. It wasn’t like it was something that mattered or something that reflected on you in any possible way.

“Well, you are my first prince in a magical fairytale country that I’ve been on one of these with,” you began pausing to contemplate if you should say the rest of the sentence. “And this just may be my favorite ever.”

His cheeks flamed and you couldn’t help but smile. Then when his smile stretched bigger than you’d seen, your heart couldn’t bare it. He was too damn cute.

“Mine too,” Henry muttered a little above a whisper knowing that you’d catch it.

If cloud nine was the highest point one’s spirit could reach you were ebbing onto cloud 10. There was no need to speak for the rest of the ride. You and Henry rode it once, then twice but neither of you seemed quite ready to get off. After a fourth go round, the two of you walked around the park taking in the different games and events that were scattered about. You’d wanted to try the skating rink but didn’t want to expose him to the eyes of everyone around due to the openness of the rink, so you opted for other lowkey options for entertainment. You chatted about a plethora of things never remining on any subject long because you had so much in common that always branched out to other topics.

When you saw the actual reindeers, you lost it and scurried over to pet and baby talk them. While they were massive, you couldn’t help but find them adorable. You fed one a carrot and squealed at how affectionate it was. When you turned to make a puppy face at Henry, you found him snapping pictures of you with his phone like it was the most natural thing in the world.

At the urging of the reindeer master, you climbed into the sleigh that was decked out as if it truly were Santa’s sleigh and posed for the professional photos. As they snapped away you looked to Henry trying to coax him into the sleigh with you. It didn’t take long before he climbed in and smiled for the pictures with you. It felt normal to do this with him, normal to be around one another like this. A massive bubble in your chest screamed of caution and reservation so loudly that your head had no other choice but to register the warning.

After a few more photos, McArthur motioned for Henry’s attention which had him jumping out of the sleigh and stepping off to the side where both of them spoke in hushed tones. You prepared to climb down from the sleigh but as you did you happened to glance off to the right where you saw Freddie watching you. The rage and hatred in her eyes could not be missed and for a second you panicked. When you saw her raise a gun in her hand, your eyes widened. Before you could make a noise or move, a loud “pop” echoed through the park. You fully expected to feel the pain of the bullet and braced yourself, unable to move.

Instead, the pain never came. What did unfold was pure chaos. Several loud “neighs” boomed through the air then a forceful jerk. The action sent you hurling backward landing in a crumped heap on the seat of the sleigh. There were screams in the park and you watched the reindeers panic, colliding with each other as if they were fighting. Antlers thwacked together making it sound as if trees themselves were splintering around you. Henry made a move toward the sleigh but was stopped by his protective detail that was now circling him and locking him down, ready to take any stray bullet for him.

Within seconds, the reindeer that was harnessed to the sleigh you were in took off.

“Aaaaaaaaaaah!”

With terror, you watched as the unmanned runaway sleigh bound across the park not caring where it went. Everywhere people dashed out of its way trying to save themselves. All you could do was watch from your scrunched position, holding on for dear life as you prayed this was not how you died.

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

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#crown for two fic #henry cavill #henry cavill fanfiction #henry cavill au #henry cavill x reader #henry cavill x you #henry cavill x black reader #black fanfiction #christmas fanfiction #cheesy christmas fic #henry cavill x black ofc #royalty au

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thepeanutbutterwizard · 1 year

Note

VT au

How is the morro situation handled considering... well... everything?

Good question!

So the Morro stuff in the past goes fairly similarly to cannon. He was a homeless kid that Wu found scavenging for food in the garbage cans outside of the Monastery. At that point, Wu hadn't fully succumbed to the Venom, but due to Misako and Garmadon recently becoming a couple he wasn't doing very well.

Morro, like Kai and Nya, is distantly descended from Wojira, and bc of that he's partly dragon. This subconsciously brings out some of Wu's draconic instincts to protect the abandoned hatchling, and leads to Morro trusting Wu almost immediately.

Like in cannon, Wu takes Morro in, and starts training him once he discovers Morro is the Elemental Master of Wind. And this actually starts to help Wu cope with the Venom better than anything had, like how in cannon the one thing Garmadon was able to hold on to when the Venom overwhelmed him was how much he loved Lloyd.

But, there's one big difference from cannon; Wu does everything he can to hide the Green Ninja Prophecy from Morro. He see's how strong Morro is at such a young age, and feels like he could possibly be the Green Ninja. But that would mean that Morro, whom Wu has come to see as his own child, is destined to fight and defeat Wu. He refuses to let that happen.

Unfortunately, Wu can't control everything.

Morro discovers the Prophecy on accident, and wonders if Wu has been training him to be the Green Ninja. But when he asks about it, it triggers an episode with the Venom; the first one he had since adopting Morro.

Wu loses it and terrifies Morro. He runs away, and blames himself. He doesn't know about the Venom, and thinks Wu got so upset bc Morro wasn't nearly good enough to be the Green Ninja and him even thinking he was a potential GN was an insult. So the boy figures if he can do something big and grand and impressive, he would prove to Wu that he isn't a waste of time and space.

Something like finding the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master.

Meanwhile, once Wu's Venom fueled episode dies down and he realizes what he just did, he is distraught. He searches for Morro, swallowing his anger and feelings of betrayal to ask Garmadon and Misako for help. But Morro is never found.

He still dies in the Caves of Despair, and his ghost is still stuck in the Cursed Realm.

Fast forward, and Morro gets out of the Curse Realm. Wu has been defeated, as has Chen, and Morro heads to the Museum to start his part of the Preeminent's plan to Curse all 16 Realms.

Which is where we get to the part where things can go a few different ways.

At this point, all of our main characters will have found out that Lloyd is the actual Green Ninja, not Kai. But that isn't publicly known; I haven't decided if the public definitely knows Kai isn't actually the GN, since everyone knows the truth about Wu now, but at the very least people suspect that Kai isn't actually the Prophesied Green Ninja.

((There's actually quite a few people who think Garmadon is the Green Ninja since he defeated Wu, but thats stuff for a different post))

Either way, Kai is still wearing the Green Gi and doing anything that can be considered 'Greed Ninja Duties'. He's not doing it bc he wants to hold onto the title though; Lloyd doesn't get hit with Tommorows Tea, so he's still only like, 11. After learning the truth, Kai kinda hates being the Green Ninja, but he'll chew off one of his own limbs before letting the Green Ninja Prophecy steal someone else's childhood.

So Kai gets possesed. And things quickly get messy.

Morro and Kai have a lot of similarities in cannon; in VT, those similarities get ramped up to 11. They see each others memories of being raised by Wu, and they both get angry. They also start to empathize with each other greatly, and where Kai ends and Morro starts gets blurred. They quickly get to the point where They throw the Preeminent's plan out the window in favor of a new plan.

Find Wu and make him pay for what he did to Them.

It's easy to brush off the other ghost's concerns; no-one knows what happened to the FSM's staff after Wu traded it out for the Mega Weapon except for Wu, so going after him is the easiest way forward.

Unfortunately for Them, Wu was briefly transformed into an Anacondrai with Chen and the rest of his followers, and his cell wasn't built to hold an Anacondrai, so he used the opportunity to escape from Kryptarium, and hasn't been seen since.

I haven't decided on if Morro sticks around as a member of the main cast after everything is over, and what the full consequences of him possessing Kai are. But he does get a full redemption arc, even if he won't survive it.

Sooo yeah.

My inbox is open to anymore questions!

#ninjago #lego ninjago #ninjago au #venomous teachings au #ninjago kai #kai ninjago #kai smith #kai jiang #ninjago morro #morro ninjago #morro wu

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sprinklescold · 8 months

Text

A Close Reading of Ivy and Zelkov's Support Chain (and why I ship it)

These are just the opinions of an internet rando. Take it with a grain of salt. I am probably (definitely) reading too much into things here, but what else is fandom for? That disclaimer out of the way, go watch Ivy and Zelkov’s supports. I’ll wait…

Great, right? It makes a difference to hear the voice acting. I think it brings shades of meaning to the words. Plus both actors did an amazing job. Anyway, on to my (hopefully coherent) analysis.

C Support:

Ivy: Ugh…

Zelkov: What is the meaning of this sound, Princess Ivy?

Ivy: Just a headache.

Zelkov: I hope you are not overworking yourself.

He sounds so genuinely concerned here. Looking at all his supports together, it’s obvious how much he wants to take care of the people around him, whether he realizes it or not.

Ivy: I’m fine. And there is no need to pretend you care. I know you are not fond of me.

She’s clearly upset about the fact she thinks he doesn’t like or truly care about her. She doubts his motives and his honesty, likely due to her childhood experiences with the Elusian court. I’m going to note the use of the word “fond” here. It suggests something softer and more affectionate than if they had just used the word “like.”

Zelkov: Hm. Let me make this absolutely clear. My concern for your well-being is genuine. It is, after all, my responsibility.

Ivy: Hmm…

Zelkov: Yet for some reason, it concerns you whether I have fond feelings toward you. So, allow me to state it plainly. I do not have fond feelings toward you, Princess Ivy. I see such things as irrelevant. Whatever my sentiments may be, what matters is that you have my obedience.

He is very careful to keep her at arms length. My interpretation would be that, due to his past, he tries not to get close to people for fear of losing them. He chooses to minimize and leave his feelings unexamined (“whatever [his] sentiments may be…”), in favor of focusing on his work.

Ivy: What a curious thing for my own retainer to say. But that’s a relief. I don’t like you either.

This, to me, sounds like she’s lashing out in order to hurt him for his supposed dislike, and also to protect herself. I don’t like you, so it doesn’t matter if you don’t like me. But note that he never actually says that he doesn’t like her, just that he isn’t “fond” of her.

Zelkov: I will obey you regardless.

He doesn’t particularly seem to want agency over his own life, which goes with his philosophy of “killing time until time kills you.” His work is all that matters, so he’s just going to do whatever Ivy tells him to. But he doesn’t just obey orders. He sees her well-being as his responsibility (i.e. he can’t help but feel the need to take care of her).

Ivy: So good to hear.

Some sarcasm from Ivy. What I get from this C support is two people whose perceptions are colored by their traumatic pasts. They’re both acting indifferent trying to protect themselves from being hurt.

B Support:

Zelkov: There is nothing quite so isolating as pain. It cannot be explained. The only window to understanding it is experience. Does that mean we are destined to be strangers to one another? Not at all. For we possess the gift of wisdom, by which we may intuit what we cannot see. I have distilled this wisdom to its essence. I have corked it within this tincture. This vessel encapsulates the light which will dispel the dark fog of your isolation.

Ivy: … I’m sorry, what is happening? What is this?

Zelkov: Headache medicine.

So this whole exchange is funny, but when you really look at the meaning of what he’s saying, it’s pretty touching. It’s due to their past (emotional) pain that both of them isolate themselves, but he’s here showing her sympathy. He wants to stop her from being in pain.

Ivy: You’re saying you made this? For me?

She sounds so happy.

Zelkov: Yes. As your retainer, I have a duty to serve you by every available means.

Ivy: I… Thank you.

And then she sounds so disappointed.

Zelkov: Your thanks are unnecessary. I am only doing my duty.

Once again he’s trying to push her away and convince himself that he’s only doing his job.

Ivy: … Thank you for reaffirming exactly why I dislike you. That said… I admit I appreciate your honesty. Many in your position would flatter or lie. You speak your mind. I respect that.

So she never explicitly says why she dislikes him, but what exactly did he do that reaffirmed it? Well, he was pushing her away, treating her like a responsibility rather than a person. She wants so badly for him to like her as a person. Despite being disappointed, she’s still grateful for the gesture, so she tries to be nice in return. She’s been surrounded by flatterers and liars her whole life, so his blunt honesty is something she values (although I don’t think Zelkov’s being totally honest with himself about his own motivations).

Zelkov: I, uh…

When she praises him is the only time I can think of that he gets tongue tied like this.

Ivy: Did you…have something more to say?

She really wants him to have something more to say.

Zelkov: Apologies, Princess Ivy. The sentiment merely surprised me. I will take my leave and attend to my other duties. Rest well.

He would probably take it at face value when she says she doesn’t like him. Once again, he distracts himself with work to avoid thinking about his feelings.

Ivy: I will. Thank you, Zelkov.

She sounds genuine here and is smiling. The B support is sort of a two steps forward, one step back situation. They’re both reaching out to each other, even if they can’t quite admit it to themselves.

A Support:

Ivy: Zelkov, I have something for you.

Zelkov: A paintbrush? Is this for me?

Ivy: Yes. To thank you for the headache medicine. I understand you’re a painter. But if you have no need for it, feel free to get rid of it.

Despite the fact that she said she doesn’t like him, she wants to give him a gift to show her gratitude for his kindness (even though she thinks he doesn’t like her and is just doing it out of a sense of obligation). She’s taken some initiative in finding out about him as a person and not just as her retainer. Although, once again she tries to protect herself by acting cool, saying that it’s really not that big of a deal and that she wouldn’t care if he threw it away.

Zelkov: On the contrary─I will take exquisite care of it. Thank you.

I don’t think he’s used to people being kind to him.

Ivy: I’m…glad you like it.

Zelkov: I… Princess Ivy, I hope you know I enjoy my work. In fact, when I have a task before me, it is my way to immerse myself in it entirely. In those times, and only those times, my mind is truly at peace. So long as I am your retainer, so long as there is work to do…I have a purpose. That is how deeply I appreciate working for you.

He responds very intensely to her gift. Put another way, he’s saying “My purpose is to be your retainer.” That’s a pretty strong statement. He must find something in Ivy very valuable if that’s the case. This does also show how little meaning he sees in his own life.

Ivy: I see. If that’s true, then I’m happy to have you.

She’s still hesitant to take him at his word (“if that’s true…”), but she’s pleased to hear that he enjoys working for her regardless.

Zelkov: These are indeed my true feelings. You know I am unwilling to lie or flatter.

Ivy: Yes, you’ve made that clear.

She’s laughing here.

Zelkov: I hope you will never hesitate to delegate any task to me. I would die for you, my liege, and gladly.

Fellas, is it romantic to say you would gladly die for someone? I mean, he’s saying “I would do literally anything for you.” It seems fairly obvious to me that if Zelkov were to theoretically fall in love with someone he would be completely, head-over-heels, obsessed with them. He never gives anything less than 110%.

Ivy: Gladly? Despite your lack of fond feelings toward me?

She’s feeling things out here, curious (hopeful?) about his change in attitude. Even at this point she seems guarded. I think it would be hard for her to accept the idea that someone (you know, hypothetically) loved her. She would need a lot of reassurance.

Zelkov: My feelings… may have changed. I now think of you as an acceptable liege.

Before, he was able to express his feelings by talking about how much he appreciated his work, but when it comes to talking about his feelings for her, he has a much harder time.

Ivy: I find you acceptable as well, Zelkov.

Based on the tone of voice, I don’t think being called “acceptable” was quite what she wanted, but she is also terrible at talking about her feelings.

Zelkov: Hm, kind of you to say.

Ivy: However, dying for my sake is not a task to which I will assign you. Gladly or otherwise. Consider yourself under strict orders to survive as you continue to serve me.

Telling someone not to die for you kind of seems like basic human decency, but when you think about them being liege and retainer, it would be part of the job description. Taking into account the conversation in chapter 10 where she gives him and Kagetsu the opportunity to leave, this is the second time she’s shown that she values his life above his responsibilities to her. She doesn’t consider her life as being more important than his. Digging into the subtext a bit, with his statement about “So long as I am your retainer, so long as there is work to do…I have a purpose.” (among other things he says) you get the feeling that the man is only holding on by a thread. “...Survive as you continue to serve me” would be a way of saying “Don’t do anything drastic. Stay with me.”

Zelkov: You may rely on me, Princess Ivy.

“I won’t die. I’ll continue to be here for you.”

They still haven’t quite let down their walls, but they at least have come to an understanding. Their B and A supports are a very subtle back and forth of them putting themselves out there and the other responding in kind. For these two, that feels very significant.

Even from my first viewing of their supports (which was before I shipped them) it felt like Ivy was all into him in their C and B, and then when he admitted that he did like her in their A support her response was strangely reserved. You could come up with some reason, like she wasn’t expecting his reaction and didn’t properly know how to respond (and I mean… fair). Or maybe she was thrown off by the use of the word “acceptable” and isn’t quite sure how he really feels. Or maybe the idea of having someone feel that strongly about her scared her and caused her to withdraw a bit. But I think it really comes down to Fire Emblem having three short supports to create a whole character arc, and in this game they have to be platonic (although some definitely read more romantically than others).

And here’s where I get into my own shippy interpretation. They each have what the other desperately wants. They supply something to the other that is missing from their life. Ivy very much wants to be valued as a person. She wants someone to make her feel safe and cared for. Zelkov wants to be needed and have someone to take care of. She needs to be loved and he needs someone to love. But of course she would love him because he loves her and he would love her because she loves him until they’re in this continuous feedback loop of being obsessed with each other.

[Edit 2: I had a thing here about how it might not be the healthiest relationship (and sure, it's not) but I'll replace that with a hot take. A therapist definition of a healthy relationship is tepid as hell. If both of you aren't head over heels, willing to do anything the other asks, in love, then I don't want it. Note that I said BOTH. Also note that I'm just an idiot on the internet and this is not advice and you shouldn't have fictional characters as relationship goals.]

[Edit 1: I wanted to add a few other thoughts here. In every fic I've read where the two of them interact in any significant way, they always have the best relationship. (And I don't mean that in a shippy way, since I'm just about the only one writing Zelai fics.) It's always clear that Zelkov knows and understands Ivy better than anyone, and Ivy trusts Zelkov completely. And it recently came to my attention that there are TWO people in the game who can't say the word "love" when engaged with Sigurd. Two emotionally stunted people who just can't admit to having feelings. I swear it makes me go crazy.]

#fire emblem engage #fe engage #zelkov #ivy (fire emblem)#Me? Obsessing over my OTP? Never!#engage brainrot #zelai

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emblematicemblazer · 2 months

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World building and theories of Engage

Solm and freedom

Solm is associated with the theme of freedom and this is represented by the royal family. Unlike the royalty of the other kingdoms they are bound by duty to their castles. Sefonia, Timerra and Fogado freely travel throughout the kingdom to perform their duties. In Chapter 12; The Sentinels and Chapter 13; Heroes of the Oasis, Diamant, Alfred and Alear are surprised to learn that the Prince and princess are hardly ever at the castle, Alfred comments that

“You can't leave your castle whenever you want.”

The freedom to leave the castle is one way Solm and freedom are related, another is the way the Prince and Princess get to choose their retainers. There are no educational or strength requirements, no cronyism and their mother does not select for them. Fogado chose Bunet as his personal chef and retainer because of their friendship and his cooking talents. As his retainer he could make certain that he would never lose track of his friend again. Pandreo was chosen due to friendship as well. Timerra selected Merrin because Martin dreamed of being a knight and Panette was a fierce friend who she fought alongside. Fogado and Timerra prioritise friendship over anything else. Their friends could be anyone from a chef turned mercenary, a partying cleric, the runaway matriarch of a tribe or a thuggish lady taking her rage out on people.

The royalty have no rules or standards of etiquette as discovered in Panette's support conversation with Boucheron. She learns that Firene has quite rigid standards whereas Solm has none. This freedom of behaviour is reflected throughout Solm society; Alcryst learns that there are no restrictions nor rules at a party when he finds it hard to enjoy a Pandreo party in their support conversations. He starts to enjoy himself when he is free to move as he pleases.

Singing is another Solm symbol of freedom. Anyone can sing, no matter how out of tune they may be.

Each retainer expresses freedom by defying expectations and living as they please.

Bunet - he desires to live as a chef, despite being a retainer, he is hardly ever seen training or fighting in his supports instead he tends to his garden and comes up with flavour combinations. H e has the freedom to expand his flavour experiences beyond the kitchen, anything from a chandelier in the Somniel to a flower in a flower crowd could be a flavour adventure. Sometimes people are taken aback by the way he interacts but Fogado understands him.

Pandreo - His love for partying represents his freedom to show his devotion in his unique way, even if some clergymen disapprove. There are no rules at his parties, you can dance as you please, interact how you want and enjoy yourself. Pandreo is opened minded enough to offer prayers to Veyle and to pray beside Mauvier who is a worshipper of the Fell Dragon. Commoner (Louis) and noble (Alcryst) alike are invited to party with him.

Merrin - She was destined to be the matriarch of her tribe but her destiny to become a knight made her leave and explore Solm. Once she had left her tribe she was free to carve her path as a knight, fortunately she happened upon Timerra and became her friend.

Panette - Her freedom started with her leaving her parents and raging around Solm looking for a fight. When she met Timerra and became a retainer she was free to adjust her personality as she desired. She felt the need to be more ladylike. Timerra was happy to love and accept whoever she wanted to be, even when other people called her a fake.

The wolf and birds are two animals used to represent Solm and can both symbolise freedom.

Seadall was part of a travelling caravan who was free to live beside nature and roam as pleased. As an orphan he was invited to join and become part of a large family where he was taught to dance.

#fire emblem engage #fe engage

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rrasado · 2 years

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Headmaster Speculation [Unfinished/Half-baked]

To be specific, this was an old thought ramble after a discord friend pointed something out regarding my Crowley rants from before. Again this is all pure speculation with a dash of imagination nothing more nothing less. I'm open for discussion about this (agreeing or disagreeing I'm fine with such) just please be respectful about it thank you ^ ^.

Reference posts used: [Crowley Rant] [Yuu is Twsted Mickey Mouse]

⚠️ Mentions of rebirth and (pixelated) picture of The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things

Headmaster Crowley through the lens of a Painting:

I remember posting about how Yuu can possibly be twst mickey. After that an anonymous ask was sent saying how they also theorized Crowley being a prefect at one point (yet he didn't get the job done as intended so now he's pushing yuu to do it.)

Then it occurred to me how Crowley had both keys and mirrors on his person, and how there were seven keys and four mirrors, I pointed the numerical count on the answer for the ask then another art friend of mine suggested that, what if it was a reference (or a similarly patterned narrative) to the painting of "The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things"

(Seven keys Seven sins four mirrors four last things)

At first I didn't really consider it since the number seven is a prominently symbolic number in literature "seven sins seven virtues seven days of a week seven colors in a rainbow etc." And the four might’ve just been an artistic design but then, I started reading into the paintings' wiki.

The paintings' composition made sense four corners four things death hell heaven and judgement. It light bulbed how often mirros tend to ride on the "rebirth renewal and truth" theme so I started considering the 4 aspect being important.

