#even if i know my friends aren’t doing it out of malice they’re just forgetful and/or very busy this time of the year since the semester ha
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Gilbert von Obsidian - The Bodyguard Prince - Event Summary
Alternate Title: Do you know what will happen if you touch what is mine?
Do I ever know what I’m doing? You shouldn’t trust me, or my suspect understanding of what’s going on in my daily life, much less in Gilbert’s world.
Accuracy is not guaranteed - you should definitely pick up this event when it reaches the English server.
Emma has made a new friend, which is noteworthy since the malice surrounding the evil prince has isolated her from almost everyone else. This new friend is the only one Emma has been able to make during her stay in Rhodolite (outside of the princes).
While desperately reading a book in the library, Emma feels a cold figure slide into the seat next to hers. Out of both becoming accustomed to him and desperation to finish her book, Emma ignores Gilbert. Gilbert tells her to open up to him since he is her friend.
Although she is aware of him, Emma does her best to continue to read her book as if there are no distractions. Gilbert asks if he should kill her, and Emma finally snaps at him to just stop it. She finally looks at him, only to see him smiling sweetly as if he hadn’t made that disturbing threat. Gilbert tells her in that case, just to pay attention to him.
Why oh why is he always like this? Even as Emma laments, she knows the reason behind all of this.
Due to her position as Belle, hiding in the court as a minor noblewoman, Emma has to attend social gatherings. Very recently, she met the daughter of an Earl who was close to her age and had a similar love for books. Due to her new friend’s father’s work, she wasn’t always at court, so she wasn’t aware of Emma’s association with the enemy prince, so they had bonded.
This is also the first person besides the princes who has talked to Emma in a long time. She is Emma’s first new friend, outside of the self-proclaimed friend Gilbert is.
In a bored tone, Gilbert asks if Emma is reading this book because of her new friend. Emma admits that’s true; her new friend highly recommended this book to Emma. She realizes that Gilbert is in an unusually bad mood. Is it because he wants her to be socially isolated and dependent on him, and is upset that she’s branching out?
Gilbert moves the conversation along and asks if she’s planning on attending a tea party with her new friend tomorrow. Emma asks how he knows about that, and Gilberts happily informs her that he has eyes everywhere.
As Emma begins to feel very vulnerable and creeped out, Gilbert asks if she’s reading this book just so she can talk about it at the tea party tomorrow. It seems like all she’s thinking about is her new friend. He asks which is more important, him or her new friend. Diplomatically, Emma assures Gilbert that they’re both important to her.
Not happy with that answer, Gilbert reminds her that he should be her number one priority. This is so upsetting that he must simply cry. And he does, kind of. In an absolutely fake and theatrical manner.
Emma asks if there’s something wrong with this. Forgetting that he’s supposed to be crying, Gilbert laughs and notes that Emma is becoming quite bold. He’s not going to stop her, but he doesn’t expect anything good to come out of her new relationship. Noble friends aren’t the friends she thinks they are.
Emma thought Gilbert was simply sulking, but his next words were sincere. He tells her that just as her definition of ‘friend’ and his definition of ‘friend’ is different, Emma’s new friend also has a different definition of ‘friend’. And, until Emma figures out what ‘friend’ means to her new friend, she should be worried.
Emma tells Gilbert that if there is no initial trust, there is no chance for friendships to form. Emma believes in her new friend, which is the first step to becoming friends. And, unlike Gilbert, this friend is less likely to have ill intentions toward her.
Gilbert chuckles, telling Emma he sees where she’s coming from. And, based on that definition, he and Emma are definitely friends. Emma tries to change the subject, but, undeterred, Gilbert compliments Emma’s bravery.
Emma just doesn’t trust Gilbert. She has already forgiven herself for that mistake she made at the very beginning of their relationship. Gilbert pinches Emma’s cheek to make her focus on him again, hard enough for it to hurt.
Gilbert complains that even though she can’t trust him, her true friend, she has no trouble trusting this new person. As her friend, he doesn’t want her to get hurt, instead, he wants to protect her. Emma dutifully thanks him for his feelings. Gilbert warns her to either accept his offer of protection either willingly or forcefully. As Emma looks at Gilbert, he smiles, telling her that he just had a good idea.
Sensing evil, Emma quickly rises from her seat to escape, but Gilbert grabs her wrist and pulls her back down. A cold sigh hits her ear, and Gilbert reminds her that he already told her that she had no option to not do this, especially since he’s going out of his way to do this for his friend. Emma is used enough to this to know that Gilbert is going to do something one way or another, and she needs to tread carefully.
The next day, Emma was planning on visiting her new friend with Rio as her butler. However, when she arrived at her and Rio’s prearranged place, she finds Gilbert there instead. Emma asks if Gilbert has noticed her butler around, and Gilbert assures her he has. Right here in fact.
Not understanding, Emma looks around the area, asking where exactly. Gilbert helpfully points at himself, and Emma feels the blood drain away from her body. Panicking, she asks what happened to Rio. Gilbert is evasive in a way only a murderer can be, before assuring her that he didn’t do anything, Rio is just very busy right now.
Reminding herself that Gilbert doesn’t lie (except when he feels like he can get away with it) Emma is relieved and calms down enough to address the new situation. She tells Gilbert that it would be wrong to have a foreign country’s royalty and guest act as her butler. Gilbert assures her that he’s okay with this. And oh, no! They’re running out of time, she doesn’t want to be late for her new friend’s party, right? When Emma hesitates, Gilbert asks if she wants to be threatened or something.
Which is why Emma is sitting at her new friend, Louise’s party with the evil Prince of Obsidian as her butler.
(Gilbert is a man of many talents, worming his way into tea parties is just one of them)
When they first arrived, Louise’s face lost a lot of it’s color as she looked at Gilbert, but after enough apologies to make Keith proud, she was able to assure Emma that it was fine, they could proceed with the party as normal.
Normally, decorum would have Emma’s butler be unobtrusively out of the way of the party, but neither she nor Louise object when Gilbert joined them at the table and started partaking of the tea and sweets. He tells them not to mind him, he was just here to show off how close he and Emma are as friends.
Louise admits that she hadn’t really believed the rumors of Emma and the Obsidian Prince’s relationship, but-
Emma quickly tells Louise that the rumors are a lie. Gilbert points out that Emma didn’t even hear what rumor Louise was going to mention, and Emma tells them that she just knows that any rumor about her and Gilbert is false.
Louise is willing to bite, if the unmentionable rumors are false, then what is Emma’s and Gilbert’s relationship with each other?
Emma: Victim and Perpetrator
Gilbert: Friends.
Emma: . . .
Gilbert: Best friends.
Placing a ‘friendly’ hand on Emma’s shoulder, Gilbert smiles sweetly at her. Emma grimaces back, but she doesn’t object as she has no doubt ‘friends’ is better than what the rumors paint them as.
Louise politely wishes them luck in their friendly friendship. Emma can see that Louise’s fingers are trembling, and when she holds her teacup the surface of the tea ripples. Emma realizes that, while she herself is still affected by Gilbert’s mere presence, she’s somewhat accustomed to it compared to other people.
Even though Gilbert looks like an affable young man, almost instinctively everyone can tell that he’s a savage beast who has conquered and trampled over many countries. There’s this weird aura about him as if even the most minor of transgressions will set him off. Emma tries to reassure Louise that even though Gilbert is frankly terrifying, he’s not that violent. Really, he’s not as bad as Louise must think.
Gilbert laughs and tells Emma that she’s the only one he’s nice to, though.
Emma quickly changes the subject, telling Louise that she finished the book she recommended. Suddenly, Gilbert is forgotten as the two women start gushing over the male lead in the book, on how he was sweet, kind to all, and not at all scary.
The talk leads to the sequel, which Louise mentions that she has a copy of in her library. She offers to lend it to Emma, who is overjoyed to accept it. She stands up to follow Louise and abruptly remembers Gilbert.
Gilbert assures them that he’s fine, he’ll just keep the pastries company while they continue to fangirl together. Emma is a bit surprised; she had thought he would come with her, but she’s happy enough to leave him behind.
(We can trust Gilbert to keep the pastries safe and sound in his stomach)
Emma never notices the smile hidden by Gilbert’s tea cup.
Louise brings her to the library, explaining that it belongs to her. It was a birthday gift from her father a few years ago. Emma admires it, thinking about how lucky Louise is. She’s a bit worried about her new friend though, even though Gilbert isn’t with them, Louise looks paler than expected. Lingering effects of spending too much time with Gilbert, maybe?
Louise unlocks the library door, beckoning Emma inside. The moment she does, a sweet smell hits Emma, confusing her. It’s not a book or library kind of smell. She thinks she recognizes it, but . . . but . .
Emma faintly hears Louise behind her apologizing as her vision fades to darkness.
When Emma returns to consciousness some undeterminable time later, she finds Gilbert standing at some distance in front of her. Gilbert politely wishes her a good morning.
Glancing around, Emma sees that they’re in a dimly lit place, full of dust and poor candlelight. As she continues to wake up, she sees that Gilbert is smiling as sweetly as ever. However, there are a lot of bodies lying on the ground around him. Though she can’t see the cobblestone floor beneath her well, she can smell the blood on it.
Emma begins to move, and she realizes that something is restricting her, especially around her neck. A new voice directly behind and above her tells her roughly to not move.
Emma realizes that her hands and feet are shackled, and someone is holding her, with a knife to her throat. From nearby, Louise calls out to her father, and the voice tells Louise to be quiet.
Emma has no memory of what happened since she entered Louise’s library, but she knows enough to tell when she’s being held as a hostage.
In front of her, Gilbert notes that Emma has had enough time to take stock of the situation she’s in and asks if she wants his help. Emma disagrees, with the way the man behind her is trembling, it’s hard for her to figure out who is the victim and who is the perpetrator in this situation. Emma tells Gilbert to tell her what happened.
Gilbert was just sitting there, enjoying the tea and pastries when Louise came back and asked him to come with her. He very politely followed her to the Earl, who welcomed him with a band of mercenaries. This noble house is part of the anti-monarch faction, an extremist organization that wants to become allies with Obsidian.
They approached Emma hoping to eventually use her as a hostage to ensure his future cooperation. However, they had not expected Gilbert himself to come to their trap, so they decided to move their timetable forward.
And now, unless Gilbert gives in to their demands, they’re going to cut Emma’s throat in front of him. Gilbert laughs, Emma is in a truly pitiful position right now, even he feels bad for her.
Emma feels like she’s drifting. She thought she had finally made a friend. But, in the end, it was all a lie. Louise, who was nearby, did not deny anything Gilbert was saying, hurting more than the knife at Emma’s throat.
She can feel Gilbert’s next words seep into her wounded heart like poison. He reminds her that he’s her only true friend here, and the nobility has different definitions for ‘friends’ than she has. He tells Emma not to worry, when she finally loses all her trust in people, he’ll still care for her.
Tap-tap. Gilbert takes a step closer, his cane tapping on the cobblestones. The knife presses into Emma’s throat and the Earl warns Gilbert to stay back.
Gilbert focuses on the Earl, noting that although he tells this to Emma all the time, the Earl doesn’t know that Gilbert absolutely hates it when others interfere with his prey. The Earl must truly be an idiot if he thought he could hurt Emma to negotiate with him.
Suddenly, Emma feels like she’s about to be crushed by Gilbert’s bloodlust. Even though Gilbert’s expression was still soft and sweet, she can feel his rage and clearly smell the sharp tang of blood. And it’s not even directed at her.
The Earl trembles even more behind Emma, and she can hear Louise start to sob. Emma realizes that when Gilbert offered his help, he wasn’t talking about rescuing her. How naïve she was.
Gilbert asks if they think that he can’t kill anyone here just because they’re in Rhodolite. He tells them that he is great at disposing of evidence. He turns to Emma and asks which one she wants him to kill first.
Sweet End
Emma begs Gilbert not to kill anyone, but she regrets speaking the moment Gilbert’s blood-colored eye focuses on her. He tells her that If he doesn’t kill them, she is still at risk. Or is she saying that she’s willing to risk her life for the people who were planning on using her as a hostage? He laughs at how saint-like she is in her forgiveness, he can’t keep up with her.
Well, he has a point. Emma has been betrayed; what she thought was a burgeoning friendship was instead a very calculated series of manipulations. But she still doesn’t want anyone to get hurt; she had enjoyed the time she had spent with Louise and had even genuinely thought of her as a friend.
Very calmly, Emma shifts her focus to the Earl holding a knife to her throat and asks him to let her go. She warns him that Gilbert isn’t the kind of person who would capitulate just because the other person has a hostage. If the Earl lets her go, she promises to keep Gilbert from killing him.
The Earl tells Emma to shut up, and the knife jerks against her throat, drawing blood. Gilbert asks if she’s okay and Emma snaps back that of course she’s not. He warns her that he’s running out of patience, she is his and only his prey.
Gilbert gives her a sweet, refreshing smile, pulling something out of his pocket. He rolls the item across the floor towards her, and it goes off. A misty smoke emerges from it, completely obscuring the room, blinding Emma to anything more than a couple of inches in front of her face. She feels the Earl suddenly shove her to the side, and just as she braces herself for the expected impact, something soft wrapped in linen breaks her fall.
Due to the shackles still on her hands and feet, she can’t stand up. Emma calls out for Gilbert, but there’s the louder sound of something collapsing to the floor nearby. A chill of a bad premonition strikes through her heart, making her sick.
Emma begins to crawl towards the sound, stopping when she gets to a jet-black cloak. The smoke clears a little, and she can see the Earl crouching at Gilbert’s feet, knife still in hand. Further ahead is Louise, sitting on the floor, with teary eyes.
Gilbert looks back and asks Emma what she’s doing. But he’s not looking at her, instead, he’s looking at a nearby sword on the floor. Emma asks him to stop all of this.
Gilbert asks if, even after everything these people have done to her, Emma still wants to protect them. Emma reminds him that Rhodolite has laws against murder, even in the case of foreign princes. Gilbert considers this, remarking that if he were to invade and conquer, that law wouldn’t be in effect.
Gilbert picks up the sword he was eyeing earlier, kneeling next to Emma. He grabs her chin and turns her face to look directly at him. Emma has misunderstood something crucial. Gilbert has no real reason to listen to her, and besides, she’s wasting her pleas for someone else, when she should be begging him for her own life.
Emma realizes that very recently, she’s been letting her guard down around Gilbert. Because she had some pleasant and kind interactions with him, she had forgotten that he was one of the worst beasts.
Gilbert lets go of Emma and stands, walking towards Louise with a sword still in hand.
Gilbert is a beast, and that’s why Emma won’t give up. Before he could move far, Emma grabs tight onto his cloak. He stops and doesn’t shake her off.
Emma tells Gilbert that Louise is her friend. Gilbert laughs, Emma’s definition of ‘friend’ is really unusual, as this one just tried to sell her to him for political favors. Emma points out that Gilbert’s version of a friend is someone he doesn’t listen to or who’s opinions he doesn’t care about, so he doesn’t have room to complain about other people’s definitions. Gilbert argues that his definition is still less insane than hers.
Emma continues, as Gilbert already knows, no one will ever approach someone who is favored by the evil Obsidian Prince. She can deal with the cold stares, but what she can’t stand is no one talking to her.
Gilbert agrees that she is indeed in a pitiful position, smiling in a way to let her know that he sees this as not his problem.
Emma continues; in spite of everything, Louise still treated her normally. Even if the motives behind the friendship were less than pure, she is the first person in a while to act like she enjoyed spending time with Emma. They shared their common interests and fangirled together over dreamy romance novels. Emma refuses to believe everything was a lie. She has chosen to believe that some of the time she spent with Louise was genuine.
Emma asks Gilbert to not take away her new friend.
The more Emma speaks, the colder Gilbert’s gaze grows. Even though a chill spreads down her spine and Emma’s breath catches, she doesn’t hold back. She clutches Gilbert’s cloak tightly, planning to never let go no matter how hard he tries to pry her off.
Gilbert remarks that rather than being naïve, Emma is now firmly in the ‘idiot’ category. Well, if Emma is going this far to beg him, he’ll listen to her. She is right, if she takes full responsibility for her now former captors, she can save them.
Without hesitating, Emma agrees. Anything would be better than watching Gilbert murder her new friend right in front of her.
Gilbert laughs, after being at the mercy of a third-rate villain, Emma just willingly placed herself into his hands. And he intends to show her the difference between himself and the Earl.
Gilbert carries Emma, who is still wearing shackles, into an empty room. With some odd familiarity, he quickly finds a first-aid kit and begins treating the scratch on her neck, completely silent. He applied the medicine and wrapped the bandages around her wound with the skill of a doctor. Emma thanks him and he tells her not to mention it, his words kind but cold.
Emma still can’t read Gilbert’s face.
Emma holds out her hands and asks him about the shackles. Glibly, Gilbert tells her that unfortunately, he doesn’t have the key to them. Well, if he wanted to, of course, he wouldn’t need the key. Emma hears the implicit ‘can but won’t’ of that statement. Gilbert picks Emma up and settles on a chair, Emma in his lap.
Emma protests, but Gilbert ignores her, his cold fingers running over her cheek. He asks Emma how she intends to beg for her life.
This is a test. IF she gets the wrong answer, she’ll just be back at where they started, so Emma has to think carefully. She asks if he intends to hurt Louise. Gilbert tells her that’s a kind way of putting it.
In that case, whatever he was planning to do to Louise, she’ll accept in Louise’s place. When Gilbert is confused, she explains that she’s substituting herself for Louise.
She has no idea what Gilbert was planning on doing, but this is the only thing she can come up with. Since he knows that she’ll Belle, if he were to come up with terms, it could be detrimental to Rhodolite. That said, she has no idea what will satisfy Gilbert.
Gilbert refuses.
At Emma’s surprise, Gilbert explains that he’s not some sadistic lunatic that enjoys hurting everyone and everything. Emma insists she never said that. It’s just that she can’t come up with anything else.
Gilbert proposes absolute obedience.
Yes, this was what Emma was hoping to avoid. Gilbert explains that this is the price he would demand of Louise to keep her family alive, so it’s natural for that to be transferred to Emma. Every order he gives her, Emma would absolutely have to obey them. Even if it means she would betray Rhodolite.
Emma refuses to betray Rhodolite, and Gilbert shrugs. He’ll just go back down to the cellar and kill Emma’s friend then. Emma shouts at him to stop.
Gilbert complains that Emma is truly selfish. Stroking her cheek as if to tickle her, he lightly pinches it. If they were in Obsidian, this would be considered a major concession on his part. Whether or not he accepts her request, Gilbert is still listening to Emma’s pleas. Can she think of something better than absolute obedience?
Emma considers this; as Gilbert said, she can still make requests. However, she cannot hope for equal negotiation. And, in this place, she has no one that she can ask for help. There is only one thing she can hope for now.
Emma appeals to Gilbert’s conscience, but he warns her that he doesn’t have one. She insists there is; after all, if he didn’t have a sense of morality, he wouldn’t’ have saved her back then and be listening to her now. Instead, he would have just killed everyone in that cellar. The mercenaries in the cellar were all bleeding and unconscious, but she didn’t think they were dead. He may be ruthless, but there was something inside him that would listen to her.
Emma can’t believe in the prince of an enemy country, but maybe she can believe in her friend. And in some weird way, Gilbert might be a friend.
Throwing off all sense of shame, Emma shifts and embraces Gilbert, even with the shackles on. She didn’t hold back at all, trying to transmit warmth into his cold body. She tells Gilbert that he’s always so cold.
Gilbert asks if Emma is joking, and she insists that she’s serious. Gilbert sighs, noting that someone is in trouble now.
Well, this isn’t all that bad. But a hug isn’t enough for him, Emma isn’t losing enough. Gilbert suggests something in addition. As Emma lets go of him and leans back, he touches her lips.
Even if it’s in front of servants, the nobility, or even the princes, she must kiss him no matter the time or place. At Emma’s silence, Gilbert asks her what she plans on doing.
Emma feels her heart pound. They’re not really lovers, and she’s not sure they can be considered friends. But Emma is also certain this is the last chance she has to save her friend. Emma slowly nods, and Gilbert helpfully points at his own mouth.
How about they start now?
Emma leans forward, slowly bringing her face closer to Gilbert.
Suddenly the door slams open, with someone shouting Emma’s name.
Premium End – Gilbert POV
Everything was rigged against Emma from the start.
*Flashback Time – The Day Before*
Very causally Gilbert asks Silvio to help him in his acts of villainy. Silvio calls Gilbert an idiot and tells him to stop talking in his sleep.
The previous night, when Gilbert visited Silvio’s room, he was treated coldly.
Without any worries, Gilbert joins Silvio on his couch while the latter was sipping rose wine. Gilbert warned Silvio that the merchant inside him would want to hear Gilbert’s proposal. Silvio responded that he only listens to decent people.
Gilbert had a high-risk high-return proposal that Silvio would want to hear. He placed a box he had prepared in advance on the table in front of Silvio. Intrigued, Silvio flipped open the box, and was at a loss for words.
It was a very rare sample of ore, which could only be obtained from a small mine in Obsidian. There was no other mine in the known world that could produce anything so pure as this sample. Silvio shouted at Gilbert; demanding to know if he had just been walking around with that in his pocket?
Gilbert admitted that to him, this was just one stone among many. But he had been assured that someone like Silvio would see the value in it and see a treasure. Silvio’s eyes grew sharp, and he asked what Gilbert wanted. Smiling, Gilbert relaxed against Silvio’s sofa.
Silvio was aware of a dog that is always clinging to Emma, right?
Yes, Silvio is well aware of the shitty dog.
Great! Gilbert would be so happy if tomorrow Silvio found a way to distract the dog and keep him away from Emma.
With an odd expression, Silvio asked if that was all Gilbert wanted. Which it was, since the next day Emma would join her friend’s tea party. The poor girl was looking forward to it so much, to the point that she didn’t even notice she was being used.
No one approaches Emma without seeing the shadow of the Obsidian Prince looming over her. Gilbert had, of course, investigated Emma’s new friend, and discovered that her father was trying to make Obsidian contacts. The upcoming tea party with Emma would be the next step in his plans.
Well, Gilbert was happy to see something interesting, so it wouldn’t be a waste to go with Emma.
Bringing him back to the present, Silvio pointed out that the price of the ore sample alone would be enough to order assassinations on at least 100 VIPs. Seeing his question, Gilbert assured Silvio that he doesn’t intend to outsource his assassinations, he specializes in handling those himself. Silvio is disgusted at how proud Gilbert seems of that fact.
Silvio asked how much money does Gilbert intend to waste just so he can harass that woman. Gilbert intends to never let up on harassing Emma. Silvio asks what Gilbert’s end goal with her is.
(Could it be that Gilbert is just that easy of a mark?)
Gilbert realizes that because he paid so much, Silvio is now suspicious. Silvio points out that Gilbert is actually going out of his way to harass that woman, did she do something to him that is making him hold a grudge against her?
Gilbert complains that Silvio is too cruel and suspicious of him; calling Gilbert’s displays of affection harassment to his face. Besides, if he had a grudge against her, Emma would already be dead.
Again, Silvio asks what Gilbert’s end goal is. Well, Gilbert does have a clear purpose, but he’s not just going to tell Mr. Everything Has a Price. He asks Silvio if he knows Gilbert’s nickname.
The fucking eyepatch, the world calamity, marshal of everlasting victory, the trampling-
Gilbert cuts Silvio off, it was the trampling beast. The ‘fucking eyepatch’ is a new one that he decides to pretend he didn’t hear it.
Moving on, Gilbert has trampled and dominated so many countries that he has garnered the nickname ‘the trampling beast’. And he does not intend to change things just because this is Rhodolite.
Silvio groaned; Gilbert has managed to make him feel sorry for that poor woman. Gilbert laughs, he also feels sorry for her. Silvio shouts at him to not just feel sorry for her himself. Gilbert smiles sweetly at Silvio’s scowl, standing up.
Starting tomorrow, Emma is going to learn not to trust anyone other than Gilbert. He’s looking forward to Emma being betrayed and sold out by her dear friend.
*Flashback End*
So why the hell did it turn out like this?
*Flashback Time*
Gilbert’s plan should have gone smoothly. Emma had been gone for a little while, ostensibly to visit their hostess’ library. Then, the hostess came back alone, her complexion even worse than before. He had almost laughed; the young noblewoman was unable to hide her guilt at all.
When she told him Emma was calling for him, Gilbert had obediently followed the woman to the cellar, acting as if he didn’t have a clue what was in store. Upon their arrival, he had found the Earl holding an unconscious Emma hostage, surrounded by a group of mercenaries. This must have been a rush because rather than looking like proper noble guardsmen, this group looked like thugs from the rough part of town.
Upon seeing them, Gilbert laughed and told the Earl that he had made a mistake. If he wants to deal with Gilbert, he needs to hire at least three times as many men as he has here.
It wasn’t hard to handle them, especially when Gilbert got ahold of a sword.
The Earl was out of his depth, he didn’t even know how to use Emma as a proper hostage. While Emma is still unconscious, Gilbert decides to have a little chat with the Earl and his daughter. He’s looking forward to seeing Emma’s face fall to despair.
Just as he predicted from the start, the young lady used and then abandoned Emma the moment her life was on the line. Everything was going as Gilbert planned.
*Flashback End*
Emma blinks at the intruder, asking Louise what she was doing.
Emma’s lips had been a breath away from Gilbert’s when Louise slammed open the door and rushed inside the room. Gilbert notices that she has taken up his discarded sword and is holding it unsheathed.
Louise begs Gilbert to let go of Emma, and Gilbert wonders if there’s something loose inside her head. He reminds her that she was the one who betrayed Emma to start with, or has she forgotten already? Gilbert is disgusted that Louise is trying to act like a good person right now, when less than an hour ago she had sold out Emma. She is the kind of person Gilbert wants to kill the most, though there are plenty of aristocrats like her.
Louise agrees with Gilbert’s assessment, he was right. Her father ordered her to become close and friendly with Emma. But, in spite of knowing all of that, Emma still called her a friend.
Gilbert has a flashback to someone calling him a friend too. Someone who promised to never leave him alone.
Gilbert feels disgusted as Emma is moved to tears by Louise’s proclamation. Louise tells Emma that she’s sorry for everything, for being selfish. But she doesn’t want to hurt Emma anymore. Turning to Gilbert, Lousie reminds him that it was her and her family who disrespected Gilbert, not Emma. They should bear his punishment.
Okay then, just as he was originally planning Gilbert will-
No! Emma begs him not to hurt Louise. Louise calls out for her to stop protecting her, she’ll be fine. Just leave before Gilbert does something else to her! Emma promises Louise that she’ll live through it, so Louise should be the one to run away. No! Louise will not abandon her again!
(Seriously?)
Here Gilbert was, moments ago, ready to comfort Emma in her sorrow over a friend betraying her. And now, said friend is trying to sacrifice herself to save Emma, completely ruining Gilbert’s careful plans. Everything had gone the way he had calculated it would, up until this point. The woman, a young aristocrat, had betrayed Emma exactly as he had predicted.
Maybe it was Gilbert’s miscalculation. Back at the cellar, maybe he had shown a bit too much bloodlust, and that combined with the beauty of Emma’s heart had moved Louise’s. The existence of ‘Belle’ was more troublesome than Gilbert had anticipated. Gilbert tramples his enemies with malice, but Emma was the opposite.
Instead of corrupting her enemies, Emma purifies them. She and Gilbert are the worst when it comes to compatibility. Perhaps, in this world, Emma is his natural enemy. Even now, both Emma and her friend’s complexions are almost back to normal. While the situation they’re in is terrible, they must honestly believe their lot has improved.
It’s more than a little frustrating for Gilbert. Even now, his anger and murderous intention is gone, fading away like the tide. There’s nothing more for him to do other than admit defeat. He asks Emma if they want to say that she enjoyed the tea party and pretend everything else just didn’t happen.
Emma agrees, her blatant relief making Gilbert’s heart feel complicated.
Later
Gilbert places Emma on top of her bed, noting that she never woke up. She had fallen asleep in the carriage ride as if the greatest villain in the world wasn’t sitting mere feet away from her. Even when he had picked her up and carried her to her room, she never stirred once.
Besides that, Gilbert never got that interrupted kiss.
If Louise hadn’t interrupted them during that promise, he could have had so much fun with Emma.
Pokey-pokey. Gilbert pokes Emma’s lips, considering that he’s an arch-villain with a defenseless baby bunny right in front of him. He lowers his face to hers, before positioning his ear next to her mouth. There’s no point in kissing her now that she’s asleep and unaware, but there might be something to gain if he could figure out what she was dreaming about.
He listens shortly, before concluding that Emma is having a nightmare. He almost laughs, though she likes to pretend during the day that she’s fine, her dreams don’t lie. After all, there was no way the events of today wouldn’t leave a scar on her heart. Even if Emma and Louise have affirmed their eternal and everlasting friendship, the scars of betrayal would never go away.
And still, Emma will continue to believe in the inherent goodness in people, like a true idiot. And she’ll repeat the same mistake, again and again. He wonders how many betrayals Emma will suffer and how many more can she endure.
For some reason, Gilbert is feeling irritated. How confusing.
Emma stirs and begins to wake up, surprised to see Gilbert’s face so close to hers. After blinking at him a few times, her face turns bright red and she pulls the bed sheet over her face, hiding. Laughing, Gilbert asks what Emma was imagining just now, and Emma insists that she was imagining absolutely nothing. Her reactions only make Gilbert want to tease her more. He does feel sorry for her, wondering if anyone can protect her from him. Gilbert settles down on the bed, lying next to Emma, watching her face reappear with a timid expression.
Emma asks him what he’s doing. Gilbert shrugs vaguely. Emma asks again, and Gilbert giggles. He pokes her lips, laughing. Mentally, he apologizes to Emma, explaining that he’s just in a really bad mood right now.
Emma, who had believed in her friend even after being betrayed, had purified her. She had been hurt badly enough to give her nightmares, but right now Emma was giving no signs of it. Maybe that’s why Gilbert is so upset.
Out loud, Gilbert asks Emma if she wants him to remind her.
Epilogue
What is the biggest threat to Emma? Is it a friend who would betray her, or an aristocrat with malicious intent?
No.
If he were to kidnap and interrogate Rhodolite’s court officials, they would all agree; the biggest threat to Emma is the Prince of Obsidian.
Right now, Emma, who should have been exhausted from being a hostage and the betrayal of her new friend earlier that day, trembled in bed. Not because she was consumed by terror, or even because she was cold. It was because a member of the opposite sex lay next to her.
When Gilbert offers to remind Emma what he has done, she quickly insists that he not. Gilbert bursts out laughing, and Emma leaps out of bed like a startled deer. She asks Gilbert if this is one big joke, and he insists that she has misunderstood him.
It’s a shame that she’ll believe in proven traitors and still won’t trust him even though he hasn’t done anything to her.
Changing the subject, Gilbert asks if Emma intends to change her clothes, now that she’s awake.
There’s an awkward moment between them, and Gilbert asks if she wants him to leave. Too bad, because he intends to stay right here, where he’s comfortable. In her bed. Emma tells him that she can’t change clothes with him here, but he assures her that he doesn’t mind.
Well, Emma minds.
That’s new to him. Still, Gilbert doesn’t want to return to his room when he feels like this, so instead, he crosses his legs, all while continuing to lie on Emma’s bed.
With an unpleasant expression, Emma looks around the room as if searching for something to say. Eventually, she asks why Gilbert is in a bad mood.
Huh, he didn’t think she would notice. Maybe Emma is sensitive enough to people’s hearts that she could tell even though he was hiding it. Then again, Gilbert isn’t exactly putting much effort into hiding his mood.
Gilbert considers it, and decides that he’s upset because he can’t stop noticing how stupid Emma is. He holds fast to the idea that his prey should not be wounded. That being said, the wounds he intends to cause are fine.
Gilbert had calculated for and anticipated the scars on Emma’s heart and the wound on her neck during this event. However, seeing it in person makes his head fuzzy.
Emma assures him that she’s fine, and Gilbert asks if she’s a masochist who enjoys being hurt. Outraged, Emma asks how he got that from what she said. Oh, but he can tell just by looking at her.
Take today for example; Emma had been so close to sacrificing herself to save her friend. She sacrifices herself, both body and mind, for the sake of others. At this point, Emma knows that she’s Gilbert’s prey, but the moment he takes his eyes off of her, she starts hurting herself.
That’s why he’s in a bad mood.
After today, Gilbert is now convinced that the day will come when Emma will be hurt by someone without his knowledge. Really, she should just sit like docile prey and stay safe until he comes for her.
If he wants to name the reason he’s so upset, then Emma’s kindness upsets him. Even if it’s in his calculations, hurting herself, having nightmares by herself, it all frustrates him.
Emma’s eyes are wide open and she’s staring at Gilbert. Very gently, she tells him that normal people call this emotion ‘worry’. Gilbert is worried about her.
(Gilbert having vulnerable feelings? That's umpossible!)
Gilbert wonders how what he said was so misunderstood. This swirling black feeling in his chest is not worry. In the first place, he was involved in this latest incident that hurt Emma. However, something had gone awry.
The traitor who should have crushed Emma’s hope in other people changed sides at the last moment. Now Emma thinks that she can create miracles and that there’s nothing wrong with trusting others. Not everyone will behave like Emma’s friend did today, and the more she believes, the deeper the wounds of betrayal will sink. And he has no doubt that Emma will choose the path of injuring herself again and again.
Huh, maybe he is a little bit worried, now that he thinks about it. Oh, how disgusting.
Gilbert complains that Emma is going to act like he’s a good person thanks to this strange misunderstanding between them. Emma isn’t convinced that she’s wrong though, at least not this time.
Okay, Gilbert can recognize a declaration of war when he hears it.
Since Gilbert is so nice, he’s going to help Emma change clothes. Emma begins to thank him, but cuts herself off as the words sink in. What?
Ignoring Emma’s increasingly hysterical voice, Gilbert gets off her bed and strides to her wardrobe, rummaging through her clothes. It doesn’t take him long to find what looks like a feminine nightgown.
He’s just a kind-hearted young man who worries and cares about others, right? If that’s the case, Gilbert has no choice but to meet Emma’s expectations. Emma shrieks that she doesn’t need his help changing.
Oh, no, Emma started this, so Gilbert will finish this.
Emma asks where her butler is, he’s the one who’s supposed to be doing all this for her. The helpful young man he is, Gilbert reminds her that for today, he’s her butler. Emma points out that not even Rio helps her take off and put on clothes.
Well, Gilbert is just the better butler then.
He corners Emma, blocking her escape with both hands. By now, Emma should be aware that there is no threat greater to her than Gilbert himself. Since she is so insistent on it, Gilbert offers to let Emma take off her own clothes. Because he’s a nice and caring man.
Emma refuses.
Gilbert tells her that her options are to take off her own clothes or have her clothes taken off her. Emma refuses both options.
Okay, how does Emma want to be undressed then? Reflecting that maybe he’s been a bit too nice to her, Gilbert reaches out to Emma’s top.
He unbuttons it, sliding it down past her shoulders. Suddenly, Emma gets a new idea, and darts forward, pressing her lips to Gilbert’s cheek. Gilbert is so surprised; he stops his own movements.
Why is Emma kissing him now of all times?
Emma points out that he’s the one who wanted her to kiss him. So, now that she has, please forgive her. Gilbert scoffs and reminds her that when he wanted the kiss, he wasn’t pointing at his cheek. Helpfully, he demonstrates by pointing at his lips.
Emma shakes her head ‘no’. She doesn’t think that will happen unless she falls in love with Gilbert, which will absolutely never happen. Gilbert laughs, given Emma’s current state, he wouldn’t say that it’s an absolute impossibility.
It’s nice to be liked, but it would be bad if his intentions were misunderstood. He tells Emma that the only reason he’s protecting her is because she’s his prey, not out of any other silly sentiment. They should just leave it like that between them.
The uncomfortable feeling in his chest never lets up.
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Musin’ about this…
So Damian Wayne with a Superman’s daughter! Supergirl! Reader.
And they’re enemies. In fact they hate each other. Bruce and Clark have tried to get them to be friends for ages after Jon, your brother was aged up but you two could not get along.
So you’re flying Gotham, being Barbara’s best friend, right? (And of course, Babs is aged down in this so she’s a bit older than you and Damian but still around your age. Teen years.)
and you run into Damian there. And he’s all like “care to explain what you’re doing in Gotham?” As he leans against the brick roof of a building, and you’re descending, anger obvious on your face, glaring up at him. And you cant see through his mask but you’re sure he’s glaring at you too. “Visiting a friend. Don’t see how it’s any of your business though.”
Damian scoffs. “As if I care about your personal affairs.” He retorts, his tone dripping with sarcasm. He turns and walks to the entrance of the roof, ready to leave and you’re about to take off again when he calls from behind you. “Flying away in defeat, Kent?”
Making you stop, turn around, eyes flashing red with heat and anger, something you aren’t too great at controlling just yet. “Don’t you know that if you leave a place first you’re admitting defeat? Makes sense though. I am the son of Batman and former prince of the league of assassins.” And he turns back around with a shit eating smirk. To that must be why he walked off first but you heard his footsteps stop even when he got to the door.
“Excuse me? You seem to forget who I am as well. (Y/N) Kent, El, if you will. Last daughter of Krypton, daughter of Superman. I could knock you out with a flick of my pinky finger, you little brat.” You say, enraged now, the wind whipping your hair in your face.
“Sure,” he smirks. “All that may be true. But without your powers I’d crush you in a second flat.” You’re glaring up at him, annoyed. How can he be so smug and cocky and arrogant and look so good? It annoyed you, these feelings towards him. He leaned against the brick wall once more, the wind chilling you. He smirked down at you and you glared right back. Your (color) eyes heating up to red.
“All you got? A little heat vision? Can’t control it as well as your father and brothers, can you?” He’s taunting you now and you know it but that doesn’t make it any harder to resist. You turn around, giving a swift and powerful kick to his abdomen that sends him flying into the door. He grunts in pain, but his smirk never wavers. You aren’t sure what’s going on with him or why he’s picking a fight with you, but you’re not in the best mood, and you’re more then liable to give him what he’s asking for.
Before you can, however, you’re coming back to your senses, mkay of your anger melting away to frustration. You turn around and just before you take off you want him. “Leave me alone, Robin, or I’ll show you something much worse than that.
Let say you two run into each other again on the same rooftop. You’re sitting there after coming back from Babs’s apartment. Swinging your legs, eating ice cream. You’re staring at it in winder and despite not having come from Krypton directly you still seem to be so amazed at it despite having it many times in your life. You’re unaware that this is Damian’s favorite spot in Gotham. And you’re not sure why you don’t register the sound of his footsteps sooner. But when you do, you’re turning around, fists clenched, eyes red when you see it’s just him. He’s propped against the wall, a…softer kind of smirk that doesn’t seem to hold any malice in it is etched on his face. He’s not wearing his mask right now.
“What are you doing here?” You ask, calming as you turn back around and sit, legs dangling off the edge like before. He smirks as he walks towards you. “I could ask you the same thing, Kent. El, if you will.” He mimics your words from before making you huff and roll your eyes. Just came from Babs’s apartment. Wasn’t tired yet, and my moms out chasing a less which means I don’t have a bedtime tonight.”
You’re speaking in a much softer tone then you usually are to him and you’re not sure why. Maybe it’s because for once, he’s actually not instigating or trying to rile you up. Not too much anyways.
“Ooh, I forgot. 9pm bedtime for kiddies.” He snickers, laying his head against his folded, gloved hands in a dramatic gesture which makes you forget the moment of kinda-softness, roll your eyes and get ready to take off. You’re about to when you realize you can’t and look down to see him gripping onto your cape. You weren’t using super strength or speed to take off or anything because if you were he’d be severely hurt, and would most definitely not be able to keep you on the ground by hanging onto your cape.
“Leaving so soon?” He asks with that faint-but-not mean smirk. Not his usual condescending one he sports whenever he looks at you. Like he’s better than you or something. You look back at him, arms still outstretched in the famous pose as you drop them at your sides, confusion etching across your face as you stare down at him. “What the-…”
“It’s rude to leave without saying goodbye.” He starts. “Looks like someone needs to learn proper manners.” And then it’s back. That condescending, teasing smirk he gets when he wants to rile you up and get you going again. “Get off.” You bite out. “Or what?” He asks teasingly, pulling your cape so that you’re moving closer to him. You gasp in shock because now you’re facing him. Like I said, there’s no way he’d be able to if you were really fighting against him, but for some reason unknown to you, you don’t. Maybe you did know the reason…
He smirks, enjoying your momentarily put off reaction. Your eyes heat up again. “You seem to forget who folded you with nothing more than a kick. Want me to refresh your memory, Damian?” You ask, growing more irritated the longer he grips your long red cape at his side. Irritated at yourself, at him, at the effect he has on you, and the way you feel when you’re around him.
He grins, pink lips stretching wider, and you’re not sure how his cheeks don’t hurt when he’s either sporting an irritated scowl or a condescending smirk each time you see him. “I never forget anything.” He responds. You growl, tired of him already. You pick him up by his collar, forcing him to let go of your cape. You stretch your arm out, placing him that distance away from you as you drop him carelessly. You’re about to turn around again, but this time he stops you with his gloved fist coiled around your cape again making you sigh exasperatedly and angrily. “Don’t you learn?”
“You may be strong, but I’m not afraid of you, Supergirl.” He chuckles. “I’m not in the mood to fight right now, Damian, seriously.” You sigh out, pinching the bridge of your nose but your hand drops to your side when he tugs your cape so that you’re close to him. Your lips glance down at his for Judy’s a second too long before they flicker up to his eyes in surprise. “Hn…” he mumbles, caging you in against the cool brick wall of the roof. “W-what are you doing, Damian?” You ask, caught off-guard by his sudden closeness. “Just…testing something.” He says, enjoying your reaction to his teasing.
“Stop. Y-you’re nothing more than an insolent brat. I-I could tell your brother, Dick and—“you could try. But I don’t think you’re going to. If you didn’t like this, you would’ve left already. As you’ve stressed many times before, it’s true that you have the power to pluck me off of you. So why don’t you?” He leans in, his nose just barely brushing your cheek, making them heat up and turn pink.
“I know that much. And you know it too. So why?” You turn your face to the side in a feeble attempt to create more space between the two of you. “You-I don’t…shut up.” You place your hands flat against his chest to try and push him off and you’re not sure why you don’t use super strength to easily pluck him off. He doesn’t budge and sports that infuriating smirk that you want to just kiss punch right off. “C’mon. I’m not going anywhere if you’re trying like that. Put your back into it.” He murmurs warmly right by your ear.
“Y-you little brat. I could crush you like a bug.—“and get you don’t. Why, oh why, is that, y/n?” He asks, raising a dark, arched brow. You can’t help but run your eyes over him. He’s nothing like how he was when you first really met him. He’s much taller, tall enough to annoyingly tower over you so well. He’s broader, stronger, handsomer. Annoyingly so. He tugs your cape once more, smirk still ever-apparent on his face and leans in to make your lips connect.
He’s pushing you back against the brick wall, and you stop pressing against his chest, instead your hands relax flat against his broad chest, right on the material of his suit.
He’s not letting you go anywhere, but you don’t want to. And it’s taken you this long to finally admit it but you’re sure now. You don’t want to. All your earlier confidence and fire is gone as you slowly kiss back. Shyly, unsure, because it’s your first kiss. Your arms wrap around his neck and gently pull him closer, his hand lets go of your cape and the other one unplants itself from the cold brick wall behind you. His hands find your waist over the fabric of your own suit.
He pulls away for just a second before he dives back in and kisses you with more fervor making you choke on a whimper as he coaxed your mouth open and sucks on your tongue. You’re more than a little surprised, and a bit jealous as you think about the only other known person he could’ve possibly gotten practice with. Raven, but that was a while ago. You’re both fifteen now, you being a few months younger than him.
You’re the one to separate from him this time when you hear cheering. You look up and it’s the Titans. Starfire practically has hearts in her eyes as she watches you two. Raven has a knowing smirk, Beast Boy shouts with Kid Flash-new Kid Flash. You roll your eyes. “Seriously? What are you guys even doing over here? How long have you been watching?” You’re flustered behind belief and trying to mask it.
But Damian just turns you to face him again and kisses you in front of them and they cheer more. “Get some Damian!” Comes from Kid Flash. You swat at his chest, cheeks burning red. “Damian, you brat, they’re watching!” “Let them watch.” He shrugs as he kisses your jaw.
“Told you those two had chemistry.” Beast Boy shrugs as Starfire corrals them all to leave to give you two some privacy. “Yeah, we had chemistry alright.” You murmur sarcastically, embarrassed. Damian’s still got you pressed against the wall, with his hands on your waist and your own haven’t left his chest.
He dips his head down to kiss you again, and you’re still glaring at him for embarrassing you like that. You turn your face. “Don’t push it.” You say, and he smirks, chuckling lightly. A genuine one. Not condescending or bitter. Teasing at most but it’s well-meant. “I’m exhausted.” You sigh, collapsing on the ground and he’s smirking. “Don’t tell me you’re tired already. Oh right, I forgot about the bedtime for you. Mommy coming home soon?” He teased, batting his lashes. You shoved him playfully.
“Of course I’m tired. I’ve been dealing with you this whole time. You’re exhausting.” He grins. “I’m not exhausting, just…challenging. But you seem to be able to deal with that pretty well. It’s a good thing too, because I can show you how challenging I can be.” “Damian!” You say in embarrassment.
He chuckles and rests his head back on his folded arms on the ground. You tentatively move closer but ultimately wuss out making him roll his eyes. “Tt.” He says, pulling you closer so you can rest your head on his chest. It makes your cheeks turn pink as you look up at him. “Where were you?” He furrows his brows in confusion, looking down at you and for once, it’s any other emotion then the usuals. “Where was this side of you?” You reiterate and he just looks off into the distance, a little smile playing at his lips. “I wasn’t sure. But well, I had a theory you may have felt the same when you didn’t push me away. Guess I was right, per usual.” You roll your eyes and settle back against his chest, shutting them.
“Don’t fall asleep on me, Kent.” He says, but there’s no real malice and he acts like he doesn’t want it and you can’t see the pink staining his cheeks, but he doesn’t really mind. He doesn’t think he ever really has. You don’t think you have either. He looks up at the sky. He thinks about whether the whole thing has been a ruse.
Has he ever really not loved you? He doesn’t think so. And you don’t think you haven’t either.
(Sorry, I suck at endings but I hope you enjoyed! Check out some of my other content!)
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virgo: a rich conspectus
*the zodiac sign of Virgo, 13th/14th century manuscript
Virgos are the perfectionists of the zodiac. But as “perfect” as they like to come across, they have their faults as a sign. They give unsolicited advice and critiques, they're very judgmental and have no problems picking people apart - which they view as "helping them", as if they have everything figured out and it's they're job to enlighten the “little people”. Virgos remind me of Geminis but they hide their crazy. Their Mercury-based energy can also make them some of the biggest hoes. The thing about Virgos is, like Geminis, their Mercurial verbosity results in them being shady and sneaky, and can be pathological liars who can’t be trusted. They can be two faced and tell everyone’s business. As opposed to Gemini, who’s airy and secure enough to be objectively flighty, Virgos are wayyy too insecure to be that lighthearted, and as such, they’re very petty and subjective and they forget that their opinion and an actual fact are two entirely separate things. You’d think that a sign supposedly as critical as Virgo would have trouble making friends. But this isn’t the case. They love to converse, excel at analyzing other people, dote on exploring new ideas, and maintain a multitude of interests. Conversation with a Virgo is never dull. However, Virgos also remember birthdays, bring chicken soup to ailing friends, and generally extend themselves. As boring as they purportedly are, they don’t lack for a busy social life—even if they are more than a little heavy-handed with the advice from time to time.
Virgos alienate people because they browbeat their opinions onto others and try to pass them off as objective fact and actually expect people to conform to that. Then if others get angry and want to live their life on their own terms (which they have every right to do), Virgos get offended and fall into irrational self-righteousness much like Sagittarians do, and say it's because others can't handle the truth. Virgos want everything to be their way and only their way. They can't fathom no one being there for their bullshit. And most of the time they don't know what the fuck they are talking about. Many Virgos I know (mostly the women not as much the men) are complete fucking idiots. They think it's their job to tell you everything that's wrong with you under the guise of “helping you”. Their pointing out your so called flaws makes them feel better. I try not to judge people on their sign alone, but something has to be said about most people not caring for them. Yeah a lot of them are successful and everything but that doesn't negate the fact that they can be miserable as fuck and turn people off. Any person that has to continuously hide their insecurities while not even knowing they are showing anyway is screwed up. They are too shy and/or can’t hack it alone so they use groups to get their solo come up (with them being the most successful one in the group of course). Which brings me to my next point: they like to compete with siblings. Most of us want the best for our family but a Virgo will want to be the most successful one. Like Geminis, they also like to poke fun at people just to see what their limit is, but Geminis do it out of fun and mean no malice behind it; Virgos put others down to build themselves up.
I’ve found that a lot of Virgos are usually wannabe Leos, mainly in the sense that they’re their own biggest fans. Some tend to repress their feelings until you're ready to talk about yourself. Then all of a sudden they want to dominate the conversation and talk about themselves. A lot of them actually do have planets in Leo and other fixed signs, so they have some Leo/fixed sign energy but they aren't actual Leos and their Mercurial scatterbrained and mentally unfocused nature makes them get confused by that. They think a throne that does not belong to them is actually theirs. Which brings me to my next point: Virgos try to be just like others who are truly original and great, and steal their ideas. They have to always be “top shelf”, especially when they’re anything but. They have to be the ones who are complimented and honoured. So, if they see where another person is in the spotlight (in a good way), they hurry up and steal that person’s glory. They can be overly competitive, to a point where they come off as jealous, salty that someone is actually better than them at anything. So they have an “omnipotence” and/or “omniscience” where they’ve done, said, and experienced everything that anyone has done, said and experienced. They always know where you’re coming from, even when they couldn’t possibly; you can’t be unique around a Virgo because they’ll go overboard proving how much more unique they are than you. Any person that has to continuously hide their insecurities while not even knowing they are showing anyway is screwed up and Virgos never seem to have enough self awareness to keep it real with themselves when their lives are, more often than not, the most dramatic of anyone I’ve ever seen. They clearly don’t have an honest opinion on themselves.
Another thing is that they like to criticize everyone and everything that is not deemed perfect by them (which is pretty much everything), but they absolutely hate and don't tolerate being criticized by others. They’re not satisfied with others due to their dissatisfaction with themselves. Virgos are very critical, both towards themselves and towards other people, and can be harsh towards them. I can understand why though; Virgos don't do it for a charge—they do it out of projection because they are very critical on their own selves. I regard Virgos as the poor little ones of the zodiac. They’re extremely needy of love and acceptance and figure if they look perfect, do all the “right things” and do things perfectly and work hard that this can make people love them. They are also considered to be “unaware” of other people’s feelings; they do not take other people’s feelings into consideration (I’m not saying that all Virgos do this, some do). They can’t cover up the fact that their antics are rubbing people the wrong way so they try to claim their lies and insanity is “nonchalance”. They’re so mindful, that they seem to not have a mind of their own. It’s fascinating how they go all their lives judging and criticizing people, yet they will sit back and watch you/listen to you and then copycat a lot of the things you do. It didn’t take me long for me to notice this about them. If Virgos are so disgusted and turned off by what others do and how they do it (or just how people live in general), why do they always copy them? Some, or most Virgos think that they are higher and/or better than others, hence the “I don’t care about your emotions” attitude that they have. Virgos clearly don’t seem to love themselves, so they take it out on others.