Then, I read more and you all remember how Crowley is the headmaster and the overseer of the school?

And how in the beginning of the game there was a line about "For me, For them, For you. We are all running out of time. No matter what, never let go of my hand." Etc.

In the middle of the painting, inscribed in Latin it says:

"For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them", above, and "O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!"

If the anon's take from that past post of mine was correct and Crowley was indeed supposed to have been the first "prefect" figure in rounding up the shackled seven of twst in this generation but failed then... what if that's why he keeps pushing Yuu to do the dirty work with the blot victims

Because they're "running out of time" since their "latter end" is near.

If my Yuu Mickey ramble was also correct, maybe the nation void of counsel is twisted wonderland itself with correlation to the Great Seven and their deeds/influence, "Neither is their understanding in them" may pertain to how the great seven are glorified when they're in reality villains of their myths. "O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!" Again, going back to the theory, what if they're aware of the generational repeat? What if they're aware that one day there will be another Mickey/Hero destined to overthrow the positive stasis of the current seven (now in the form of the Overblot Victims) and they're slowly succeeding but- something will inevitably happen along the way.

Regarding the mirrors and the whole death hell heaven judgement aspect, what if Crowley took yuu's hand through the mirror in the sense that they'll be the new mantle to bring fourth long due judegement over the twsted seven. In reference to my yuu is mickey theory where I asusme yuu has a duty of making things right where mickey originally went wrong.

#Coffe table discussions #twisted wonderland #twst thoughts #twst theory #is this a theory?#dire crowley #twisted wonderland crowley #twst crowley #twst yuu #twst mickey

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yinses · 1 year

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carpe diem [series] pt. ii

when it came to your friend, you had little regard for anything, even yourself. what happened to abattouy should never have occurred, and you were determined to prove why.

cyno x gn!reader

rating: t

wc: 10k+

a/n: this is nothing new! i just decided to split up this piece into smaller more friendly parts for tumblr. it's still up as a full installment

[still available to read on ao3]

if the akademiya taught you one thing, it was that if information was not readily available to you, then it was your duty to go out and discover it. this creed was the heart of all expeditions towards the furtherment of acquiring knowledge.

there was a time that you'd hoped to use this guidance to eventually make your way to the foreign lands of snezhnaya but fate had another way of taking hold of your future.

for now, you would accept the resources that you had available at hand as you stood comfortable at the root of gandharva village.

through your inventions alone, you were a rather comfortable occurrence at the forest ranger headquarters. due to lacking a vision, both tighnari and cyno were reluctant when it came to acquiring your own research. most of your data and analysis came through the fox and any of the rangers he roped into the experiment.

your other reason for returning to the village, came in the form of the timid but gradually blossoming trainee.

it had been years, but sometimes it still felt like yesterday when cyno returned leading the frail girl back home. the two of you were nowhere near where you were now, but as a trio with tighnari, you each played a part in helping her reacclimate back into sumeru.

a smile curled at your lips at the memory of collei clinging to cyno even weeks after returning. the man had come to you on multiple occasions lost and harboring a shadow additional to his own. you suppose in a way, collei played a part in the progression of your relationship.

the two of you were close by academic aquantainship, strengthened by tighnari's sole tolerance in the two of you, but outings and dinners shared to cement the girl's comfort in her securer future had been the finalizing thread.

cyno had stolen you from your studies just as a secondary excuse to travel to gandarvale village, hand gripped tight with yours whenever tighnari wizened to his presence.

everything else just came together, natural and right.

a flash of green was all the warning you got before your body tensed in preparation, the additional weight briefly set you off kilter before your arms came around the girl. the smile staring up at you was infectious as those bright purple eyes danced with excitement.

“i was wondering when you would come to visit again! my sumeru rose bloomed, you have to come see it.”

despite her aversion to touch, collei was more than comfortable leading you confidently through the village bustle up to the bungalow she called home. you managed to interact with a few familiar faces along the way, limited to short greetings with as quickly as you reached your destination.

“see!”

collei was nothing but proud as she presented the purple flower which stood tall under the tutelage and care she provided. as not only her pseudo guardian but mentor, collei did not stand idly under tighnari's supervision. her interest in flora and its medicinal properties bled from the fox's teaching into her own drive and motivation.

everyone was rather transparent about not teasing her too much when it came to her dedication. tighnari bore most of the weight as you had no qualifications of hanging his protege's progression over his head. rather than bending to the jest, the fox only took it seriously confidant that he could best anything the akademiya could teach. though you doubted the girl had any aspirations of enrolling after growing up in tighnari's view of the institution.

the girl preened under the press of your palm as it smoothed the crown of her head,” that's amazing, collei. you didn't miss a step. i hope tighnari was just as impressed.” your congratulatory tone edged towards the tune of a threat as you recalled his stern form of instruction.

it was fortunate the girl had such hardened resolve but it still took some physical encouragement to remind the fox that even the smallest achievements warranted praise. a smile curled at your lips at the thought. you took pleasure in being one of the few things the fox feared.

the headquarters was a tight knit collaboration, so it was no surprise to hear the man in question responding to his name.

“yes, i made sure that the accomplishment did not go unnoticed.”

tighnari's smile was easy but the flicker of his ears told another story. collei, poor girl always ready to defend, seconded it.

“yes! he even gave me some padisarah seeds to grow next. the terrarium helps keep them fresh out of season.”

you frowned at the challenge. padaisarahs had a difficult time alone surviving in the wild. nevertheless, the girl seemed undeterred.

collei had been very impressed with the terrarium you'd built for tighnari, never missing the chance to compliment the invention. despite knowing the answer, she'd timidly asked if you'd be willing to build her one in the future. while you had no qualms with doing it within the next few weeks if your schedule allowed, tighnari had been more strict explaining that she needed more studies before being trusted with such an invention.

despite the urge to oversee him just to spoil the girl, you could see where he came from. the terrarium was meant to cultivate the plants independently so that tighnari could focus his attention more in the forest. it took care of the crucial elements needed to nurture plants that collei still needed to learn.

but that didn't mean she couldn't have it and still be educated.

“speaking of the terrarium, since you're here. do you mind tweaking it a bit? i need to increase the temperature threshold to mimic the desert better.”

well, there goes a cashable favor without putting yourself in debt.

giving collei one last pat, you turned down the familiar path to tighnari's abode.

"of course. if you're free, i actually need a favor as well.”

tighnari hummed, already curious,” and what can i do for you?”

you waited until the privacy of tighnari's entrance leaves closed behind the two of you. using the opportunity of a distraction, you crouched in front of the device already knowing what controls to manipulate to get what was needed.

“i need an escort into the avidiya.”

tighnari's suspicion is palpable behind your back, “what for?”

“i want to see one of the dormant machines.” sticking your head into the base of the device, your voice echoed out. “i was recently given additional access to records on them and wanted to compile some field notes as well.”

tighanari was quiet for a moment, though you don't dare to look back. the task was complete yet your hands still move idly, checking over other features.

the fox was no doubt outweighing the pros and cons of just acquiring the data himself like most of what he shared with you. as of late, there the influx of reports about the forest never seemed to cease.

“a few have been reacting to the spilling fissures from the ley lines. at times it can be like walking along land mines … it's not very safe.”

you had suspected as much. abattouy had managed to make it that far in his research. he had made note of how inventors in the past had used the ley lines as a sort of spiritual medium to power the machines. it made sense that the power of celestial could bring life to inanimate creatures.

history lessons filled in the gaps from there. from the archons wars to the fall of khaenri'ah, any outlet of power was used towards domination and the creation of visions. no one had bothered to remember the forgotten guardians that remained impassive still protecting the lands that gave them home.

it was obvious that sumeru had enough issue with corrupted ley lines wreaking havoc. the last thing they wanted was to encourage curious minds to discover new ways to taint that power. but surely if they just allowed more time an alternative answer could have been found … with the proper resources abattouy could have made a difference. of that much you were certain.

unable to deliberate much longer, you eventually turned to observe tighnari's pensive gaze. fortunately, he was trained elsewhere as his hand curled against his chin.

“i happen to know of one stationed not too far from the village. we roam the area enough where it runs the lowest risk of coming into contact with the withering zones. if we

are quick, i can take you before i need to return for my own patrol.”

a relieved breath warmed your cheeks, “that would be great, thank you tighnari.”

“of course, let us start then.”

tighari spared a brief moment to rearrange a few items in the terrarium before closing the display. he expressed his gratitude with a quiet thanks before he was off.

the fox led the way, but you remained in close step. tighnari didn't have much to say and you were comfortable enough in the recesses of your mind to not be bothered by the lack of conversation. your thoughts kept returning to the notebook and the array of blueprints you'd sketched throughout the week.

abattouy hadn't let the fear of the withering zones keep him from researching the ruin guards. you wondered how often he came in contact with those awakened and more importantly how he escaped. you never recalled tighnari specifically calling him out when he recalled the tales of stupidity he dealt with throughout the days.

in wake of the expulsion and disappearance, he hardly spoke of him at all.

“how's cyno?”

you gaze slowly refocused as your mind caught up with the distance you'd already traveled in your stupor. the village was lost in the trees now.

“you know … working, as usual.”

you'd long lost any ire over the lull in his presence. it was just the consequence of his job and you wouldn't fault him for it given it was something he took pride in. the two of you managed to make it work where it mattered.

“hm, well at least you can say you got out of the shop.”

and there was that … without him here, you were prone to spending more hours working than you should. it was a fault you both could work on, though circumstances hardly favored the practice.

“yeah, there's that.”

the pair remained silent again as they followed the lush vegetation down the sloped path. the noon sun hung high but the trees were dense enough to shade their walk, cooling the air around them. it made sense how tighnari was able to stay comfortably down here, soaking in the cool moisture that hung in the air.

tighnari cleared his throat, breaking the stillness. “it's right over there.”

you followed the line of his arm, easily locating the dormant machine nestled against the cliff side. it appeared to be imprisoned by the overgrowth of vines, tangling its limbs and growing between the joints. tighnari was right, it didn't look like it had moved for ages.

“I'll take you closer but please be mindful.”

he continued to lead you down off the stout edge, hands carefully guiding as you slide the rest of the way down. tighnari didn't stop you as you approached the ancient structure, so you snapped up the loose leash while you could.

in classes, instructors would briefly brush over their existence. offered old photos similar to the reality you were standing in now. but they never delved further than that, withholding any information that gave any life to the idea of them.

but this was the first time you'd seen one up close. the time-worn metal under your fingertips felt like it still held every bit of its integrity despite resting listlessly for so long. you doubted tighnari would let you linger.

you carefully flitted around the slumbering machine, not quite sure what you were looking for but hoping for a revelation all the same. there was no indication that the thing had been disturbed, by internal or external forces. not even the path to it seemed worn.

it would have been too much to ask for evidence of a camp or even forgotten notes. tighnari had already told you that it was patrolled often, so anything of value would have already been reported. what you needed was to find the ones not disclosed, hidden alcoves where a ruin and possibly a human could hide out. but that wasn't a place you would be able to wander across easily.

when tighnari made an exaggerated shuffling sound behind, you knew your time was up.

“tighnari … how do you feel about mechanical life?”

he breathed out a nasally sigh as he shook his head. the soft considering smile that graced his lips let you know that you weren't challenging anything.

“I was wondering when you would ask.” he nodded his head back towards the path, eager to start the return trip. as you filed in next to him, he spoke. “I believe all things deserve a chance at life. it's those who wished to study it that i have my qualms with. simply existing is a sacred thing that shouldn't be manipulated.”

his steps bring him closer, and you look up to find his offered hand.

he pulls you up with little effort. “it left a bitter taste in my mouth thinking of how mechanical life would be controlled and hindered by such simplistic lives. they're inherently restricted to their creators are they not.”

that was true. from what you'd read thus far, while they were about to 'adapt' it was impossible to do so without influence and instruction. mechanical life would never be able to reproduce on their own or properly source themselves without intervention. it meant that they would never get to decide their purpose, left to just fulfill it or be destroyed.

“doesn't it make you a little sad?”

tighnari looks back towards the machine.

“humans and animals alike live and die once their purpose has extinguished. yet these things, they lay waste for centuries just waiting for their next order. it's hard to want to support giving life to such things, you know?”

you did. but you also understood that like most tools, in the right hands both sides could benefit. but this wasn't a topic you were willing to have allowed just yet.

“thank you tighnari for bringing me here.”

the fox hums as he considers you. he was an intellectual being, no doubt being about to remain resourceful and well knowledged even after leaving the akademiya, you were sure he had his suspicions and concerns, but he also respected your boundaries and trusted your decision making.

shaking his head with a sight that spanned long years of friendship.

“anything for you.”

the pat on your back is dual purpose, as it urges you forward.

“now, let's hurry i may have some time before i depart. i don't know about you but im starving. i grew some new mushrooms in the terrarium that i want to try.”

you made a face as you recalled the headache tighnari put you through as you tweaked the machine to his liking. all to protect the future of forestry medicine. “i thought you planned to use that for actual research?”

tighari's nose twitched at your accusation, “i'll take that response as you're not hungry.”

it becomes a little too easy for you to slip back into old habits of long nights in the shop over the next few days. cyno had sent word that he was on another investigation, meaning that the hunt could span well into the week depending on how obstinate his target was.

for a man who was determined to prove himself amicable, he never failed to live up to the fearsome legends surrounding his character. part of you almost felt sorry for the poor soul who suffers the dichotomy of addressing their crimes and your lover's attempt of a joke.

laughing at the memory of one, your shoulders sag at the place in your prior train of thought. since your last walk-in customer just after lunchtime, you'd been pouring over the mess of notes.

you hadn't let yourself linger too long on the lack of clues surrounding the slumbering machine. while thumbing further through the notebook, you began noticing certain text that reminded you of another's observations. after some light digging, you uncovered some of the log books from tighnari's investigations of withering zones.

both texts highlighted the effects of the ley lines zones, but whereas tighnari focused on its destruction, abbattouy had discovered a hidden attribute; a power source. though, perhaps 'forbidden' was a better term. this was likely the first strike used as evidence against him.

sumeru didn't need the jurisdiction of the akademiya to keep people from tamping too closely with ley lines. too much exposure would take a life before the research could be completed if one wasn't careful enough.

but abbatouy was smart, surely he'd figured out how to withstand the element long enough to conduct his experiments. it was a little worrying how little he seemed to account for his own ailments in his notes.

both scholars likened the absence of wildlife to exposed ley line fissures as a key indicators but where tighnari further delved into decay and miasma, abattouy spoke about the thrum of power and waking essence.

'the heartbeat of a god.' he called it.

while you weren't too confident about your knowledge on irminsul.

it was a starting point.

gaze flickering out the window, you noted how the sun was still hanging comfortably in the sky. it wouldn't hurt to make a few observations of your own. there was no chance of a discovery but becoming more familiar with the forest would help you narrow down your search.

tighnari assured you that the man had not made a home in the forest. but that didn't mean he didn't frequent it.

all you needed was a sign.

you didn't venture out unarmed, the echoing voice of a tighnari beating you lingering with every questionable action. as it was, the world was filled with less vision-holders than those who were blessed by the gods. as a child, you'd felt slighted from being overlooked but as you got over you came to learn that everyone had a designation.

those who had the gift did their part, and the rest of you moved along just well.

being acquainted with tighnari's experimentation with his vision in your early days of education were more fruitful than just a regular headache. while exploring the scholarly uses, he had also made it a point to bolster your defences. being with cyno only doubled down on the lessons of importance.

if not for the purpose of taking on the world, to at least give you a fighting chance against stray mercenaries.

capsules of knowledge also went a long way with strengthening your approach. you weren't a master of the art, but in the event of a sticky situation your odds were higher than without.

equipped with that resolve, you headed down the narrow path of the main merchant roads. from your frequent trips to gandharva village, you had a jist of what roads were meant to be avoided. it had taken some time, but eventually you felt confident navigating towards your destination. at least when you were on the correct path. you'd always known the dangers of veering. tighnari's guidance a few days prior had also played a part in highlighting the features most rangers instruct visiting parties to avoid.

unfortunately, you'd be using sad information against its desired use.

so where they advised those to go left, you angled right, making careful progress through the trampled brambles and strewn vines. while you descended further into the forest, you watched the sky while noting the sun's position between the treetops. starting later in the afternoon helped you avoid the worst of the high noon temperature, but it also ate up your flexibility with time.

this trip was meant to help you get a starting point, practice the evasion of vigilant rangers while preparing yourself for the brunt of the wild. taking a deep breath, you steadied your nerves and tried to enjoy the cooler evening air. while you preferred the port, you could see how tighnari found himself at home here. it was similar to the way cyno made his mark in the desert.

eventually, your pace slowed as the path blurred in terms of familiarity. the only given you knew was up meant out. there was hardly a path at this point, well off course from any guidance post. the only favorable thing was the lack of withering activity.

but still your body felt free of any bearing weight representative of ley line presence, so you carried on.

your fingers danced along the width of your blade as the occasional oburt of wildlife crackled around. rishboldand tigers preferred the trees, but rarely attacked outright without prompting. avoiding lingering under any trees helped ease that. the spinoroks favored the rivers and banks, but fortunately it had been some time since you'd last heard running water. and well dusk birds, it might have been a bit of comfort running across them.

to be frank, it had been quiet awhile since you've noticed any form of fauna. the last time you'd clutched the hilt of your weapon was when you'd spotted some fungi in the distance. had you wandered too far? or were you closer than you expected?

it became apparent, that despite your reading about visual cues, you had not learned much about what exactly coming in contact with ley lines felt like. the wrong amount of exposure could lead to sickness, but most victims hardly recalled being affected until it was too late.

while you enjoyed the accessibility of the akasha, its limitations became glaringly apparent outside of the city. what could have been a quick query would have to wait.

maybe it was just time for you to head back. the sun was hardly visible now but the darkening orange tone was warning enough.

you had been frivolous with your turns, but backtracking shouldn't be impossible. up, you reminded yourself. as long as you reached the top, the flat meadows above would spell out the rest. confident in your assumption, you turned around and headed back.

the feeling held on for a while as you ventured through the forest. some things were familiar, though trees were suspicious contenders. the only comforting thing was the soft click of crickets and lizards slithering at your feet, but even those weren't enough to deter you from the fading light.

you hasten your pace, uncaring of the noise it made as you stepped loudly through the brush.

up, as long as the direction was up you were good.

just up—

it was a chance glance, a brief scope of your surroundings, but it was enough to spot the familiar ridges and dark hues of the ruin slumped against the rock wall. you hadn't seen it on your way down, meaning you were advancing up an alternative path.

for the first time, you cursed your impulsive turns knowing it would take considerable more effort to return to the same spot again. biting your lip, you chanced a look at the treetops knowing what you saw wasn't promising and yet, this was a fleeting chance.

it appeared to be one of the cyclops models, paired with wings for flight. the mechanical ingenious behind designing something of the mass with the capability of flight was an impressive feat in itself.

just a look.

it was a different guard than the one you saw with tighnari, but intimidating all the same. you just need to make a quick check around the area, scour for any signs of disturbance since the machine began its slumber.

unlike the last one, this ruin was free from the tangle of vines and foliage. almost as if it had just been lain to rest yesterday. you wondered if that meant it had in fact been distrubed, by curious hands and minds. there was no evidence of encampment but surely someone had distrubed its resting place.

frowning as you crouched, you fingertips brushed against the grass folded under its weight. what should have been dead and weathered felt plush and smothered. but that couldn't be right.

hidden in the depths came the sound of power whirling to life.

your blood turned to ice water as looked up to see the once dull optic blinking into existence. with a shout of surprise you fell back onto your rear before wrapping around to scramble to your feet.

an active ruin.

any floating notes were flung to the recesses of your mind as you favored survival. the machine was slow as it woke up, gears clicking under its weight. you only had a few moments before it gained its wings. you bolded, heading back towards the trees for coverage.

but its safety was no longer a promise as a bolt of power cut through the bark, narrowly missing you. the rumble of cracking wood forced your body into a roll as you darted to the next, barely clearing the distance before another beam shattered it.

your arms came up to protect yourself from the destruction, flesh exposed to the explosion of wood as it cut into your body. you sucked in a harsh breath as the searing heat spanned the width of your arm, but did not spare a moment to check.

the weapon against your thigh felt like a comical reminder as you slide into the next wall of coverage. a mercenary you could cut, but what was the possibility against a ruin?

for one, you wouldn't settle for death.

you threw your leg to the side, rolling out of the way over another blast. your nails dug into earth scrambling for purchase as you hastily found your feet. you could sob at the slight but noticeable incline as you discovered the path up.

there wasn't enough research on ruin's optic strength, but you doubted yours was any better. the darkening sky would be more favorable to it. the sound of it powering up came again, and you forced yourself to sprint up the incline to the next temporary safety.

it was still a journey up, but distance would have to be your defence. it could fly, but there had to be limitations. even as it hovered, it didn't appear to be able to get but a few feet off the ground. height would have to be your advantage.

arms coming around your head, you braced for another blast. the skin around your wound protested against the movement, but you held your breath through the pang of pain. the moment the light from its attack ended, you took off again, clawing your way up the path.

it seemed that your theory was favorable, though you are still forced to roll away from the edge as another blast shot up towards you. the dense foliage covering the treetops obscured whatever vision it had, the stray beam of power that came next well off course.

still you didn't pause your pace until the treelines thinned and the forest bled away. the adrenaline gave out just as sun dipping into the hilled plains of ardavi valley came into view, your body finally giving out under the pressure as you fell to your hands and knees. you pressed your scraped palms against your face, the salt from your exasperated yet relieved tears burning the cuts.

you'd survived.

it was well into the night when you'd managed to stumble home. you were sure you were quite the sight to any of your straggling neighbors. you tried to be polite, but kept conversation to a minimum, wanting to keep much of this excursion from getting back to cyno.

during the walk home, you tugged the leaves and foliage free from your clothing and hair before fussing over the weeping wound. it wasn't deep enough to warrant stitches but it would hurt for a bit. after you patched it up you could come up with a plausible story for cyno.

for now, you just wanted to clean up and settle your nerves with a cup of tea.

name had yowled at your feet as you stumbled through the door, no doubt protesting his late dinner. you tried to place him as you steered towards the bathroom, stripping the dirt ridden clothes as you went.

the spray of water felt good as it washed away the grim, puddling murky suds at your feet. before the water cut off, you made sure to run your arm under the water to prep it for treatment.

clothed in the towel, you lowered yourself to the ground unable to ignore the burning against your arm. rummaging through the cabinets, you dragged the aid kit to your feet. it had been awhile since it made an appearance. as you got older, your shop mishaps began less frequently aside from the occasional hammered finger or contact burn.

you'd shut the door to the bathroom in order to work inhibited, so the angry meows from name were expectant. out of consideration, you had not lingered in the shower and attempted to patch yourself up just as quickly.

“give me a second, ali. i promise to give you an extra helping.”

what you weren't expecting was a reply.

“so it is you who is sneaking him treats?”

your body jolted at the sound, the action jarring your wound as you hoisted with a sharp cry. the sound was the least reassuring thing you could offer as you scrabbled against the edge of the tub to come to a stand.

cyno was quiet on the other as he tested the knob,”i'd like to come in, if that's okay?”

his voice was patient but the curl of concern wasn't something you could ignore. with a sigh you look around at the mess of supplies you'd accumulated, at this point there was no point in hiding out.

“yeah.”

the door eased open carefully, consider your proximity. for what it was worth, cyno managed to remain relatively calm as he crouched before you.

his touch is attempted as he prods the area around the wound, no doubt thinking the worst. “how did this happen?”

the lie slips all too easily through your lips. “got careless leaning against the table. too many nearby tools.”

cyno's brow furrows as he inspects the wound but seems to accept the reasoning. there wasn't a trail of deception in your past for him to rummage through leaving him with only face value to determine.

still it doesn't help to remove the frown marrowing his lips as he works the bandage around the wound. he's more practiced in the art, keeping it firm but comfortable enough for flexion. though from the sharp pain you hiss through upon trying the flexibility, you doubt you'll be utilizing full range of motion much.

when you decide to go for a kiss of gratitude, he presses one light against his work instead.

“it's been a long time since i've seen you hurt.”

you go to shrug, buy find yourself regretting it just as quickly. “just got a little careless. i'll be more mindful.””

“hm. thank you for trying.”

he holds out a hand and you reach for it … or so you think. the vision of the offer is suddenly split in two and you can tell you've chosen wrong when you stumble forward. cyno quickly gathers you in his arms before you can fall further, the level of concern spiking in his voice.

“I'll handle dinner tonight. you've been on your feet for too long.”

the urge to protest dies on your lip as your world momentarily spins with a lurch from your stomach.

perhaps a nap wouldn't be too bad.

cyno made it a point to be at home more after the incident it was a welcome addition peppered with gratuitous opportunities to spoil you. he'd personally posted a note against your workshop door to alert any customers of your absence during your rest. he spent his time between reporting to the akademiya cooking meals and showering you with attention.

ali took the most advantage, always present to curl into his lap.

for a few days, you were able to forget what even had you bed ridden. the short bout of imbalance had not occurred since the time in the bathroom, though you did experience brief nausea at dinner. you accounted it all to the lingering effects of adrenaline from that night.

“i told you i would cook today.”

the matra were surely fearing a prophesied end with the amount of sick days cyno was taking to remain home with you. he tended to linger in the shadows when he wasn't needed, but the pressure of his presence wasn't an easy thing to ignore.

that was quite alright with you, it was quite a pleasant feeling him against you.

“you and ali looked so comfortable in your nap, i couldn't do it to him,” you explained, glancing over your shoulder before quickly turning your attention back to the pot to suppress a grin. clothed in a loose shirt, stretched from sleep, he was an adorable sight with his mused hair and lazy limbs.

cyno sighed and pulled out a chair from the table. the sound he made as he audibly sagged into the seat meant he hadn't woke up on his own accord. you wonder if it had been the clatter of pans or the aroma wafting from them.

either way, you couldn't suppress the tinge of guilt. despite being more at home, he hadn't stopped moving. finding him slouched with ali had been a welcomed shock.

you prepared a kettle for tea, knowing he wouldn't enjoy the dredges of sleep clinging to him. though he would write it off as laziness, the way his body fought for just a few minutes of rest spoke louder. you nudged a warm brew into his palm.

“it's been awhile since you've been to the forest. or anywhere not work related really.” encouraging the general to take a vacation was a dull blade, but you knew he lingered in the desert whenever a case pulled him that far. it was a small victory to cling to.

“I've been investigating something. it's taking up more of my time.”

typically the discussion of expelling students wasn't a cheerful conversation to have, but there were few things else to glean from his workday beside the few jokes he tested on you. it wasn't as if you didn't want to talk about it, sometimes you just wished the two of you had other things to discuss besides students and projects.

“have you considered…maybe taking a break after this assignment?”

cyno set aside his cup of tea, eyes shinning with low simmering mirth, “kettle … pot?”

you rolled your eyes. perhaps you both had an issue with overworking yourselves, but at least you had gandharva village in your arsenal. cyno just relied on his patrols and reports in lieu of ongoing cases.

but there was no denying neither of you had broken routine in quite sometime. maybe after all of this was over, you could change that. cyno had told you he'd like to take you to the desert one day.

reaching out, you curled your fingers into the tuff of hair that always hung over his ears. cyno leaned into the touch, crown pressed against your palm as you smoothed back the braids. “maybe save some of those vacation days…?” you probed hesitantly.

cyno pursed his lips and then reached beside you for his cup and lifted it to his lips for a sip. ''I'll consider it.”

though you didn't say anything, your face unintentionally twisted into something he couldn't ignore. his cup clinked against the table before he extended his arms and tugged you into his lap.

the action brought your faces closer and you couldn't help but shiver at the head between you. at this proximity, you could count every single one of his pale lashes. it was only natural for your eyes to flicker down to his mouth, always so inviting and nicely shaped in a way that you knew if you pressed yours against them, they'd be soft, warm and skillful.

it was cyno's turn for his hands to card through your hair, drifting back to your skull once before returning to hold your cheeks. '' there are still things i want to show you, i haven't forgotten. but i also don't want to be interrupted when that time comes,” he explained sincerely.

it was so honest it made your heart ache. to most it might sound like a stale promise, but you knew it meant he was trying.

unable to resist, you closed the distance for a brief peck,” alright, until then,” you concluded.

by then, things would be different. it would be a moment to celebrate.

in the end, cyno won out and took over the remainder of dinner preparation. unable to do anything but shake your head, you took his seat and polished off the rest of his tea.

with abattouy back in the shop, you at least knew you could decrease your workload. it would take considerable more effort to help cyno shave his down, but you trusted his management of the situation.

in the meantime, you would have to be satisfied with a home full of friends again.

the two of you had just finished dinner when cyno suddenly tensed in his seat. practiced in the relationship, you knew what was coming before he could start apologizing. before he could protest, you pressed a short kiss to his lips and began clearing the table.

duty called.

cyno returned from the bedroom toting his headpiece as you put aside the final dish to dry. his presence warms your back and his hand caresses the top of your head, smoothing down your hair. you nuzzle against his hand in return.

“I'll be home late, don't wait up.”

and thus you returned to a life of normalcy.

ali was an insist ball of fur until you cuddled him with a night time treat. it gave you the space needed to escape to the plush couch seated under the window. with cyno so close, you hadn't been able to properly review your notes, too concerned with the prospect of getting caught.

you still hadn't prepared your explanation in the event of that happening, too determined to address it with the shadow of abattouy at your side.

finally alone, you did put your akasha device to use. you'd promised cyno to take a few days off from the shop, leaving you with little else to occupy yourself as you probed the knowledge library.

it had been a good deal to make and your body certainly healed from the lack of stress. but it was time for you to get back to work.

you spent the remainder of the night before bed off curled by the window while browsing the reports from the bimarstan on recent ley line exposure cases.

headaches.

arrhythmia.

fever.

hallucinations.

these were all symptoms most frequented by the spantamad class in their pursuit to better understand irminsul.

you had no intentions of trying to communicate with the gods, but you weren't invincible if you remained set on this path. it would be imperative that you stayed on top of your health, prior injury aside. bandaging a wound was one thing. the last thing you wanted was to put cyno in the position of escorting you to the distant village in the desert.

you don't personally know anyone who had lost their mind to their studies but the impact swept through the akademiya regardless of how close you were to the subject.

some of the other classes feared that the spantamad's interference was only antagonizing the spirits and thus they suffered the consequences. you couldn't find it in yourself to fault anyone who would trade their own sanity for their beliefs.

the same could be said of the research of mechanical beings.

the akademiya believed they would lead to the destruction of life.

but that was only because they refused to accept any alternatives.

you groan aloud and a hand makes a familiar trip down your face. that would just be a road to look down once abattouy was safe and home.

for now, sleep was the only thing left to consider.

with a tired tsk you urged ali to follow you into the bedroom. it may be back to normal, but that didn't mean you didn't miss the additional warmth in bed.

tomorrow you would resume your research but tonight you would enjoy your last night of rest.

your body lurches forward with a surge of breath, chest heaving from the effort. lungs expand, stretching and reaching for oxygen but never seems to get enough. it doesn't help that it feels as though your bearing the weight of a building.

or a city … as the remnants of one crumble around you.

the light registers as flames as the flicker across your vision. but it's the smoke, its thick and cloying billows blanketing everything in its smog.

“cyno?!”

a cry sounds in the distance. multiple sounds of despair, calling for help, mercy and salvation. none, however, sound familiar, no one you can run to with certainty.

“... tighnari? collei?”

trepidation curls around as you take in the scene. the crackling of wood and tumble of rubble. it's difficult to make out, though it appears the branches feed into something larger, winding together towards the sky. it's the whirling of gears that draws your attention. you recognize the sound as the bean of power charges.

ruins.

you stumble to your feet, frantically grabbing at the first thing in reach. the tasks in conjunction seem too much for you as you stumble and fall back on your rear. nails dig into the withering vines as you drag yourself up a second time. in your right hand, a cut of stone sharp from its breakage cuts into your palm. solidifying it as a weapon, you ignore the cut of blood bleeding around it.

the ruin unleashes its attack in the distance, the beam of light lost in the chaos but the screams roar on. you're helpless to cries, barely able to withstand your own weight as you keep a firm grip on the woven roots.

it must have followed you, rounded up its fallen soldiers and set siege on the city.

it was your fault.

all your doing.

behind you another tree shudders, branches quaking as it falls to its death. in its wake, rises another ruin, broad and glowing as it marches forward.

you have to run. you need to will your frozen limbs. find cyno and run—

you're woken by the sound of a staggered chair and the taste of fear from the recesses of your mind. the strain from your healing wound pulls as you slide out of bed, dragger held tight against your palm.

it's cyno who stumbles into the bedroom moments later is the first to make a sound as his more honed instincts circle your wrist before you can strike.

the weapon tumbles from your palms without protest as realization drains away the fear, replacing it with shame. a shaky hand covers your mouth,” i thought you—”

what did you think?

the crackle of fire

a haunted laugh

your body stiffens as cyno's arms encircle you before you sag into his hold. above your head, he takes in your frazzled state, brow pinched in concern. he takes in your shaky hands, the erratic drum of fingers against your stiff thighs, and the low muttering under your breath of words he doubted you even recognized.

cyno had witnessed you distraught. he'd coaxed you down from frustration.

but this…

“it's alright, i didn't mean to spook you,” he hushes gently as his heart thumps, an uncertain staccato against his chest. ''you're okay.”

he feels your shuddered breath against the scratch of his neck, your arms squeezing tightly around his middle. “I don't know what happened, “ you whispered.

there was never a moment that you ever felt unsafe at home. even without his status as the mahamantra, cyno held a sense of prowess that never failed to fight off the worst of monsters. he was your protector. so what had grown so big that not even he seemed strong enough to keep you safe?

with the fingers at the flesh of your waist, cyno guides you towards the edge of the bed. he disgrauded his head piece prior to entering the bedroom, likely the source of the disturbance, but was still clothed from the day. though neither of you protested as he gathered you close in bed.

sumeru did not sleep.

but some monsters still prowled.

the occurrence of the night before go unsaid but not unnoticed. cyno's troubled gaze follows silently as you flow from one side of the kitchen to the next. he accepts the cup of tea and returns the gesture with the slide of his lips against your cheek.

work is what eventually ushers him out the door despite his desire to linger. he doesn't say it but he wants you to take an additional day off.

still a bit tattered from the restless sleep, you cant help but agree. the better part of the week had been spent cooped up as it was, without brief visits to the shop. fresh air would do you good, to see the city and its inhabitants.

a strange desire to witness the life of the city drives your body into action as you dress and head out the door. the sun was a hesitant welcome as it warmed your skin but the same light irritated your eyes. still you pushed on, hoping the familiar streets would shake off the foreign feelings clinging to your body.

people in the streets greeted you in passing, those more familiar coaxing you closer for a chat. for awhile it proved to be a comfortable distraction as you relaxed under the shade of a canopy conversing about the upcoming festival. the divide between gods very made sense to you given that all the inhabitants of the city had truly only served under one. greater ruk had indeed blessed the gift of wisdom but lesser lord kusanli kept it alive.

given the tragedy in liyue, people should be fortunate that you still had a god.

“its not properly sanctioned, but i believe you would enjoy it.” your fingers flexed under the comforting palms that held your hand. zoya was an old soul, refusing to be swayed by anyone's judgement. she was respectful towards both gods, but swore to use her days of life worshiping the remaining one.

she squeezed your hand with her weathered grip once more before pulling away, “maybe even bring the general.”

that brought a rush of laughter as you shook your head. as if that would happen. zoya grinned, expecting the same with a shrug.

you parted ways with a wave. there would be more of a chance of getting tighnari to humor the akademiya than to convince cyno to visit the festival. just the mention of 'unsanctioned' was warning enough.

“I'm terribly sorry, sir. it was an unexpected loss but i promise to have better inventory next week.”

you paused a stall over, inspecting the fresh harvest of fruits. shopping for perishables was always difficult when cyno was on long investigations, especially when selecting his favourites. it was always a gamble if they would end up being eaten in time.

“that's quite alright, it must be difficult traveling with the eremites lately.”

“no, it wasn't the mercenaries this time … it was this.. this machine. it just came out of no where.”

you stopped short, hand hovering over the selection of zaytun peaches.

“a machine?”

a flashback of the ruin hovering above you menacingly came to mind. had it continued to patrol after you'd made your escape?

“im pretty sure it was. looked like a crab of sorts.”

“sounds odd … sure you didn't get too close to those withering zone?”

you maintained the face of closely inspecting the collection while keeping a keen ear on the conversation. the pair wasn't all to concerned with their carrying voices.

“no, the caravan is pretty good about avoiding those.”

“huh well sorry for your losses. i'll check back next week.”

the merchant's shoulders slumped in defeat of another lost sale.

a crab-like ruin? it didn't sound like anything you'd encountered.

setting down the fruit, you thanked the farmer and crossed the street quickly. there were still valuable details to the story that you could glean. “hi, sorry to —”

the man didnt have the typical exuberant of an expectant merchant,“hello, i'm afraid i'll be closing early today. not much to sell.”

“i actually just have a question. i couldn't help but overhear about the crab ruin attacking the caravan.”

he waved off the inquiry, “it's probably nothing. it was late and we were too at ease with security.”

biting your lip, you switch angles hoping to ease past his guard, “possibly, but i have friends in the forest watch that like to patrol. i can give them a heads up.”

it was enough to give him pause as he considered the offer. the idea of having someone to clear the path for future travels was too good to pass up. “that would actually put our minds a bit at ease. here.”

merchant searches through his belongings and produces a map. its a weathered parchment, but heavily detailed with trade routes and known bandit locations. his points to the newest addition, a hastily drawn figure that must represent the mechanical being.

“it was odd. it only wanted mechanical parts but we lost some good merch in the scuffle.”

he surprises you by handing it over. grateful, you store it away in your satchel. “I'll look into this. sorry for your loss.”

looks like you wouldn't be completely free from business.

you cut your market trip short and cut through the port to your workshop. on the door, cyno's note still remains posted. technically, it was still your day off, so you left it in place.

upon reaching your desk, you unroll the map and use the nearby tools to hold down the corners. the merchants outlined their entire trip with a bold red line, noting the location of the incident with a solid 'x'.

it was no surprise that it had occurred in the forests, ruins were rarely found along the trails in the plains. it was too open and frequently travelled. without looking, you reached out for the notebook tucked away at the back of the drawer.

in one of the pages, abattouy had sketched his own map. a smaller more detailed scope of the forest. you thumbed front to back in search of the page, coming up short with each run through. the book was worn, but you were sure you would have noticed if a page had fallen out.

your forearm caught the back end of the book before it could flip shut, prepared to run through one last time when you felt your arm roll over a small but noticeable indent. perplexed, you twisted your limb too and from, confirming that it wasn't a fluke. however, when you lifted your arm, you were just met with the smooth surface.

or so it seemed.

curious, you finger toyed at the slit at the bottom, working back the frail lining until a fold of paper fell through. moving the book aside, you unfolded the document to find a few sheets of worn reports sealed together with age and pressure.

abattouy was a never ending mystery of hidden wonders. he was becoming less of a surprise how he managed to evade the akademiya for so long.

'... found a large group of mechanisms, similar to the huge walking machinery we previously found at the ruins of gurabad…'

the location sounded familiar from brief memory of the map of sumeru, it was closer to the deserts.

'... found an organization called schwanenritter, and its existence may be confirmed by the legend of ruins of dahri… recorder, trainee dastur, zandik.'

'.. the terrifying killing machine has stopped. zandik insisted on bringing it back to the akademiya to be disassembled and reverse-engineered…'

they appeared to all be remnants of research notes with a common theme: zandik. the name didn't ring any bells, though you had a feeling whatever you found wouldn't be favoured. what plagued you more was how abattouy managed to get a hold of these. not only were the contents alarming but they appeared to be the originals, not recreations.

where had he even collected them from?

you tried not to think too hard about the dark splotches splattered against the corner of one.

for a moment you sat seated just staring into space while fidgeting with the thumb on a wrench. first discovering active ruins, then the reports of ones attacking caravans and now these redacted reports?

before you thought better of it, you directed your attention to the device at your ear.

'who is zandik?'

the silence you received in response was both expected and concerning.

what had abattouy gotten himself into? and more importantly what were you following behind.

“i figured i'd find you here. you're starting to work more than me. cat tolerated one of us but i don't think he'll be forgiving with you.”

starting with a painful thud in your chest, you quickly rearranged the papers on your desk to shroud the letter. cyno never failed to sneak into your abode before, nor did rarely offer an expected arrival time but tonight was the one occasion you truly weren't ready.

“cyno! i—” turning in your seat, you tried to produce a face of carelessly flustered as you rested your elbows on the surface behind you. for once, you were grateful for your erratic and clumsy nature as the mahamantra stared down at you with thinly veiled suspicion.

your heart thumped recklessly against your sternum as the silver haired general approached, not stopping until his long tresses tickled the sensitive skin of your collarbone. you steadily kept his gaze, worried that the slightest distraction would peak his interest to investigate.

you couldn't let him find out … not yet.

cyno, always sensitive to your moods, narrowed his eyes as his palm came to hold your cheek. just when you thought you would face the interrogation of the mahamantra, you felt the soft exhale against your lips before he dropped a brief kiss to the quivering brim.

“come on, we're already out. may as well treat ourselves to dinner.”

you followed mutely as he led you down the intimate winding roads of the port. people shouted and laughed, going on about their day free of the akademiya weighted judgment. once you might have smiled at the thought, but now the sounds felt near unbearable to your ears as you shook away the beginnings of a headache.

it was a strange foreign feeling in a place called home.

you picked up the pace, hoping whatever destination cyno picked would be less boisterous. company aside, the students at the very least would give you a wide berth.

smoke from food stalls filled the air with the smell of meats, spices and breads that made your stomach roll in a way that wasn't pleasant. which was rather unfortunate because it only reminded you of the pings from missing lunch. nothing a single thing smelled like it would quell either ailment, but the thought of sitting in a restaurant felt worse so you pulled at cyno's hand until he stopped.

wordlessly you point towards the line up of food, feeling worse about ruining his plans but more confident it would at least keep your food off his lap if it became too much,

“stalls and the sky?”

cyno blinked and nodded slowly, a small smile crawling at his lips at the code. “stalls and the sky.”

stalls and the sky, had been the coined term for your first date. the saving grace that had swept up the remains of a sure disaster. cyno's popularity with the scholars had not necessarily improved with his tenure, but back then he'd practically been a walking pariah while getting comfortable in the shoes of the general mahatra.

civilians had not blinked an eye, only finding praise for the [hired] individual who would protect the wisdom of the god. but it didn't make for a very comfortable gathering with the constant stars. it was part of the reason you moved from the city and into the port. cyno too had come to enjoy the proximity to the desert.

letting cyno lead rather than you appetite, you remained tucked against him as he ordered a variety of items. every so often his gaze would flicker to you in search of approval but the best you could manage was a shrug. you hated the soft frown it promoted, but your options were limited.

food paid for, you took the lead towards the back of the port near the great trunk in the center. the roads brought you close to the top, but there was an alternative albeit less safe path that awarded a view if daring enough. once under the familiar branch, you hooked your elbows over the curve of wood with a good jump. cyno offered his shoulder for the final launch as you shifted into a seating position.

cyno followed shortly after, more agile as he hopped up with ease. you took the food as to give him room to get comfortable without smothering it.

the wind was less kind up here, whipping at your clothing and around your legs but the view it promised was worth it. the entire port opened up below, leaving the stars and moon free from the glow of the city. if you stared long enough, you could even make out the stretch of the desert wall beyond the dark forest in the distance.

it wasn't private, anyone with curious enough eyes could look up and find the two of you, but it was still yours.

the bag crinkled between you as cyno dug through and handed you a skewer. the fresh air helped a bit, but you still couldn't stomach more than a few nibbles here and there.

“i had to interview a scholar today..”

you frown at the sudden statement. in terms of his work, it wasn't the most unusual task.

“but he was a geo user so i didn't get much of a reaction.”

your lips part to speak, tongue stuck before reluctant laugher falls out. it was soft, slightly incredulous with surprised by how well the intended joke met its mark this time.

“it's because geo visions don't react well with other elements.”

shaking your head, you nod,” yeah, cyno, i know.”

the man smiles, more pleased with the ease of your shoulders than the successful joke.

you bite your lip and try to hang on to the flicker of joy it brought, not ready to fall head first back into your thoughts. but as soon as the joke floated away, the smile faded, no longer reaching your eyes.

this should be a moment to enjoy, not

cyno reaches up and runs his thumb over your lower lip, easing it out from the teeth.