Virgos are very messy, but theirs is a rather controlled messiness. They gaslight a lot, and like their sister sign Pisces, do backhanded underhanded things to others as well, especially those to whom they claim to be the closest with (family, best friends, etc.). A lot of them live double lives, especially the men. The women in particular are nosy as fuck and can be total snakes, haters and bitter, no growth, always projecting and they reek of insecurity. The men are bitchy, can't take criticism, and are two-faced just like their female counterparts. Most Virgos can be very unlikable due to them putting up a fake front of perfection to keep up appearances while keeping their true selves under wraps for only the closest ones such as their family to deal with. Soon the inconsistencies and general amoral conduct will come to light. If you decide to distance yourself from a Virgo, they can be downright stalkers and will continue to try to keep in touch out of spite and nosiness. When a Virgo knows that you aren’t too fond of them anymore, they can be very petty and annoying by leaving messages on your phone and/or texting/messaging someone until you just give in and started talking to them back. Once they’re done "figuring you out", you’re no longer interesting to them and you’re of no use to them. I will note that if you have a lot of people around you, that attracts Virgos to you, too. Their way is to become one with their universal empathy and follow the world’s heartbeat very closely through intuition and illogical instincts. Like their sister sign, Pisces, they are helpful, introverted, masochistic, love playing the role of the victim, and are completely driven by insecurities. However, Virgos have the hardworking nature and follow-through that their shadow sign, Pisces, don’t have it in them to do. Virgos can also be selfless like Pisces, but only when they come out on top first.
Out of all the signs on here, they come in, big mad that anyone could dare dislike them or can point out any flaws, claiming you need a hug, gaslighting you, or asking “who hurt you?” under the wrong and delusional assertion that you’ve been hurt by one. If it’s not total effusive praise and near-worship, Virgos don’t wanna hear it, and even when they do get it, they still have a problem with it. A Virgo becomes a mental case if they’re perturbed. Everyone is not going to like you, and arguing with people about how they are "haters" or whatever is only proving everyone's point. There is no need to argue with Virgos when they're carrying on like angry birds because unbeknownst to them, all that yakking they do constantly proves the so-called haters RIGHT. Instead of gritting their teeth and gracefully accepting the criticism they insist on giving out, they get defensive, deflect and refuse to admit what is true. In general, though, they are usually deep thinkers and are much given to analysis. This means that they will not be deterred by the amount of introspection required before they can reach a decision about themselves and their future. Virgos need to reevaluate their lifestyles and themselves. They need to try to become more objective in their outlook and learn to let go of the past. In this, they’re also much like their sister sign, Pisces. Both Pisces and Virgo symbolize spirals of energy directed downward; thus, these signs are connected with the past in some way: Pisces with past "karma" and Virgo with the past crises in the development of the personality. That relentless search for perfection needs to be channeled in healthier ways than complaining and criticizing everyone and everything. It hurts others, but not as much as it hurts them in the long run.
Virgos are very sensitive; I dare say they’re way more sensitive than everyone loves to say that Cancers are. The curious thing about them is that they are so sensitive to the judgment of others yet they don’t take that into consideration when being critical of other people. They should learn to take out what they dish out. I don't know why that's so difficult to understand. Virgos like to think and say that they’re nonchalant to others’ negative opinions and valid critiques of their character...lies and fairy tales. They claim to be unbothered and not care, but judging by their reactions offline and most especially online (on anon of course lol) they’re the most pressed people in the zodiac. I've never known a Virgo to not care, out of all the signs they care the most about how they appear to others. The. Most. The least anyone can do when encountering a Virgo is to encourage, encourage, encourage them because I see something in them that I don't think Virgos ever will: that they actually are great. What makes them so bad, is the beating up of themselves that they do and how that manifests in not letting others be great. When a Virgo comes across someone who's very hard on themselves (like Virgos), they get a little thrill out of that. Misery loves company. But when Virgos get around people who are truly confident and happy with themselves, the Virgo makes it a special mission to destroy their happiness, bringing them down to their level, and then when they're done "level-setting” with that person, they shout to the mountaintops how much they looove being Virgos (which is somehow doubtful). It’s intriguing how Virgos wonder why they “get so much hate”, because Virgos earn all of that so called hate—nobody gives it to them (as is the case with Cancers and Geminis)—they’ve earned it.
previous tea: capricorn • aquarius • pisces • aries • taurus • gemini • cancer • leo
#end of the season tea#almost forgot about them tbh lol#drink well children#virgo#a chick who wants all the smoke can’t be under fire ever#mine#let’s see how many reblogs this one gets…🤔
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‘’ you know me too well. ‘’
Pairing: Drunk!Lucifer x Gender Neutral MC
Genre: Spicy fluff
Synopsis: You knew Lucifer would be coming home drunk, you just didn’t think he’d come wandering into your room. Especially not with that look in his eyes. Inspired by the chat you get in game where Lucifer drunkenly tells you he loves you.
Word Count: 1605
Warnings for implied drunken sexual acts where one party is sober, and fade to black.
You sat in your bedroom, eyes locked onto your D.D.D. Its light seems to almost taunt you as the device’s screen occasionally dims, only for your to tap it at the last second, not ready to stop looking just yet.
There stood those three damning words, condemning your soul to both heaven, hell, and everywhere in between. After all, he was clearly drunk. There was no way Lucifer could possibly have meant it.
No way that he could possibly have loved you.
You were a human. Diavolo’s prized exchange student. In other words, Lucifer’s personal responsibility. Sure, the demon had come to trust you, and you even considered him a close friend. But that was it. Lucifer was your friend, and nothing more than that.
Though, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t find him the least bit attractive. Underneath all his pride and standoffish nature, he could be rather endearing, dare you say even a bit charming. But unless Lucifer was as drunk as he was tonight all the time, he’d never reciprocate your feelings. At the end of the day, you were just human. A human that Lucifer wouldn’t dare to let himself fall for.
Still, looking at his words made you feel something. The drunken declaration of love made your heart beat just a bit faster and sent a soft pink flooding across your cheeks. It almost made you forget that the demon’s actions were the result of a drinking contest that ended quicker than it should have.
Your blissful suffering was cut short by a knock at your door. Assuming it was Mammon or one of the other residents of the House of Lamentation, you ignored the noise, figuring they’d let themselves in. It wasn’t until the knock grew louder that you begrudgingly rose from your bed and opened the door.
“Mammon, I told you I wasn’t going to help you w-” You freeze like a deer in headlights as you realized that was very much not Mammon. Lucifer stands before you with a light smirk on his face. His coat is barely hanging over one shoulder and his face is just the least bit flushed. Even his usually perfectly styled black hair sticks up in places, though you had to admit it looked good on him.
“Hello to you too, MC.” Your eyes meet his, and you can tell that despite his sarcastic remark, he holds no real malice towards you. He walks into your room, both of you knowing he doesn’t need to ask.
“Lucifer, you’re drunk.” It isn’t a question. As he passed by you, you could smell the alcohol in his breath, knowing that any drink from the Devildom would knock a human like you unconscious with one sip.
A human like me.
Lucifer laughs, nowhere near as condescending as usual, though he still holds that prideful glint in his eye. Only it’s mixed with something else, something you don’t quite understand. All you know is that it draws you in. Lucifer’s vice may be alcohol, but your vice is him.
He seats himself on your bed while removing his jacket and more or less tossing it onto your desk chair. He eyes your D.D.D and before you can stop him, he taps the dimmed screen, revealing his text message from nearly an hour ago.
“So you’ve been thinking about me, hm?”
“No!” You pout. “...maybe. You should go to bed, you’re drunk,” you repeat, as though saying it again will remind him, despite the fact that he is well aware of his intoxicated state.
“Demons are still aware when they’re drunk, MC. We have a far higher tolerance than you humans do.” It takes all your effort not to cringe when he says ‘humans’. You didn’t want to be reminded of what you were. Lucifer’s smirk grows a bit wider. “And I’ll stay as long as I like.” Knowing there’s no stopping him, and that you don’t even want him to leave, you sit beside him. He cups your chin and turns your head so that your eyes meet once more.
“Lucifer-”
“You read the message, MC.” If you weren’t blushing before, you certainly are now. Your cheeks are redder than Lucifer’s shirt and feel as though they’re on fire.
“And...?” He chuckles.
“It seems spending so much time with my brothers has made you a bit dense.” You can’t help but laugh at that. It’s true, they’ve all influenced you since you arrived in the Devildom. Although, thoughts of your newfound friends are quickly replaced by memories and fantasies of Lucifer. He snaps his fingers in front of your face, bringing you out of your daydreams and replacing them with the real thing.
“I don’t know what you’re getting at,” you insist, lightly pouting. You’ve found that frustration is a great way to mask your feelings. Lucifer sighs, in that tired, just barely scolding way that makes your heart skip a beat. His grasp on your chin tightens as he leans closer to you.
“I think you do.”
“You’re drunk, you didn’t mean-”
“I did.”
The playful pride in his gaze has been replaced with something new. Severity, desire, passion. You can feel yourself slipping, drowning in those dark ruby pools, and you have no desire to save yourself.
Lucifer laughs quietly. “What’s the matter, MC? At a loss for words?”
“Only for you...” you murmur. He grins.
“For me, hm?” Lucifer chuckles softly. “Good,” he says, in a low voice. “That’s exactly how I like it.” Slowly, his hands find their way down your neck. You’re so frail, so breakable compared to him, and you can’t help but tense. You see Lucifer pull away ever so slightly. “Is this alright?”
“...yes. Yes, it is. Keep going.”
“Eager, are we?” You blush. Damn him. Damn him and his sexy voice and his sexy hands and his stupid, drunk, sexy face. His hands return to your neck, trailing sensually down before settling at your hips.
“Lucifer...” God, what can you even say to him? You aren’t sure, but he cuts you off anyways.
“You never responded.”
“Pardon?”
“To my message.” His eyes flitter to the D.D.D, forgotten on your pillow. Right, that. You chuckle softly.
“What can I say? You’re distracting me.”
“Then let’s not waste any more time.” Gently, Lucifer pushed you onto your back, your hair splayed out behind you on the silken sheets. Come to think of it, your sheets aren’t usually this soft and nice. They smell faintly of carnations, a scent Lucifer knows the both of you like. They’re washed, too.
But you didn’t wash your sheets.
“You planned this,” you say, your voice just barely above a whisper. Pleasant shock creeps across your face, an expression that Lucifer takes delight in.
“You know me too well.” You smile. “It’s a shame that you caught on and ruined the surprise, though,” he scolds. There’s butterflies in your stomach, perhaps you ought to get scolded by Lucifer more often.
“I can make up for it.”
“And how will you do that?”
“Like this.”
Before he can react, you press your lips against Lucifer’s. Quickly easing into it, he reciprocates the kiss. At the very least, he wasn’t faking being drunk out of his mind, the taste of Devildom whiskey off his lips and the intoxicating scent of his cologne could probably knock you out. And yet, you’d never felt so awake. So alive.
He pulls away from the kiss for a moment, a soft whine escaping your lips. Luckily, before you can protest, Lucifer moves his affections to your neck.
“Not even going to give me a moment to catch my breath?” you tease.
“You should know better than to think I of all people would show you such mercy. Foolish human.” You roll your eyes at that. Did he just kill the mood? “You’re lucky, you know,” Lucifer remarks as he leaves a mark on your neck. Yeah, no, mood still intact, unlike your neck.
“Ah-! Why... why is that?”
“You’re human. So small in the universe, yet every taste, every touch so grand, unlike any other.” His fingers move to unbutton your shirt, fingers trailing over your bare skin. “I crave that feeling, that ecstasy, of something new.” He removes his own shirt, and by the time you blink, the rest of his clothes are off as well. You blink again, and so are yours.
Lucifer’s eyes skirt over you with hunger, with pure desire.
“I crave you, MC.” Your breath catches in your throat. Lucifer’s figure, a demon with the body and features of an angel, it’s a sight to behold. But more than that, his gaze. Never before has he seemed so raw, so carnal. In this moment, he isn’t a demon. He’s every bit as human as you are.
“Then have me.”
You aren’t sure how long it goes on for, the experience leaving a pleasant fuzzy memory. Your body buzzes with sensual gratification, leaving the world perfectly and beautifully hazy.
It isn’t until you both come down from your high that Lucifer begins to speak. This time, you cut him off. Wrapping a blanket around yourself, you reach for your D.D.D, earning an eyebrow raise from Lucifer. You type something out, and a soft ding comes from Lucifer’s forgotten coat. He walks over, giving you a rather... desirable view of his bare body.
“It’s rude to stare, MC,” he chides. He pulls his D.D.D from the coat’s pocket, his eyes widening as he reads the notification. It doesn’t last long, though. He scoffs. “ ‘Love you too’,” he reads aloud. “Always one for dramatics, aren’t you, MC?”
“You know me too well.”
#no prereading we die like men#i havent played om in so long this is probably so ooc#but that is Fine#obey me#obey me swd#obey me shall we date#obey me one master to rule them all#obey me lucifer#lucifer#om lucifer#lucifer x reader#drunk lucifer#obey me x reader#gender neutral reader#fluff#obey me fluff#obey me fanfic#theres so many loose ends i'll tie them up in a sequel or sumn im tired
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The difference between the friend dynamics in the Adventure and 02 groups
This is a point I’ve reiterated in a lot of my 02-based metas, but there is a fairly distinct difference between the Adventure Chosen Children having a tight, deep bond and yet not quite being friends in “social life”, whereas the 02 group was a much tighter group on a social level. I always feel that I need to be really careful about saying this, because if I don’t word it carefully, it sounds like I’m trivializing the Adventure group’s bonds (plus, a lot of Adventure diehards will get very upset at you for suggesting this no matter how you put it), so I thought I should write something a bit more in-depth about it.
I think a lot of of this ultimately ties into what each series was about. The fact that Adventure was meant to be a series about “self-recognition of the individual” whereas 02 was about “relationships with others” has been pointed out by many a fan (and official staff too, while we’re at it), and it naturally lends to how the characters and the relationships between them will have a fundamental difference.
The idea that the Adventure group wouldn’t be the type to get together all that easily never really took that long after Adventure to set in. Of course, Our War Game! having this as a plot point also had a meta purpose (basically, limiting the number of people who could participate in the Diablomon battle), but it also has a very important point behind it: the Adventure kids’ social lives were never all that intertwined.
Again, this is something that sounds really awful to say without further qualification. What do you mean, the Adventure kids weren’t friends? Does that mean their entire adventure was for nothing? Did they go through all that only to forget about each other right after it?!
Well, no, that’s kind of exaggeration. I think to properly flesh out the nature of the issue, it’s important to define the differing ways you can be friends with someone. Imagine that you go on the best vacation in your life. You meet a handful of people there. You swap stories and get life-changing advice. You take commemorative photos after some really spectacular experiences. You swap numbers and social media contacts and then you go home. Are you going to keep in touch every so often with the people who gave you some very important advice, and maybe check on their important life events or organize a reunion sometime in the future? Very possibly! Does that mean everyone you met at that trip will now be regularly going out for lunch with you every week now?...Probably not, especially if you already have friends from school. That doesn’t mean you aren’t friends with the important people you met during that best life-changing vacation; it just means that they fill a very different niche in your life from the friends who don’t necessarily understand the life-changing vacation but have the free time to chat with you over lunch.
When the Adventure group found themselves pulled into the Digital World during summer camp, they had already come from very different social spheres. In short:
Taichi, Sora, and Koushirou were the only ones with a background of knowing each other beforehand, thanks to being in the soccer club;
Yamato went to the same school as the others but was a stranger to them, to the point people didn’t even realize Takeru was his brother at first;
Mimi had her own friend circle (see Adventure episode 29);
Jou was assigned as Mimi’s camp group leader but had no other prior relation to her, and Yamato didn’t even initially know his age;
Takeru wasn’t even supposed to be there since he didn’t go to their school and was only tagging along with Yamato;
Hikari was brought halfway into the adventure by virtue of being the eighth Chosen and Taichi’s sister.
Although six of the eight come from the same school, you can see that they’re basically “kids brought together by a certain circumstance” -- they’re not kids who would have normally come into each other’s purview had it not been for this. Which also means that as soon as their adventure ended and some years passed, the aspects of their real lives and social circles started kicking back in:
Taichi continued soccer;
Yamato formed a band (and presumably had a good relationship with his own bandmates);
Sora quit soccer for tennis;
Koushirou quit soccer for the computer club;
Mimi moved to the US;
Jou started attending a private school outside Odaiba;
Takeru and Hikari were never in their age group to begin with.
In the case of Taichi, Yamato, Sora, and Koushirou, it’s representative of how, although they originally had a shared interest in soccer, ultimately, they started to drift into their own specialties. Again, remember that Adventure was a series fundamentally about finding yourself and finding your own path, and all of these choices actually tie into their character arcs: Taichi is a straightforward person and a natural, charismatic leader, meaning soccer was good for him to begin with; Yamato learned to become more sociable and make friends at school; Sora started playing tennis as part of properly reconciling with her mother, and Koushirou decided to pursue a club relevant to his actual interests instead of one purely so that he could have minimal presence in it.
Mimi’s moving to the US is an interesting case because it’s likely because she’s often described (by both fans and official staff) as someone who is easily likeable and can get along with practically anyone. Considering that she’s constantly considerate of others and lacking in condescension or malice, it’s easy to see why; her infamous bouts of complaining were largely because she was under a lot of stress at the time of Adventure’s events (it’s even said that her cracking under pressure was meant to be representative of how an ordinary child her age would react to the situation), and otherwise she has no problems making friends -- hence why she was shown in Adventure episode 29 as already having friends in Taako and Mii-chan that she presumably hung out with prior to the events of the series. So in moving to the US, the point is made that Mimi could move to an entire other country and still hit it up with people there (and she does, given how she makes friends in Michael and the other American Chosen without issue). So thus, Mimi’s moving is also part of her own path -- becoming an effective “ambassador” between international Chosen as they start to pop up all over the globe.
As for Jou, his character arc has heavily to do with the fact that he’s always been on the “elite” academic track -- Japanese school entrance exams stretch back as far as high school, so the fight to get into medical school comes back as early as here, and since the events of Adventure helped Jou come to terms with why he wanted to be a doctor rather than just following his father’s wishes, it’s understandable that he would now be putting everything into that goal -- even if it means going to a different school outside Odaiba and committing himself to the prep school life. And, generally speaking, the other kids respect that too, given that the only time they tried to pull him from it was a time they were literally suffocating on the spot and needed Ikkakumon’s specific backup badly (02 episode 16).
And finally, Takeru and Hikari? The fact that they’re that much younger than the others in this group really is a big deal. When they’re on something “purpose-based” like an adventure, of course the others will have no problem keeping them around, and of course they’ll be happy to participate with these older kids. But if we’re talking about mundane, ordinary life -- there’s not a lot of evidence to suggest they really would prefer the company of kids so much older than them for conversations over lunch. This is especially because it’s hard to imagine they didn’t have other friends at school, too.
Not that they mind being around all these older kids when the time calls for it, but as far as socialization goes, they have their own lives to live. And that’s fine; again, Adventure was a narrative about kids coming to terms with themselves and what they wanted, and it’s not their fault for prioritizing those paths and forming their own social circles rather than insisting on being a specific eight-person group (no matter how much the fanbase wants to have the romantic image of them sticking together all the time no matter what).
Plus, it’s not like they all completely drifted apart and cut each other off!
Just because they’re not “daily life friends” doesn’t mean they’re not still important to each other. 02 episode 38 has Taichi, Sora, Jou, and Koushirou show up for Yamato’s concert -- it’s unlikely they were attending every single one of his concerts, but this was a very important one that was going to be broadcast on TV, so it’s only natural that even Jou (who, again, doesn’t go to school in Odaiba anymore) would still come to support him.
In fact, the fact they can come together when a situation like this happens even without necessarily meeting up every single day of their lives is probably a testament to how strong that bond is in itself. They don’t need to hang out once a day or week to maintain their friendship, and having other friends they’d rather hang out with throughout the day or invite to events doesn’t necessarily mean the other Adventure kids are less worthy friends to them. That experience in August 1999 was so impactful on all of them that they will never forget it, so even if they spent quite a long amount of time not interacting with each other, when a circumstance that necessitates them coming together does bring them together, they can hit it off like nothing happened. Think about how you might have an important friend that you may not chat with on a daily basis, but you talk to them once in a while and hit it off like you never had a break in the conversation. But because that strong bond is based on that one very specific experience that happened in one specific summer, it’s only natural that the majority of meetups over this are going to be based on something to do with that experience, like Digimon incidents; for ordinary things like “band concerts” or “club activities”, it’ll naturally be easier to stick around friends who have more similar social interests, like fellow band or club members.
On the other hand, this is very much not the case for the 02 group.
To understand why the 02 group has a fundamentally different dynamic, we need to dial back to a little before the actual “adventure” part of 02 started.
Right off the bat, we see:
Takeru moves to Odaiba from Sangenjaya, and specifically to the same building Miyako and Iori live in, meaning he’ll be walking to school with them every day;
02 episode 7 indicates that the Motomiya and Yagami families live in the same apartment complex, meaning Daisuke and Hikari are also likely to walk to school together;
Miyako and Iori are established as having already long hit it off with each other as neighbors;
Daisuke, Hikari, and Takeru end up in the same class (with Daisuke and Hikari having known each other already).
In other words: Even before anything to do with Digimon had been introduced (or re-introduced, technically) into their lives, the kids were already being thrown into each other’s social circles. You could technically argue that Daisuke wouldn’t have necessarily met Miyako and Iori if not for the Digimon incident coming into his life later in the episode, but Takeru being neighbors with them basically fills in all of the gaps here -- unlike with the Adventure kids where the adventure in August 1999 threw them together when they likely wouldn’t have been in the same social circle otherwise, the 02 kids are the social circle even independently of the Digimon incidents. In fact, due to being functionally neighbors, there are a lot of ways these kids’ social lives intersect, with Daisuke and Miyako being Taichi and Koushirou’s juniors, Miyako working for Yamato’s band, Yamato being classmates with Miyako’s sister Chizuru, and Jun and Miyako’s other sister Momoe being classmates.
Since, again, 02 was a series fundamentally structured on examining relationships, you can basically view Adventure being a series about “bringing some people together as they find self-assertion even when they’re from different social circles” while 02 follows that up with “so if they were in the same social circle, how would they deal with that?” -- especially since 02 makes it clear that certain kinds of emotional baggage associated with that can actually make it much more complicated.
A lot of 02′s first half is dedicated to the 02 kids doing completely mundane things that have very little relevance to the Digital World conflict -- watching TV in the computer room (remember: this was before they realized the “genius boy” being covered on the news was actually relevant to this), or having a picnic in the Digital World. Mimi even explicitly points out that this kind of thing wouldn’t have happened with the Adventure kids, but it’s not just because of the fact that Adventure involved a lot of running for their lives! It’s easy to dismiss a lot of what happens in these early episodes as “filler”, but a lot of this is dedicated to depicting how the 02 kids were constantly spending time with each other for reasons completely separated from Digimon incidents. This even includes completely ordinary things like soccer games -- Takeru, Hikari, Miyako, and Iori come to support Daisuke with an obvious motive of seeing him do well, so it’s apparent that they’ve come to enjoy hanging out with him beyond just obligation.
Part of this is because of the different nature of the Digimon conflict that they experienced. The Adventure kids had an experience that really was, functionally, “one” experience -- an extremely formative and important one, but one condensed one that they all experienced together. The nature of what the 02 territory war and conflict was, on the other hand, meant that what the conflict “was” to the 02 kids was of a completely different nature. This wasn’t summer vacation; this involved going back and forth between the fight and real life, to the point where Digimon fighting became integrated into “daily life” -- so of course you’d probably hope that the people you’re fighting with are also people you like to bond with on a social level. “Digimon life” and “social life” became synonymous to them.
And when it all comes down to it, it’s hard to pinpoint a “single experience” that the events of 02 embodied, or at least in the same way August 1999′s adventure was. As much as they were running for their lives, the Adventure kids have the luxury of looking at the events of their series as a formative singular time for them, one that they could even look at nostalgically, but for the 02 kids, it’s hard to condense everything into one singular experience (it’s easy for the audience to see it as one series, but for the kids themselves, it’s a very long chain of vaguely connected events). Actually, most of the year involved fighting with someone who ended up becoming their important friend and the other involved helping him deal with his trauma, so it’s not like everyone would be likely to have the most romantic image of this experience itself to “bond” over as much as they care more about the take-home they got out of it: each other.
One thing that 02 doesn’t really spotlight front and center with its starter cast of characters is that, unlike the Adventure kids, who either came with their own social circles prior to Adventure or eventually developed their own in the course of their lives, it’s heavily implied that the 02 kids actually had difficulty making other friends even on a social level, or at least were likely to be in a situation where the other 02 kids really were better company than their other options even for mundane situations. This is especially in the case of the newly introduced characters, who are, effectively, a bit socially “displaced” from others and likely to have struggles fitting in.