“you can … talk to me about these things.” by things he means the studies, the research and everything. there was a time that you did. occasions where you shared everything, unable to escape the glee with each new discovery. and moments where you shared too much and it all came crashing down.

you had been such an idiot then. it had just been an innocent question. abattouy never gave you too much, unlike you keeping his sensitive information close. but you'd gleaned enough and ran to cyno at the first opportunity sprouting nativity:

'what can we do to change the sage's view on mechanical life forms? you're the mahamantra they have to listen to you.'

and they did, but not for the reasons you'd hoped.

cyno has cupped your face instead of responding, eyes desperately riveting over your face in search of more questions than he was ready to ask.

'i'll take care of it.'

now people like to say that it was inevitable. abatyouy had been careful but he wasn't perfect. there had been rumors floating around his research. wandering eyes accounting for tools he purchased. it was inevitable that the general mahamantra would be knocking on his door if he didn't cease looking into such things.

but you didn't need to be the one to open it.

when you swung open the door, surprised at the gesture but not turning down the opportunity to see your lover during the day. the jest fell off your lips as the general mahamantra stared pointedly away from you as the decree fell from his lips.

but all you could hear was the clutter of tools falling behind you.

anu said he never blamed you.

it was all inevitable

but you wish you hadn't been part of the plan.

“i've just been too deep in my work, but you were right, i needed this. i should be able to sleep better now thank you.” you express your gratitude by leaning over and pressing your lips to his cheek once, then the corner of his lips were the taste of spices lingered.

cyno didn't reply at first, but seemed to be mulling over it until at last he nodded and offered his arm to help you stand.

“anytime you need me,” he reiterated.

not every time, a voice silked in your ear.

continued in pt. iii

#cyno x reader

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four-loose-screws · 1 year

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FE7 Novelization Translation - Chapter 9 Section 2

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Chapter 9: Dragon's Gate (Section 2)

Eliwood and his allies landed on the Dread Isle and began their march towards their destination, the Dragon's Gate.

Fog had started to settle in.

The eerie atmosphere coming from the trees stretching out before them was overwhelming, but Lyn said to shake off their worries, "Let's go, everyone! Be careful not to get separated!!"

Hector nodded in response, then just had to take it one step too far. "Once you've taken a single step on this isle, you're done for. I have a feelin' we'll never return again." He muttered.

"Hector!! Don’t say anything that will jinx us!" Lyn screamed in anger at him. She was afraid of how eerie it felt inside the trees, and Hector’s words only made it worse.

Eliwood, standing beside them, was more concerned about Ninian.

"Ninian, are you alright?"

"...Y-Yes… I'm… fine." She said in a small voice.

He couldn't help but worry about her. She was being pursued by the Black Fang and their assassins, and had even lost her memory. She was scared due to the danger she was in and not knowing who she was. Her current situation was very unstable. It was as if she was standing on a giant mound of sand.

It was for those reasons that he wanted to do whatever it took to protect her.

The entire group clustered together and stepped foot within the woods. After about an hour had passed, Eliwood, who was marching in front as their vanguard, noticed that a person was close by.

"There’s someone there!"

"What? There's already someone here…? Hm?" When Eliwood said something, Hector noticed the person, too. Through the milky white fog, he could see them standing against a tree - it was Ostia's spy.

"Oh hey, Leila! You made it!" Hector said to her and waved.

But Leila did not respond at all.

That made Eliwood suspicious, and he got closer, then tried speaking to her again. "...She's acting strange. Leila? Lei…!!"

A single red thread dangled out from the corner of her mouth. Her skin was pale and her body lifeless. Her warmth was no more…

All those signs pointed to only one possible answer.

"...She's dead…?"

"...That can't be! Leila’s one of our best spies. Maybe even the best…" Hector muttered in utter shock, unable to believe what he was seeing.

ー

Invade enemy territory, gather information, then perform work that would subvert the enemy’s operations… In every one of those duties, Leila was lauded as the most skilled of all the spies that served Ostia, putting her on a completely different level than Matthew.

Her death…

No one was more saddened by the news than Matthew, and nothing could have a deeper effect on him than this. Both as a fellow retainer who served the same lord, and as her lover…

"...I'm sorry, Matthew." Hector felt personally responsible for what had happened.

"....What are you apologizing for, Young Lord? She made a mistake in her work. …That’s all there is to it." Matthew said.

Matthew picked up his beloved's now cold body.

"Matthew… Leila was your…"

"...After our work was done here, I was thinking we'd wash our hands of all this, but… I didn't make it in time. Ha ha ha." Matthew's laugh rang hollow.

Neither Eliwood, Hector, nor anyone else in their army could find the right words to say to Matthew.

"...Young Lord, may I step away for a moment? …I have to bury her…”

"...Of course."

"Ah…. Let us go with you…!"　 To Lyn, Leila was the person she had to thank for saving her grandfather's life. Though they had never fought in battle together, Leila was one of her allies.

And so, she wanted to help bury Leila, but Eliwood stopped her. "...Let them be alone. That's… That’s the only thing we can do for them right now…"

Lyn agreed.

ー

After Matthew took Leila and left, Hector slammed his fist into one of the trees next to him. “Dammit! They put Leila here on purpose so we would see her…!”

“I’ll never forgive them… This is the lowest of the low!!” Lyn was so angry that her entire body was shaking.

Eliwood shared their feelings. “...Let’s go! We need to stop them before anyone else falls victim to their schemes!”

The moment Eliwood declared his newfound determination, Ninian shouted, “Ah!! …Be careful! Something’s coming!!”

“What?!” Lyn reacted immediately.

Though Ninian had lost her memory, she still had her ability to sense danger.

However, before Lyn could survey their entire surroundings, the danger appeared like a gust of wind.

It took just a split second for Lyn’s arms to be twisted and pinned behind her back, leaving her unable to move.

“...If you value your lives, then you will hand over the girl.”

“You are a nomad of the plains?!” Lyn looked up at the man holding her arms, and shouted.

From the style of clothing he wore, it was clear that he was a man of Sacae, just as Lyn said. He was a rugged man with facial hair along his chin, glaring at them with sharp eyes, like those of a hawk targeting their prey. He wore a bandana wrapped around his head, and his clothing was all black. His physical appearance reflected perfectly the kind of person he was.

The man nodded at Lyn’s words, and said, “I am Uhai of the Black Fang. I have been ordered to take this girl… and end your lives. But… if you hand over the girl quietly and leave this isle, then I will let you live.”

“And… if we do not do as you say?”

“None of you know anything. Of Nergal’s terrifying might… Nor anything else, so you think that you can try to stand against him. No matter what any of you do, it will change nothing. You will speak not another bad word about him, and leave here at once!” Uhai's sharp voice shouted.

But Eliwood would not stand down. “...It may be true that we do not know anything… But if we flee here, then it is certain that nothing will change… And that is why we will struggle, even if that is all we can do until the end!”

“...Foolishness.” Uhai muttered a single word, then let go of Lyn’s arms and pushed her towards Eliwood and the rest of her allies.

“...Why did you let me go?” She asked.

“It is disgraceful to fight while holding a woman hostage. We are even now. I will show you some mercy, at least. …I will defeat you all here, so that you will die having not seen any further depths of this hell!” Uhai said, with pride befitting a nomad of Sacae, then disappeared into the forest.

Within the trees, his soldiers, a unit of the Black Fang, was lying in wait for them.

ー

#fire emblem #fe7 #fire emblem 7 #the blazing blade #the blazing sword #fe7 the blazing blade #lyn #lyndis #eliwood #hector #nintendo #gba #game boy advance #japan #japanese #translation #novel #light novel #fe7 novelization translation

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sadunicorn47 · 2 years

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The Savior ~ A Loki x Reader story~

Summary: Loki's previous trip to earth as D.B Cooper was just a simple prank amongst brother; there was absolutely no hidden agenda behind it whatsoever; certainly was not a way for Loki to take a peek at his so called destined soulmate. Y/N has not had an easy life, and has been hurt by the world way too many times. Can she trust her destined soulmate, or is she too far gone to love and be loved? This story is full of love, heartbreak as well as whole lot of mischief and many talks about past abuse.

Chapter 2: An infants tale.

July 1976, New York

The five year old's life was nothing but joyful. She lived in the upper side of town with her stay at home mother by her side who catered to her every need. While she did not get to see her dad a lot throughout the day due to his long working hours. In the weekends he made it up for the little one and spoiled her non stop. This weekend however Y/N's father decided to take the family to a small getaway to their house in the country side to enjoy a bit of quality time with his two favorite girls. Little did he know that he would not get the chance to do so. The moment they had stepped into their car was the moment destiny decided to crash all of their plans; literally.

~Elmhurst public hospital~

" 5 year old girl, was in a car crash; both her legs are broken as well as what seems to be a fracture on her left arm; there could be possible internal bleeding." The nurse reported to the doctor

" We have to check on that quickly!" the doctor said " Where are her parents?"

" They died in the crash sir" the nurse said sadly.

" Well contact her next of kin and let us pray that there are no underlying injuries"

~ Asgard~

" My sons, how are you doing this evening?"

" We are good father, we were just on our way to race our horses; care to join?" Thor said in his overly joyful way that always made it very hard for Loki to not roll his eyes.

" Both of you really need to start stop playing around and help out in your duties more! One of you is going to be a king soon." Odin said in his known quite but angry tone.

" Father, we finished all of our tasks for today we where just... ahhh'"

Before Loki could complete his sentence he had felt an extreme shooting pain from his soul mark that ran down his arm and heart. He could not help but let out a small but noticeable groan.

" Are you okay brother?" Thor asked in concern while the King looked at his raven haired son skeptically.

Loki still felt the pain shooting in his arms, but quickly casted an illusion to mask both of his pain and concern on the situation.

" Never better" He said with a smile " I have to go though. You are right father, we must take our duties more seriously" he gave a small bow to Odin and headed quickly to his room.

As soon as he reached his room, Loki fell into the ground grasping his left arm in pain. He lifted up his sleeve to find that his soul mark was glowing.

" What happened to you, little one?" Loki asked no one in particular.

For the past five years the young god had managed to forget about his new predicament until today. Now all he could think about was what was the young girl going through in order to project this much pain onto him.

After 30 minutes, the pain started to fade away and Loki was able to walk and move with little discomfort; That is when he decided he needed to go to Heimdall to visit Midgard once again.

" I hope you are okay, Y/N" Loki thought as he headed towards his destination.

" My prince!" Heimdall greeted

" Heimdall" Loki nodded " I need to visit Midgard"

" I am afraid I cannot permit you your majesty" Heimdall said with a hint of sadness in his voice

" Why not?" Loki said angrily

" The king forbade it"

" What?..."

" He also requests your presence your majesty"

Loki's face paled; fearing his father finding out about his soulmate. He grabbed whatever courage he could muster and charged to his father's chambers.

" You requested my presence father?"

" You think I would not find out about your soulmate son?"

" Father, I am so..'"

" Quite"

" Father I just did not want you to bring her here and take her away from her family"

" QUITE" Yelled Odin

" You actually believed that I would bring a Midgardian to Asgard? let alone one who is not of royal blood?"

" Soul mates or not, no member of the royal family gets to be with tainted blood"

" but, father..." Loki said with a high pitch while holding in his tears

" Both your mother and I gave up our soulmates for the sake of the throne, and that is what you will do and that is what your brother will do"

" From now on there will be no visits to Midgard without my permission or else" Threatened the King

" Do you understand me Loki?"

Loki looked at the ground as he nodded

" Good, you are dismissed"

~New York~

Joan Schmidt got a random call on Saturday afternoon, his brother and his sister in law had died in a terrible car accident leaving their badly injured daughter behind. Despite his rusty relationship with his brother, he was apparently the new guardian of said child.

He quickly hurried to the hospital and went immediately to the reception

" Hello, I am here on behalf of Y/N Schmidt, where is she?"

" Are you the girl's uncle?" a doctor said from behind the German scientist

" Yes, is she okay?"

" That is the thing.. she is more than okay, all of her injuries have healed in the span of 30 minutes"

" What? " questioned the scientist in disbelief

" she must be some sort of miracle"

" Yes... she must be.." Schmidt said while already forming several plans in his mind.

~ Author's note~

and that is it for the second chapter.. left you on a cliffhanger I know. what do you think is going to happen next?

#loki laufeyson #loki x female reader smut #loki x original female character #loki x y/n #loki x abused reader #loki x you #loki x reader #mcu loki #dom loki #sub reader #past abuse #mentiones of rape

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blessed1neha · 1 year

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If the horoscope of Lord Ram and Sita was a perfect match? Why was there so much suffering in their marriage then?

This is the most common query when one thinks about Astrology and its utility. Being perplexed about the life events of any of the Vishnu Avtaars or even the Rudra Avtaar, even when they were all Demi-Gods, is obvious!

A relevant couplet by Saint Kabir Das Ji can be quoted:

मुनि वशिष्ट से पंडित ज्ञानी , सोध के लगन धरी । सीता हरन मरन दशरथ को , वन में बिपति परी । करम गति टारे नाहीं टरी ।

So, here we are talking about two great Kings, Dashrath and Janak Both were very righteous, and their subjects had much adoration for both.

King Janak, was even referred to the most learned wise man, or the ‘Sat Guru’ of his times. Whereas Dashrath had the honour of having Muni Vasisth as his ‘Kul Guru’

So, basically it can be assumed that both collectively did the right thing for their age and times. [Remember, they were great Kings and their pupil were like their family.]

Then, what went wrong? Nothing! Yes, absolutely nothing went wrong. It was all pre-planned and pre-destined.

The purpose of horoscope matching for marriage, is that they both should be supportive to each others cause and purpose of life. This is what happened in Sia-Ram’s match.

The purpose of Shri Ram was to get rid of the devils dwelling around, who were posing a threat to all the sages and humans in general. As a future king, it was his duty too, to cleanse all the evil doers in the society before establishing the Ram-Rajya! How else could have been a king on excursion (or exile, as it is termed) for 14 years without raising an eyebrow!

In getting married Sita Ji to Ram, she supported him in all his endeavors, be it the van-vaas, be it her kidnapping (as it was also needed as a premise for an exiled Prince to attack on an enemy, Ram being Purush-uttom, couldn’t do anything adharmik)

Considering, why did Laxman became an accomplice to Ram. Here too, we need to broaden the perspectives of two brothers taking care of the Kingdom, while two others taking care of the others. In the current scenario, you may count it as Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Defense, being Ram (always being politically correct & Laxman always being the aggressive) while the other portfolio of the cabinet resting with Bharat & Shatrughan.

Did Ram and Sita really suffered? Where is it written in any of the Ramayanas written by anyone? While it has clearly mentioned of the pain and agony of Dashrath while sending Ram to exile or the agony of Ram when Laxman went into coma. So, it is us mortals who are unaware of the true mission, consider their lives to be full of pain, while it mustn’t have been.

What was the achievement of this particular episode of Ramayana? All the Devils were neutralized, friendly relations were established with all the neighboring kingdoms.

The losses thus occurred? Except for the pains while a team is out on excursion, there was no loss, the Kingdom, the family, the pupil, the neighboring states, all were handed back to Ram on his return.

Now, look at Uttar Ramayana Sita was sent to exile, as people said that she became impure due to her stay with the devil. This is what we know! While the fact is, Sita is Pious, and was kept pious by Ravana. He never used force onto her, when he was such a great warrior! We are so used to hear about rape cases all around us these days; wasn’t it possible for Ravan? He never did! So why did Ram sent her to exile (or to Valmiki Ji’s Ashram)? The basic reason is that Sita ji was pregnant, and as we know, the sanskar gained during pregnancy have a lasting effect onto the child (Abhimanyu of Mahabharata is a true example). In the Ashram, she would be taken care of! She would receive the best knowledge through Maharishi Valmiki and the kids would attain the basic learning and knowledge in the best possible manner, while keeping aloof from the glitz and glamour of a princely life!

Finally they were tested too, both at the court of Shri Ram and in the war front when they stopped the Horse of the Ashv-Megh-Yagna.

So, in totality, Ayodhya received the best of king as Shri Ram and his sons Luv-Kush. It was well matched through Muni Vasisth as per the need of those times.

Hence, kundli matching isn’t always done for a happy life, rather its a means to achieve the desired result (Karmic outcomes) out of a marriage.

#vedic astrology #Vedic Jyotish Online #vedic astro observations #astrology numerology vedicastrology #astrology numerology vedicastrology #ramayana #valmiki ramayan #ramayan sita #Ramcharitmanas

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kninedlog · 9 months

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Meet Hikari Makoto

A young kuonoichi and warrior princess! Here to protect the peace of all living things

The list | Next | A Lights Deception

Basics

- 17 (this Au/my own iteration takes a bit more in the future, just to up their age. The adventure of the boys is still the same up until where they would meet the girls)

- Asian (mother) x African American (father) mix

- Her favorite color is green

- Grew up with only her brother, his boyfriend, a childhood friend, and a dog for half of her life

- Found her "sisters"

- Formed the "Freaks"

- An ambassador for Yokai and Mystical creature kind

Details

- Hikari 'Sakura' Makoto was born into a royal warrior clan family that's been alive for many many eons. The royal family has been a tight knit of well placed connections and nobles marrying the kings and queens of the past. That changed when Hikari's mother Chiyo Makoto married an adopted royal boy from England and had her first born, Kaito. When Hikari was born she had been destined to be next in line due to her iconic and unusual blue hair.

- But sadly on the night she turned one the kingdom was attacked by Yokai and the Kraang. She barely remembers it but one crucial moment she wishes she could forget.

- Running away from the kingdom and stowing away on a cargo ship away from Japan with her brother, the two ended up in Chicago.

- Three years later she's been trained in ninjutsu and sword fighting, and raised by Kaito as well as his group of friends that he accidently dragged along into the chaos of saving the world from a Yokai planetary take over.

- Durring those three years she and Kaito and his boyfriend Freeda found a mutant that Kaito also decided to train and Freeda decided help to raise.

- Kaito, Freeda, and a young intelligent and bright Hikari, found out that this Mutant was a boy was apart of the royal Makoto family circle. The son of the head knight. The samurai's sworn to protect and serve the royal family.

- His name was Usagi.

- How ironic, as he mutated into a white rabbit.

- Hikari remembers Usagi from her first birthday, it was the day she was to be rightfully crowned and the day Usagi was supposed to be given the life duty of protecting her and Kaito. But then the invasion happened and the two got seperated.

- Finally at the age of four, Hikari decides to embark on a small little solo journey of her own, one that she had to fight tooth and nail for Kaito to let her go do.

- Happily taking him in as a student himself, the prince decided to train Hikari alongside her personal guard, giving a bit more time to the guard than her but still both became amazing sword fighters nonetheless.

New York Year's pt. 1

- Ever since they left home, Hikari has felt this beckoning call. She missed her mother throughout the whole invasion, she was with Kaito the whole time and she refused to belive what she saw happened to her father was true. So she could only come to one conclusion.

- Their mother was calling out to them. Calling her, trying to reach her with this feeling that she has in her chest.

- Kaito has taught the young heroes in training of Chi before but they never did anything about or with it, just simple lessons of its existence and what it can do. They've witness Kaito and Freeda and the small crew he's aquired do such amazing things with Chi and keeping the Yokai slipping through from their realm at bay.

- She wanted to learn how to use it more, as well as find her mother. The call was only getting louder by the second she needed to go to New York! That's what the call said.

- Kaito fought and denied but, after one heavy and deep talks with Freeda he eased and sent her on her way.

- Hikari made a promise that she'll come back to Usagi when they're ten, that's when their adventure can truly begin and they can hunt and stop the Yokai together too!

- He didn't want her to leave but he let her go and promised to wait for her too.

- When she made it to New York the girl was quickly lost by not afraid, her Chi inside of her was the guiding light she needed to get where she needed.

- However, durring her journey through the busy streets she bumped into the wrong guy. But, something told her to stay with this man despite knowing this wasn't who she was looking for.

- She took up his offer acting innocent and unaware of what she was doing, and infiltrated another clan. The foot clan, something has told her that this man has been secretly building an underbelly empire here in the city, to quietly and severely run everything and everyone. Just because he could.

- This man has a daughter. Same age as Hikari. She was pretty and nice when they first met. They became really close. The man's daughter was finally happy to not be the only one who could easily take down the grown ups combat. Someone to finally talk to. Someone to relate to and someone to on a rare occasion hug when she needed it.

- This girl's name was Karai.

- Hikari was happy to make a new friend but that was swiftly taken away. When she was found and saved by another mutant that stealthily broke into this base and took her away in her sleep from the Foot clan.

- When Hikari awoke and asked what was happening she was surprised to learn and believe that the mutant before her was her mother. Having escaped the Yokai and alien invasion on their kingdom, the aliens having turned her into this and toss her away when she wasn't what they expected she been on the prowl for her children ever since.

- Hikari happily reunited with her now mutated feline mother, started to bond with the woman as much as she could. Wanting to instantly leave at first before remembering what the trip was for, she asked her mother, a master herself, to teach her, train her to become a kuonoichi like how her mother was in her youth.

-AT first Chiyo denied but gave in after a bit more begging. Durring this process however, Chiyo needed to see her daughter start to gain a social life, seeing her be such an indoor girl, yet be so friendly and kind was hurtful. That kindness and compassion may help another child out there, so off to school she went, to get an education and possibly make some friends.

- Her days as a four year old came to a close when she met and befriended April, accidently putting her and her dad in a situation that needed Chiyo and Hikari to work together to defeat. This marked when the orange haired girls life turned upside down, as she willing begged and asked to be trained snd be apart of her new best friends life as well, as the life she had before Hikari was kinda bland.

- Year after year, the girls slowly met and built their team. Their squad. Their new family. Finding a nameless freckled face girl in dumpster, help change a redheads views on life and help her stand up to her toxic family, and save a beautiful purple eyed girl from the abuse of a gang of theives.

- Finally creating and forming, The Freaks!

- After one more year, age nine, creating a tight knit close family bond, the Makoto Clan subdivision: the Freaks was finally formed.

The Chicago Adventures

- Age ten. Hikari and the Freaks, with the addition of April and Kirby go to Chicago. Where nothing but adventure after adventure after adventure awaits them.

- Age eleven, The Freaks only get stronger with the addition of more friends and Mutants to join their side.

- Age twelve, The Freaks end up exposing mutants to Chicago and Chicago only, somehow kept things at peace between humans and the small amount of Mutants in the city

- Age thirteen, things get more difficult when the Yokai's more specifically the organization that wants to take over the world "The Lotus" start their invasion on Chicago and send a mass amount of Yokai out to terrorize the city. The Freaks led by Hikari and Usagi use mostly their word and compassion to either change the heart or ways of the Yokai that rummaged through the city for months. This only makes the Freaks stronger as soon they had a good heavy chunk of Yokai kind and Chicago on their side.

- Age fourteen, they win the war, won against the lotus and things seem perfect. Until the Oni king came around to cause more trouble. He still wanted earth to belong to Yokai, that people should still tremble in fear of them not be at peace not be friendly. So he sent out his children to cause more chaos. Hikari met one these children, a master manipulator that took her away from her family for a bit to do bad things and made her harness and see the Dark chi that rest inside of her too.

- Age fifteen, after such a tragic loss the girl was now changed, her hair was cut and is now the current style you see up above. She used all she knew and all she learned to take down each child that cause terror across Chicago one by one till she reached that one. When she reunited with that awful boy she wasted no time teaching him his lesson, getting her pay back and sending him away witht the rest of his siblings in a prison realm sealed by a talisman locked away deep in the Yokai realm.

- Age sixteen, The final battle with the Oni King. He was strong he almost won but with her friends by her side and the power she gained with both now the Yokai and human and mutant race by her side she found her strength and defeated him with the power of Light. As he perished he left her with a final inquiry,

"If everyone has light, then where do you think the darkness comes from?"

- Something was telling Hikari to move on, go someplace else and start again, make the world as cool and peaceful and accepting as Chicago had became.

- The aftermath of the fate of the world was almost as serious as the battle itself. The Freaks; more specifically Hikari, has become and ambassador for Yokai kind, a savior in the eyes of mutants who have heard the tale of her, and seen as a hero by the people of Chicago. She and the crew soon warped up the damage and cleaned off some loose ends, and once that was done their adventure here was over.

- She had to go back New York. The foot was still there, and clearly while the girls where there before there was something going on in the shadows. Maybe with a bit of thorough investigation they can spot the problem fix it and move on quick.

- Age sixteen, The Makoto Clan subdivision: The Freaks return to their place of origin already gettin right to work by stopping and capturing and wayword Yokai that escaped during that period, or that hwve escaped entrapment in the Yoksi realm. They give April the biggest task, figure out what's going on in the shadows of New York and lo and behold, one day while taking a sweet nice stroll with her father at night they two get jumped and captured by the Kraang in disguise.

- So leave Chicago they did much to their Chi partners, their other half, their counters dismay. On the day of the leave some would just refuse to go, while others shook hands and called it day. Usagi and Hikari made one more promise to eachother. To see eachother again.

New York Years pt.2

- April meets the boys figures out all that's going on with the Kraang up to the episode "Metal Head"

- April then gets kidnapped again one night but not by the Kraang by someone else, it's the Lotus!?

"But we defeated you guys!" April shouts shocked hands up in instinctive defense

"Let's just say we're under new management, O'neil." The goon smiled wickedly at her sending a gross shiver down her spine. Just seeing the symbol on their outfits brought back memories she thought she'd never relive.

- This was when the boys were met with a new foe, and soon to be graced with new friends.

#TMNT Oc's #tmnt #ocs #tmnt oc #oc's #oc #tmnt 2012 #tmntoc #tmnt fan character #tmnt fc

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vivi-wc · 1 year

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Name: Echospeckle

Rank: Former Medicine Cat

Backstory: (This one is tragic as hell so beware haha-)

Echokit grew up as an only child to loving parents and he grew interested in herbs and the duties of a medicine cat after he began to have dreams about such. The dreams showed such a soft and warm version of such duties that the kit felt almost destined to become a medicine cat. Upon reaching his apprenticeship, Echopaw was taught diligently by a sickly mentor. The medicine cats of their clan (He has a canon clan as well as made up one so I won’t specify in this bio) had recently seemingly been cursed with the last few generations of medicine cats all becoming suddenly ill and eventually dying. Echopaw stubbornly believed his mentor would not be one of them, and assured his mentor that he would find a way to prevent that from happening. As Echopaw grows old enough and skilled enough to earn his medicine cat name, his mentor is far to weak to make the journey with him so he travels alone. Upon meeting Starclan rather than a typical ceremony they begin to warn him of a danger and a prophecy which overwhelms him. Despite his attempts to speak to them they continue to simply tell of his place within said prophecy. They also inform him that his mentor would be dead by the time he arrived back home. Echopaw, now named Echospeckle, refuses to believe such and wakes himself from his dream, ignoring the lingering whispers he heard around him and rushed back to camp. Upon arrival though, he finds what Starclan told him to be true, his mentor had succumbed to their illness while he was gone.

Guilt ridden, Echospeckle finds it hard to commit to his duties. Starclan cats begin visiting him in his dreams, and even sometimes while he was awake though no other cat could see them. Echospeckle grew exhausted and paranoid to a degree that many of his clanmates noticed. He did not want to be in a prophecy, he did not want anyone else to die, he didn’t want to die. He did his best to ignore Starclan though that did little to make him feel better. He was noticeably jumpy and distant.

He spent much of his time alone outside of treating his clanmates until a warrior named Frostlarch began visiting him daily and bringing him fresh kill. It was obvious she was trying to make him feel better and she was stubbornly sticking to it even when he refused or said nothing in response to her. Though he never truly confided in her, he did little by little open up to her. Though Starclan’s whispers seemed to grow harsher when the two began to develop forbidden feelings for each other, he simply ignored them.

Eventually the two are met with a predicament. Frostlarch is soon to have kits and neither of them had an explanation for them. Though they agree to keep it secret that he was their father. This was mainly due to their leader being especially strict about the warrior code. To an intense degree.

When the kits are born they are met with an unfortunate surprise. One of their 3 daughters look exactly like Echospeckle. Though anxious at this, they do not do anything drastic in order to hide her. They figure what will be will be.

Not long after their kits are old enough to walk, Echospeckle is awoken by Frostlarch’s wailing and finds out that Antkit (The kit identical to him) has wandered off into the snowy forest. Echospeckle promises to find her, and some warriors also leave to search other areas. The whispers from Starclan seem to return as he reaches a certain area and he eventually finds Antkit. Luckily she is well, though standing alone with her in he barren snow with ancient cats whispering angrily to him, Echospeckle feels uneasy. As the Starclan cats grow louder and angrier, he grows angry at them and lashes out at the faded outlines of cats. Antkit is frightened and confused by his behaviour but it goes unnoticed until one of his swipes lands on her. The anger filled blow was enough to kill her given her incredibly young age and Echospeckle is both frozen in shock and grief. His anger at Starclan simply grows and he has a panic induced meltdown. Eventually he somewhat regains his composure and carries Antkit’s body back to camp.

He gives no explanation to Frostlarch and simply goes back to isolating himself within the medicine cat den. Frostlarch eventually attempts to go talk to him after moons of him being gone but upon going into the den she finds him in a meltdown and he almost lashes out at her thinking for a moment that she was one of the ghostly cats haunting him. Her grief and shock striken expression causes Echospeckle to dash from his den and run out of camp. He keeps running with the echoes of Starclan all around him, angry at him, warning him. Eventually without explanation a tree falls as he runs past, killing him almost instantly. Frostlarch finds him dead soon after.

- - - - - - - - - -

- Echospeckle’s other two daughters Larchspeckle and Juniperspeckle grew up with Starclan’s close guidance. Larchspeckle was frightened by it and refused them, while Juniperspeckle became a medicine cat. Juniperspeckle was apprenticed under her father very briefly before his passing. Neither are aware he is their father despite Frostlarch being sure to tell them stories about him specifically

- I never decided if he would want to go to Starclan or not, so I have versions written for both

- He is an oc developed from events in the Clan-Gen game, his daughter’s name ironically were just generated to have the same suffix as him

- His clan from Clan Gen was called Waspclan, but if he were in a canon WC clan he’d be in Thunderclan

- For Echo specifically Starclan is very morally gray and were trying to mold him into their specific life etc they had planned out for him but him having kits sort of ruined that and they matyred him essentially-- For most my other ocs they are not such a way though

#Echospeckle #warrior cats ocs

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bukojuiice · 3 years

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this is how you fall in love ━ levi ackerman

ೃ pairing: (levi ackerman x gn! reader)

ೃ the entire division of the survey corps are not convinced that you and levi are absolutely actually together. however, it took a small expedition outside of the walls and an abnormal titan incident for everyone to coo adoringly at the soft and loving demeanor that levi holds around you and only you.

ೃ genre and warnings: canonverse, fluff, and strong language.

ೃ my nav → my aot masterlist → sign up for my taglist

ೃ 1.6k words

ೃ dedicated to one of my first uni friends, @ryscenery because if the two of us didn’t yell (affectionately) at each other for our love for levi, this fic may have never been birthed. i hope you enjoy! 🥺

Love certainly makes you do the wacky. But in a world where chaos is imminent, war is always looming, and people die to giant man-eating humanoid monsters, how can one possibly make their life akin to that of a romance novel?

Well, unfortunately, you can't.

It's a Live and Let Die world, after all.

But... to the remaining few of humanity who are strong and lucky enough to be still wandering the faces of the unknown world, love is a treasure. A gift only a few can find.

And somehow, and someway, you were lucky enough to find comfort in someone you never thought you'd expect to find.

Levi Ackerman.

The stoic and blunt smart-ass captain of the Survey Corps? Yes, him.

Honestly, it's quite a surprise. No one would have ever thought that someone could shake the world of Humanity's Strongest Soldier. It almost felt like a dream, honestly. Your subordinates and co-captains can't even get their heads wrapped around the fact that there's something between the two of you. Well, it's not like either you and Levi were bold enough to rub it in other people's faces.

Even Hanji, who made it seems as if they were utterly convinced over the fact that the two of you are together by teasing the two of you every time that you were within a few feet of each other, has their doubts.

It didn't take long until a minor expedition outside the walls made everyone in the division finally realize how much you and Levi were pining lovestruck dorks when hidden from the eyes of prying and spying soldiers.

An attempted attack from an abnormal titan had forced you to stray away from the rest of your squad's formation. Baiting the abomination away from your subordinates led you to get lost in the outskirts of an abandoned town. With a terribly injured leg, none of your essential equipment with you, and with no means of communication, you had no choice but to wait for the rest of the scouts on patrol to find you.

However, you were afraid of one person.

Levi knows how strong and how much you can hold up in a fight (Your Titan kill count is one of the highest in the Corps), but he hates how reckless you can get. How stubborn. How irrational your decisions can be at times and how much you hate the fact that he reprimands you for the littlest mistakes. Even if those mistakes could ultimately be the cost of your own life.

Catching sight of a shadowy figure and the sound of the clopping of horses from beyond a steep hill, you brace yourself for another long and agonizing lecture from Levi as he continues to approach.

"Captain (Y/N)!" Armin, a rookie soldier from your fleet, calls out. A look of relief forming on his face. "We brought Captain Levi! He's just behind us!"

"Oh, great." You whisper, grimacing to yourself. "Just great." Your wounded leg fails you as you try to prop yourself up onto your horse, falling back down on a mound of rubble.

You only wish you could know what Levi is feeling right now once he sees the predicament you've brought upon yourself once again.

"Captain (Y/N) has strayed away from our formation!" Jean reports sternly, a tinge of worry straining his voice. "They have diverted an abnormal titan from ruining our formation! As of now, none of us in the fleet know of their whereabouts! Neither do they have a flare gun nor any kits in case of an emergency, as they have left them with Krista before the expedition!"

Erwin clears his throat, shaking his head to try and keep his calm facade. "We'll send some soldiers to scout the-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, the distinct cry of a nearby horse could be heard. As the rest of the surviving soldiers turn their heads to where the sound came from, they could do nothing but stare agape at Levi's fleeting figure cross through the safe area and again into dangerous territory. No one could dare to stop him, after all. There was no way.

All they could do was stare in awe at the dramatic yet sweet gesture of the stone-hearted captain that happened right before their tired eyes.

Maybe now they're finally convinced that the two of you are actually together.

(Levi's POV)

I sprinted through the vast fields with all the remaining strength I could muster. After a long exhibition, I didn't expect I'd have to drag my ass around to find (Y/N). Yet, I could not recall the last time I found myself so short of breath.

Dammit. Please be safe.

I am only vaguely surprised to feel an icy trickle of sweat on the back of my neck and my wringing hands as I hold onto the saddle.

Hurry... I must hurry.

There was not a moment to waste. If there were a titan to cross through these shitty grasslands ever again, I'd have to kill these fuckers as fast as I can. Whatever it took to reach them.

....How unlike me.

I hated this feeling. I knew it was inevitable and could happen anytime, but my body launched forward before Erwin could even give his command. Duty decreed that I should have informed him, but the thought came far too late.

I have no doubt Erwin will conjure some excuse for me. After all, this is what everyone wanted, right? Didn't they want to see more proof of my undying love for them? Just because I don't make goo-goo eyes at them doesn't mean I wouldn't defy everything just to keep them safe.

Perhaps I am being irresponsible... but I have no choice but to put my trust in him.

For now, I have someone more important than anything else, someone I cannot fail. Someone I must save.

At the end of the maddeningly long field of nothingness and stark skies, my destination hoves into view.

As (Y/N)'s weakened figure appears closer and closer to me, I abruptly halt my steed and dismount from it. With all my strength once again, I rush to their side.

Moments later, you hear Levi's voice, whom you had seen off just this morning. Wincing in pain due to your injuries, you mentally prepare yourself for another scolding.

"Keep safe" were the words he'd never fail to whisper every time the both of you are forced to depart from each other. It wasn't the most romantic saying out there, but it meant a lot. Especially coming from Levi. He was not the most physically affectionate beau out there, but these little sweet nothings were enough to make your heart flutter.

Observing his looks as he approaches, Levi almost seems panicked. Out of breath, even breaking a sweat... you can't even remember the last time you saw him like this.

His piercing gaze bore into yours, and you felt as though you might fall into it.

Levi takes one step towards you and then another.

"I-I'm fine... okay?" You puff your chest and tug at his hand reassuringly. "Don't worry. I kicked that titan's ass before it could even get a hand of me. How about you? Are you alright? You're breathing so heavily."

He doesn't answer your question but instead drops his gaze into your shaking hands.

"(Y/N)..." His voice was barely audible, a whisper. There's this exasperated look in his eyes that you can't quite describe. And yet, through that faintest movement of his lips, you knew what he meant to say.

"Levi, listen. I'm-"

---And yet... he did not allow you to finish.

Soft warmth pressed against your lips. And his embrace... so intense yet so gentle.

He didn't have to say it with words; This is the first time Levi has shown such love through his touch. Kind, yet powerful. His kiss felt like the wings of butterflies, beating softly upon lips of crushed petals.

You remain in his arms, held tight to the Captain's chest.

The suddenness of his actions came as a surprise, of course... but even so.

The heat radiating from your bodies brought such a wellspring of happiness to you. You were so happy. So very, very happy.

It was so profound that you wished that it might never end.

"Tch. I thought I was going to lose you..." He trails off, squeezing your arm in slight annoyance. "W-why do you always have to be so damn reckless? Why can't you just stick to the plan?"

"Reckless is my middle name after all." You giggle, the kiss ever so deepening.

You're suddenly brought back into reality when a flustered cough echoes from behind you.

You and Levi took it as your cue to finally let go, releasing one another.

"I hope we're not interrupting something..." You turn to see Armin Arlert, a rookie from your fleet, approach the two of you awkwardly. "I'll be tending to Captain (Y/N)'s wounds... if you'd allow me." He clears his throat, clearly intimidated by the cold and striking facade emanating from Levi.

"Captain Erwin sent us." Mikasa added stoically. Ah yes, the ever so tactful commander.

"Were you brats watching?"

"No! Of course not!" Jean, Sasha, and Connie who were lagging from behind, dismiss Levi's claims with a dramatic wave of their hands. "We totally weren't-"

Levi sighs, "Look. Even if you were, I wouldn't get mad." There's a slight blush that slowly creeps on his face yet quickly fades away. "Just... don't get into details once Hanji or Erwin tries to bug you about it, alright?"

"Yes, Captain!"

"Thank you for coming to pick us up." You smile weakly as you let Armin kneel to tend to your wounds. "Who knows what could have happened if we were left here alone?" You nudge Levi's shoulder suggestively."

He smirks, chuckling to himself. "If we were, then they'll finally have more proof that the two of us are actually together, won't they?"

taglist: @crapimahuman @hu-tao-main @smg-valeria @moonless-abyss @midnightangelfox @dukina @chibishae34 @arvinrusselisbae @kenmakeii @eissaaaa @yummyyumi @the-one-that-lurks @prxttyguardian

#snk x reader #aot x reader #levi x reader #levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman x y/n #attack on titan #levi ackerman fluff #levi x gn!reader #attack on titan x reader

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silentexplorer18 · 3 years

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Pen & Ink Soulmates: A Kakashi Hatake Fic

Summary: A partner, they said. Someone compatible with you, they said. Lies. Or the story in which you sneakily convince Kakashi that soulmates aren't all that bad.

Pairing: Kakashi Hatake x Female Reader

Warnings: Soulmate AU, Writing on skin, Minor Violence, Implied/Referenced Torture, Abduction, Minor Injuries, Serious Injuries, Hospitals, Angst with a Happy Ending.

Word Count: 12,100+

Note: For clarity, this fic occurs over a relatively large chunk of time, but it might make more sense to pretend Kakashi joins the ANBU in later teenage years (though we could pretend two high-level Jonin could talk with such maturity at age 13 if we wanted to!). Basically, I didn’t stress a timeline too much, but I hope you still enjoy it as much as I do! :)

Read on AO3 ▪ Masterlist

Hi, soulmate!

Soulmate?

Are you getting my messages?

Let me know if you want to talk.

Can you see the moon where you are?

I found the prettiest flowers today at the market. I wish I could draw you a picture of them.

Do you like flowers? I have a hard time picking a favorite.

You’d been trying. The whole connecting with your soulmate thing was supposed to be exciting and invigorating, but so far it had only left you with the bitter taste of defeat.

A partner, they said. Someone compatible with you, they said.

Lies.

Apparently whoever was supposed to be on the other end of your soul connection didn’t care about the messages you sent. They weren’t as eager to speak with you as you were to speak with them. At least, that’s what you told yourself. The alternative was much, much worse; a fate you weren’t willing to consider.

You had a soulmate. They just weren’t ready to talk yet.

So, you threw yourself into training. Every swift movement and taunt muscle, every hit target and victorious sparring session, all the work left you feeling strong and powerful. When your soulmate met you, maybe they’d regret taking so long when they saw how hard you’d been working, how skilled you’d become.

Thankfully, you had a sparring partner that liked to keep you on your toes. Kakashi had been training with you for about as long as you could remember; he was your closest friend and greatest ally as you worked to become a talented shinobi. Of all the people in the village, he facilitated and supported your growth more than anyone. You could rely on him for almost anything (except for being on time).

But there was one problem.

Kakashi didn’t like talking about soulmates. You couldn’t blame him. Deep emotional connections wasn’t a topic he wanted to dwell on, not after everything that had happened throughout his still-young lifetime. So you kept the conversation civil, even as your heart desperately yearned to talk to someone about your sudden fear of being alone, your deep, unrestrained terror that there was no partner to your soul, no body to receive the messages you delicately penned on the skin under your wrapped arms.

But apparently there was.

You learned that roughly a year later, after many failed attempts and more destroyed pens than you cared to admit.

The amount of times you’d tried to contact your soulmate had dwindled, both due to the lack of response and the influx in your shinobi duties. Regardless, you still took the time to try every once in a while.

Usually, your messages were sweet or silly. A few times, you’d merely asked if anyone was receiving your carefully written words, begging to know there was someone out there for you.

But every sensible person reaches their breaking point. And evidently both you and your soulmate broke in very different ways on the same day.

Good evening, soulmate. I didn’t do much today, but I can give you a run-down if you’d like.

It was a game you’d started a few months into your attempts at contact. Pretending someone was there was much, much easier than thinking about any alternative. So you tried your best to leave messages despite how much it hurt.

Staring at your wrist, you considered the scribble of the letters, the handwriting you only tried to make semi-nice now. That was your soulmate’s fault; you were past the point of a perfect first impression. But what to write today? What could entertain your soulmate, maybe even draw them out? You weren’t sure.

When the first inky letter swirled across your skin, your heart leapt into your throat, and your pen dropped from your hand. Your thoughts of what to write were quickly forgotten. There was someone. There was someone! There was someone waiting for you!

You leaned forward, hand clamped around your wrist to keep it steady as the words appeared on your skin.

You’re putting us both in danger. Stop writing to me.

Well, that certainly wasn’t what you expected.

After all the waiting, after all the time, that’s what your soulmate was willing to give you? Your jaw clenched, hand releasing your wrist so you wouldn’t inadvertently snap it. What a jerk.

How dare your soulmate assume you were incapable! How dare your soulmate treat you like nothing more than a hindrance! How dare your soulmate act like you were some worthless flower that would be trampled over by a single breeze!

You clicked your pen, hand pressing just a skosh too hard into your skin as you carved a message back to whoever that jerk was.

I can take care of myself.

The reply came a few minutes later.

Good. I don’t want you in my life. Leave me alone.

Oh.

Years of waiting for a soulmate, and the one to finally show up didn’t want anything to do with you? Great, just great.

You closed your eyes, hands shaking as you drew your knees closer to your body. Alone. You were alone. No matter who was destined to be by your side, nobody would be there. The tears burned in your eyes, but you tried to keep from shedding them. You were a shinobi. You were strong. You were… alone.

No, no you weren’t. You still had Kakashi and Kurenai. You had Asuma when he bothered to chat with you. You weren’t totally alone. You had people in your life to keep you company. Hell, you were even supposed to meet Kakashi for breakfast tomorrow!

You went over your list of friends in your head, desperately trying to drown out the nagging voice in the back of your mind whispering that the person who mattered most would never want you.

Kakashi was late to breakfast the next morning. Even later than usual. You idly wondered if he’d been called on an emergency mission while trying to keep your thin soup down.

The events of the night before rested at the forefront of your mind, making your stomach queasy with the memory of the harsh words.

Your soulmate had washed them off your arm by morning, but the message had already been branded in your mind. There would be no forgetting.

When Kakashi finally deigned to arrive, he looked much worse than usual. It was hardly perceptible to the untrained eye, but you knew something was wrong after so many years of friendship with Kakashi. He was even quieter than he usually was, picking at the cold soup you’d ordered for him.

It had been spur of the moment to order for the both of you, a decision brought on by being too wrapped up in your own thoughts. However, Kakashi didn’t comment on your unusual gesture.

For once, something went your way.