There are quite a few signs that Daisuke had serious difficulty making friends prior to the events of the series (with Hikari being the closest thing he had to one), and the fact that the 12-year-old Miyako is portrayed as constantly hanging out with the 9-year-old Iori, brought together by being neighbors, rather than people closer to their own ages stands out. Iori is particularly interesting in that, unlike with Takeru and Hikari, who were portrayed as kids likely to socialize better with those their own age, Iori’s unusual maturity for his age heavily implies that he would actually be out of place with his classroom peers (a very common phenomenon for some people in real life, too!). 02 episode 3 depicting him left alone in the classroom with only a teacher to watch him while his stubborn fixation on principles leaves him slow to finish his lunch says a lot -- his own behavior is liable to isolate him from others, and it’s thus not all that surprising he ended up bonding with some kids who are older than him and more accepting (and even treat him with proper respect, too).
Takeru and Hikari, too. There’s been a lot of arguments over whether the two of them would theoretically be closer to the Adventure kids or the 02 kids, but I would honestly say it’s technically both at once -- they have the same “not socially close, but intuitively understanding” relationship that the Adventure kids all have with each other, but hold the other 02 kids as part of their social circle and hang out with them in “daily life”. So in other words, they have the Adventure kids’ relationship with the other Adventure kids, and the 02 kids’ relationship with the 02 kids. This is presumably why Takeru and Hikari end up hitting it off so well at the start of 02 even though they didn’t interact all that intimately in Adventure; not only do they have that shared experience they intuitively understand, they also were able to start hanging out in day-to-day life and actually, well, socialize.
This applies to them in relation to the rest of the group as well. While neither of them were necessarily portrayed as having social problems, one common thread between the two is that they’re both very emotionally closed-in. Takeru’s response to negativity is to cover it up with smiles, until he can’t hide it anymore and bursts (which scares the hell out of Iori in 02 episode 19 and ultimately forms the basis of their Jogress arc), whereas Hikari has issues vocalizing whenever she’s hurt or in pain (said by herself in 02 episode 31, but with precedent from Adventure episode 48). That means that, even with potential social circles at school, it’s unlikely they necessarily would have had someone they could emotionally bond with deeply off the bat (especially since Takeru had just moved from Sangenjaya), and it’s likely why they kept gravitating towards each other (despite never truly talking about anything in-depth for most of the series) up until the Jogress arc.
In other words, while the Adventure kids’ adventure of self-actualization meant that their relationships to each other were mainly formed on simply understanding that they had a similar experience and empathizing, the 02 kids -- full of a group of somewhat socially maladjusted and out of place kids, plus two who had been on the prior adventure but were young enough to now still be carrying some deep-seated, unresolved emotional baggage -- were in a position where they arguably needed each others’ help to grow.
Jogress isn’t just an obligatory evolution gimmick; it’s something very important to 02 as a series and understanding what it wants to say about relationships. I think one thing that makes me very sad is how often its constant pigeonholing as a gimmick makes me hear people saying that Daisuke and Ken was the only plot-relevant one and the rest were forced “spares”, saying that something like Takeru-Hikari and Miyako-Iori would make more sense. But when the point of the series is about building your relationships from scratch and learning to grow together, I really don’t feel that a story about relationships that naturally existed already would have helped it nearly as much. It’s not like Daisuke and Ken was that likely of a friendship, either!
This is especially in the case of Takeru and Hikari, who certainly were vibing pretty well with each other, but were still very emotionally closed-in with a lot of emotional baggage until the more to-the-point Miyako and Iori were able to break through their shells. (02 episode 13 is so often considered a “Takeru and Hikari bonding” episode, but while it does do a lot to show off the depth of their relationship that hadn’t been depicted much besides them just hanging out all the time, it also does not solve Hikari’s core problem in nearly the same way Miyako gets to the bottom of it in episode 31.) This is also why Takeru and Hikari have such a different relationship with the 02 kids compared to theirs with the Adventure kids; while they were largely tagging along with the older kids and learning a bit about inner strength back during their summer adventure, the 02 group is the one who not only provided them with friendship on a more equal peer level, but also poked deeply into their emotional issues that they very much needed others to help them out of. These are friends who finally get them.
That Ken ultimately becomes yet another addition to this group of kids in need of friends finding support in each other should go without saying -- after all, it’s made abundantly clear he was very lonely and friendless until Daisuke and the others reached out to him -- but it ultimately culminates in them choosing to integrate this lonely boy from Tamachi into their social life. (Remember: Ken is the only of the six 02 kids to live in Tamachi and not Odaiba, but the last quarter of the series has them going out of their way to meet up.) The episode that establishes that everyone has truly made their peace with Ken and wants to unequivocally support him (with the most originally stubborn against it, Iori, graciously accepting him) is sealed off with a Christmas party. A completely ordinary Christmas party that has nothing to do with the Digimon incidents at hand, where they can play meaningless card games and celebrate the little things like Ken laughing, because it’s not just forgiving him or learning to work with him, but actively enjoying his presence and supporting him.
The Digimon Animation Chronicle profile for Ken in Diablomon Strikes Back refers to him as Daisuke’s “best friend” (親友). Usually, the word for “friends” within Adventure and 02 would be nakama (仲間); you may have heard this word from One Piece fans, but this is a word that roughly means “one of us” and has a stronger emphasis on being in a certain group, or being like-minded. Thus, “you’re a Chosen Child like us,” or, more pertinently, “you have the same goal as us and we’re in this together” (after all, it’s not like being a Chosen Child was ever an exclusive club or anything).
But in the case of Daisuke and Ken’s relationship, it’s not just about having happened to gain a deep bond over the course of 02, it’s that Daisuke now really does have a sense of emotional closeness to Ken that the two are considered best friends by default -- in any situation, despite him living all the way in Tamachi. Even though the franchise loves to put them in the category that “protagonists and rivals” usually get, where most others are ones who tend to have friction but understand each other in the end, Daisuke and Ken are unique in that they’re not like that at all. They have a very straightforward sense of emotionally confiding in each other, at worst maybe lightly bantering a bit, but they are friends before anything else, and that extends to the rest of the 02 group as well.
The aftermath
On its face, it sounds like the 02 kids are getting a pretty luxurious deal -- they got a fun adventure of emotional growth out of it, and they’re tight friends with each other at that! Well, that probably sounds great, but there’s a flip side to all of this.
Firstly, as I mentioned earlier, the Adventure kids’ adventure in 1999 was a lot more “romantic” than the 02 kids’ eight-month-long ordeal. Sure, a lot of it definitely was stressful, what with the running for their lives and the scary villains and the emotional conflict, but there was also the part about getting to meet Gennai and the other friendly Digimon around and getting to explore villages. They were on summer break, so they didn’t even really have to worry about school (especially once they realized time dilation was a thing); it’s basically the epitome of the romantic coming-of-age story. (Fun fact: Stand By Me is really culturally influential in Japan.)
02, on the other hand, was an eight-month-long ordeal of having to fight a territory war crammed into the after-hours of school, juggling fighting this war with keeping it from parents, in a fight that would retroactively turn out to be against what would later become a heavily traumatized and beloved friend, plus eventually watching him get subject to even worse trauma. Oh, and the series also ended on witnessing a bunch of deaths (or in other words, the worst New Year’s Eve ever). While it seemed like the kids had the luxury of enjoying the Digital World in ways the Adventure kids couldn’t at first, actually, they didn’t get to enjoy as much of it at all, since they never got to form any lasting relationships with anyone like Gennai or Elecmon. These kids were basically too busy trying to keep each others’ heads on straight to really be able to focus on that.
The comparative mess that the 02 kids went through, and the messes that they kind of are, means that they’re rather dependent on each other for emotional support. This is not inherently a bad thing, mind you; the fact that some people are more independent than others is a simple fact of life, and the 02 kids (whether it’s from naturally being a bit misfit or from the degree of their experiences) being the type who grow together with mutual support isn’t inherently anything bad. It does, however, mean that they’re likely to have some difficulties ahead coming out of 02 as “growing up” conspires to make it more and more difficult for them to stick together -- after all, how many people have actually been able to stick with their elementary school friends all the way into adulthood? This is especially because Japanese high schools admit students by examination, and rank by academic ability; it’s not particularly common for those from the same elementary/middle school to attend the same high school, even if they live close to each other, and it’s very unlikely that all of them will be sticking together in school by that point.
So, how did they fare?
Well, before we get into anything else, we should probably bring up one thing that seems like such a tiny little detail but is actually very important for this: Technology didn’t stagnate at 02′s D-Terminals, and by the time of Kizuna in 2010, smartphones and group chats existed! (Earlier than they did in real life, at that.) This is actually really important because of how much it does for that question of “how to keep in contact when circumstances like school keep you apart” -- especially when the Adventure group would certainly appreciate the method to keep in touch despite their lives largely getting increasingly separate. That, and even more so if other similar technological things like social media existed; there’s a lot of ways to keep in touch despite physical and circumstantial distance.
Of course, they’d been keeping in touch via email since 02, but a group chat is much lower pressure and actively encourages everyone to keep in touch; think about how useful group chats have been for connecting with your own longtime friends. It’s ambiguous whether the 02 group was privy to this particular chat from To Sora given that they were clearly on call for incidents like the Parrotmon one, but it’s also entirely possible that this is a room for The Ones Who Went on That One Adventure in August 1999, especially since they use the Crests as their icons, and the 02 group has their own (let’s be real, they totally would; think about how many Discord servers with overlapping people you might be in right now). This, combined with the fact that the Adventure and 02 groups seem to have formed a sort of recon squad for the increasing number of Digimon incidents in Tokyo, means that there are actually a lot more opportunities to stay involved with each other than ever before!
As it seems, the Adventure group does seem to be rather emotionally close to the point that Taichi is willing to reach out to Yamato simply to dump his emotional troubles about his future career prospects on him (despite them going to very different universities at this point). Yet, at the same time, there’s still a palpable sense of distance going on here, and a depiction of Taichi and Yamato having developed separate social lives and their own friend circles -- Taichi with Morikawa and Nemoto, and Yamato with Abe (their names come from the novel), who are also acquainted with each other enough to talk about career and worry about each other.
When Taichi and Yamato talk over beer, they don’t even have updates on the same people (Yamato has to update Taichi on Sora and Takeru’s status), and ultimately, Yamato comments on their drifting -- saying that it’s a potentially inevitable part of choosing one’s path. It’s not hard to see why he says this; it’s been a recurring theme for them since after the events of Adventure. Sora and Mimi haven’t been around for Digimon incidents lately because of their careers, and it’s highly likely Jou hasn’t either; Koushirou keeps in touch, but our only depictions have been in the range of business and Digimon incidents.
But for the 02 group? Absolutely not.
The Kizuna drama CD has a lot about what the 02 group was doing (and planning to do) during their little “vacation” in New York. In fact, there’s a lot to go on about here:
Daisuke and Takeru show up together even though Iori was allegedly said to be “first” approached, meaning the two of them were basically hanging out anyway.
Daisuke insists on going on a trip that’s about his own personal career with friends -- and not just any friends, but specifically the group of himself, Ken, Miyako, Iori, Takeru, and Hikari. He also wanted his seniors along, but they were too busy -- but it’s pointed out that the other 02 group members aren’t exactly full of free time either, meaning that these five have a special place of importance to Daisuke in his ramen career trip.
Even the Digimon are aware of what the other humans (the ones that aren’t even their partners!) have been up to lately.
Miyako and Hawkmon say that it’s only natural for them to show up when the group is getting together -- i.e. being with this specific company is a fact of life to her, to the point she invents D-3 gate exploitation to be with them.
The group keeps saying “it’s been a while” for periods of time in which it is made pretty obvious it’s actually not a lot of time at all. (Miyako had just left for Spain to the point her coming back elicits an “already?!” kind of reaction, yet that constitutes “a while”, and the most likely very short time between the trip planning and the movie is also apparently “a while”, and it’s very likely that Takeru’s “a while” in greeting Iori may well have not been that long, either.) It really makes you think about how often the people in this group must be meeting up to think that this constitutes “a while”...
Hikari is ready to fight people for denying her the chance to play with Miyako.
Beyond that, they’ve all apparently been regular enough presences in Daisuke’s life for completely offhand comments and actions to have major impacts on his career thoughts.
In the movie itself, Miyako refuses to take on the exact same request that she ultimately gladly participates in with the rest of the 02 group in New York -- presumably, because the fact her friends are there makes it all better.
As it turns out, despite everything -- despite everyone going in completely different directions with their careers, attending different schools (Iori’s still in high school while everyone else is in university!), the 02 group has been maintaining this attitude of going out of their way to hang out with each other, in a sort of “we do it together, or we don’t do it at all” sense. Of course, that’s not to say they’ve all stayed so socially maladjusted that they’ve become completely incapable of making any other friends at all, but there is a very clear, strong preference of them wanting to be in each other’s specific company to the point that they would do ridiculous things to make it work.
So, you might be asking: what’s the trade-off?
Yamato attributes the alienation between the Adventure group to “choosing one’s own path”. Inherently, this is not quite right (nor is the sentiment that “choices are bad” in general), especially considering that Daisuke, Iori, and Hikari already made their choices in path a long time ago, yet are still behaving like this. The question is actually more of priorities; notice that while the older Adventure characters are mainly portrayed in Kizuna as aggressively pursuing career prospects, the 02 characters, despite having their current educational statuses listed in their profiles, simply seem to have this as not an object.
Iori’s still in school uniform; he’s arguably cramming this all between school club obligations. Ken, Miyako, Takeru, and Hikari don’t have their current educational status involved at all, and even though Daisuke’s ramen trip is technically for his future career, he’s also happy to just “play around” about sightseeing (and, again, there’s also no reason he needed to bring his friends for this). Takeru’s working on his novel, but he hasn’t actually decided it’ll be his career yet. It’s not about whether they’ve made choices or not; it’s about the fact they’re going about this remarkably casually to the point where maintaining their relationship with their friends is more important than career. And this extends to the 02 epilogue as well; compared to their seniors’ more prominent history-making careers, the 02 group’s is more low-scale and community-oriented (the only exception being Sora, but even that ties into individual ambition more than anything else, considering that not succeeding her mother is already a pretty big deal in itself).
The take-home
Adventure and 02 are both very well-known for showcasing people with different personalities and goals in life, and celebrating their differences. I think, personally, the difference between the Adventure and 02 groups’ dynamics is also something that reflects on the different ways to live one’s life as well. This is especially something that most of us can probably understand well now that we’re adults looking back at this, especially in light of Kizuna.
There are some of us who really want to do large-scale things in this world, and will need that understanding of the self to get there but may struggle with maintaining consistent friendships on that turbulent path, and have to adapt by managing the different levels of their relationships and learning to get along with different people in different ways. There are some of us who gain happiness more from mutual support with the people around us even if it means not ostensibly achieving as “great” things, and feel most comfortable with a single consistent set of friends. Some of us are in between, or feel elements of both as we try to experiment with things in life (actually, I’m pretty sure that’s probably most of us to some degree).
Think about your own life and future prospects right now, and then think about the friends you may be in touch with, or haven’t been in touch with for a while, or the ones you talk to for different purposes or fulfill different niches in your life. We’re all trying to straddle this balance; there’s no one right way to live.
#digimon#digimon adventure#digimon adventure 02#digimon adventure last evolution kizuna#kizuna spoilers
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𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧. | 𝐤𝐢𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐧.
𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: royal!younghoon x lady’s maid!fem reader
𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄: angst but not really + fluff // enemies to friends
𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: younghoon’s a bit sassy/socially awkward but nth too extreme
𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓: 1.5k
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: happy (belated) birthday my beaby @chaoticdeobi, ily endlessly, i hope you like it! i hope you had a great day!
the hall was grand, to say the least. the walls painted in the finest mix of white tie and matchstick; but to any common eye, the paint was just simply cream. portraits of the family’s ancestors hung perfectly on said walls, golden plaques engraved with their names and the years from birth to death, situated just below them.
you could say the hall was the largest part of the building but yet, younghoon was always found hiding away in the undercroft. his time well spent at the very end, paintbrush in hand as he delicately placed the brush onto the canvas, an elegant piece forming in its wake; finding comfort and solace in the peace that he got, a break from his reality, hence why his father had gifted him the space and the utensils for his twelfth birthday.
a slight sigh left younghoon’s slightly ajar lips of concentration, brows knitting together as he couldn’t quite get the right angle of his paintbrush, “it won’t work if you’re holding it so awkwardly.” it took the man by surprise, spilling his water pot over his fresh set of white trousers, nobody ever wandered into his space during the day as the staff working in the castle feared him and his intimidating gaze nor did they ever sneak up on him upon knowing of his tendency to become scared easily.
fury burning in his eyes as his fresh whites absorbed more and more of the tainted water as he sat there, whipping his head in the direction of the voice who stood behind him, arms folded and they leaned against the porcelain walls, legs crossed in a way that just screamed arrogance.
“excuse me, who the hell do you think you are sneaking up on a royal, did you not see the ‘do not disturb’ sign?” with a sigh, younghoon scurried to wipe off his trousers - not that it would do anything considering fabric isn’t waterproof and the damage was already done - huffing again, “oh, forget it. clean this up, i take it you’re a maid? now if you excuse me.”
it was dinner time now, and everybody knew that the king wanted the whole family to sit around the dining table together, occasionally discuss important business him and his wife had to deal with, or something they wanted younghoon to participate in against his will; but in his eyes, it was all apart of the family bonding.
“where’s mother?” younghoon asked as he adjusted his newly fixed hair, the constant puffing of breath out of his lips having messed it up. watching the kitchen staff busily prepare the table for their meal.
“one of the cleaning workers knocked over your mother’s glass of wine and it went all over her new gown. she’ll be down in a few- oh look, she’s coming here now.”
placing her palm upon her husband’s shoulder, younghoon’s mother took her seat at the dinner table, a familiar face following behind and standing to the side of the room with the other staff, you. you were his mother’s lady maid. if it were anybody else, he would’ve apologised for the tone he gave you earlier when he mistook you for part of the cleaning staff.. but what right did you of all people have spying on him in his private space?
“son? are you listening?” his father called to him, realisation hitting younghoon that he hadn’t stopped gaping at you since you walked in the room. adjusting his collar before prompting his father to continue speaking.
“as i was saying, your mother and i have to leave the country for a few days. you are in charge of taking care of your sister whilst we’re gone as well as the staff. we trust you with this son, don’t disappoint us,”
“oh and y/n, you will be staying here for the time being, your services aren’t necessary on this trip. you’ll be in charge of our daughter when younghoon is busy, understood?” whilst younghoon’s father was a kind and generous man, he definitely wasn’t the most respected man in the castle for no reason. his striking and powerful demeanour spread for miles, no one dared to disobey the king, not knowing exactly what he’s capable of but not wanting to find out either.
younghoon’s parents were gone for most of his childhood, along through his teenage years and then into his early adulthood. so it’s safe to say he grew up isolated and alone for most of his life. his only source of socialisation was when his sister was born seven years ago, when he was seventeen. they’re practically attached at the hip, wherever younghoon went, his sister followed and vice versa. his sister was mature for her age, much like younghoon himself, she had to learn how to take care of herself from an early age; that included knowing how to dress appropriately, know how to do her own hair and makeup for any special occasions the family hosted or attended to as well as the basics on how to behave as a royal should. the only difference between the siblings was that now, younghoon had responsibilities he had to take care of- preparing to be king once his father passes or if he steps down from the throne, maintaining a clean record as well as the constant fear of practically falling apart at the seams.
it wasn’t and still isn’t the ideal life for one to live, seeking his father’s approval and permission for pretty much everything he does. the burden weighing upon his shoulders just itching to make his knees buckle and collapse, making it hard for him to do pretty much anything “normal” like making friends or doing typical things you’d do in your twenties; it wasn’t that he liked people keeping their distance from him, nor the fact that everybody in the castle had their own misconceptions on him and his behaviour, all of which turn their topic of conversations onto him whenever he walks into the room.
it was a couple of days later when younghoon found himself sitting on the top of a hill just outside of the castle gates, observing the vast and majestic view that clouded the sky. the blue replaced by a faint red hue whilst the clouds floated aimlessly. the only sounds heard consisted of younghoon’s breathing, the small flow of water beside him and the odd bird that flew by every now and then. he can’t remember the last time he felt pure peace. everything being far too fast to keep up, like a black hole or a tornado, something you’re quickly swept up into until you completely disappear and break.
“they’re going absolutely mad looking for you in the castle, sir.”
you.
without sparing you a glance, younghoon let out a sigh, his shoulders tensing slightly at the thought of going back to the place that causes far too much stress.
unpropping yourself from a nearby rock, settling a comfortable space from younghoon, staring out at the landscape that looked like it just came out of a painting.
“what’re you doing here?”
“i came to find you, duh. they’re going sick at the thought of you having fled the country or something.”
“no, seriously. what’re you doing here?”
“contrary to belief, sir, but i actually want to be your friend. not your foe, regardless of how hard you try to push me away. don’t you ever get lonely in that big place?”
younghoon snickered at that, “you think you know me huh?”
“not at all. that’s why i’m saying i want to, i know what it’s like to have my childhood swept from between my feet, floating between self-doubt and uncertainty of what i’m going to do with my life and how i’m even going to do it on my own. i know far too well what it’s like to be alone my whole life, my parents either too busy preoccupied with work or too tired to spend time with me when they get home at the end of the night.”
for the first time, it felt like someone wasn’t pitying him, or mistaking his standoff-ish personality for something for malice and ill-intended. for the first time, he felt heard and understood.
“how about a restart?”
“huh?”
younghoon was turned towards you now, his hand extended to you, “hi. i’m younghoon. not prince younghoon, not sir, just younghoon.”
“nice to meet you, just younghoon, im y/n. i hope we can be great friends.”
#deobiwritersnet#the boyz#tbz#tbz imagines#tbz scenarios#tbz timestamp#the boyz imagines#the boyz scenarios#tbz drabbles#the boyz drabbles#tbz blurbs#the boyz blurbs#the boyz timestamps#younghoon#tbz younghoon#tbz younghoon x reader#the boyz younghoon x reader#younghoon x reader#the boyz younghoon#angst#fluff#royal!au#ladies maid!reader
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Hellooo! (´∀｀)♡
Happy birthday and Happy anniversary!!!!🎂🎉🎊
For your event, could I get William Vangeance fluff? Roll 2 times for AU, 2 times for dialogue prompt, and 2 times for trope.
Thank you!! Have a great day💕
A/N: Hi Kei!! Thanks so much, have a great day as well 💖💖
William Fluff + Childhood Friends AU! + rivals to lovers + "You better buy me dinner first."
(William might be a little ooc here, but I'd like to think that he'd be more open and animated around someone he'd known for a long time)
“William,” you groaned, slumping over the back of his chair, “Why do we have to go to these meetings? They’re literally the same every time.”
William glanced up from his paperwork to smile at you over his shoulder, “There there, I know you’re allergic to responsibility, but this is just part of the job. You decided to say yes when Julius offered it to you.”
Huffing, you crossed your arms, lips pursed into a pout, “I know I did, but that doesn’t make me any more enthused about this.”
William couldn’t help but chuckle at the familiar look on your face; you’d worn the same expression as a child when you were told that you had to complete your schoolwork before you could go play. Your pout turned into a sour expression as you saw him laughing at you. Leaning closer you smacked him on the arm, then ran before he could hit you back.
“Serves you right!” You yelled, taking off down the hallway. William jogged after you, shaking his head as you ran further and further ahead.
You skidded to a halt outside the captains’ meeting room, narrowly avoiding crashing into Marx. He raised an eyebrow, “Running from William again?”
Scratching your neck you scrunched your nose nervously, “Maybe.”
Marx stepped aside,muttering under his breath about how you were as bad as Julius, allowing you to enter the room.
“You know, it would suit captains to act with more decorum,” Nozel said pointedly once you sat down.
Rather than dignifying him with a vocal response, you stuck your tongue out at him, much to Yami’s delight.
“Haha Y/N got you good, Braid Face.”
Nozel glared at him, but Julius entered the room before he could respond.
This meeting was as boring as all the others but you forced yourself to pay attention, after all, you had to get through this meeting in order to get on with the rest of your evening.
The meeting ended and most of the captains left, but you lingered in the doorway, waiting for William as he talked with Julius. It was almost time.
William’s face brightened as he noticed you in the doorway and he strode to meet you.
“You didn’t have to wait for me.” He commented, your footsteps echoing in the marble hallway.
“I know.”
William narrowed his eyes, shooting you a glance, “What do you need?”
You gave him a mock offended look, “Oh you wound me! Can’t I just want to walk with my childhood friend?”
William gave you a pointed look, “I think I know you well enough to know when you have an ulterior motive.”
You chuckled, “Well I should hope so, we met how many years ago?”
William laughed, shaking his head, “Too many.”
Your footsteps paused, and William came to an abrupt halt, “I… actually did need something. Well, it’s more like a want.”
He studied your expression carefully, nodding at you to continue.
“Well… could you do that thing? The one we did as kids?”
A wave of relief washed over him, “That’s all? I thought something was wrong, or that you were going to tell me you loved me or something.”
You rolled your eyes, “Like that would happen. Anyway, is that a yes?”
“Yes, but you better buy me dinner first.”
“Deal! Race you!” You took off like a shot, legs carrying you as fast as they would go.
He caught up to you easily, and you both ignored the several shocked looks from the townspeople you barrelled past.
Stopping outside the restaurant, William opened the door for you with a cheeky grin.
“I won as usual.” He said, a hint of pride creeping into his voice.
You snorted, “Don’t get too cocky, I beat you earlier.”
He gave you an incredulous look, “That was only because you played a cheap trick!”
“Nonsense, I did no such thing.”