After your relatively brief and quiet meal, you offered to walk with Kakashi to the Hokage Tower, desperately craving the fresh air. He accepted your offer with a half-hearted nod, and you fell into step alongside him, trying to keep up with his impossibly lanky figure.

“You’ve been going to the Hokage Tower a lot lately. Is everything alright?”

Hummed, the sound still gravely from failing to use his voice all morning. “They’re pushing me up to the ANBU.”

You froze. The ANBU? One of the most elite and dangerous positions that a Leaf shinobi could accept? Your best friend—the talent, the protector, the lost child inside willing to throw his life away for the sake of his home, for the people who had left without him—an ANBU?

Kakashi stopped a few paces in front of you, casting a distasteful look over his shoulder at your expression.

“I can handle it. Stop fussing.”

With quick steps, you joined his side again, clenching your fist in embarrassment. “I’m not fussing. I just wasn’t expecting it so soon.”

“We die young as shinobi,” he murmured, continuing his walk toward the tower in the distance. Suddenly, the structure appeared to be looming rather than protecting, and a chill crawled along your spine.

Of course shinobi died young. All bodies gave out eventually, and shinobi would fight until that occurred, regardless of whether or not it was to their detriment (it almost always was). But Kakashi was the most talented shinobi you’d ever encountered. He wouldn’t die young, you hoped. He had so much left to live for, even if he couldn’t see it through the haze of his own pain and guilt.

The remaining walk to the Hokage tower was silent. And afterwards, you took flowers to the memorial stone. You prayed for the dead. And just this once, you begged them to look out for the living, too.

The day Kakashi joined the ANBU, you knew. The matching tattoo colored your bicep in sweeping increments, a sharp red rattling your heart within your chest. The reality of your situation washed over you like the worst kind of genjutsu.

Your best friend was your soulmate. And he didn’t want you.

The realization left you shell shocked for a few days, unable to even speak or look at Kakashi. Even without the contact, your mind couldn’t escape from him. However, you eventually managed to safeguard your heart as best as you could. You wouldn’t tell him yet; something within you couldn’t handle that risk of rejection, especially when it would come from Kakashi. But you weren’t willing to throw away the lifetime of friendship the two of you shared. So you put on a smile and met Kakashi at his favorite restaurant, just like usual.

“You haven’t been here for a few days,” he noted as you sat down, watching you intently. “Everything alright?”

You shrugged, fingers trailing down the side of your glass. “Yeah, just wasn’t feeling up to anything.”

It was a partial lie, one Kakashi could easily prod into if he wanted to. But he didn’t. He let you be. And you relished in the way the conversation eventually grew normal between the two of you, right up until he rose from the table, leaving you to pay the bill.

Everything was normal. But you cried again that night anyway.

Life fell back into the usual pattern after that. There were times that you could almost pretend the weight on your shoulders wasn’t there. Kakashi was away on more missions with the ANBU, so you were able to bury your head in your training and missions and pretend nothing was wrong. At least, you could pretend until a pen caught your eye.

The words on your skin had been so brutal, and you hoped they were just because of the pain Kakashi had endured. You hoped it came from a place of love rather than hatred; perhaps Kakashi’s intention was protection rather than cold-hearted rejection.

At least, that’s what you thought until you found Kakashi sparring with Gai.

You tried your hardest not to invade their privacy, not to listen to words that weren’t meant for your ears, like the good friend you were, but Kakashi’s voice was too sharp, too defensive, to not draw your attention.

“—but it’s a waste of time, Gai. Soulmates are unnecessary. Especially for people like us.”

“You’re hiding from your future, Kakashi. Wasting all your youthful days that you could be spending with the one who will love you as much as life itself!”

Another failed attack. The clang of clashing kunai.

“A soulmate could only be a liability to me. You know what kind of missions I’m being sent on.”

“They’re your soulmate, Kakashi. Soulmates are built to work together. They fill the cracks like the best kind of glue!”

Kakashi scoffed. There was another clang, the gentle zip of shuriken on the breeze.

“I’d never love them anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.”

“You’d say something so cruel—”

You turned away, unable to listen anymore. The pain pooled heavy in your gut. The message he’d written hadn’t been a reflexive, angry reaction. His beliefs were set in stone. He didn’t want you.

So, you held your chin up, resigned yourself to eternal loneliness, and pretended the whole soulmate dilemma didn’t exist.

If being Kakashi’s friend was the closest you could get, then you’d ignore the sting in your chest when you looked at him. You’d be his friend. Nothing more.

Your resolve lasted a few weeks.

There was whispering. There had always been whispering, but this day was much worse than usual. He’d been mocked, insulted, shamed. Openly. And aside from Gai, nobody had said a word otherwise. You couldn’t stand it, watching him mask the pain as much as he masked his own features. His feigned nonchalance couldn’t fool your perceptive eyes. You’d been watching too closely; you knew him too well.

Curled at your desk that night, you wrote a message on your wrist, scared of talking to him again but unable to leave him alone.

You’re a good person.

Hours passed before you received a response. It was curt, defensive, everything Kakashi carried to protect himself. You don’t know me.

But you did.

Although it was difficult to sleep, you tried your best not to toss and turn too much as you brooded over your feelings. Was it worth saying more? Was it worth risking the hurt, the rejection?

In the morning, you’d made your decision, especially after noticing his words had already been rinsed off your wrist.

Cleaning your own wrist, you wrote the message in your head a thousand times over, only hoping the words wouldn’t hurt you so much when they reached his skin.

You're a good person, Kakashi Hatake. I won't let you tell me otherwise.

Kakashi met you for lunch just like usual. You wouldn’t have found anything odd about the meeting, but he showed up on time. Apparently your message had rattled him enough to throw him completely off his rhythm.

Rather than comment on his early appearance, you just smiled as he sat down, choosing to dig into your meal. Kakashi followed suit, pulling out a book while he waited for his bowl.

Silence settled between you, and you let it. After all, you were trying to make the situation appear normal. The last thing you wanted was for him to figure out you were in on the secret that was bothering him. So, the two of you ate. You sipped your tea, glancing out at the people passing on the street until Kakashi finally broke the silence.

“My soulmate knows who I am,” he murmured, setting down his raman bowl.

You plastered on a smile, knowing you had to fake congratulations, had to fake knowing that he had, in fact, zero intentions of finding his soulmate.

“That’s so exciting, Kakashi! I’m glad you’ve finally found yours!”

He laughed dryly, scratching his neck. “It’s not quite like that.”

You tried to neutralize the way your expression dropped. Either Kakashi didn’t notice, nose stuck in his copy of Make Out Paradise, or he didn’t care. You bit your lip, brows furrowing before you could stop them. “How so?”

But you already knew the answer to that.

“I’m not talking to my soulmate,” he said curtly. “It’s not something that interests me.”

You shook your head, sighing softly. He’d never let anyone in, never let anyone close. Kakashi was too reserved for that, and you resigned yourself to the knowledge that he’d never care to change the fate he’d chosen for himself. For such a hopeless romantic, he had a terrible tendency to reject love.

“You’re so foolish, Kakashi,” you whispered, balancing the chopsticks on the rim of your bowl.

His eye snapped to your face. Though he appeared nonchalant, you could tell that he slightly bristled at your words. “You’re one to talk.”

“Mine won’t talk to me,” you pointed out sharply, eyes dropping to refold your napkin.

His expression softened minutely, but his tone stayed firm. “That isn’t what I meant. We’re shinobi, (Y/n). Love in our line of duty is fatal.”

Pursing your lips, you caught his eye again before dropping his stare. “Perhaps,” you murmured, knuckles straining in your lap. “But you can’t say it’s pleasant to live without love.”

He was silent for a moment as you both stared at anywhere but one another. Kakashi was ruminating under your words while you wallowed in the silent pain of listening to your soulmate openly deny your importance. It hurt, but you wouldn’t admit that, least of all not to his face.

Before he could speak again, Gai had clapped Kakashi on the shoulder, greeting him as warmly as ever.

You slipped out of the shop, enough money to cover both your meals pressed into the owner’s hand before either of the shinobi could realize you’d disappeared.

Although your conversation with Kakashi had stung deep within your chest, you appreciated the insights it gave you.

Kakashi Hatake was aware his soulmate knew his name. And he was terrified.

The fact that he’d brought it up at all was enough to tell you how jarring the event had been for him. That, and the way he responded at the mere notion of knowing his soulmate. He was like a cornered cat lashing his claws out in terror. He didn’t mean to hurt anyone, not his soulmate, not you. But in his desperation to protect himself, reinforce the walls he’d so meticulously crafted to fortify his aching heart, Kakashi Hatake was willing to scratch.

However, you weren’t willing to let it go that easily.

He was scared of having someone care for him. You were willing to start small in the hopes of changing that.

Along the curve of your inner wrist, you swirled the letters that would become the first of many.

Stay safe on your mission.

It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

Today is supposed to be cold. Wear an extra mask.

He didn’t. Worse yet, he chose to do the opposite. Although it was hard to tell, you knew his mask and undershirt were the spring/summer fabrics rather than the fall/winter ones.

The bastard was spiting you. Well, spiting his soulmate. So, unwittingly spiting you.

It was still irksome.

As the two of you wandered around the village, helped the farmers, and even took a leisurely stroll around the village perimeter “just in case,” you relished in the way Kakashi moved. It was obvious he was cold, regretting his unnecessary fashion stance.

But you couldn’t stand to see him cold.

He looked close to dropping to the ground for a rapid succession of push-ups just to rekindle some warmth. As smug as you were about watching him suffer, you weren't willing to let him perform a Gai for a small semblance of relief.

Swiftly, you unlooped your scarf, draping it around his neck unceremoniously. It wasn’t much, but the fabric was warm, and it would certainly help a little.

If only you knew how happy the gesture made him.

As the two of you walked back to the heart of the village, Kakashi walked a little closer to you than normal. And, for some reason, you didn’t really mind.

When Kakashi didn’t show up to lunch the following week, you weren’t surprised. You’d only just returned from a mission, and word of Kakashi’s travels had already graced your ears. He was heading to the Village Hidden in the Sand. For what, you weren’t sure. Some missions were still classified even for you.

Despite knowing how skilled Kakashi was, you still worried about him traveling alone through the desert.

The click of your pen hurt a little less when you clicked it now. It helped to know who your soulmate was. It helped to feel like he cared about you still, even when he so clearly loathed his soulmate.

Remember to drink some water today.

A few hours later, you were surprised to see a response scribbled across your inner wrist.

Yes.

Just one word but finally a positive one.

Rest when you can.

Kakashi stared at the words delicately placed on his wrist. His mission had taken longer than expected, and he was beginning to think his soulmate knew that.

Whoever they were, they must have been a shinobi like him. A high-ranking one, too, for them to determine the length of time he was supposed to be away for.

He’d been receiving one message per day. At first, it irritated him to no end. But now, he didn’t hate it quite so much, even if he often didn’t bother to reply. The messages were always harmless. Sometimes they were funny. Sometimes they were giving him advice, a little reminder meant—he assumed—to help him through the day.

While the sender certainly had the best intentions when sending the note, the message still left him irked. He was alone for this mission, and the sleeplessness and general strains of traveling had started to take a toll on him.

Only a day’s journey left until he could return home and try to shake the sand out of every nook and cranny of his backpack. Only a day’s journey left until he could sleep in a bed. Only a day’s journey left until he could go to dinner with the others. Just. One. More. Day.

He could make it. He had to.

Kakashi had been injured again.

The news swept through the village like a wildfire, and you showed up with two Make Out novels and a bowl of raman, nearly being knocked over by Gai’s comically large bouquet in the process.

Kakashi accepted Gai’s flowers with moderate amounts of grumbling and a few lackluster attempts to get him to leave. Eventually, he did, and it was just the two of you.

You filled the vase at his bedside with water, delicately stuffing as many of the stems as you possibly could inside the glass.

Kakashi watched you move around him, cherishing the silence. At his bedside, you unclasped your bag, pulling out the blindingly colorful books and the container of Ichiraku raman. After making sure the utensils were settled and there was a napkin, you turned back to Kakashi, just missing the warm expression on his face.

“You should rest,” you encouraged gently, “and eat up.”

His eye squinted playfully. “You fuss too much.”

You smiled, smoothing a shuriken printed blanket over the starchy hospital ones. It was yours, but it still smelled faintly of dogs and Kakashi and spice. Hopefully it would stave off some of his nightmares, having something that smelled vaguely like home.

“I fuss just enough. Now, don’t stay up too late reading. Some rest will go a long way.”

“You fuss too—” He yelped as you pinched his toe through the blanket, slinging your bag back over your shoulder.

“You’re lucky you have me as a friend.”

Kakashi’s expression softened, mind racing toward how close he’d come to death yet again. “Yeah, I am.”

He relished in the way that simple statement delighted you, watching the way your expression lit up.

“Get some rest,” you encouraged again, turning to leave him in the bright, quiet room.

As per your request, he did.

Although he listened to your advice, it was only marginally. In true Kakashi fashion, he’d talked his way out of the hospital after a measly two days of treatment.

His body needed more time, but Kakashi was always one to push himself.

Since the Hokage stalled sending him on another mission, something he both hated and appreciated, he occupied the following days in his normal rhythm. He trained privately, visited the memorial stone, and wandered the village nose-deep in supposedly trashy romance.

You’d caught him wandering around a few times, and even saw him lightly competing in a challenge against Gai.

The sight made your blood boil even though you knew it was Kakashi being Kakashi.

He had no sense of self-preservation, which wasn’t particularly helpful when you—his soulmate—were watching from the sidelines.

Did he even care that he could leave you all alone? No, probably not, your mind taunted. Kakashi didn’t care about soulmates; you knew that.

If only you could convince your heart not to care.

That afternoon, you let the letters curl across your wrist as you watched him do another training exercise with Gai, looking faintly more fatigued than normal.

Give yourself time to recover.

If he found your message, he didn’t care to respond.

Kakashi would visit the memorial stone in the morning; you knew how his routine worked.

He felt it fitting to visit them as often as he could, an apology for living the life they all should have lived.

You couldn’t blame him. You visited the stone often, too.

But you couldn’t today, not while you were traveling to the Village Hidden in the Sand with a scroll. So, you asked for a favor, scribbling on your wrist: Pray for mine, too, please.

He was starting to grow accustomed to your messages. A small part of you wondered if he kept an eye out for them. But that was silly. You were thinking about Kakashi. He probably was just reading his book when the words appeared, his wrist already in his line of sight.

At least, that’s what you told yourself.

But it still didn’t dispel your excitement when the answer scribbled across your skin a few minutes later.

Sure.

He’d been taking on so many missions lately, wearing himself to the bone just to be a good shinobi. A part of you wondered if he was trying to avoid thinking about anything other than his shinobi world. That hunch didn’t stop you from worrying.

Soulmate or not, Kakashi’s actions would have worried you. He looked exhausted as he shuffled through his laundry. You’d brought him takeout from his favorite restaurant to hopefully get something other than rations in his stomach before he left on his next mission.

Who knew how long it would be before he drug himself in, requested another trip, and raced off to somewhere new. You would’ve thought he was avoiding you if it weren’t for the obvious delight in his eyes when you caught up with him outside Hokage Tower.

But there was a reason he was working himself to exhaustion. Possibly long-dead memories brought back to life that he couldn’t stand thinking about. You didn’t even want to know; you just wanted him to be okay.

A week later, you saw him walking through the village gates yet again. Back again. Planning to leave again. It was always the same, just relentlessly overkill at present. He was taking on too much, and one day he would slip up and regret it. You didn’t want that.

So you stayed behind the kiosk you’d been perusing, fingers untangling the wraps around your hand. It was a simple message, but you hoped it would help snap his mind out of whatever hole he’d buried it in.

Please don’t overwork yourself.

He didn’t respond. Not a word graced your hopeful skin.

But Kakashi caught you outside one of the stores in town and asked if you wanted to meet up for dinner that night. He would be around for a while, he said, but he was too tired to cook.

Despite trying to hold on to your resolve, a small part of you couldn’t help but hope he was staying because you asked him to. It was probably wishful thinking, but you were grateful for whatever force made him stay nonetheless.

I believe in you.

Kakashi scoffed at the message on his arm, printed in the spot where his glove met his sleeve.

He found it after a competition with Gai. Hardly anything worth fussing over, but his soulmate had still sent him encouraging words.

Had they been watching? Had they seen the fun (though he’d never admit it) that he and Gai had been having? Had they wanted to join in?

For a long time, he’d been able to avoid thinking about his soulmate altogether. Now, though, they’d found a way to weasel into his mind with the words swirling over his skin.

He wasn’t willing to consider whether or not he enjoyed it.

I worry when you’re reckless.

The message shouldn’t have stung Kakashi’s heart, but somehow it did. His soulmate was watching and worrying, hearing the stories about his travels. Whoever they were, they must have been a shinobi, too.

Were they okay with forsaking love in the name of war? Could they abandon emotions for the sake of duty? Maybe. His soulmate had never directly asked to be anything more than penpals, though even that notion was quite one-sided.

But the message on his wrist betrayed his soulmate’s strength. They worried about him. They listened for the stories and understood when something went wrong.

Kakashi couldn’t help but wonder if they were reckless, too.

If he never took the chance to know them, would he care if they threw their life away as often as he’d tried to? He wasn’t sure.

The next Make Out novel comes out today. I reserved you a copy at the Northern bookstore. It’s less crowded.

Kakashi didn’t understand why his soulmate was being so nice to him. Not after his harsh words at the beginning, not after his sparse replies and general lack of interest. But whoever they were, they were trying, and he had to admire that.

At first, he was surprised his soulmate was not only fine with him reading erotic novels in public but also encouraging it. But, then again, his soulmate was meant to be compatible with him, right?

There would be butting heads, of course. All soulmates lost the honeymoon stage eventually. But this seemed deeper, warmer. His favorite book in a quiet shop on his day off. It was kindness. And it felt both strange and wonderful.

He vaguely regretted not doing anything for his soulmate. Though, maybe they were okay with that. Maybe they enjoyed being alone, just like he did.

Maybe if he kept lying to himself, he’d continue to enjoy it.

But crouched in a tree a few hours later, he couldn’t shake the gratitude deep in his chest. The novel was amazing. And he wouldn’t have been able to get his hands on it if it weren’t for his soulmate’s generosity.

Two words.

Thank you.

Kakashi had arrived home from another long mission. Although unscathed, his clothes were a mess. Dirt and mud clung to his legs, dried blood was smattered across his upper body, and a few rogue twigs and leaves stuck to him in strange places. He needed a shower. Desperately.

But something within Kakashi was restless, and he chose to wander around the village absently.

Something must have happened for him to look so dazed and unattached, but you tried to avoid asking anything direct in public.

Instead, you hopped beside him, catching his arm with the tips of your fingertips. He hummed in response.

“You just got back, right, Kakashi?”

He hummed again. “Yep.”

“Have you bought groceries?”

“No... Why?”

“A bunch of us are going to dinner tonight. You should come. It’s been a while since we’ve all been together.”

He inspected you for a long moment, and you could tell what he was thinking. The laugh bubbled in your throat before you could help yourself. “It’s Iruka’s turn to take Gai home, don’t worry.”

He stared for a moment longer before nodding slowly. “Okay.” Another small, dazed nod. “I’ll come.”

You couldn’t hide your smile as you told him the establishment and the time. That alone made Kakashi’s mood improve, though he’d never admit that aloud.

An hour later, though, he was still wandering around the city absentmindedly. So you figured his soulmate could take matters into their own hands.

Blood in your hair? Isn’t that a bit macabre?

He replied an hour later.

No.

But the next time you saw him, he was dressed in a new uniform. Not a single pristinely white hair was out of place.

If it hadn’t been for Anko talking your ear off about her last mission, you almost could’ve imagined that you and Kakashi were on a date.

It was the closest you would get, a clean vest and all.

But when Asuma blew a puff of smoke and Kakashi glared disdainfully from across the table, any hopes of romance slipped through your fingers.

You were friends. Close friends.

And you refocused on Anko’s story in the hopes of forgetting the state of your friendship with Kakashi for the span of a few minutes.

Every little glance he sent your way certainly didn’t help.

Nor did the way he offered you the last bite of his cake as a thanks for paying for his meal yet again.

Damn, you were in deep.

Be safe on your mission.

His reply came a few minutes later.

Yep.

Although it wasn’t much, the gesture made you smile. It seemed almost like he was waiting for your message, like he’d been checking as he and his companions wandered down the road.

You told yourself it was wishful thinking, but the word scribbled on your wrist in his handwriting warmed your heart all the same.

You’d forgotten. The mission had been too complex, your mind too preoccupied. You’d forgotten to write to Kakashi.

A part of you distantly wondered if he cared, if he even thought about your messages.

He’d started to reply on occasion. It was never more than a quickly scrawled, single word response, but it was still better than the total isolation he’d given you before.

You couldn’t say it was great, or that the two of you talked as soulmates. But it was relatively amicable. And that was a much better foot to get off on than the first time he’d responded to the words you’d scribbled words across your arms.

Things were okay.

And although you had a few scrapes and scratches from your mission, that had gone okay, too.

When your team settled in a clearing for the night, tent built and fire glowing, you drifted off, too exhausted to think of sending a scrabbled love message to Kakashi.

But he hadn’t forgotten about you.

Although you assumed he wasn’t paying attention, Kakashi was one of the best ninja in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. He paid attention to everything, despite his usual nonchalance.

He noticed immediately that his soulmate hadn’t written to him.

After weeks of at least one little message per day.

And he wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he was terrified. Had something happened to you? Were you injured? Could it be worse?

The idea of soulmates may have left him feeling disgruntled, but your messages had burrowed a home in his heart.

He wasn’t ready to give you or your messages up yet.

So for the first time in a long time, he wrote a real message.

You’re late. Doing okay?

As you watched over the dying flames several hours later, an early morning guard for your teammates, you stared at his words, tracing a finger over the scraggly characters.

Late.

You knew he wasn’t talking about your mission because the four of you weren’t due back for another two days. He didn’t know your identity. That only left the messages…

Was he treating this as a check-in?

You rolled your eyes, chuckling. Leave it to Kakashi to care more than he let on.

Got lost on the path of life. You?

Kakashi stared at your message. He’d been perusing his favorite bookstore for spare copies of the Make Out series’ novels, sleeve suspiciously cuffed and waiting for a reply, when the words had swirled across his skin.

And he laughed. Warmly and purely. Because you’d stolen his line.

You knew him. And maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing if you would continue to make him laugh so openly.

Surprised with himself, he clicked his pen, words scribbling across his skin before he had the chance to doubt himself.