-
When dinner was over, the stars were out and you couldn’t help the way you were buzzing with excitement as you set off for an empty field.
William held his hands out, eyes scrunching with concentration; a tall tree emerged from the ground branches reaching high into the sky when he finished.
You and William climbed the tree, choosing branches to sit upon. Your backs rested against the tree and you fixed your gaze on the sky. The wind blew the leaves gently, creating a pleasant rustling sound.
“Remember when we talked about our dreams up here?” You asked.
“Of course, we both want to be the Wizard King,” William said. You could tell he was smiling, even though you weren’t looking at him.
“No, not that dream, the other one.” You said, your heart was beginning to pound now, you weren’t sure if this was a mistake or not.
William sucked in a breath when he remembered which one you were talking about.
“The one where we both wanted to be in love someday?” He asked softly, “Did you find someone?”
You nodded, even though he couldn’t see it, “I think so.”
He swallowed, “I see. Are they a good person?” He hoped you couldn’t hear the way his words were tinged with sadness; he’d always known this day would come, you’d fall for someone who wasn’t him, but that didn’t make him any more prepared for it.
You laughed softly, “They’re the best.”
He breathed in sharply, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. “I see. When did you realize you loved them?”
“I only realized it recently,” Your voice was soft, but he could hear the smile that was in it. “But, I think I’ve always been in love with them. We’ve grown rather close, and I can’t imagine my life without them.”
William felt a pang in his chest at your words, it was painfully obvious how in love you were.
“Well, that’s great,” He smiled sadly, “I’m really happy for you, I’m sure you’ll have a happy life together.”
“I hope so, I just hope we can work out our schedules. We’re both captains you see.”
William nearly fell out of the tree; you were in love with another captain? Who could it be? Was it Fuegoleon, Yami, or heaven forbid, Nozel?
“You’re--- you’re in love with a captain?” William sputtered, leaning over so he could look at your face.
You blinked, “Yes, didn’t I just say that?”
William blinked several times from the shock, “May I ask who it is?”
“Sure.”
He took a deep breath, “Okay. Is it Yami?”
“Nope.”
“Fuegoleon?”
“No. He’s way too proper for me.”
“Kaiser?”
“William, he’s married.”
“Right. Is it Jack?” You could tell he was trying hard not to judge you if your answer was yes to this question, but you knew your rival and friend too well at this point for him to hide it.
Sure, you could just put the poor man out of his misery and tell him the truth, but where was the fun in that?
“Yes.” You said, deadpan. William fixed you with such a shocked expression, you couldn’t help but laugh and drop the facade.
“William, I'm joking. Do you honestly think I would speak so tenderly of Jack of all people? Keep going.”
William shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts of you with Jack from his brain.
“Okay, is it Nozel?” He nodded at your look of disgust and kept going, “Rill?”
“No way.”
“Charlotte?” At this point William was beginning to panic, he was quickly running out of people to name.
“No.”
“Dorothy?”
“Not her either.”
“Then who?! That’s everyone!”
You chuckled, “Aren’t you forgetting about someone?”
William glanced around, trying to think of who he was forgetting. Suddenly he gasped, “Is it… is it Julius?!”
You erupted into an uncontrollable fit of laughter at his words, and William felt his cheeks grow hot.
“Y/N, are you messing with me right now? I’ve quite literally named everyone that’s a captain.”
Your laughter stopped as you realized he couldn’t picture that the person you were talking about could be him.
You took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of your nose to try to collect yourself.
“You know William, for a captain you’re really quite dense.”
William looked at you with a dumbfounded expression, “How am I dense? You’re the one who’s spent the last 10 minutes laughing at my expense.” He yelled indignantly, watching as you tried to stifle a snicker.
“William Vangeance! Did you really just forget that your title is ‘Captain William Vangeance’?”
William blinked, “What? No of course not, I’m the captain of the Golden Dawn!”
You flipped your hand over, staring at him, “Exactly.”
He looked at you puzzled, then, the realization hit him. The mysterious captain you were supposedly in love with... was him.
He sucked in a breath, mind racing. “Wait so… Wait… Really?”
You nodded, “Obviously you idiot,” but there was no malice behind your insult, “Who else would it be but you?” you continued quietly, fingertips gently brushing his.
The contact made him shiver, and you stared at each other for a long moment.
William looked away, cheeks dusted with an uncharacteristic shade of pink, “I… I’m in love with you too. Always have been.”
You smiled, a teasing glint in your eye, “Good, because you know Yami would have killed you for breaking my heart otherwise.”
He smiled, the picture of Yami fighting for your heart as the third member of your haphazard trio an amusing one.
He gently intertwined your fingers with his, “Do you want me to walk you back home?”
“Sure, I’d like that.”
William gently lowered the tree so you could safely hop down.
Your fingers brushed as you walked to your base, the empty streets peaceful at this hour.
“I do believe I won this time.” You commented, smacking him gently on the arm.
William gave you a sideways glance and a smile, “And what did you win this time?”
You turned, giving him a cheeky grin, “I won your heart.”
“Quit being cheesy, I won your heart too.”
You reached the door to your base and he gently grabbed your hand, kissing the top of it gently.
“Goodnight Captain Y/L/N.”
“Goodnight Captain Vangeance.”
#william vangeance x reader#william fluff#black clover william#gender neutral reader#rivals to lovers#aurora borealis#planet fate
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The Gravity of Tempered Grace (part six)
[part one] - [part two] - [part three] - [part four] - [part five]
[Part 6: When We Live Such Fragile Lives]
The Life and Times of Jane the Queen, Chapter 7 - The Maid of Honor
“In 1532, Jane was promoted to maid-of-honor in the court of Queen Catherine, where she had served as early as 1527. The two were quite close - both were devoted Catholics, even as Catholicism in was falling out of favor in England, which brought them together, even as Jane served Catherine.
Jane’s sister Elizabeth also served Anne Boleyn, remaining loyal to her until Anne’s execution. Due to Jane’s own loyalty to Catherine and her daughter Mary, Jane did not bring Elizabeth into her own household when she became queen.”
Cathy and Catherine exchange no words as they race up the stairs and split off different directions down the hall.
Catherine barges into Anne’s bedroom, where the woman was starfished out on the bed, and shakes her awake. “Don’t make a sound,” she whispers as soon as she sees Anne’s eyes open. “Henry is here.”
Anne, still half asleep, looks alarmed. “Here?” She whispers back.
Catherine nods. “He’s here for Jane. I don’t think he would expect all of us to attack.”
Anne clambers out of bed, but keeps her footsteps silent as she follows Catherine into the hall, where Cathy and a somewhat-awake Anna are standing.
Catherine jerks her head in the direction of Kat’s bedroom, and Anne takes the initiative to wake her cousin.
“Kitty,” she whispers, “Kitty wake up. Janey’s in trouble.”
Kat’s eyes shoot open, but no sound leaves her mouth, even though Anne’s shadowed face lingering inches from her own was definitely enough to justify a squeak.
She and Anne return to the hall, and the house is still silent, everyone waiting for the explosion from downstairs.
But they all hear nothing.
No words spoken, no sounds of distress, just nothingness.
On silent feet, they begin to slowly descend the stairs, but the space Jane had occupied at the front door is now empty.
The door is closed, the lights are all off, and it’s almost as if Jane was never there in the first place.
Just as Cathy turns to the others, a small lamp by the couch flickers on.
The sight waiting for them makes Kat almost gag.
Henry is lounging on the sofa, one arm propped on the back cushion, with Jane curled up against him, her head resting on his chest. They almost look like a picture-perfect couple from those romantic comedies the queens sometimes watched when there was nothing else on late at night. They look like they’re just head-over-heels for each other, except when Henry turns to the ones intruding his precious moment, there is nothing but malice in his eyes.
“Do you mind?” He asks, and if he finds the appalled looks of his ex-wives amusing, he doesn’t let it show. “I am having a moment here with my love.”
“We know about the heart,” Catherine says boldly, stepping in front of the others. “We know you’re just controlling her.”
“Controlling her?” Henry repeats incredulously. He laughs. “Dear, you’ve been reading too much of this world’s fiction.”
“Enough of the games, Henry,” Anne warns, trying to seem imposing in her diminutive frame. “Let Jane go.”
Henry turns to the peaceful woman next to him. “Do you want me to leave?”
In her blissful haze, Jane shakes her head.
“Now, could you all please leave? It’s been five hundred years since I’ve seen my wife, I’d like to catch up with her.”
At the way he spat the word ‘wife’, how he possessively holds Jane, and Jane’s nearly drunken demeanor, all hell breaks loose.
It isn’t clear who lunges where and who grabs who, but at some point Jane is wrestled away from Henry and the former king is on the floor.
“Where is it, Henry?” Cathy demands. “Where is Jane’s heart?”
He gets to his feet slowly, almost as if for dramatic effect. The light from the lamp catches his face in shadows, and the womanizing king they all remembered is truly standing before them once again.
“Now ladies,” he hisses, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Drop the act,” Kat spits, “where is it?!”
“Watch your tongue, woman. You forget who you’re speaking to.”
“You are no more a king than we are here,” Catherine says, stepping in front of Kat protectively. “You are just as mortal as us. So tell us - where is her heart?”
She’s nose-to-nose with him now, and the tension in the room is so thick you can almost taste it.
“Do you really want to test me?” He warns softly. “I may not be king anymore, but I have other ways of putting you in your place.”
Catherine almost smirks. “Is that a threat?”
“Perhaps.”
“You’re outnumbered here, Henry,” Anne says. “It’s five to one. You can’t win against all of us.”
He narrows his eyes at her, and, oddly, he chuckles. “My, my, I always knew you were short-tempered, but now you’re just… short.”
Anna has to hold Anne back at that, and the former king just laughs again. “Wow, I never thought I’d miss any of you, other than Jane, of course.” He glances to the blonde woman, sitting on the floor with Cathy, incredibly vacant. “But I’ve certainly missed your fire, and tenacity, and,” he leans slightly, catching Kat in his gaze, “other talents.”
God above, Catherine wants to strangle him.
“Why are you even here, anyway?” She demands. “You have Jane’s heart, can’t you bring her to wherever you were?”
“Well what’s the fun in that?” Henry asks. “Then I wouldn’t get to see the look on all your faces when you see me take what’s mine.”
“She doesn’t belong to you,” Anna snarls. “This isn’t our time, anymore. Women aren’t their husband’s property. She doesn’t owe you a damn thing.”
“You may be right about that, Anna,” Henry says. “I don’t own her. But you’re all also right about something else. I do have her heart.”
There’s a cloth bag sitting by the couch, nondescript and nearly invisible, which Henry picks up carefully.
He reaches in, and pulls out a heart.
Jane’s heart.
It isn’t nearly what anyone had expected - it doesn’t have veins running all over it, or a faint sheen of blood - it’s just red. Bright red. Almost glowing red.
“You caught me,” he says, but he’s smirking.
“Give that back,” Catherine demands.
“How many times do I have to say no before you’ll stop?”
“As many as it takes,” Anne says.
“You all are quite committed to this,” Henry comments softly, as if surprised.
“Jane’s our family, and we won’t let you torture her anymore!” Kat says, defiant and strong as she stands next to Anne.
Henry regards them all, scanning each face thoroughly, then looking to Jane and Cathy on the floor.
“Jane,” he says shortly, “come here.”
Without hesitation, Jane gets to her feet and moves to his side.
A cold, harsh shiver runs down Catherine’s spine at the sight of her friend, her once trusted confidant, so helpless against the evil man before them.
“These ladies want me to leave you, do you want that?”
Barely, Jane shakes her head.
“Come on, Jane,” Anna pleads. “Snap out of it. Henry’s controlling you. He doesn’t want what’s best for you. He wants to force you into a relationship.”
“Jane, you deserve better than that,” Catherine continues. “You deserve to have your own adventures and be your own person.”
“He says he loves me,” Jane whispers.
Anne pipes in next. “He says that Jane, but all he’s done is manipulate and control you. That isn’t love, no matter how you look at it!”
“Jane,” Kat adds softly, clearly quite uncomfortable with the circumstances, “he doesn’t really love you. If he loved you, he wouldn’t be forcing you into situations without your say.”
“And he wouldn’t feed you lies,” Cathay finally contributes. “We love you, Jane. We want you to be able to feel again, and do whatever weird things you like to do.”
There’s a tense moment, one where the world stands completely still, and smile begins to creep on Henry’s face.
But then Jane inhales sharply, and her eyes are more alert than anyone has seen in this life.
“Jane?” Anne asks.
“What is happening?” Jane demands, looking wildly between her fellow queens and Henry. Her gaze finds the heart in his hand, and she lunges for it.
He pulls it out of reach, though. “Back up, Jane.”
Unable to resist, even as her face contorts with frustration, Jane complies, taking several stilted steps back until she’s among the others.
“I see being in the same room with your heart has woken you up,” Henry muses. He clicks his tongue. “How unfortunate. Just means that now I’ll have to kill you.”
#six the musical#six the musical fanfiction#jane seymour#catherine of aragon#katherine howard#anne boleyn#catherine parr#anne of cleves#julie writes#the gravity of tempered grace
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Hey everyone! So this is a Raya and the Last Dragon fic co-written with my amazing friend @hazellevesque4life! Go check out their blog it’s awesome! It will also be available on their AO3 which I will link right here https://archiveofourown.org/works/30246006/chapters/74537121#workskin
don’t forget to leave plenty of kudos! We’ll try to update as often as possible! Now without further ado, let’s begin.
Chapters written by me, @amaru2020 will be marked like this 🟣
Chapters written by @hazellevesque4life will be marked like this 🔴
Summary: Raya and Namaari have to go on a road trip across kumandra to cure sisu's siblings of a curse
Cursed love
Chapter 1 🔴
“Namaari, I’ve been looking for you,” Virana called.
Namaari turned to face her mom, startled.
“Hi, Mom. I was just looking for Raya,” Namaari said.
Virana sighed. “You can find her later. First, walk with me.”
Namaari began to protest. She had to apologize to Raya for accidentally triggering an apocalypse.
But Virana stopped her before she could say anything. “I’m not saying you can’t talk to her, but this is more pressing.” She began walking.
She slipped her hand in her pocket and squeezed Raya’s golden hairband. It would be weird if she didn’t give it to Raya now. It might seem like she was trying to keep it. But her mom had just been turned to stone. And it would be horrible of her to not be there. Namaari released the hairband from her grasp. Namaari walked at the same pace as her mother.
“What did you need to talk about?” she asked.
“We need to head back to Fang.”
“What? We just got here. And Fang was destroyed by the Druun. Heart is the only place that has enough resources. We can’t go back yet.” Namaari hoped her mother didn’t think she was getting too riled up over this. But she still had things she needed to do here. Things she needed to tell Raya.
“That’s exactly why need to go back. Who do you think everyone is going to blame once the dust settles? We need to get ahead of the fray so that we aren’t reliant on Heart. We don’t know when they’ll turn on us. We need to rebuild so that we are strong when that happens.”
“But, shouldn’t we at least stay for a little while,” Namaari retorted, suddenly feeling anger swell up.
“We have to leave. To protect our people.”
And that was it. Her mother was the chief, and so her word was final.
Or it would’ve been. If Namaari hadn’t seen how the other had looked at her when the Druun cleared. After years of resentment, distrust, malice between everyone, there had finally been trust sent her way by people not from Fang. The last time she had seen that was when she was a child—again with Raya.
And even that hadn’t lasted long. Because of Fang’s need to protect themselves before anything. She wasn’t doing that again.
“No, Mom. We don’t have to leave. If you want to leave, I can’t stop you. But I’m staying here, trying to mend the bridges you burned.”
Virana looked at Namaari, contemplating. “Okay,” she said finally. “I trust you. But I’m not staying. If the other nations turn on us, I’m not having our people be helpless.”
Her mother was many things, but stupid was not one of them. If there was a way for her to make sure that Fang was self-sustaining while also keeping their relationship with the other nations, she would take it. None of them wanted conflict.
That calmed Namaari’s anger a little, but it didn’t completely soothe it. Her mother still expected conflict. She watched, wordlessly, as her mother turned and walked away.
Whatever. She couldn’t dwell on this. This was just more of a reason to go talk to Raya. Now if only she knew how to find Raya. Heart was weird, not like Fang at all. With its spiraling cityscape. Fang was contained on a much smaller piece of land, but Heart didn’t have that restriction. The buildings here were so much harder to navigate. Where would Raya be?
She thought back to the last time she was here. There was a huge central area, she recalled. Maybe Raya would be there, helping the people who had just arrived. Trying to use her foggy memories of the last time she was here, Namaari walked through the streets of Heart.
Finally, after too many confusing turns, Namaari found herself in front of the familiar hall where she and Raya had first bonded. The sounds of chatter echoes through the walls. So Namaari was right.
Taking a deep breath, she shoved the door open revealing people sprawled all over. And just like last time, it was people of all nations. This time, though, she noticed that more people were talking amongst people who weren’t from the same nation as they were. Namaari forced herself to stop thinking of that and to look for Raya.
She scanned the room, looking for Raya’s obnoxiously large hat. Her eye caught immediately: Raya, talking to her Ba.
Namaari stared at her, unsure of how she should talk to her when, mortifyingly, Raya looked up from her Ba. Their eyes met. Shit. Namaari lifted her hand in a small wave, trying to play it off as an accident.
Raya’s expression changed to —ugh— amusement. She motioned for Namaari to come over.
Mentally berating herself, Namaari walked towards Raya. She got a couple of curious glances from the other people of Fang.
“Hi, Raya,” Namaari said when she reached her.
“Hey! Are you okay? You were sort of staring at me from the doorway?” Raya was still looking down at her Ba, as she finished replacing the old bandages on his thigh with new ones where the crossbow bolt had hit him so many years ago. Namaari immediately felt a pang of guilt.
Oh, so she had noticed. “Yes. I’m fine.” Namaari refused to try to meet Raya’s eyes. “I, uh . . .” She what? Wanted to say she was sorry for telling Raya that Sisu’s almost-death had been her fault? Wanted to give back the golden hairband that she had kept like a creep? The words dissolved at her tongue. She and Raya hadn’t talked much since the Druun had been defeated. “Wanted to ask if you knew where Sisu was,” she lied.
“Oh,” Raya looked up. “I haven’t seen her all day actually. I’d check the clearing where her siblings were turned to stone the first time.”
Namaari wanted to shrink down. “I- I don’t know where that is.”
Surprisingly, Raya’s Ba spoke. “You should go with her.”
“But Ba, your leg-” Raya protested.
“Will be fine. It’s important to treat the other nations with respect.”
“. . . Okay,” Raya said, but the concern didn’t leave her face.
They walked together in complete silence. Namaari tried to keep track of the turns that they made so that she didn’t have to be led around like a child again, but Heart was too expansive that it was useless. She’d have to ask for a map or something.
Namaari was knocked out of her thoughts by Sisu’s voice.
“—Raya! I’m so glad you’re here, I was looking for you.” Panic laced Sisu’s voice.
Namaari sent Raya a concerned look. Raya glanced back at her. They spoke at the same time.”
“Sisu? What’s wrong?
“Are you okay?”
Sisu let out a strangled noise. “There’s something wrong with the other dragons!”
Chapter 2 🟣
Sisu gripped her tail with both paws as she began to pace, muttering things under her breath. “ “First Amba, then Pranee, now Jagan and Pengu…”
“The dragons? What do you mean there’s something wrong?” Raya said, finally finding her voice.
Sisu stopped to sit on her haunches. “I was hoping you could tell me! One minute they’re
normal, the next it’s like they didn’t even recognize their own sister!” She buried her head in her paws.
Raya and Namaari shared a worried look. Raya had never seen Sisu this distraught, which was cause for some concern. Raya felt Namaari give her a soft nudge before taking a couple of steps back. Raya raised an eyebrow over her shoulder in question, the only response she got was a gesture and look that could only be interpreted as ‘Not my place.’
Raya let out a small breath before cautiously beginning to approach the dragon. She tried to emulate the calm she had seen her Ba use many times in the past.
“Sisu... it’s ok, why don’t you just calm down and-“
Sisu’s head snapped up. “I’m calm, okay! It’s only my siblings turning into feral monsters, no big deal!”
Before she knew what was happening, Sisu had Raya dangling upside down from her leg, mere inches away from her furry snout. The whole situation gave Raya an intense feeling of déjà vu.
“I mean sure I did almost get attacked by my big brother today, but fine, let’s try it your way and stay, “calm.”” She used her free paw to make air quotes over the last word.
Raya only rolled her eyes. “Hey, at least I got you to speak in complete sentences.”
“That’s not the point!” Sisu said as she gave Raya a firm shake. Raya smirked and held up her hands in mock surrender. “Alright, but you need to still explain what’s going on. Can you do that?”
Sisu nodded.
“Good. Now put me down?” Raya asked as the blood had already rushed to her head.
“Right, Sorry.” Sisu said, chuckling sheepishly. She placed Raya gently on the ground, a nice change of pace from being dropped face first in her opinion.
Sisu frowned and picked up her tail and began to fiddle with it. Raya gave her an encouraging nod and touched the side of her neck, reminding the dragon she was there. This seemed to do the trick as Sisu finally began to open up.
“It all started with Amba, she’s usually so sweet and bubbly, she started to change. we thought it was just her having a hard time adjusting to being back after so long, and the stress of watching over Tail, but then when she attacked Jagan the other day, we knew it wasn’t that simple. then it slowly started happening to the others...” she trailed off, sounding remorseful.
Raya’s heart had dropped down to her stomach by the time Sisu finished her story. She had never heard of anything like this happening before. And for it to happen so soon after the Drunn wasn’t ideal. Raya rubbed her hand up and down were it was placed on Sisu’s neck at an attempt to comfort her.
“Don’t worry, Sisu. We’ll just let my Ba know what’s happening and I’m sure he’ll-”
“No!” Sisu yelped snapping out of her revere. She brought her head down so she could look directly into Raya’s eyes.
“No Ba! No people! No one can know about this!” “I know how tempting it is but we just can’t.” Sisu’s violet eyes bore into her own. Raya frowned. She wasn’t about to keep something this serious from her Ba. Especially not after all the time they had been apart. She tried to not let her annoyance seep through into her voice “Sisu, there’s no way we’re keeping this a secret. People, my Ba included, need to know what’s happening. They can help.”
Sisus' face turned indignant. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t think you would want a repeat of the past six hundred years?”
Now it was Raya’s turn to look indignant. “How can you possibly compare the two when you don’t even know what’s going on?”
“You’re right, we don’t know what’s going on! Which is why we can’t say anything about it. Fear of the unknown is even worse than fear of the known!” Sisu said as she tugged at her mane.
“Sisu, I’m not keeping this from everyone, we’ve-!”
“Raya, doesn’t Heart have an archive or something
that might be able to help?” Namaari, who hadn’t said anything since they had arrived, interrupted..
Raya startled, nearly forgetting the other girl was there. She turned to face her.
“Well, yes but nobody is allowed inside. Sacred texts and all that.” Raya said.
“Except for the princess of Kumandra and her dragon and people friend?” Sisu asked, sounding more than a little hopeful. Raya shook her head. “Only the chief and the archivists are permitted to go inside. And besides, if I’m not allowed in, I doubt they’d let you two in. More so Namaari, no offense.”
Namaari gave a small shrug. “That’s fair.”
“Besides if we get caught, let’s just say I would probably never see either of you again.” Raya said.
“Then we won’t get caught.” Namaari nodded to Sisu. “And she’ll make sure of it.” Raya could practically see the gears turning in her head. They shared a look of understanding before looking back to the dragon, who was now looking a bit wary. And rightfully so.
“What? Why...are you two looking at me like that?”
#raya and the last dragon#raya and namaari#rayaari#Raya and the last dragon fic#this is my first fic posted on here so go easy on me lol#rayaari fic#I needed to get back into the practice of writing#I wanna say thank you so much again to @hazelevesque4life for putting up with how long it took me to finish the last chapter#alright that’s it#hope you enjoy!
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This Pride Month, I would like to take a moment to talk about the use of "gay" as an umbrella term.
I want to start by saying that I think it's great that there's been a push in that past couple years for gay to be used as an umbrella term for all queer people, but I think some things need to be addressed first before it can become a fully recognized thing.
I've been thinking about this for a long time, ever since a friend of mine at my old job called our little group of queer coworkers "the gays". I remember telling her that there are a lot of people who would object to me being included, because I don't experience same gender attraction, so I wasn't sure I could claim that term. She, being the biggest anarchist punk I know, immediately said "fuck exclusionists; it's an umbrella term, and while you're with us, you're one of the gays". I felt very conflicted about that, because on the one hand, it was absolutely wonderful to be recognized and accepted in that way, but on the other, I still had that little voice at the back of my mind saying "no, you're not allowed; you're not welcome; you're misrepresenting yourself, doing exactly what the exclusionists accuse you of doing".
In recent years, I've seen more people use gay as an umbrella term, and that, combined with a couple of moments of progress for aces, has quieted the devil on my shoulder some, but it hasn't been nearly enough to silence it. The queer community still has a big problem with how certain less visible groups are treated, even by those with good intentions.
I'm going to talk about this from the perspective of asexuality, simply because that is what personally affects me the most, but I want to acknowledge that these problems apply in similar ways to other groups as well.
Aces get left out a lot in the community and not always from a place of malice. That's what it means to be invisible. When even your allies forget to show you the support you need. For example, when people talk about queer media (i.e. literature, film, etc.), more often than not, aces aren't part of those discussions. I can't tell you how many times I've seen posts compiling queer books or movies, and I've gone through them hoping to see something for aces only to find nothing. And that's just one example. Imagine what it's like feeling that sense of disappointment and otherness every time you see something labeled "queer", "LGBTQ", or even "LGBTQIA+" and knowing in your heart, despite being part of that community, that there's probably not going to be anything for you there.