Glad you’re alive.

It wasn’t much, but it was a start. An admission that he wasn’t as dismayed by the soulmate thing as he let on. And you arrived home from your mission absolutely beaming.

You were able to catch Kakashi for lunch before heading off on your next mission with Kurenai. The food was filling, and the conversation was nice. Funnily enough, he was supposed to leave for a mission with Gai the next day. No rest for the shinobi apparently.

Kakashi waved at you as you walked away, and you smiled to yourself. Even if you didn’t have your soulmate by your side, at least you still had some connection to Kakashi. Being by his side was worth the dull ache it left in your heart.

But you would be without it for the next few days. Although you and Kurenai were leaving for no more than two days, Kakashi and Gai would probably be gone most of the week. Part of you hated when Kakashi was away, but part of you enjoyed getting to write to him more often. When he was away, you could be a little less secretive as you scribbled down messages throughout your day in the village.

But, for the time being, you’d focus on the mission at hand.

It was a standard case of bandits in the woods. At least, that was what the scroll had described the mission as. However, as you and Kurenai crept through the dense forest, something felt off.

No matter how far the two of you traveled, the quiet whisper of wind in the leaves greeted you. Despite your speed and silence, you couldn’t sense any animals or hear anything suspicious. Bandits would have left campsites or trash or, hell, even footsteps. But nothing greeted your senses, not even traces of animals. These weren’t ordinary bandits.

Your suspicions were confirmed when eight people jumped from the brush, attacking with a swiftness you hadn’t anticipated. Their presences had been completely concealed.

Kurenai lept to your left, and you lept to the right, sending three shuriken through the air to hit the nearest attacker. While your attack worked slightly, you immediately had to jump again, barely catching Kurenai rushing off through the trees.

This was the failsafe plan; if you got caught, you’d separate far enough that you couldn’t catch one another in the crossfire of your attacks.

But you were outmatched. Whoever these “bandits” were, they were extremely skilled in capturing and securing enemies. One moment, you were wielding a fire jutsu. The next moment, your vision had gone dark.

Capture wasn’t the only thing the bandits appeared to be skilled in. Upon waking, you’d been tied to a chair with restraints stronger than you could break. The room was dark, probably somewhere underground, and you realized you had no idea how long you’d been unconscious. Was Kurenai okay? Had she been captured, too? What did these people want with you?

None of that mattered, not when the first blow had landed across your exposed side. Whatever these people wanted, you wouldn’t give it. So, you took a deep breath, clenched your teeth, and shut out the world. Your village was valuable to you. The people there mattered to you. And you’d follow your training to the letter, or you’d die trying.

Whether it had been hours or days of torture, you weren’t sure. All you knew was that everything hurt, and your vision was starting to go blurry. Despite that, you hadn’t relented. No matter what they threw at your body, no matter what manipulation they tried to play with your mind, you wouldn’t budge.

At the end, at least you’d make the Village Hidden in the Leaves proud.

But there was something that was missing, something you wanted to do before you died, even if it was just selfish, even if it was just a foolish whispering of your heart. You wanted to be buried somewhere your friends could visit. You wanted everyone to know about your end, to know what had happened, to never worry that you were out there somewhere.

You wanted Kakashi to find peace in your death, not guilt.

So there was a secret you had to spill.

You slid the pen from your pocket, clicking it open as you stared at your arm. Slowly, you undid the bandages, greeted once again by blank skin. Swirling the pen across your forearm, you wrote the rough coordinates of your capture on your arm. It wasn’t exact, but hopefully it would be good enough. Then, you wrote the words “urgent note” on your fingertips and wrist, hoping that would encourage him to look. Below the coordinates, you wrote: Abducted by enemies. Not relenting to torture. Getting weak. Send help if possible. Or someone to collect my body. Look at leg later. —(Y/n).

Carefully, you rewrapped your arm, moving to roll your pant leg up. Your hands were shaking, and it was hard to hold the pen, but you had to write to him.

They said the end is coming, and I'm starting to believe them. It hurts a lot. So I'm writing to you. I know you didn't want to deal with the whole soulmate thing, but I couldn't stay away. You were just too wonderful to not stand beside. I'm sorry I didn't leave you be, didn't respect your wishes. But I wanted to be a part of your life. I'm being selfish by writing to you now, but you're the one person I've always been selfish with, so I'm not going to stop at the very end. Please don’t be upset with yourself if I don’t make it.

Your eyes were watering now, vision slightly blurry. Had they drugged you, too? Or was it just the injuries?

I just want you to remember that you’re loved. That I love you. That you deserve to be loved. Please don’t forget that when I’m gone.

Whatever else you wanted to write would not be written. Quietly, the pen clattered out of your hand, and your head slumped forward.

Time was up.

Your vision was blurry when your eyes finally blinked open. You were cold, but the ache in your muscles was a reassurance that you were very much alive. Alive and in a hospital, it seemed.

There was a crinkle beside your bed, and you looked up to see Kakashi thumbing through his book.

What had… You blinked, trying to recall exactly what had happened.

There was a mission… you’d been on a mission with Kurenai… right. Then… and then... you were abducted. Yes, you could remember that now. And Kakashi… you remember thinking about Kakashi. Gosh, everything was so damn hazy. You shifted, wincing as you tried to sit up.

“Hey!” His voice was cheerful, and you blinked up at him in surprise at the warmness in his tone. “Good to see you waking up!”

How had he known you were at the hospital? Had Kurenai… Wait, no. No. Hazily, you could recall writing coordinates on your wrist. They weren’t precise, so someone must have looked for you. You couldn’t remember being found. Everything after the last interrogation was too hazy… too confusing. But Kakashi had known… maybe Kakashi had looked for you.

“You made it in time?”

He hummed, closing his book with a thump. “Pakkun found you. Once I knew what to look for, I could rely on his nose.”

You nodded groggily, reaching up to rub your eyes. The ink was still on your wrist, visible due to your unwrapped arms. You’d forgotten about—

“Kakashi, I’m so sorry about the message.” You turned to look at him, eyes wide and embarrassed. “If I knew everything would’ve been fine, then I wouldn’t have—”

His hand rose, and you stopped, heart hammering in your throat. This was it. This would be the rejection.

“I’m glad I had the opportunity to save you.”

Of course. Because he wouldn’t leave a comrade behind; that wasn’t like him.

But that wasn’t the message you were referring to.

If he wasn’t going to bring up the love message, then you wouldn’t, either. “I’m grateful,” you murmured, looking down to finally see the treatment your body had undergone. There were marks everywhere, which meant Kakashi was marked everywhere, too. Marks on the soulmate that didn’t want you…

“I appreciate you waiting,” you forced yourself to say. Maybe he’d get the message and leave you alone.

Instead, he met your awkward sidestep with bluntness. “I figured we should talk.”

Your head felt like it was spinning, and you had the slightest sensation that you were going to be in the hospital for quite a while. It would be embarrassing to be rejected here; it would be embarrassing to cry in front of the nurses.

“Not now,” you croaked, hand scrabbling to grab the invisible cup of water at the bedside. Water, sake, medicine, heck, even the flower water beside you. Anything to push the lump out of your throat. Anything to avoid thinking about Kakashi’s rejection.

You were eyeing up the vase next to you as Kakashi stood, long legs moving to fill a glass by the sink. He handed it to you, assuring your fingers were pressed around the cup before he moved away.

You sent him a grateful half-smile before you swallowed the water like a shot, desperate to drown yourself in something other than your own awkwardness.

“Feel better?”

No, you really didn’t. Your head was still spinning, stomach still queasy. Whether it was from your injuries or Kakashi’s pointed stare, you weren’t sure. “I don’t want to talk about it today. Everything—” you coughed, trying to release the tightness in your throat. “Everything hurts.”

He nodded, humming low in his throat. “I’ll go get a nurse, then.”

You nodded shakily, debating whether or not you could escape from the hospital before he came back. The ache in your side told you moving probably wasn’t the best idea.

“But before I do, I have one question.”

Your head snapped to where he stood by the door, wincing as you did so. “Yes?”

“How did you find out it was me?”

You stared at him for a minute, searching his impassive face. He was one of the best shinobi this village had ever seen, and he was still impossibly clueless sometimes. Slowly, you rolled up your sleeve, revealing a roll of gauze. It was blue, unlike the starchy white medical gauze on your sides. You could fiddle with it; the fabric belonged to you. With nimble fingers, you untied it, letting it pool below your elbow on the bed.

Kakashi stared openly at the ANBU tattoo, and you watched the pieces click into place. He hadn’t even considered what a tattoo would be like for his soulmate.

“I see,” he whispered, fingers unconsciously twitching toward his covered arm. After a moment, he shook himself from his thoughts, gaze again becoming impassive. “I’ll go get the nurses.”

“Kakashi?” you called, shocked as the words left your lips. You hadn’t meant to call out for him, not yet, anyway. But he was standing there staring like you’d held up a practice dummy, focus radiating from him in waves. You had to say something. “Thank you. For saving me… and waiting. And thank Pakkun, too?”

Kakashi’s expression softened. “I will. Now, get some rest. You look exhausted.”

Though, rest was the last thing you would come close to receiving as the doctors gave you a full evaluation. Poking, prodding, and asking questions took up most of the afternoon. Although you tried your best to focus and take in all the information you were given about your physical state, your mind continually strayed to Kakashi. Did he hate you now? Did he want you out of his life? Was he waiting for you or just waiting to ask about the whole soulmates thing? You wished you could quiet the questions swirling through your mind.

That evening, you found a message scribbled across the back of your hand. Although his handwriting was still messy, it was obvious he took his time. He wanted it to be legible.

Get well soon, (Y/n).

It was the first time your soulmate had written your name on his skin. He knew you now. There was no going back to the secretive messages and hidden assurances. Everything was out in the open; Kakashi knew exactly who you were. He knew everything.

That night, you wept.

You wept for the injuries that would bar you from upcoming missions. You wept for the bitter sense of death that had grazed your fingertips. You wept for the compassionate message on your hand. You wept for the fear of being alone again.

You wept for Kakashi and all that he meant to you.

Between the crying and the medical evaluations the day prior, you slept well past the time you’d typically rise. Consequently, it was well past the opening of visiting hours, too.

Kakashi arrived before you woke up and tucked himself into a corner with a book. However, he read very little. Instead, he watched the gradual rise and fall of your chest, comforted by the knowledge that you were still breathing.

When “urgent note” had appeared on his fingers, his heart had nearly stopped in his chest. When he read the message printed on his wrist, the sinking sensation had only grown. Fear consumed him more than it had ever consumed him before.

His head had spun with the realization that you were in danger, that you were his soulmate. Summoning his ninkin had happened in a blur. If he was being honest with himself, everything was a blur up until the moment he found you. That moment would live on in crystal clarity in his memory forever.

There are some moments in life too horrific to forget. Finding you unconscious on the floor of a dingy bunker, pen by your side, chest barely moving, would be one of those moments for Kakashi.

The only thing more reassuring than watching you breathe was watching your eyes blink open slowly and focus in on him. He could tell you were nervous about talking to him, and he knew why. The message still hastily scribbled on both of your thighs was more than an acknowledgement of the soulmate bond. It was an admission that you loved him, an admission that you believed in him, that you wanted to stay by his side.

It was also an admission that you believed he didn’t want to stay by your side.

He really needed to talk to you.

“Good morning,” he hummed, tucking his book back in his vest. Smiling, he moved to sit on the chair beside you, feeling it was appropriate now that you were awake. This close, he could smell the antiseptic on your skin, the overbearing flowery scent of the hospital lotion, and the faintest whiff of your shampoo still clinging to your hair despite the days it had been since your last shower.

“G’morning,” you mumbled, stretching lazily. Kakashi watched your movements, chuckling at the way you arched like a happy rabbit after a nap. It was cute and endearing, a movement Kakashi had gotten used to witnessing over the years.

Shifting the other direction, you winced, body instinctively jerking back into a ball. “Ow,” you grumbled, hand moving to put a little pressure on your side. With some effort, you managed to shift into a sitting position, still moving gingerly to somewhat satiate your aching limbs. “I thought I’d feel better today, but I guess not.”

Kakashi snorted dryly. ��That’s a bit ambitious, don’t you think?”

You stopped rubbing your shoulder to stare at him. “What do you mean?”

What did he mean? Hadn’t the doctors told you? Surely they would have mentioned… Were you playing dumb or did you really not know? Kakashi stared at you for a moment, scrutinizing your confused expression, before his eyes dropped. He let out a breath, then another, trying to hide the pain blossoming in his chest.

He’d almost lost you.

“You were dying,” he said lowly, gaze fixated on his gloves. “By the time we got you back, we really thought you weren’t…” he shook his head, expression dark. “The medics thought you were already gone.”

It took a moment for you to respond. The doctors said your recovery was astronomical, that you’d been close to death, but the way Kakashi described it, so somber and broken, made the reality of the situation hit home.

You’d almost died. You’d almost lost everything you held dear.

You’d almost lost him.

Glancing back to Kakashi, you found him still lost deep within his thoughts. His expression was dark, fist clenched over his thigh, over what was intended to be your last message to him.

Carefully, you reached out and bushed a hand over his clenched fist. The action drew his attention back to you. “It wasn’t your fault,” you gently offered, stroking the back of his hand once more before pulling away. “I’m sorry you had to see me like that, but it’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.”

He huffed, scooting backward in his chair. “I should have got to you sooner! Protected you! If I’d asked, you could have sent me updates. I could have prevented you from getting hurt—”

“Will you stop with the narcissism!” you chided, wincing as you swung your feet over the edge of the bed.

He met your gaze, lone eye blinking once in surprise.

“I took the mission. I accepted the consequences of it. I knew what an infiltration would be like. I knew the chances of getting ambushed. You didn’t endanger me, Kakashi. You weren’t even supposed to be on that mission.” Your voice faded, soft and overwhelmed. “But you saved me anyway.” You ran your thumb under your eyes, catching the tears before they had a chance to fall. “So claim that. Stop… I need you to stop only claiming your failures.”

He clenched his fist, unclenched it, and nodded once. For the first time in a long time, you couldn’t read Kakashi’s body language at all. What was he feeling?

Part of you wanted to reach out and comfort him, but you didn’t. He’d made space between you for a reason. And as upsetting as it was, you were willing to honor that.

After a few minutes of silence, you plucked one of the flowers from the vase beside your bed. “Did Kurenai bring me the flowers?” You smiled, brushing a finger against the petals. “She accidentally picked my favorites.”

When you looked back up, Kakashi was staring at you again, cheek barely pinking over the edge of his mask.

He could read erotic novels in public, but you made him blush.

“Actually, I brought them.”

Freezing, you stared at him in surprise. “You did? How did you—?”

He flushed again, eyes fixing on the flowers rather than your face. “You buy pots of those every spring, but they always die because you’re out on missions. And you take daisies to the memorial stone a few times a month. You leave iris for your parents, and you bring peonies and cookies for the ANBU guards when you have meetings with the Hokage. And on the second Sunday of every month you’re both in town, you hide 100 tulips around the village for Gai to find.” When his eyes snapped back to yours, your shocked expression made him grow self conscious, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. “I’ve, uh, been paying attention.”

“Why?”

He gestured to the room, pretending to misinterpret your question. “It’s so dull in here. I thought a little decorating wouldn’t hurt.”

You snorted at that, impossibly undignified but oh so delightful.

Of course Kakashi would stall now that he was here.

But… no. He was usually blunt when it came to bad news. So why was he stumbling through the conversation like he’d never spoken to you a day in his life?

Your face shot back to him at the realization, and he arched a brow under your scrutiny. Could he like you? Could you have a chance?

“Everything okay?” he asked gently, tone much more serious than before.

You’d worried him.

Before you could respond, Gai burst into the room with the second largest bouquet you’d ever seen in your life.

“(Y/n)! I heard Kakashi was with you, so I figured I’d bring you some flowers on my way to challenge Kakashi to a shuriken throwing challenge!” He set the flowers—which balanced precariously due to their immense size—on your bedside table, giving you a dazzling smile and a thumbs up.

Kakashi sighed, “Well, Gai, I was just here talking to her—”

What if you had been interpreting Kakashi’s expressions all wrong? What if he didn’t like you? What if this was all his way of trying to stay friends? Although you hoped for something else, the fear of rejection clawed at your throat like a Shadow Strangle Jutsu. This was your chance. The chance to get out of Kakashi’s rejection. Gai was the perfect opportunity.

“You should go!” You chirped, smiling at them both.

“I… what?”

“That’s the spirit, (Y/n)! It would be a shame for Kakashi to waste his precious youth not enhancing his physical prowess!” Gai dropped to his hands, beginning to do push-ups on the floor of your room.

Ignoring the incredulous look Kakashi sent your way, you wriggled your fingers at his bag. “What volume are you on? I need something to entertain me while you lavish in your youth.”

Kakashi scoffed at your statement before fishing the Make Out Violence novel from his pouch. He dangled it in front of your face. “Is this what you’re after?”

You grinned, snatching the book from his hands. “This just so happens to be the volume I’ve been waiting for.”

Kakashi blinked in surprise, feeling his face grow warm again. “You read Make Out Paradise?”

You smiled sheepishly under his gaze, fingers tracing over the edge of the cover. “Really, it’s all your fault. It was so boring waiting in line to reserve that new edition for you. I needed something to do.”

Because that gift from his soulmate, that gift had been from you.

“And now you’re moving on to book two?”

Embarrassed but pleased, you grinned up at him. “I may have figured out why you’re so hooked on them.”

Kakashi laughed. Just a short huff, but still. Could you get any more perfect?

He was about to respond again when Gai grabbed his shoulder, already taking his ear off as he dragged Kakashi out the door.

You settled in with your—Kakashi’s— book, pleased for the reprieve but missing him all the same.

Delving into Make Out Violence was both a blessing and a curse. You lost track of time as you devoured the pages, and the story was so riveting that you barely thought about Kakashi. Though, every time you took a break, love—that sickening concept you didn’t even want to consider in reality—was at the forefront of your mind. So you dove into the novel again with renewed fervor, completely unaware that Kakashi had hopped through the open window. That is, until a warm voice interrupted your reading.

“Having fun?”

In surprise, you snapped the book shut, embarrassment washing over your expression. “A bit. How was the competition with Gai?”

Kakashi shrugged, dragging the chair he’d occupied that morning so he could sit directly beside your bed. “It was fine. Nothing out of the ordinary for Gai.”

“Thanks for the book,” you murmured, passing it back to him. “Maybe I can borrow another one of your copies again sometime.”

He took the novel, setting it down on the bed beside you, only to take your hand in his.

His hands were warm even through the gloves, and his fingertips traced over your skin delicately, as though afraid his touch would somehow hinder your healing.

“(Y/n), we need to talk.”

Despite only holding your hand, he could sense the way your entire body went rigid. “Kakashi, please—”

“(Y/n). I almost lost my soulmate this week.”

You bit your lip, trying to ignore the faint stinging in your eyes. He was right, you were being selfish. It wasn’t like you were the only one who had a terrible, terrifying week.

You just didn’t want to lose whatever you had with him.

Squeezing your eyes shut, you didn’t bother to mask the strain in your voice. He already knew how you felt about him. “We can be friends. Anything you want. I just… I don’t want to lose this. You. I don’t want to lose you. Even though I was being so selfish—”

“I read your message,” he said softly, gaze fixated on the bend of your wrist as your hand flexed in his own. “I’ve read it so many times,” he laughed, strained from holding onto unshed tears. “I’d get it branded on my body if I could. Parts of it, anyway.”

He shook his head, looking back to your face. He didn’t miss the shocked expression, nor did he miss the tears still frozen within your eyes. He shook his head again. “I can’t believe how lucky I’ve been, that it was you and you were here all along. And then you almost died and I…” He paused, gaze still tracing along the bend of your wrist.

“You..?” With bated breath, you watched his eyes, the pull of his lips through the mask, anything to give away what he was thinking.

“I can’t stand the thought of losing you. Not after how much you’ve grown to mean to me.”

Your heart thundered in your chest. Was he accepting you or rejecting you? Your breath shuddered over your lips, hand trying not to clench his too tightly. “What does that mean? For us?”

Kakashi leaned forward, pressing a masked kiss to your temple. “It means I want to take you for dinner when you get out of here. And—” he stood, letting go of your hand to walk toward the door. The sun was setting. Visiting hours were coming to a close. “Keep the book. I’d hate for you to be bored while I’m gone.”

With that, he vanished from your room, leaving you to wonder exactly what he wanted from you.

Tossing and turning that night, you couldn’t sleep, not with Kakashi’s words ricocheting through your mind. He cared about you, but he was putting distance between you. He was being aloof, just like the cautious jonin he was, but he was exposing vulnerable aspects of his soul to you.

Everything was so damn complicated, and you knew you wouldn’t be able to sleep until you’d gotten an answer to the questions burning a hole in your tongue.

It took a few minutes to sit up, but clicking the pen against your wrist had become second nature to you after so many years. You just wanted to know what he was thinking.

Do you love me?

He scribbled a reply a few minutes later, and you wondered if maybe he was just as terrified as you were, if maybe he couldn’t sleep because he was thinking of you, too.

Not like you want me to, but I could. Someday soon.

The thought sent hope skittering through your chest, but you tamped it down. He hadn’t wanted you. He still probably didn’t want you. You were a liability. You were a danger to his way of life. You were—

Ink stained your hand, trickling down your arm, as you realized the pen had snapped under the strength of your palm.

Without a way to stand on your own, you stared at the drying ink, trying to think of anything other than the fear in your chest, the longing in your heart, the nervousness bubbling under the surface.

Kakashi was stuck to the wall beside your window a few minutes later, staring worriedly through the glass.

An ink stain. Of course, he’d worried something was wrong.

He’d been awake waiting for your reply.

He’d been awake because of you. For you. The thought made you dizzy.

Silently, he slipped through the window, crouching worriedly beside your bed. Whatever pretense of nonchalance he kept up during the day, he dropped it now, just for you. “Are you alright?”

You nodded once, stiffly, mind still racing with the situation. Your friendly banter from the morning disappeared, words dried up as your emotions increased tenfold.

A million thoughts rattled through your mind, but you finally settled on one. “You told Gai you couldn’t love me.”

He cocked his head, confusion furrowing his lone brow.

“You were… it was a training day. You were talking about soulmates. And you told Gai that you couldn’t love a soulmate, so it didn’t matter if you didn’t find them…”

Your eyes were watering, and you looked away until you felt the warmth of Kakashi’s fingers circling your own. His hand clung to yours with renewed fervor, though the interaction still held the same touch of softness that it always held when you were injured. Comfort. It has always been an attempt to comfort you, a silent word of compassion. But now that he knew you were his soulmate, would his gestures hold the same meaning?

His voice, coupled with a gentle tug on your hand, had you vanishing into his gaze yet again.

“Soulmates are supposed to be your other half, right?” he asked softly. “If you’re mine, then maybe the whole soulmate thing can work out.”

Even in the moonlight, you could see the blush peeking over the edge of his mask.

You’d stood beside him through thick and thin. You fussed. You took care of him. You let him take care of you. You bought books for him, and he watched your favorite movies with you. He took you out to your favorite restaurants, and you always paid for him. You trained with the strength of a hurricane, and you always kept him mentally and physically on his toes. But no matter what, you’d both been able to rely on one another. It wasn’t romantic love, not yet, but it was the closest thing Kakashi had ever experienced to romantic love. He was close to being in love with you, and the revelation of the soulmate bond had changed those feelings very little.

He’d always been on the precipice of falling in love with you. Now that he knew you and he were destined for one another, the proposition of falling didn’t seem all that terrible anymore.

“If it’s me, you think it’ll work?”

This time, he flushed fully, pinking to the edge of his hairline. “Yeah. You’re… you’re perfect for me.”

Then, it was your turn to grow bashful under his praise. Perfect. He thought this could work because you were perfect. Not perfect in general. Not perfect to him. But perfect for him, with all of your many imperfections.

He wasn’t in love with you. He wouldn’t say it yet. But he was falling, and that was impossible to ignore.

His words left you lost in another world. All this time, he was rejecting his soulmate for fear they wouldn’t truly be his other half. But you were his other half, and he could see that now. He could love you. He could see a future with you. He could—

Kakashi’s warm voice brought you back to the present, hand still gently squeezing your fingertips. “Did you hurt your hand?”

He cares.

“No,” you whispered, shaking your head. “No, just a little ink.”

Kakashi stood, striding toward the other side of the room. He washed his hands under the sink before returning a moment later, damp rag in hand. This time, he sat on the edge of your bed, hand enveloping your own.

With slow, delicate movements, he swirled the rag across your skin, stealing the ink from your skin almost as effortlessly as he’d stolen your heart. If only you knew how easily you’d done the same.

“I was so scared you’d hate me when you found out,” you whispered. His hand tensed under your own, but he didn’t stop his ministrations. You continued, “Since I kept talking to you, both as your soulmate and myself, I was so worried you would feel betrayed.”

“I did,” he murmured quietly. “At first.” He flipped your hand, wiping away the stray trails of ink that had escaped from your palm. “When I got the message, I couldn’t believe that you’d… after all this time, it was you. And when we found you almost dead, I thought the world was punishing me again, just like everyone else…” Looking away, he began wiping the remaining ink spots off his hand, leaving your fingers to fiddle with the fabric on his knee. “But on the way back, all I could think about was the things I’d said to you. How could you trust me after I so blatantly pushed you away? How could you look me in the eye and put your faith in me when I hurt you so deeply? The fact that you’d tried to stay by my side after everything, the fact that you put your faith in me to keep you safe, after all the things I’d said to you… you never betrayed me. You’ve been by my side all this time, and I want to be by yours. Completely.”

You squeezed his knee, searching his face for any sign of illusion. “Is this real?” you whispered. “I want this to be real.”

Kakashi smiled, eyes crinkling as he took your hand. You looked dazed and happy as you stared at him; he’d never encountered anyone else so stunning.

Before he could stop himself, he leaned forward, brushing a masked kiss over your forehead, then your eyebrow, and finally your cheek. The pressure sent sparks across your skin, and you squeezed his hand a little bit tighter.

He hovered over your lips, breath ghosting across your skin through the durable material of his mask. You leaned forward, nudging his nose with your own. It was a silent message that you wanted his affection as much as he craved yours.

His breath puffed against your lips once again, and his voice, barely audible, filled the minuscule space between you. “Would you mind closing your eyes?”

Instantly, you complied, proving to him yet again how lucky he was to have met you. You put your faith in him time and time again, and he promised himself in that moment under the moonlight that he would do everything he could to be as compassionate a partner as you had been for him.

One of Kakashi’s hands released from yours, and you faintly heard the brush of fabric against skin. Your stomach fluttered as you felt his breath on your face again, warmer and closer than before.

And then his lips caught against yours, a gentle press against your tingling skin. His hand cupped your cheek, and you melted against him. The scratchy blankets and the faint hoot of owls faded into the background. Everything seemed to disappear except for you and Kakashi and the oh so delicate kiss between you. From the brush of his lips, so soft and tentative against your own, you sighed, leaning into him even more than before.

He groaned when the two of you pulled away. “I can’t believe I waited so long for that. Make Out Paradise really doesn’t do it justice.”

Make Out Paradise also hadn’t prepared him for the way his heart would race at the sound of your laughter.

“Are you sure?” you asked, reaching toward your bedside table. “Surely there’s a good passage in here somewhere.”

If it meant more time by your side, Kakashi was willing to spend an eternity searching the pages with you, stealing kisses for every paragraph you skimmed through.

In the morning, the nurses were alarmed and horrified to find Kakashi Hatake laying in your bed, one arm wrapped gently around your side, masked nose nuzzled into your neck. On the other side of you, his fingers brushed the cover of a well-worn Make Out Violence novel.

It was indecent, a break of protocol, and, most of all, a shameful mockery of their hospital security. But when you woke to find Kakashi’s nose tucking a little closer into your neck, a mumbled “good morning” slipping into your skin, neither of you could think of a more fitting way to wake up. For the two of you—soulmates, real soulmates—the scenario was somehow perfect.

He wasn’t one to care about looking indecent. You could certainly get behind that.

You welcomed sappy, romantic gestures. Kakashi was willing to privately oblige.

Yeah, you both thought, the soulmate thing could definitely work out.

Masterlist

A/N: Don't mind me casually fandom hopping again. This fic has taken ages to finish, but I'm so excited with the result! I have several more Kakashi fics currently underway, so I hope to get a few of them finished sometime soon! Have a nice day! :)

#kakashi hatake #kakashi x y/n #kakashi x you #kakashi x reader #kakashi hatake x reader #hatake kakashi #hatake kakashi x reader #hatake kakashi x you #hatake kakashi imagine #kakashi hatake fanfiction #anbu kakashi #silent writes

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aminiatureworld · 3 years

Text

Wings

Characters: Xiao, gn!reader

Word Count: 3,523

Warnings: Slight depictions of violence

Premise: In which the reader has wings

Author’s Note: It’s been a while! Hopefully I’m not too rusty, although I can’t account for how late(/early) this is being posted. I’m going to bed.

Xiao

Even from the beginning Xiao had been enthralled with your wings.

They were larger than that of any bird or creature that Xiao had ever seen before, stretching far beyond your arms when they were unfolded, before bending to cover you in a cloak of downy feathers the color of warm soil, shot through with the occasional birch colored feather.

He’d decided to appear in front of you almost the moment he saw you in the distance, at first wondering if you might be an adepti or a god from one of the other lands in Teyvat. Although the look of surprise that crossed your face when he shed his invisibility before you quickly robbed him of that conviction. It was too late to go back at that point though, so Xiao begrudgingly let out his question.

“Who are you?”

Your smile was an odd one; it seemed to convey to Xiao that you didn’t have the answer to his question at all. Nevertheless you answered. You were a half-adepti, and as of such you had been born with wings. When pressed upon your adeptus side you merely shook your head. Both of your parents hadn’t stuck around that much, and you knew little of your heritage, or of the beings who walked the land who weren’t Morax.

Xiao had stared at you then, disbelief mixing with a vague sense of pity. What must it be like to be unable to recognize an adeptus despite being one yourself. It seemed ludicrous, but Xiao couldn’t find it in himself to disdain your state. Pausing then he decided upon what immediately after seemed a very foolish decision.

“Call for me if you are in need. I’m called Xiao.”

He didn’t bother waiting for your response before disappearing, unwilling to let his emotions be known.

The next time he saw you was in the sky. The yaksha certainly hadn’t expected such a thing, and while the initial shock was certainly something, it was almost immediately replaced with a strange appreciation. Though Xiao had seen that the vision you wielded was a Geo one, he almost immediately began to associate you with his own element, with the winds that carried you where you wished to go. Any clumsiness or human fault in your step was almost immediately shed, for how could one be anything but graceful in the air, no matter how they dipped or shook or stopped suddenly. If Xiao was honest with himself, he was utterly enthralled.

Eventually you seemed to grow tired and soon you grew closer. Shifting slightly Xiao backed up as you landed on a branch next to the roof, face flushed with exercise and happiness. Spotting Xiao you smiled brightly.

“It’s a beautiful place to fly here.”

Seemingly unfazed by the lack of conversation on Xiao’s part you sighed, leaning against the branch and staring into the sky. Murmuring something to yourself you seemed so utterly content. A begrudging curiosity swept over Xiao as he found himself responding to your words.

“Really?”

“Oh yes!” You immediately replied, face brightening. “It’s much nicer here than where I came from.”

“Where?” Xiao found himself once more asking.

“Oh this small village on the outskirts of Liyue, near the Chasm a bit. It’s a poor mining town, always covered in soot and coal dust. It’s very difficult to keep things clean there let me tell you; and the people don’t really like things that stand out. I haven’t flown in a while actually, since everyone was so hostile when I did. Now that I’m here I think, I hope, that I can do what they want.”

“You can.”

“I’m so glad to hear,” you smiled once more. “I wasn’t really sure what it would be like here. I’ve mostly stayed in the village, but people seemed more hostile than usual so I figured it’d be better to leave now before I ended up on the wrong side of a pitchfork or a shovel.”

“Humans are so foolish.”

“Maybe you’re right. Still, I’m here now and who knows! Maybe things will turn out well.”

With that you clambered off the roof and walked into the Inn proper, leaving Xiao a swirl of questions and surprisingly burning emotions.

After this you seemed to have gotten it into your head that Xiao was now primed to be your general confidante. Though this initially ruffled the adeptus, he didn’t truly feel like dissuading you, and by the time he’d gotten over the initial shock of your conversation he decided that your voice was surprisingly nice to listen to, and thus settled quietly enough into his new and strange roll of sympathetic ear.

“I registered for the Guild today,” you were saying today, voice bright with excitement. “It’s funny the lady at the stand, Ms. Katheryne? She didn’t even bat an eye at me! I was sure that I was going to get some questions, but besides the stares nothing happened. I’m supposed to start tomorrow. I have to make sure some supplies get to the quarry. Hopefully I won’t run into anyone there.”

“They will leave you alone. The Guild I’ve heard is a powerful force in Liyue.”

“I hope so! I don’t want my first commission to go wrong. I never thought about what I’d do in my life, beyond the usual village work. It’s exciting to have something new out in front of me.”

Xiao thought that was unbearably peppy of you, but he said nothing. Surprisingly he found himself also wishing that you’d do well.

Xiao wasn’t exactly sure what he was doing, following your commission on wind currents. It was none of his business how things went today, after all what did he care about the affairs of humans, even those who were half adeptus? Still he found himself following you, cursing himself all the while for doing something so stupid.

The usual unshakeable happiness that you seemed to exude seemed to disappear almost the moment you left the Inn, instead replaced with a face grim and jumpy with anticipation. A few times you even turned back, studying the Inn or the sky around it. Sometimes your gaze even seemed to pierce through Xiao, something the adeptus found slightly unnerving. Nevertheless he followed as you continued on your journey, all the while wondering what could cause such a massive shift in your demeanor.

If Xiao had any questions about the extent of the reality of your words they were quickly answered. The atmosphere of the quarry was absolutely suffocating, and you could’ve cut the tension with a blade as you slowly approached the drop off.

The foreman said nothing to you, merely glaring as he approached the balloon that you were accompanying. Scouring the barrels and boxes his scowl deepened and deepened. Turning around abruptly he disappeared into his hut for a moment before coming back out. Gesturing towards to open quarry he glared at you.

“There.”

“Thank you,” you replied, voice suddenly small. “Uhm, where exactly should I put this?”

“You lived with us for how many years and couldn’t be bother to retain a shred of information?” The foreman swore under his breath. “Damned half-creatures like you. Put it in Section 4. Tell the Guild master that I never want to see your face here again.”

You said nothing to that in response, merely continuing on your way. Though Xiao couldn’t help but notice how white the knuckles were on the rope you were using to lead the balloon with.

The hostility didn’t ease up when you walked in. Instead things seemed to grow worse, as men and women stared at you with open disdain. The occasional insult could be heard, but for the most part it was deadly quiet, and your steps seemed shorter and shorter as you approached your given destination. At first Xiao was trying to convince himself that such a spectacle didn’t affect him. After all, what did he care for the strange whims and fears of humans. None of this had anything to do with his contract, and he was under no obligation to help you in such an instance. These thoughts were chipping away however, and before Xiao was entirely aware of what he was doing he found himself lowering himself on the ground.

A chorus of gasps rose up as he emerged from the invisible winds that cloaked him. Standing in front of you Xiao nevertheless didn’t catch your eye, instead focusing his glare on the people around him. At first you stopped, taken aback as well it seemed by his sudden appearance. Almost immediately however your posture seemed to relax slightly, and your pace seemed to go back to normal as you walked towards him, continuing on as he followed you to your destination.

Everything else was done in deadly silence, as you got the paperwork you needed and headed out of the quarry. Xiao said nothing the whole time, merely following a few steps behind you. He half expected you to start chattering again the moment the foreman’s hut exited the field of view, but instead you remained quiet. Still you seemed much less grave than in the morning and though Xiao couldn’t explain why this somehow reassured him. Walking next to you now he found his hand drifting towards you, as if the two were being drawn together by magnets. When your hands finally connected Xiao couldn’t help but think how warm yours were.

After that a ritual of commission sharing seemed to inexplicably pop up, though how exactly Xiao wasn’t really sure of. At first it had been to make sure there was no repeat performance of the first day, but then it quickly developed into something else, although what that something was Xiao didn’t really know. All he knew was that every morning when you went to leave he’d find himself next to you, frowning grumpily, muttering about how this wasn’t his duty. You were usually groggy in the mornings, but always managed to give his hand a squeeze before embarking.

If Xiao had subconsciously assumed that the mining incident was a standalone thing he was quickly robbed of that conviction. At first it seemed as if everyone was out for you, though in general the reason seemed to be less your status as half illuminated beast and more due to the figure you cut soaring against the sky, wings obviously too big to be a glider. Everyone seemed to be after you. Treasure Hoarders and Fatui Agents would try to shoot at you, though often you were much too high for their weapons; bandits would ambush you, aiming for your feathers as they attacked; even geovishaps and other such creatures seemed weirdly obsessed with going after you.

Though Xiao had told you more than once that it would be faster if you let him dispatch the monsters and knock out the hunters you always forbid him from doing so. It was your work after all, and if you couldn’t do it yourself then you might as well resign. Xiao usually responded to this with grumblings, but he had to admit that a part of him admired your tenacity.

Still it was difficult to sit back and do nothing. It wasn’t your presence that irritated Xiao, it was more everything else. Besides, he felt as if he was neglecting his duties sometimes. Thus when you told him one day that your commission tomorrow was going to see if a citizen had found a ruin network Xiao excused himself. You didn’t seem to mind too much, though you joked that you would miss your adventuring companion. Still the idea of suddenly not going with you seemed strange after weeks of this new routine.

“If you find yourself in trouble, do not forget to call my name. No matter where you are I will hear it.”

“I’ll make sure to do that,” you replied, smiling softly. “But it’ll be fine. I probably won’t even need to fight anything, besides maybe some slimes. I might even get back before you.”

“Don’t do anything stupid.”

“I won’t. I’ll come back as soon as possible, and then maybe we can fly a little together?” For some reason you seemed to like the idea of flying alongside Xiao, who found himself more and more often indulging you, though he wouldn’t really call his use of currents flying.

“Maybe.”

“Good! Then I’ll try to wrap things up quickly. Can’t miss something like that, can I?”

Xiao didn’t say anything in response. Later that evening, after you went to bed, he stared up at the night sky, trying to grasp onto his thoughts. He seemed to be awfully worried about you, or rather you seemed to be invading most of his thoughts. Why Xiao couldn’t tell. At first it had simply been that your strange situation somewhat interested him. He couldn’t imagine the idea of a half-adeptus who had lived as you had. Then it had been the mining, then the commissions, then the gliding. Now he couldn’t even think of the next day without a strange sense of worry.

What did all this mean? Xiao never thought he would find himself infatuated with anyone. His only loyalty was to Morax, his only connections had been with the yakshas who were now lost to him. His only remaining duty was to guard Liyue, to clear the land of the curses that remained. Nevertheless he found himself thinking about you, worrying about you even. What did this mean?

Staring out into the sky Xiao asked himself what he wanted. An image of you seemed to materialize in his brain. You were flying high in the sky, arms stretched out wide, smile as wide and clear as the sky above you. He wanted you to feel that way, and, more than that, in that moment Xiao wanted nothing so more as to share that feeling with you, to be some piece in that vision of happiness. Shaking his head the yaksha let out a snort. What a stupid idea.

The next day started in a way much more similar to the days that had passed before you arrival. Xiao left early, finding it easier to deal with the lingering evils of the world when there were less people going about to get in the way. He thought of waiting for you to wake up, but for some reason the action seemed foolish. Or maybe it seemed somehow unlucky. After all, Xiao was embarking on a day that would surely have to end with some sort of cleansing ritual.

The monsters weren’t excessive, and the going was fast enough, though the sun had risen high in the sky by the time Xiao stopped to rest. Traveling towards Jueyun Karst Xiao thought of the pool of water up near Cloud Retainer’s domain. It would be good to rest for a moment, up near sure pure energy. Summoning some winds Xiao found himself in a weirdly clear frame of mind, detached once more from the world around him.

Then he heard your voice.

Almost immediately Xiao found himself above you, instinct reacting before his mind had time to catch up. You had never called for him before, and the unexpectedness caused a flood of hot panic to rush through him.

Staring down at the scene above Xiao felt another wave of burning emotion rush through him. You were backed up against a few stones, panic evident in your stance. One of your arms appeared to have suffered a gash, and as of such the claymore Xiao knew you carried lay in the grass next to you, too heavy now to be of any use. You also seemed to have suffered a blow to the head, and your awkward movements seemed to indicate some sort of dizziness. But what drew Xiao’s eye the most was the blood staining the brown of your wings, the feathers that were scattered around you.

The people surrounding you wore the crest of the Fatui, and their smiles were ones of absolute triumph.

“You should’ve flown away. What could a half-baked fighter like you do against the greatest army in the world? Now your wings will decorate the walls of the palace of Snezhnaya.”

You were mute to the Skirmisher’s jeers, your head bobbing to the side slightly. Once more Xiao heard your voice ripple through his head, though this time it was fainter, unsteady. The anger welling up inside of him seemed to ripple, and before he knew it the yaksha found himself standing in front of you, not caring about the black tendrils that licked at his polearm, only coherent thought that the Fatui members should have picked a different assignment.

Xiao despised fighting humans. They seemed to bend around him, shredding like paper. Though a part of him jeered that he was fighting nothing but monsters, the adeptus still pulled himself back. Some burdens were too heavy to bear, and even fighting a human was something that he would normally never do. Still the fight was brutal, if painfully short, and when Xiao finally found himself standing alone he surrounded by the groans and shrieks of those whose injuries would not be forgotten tomorrow.

Taking his mask off Xiao pushed through the tendrils of darkness that were now clinging to his skin. There would be time to bathe and clean off all the evil he’d generated and purified later. For now the adeptus ran over to your side, scooping you up and traveling as quickly as possible to the Inn. The smalls groans that escaped you cut through him, but at least you were alive. At least he had made it in time. At least.

Though there was nothing that the adeptus could really do to cure gashes and a concussion, Xiao found himself unwilling to stray from your side in the aftermath. Pushing away the guilt that threatened to burn through him when he was alone Xiao became a constant figure in your room. Perching no your dresser, or eventually in the chair Goldet dragged next to your bed, Xiao supervised your health with a regiment that would’ve been impossible for a mortal. Yet it didn’t feel like enough, it never felt like enough. Watching over you as you fell in and out of naps Xiao felt the guilt buzzing behind his ears. Your fault, this is your fault.

One evening Xiao found it all too much. Covering his face with his hands he rasped into the silent room.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

Whipping his head up Xiao was met with your slightly groggy face. Reaching over to grasp his hand you smiled as the adeptus moved to intertwine his fingers in yours.

“I didn’t go with you.”

“I didn’t ask you to. I thought, I thought it’d be easy. But it wasn’t so I called for you and then you came and saved me, so it was fine.” Your voice was heavy with sleep and your words slightly slurred, but there was still some urgency behind them, an urgency Xiao found himself responding to.

“I still wasn’t fast enough.”

“You seemed pretty fast to me.”

“I still, it’s still my fault.” Xiao didn’t know why he found himself repeating the same words over and over. Somehow he seemed completely unequipped to deal with the panic that had been slowly crushing him for the past few days. How could he explain this to you? How could he explain the fear that shot through him, the anger, the… something?

“No, it wasn’t. It’s not your fault that I look strange, or that I have these weird wings. It’s not your fault that people don’t like it.”

“Humans are fools,” Xiao spat out. “They try to destroy something that is beautiful, all because they cannot understand it.”

“You think my wings are beautiful?”

“Yes.” Xiao didn’t realize that was a question. Somehow the looked of sleepy happiness on your face filled him with a sense of embarrassment. Ducking his head the adeptus shook his head. “Never mind.”

“Thank you for telling me,” you replied, happiness in your voice. For a moment you paused, before piping up again. “You haven’t been sleeping a lot have you?”

“Sleep is unnecessary for those who are full adeptus.”

“Still, it can’t be fun to sit here alone for hours,” you frowned before scooting over slightly.

Xiao stared at the unspoken invitation for a moment, disbelief mixing into the thoughts that were cramming his head. He said nothing, but as the look on your face dimmed slightly he sighed. Laying his mask on the nightstand the yaksha lay next to you.

You smiled, seemingly satisfied. Linking your hand once more with his you let out a small sigh, before relaxing slightly, closing your eyes and drifting off to sleep.

Xiao stared at the ceiling, listening to the soft cadence of your breath. The panic that fizzed through his brain only moments earlier, replaced with a contentment that the yaksha rarely felt. Suddenly everything seemed at peace with the world, and despite the summer heat Xiao felt no more discomfort.

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