Now add to that the complication of being an ace who doesn't experience sga romantically. I already don't feel very welcome simply on the grounds of being asexual, but if that isn't strong enough fuel for exclusionists, my lack of sga is like lighter fluid, jet fuel even. I don't consider myself heteroromantic, partly because I'm demiromantic, and partly because I'm non-binary, but the details don't really matter to exclusionists. As far as they're concerned, I'm a prime example of the hated "het ace", a straighty who "just wants to feel special" and is "taking up resources in the community". But we don't have time to unpack all of that.
My point is, queer people who don't experience sga need to be made to feel much more welcome in the queer community before we can fully embrace gay as umbrella term. That doesn't just mean people like me. That also means all non-binary folks who don't have sga, straight trans people, aroaces, etc. We need to feel like gay really does mean us too. And that's on everybody else. Don't just give us lip service in your activism. Include us in the substance of what you put out there. Put us in your memes. Put us in your compilations. Put us in your art. Write us into your stories. Talk about us. Make it fucking clear to everyone that when you use gay interchangeably with queer, that includes us.
The same goes for using the rainbow flag for everyone. Yes, I know that it traditionally has been for everyone, but there needs to be more of an effort to show that to be true.
#asexuality#ace#queer community#LGBTQ#Pride Month#feel free to talk to me about this but if you're a dick about it I will block your ass#long post
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bygones of the sun. 03 (m)
genre: angst/fluff/(future)smut || dance captain!hoseok, bad boy!au, uni!au
pairing: reader x hoseok;
length: 7.8k;
synopsis: Jung Hoseok was once the sweetheart of the school, the dance captain whom every girl, including you, can’t help but fall head over heels for. But like the force of the ever-glowing sun, everything that rises must also set. A year of inactivity later and he’s now the school’s resident bad boy. You’re a firm believer of allowing the past be the past, and yet you can’t help but wonder where the risen sun has gone into hiding—because perhaps its shadows have out-shined its own radiance.
a/n: a repost of my old fic!
His words still echo in the back of your mind, even as your professor persists to lecture the class of fifty on topics they had zero clue about only to read up by themselves at their dorms and gain surface level knowledge a night before the test. The mid-aged professor paces around the room, your eyes subconsciously following his trail, one of your ears taking in his rambles only to toss them out through the other, and your pencil twirling in your fingers to pass the time.
Nothing to apologize for? Nothing to apologize for? How about apologizing for playing you like the way he did? How about apologizing for shunning his life as the school’s renowned dance captain along with anyone whom was the least bit impacted by his undeniably bright influence? How about apologizing for disappearing behind this new tough front of his and hiding the boy you had fallen for underneath this demeanor the rest of your university now calls the latest bad boy girls have their eyes on now that they’ve been pleasantly surprised with the sudden change?
Everyone might have forgotten who he once was, but you haven’t. No, you still remember the school’s sweetheart and the way he made your heart throb because he was different than the others. He was kind, open hearted, understanding, patient, and yet he still proclaimed that quality of an edge of mystery and the smoothness of the sweet handling of his words; everything about him once made you so damn weak. Once. But all of this past tense and longing for what has clearly been long gone in the shadows of the rising eclipse of the new Jung Hoseok makes you wonder: maybe… just maybe it’s you who needs to move on and not him who needs to return to the past.
You can still remember the scoff of his down turned lips, the spite in his darting eyes that told you he meant every bit of malice presented in his glare, and the way he quickly brushed you off as someone not even worth mentioning to his friends; but in a way, he’s not completely incorrect. You aren’t someone worth mentioning, especially since you were merely a subject of his little, childish games of a dare, and even though it’s completely his fault for making you fall victim to his meaningless flirtatious gazes and brushes of the hands, you can’t help but blame yourself for being so gullible. He’s changed. And now that you’re mentally cursing yourself for not having taken the opportunity to join the dance club like he had so urged you to do so that night, the only thing that can snap you back into reality is the wincing pain as you dig your nails into your palm and the constant nudging of your friend’s elbow.
“Y/N, Hellooo…? Y/N… Y/N!” Junghwa hisses only to nearly knock you over from your chair.
You stumble to grab the armrests of your chair and desk in a successful attempt to regain your balance, “holy shit, what was that for?”
“You were blanking out,” she shrugs with pressed thin lips.
“So you nearly push me off of my seat?” you huff and cross your arms.
“Oh, c’mon! You know I only lightly nudged you! You’ve been really… odd these days. First this, and now you’re not even paying attention in class? I mean, not like you ever did, but having me tutor you? That’s a first.”
“...you’re right. I don’t know what’s going on with me lately,” you sigh, picking up your pencil to twirl it around on the tips of your finger once again; but the thing is, you actually do know what’s causing all these changes in you. It’s something—or rather, someone—you clearly don’t want to admit is the stem of the new absentmindedness in you and the void look in your eyes.
Junghwa leans her head over her desk to glance over at you with worry, “is Hoseok still bothering you…? Is he contacting you? Texting you? If he is, you have to tell me, okay? I’ll find him and give him a piece of my mind—”
“It’s nothing like that. We haven’t talked in days, Junghwa. Thanks though,” you give her a small smile.
“But something’s obviously wrong. I know you used to like him a lot, Y/N, so I understand why you’re so hurt over what he did the other day…” Junghwa pouts. “Should we go for some karaoke with Hani tonight? Will that cheer you up?”
“Nah, I think I’ll try and get some more sleep in tonight,” you hastily pack up your notebooks as the rest of the class does at the dismissal of the professor. You glance over at Junghwa who only sits there affixed to her chair, staring at you in worry. Standing up from your seat, you squeeze her hands laying on her table top and flash her a large smile. “Don’t worry about me. See? I’ll be better than ever soon. We should go out with Hani another day. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Junghwa only sighs and waves you goodbye with the pout still plastered all over her face as you give her one last grin and whirl around to walk out the door. With your back finally turned towards your worried friend, you can finally let go of your long baited breath and sigh. She can see right through you. He’s the cause of your restless nights and pent up anger. You know you’re being silly over someone—the new version of that very someone—you’ve barely known. But you keep telling yourself just one more week and this little—no, huge—crush of yours will be over… soon. As long as you don’t bump into him again and keep your mind on track for the end goal: forgetting him and burying his past along with yours.
But fate seems to have different plans than you, for when you stride down the halls leading up to the familiar room, three boys pounce at you, stumbling out of the dance room to hustle around you.
“So? How’d it go?” Taehyung eagerly asks.
“Tae…” Jimin hushes him and turns to smile his crescent shaped eyes at you. “Sorry, we should’ve greeted you like normal people do. How are you doing, Y/N?”
“No, it’s fine…” you knit your brows and shake your head. “It’s um… it’s going alright. I didn’t ask him… or tell him… about returning to the club if that’s what you’re asking me.”
“...why not?” Jungkook hesitantly questions. “Did something happen? Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” you brush off. “I just didn’t get a chance to ask him.”
The three boys glance at each other as if to communicate telepathically. You stand there with your hand latched to your elbow and a gulp swallowing down the knot in your throat. Were they going to further press on with their issue and why you didn’t get a chance to ask Hoseok about the club? How are you going to explain it to them? Are you really going to tell them about how you were the subject of his little dare and how you, a girl of many who fell for him back when he still danced, questioned him about his reasonings for his hiatus from the club?
“Alright. Well, do you wanna grab a drink or something?” Jimin cocks his head towards the practice room behind him. He laughs, “you don’t exactly look… well. We’ve got lots of drinks that can freshen you up.”
“Oh,” your eyes widen, surprised that they decided not to press the issue any further. “I’m not really in the mood to drink right now…”
Jungkook snorts, “oh, don’t worry. We’re not offering you alcohol. We refrain from drinking too much because it distracts us from practice… especially with the showcase coming up. We do have soft drinks and old fashion ice water, though.”
“Uh… I don’t… really know you all that well…” you mumble.
“Well, let’s get to know each other, then!” Taehyung chirps, grabbing your hand and pulling you into the room as the other two laugh at your groaning.
“I was really dying for a nap back home,” you press your lips into an unamused, thin line.
Taehyung looks back at you from over his shoulders, “please? It gets boring over here with just us three! We won’t even ask you about Hoseok if you don’t want to talk about him!”
Glancing around the room, you take note of the truth in his statement. The entire room is empty today, and with the exception of Jungkook, Jimin, and Taehyung, the three of which you’re sure has to be the three most active and influential members behind their absent captain, you’re not sure how you fit in… or at least now that you’ve once refused Hoseok’s offer to join the club, and now you can’t help but wonder how would things have turned out if you hadn’t turned him down?
“Alright, fine. I’ll stay for an hour,” you sigh, wondering why every member of the dance club is so damn smooth with their words and charming in their own ways.
“That’s the spirit!” the boys cheer and toss you a can of Coke.
Taking a sip from the refreshingly cold drink, a wave of chills runs down your throat and through your entire system, relieving every inch of the tensed up muscles within you to relax as you sigh out with content. With your legs laid out across the floor, you seat yourself within the circle the boys had formed in the middle of the dance room, and for one split second, you’re glad you caved into their pleas.
“So you live near here? You don’t live in the dorms?” Jungkook breaks the silence.
“Unfortunately so,” you shake your head, recalling how easy it is for everyone to crash your house, specifically him that one night the two of you had gotten into an argument. You take another sip from your can, “so where’s everyone else? It’s awfully empty in here.”
“Ah,” Taehyung’s eyes light up. “They’re all preparing for the upcoming dance boot camp. We have one a few weeks before every showcase! Camp out high up in the mountains, away from all distractions, and focusing on what we like to do the most—dance! It’s a long held tradition of ours.”
“Except this is the first year we won’t have our dance captain to guide us through the activities,” Jimin purses his lips.
“Where is he…?” you hesitantly ask, and they all look up at you with questioning gazes. “I mean, I know where he is, and I know you guys haven’t been able to get ahold of him for very long, but do you have any idea or clues as to why he left in the first place…?”
“Beats me,” Jungkook shrugs, placing his drink to the ground and leaning backwards with his hands by either side of him on the ground. “He just silently left one day and never dropped by for practice. He’d always tell us a day beforehand, text us or call us when we never answered his messages, but then even those stopped. He somehow came to the conclusion that we assumed he wouldn’t be coming back the next day… or the next after that.”
“And he’s not completely wrong,” Jimin sighs. “I don’t understand why though. We’d always try to sit him down and ask him how things went so wrong, but he’d always avoid our questions like he always does with the topic of the club. And whenever we press further, because he’s the captain for God’s sake, he just… explodes. He gets up and walks away. He ignores us for the next week—”
“He doesn’t even hang out with us anymore!” Taehyung butts in.
“I just… I don’t get it. He’s never been so irresponsible before. He was always on top of his things, especially when it came to the club. So when he told me that his grades were falling and that’s the reason for his hiatus, I didn’t believe him. I don’t believe him,” Jimin shakes his head with his eyes darting to the ground and filling with frustration.
“Did you ask the previous captain about it…? I think her name’s Keiko…?”
“We can’t get ahold of her anymore,” Jungkook answers. “Hoseok deleted her contact off her phones, so we assumed it must have had something to do with her. But whenever she drops by the dance room for a visit and we ask her about it, she simply says she has no idea and that we should ask Hoseok about it ourselves.”
“Oh…” you utter and proceed hesitantly with your next question, something you’ve been wondering for a long while now ever since the truth of his hidden intentions for taking you out on a date that night was revealed to you. “...is he on good terms with Keiko…? I mean, did he ever have a thing for her? Or maybe the other way around?”
All of the boys raise their brows at your question, and you nearly jump back in surprise at their in sync response. “Nope, no, nada,” Taehyung shakes his head. “Did you get that from the rumors going around recently? Because from what I could tell, they only had a teacher-student relationship. Nothing really beyond that… or maybe Hoseok really does have a thing for older girls… I guess Hoseok was always really cheerful around her, but then again, he’s always been especially giddy during dance practice—”
“Alright, Tae,” Jimin cuts him off when he notices the growing frown on your face. If Taehyung’s speaking the truth, then the worst possible outcome behind this whole incident you’re having with Hoseok is becoming reality. Not only did he ask you out because of a dare, but he also had the intentions of using you to make someone he couldn’t get on his own jealous? How much more twisted could he get? The fuming anger within you grows apparent as your hands become fists and the brightness of your eyes darkens to a glare against the ground when Jimin laughs it off, “I, uh, wouldn’t trust rumors. They’ve always spread the wildest things about our captain. I’d only trust whatever comes from his own mouth… if he ever speaks to us again, that is.”
“Come to think of it, Y/N, why were you with Hoseok the other day?” Jungkook curiously asks, cocking his head at you and blinking with those wide, circular eyes of his.
“Um…”
Crap, what’re you supposed to say now? That you were on a date with him? That you were foolish and gullible enough to accept his offer when you had only really started to talk to him—or rather, the new him—the night before?
“It was a mistake. We just… happened to, uh, bump into each other at the theater… and then, um…” you stare at the ceiling with one brow quirked as you desperately search for an excuse and an explanation as to why you were spotted on what seemed like, and supposedly was, a date.
The boys slowly nod at your explanation, brows furrowing and eyes trained to your questionable expression until Taehyung blurts out, “but I heard you guys were watching a Disney movie. I thought Hoseok doesn’t watch those—”
“Yeah he does,” Jungkook remarks. “Disney movies are his favorites.”
You cock your head and quirk a brow; Disney is his favorite genre? The scoff he had given you that day when you opted for a children’s movie over an explicitly adult rated one told you otherwise. Just how much did you not know about this boy? Or rather, just how much did you miss out on because of your cowardly move that day?
“I mean, he doesn’t anymore, but you know what I mean,” Taehyung insists.
Jimin brings out a two inch thick binder filled with piles and piles of paperwork from his backpack, causing you to glimpse at him as he goes about completing whatever assignment he’s working on before turning around to press your lips into a thin line and shrug at the other two boys. “Well, either way, it was all a coincidence. A mere coincidence. Nothing more.”
Taehyung and Jungkook glance at each other before nodding at your explanation, not completely convinced by it, but also not rude nor concerned enough to press you on.
“So how do you know Hoseok?” Jungkook attempts to switch the topic, although not totally successful at it; it seems like the only common thing the two lots of you share is the very boy who never fails to get at your wits end… or at least so you think.
“Um….” you hum for a while, “we actually… have been in the same class before—”
“Oh?! You’re in our club, Y/N?!” Jimin nearly yells in shock, every one of the boys’ widened eyes darting to stare at you.
“What?!” Taehyung gasps and Jungkook’s jaw nearly drops to the ground.
“What?” you nearly shout, completely stunned yourself.
Leaning over to glance at Jimin’s binder to take a look at wherever Jimin had gotten that from, you find yourself completely floored. Surely enough, your name is written in one of the many slots of names plastered across the paper. It seems like whoever had written it that day was either in a hurry or was too tired to care about their handwriting, because harsh pen strokes can still be seen etched into the paper, for you assume the pen had ran out of ink, before being replaced by a darker black pen; several hastily drawn circles entrapped your name in its bounds, and you’re not sure if your mind is playing games with you, but the drips of water stains on the same paper where your name had been written gives you a clue of when your ties with the club had been secured.
“Oh? Isn’t that Hoseok’s handwriting?”
Taehyung’s words strikes a hammer straight across your chest. The force of his name reverberates in the painful wave which causes your entire system to go cold. Did Hoseok write in your name that very night he had invited you to the club? He didn’t even wait for the next time you visited to finalize your decision to join the club? He was that eager to welcome you in that he quickly pulled out the binder filled with lists of members’ names, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead and bangs and a large, brightly radiant smile you can still remember adorning his lips as he scribbled down your name?
The thought of it all only makes you all the more guilty.
Gulping down the knot in your throat, you gather your things and stand upright, “I… I think I should get going now.”
“Wait, Y/N!” Jungkook grabs the can you had left on the ground and hands it to you. “You almost forgot this.”
“And… I’m sorry for bother you, but…” Jimin hesitantly says. Still shocked at your new foundings, you subconsciously nod to urge him on. “Do you think you can help us with preparing for the next boot camp? I’m sure you can tell by how stuffed this binder is getting, but there’s still so much paperwork to be done…”
You blankly blink at him, not even sure what he had asked you.
“O-oh, you don’t have to if you can’t or don’t want to—”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll help,” you blurt out, wanting to leave as soon as possible before your shaking knees collapses beneath you.
“Hurray! The more helpers, the merrier!” Taehyung cheers with a boxy smile. “Jungkook and I will pick you up later tonight then!”
“Yeah, I’ll, uh, text you my address,” you mindlessly say, brows knitted and lips frowning as you get his number and dash out of the room.
-
The next evening, you find yourself in the seat of Taehyung’s new car—the scent of a freshly manufactured car still roaming in the confined space of the automobile—and it’s nearly impossible not to cover your ears as the two boys sitting beside and behind you shake the car and sing, or what more accurately resembles a scream, on the top of their lungs.
“Hey, can you reserve a seat for us? Jungkook and I will look for a parking space,” Taehyung asks as you turn to raise a brow at him from the front passenger seat. “Actually, Jungkook, why don’t you go with her—”
“No, I can’t go with her,” Jungkook says through gritted teeth, and you frown at the two of them in confusion. “Your eyesight sucks and you always drive past empty spots.”
“Uh… why don’t I just go alone then…? We’re literally right in front of the library… I can walk myself there,” you mumble with cinched brows.
“Are you sure?” Jungkook hastily asks.
“Uh… yes, yes I’m sure I can walk myself down the street,” you sarcastically remark with a chortle at how odd the two are acting. Opening the door, you step outside and wave the boys goodbye when suddenly the engine roars and a sincerely apologetic pout is plastered across the both of their faces.
“I’m sorry, Y/N! I really am! We have no other choice!” Taehyung cries out.
“I really didn’t want to do this, Y/N! The other two forced me into doing this! I’m sorry! I’ll treat you to ice cream later!” Jungkook repeatedly apologizes with hands clasped together and his head sticking out of the rolled down windows, eyes staring at the ground and too afraid to look into your confused ones.
“Good luck, Y/N!” Taehyung bellows before driving the car off into the road far away from the parking lot behind the library.
“What in the world…?” you’re left behind mumbling to yourself, before turning around to discover the cause of their sudden change in behavior.
Because there right ahead of you, casually seated on the stone placard with the library’s name displayed across it in front of the towering building is the one and only Jung Hoseok. Of course, the three mischievous boys had other motives behind pleading for a helping hand; they must have set you up in an attempt for you to gain another chance at conveying their messages to Hoseok. And now that you think about it, the boys’ excuse for visiting the city’s library as opposed to your own university’s facilities, claiming that there aren’t enough seats in the cramped study rooms of your school, all of it must have been bogus.
“Oh, hell no,” you say through gritted teeth. “I swear I’m going to kill them—”
“Well if it isn’t the nosiest girl in school,” Hoseok quips and you roll your eyes as he jumps off the welcoming sign and buries his hands into the pockets of his black basketball shorts.
As much as you want to just march off in the other direction, you can’t help but glance him up and down. An oversized maroon sweater drapes over his body, whereas black shorts and sneakers complete his rather simple outfit; not that you’re surprised, because you’re sure that he, too, had been tricked into this. But even with such a casual look, one that most would look half decent in even in the comforts of their own home, it’s impossible for you not to be left in awe at how damn good he looks in them.
Gulping in an attempt to brush off the fact that your eyes are probably ogling at him, you huff, “I don’t know who you’re referring to, but it’s not like I came here with the intentions of seeing you; because if I knew you were coming, I wouldn’t even be within a mile’s radius from here.”
You wait for a snarky response from him, but all you get is a scoff that escapes him. With his head cocked ever so slightly away from you and the sharp edge of his jawline more prominent than ever, he gazes at you with the most subtle quirk of a brow and an amused smirk playing on his lips, and you just can’t help but notice that there’s still one thing which remains the same within the fallen sun and its risen shadows: he can still pull off such an effortlessly dashing charm; but the fact that you’re admitting this, that you’re actually complimenting and taking the least bit of attraction to this side of him, it all makes you fume inside with frustration at yourself for submitting to the very person who had overshadowed your bright sun.
Fists clenched and teeth gritted, you snap your head away from Hoseok and focus your line of sight directly across from him as you march your way down the rather empty streets. Your cheeks are turning red and the abundant pumps of blood which flows to your head and fills you with adrenaline hastens your footsteps, because you just know he’s staring at you and seeing right through your unflustered front with those observant eyes of his; and unsurprisingly, your suspicions are confirmed when he casually kicks his foot out right when you pass him in a successful attempt to keep you from taking another step.
You turn to shoot a glare at him, “what’re you doing?”
“Nothing much. Just standing here minding my own business, why don’t you try that yourself for a change?” he raises a brow.
“Me? Minding my own business?” your jaw slacks open in shock while you’re forced to look away in the absurdity of it all. “Ironic because, actually, you’re the one who’s in my way.”
“My foot reserved this spot before yours,” the both of you glance at his toned, long legs and you mentally scold yourself for praising him yet again. “You can always step aside. There’s plenty of space for us two on this sidewalk.”
Rolling your eyes at his egotistical remark, you figure it’s a better use of your time to step aside than argue with him further. It’s not like he’d apologize anyways; he never apologizes, not even when he’s in the wrong. But just as you take a step to the left and a step forward, you find yourself once again inches away from crashing into his chest as you peer up to shoot a death glare at the boy who only seems all too amused toying around with you.
Hoseok brushes aside your darting stare and crosses his arms with the nod of his head towards the direction you’re walking in, “where are you heading?”
“Home,” you deadpan.
“Home?” he repeats with a chuckle. “From here?”
“Yeah,” you purse your lips, knowing just how irrational you’re being.
“You’re telling me you’re going to walk dozens of miles back to school?” your silence only elicits a dark chuckle from Hoseok.
“Well…” you mumble, trailing your eyes up off the ground to sheepishly look into his. The second your gaze meets his all but dismayed one, the burning distaste you held for him returns to your conscience. You can’t believe what you’re about to ask of him—the one who had just called you nosy for being worried for him, the same one who had scorned you several nights ago for bringing up his past—but you really have no choice, not when you’re miles away from home without a ride; you could ask Hani and Junghwa for one, but you know the two are just as stranded at school as you are right now. “...do you have a ride?”
Hoseok smirks, “you mean do I have a ride that I can provide you with.”
“...yeah,” you timidly nod with your eyes shifting between him and the ground.
After a few seconds of silence, Hoseok simply shrugs, “nope. I guess we’re just going to have to wait until Jimin and the others decide enough is enough.”
It surprises you how nonchalant he’s acting over all of this; doesn’t he dislike you, too? After how much you’ve ticked him off since that night, and not even taking the rolling of his eyes and the scoffs which escape his smooth lips into account, you’ve figured by now any second spent with you would’ve been the demise for the both of you. So why does he look so amused? Is it because he enjoys seeing you flustered and fuming with annoyance like this? The theory only ticks you off even further; what happened to the sweetheart you once knew?
“Jimin brought you here?” you question, peering up at the boy whose gaze never leaves you.
“...yup,” he states before swinging his arm over your shoulders and guiding you down the streets. “So I guess we’re stuck here together. Where do you want head for first?”
“No, we’re not stuck here together,” you scrunch your nose in disgust. Retracting his arm from your shoulders, you march off towards the library and leave him behind.
“Oh, c’mon! I know you’ve been secretly wanting a second date with me,” he teases in a call to you with a low chuckle, the half chuckle half cackle that you’ve never forgotten since that night, but this time with a much darker tint to its scarred afflictions. “The mall? The skating rinks? What do they usually do in those cheesy Disney movies of yours?”
“Of mine?” you snort, recalling what Taehyung and the others have said about Hoseok’s favorite genre. But instead of addressing the question on your mind of why something as silly as movie tastes would have to be concealed in what he claims to be his past and nothing more, you whirl around and walk off into the building. “I don’t know what you’re dreaming of, but I’m going to the library.”
Without another second to waste, you enter the glass doors of the building and leaving behind the boy who only silently scoffs at your quick departure. But as you walk down the halls filled with murmurs and absent of the purring engines of cars zooming by outside, you catch yourself wondering, no, hoping for Hoseok to run after you. You don’t realize it until now, but you’re nearly out of breath after your short encounter with the boy whom you thought would do nothing but anger you after that night the two of you had gotten into an argument in your front porch. Your heart pounds and your veins are popping with thrill, and that’s when you realize your hopes have been mistaken as wonderings.
And even though you’ve come to acknowledge your secret desire to prolong this encounterance for just tonight, albeit not without any self frustration, you’re not sure if you’ve misjudged yourself, for when you hear the shuffling of footsteps following behind you, a fire reignites within you and your wavering mind. And when you finally seat yourself at a secluded table in the corner of the room only to find him plopping into the chair across from you, you’re clueless as to whether this fire is a symbol of irritant or anticipation.
“The library, really?” Hoseok quirks a brow at your choice of a destination. He leans back into his seat and sighs with his hands rested behind his head, “well, what else would I expect from you. Do all the… untainted… hang out here in their free time?”
“For the last time, Jung Hoseok, I’m not a damn virgin,” you lie in a hiss, scoffing at his avoidance of a word he knows all too well irks you to your very bones.
“Hm,” he lets out a small chortle, crossing his arms and propping one leg over the other from under the table. “If you say so.”
“Well, if you hate being misunderstood so much, why don’t you stop following me and get away from this sacred meeting spot for all the untainted across the country?” you spit.
He cocks his head and challenges you with intently watching eyes, “who said I”m not a virgin, Miss Y/L/N?”
“Whatever, we all know you’re not,” you mumble, recalling all the rumors you’ve heard and all the more believe regarding Hoseok’s promiscuous reputation both on and off campus. Hoseok only raises a brow at your remark, irking you each and every time he gave little to no effort in answering your questions and opting to remain silence. Rolling your eyes, you open a book conveniently placed beside you and begin the next few long hours, “just sit and nap quietly or something.”
...and that’s exactly what he does.
Because for the next few hours, he does every little possible thing he can to annoy you. Whether it be tapping his feet impatiently and attempting to play footsies with you or flipping a book only to topple it against the table and ever so conveniently over your own book with those piercing gazes of his as he just waits for a reaction from you, there’s nothing he doesn’t do. The only time you get a brief rest from his near silent tantrums akin to ones of a child is when he tosses his book across the tabletop, huffs a loud sigh into the thin air, and rests his head against his arms on the table to take a quick, short nap.
You can’t exactly say you’re annoyed by his actions, because as much as it irritated and confused you as to why he’s even trying so hard to garner your attention, you can’t help but admit how amusing and, dare you say, adorable he is in such an environment that fits neither his old nor present demeanor as the loud, energetic dance captain. The only thing which annoys you is the skip of your heart when he awakens from his momentary slumber, his hair disheveled but perfectly framing his face with wispy bangs and glowing brown locks as the dimming sunset shines through the windows beside you to strike at him in the most ethereal angle similar to those times you’d catch a breathtaking glimpse of him in the dance studio; his half lidded eyes and the flick of his tongue as he dampens the parched lips of his after a nap at the dry, air conditioned atmosphere of the library causes you to nearly gasp aloud with eyes widening in wonder over the angel laying before you.
“Can we go now?” Hoseok croaks, and you force yourself to gulp at the enticing raspiness of his voice. God, he might not be the same sweet boy you once knew, but there’s no way of denying just how alluring he can be.
“N-no,” you stammer. “You can leave whenever you want. It’s not like I’m your boss or anything.”
“Are you done studying for,” he ignores you and leans over to flip your book over, “astrology, princess?”
“I’m not a virgin, and I’m not your princess either!”
“You don’t even take astrology!”
“How would you know?!”
“You told me on our first date!” he throws his hands up and ruffles his hair when he realizes how loud the two of you are being in a place surrounded with hardworking students who would occasionally throw dirty glances at the seemingly bickering, playful couple.
You only scoff at his remark, biting your bottom lip when you fail to come up with a rebuttal; you don’t even believe him when he says he remembers the things you told him at the theater, because after all, that date was something he did for a dare. Because unlike you, that night was only fun and games for him, and you can’t afford thinking otherwise.
“You know what, we’re getting out of here right now,” Hoseok scoots back and stands up to reach his hand out to grab yours.
“Stop it, Hoseok! I’m not going anywhere, and especially not with you!” you hiss.
“The library’s closing in half an hour anyways,” Hoseok snaps.
“Then let’s stay until it closes! Or you can leave, and I’ll stay—”
“Shhh,” Hoseok hushes with a smirk. “This is a library, remember?”
You roll your eyes, but none of it changes his determination as he only reaffirms his grip on you with a firm squeeze of his hands; they’re unbelievably warm and soft, although at the end of his slender, lengthy fingers would be blisters, the remaining marks of his previous occupations as the captain of a dance team, and for just one second, you wouldn’t mind letting him hold you like this for a while longer. He waited long enough and the library isn’t particularly entertaining to you either, so you figure you’d let him have his way for once.
“Fine,” you gruff.
“Cool,” he coos with a grin, pulling you towards him. “Let’s go then.”
Hoseok brings you out into the open air, and the second the two of you step out of the stuffed library, you intake a deep breath of fresh air into your lungs and sigh in content. The horizon is dark and illuminated with hues of pink and golden orange, gracing the reminisces of the sun upon those who are lucky enough to catch sight of it outside instead of being cooped up in the room with noses stuffed in books.
“You know, there’s only one thing I like about this particular library,” Hoseok calls out to you as he walks backwards and away from you.
“What? The fact that you got to hang out with me for a whole day?”
“No, that’s the worst thing about this library,” he half scoffs half chuckles, eliciting a scowl from you.
He then raises his arms to his sides with a wide smile plastered across his lips, and as if on cue, blasts of water shoots out from whatever system laying underground. Lights lay across the ground in several rows, lighting up the night air now that the sun had gone down, and water which spews out next to each light spray high up into the sky in organized lines to display a spectacular show you’ve never seen before as you’ve never strayed too far off campus. A few seconds later of water droplets filling the air and falling back down in the grace of gravity’s ways, the water swiftly disappears from sight and hides underneath the ground as swiftly as it had appeared.
Hoseok jogs over to you with the widest of grins, grabbing your hand and cackling at the gape of your mouth. Dragging you over into the square marking the boundaries of where the water system lays, a tumble of worries spill from your lips, “ay, ay, ay, slow down! I don’t want to slip and get myself wet!”
His firm hands guide you right above a vent which resembled ones you’d see at the end of sidewalks, except you know it’s not just a regular vent. But before you can run off, Hoseok’s hands hold you tightly in place and all you can hear next is his giggles and all you can feel next is the freezing cold wave which spreads across your legs to your upper body as water sprays from underneath you and out of the vent. And so the next thing you know, your entire body is soaking wet after being sprayed for several seconds consecutively.
“Jung… Ho...seok!” you scream.
You’re just about to remove your wet shoes to throw at him when Hoseok knowingly runs off giggling, and you have no choice but to chase him around like two kids who should be studying rather than playing around at a library. But the chase doesn’t end anytime soon. For he runs around, and occasionally, you’d be able to trick him into nearly walking into the vicinity of the water’s sprays by feigning a cry and several whimpers only to have him escape your grips as he runs off once again, cackling at your failed attempts.
“Ahah! Caught you,” you snicker when your fingers finally manage to grasp onto his hoodie, but you know he’s all too strong for you to keep him in place with just your fingers, so instead, you pull him into a hug; your arms wrap around him and you pull his back tightly against your chest, your mind completely overtaken by your desire for revenge. And so before the two of you can reach an agreement of treaty, the water from underneath sprays the two of you for several seconds before disappearing once again.
“Okay, okay, you got me,” Hoseok laughs, “now can you let go?”
“Nope,” you simply reply, holding him tight and bracing for the next several set of sprays as the two of you scream and laugh and thrash around until you’re finally content with how soaked he looks from head to toe.
With water dripping from his bangs and burning eyes brightened by the lights below and gazing at you in either amusement or spite, you nearly forget that you’re wearing a clean white shirt which could be seen straight through now that you’re practically engulfed in freezing water. Sheepishly, you quickly turn around and cross your arms in a vain attempt to cover the undergarments which you’re so sure he’s caught sight of by now.
“Y/N?” Hoseok asks, breaking the silence that ensues shortly after. “Are you mad at me? I’m sorry if I took you by surprise… or are you cold…?”
Your lips quiver and your entire body trembles at the chilly wind which breezes past you.
“...Y/N?”
“I-It’s nothing, c-can you c-call Jimin n-now?” you stutter, keeping your back turned on him.
But instead of following your requests, you hear a series of muffling and shuffling of clothes, when suddenly, an equally soaked, albeit warm from the untouched cotton inside, drapes over your head and engulfs your body in black.
“There you go,” Hoseok breathes, working his hoodie onto you. “No more worries, now, right?”
So he knows.
Did he see? Probably, especially him being the catch that he is around school. But do you care? Not particularly, or at least you don’t think, because the overwhelming gush of your melted heart can’t help but flip dozens of times over his kind gestures. Is this the boy you fell for? Or is this the boy you keep telling yourself you despise? Or perhaps, is this the same boy molted within those two same figures?
“C’mon, let’s go home,” he chortles when you nod, taking your freezing hands into his warm ones and walking you a few blocks down to where his familiar car lays in a parking lot.
“You’re telling me… you had your car this whole time?” you retort in disbelief.
“Yeah, of course,” he snorts, opening the car door for you. “I’m not letting Jimin drive me around. Who knows what they’re up to nowadays?”
“Ah, so this isn’t the first time, huh?” you mutter to yourself as you seat yourself in his car and he gets in from the other side.
“So I’m assuming you haven’t moved since last time we spoke, right?” he quips, turning on his purring engine.
“No,” you laugh, knitting your brows at his sudden question.
“Well, I wouldn’t know seeing all the death glares you’ve given me lately.”
“Oh, right,” you mumble. Only then do you recall the fuming anger you held against him which had been buried by the thrill of a water fight after a long day of ignoring and shooting what he claimed to be death glares. Right, you’re supposed to be mad at him. “You know, I still haven’t forgiven you for last time. For the dare, for saying all those things you did that night, for pretending like you’ve never danced before—”
—you stop mid-sentence when he quirks a brow at the mention of his past.
“Well, it’s not like I’ve forgiven you either,” he remarks, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel like he did on the drive to the theater that one night. “Say, do you like playing games, Y/N?”
“You’re the one who likes games,” you roll your eyes.
“...right,” he reluctantly says from the back of his throat. “I don’t want to keep things between us the way they are now…. Strained. So, would you like to make a bet with me?”
Turning your head to glance at him as he does the same, averting his gaze off the roads to glimpse at you. “What kind of a bet…?”
“Seeing how… intrigued… you are about my past, would you like to find out why I left that part of me behind?” he smirks at the way your eyes pop in regards to his question. He takes a deep breath and sighs, “you don’t like me right?”
“I guess…” you mutter. “I don’t particularly despise you either.”
“No, I meant that in the romantic way. You don’t think about me in ways other than occasional dirty thoughts, right?”
You scoff, “I don’t get wet dreams about you, and I don’t plan on anytime soon. So no, I don’t like you…”
…or at least not the current you.
“Alright, then how about...” he pauses to hum and rhythmically tap against the leather of his steering wheel. “If you don’t fall for me, then you can ask me anything you want and I’ll answer truthfully. But if you do fall for me, then you can’t mention dance anymore. And you have to stop Jimin and the others from trying to bring me back.”
Falling for him? You? Now? What a joke, you mentally tell yourself, the only person you’ve ever fallen for is long gone now. But you can’t tell him now; you need an upper hand on this silly bet of his. And as silly as it is, there’s a part of you that wants to know the story behind it all; the story behind the fallen dance captain, the heartthrob of your school, the sweetheart whom had captured your heart and never returned it.
“...sounds like an easy win to me,” you shrug, quirking a brow at his chuckle. “So what’s our time frame?”
“Don’t need one.”
“I mean, how much time are you giving me to hold out from falling for your unbelievable charms Mr. Jung?”
“I don’t need one,” he laughs again, turning to look at you with those darkened eyes of his which shakes you to your core. “If you think you can hold out for so long, why don’t you just show me? I, on the other hand, think I’ve won already.”
And as if he knows you like the back of your hand, his smooth words elicits a skip of a heartbeat. A hammering sensation thumping against your chest and your breath catching within the knot of your throat, especially when he cocks his head and peers down at you with that overconfident look of his.
“Don’t you think, sweetheart?”
#bts x reader#bts x you#bts smut#bts angst#bts fluff#hoseok x reader#hoseok x you#hoseok smut#hoseok angst#hoseok fluff#jhope x reader#jhope x you#jhope smut#jhope angst#jhope fluff#bts scenarios#bts imagines#bangtan fanfic#bangtan x reader#bts x y/n#hoseok x y/n#bts fanfic#uhhhhhhh yeah#scriptaed
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The boss´ herding dog
You can thank insomnia for this one. Also, my need to show an aspect of Albus I´m DYING to explore on the arc after For you. This is a few weeks after the whole photos fiasco. Sann has barely started to learn sign language so he will sound a bit cut(?).
Taglist: @castielamigos-whump-side-blog @giggly-evil-puppy @cowboysrappin @haro-whumps @burtlederp @neuro-whump @comfortforthepain @whumps-the-word @whole-and-apart-and-between @broken-horn @ashintheairlikesnow @rosesareviolentlyread @starnight-whump @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @as-a-matter-of-whump @whumpasaurus101 @grizzlie70 @twistedcaretaker
CW// Slavery, dehumanization, suggestive language to taunt, manhandling, blood, angry caretaker, workplace bullying, conditioning, pet whump, mentioned ableism and negative views on stimming, mentioned past noncon and fucky victim self blaming (it was necessary kind of fucky)
It was odd for him to show the collar around. People stared, people whispered. Albus would hear them talk about him on his back all the time now. But he would keep working. As it was what his owner bought him for. He knew that. He knew it and yet…
“Do you really have to go, Tony?” He asked the man putting his things inside a cardboard box. As he scratched his wrist over the leather band Sasha gave him to cover the number. He frowned at the clean desk, the walls that had been decorated with flyers ideas and visual references, the drawer with his snacks too were gone. All fitted inside the trash bag the lady had put into her cart a few moments ago.
It was a quick clean up so the box was almost empty. His analogue clock, his sketchbooks, his computer, tablet, photos of Sasha and him, of his family and even one that included him looking awkward as Sasha hugged him and Tony took the photo with his phone.
It was funny how much of a life could fit inside a box.
The man shrugged, pulling the box over the empty desk. “I hit the boss’ son. I have to, buddy” Albus lowered his head. If he hadn’t…he shook his head. There wouldn’t have been a party in the first place if he hadn’t. He had been good, but sometimes, it wasn’t enough to be more than that. Tony’s wide hand squeezed his shoulder “It’s not your fault, Al. I promise I hit that bastard because he deserved it. But is annoying because I didn’t have a brick to build him a prettier face” he joked making the albino smile. The other smiled too, opening his arms “Hey, Al can I hug you? I’m gonna miss you man”
The albino didn’t need to be asked, not from him. But it felt good to know he had an option. “Im gonna miss you too” Albus pulled his arms around his waist and squeezed. Sinking on his chest. After a moment they pulled apart and Tony dig through his things to take out the bags of snacks to put them on his arms. “Sasha will keep them on her office now”
“You know she’s never there”
Tony grimaced “But she lets her office open. You can take them and come to have lunch with us” Albus mouth opened to say Zarai wouldn’t- hadn’t allowed him to do that. Even if he went grocery shopping with his ID… “I talked with her. With miss Montenegro. She said it’s alright if you came with us. Just to notify her before you go” Tony smiled. He had his jaw on the floor. Always helping him like that… he couldn’t help but go for another hug.
“Thank you” the albino muttered as the man ruffled his hair.
“And how’s Sann? Everything going ok?” Albus scratched his neck as Tony sat on the chair. They still had time before the new guy came. Tony crossed his arms “He’s having a hard time isn’t it?”
“He’s adapting…slowly…”
They had been eating on the floor with Sann for a while now. Until they could get him to sit at the table. “It was a full conversation to tell him to not be naked in the house...and that he could sleep in my bed alone without...earning it...” that made a vein pop out Tony’s forehead.
“That pervert bastard” he said through gritted teeth.
“Yeah… At least he’s doing very well with Sasha’s lessons. Told me about this new book he´s reading in signs!” the albino smiled remembering how happy he had looked to see them come back the first few days. The book pile over his nightstand growing and growing as the days went by. For some reason calculus text books from Zarai’s days at college and an old encyclopedia had caught his attention.
It had become normal for him to work on the laptop on the studio’s sofa and have Sann sitting next to him on the floor reading. Sometimes, he mindlessly hanged his arm only to find Sann leaning on to it. He had tried not to touch him, to pull away, but he had caught his hand and pulled it to his head. Sloppily signed it felt good when he did that.
“And how are you feeling?” Tony suddenly asked taking him by surprise. His face was knit with a bit of worry.
Albus forced a smile “I’ll be fine” he replied. The other hummed.
“Don’t forget Jeremy is also there and half the trainees adore you. If you need help” Albus nodded bitterly. Lee had stopped talking to them entirely. Wouldn’t listen to her tasks unless another person told her. A few people had become like that towards him now.
Because he was a box boy and would always act keeping his owner´s pleasure in mind like a loyal dog, he had heard them say. And they were right. He had been trained to have his owner’s safety as his maximum priority. If Zarai was in danger, he wouldn’t doubt a second to switch places.
Albus had to say goodbye to Tony that day to welcome days of dealing with the aftermath of what Robert had provoked.
Dealing with people letting things slip carelessly just to see him try to catch it, bossing him around, laughing when he did all the tasks, when it was “just a joke”. Having almost a heart attack upon finding a dog plate full with dog food over his desk with a note that said “for the boss’ puppy” he had to throw away and clean before Zarai saw it. Going to more public zones was tricky now. He was fine with the rumors. But hearing two trainees talk about their lack of promotions and suddenly seeing him enter the room to use the copying machine went really uncomfortable when he overheard one sigh.
“At least I don’t get deals by making my pet sleep with them” Albus hand crunched the pages on his hand and slammed them on the machine before he turned to them. Recognizing the dirty blonde who had talked as Galván. A guy who had graduated from a top college because his parents could afford it with pocket money and worked there because his uncle made a few calls.
“Ma’am´s position was earnt through her own hard work and years of experience. I would be very happy to remind you, you will need either her or my signature to have your degree after four years of dropping college, so you can find any other job than just an internship someone gave you” the guys snorted.
“What? Puppy boy can actually bark?” The other guy went, a black haired guy with a wiry body type and at least two heads taller than him. He vaguely reminded him of handler Harry. His primary handler. The one who supervised his whole training, and the one to make him stop circling his thumbs, wiggle his leg or tap when he was nervous. Until eventually it came back and Zarai said nothing. They started rounding him “Look at you, acting like you own the place” one of them reached to his neck and Albus stayed still as he uncovered the collar. Digging his nails into his hand “but you’re just the herd dog. Looking after your Master’s sheeps”
“By that logic, I guess the sheep should know they’re below the dog’s watch” the guy felt a chill seeing Albus’s crimson eyes gleam darkly. A grin crept to his face as he firmly put the guy´s hand away. “You were so slow at the beginning and asked me for help for something that took me two days to learn. It was me who helped you not get fired in your first week, wasn’t it? The dog with no degree” the guy scrunched his nose. Albus felt strange as something coiled inside his stomach and a white stinging pain formed behind his eyes “You better not stray from the herd and stay where I can see you”
“Shut up” the guy said pathetically, amusing Albus.
“Shut up what? Remember your manners” and Albus was bitterly reminded of training. Of the white rooms and the men who smiled when they shoved him to his knees. Who lifted his chin up and mouthed his instructions. The same he was saying now, echoing through his memories “You will refer to your superiors with respect. And when they ask you to do something, whatever it may be, your only reply will be “yes, sir” understood?”
The other guy laughed at his friend. Picked his ribs before turning to Albus again.
“Well, aren’t you sharp? My uncle’s boxie is a dumb domestic who can’t even clean a spot right. Just mindlessly begs to be forgiven all the time” there was something on his smirk that made Albus’ skin crawl “he became a lot more fun when they taught him how he could be useful as a romantic” the boy´s eyes sparked with malice “Heard all the ordeal with the CEO’s pet and you, sir” Albus froze “But I need to know from you, sir. Do you herd him too?” He took a step closer to Albus in that same suffocating air as the handlers. Albus tried to control his breathing. It would be fine. Their conversation had gathered a few faces, as well. Quietly amusing themselves with the show “Do you make the Romantic say “yes, ma’am” to her when she’s using him? Or do you make him say that to you only? I heard you were a romantic too, so maybe, you’re just teaching him how she likes it so he can join in? Or maybe, he’s worse than that? He’s your pet sir?”
—
The sound of her heels made faces on the crowd watch on her direction. Many of them running away as soon as they spotted her. Giving her freeway to the middle of all the commotion.
“Take it back!” She heard Albus scream eraged, so atypical from him. It was a surprise to see Albus being held back by a trainee as another stood before him with his knuckles peeled red and covering his bloody nose. Two guys restraining him harder as they saw her. Albus spit a bit of blood as he shouted “You know nothing about him! Take it back!” He jerked against the guy restraining him.
“Mister Serra stop!” the blonde trainee said putting his all into not letting go even as he squirmed so violently. Kicks in the air just to get an inch closer.
“NO! He has no right to say that about him! He doesn’t know shit about us! None of you do!” He screamed at the top of his lungs “Let- ngh, Let me go Jeremy!” He said through gritted teeth. “I need to knock some sense up that stupid head of-“
“Hear this out, the dog wanting to explain to me about a cocksleeve!” He cut him, just making Albus fight harder.
“Enough!” She hollered coming to his line of sight. Freezing them completely. Some people had taken out their cameras and she snatched one phone out of their hands. “What is this? A high school quarrel? You’re adults in the working force, gentlemen” she let it sink, seeing how Albus went stiff and trembled since the moment he spotted her. Zarai turned her head to the trainee with the bloody nose “We wont send some little piece of paper for your parents to sign, you go straight out” Albus eyebrows knit in horror stopping to struggle.
“No, please wait, ma’am” he whispered shakily as Jeremy balanced letting him go.
“I dont even need to know who started. you’re fired. Get your stuff out now” she said pointing to the widened eyed trainee as Albus suddenly collapsed on the floor. “All of you better erase those videos right now unless you are sure you can face the consequences.” She growled loud enough for the crowd to let a thick quiet settle. She knelt in front of Albus and he flinched wildly when she approached her fingers to his neck.
“Pl-Please, please no. Im, I, Im sorry, please! he, he said-“ he covered the collar with his hands. Trying to keep her from taking it away.
“I dont care what he said” she terminated before she took a napkin Jeremy handed her “Im not gonna take it away, are you ok? You took quite the hit there” he nodded slowly, somewhat relieved but not taking away his hand from his neck just yet. Albus kept looking at the ground as she wiped away some of the blood off his mouth. He saw her stand and talk again to the half dispersed crowd. “Most of you don’t know me very well yet. But have clear that I do not take lightly when my property is damaged and much less when the most capable member of my team has to endure your childish behavior” Albus head sank slowly as she kept talking. Nodding when Jeremy asked if he was alright and helped him up “I thought better of you. But you have proven to me not worthy of that right. I’ve had enough of this situation” she eyed every single frowned face, every guilty and compliant. “If I hear, or see, something like this happens again, or I find any of you trying to start a fight or bullying others, I will have them personally seen outside the building after signing their resignation letter and put you on the blacklist of candidates myself. Are we clear?”
“But what about-“
“Are we clear, Miss Lee?” Zarai directed to the black haired girl among the crowd. She stared at the ground while she nodded “Whoever refuses to accept this can come to my office to explain and sign their resignation. Thats all. Disperse”
She watched them walk away, before she turned to Albus “Follow me”
The albino´s heart leapt before he walked after her with his head down. His heart drummed at each step and seemed to halt to a stop when she opened the door for him. Albus stared into her eyes, but as many other times, she was unreadable when she cocked her head.
Clenching his jaw, he stepped inside and heard the door close behind him.
He had fucked up.
He had completely broken her trust in him and he would finally be punished.
What was he thinking? Mistakes weren´t allowed.
Zarai walked past him to a small cabinet behind her desk, but Albus had his eyes locked in the ground. Not wanting to see what exactly she would use to punish him until she was on it.
“On the desk” she ordered still rumminating through a metallic box. The boy breathed in deep before walking to her desk with shaky legs. The uncertainty of what would come just made his heart race faster. He sat on it obediently anyways.
“M-Ma´am, I´m so sorry…” he started, fear taking the worst out of him, his hands got damped in sweat.
“I know you are” she replied calmly before pulling his chin up with soft fingers “Lift your head, hun” Without meaning to, he flinched wildly at the sight of blurry fingers over him. Zarai fished his jaw and pressed slightly on each side, to turn his head up “Hey, hey, don´t move. I know it hurts but I need you to stay still so I can put it on” Zarai then poked his cheek with something cold, making him blink at the refreshing sensation on his skin. “Doesn´t hurt, right?”
He blinked confused at her, “L-Lidocain?” he said in the smallest voice she had ever heard.
“Uh-huh” she kept rubbing the gel over his bruising cheek. Completely frozen over the desk as she cleaned his busted lip. After a moment she closed the lid of the gel and put it back on the metallic box. He now recognized it as a first aid kit. After she put a bandaid she looked down to throw the package in the trash “You can come down now. How´s it?”
It took the boy a moment to reply, slipping off the wood desk with ease “Better…Thank you, Ma´am”
She hummed as she put the box away, sitting on her chair as the boy stood in front of her desk utterly transfixed in her calmness.
Albus kept eyeing her furtively. Worry visible as he kept rounding his thumbs. She took notice of it quickly and stopped herself from checking her computer to sigh. “Tell me”
“Im sorry for the trouble ma’am”
The woman lifted her eyes.
“No, Im sorry. I should have done this sooner, dont worry about it” she turned on her chair to face him. Lips parting and biting it for a second “You have been working for me for six months, Albus. You know better than this” the way he sank on his shoulders confirmed “I dont wanna know what they said because your reaction was probably justified. I trust you in that. But you can’t do this again, yes?”
“Yes, ma’am” he kept quiet for a minute before he dared speak up again “Ma’am?” he tried “Why wont you punish me?” She lifted an eyebrow.
“Would you want me to?”
“N-No… I mean- no, but-” the boy stammered, squeezing his hands tight as he lowered his head submissively “…But I won´t complain if you think I deserve it”
“That´s not going to happen. You did nothing that required punishment, Albus” she sighed.
“But I started…I punched him first” he admitted.
“Well…that’s certainly surprising” she found herself wondering how he had reached his face with his small height “But no. You won’t be punished for it. The guy was also getting on my nerves with that sly mouth. So maybe I should thank you”
The albino sneaked a little smile “Then…then will you keep me? Will I be able to keep working?” Zarai sighed and nodded. The albino looked shaken, capable of keeping his composure, as he went back to work later. She knew by just watching him automatically doing his chores and cleaning up when it was time to go with a blank face.
The elevator was quiet and the ride home even more. Zarai wasn’t exactly a feeler. But she knew the way his eyes were fixed on the floor as he waited for her to enter the house was empty. She gave him a headpat then. No words as she didnt even know what to say to him that would cheer him up. But still, he leaned on to it.
“Thank you, ma’am” he said when she took away her hand to open the door.
“Everything will be ok yeah?” she smiled at him before they entered the house. The boy trailing after her feeling a small blush on his cheeks. He could hear Cloude’s loud voice and smelled something very sweet. French toasts?
Sann came trotting to meet them. Wearing one of Cloude’s shirts that were too big for him and basketball shorts. He bowed to Zarai who gave him a headpat too and a smile before walking to the kitchen to greet Cloude.
“French toasts arent breakfast?” She teased.
“Time is a social construction. Its 10 am somewhere” Cloude thought french toasts were for breakfast too, but Sann had never tried them and frankly possibly neither Albus. Prepared them? Yeah for training surely. Eat them? Not so sure “Just a lil something after a hard day” he said to her before she gave him a kiss on the cheek.
The freckled boy smiled wide before he spotted the bruise on his cheek.
“What happened?” He signed worry flooding his face as Albus shifted uncomfortably. Taking off his leather band as he remembered what the other guy had said. Anger threatening to come back. Sann noticed his knuckles were bruised too. “Hurts?”
“Nothing important” Albus shrugged. Looking away “Dont worry, it was just a scratch. but it looks ugly because…albinos bruise easily…” he said every word slower than the last, as his bitterness leaked through his words. Waiting for him to nod, to sign yes, for anything but him softly soothing his swollen knuckles.
“Easy or not, bruises still hurt” he signed as an affirmation, eyes losing focus to wonder back on memories. Sann looked up again before stroking his healthy cheek. “Wont ask how. Instead, Want some ice?” Sann smiled after signing. Just before noticing a tear rolled down Albus’s cheek. Then he frantically started to round his chest as an apology.
The albino shook his head not able to shake the smile off his face for the rest of the night. It was even more difficult as Sann finally sat on the border of the chair. Next to him. To eat french toasts for the first time and had Cloude laughing at their reaction. Even more as, deep into the night, he stroke Sann’s hair while sitting next to him reading the space part of the encyclopedia. Sometimes asking what a word meant and pouting when he didnt know. Taking out the dictionary and reading the meaning together.
The futon on his back didn’t feel so hard suddenly. Even if he managed to keep himself awake way after Sann left to sleep, he covered his eyes. After a moment, he passed his fingers around the leather collar on his neck. Loosened up to sleep like always. Still there. The physical permission to keep having all that. A cozy place to sleep, a job, friends as well as the insults and degradation.
What deemed him her property.
He had her words stuck in his mind all day. His Ma´am had made something clear that day but it didn´t make him feel better at all. It was just…so exhaustingly confusing. He didn´t understand how to be good for her, how to keep the punishments away. By some lucky strike he had managed to get this far without fucking up, but this was an strike and he knew better by now to think she would wait for a third to act.
Albus let out his breath as he covered his eyes with his hand. Feeling the warmth of his swollen fingers, he opened his eyest to stare at the knuckles with bandaids Sann insisted in putting after some ice and smiled before rolling over to face the door, covering his head with his arm like an instinct the handlers didn’t put in him, and closed his eyes to sleep.
For a moment, Albus swore to himself he would figure out his owner as he went by, even more carefully now. It would be ok. As long as he had that one person by his side, it would be enough.
#you came back a stranger#writing#my writing#whump#pet whump#tw slavery#tw dehumanization#tw suggestive#tw manhandling#tw blood#angry caretaker#tw bullying#tw conditioning#tw ableism#tw past noncon#tw victim blaming#tw self loathing#beating#threats#caretaker#hurt comfort#collars#mute whumpee#whumpee turned whumper#albus is straight up not having a good time and thinks hes gonna be returned for every mistake#it takes him a while to realize she wouldn´t have#fist fight#wound care#cleaning wounds#zarai
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mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm anxiety brain go brrrrrr starker brain go FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFHHHHHHHHHHPPPTPTTTTTTTTTFFFFFFFFHFHHFHHHHHHHH
ᶦ'ᵛᵉ ᵒⁿˡʸ ˢᵉᵉⁿ ᵐᶜᵘ ᶜᵒⁿᵗᵉⁿᵗ ᵘᵖ ᵗᵒ ᵉⁿᵈᵍᵃᵐᵉ, ᵃⁿᵈ ᶦ ᶠᵘᶜᵏᶦⁿᵍ ʰᵃᵗᵉᵈ ᵉⁿᵈᵍᵃᵐᵉ. ˢᵒ ᵗʰᶦˢ ᶦˢ ᶜᵃⁿᵒⁿ ᶜᵒᵐᵖˡᶦᵃⁿᵗ ᵘᵖ ᵘⁿᵗᶦˡ ᵗʰᵉ ˡᵃˢᵗ ᶦᵈᵏ ˡᶦᵏᵉ ,, ³⁰ ᵐᶦⁿˢ ᵒᶠ ᴵᵂ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗʰᵉⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ᵍᵒᵒᵈ ᵍᵘʸˢ ʷᶦⁿ ᵃⁿᵈ ⁿᵒ ᵒⁿᵉ ᵈᶦᵉˢ ʷᵒᵒᵎ ʰᵒᵒʳᵃʸᵎᵎ ᵇᵉᶜᵃᵘˢᵉ ᶦ ᴰᵒ ᴺᵒᵗ ᴸᶦᵏᵉ ᵁⁿʰᵃᵖᵖʸ ᴱⁿᵈᶦⁿᵍˢ™
content: weighted blankets, post iw-fix-it, talk of therapy but in an okay way
- peter's the only one that likes traditional therapy. sit down for 50 minutes and talk to the same person once a week every week type shit - he's so into it. because peter's so good at bouncing ideas off people that can click with him on a brainwave level
- and even though he’s more into biochem than he is psych, he can still rattle off dsm5 diagnoses and criteria better than the average trauma therapy patient. he likes seeing his therapist, even if she doesn’t have compound clearance yet (she’s technically not even licensed to practice in the state of new york, just california and washington, but tony pulled some strings for his favorite young adult. she’s the highest rated and regarded clinical psych social worker on the west coast and peter took to her so well... what was he gonna do, say no?)
- but peter’s been so active in his mental health journey - he’s been facetiming at least one friend every single day, getting a few hours of outside time every week, making sure to eat at least a couple of meals every day and getting to sleep at a ,, semi decent time.
- but his anxiety is still off the charts a year into grief and trauma therapy - he’s doing everything right but he’s still restless at night, still jumpy during the day, still can’t do serious missions because he’s too reactive
- and he feels like no one in the compound gets it. none of them want to talk about his appointments with him. no one was willing to look into therapy for themselves, so talking about their feelings is like talking to a bunch of brick walls.
- none of his normal/human friends get it either. sure, some of them are in therapy. but for, like, normal human reasons. how the hell are they gonna be able to relate to fighting an alien in outer space
- they aren’t
- so he decides to look into weighted blankets
- he honestly thought they were bullshit, for a long time. how can a blanket full of beads make him less flighty?? less lonely?? less likely to punch the nearest unidentified footsteps in the face without warning/cause?
- but he caves, and decides to buy one anyway. he finds a nice one online - 30 lbs, the heaviest he can find - and purchases it.
- it arrives at the compound a few days later, and peter’s actually a bit more excited for it than he initially thought
- he pulls it out and tries it out that night and oh,,, ,my god it’s the best sleep he’s gotten in fucking months dude
- he wasn’t even intending to but peter ends up napping for five hours after crawling underneath the grey blanket, brain completely shutting off. even his spider is calmed down, not getting overwhelmed by the smelltexturepressure presence of the new, unfamiliar fabric
- usually he’d have to get used to something like this. the blanket hasn’t been his long enough to be ,, fully comfortable around it. it’s foreign it’s new it’s not something he’s used to but it’s still the only thing in the world that can get peter parker to have a completely nightmare-free 8 hours of sleep
- so his spider shuts its god damn mouth, and peter is ,, so much better.
- it only took a week for his headaches to get better, his nausea to completely go away. his hands don’t shake anymore and he can talk without feeling his blood turn cold. it’s new and it’s exciting and it’s so nice to finally be able to do things anxiety free
- so peter starts bringing his blanket EVERYWHERE - i’m talking to breakfast, to meetings, to team debriefs, to the lab, to his telehealth sessions
- the team is starting to notice his new shadow and they’re ,, obviously a bit confused because the kid is 20 for fucks sake why does he need a security blanket but he excitedly explains the science and physiology behind it to thor one day during dinner when the god very blatantly questions him (totally without malice though, he’s just a big dumb god who wants to know if the blanket is a friend like the Strange man’s cape or if it’s somehow different)
- and they all seem to get it - they might not be in traditional therapy but it kinda clicks for them after listening to peter explain it in thousand year old asgardian terms
- peter kinda forgets about the conversation until he smells another new blanket as he’s coming into the common room one day
- when he rounds the corner he sees sam, curled up on one of the couches, covered in a blanket just like his but a much darker grey, snoring softly and completely unaware of just how loud the movie in front of him is (argo, for some reason. why the fuck would you watch a show about exfiltration and prisoners of war, sam, that’s literally so triggering)
- the next person to get one is thor, but he’s not really a fan. says he “cant find one that is truly heavy enough” and “are you really sure they make them for men as superior and strong as i, young spider?” which is really fucking funny because peter can literally lift 11 million tons and could probably throw thor halfway across the planet before the blonde could say “what”
- and peter kinda laughs and agrees, like “yeah dude, mine’s way too scratchy but it gets the job done”
- and they voice their complaints loudly enough that tony can hear. and, of course, being simultaneously the best friend and the perfect housewife, he makes a call to wakanda to see if he can’t get some vibranium to them within the next couple of days
- he and bruce and peter spend the next, like, week in the compound labs figuring a way to design enhanced-friendly weighted blankets. it took a bit longer than expected - tony wanted them to be soft enough for peter’s sensitive skin, resilient enough to handle hulk’s temper tantrums or thor’s lightning blasts, and dense enough that anyone enhanced could actually reap the cocooning weight benefits
- but they eventually found a design that worked ! really well actually, and peter was so excited he ditched his old blanket immediately
- and soon, everyone was carrying around their own custom stark weighted blanket - nat and peter’s with matching spider and web designs, cap’s with the shield, tony’s covered in blue triangles (like the core he made in IM2)
- if they all kinda agree that the kid might have been right about this one, no one says it out loud. but it was understood, and very apparent
- especially when they started having family movie nights in the common area, and they all brought their blankets. to show peter he wasn’t alone, to show him that he was right, and maybe to show him that yeah, he’s making them better
- especially when, one right after the other, they all start going to therapy. some in person, some with telehealth, some... offworld... but they all start going
- and especially when, eventually, they stop needing the blankets altogether
#.inebriatedposting#am writing this with my weighted blankie on top of me#i just envision them all curled up on the huge U shaped sofa#all of them with snacks#all of them under their various weights of blanket#cuddling and curled up and just#so soft#it's such a soft image in my mind#i want more domesticity among them#i miss that a lot#domesticity among this group of people#that have killed together#and died together#and lived together#it makes me sad#anyway#peter really do be the glue#.text#.mine#mcu#starker#because tony is the best boyfriend who would import several thousand pounds of a very obscure metal for his precious baby#hehe
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Linked Universe: Our Nightly Confidant 1
Wind From Home
Twilight considers himself a simple man. A farmer at heart, even if he has the hands of a hero. He's grown in a small village, where everyone knows everything about everyone else. Community is a sense that's been cultivated in him as well as pumpkins on a sky island (whatever that saying means).
He loves his brothers and his sort of dad. This quest... he doesn't want to say it's a blessing. It isn't. The monsters threaten many. Their group hasn't always saved everyone. It's no blessing that hurts so many. But he can't help rejoice the opportunity to meet so many heroes. To find his place in the legacy of the Hero of Courage.
As a Hylian from a human village, he's never worried about his place, but he does find peace in belonging to a group with no such innate distance.
He's one of the oldests, weird as that is. Most of the group are like little siblings to him. Weird, insane and irreverent little shits that give him grey hair. No, he's not thinking exclusively about Wild (Wild's a special case). He's attuned to their moods.
Four asked if he had a special sense for this, the second time he'd done it. A 'special' sense, he had insisted in the middle of their training camp, meaning wolf senses. No. Twilight doesn't feel one side of him bleeds into the other. It's not like that.
It's not what makes his eyes trail after Wind today. His youngest brother (barely losing to Colin by a season) is currently laughing his ass off on a tree stump over Warriors tripping on Legend's items. It is denied, not very convincingly, that the items weren't left there on purpose. Little shits, he's telling you.
The truth is more down to earth, the way Twilight likes it. Dogs train themselves to recognize hylian expressions. They know what sadness and joy and anger look like all too well. They know when to cheer their big two-legged friends. And a wolf? Well, a wolf better learn fast the difference between a real smile and a fake if it doesn't want to end up stuck in a bear trap.
***
First watch is always a bit nerve wracking. Unlike second and third watch, Twilight can't just shift into wolf form to sniff out enemies and make sure the whole forest is secure. Links don't fall asleep easily. Legend wakes up at the slightest noise for the first two hours he looks asleep. Time might just stare at the sky the whole night, not getting a wink of sleep. Sometimes, Twilight himself just... can't stop thinking. Wondering where she is now. If she's alright. If Ordon's safe without him. Once in a while, he'll close his eyes and hear Lumi crying, and Uli's quiet steps to shush her.
The other half of the time, it's staying asleep that's the problem. The Goddesses know they all have plenty of material to fuel their nightmares (he's never forgetting Yeta's face, he's resigned to that).
When the moon's path has almost reached its zenith, Twilight hears the first few moans. His heart drops. He hoped. But he's not surprised. Sometimes, the heart can't take the weight of the mask people plaster on.
It starts small. It always does.
For a time, it's mostly sniffles and choked sobs. Then a small 'I'm sorry.' Twilight grimaces. None of them show their scar easily. The deep scars, at least. Wind wouldn't appreciate an audience. Unfortunately, Twilight can't exactly leave. The next best thing however is to try and cut it short.
So, decision made, he creeps around camp, places himself behind Wind and shakes his shoulder. (Carefully. The group collectively learned not to take sleeping Links lightly. At least, Sky had laughed out the black eye with grace.)
“Hey, Sailor,” he whispers, hoping none of the others react. “It's your turn.”
In truth, it's a touch early for that. But he knows he made the right call when Wind rubs his eyes and freezes at the wet feeling on his fingers. He'd been in the middle of turning around, but he immediately fakes a stumble and buries his face in his rolled up blankets instead. It's a good cover to wipe tears without being too obvious.
Twilight would be impressed if that didn't send pangs of worry through his chest. Oh, Wind...
“Mrm,” Wind mumbles. “One minute?”
“Sure, I gotta take a leak anyway.”
“Yeah, yeah, piss off.” Wind waves him off from under the blanket.
Twilight smiles to himself. He should ask Wind to direct a play next time they visit his Hyrule. Queen Zelda was always in need of entertainment for the stuffy dignitaries. Jackasses couldn't crack a smile if they were whipped.
That faint irritation pushes him toward the end of the camp line, out of the clearing. Once he's out of sight and hearing range, he grabs onto his cursed necklace and sneaks through the underbrush. His senses make navigating through the twigs and branches child's play, and the lack of any pig-like stench reassures him that there's no malice-infected monster around. In less than a minute, he has circled around the camp and positioned himself the near opposite of where his hylian form left through. Generally, people don't make the association if he leaves a few minutes tick by. Out of sight, out of mind.
It's a bit embarrassing how well that trick works.
Wind's head is turned in the direction he disappeared earlier. Skittish, like a rabbit looking out of its hole. Wind must be waiting for him to return from his manly business, which is a bit of a lost bet at the moment. Seconds tick with only the faint brushing of leaves on his fur and the nightly wind for company. Then, all at once, Wind stands up and stomps his way to the stump Twilight had been using for his turn at the watch.
“Damn it!” Wind curses under his breath. The tears are held at bay, barely. “There's no way he didn't see... calm down, calm down dammit, he's gonna come back soon!”
A small boot kicks off some dirt. Twilight flinches in his hiding spot. That's more anger than expected. He's not sure what to do with that. None of them like vulnerability. None of them are used to being allowed vulnerability. He's worked on Wild and Time for a while now, and he's making progress, even if it's only them opening up to him.
It's that same instinct that pushes him to walk through the bush and reveal himself. He's as non-threatening as a large wolf can be, but Wind still whirls around with his sword drawn. Recognition is a second slower.
“Wolfie!” Wind whisper-yells. “Bad dog! I almost skewered you!”
Twilight raises one eyebrow, unimpressed. He is most certainly not a bad dog, and he is quite experienced at dodging last second hits by flailing, surprised preys. Not that he even thought of Wind as prey, never, but Wind didn't have to imply he'd be that stupid.
“Oi, what are you looking at?” Wind grumbles, dropping back on his tree stump. “Stupid dog...”
Twilight fights the urge to growl. He's here to help, not pick a fight. Unfortunately, his struggle had been obvious, because Wind deflates and sheaths his sword.
“Sorry. It's just... I'd been doing so well so far,” he whispers. “Even if they're big mother cuccos about me sometimes, they still listened to me.”
Twilight feels his tail curl between his legs. He knows he's overprotective. He knows it's annoying Wind, but he can't help it when every other time they fight, he sees Colin rushing into the path of King Bulblin.
“Hey, hey, don't be sad.” Wind cajoles, patting his knee like an invitation.
Twilight's too happy to question the change. He plops his chin on Wind knees and looks up. Small, calloused hands run into his fur.
“Do you have family, Wolfie?”
… What? For a second, he slips out of grasp just to better stare at Wind. Then, he sniffs his breath for a second, and whilst there's a fair amount of onions there (dental hygiene, Sailor!), no traces of booze anywhere. So, he softly woofs, tilting his head to the side.
“Do you have a she-wolf and a litter of little pups that trip all over themselves? I bet you're a good dad, aren't you?”
Twilight can't help the shocked whine that burst out of his throat, nor the flattened ears on top of his head. Him? A dad? He was far too young for that! Being a brother to Wild alone was trouble enough as it was, fatherhood remained firmly beyond his grasp. Besides... it wasn't like he had someone with whom...
“Aww,” Wind cooed, scratching behind his ears, “I didn't want to scare you, Wolfie. I just thought you take good care of us, s'all. I bet you'll be a good dad someday.”
Flattered as he is, he can't help puff and huff into Wind's shirt. He's a noble beast, talked down to like a lap dog. At least, he successfully distracted Wind from what nightmare he had.
Together, they listened to the crackling embers, moving only when the flames needed another log or when a critter stumbled too close to camp (a very curious rat that scampered when it met Twilight's eyes).
“How much did he drink?” Wind mutters, a bit later. “Did he pass out with his breeches down?”
A low growl rumbles into his chest. The disadvantage of others not knowing he's Wolfie is hearing that kind of crap about himself. He's a misunderstood man condemned by the judgemental Links of the world.
“What? Don't like him? Twilight's okay. Most of the time. Like, he saw me cry. I know he did. He knows I know, but he still pretended not to... you know?”
Twilight's best deadpan glare expresses that yes, he knows. More importantly, he puts a paw on Wind's chest, making a small inquisitive noise. Why? Did he need to share it with a very innocent wolf that doesn't judge anyone and anything except Warriors' morning hair?
The fragile grin on Wind's face falters. His eyes dart around. “I... it's not like... You won't laugh, right?”
Twilight nods emphatically.
“It's nothing too bad. I just miss my sister and my grandma.”
Oh, Wind...
“... Please don't tell the others,” Wind said in a tiny voice. “They already have a hard enough time taking me seriously. I don't want them to think I'm being a baby who cries about his family.”
The confusion can't overtake the lance of shame and heartbreak that spears through Twilight's body. Had... had they pushed Wind into this? Made him think that because they hide their tears, they'd laugh at his?! Goddesses... Uli would smack him with her wooden spoon for making a mess like this.
Again.
He might have been a bit overbearing once his quest had ended. Colin had been happy about the attention... the first three days or so. Afterward... well... Uli and Rusl had taken him aside, put their feet down and helped him let go of his dead grip on his little brother's safety. And half the monsters he'd faced had nothing on the challenge of letting Colin make his own mistake. He thought he'd gotten better about this.
But he might have forgotten Wind was not nearly as tolerant or hesitant as Colin.
“I'm a Hero too. I'm strong. Why would I cry over nothing? My grandma and my sister are fine. I bet we'll be portaled in my Hyrule soon and I'll have worried for nothing and Twilight and Warriors will be right to treat me like a fragile little boy again.”
He's not. They all know he's not. He's just... the youngest. The most cheerful, most innocent, most... most well-adjusted of them all, and they want so badly for Wind to keep that. He's a wonderful young man. They're all so proud, so impressed with him.
He's gonna have a few conversations with Warriors and Time tomorrow. Goddesses!
“Hey, Wolfie... I know you don't like being around too long, but... Do you mind staying a bit?”
Twilight chuffs, stubbornly burying his face even deeper in his little brother's shoulder. As if someone would be able to pry him off Wind before morning.
***
“Do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls?”
Wind looks up sharply, startled but unwilling to admit it. He'd been polishing that long view of his by himself. “What?” he says, and there's an implied 'the fuck?!' in there. Pirates...
Twilight brushes the grass and then sits on the hill, staring past the coast at the red sun. “My father told me that, the day before I left on my quest. Neither of us knew then I'd have a quest soon, of course. But it stuck with me.”
For a long time, Wind's expression shifted between fascination, embarrassment and a bit of confusion. Twilight really needed to teach him how to maintain a poker face before he played cards with Warriors again. Still, there's no rush.
For all that it tears him in half, dusk also has a way to sooth his old aches. It's a peaceful time. A moment when the day dies, when the living settle and close their doors.
“It's the horizon, for me,” Wind admits. “When I... the first time, I'd never ever left my island, and all of a sudden, I had to leave because that huge ass bird had kidnapped my sister. So I had to leave my home for the first time, and I was on Tetra's boat, staring at Outset Island shrinking and shrinking till it was gone. Even when I pulled out my sister's long view, all I could find was the waves of the Great Sea.”
“Ah, a boar and a bulblin got my brother, my childhood friend and a bunch of kids. Knocked me right out with a hit to the head.”
Wind pulled his lips together and narrowed his eyes. “Well... I didn't get hit or anything, but Tetra threw me out of a cannon so I could infiltrate the fortress. Hit my face pretty hard too. That counts?”
“It wasn't a competition!” Twilight laughs, ruffling Wind's hair. It causes a flinch, and that's the light-hearted mood gone. Great. Twilight breathes through his nose. “You know, sometimes, I really want to smack my dad upside the head.”
Wind blinks. “... Okay?”
“Every goshdarn time I see the sun set, I remember him and my mom and my brother and sister, and... home. Every sunset reminds me of home. Makes me miss it so bad. Now I can't help feel that strange sadness every time.”
Silence.
A snort.
“Goddesses damned!” Wind wheezes out through his laugh. “He...”
“Yup,” Twilight says, leaning his chin on his fist. “He didn't think that one through. Bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, ain't it? So, I do want to make him think before he spouts philosophy at me.”
“Hey, hey, Twilight!” Wind says, impish, tugging on his sleeves. Then, the second he has Twilight's attention, he puts on the most serious face he ever wore. “Do you ever feel a strange sadness... as you put on your pants?”
“You little shit,” he says, brimming with affection.
Wind, not to be undone, jumps to his feet. “Do you ever feel a strange sadness... as you drink milk?”
“Oi,” Twilight stands after him, darting right after the brat.
“Not the strange sadness of being chased by a goatherd!”
Two minutes. Two minutes and six variations of the most profound saying his farmer dad told him. Butchered. Butchered like a lame goat in winter. Twilight is both furious and delighted and it might be why, when he does catch Wind, he unleashes the noogie from hell.
Wind's screams, so closely related to that of a dying piglet, are very satisfying. Worth the kicks to the ribs.
And when retribution is served, Twilight shifts the hold into a one-sided hug with the smooth grace of a man who regularly pretends not to be the wolf that is never seen with him. Wind freezes, realization sharp on his face when he notices the tears gathering in Twilight's eyes.
“But the first thing I'd do if I saw him tomorrow... is hug him. Tell him I'm glad he's okay and that I missed him. Then I'd smack him and run for the hills, because Rusl happens to be the only guy in my village that knows how to use a sword.”
After a whole body shudder, Wind gives up and buries himself in his big brother's shoulder.
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How is Zoe's comic racist? (sorry don't mean to question you, genuinely curious) Also, I admit I was also sucked into the salt fic whirlpool, but quickly left after I realized how toxic it was being. Could you also elaborate on GalahadWilder, if it isn't too uncomfortable for you? I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, or ask uncomfortable questions.
I can’t point out everything off the top of my head but the racism (along with everything else but that’s not the focus) is a large part of what made me throw my hands up and write this. And I won’t be answering any more asks about any of this because I just want to get it out there so people know (because of how many people genuinely don’t see it) and then go back to trying to forget that this shit ever existed, rather than dragging out some new fandom drama. Also keep in mind that while I’m West Asian/Arab, I’m also white-passing so if I get anything wrong, I appreciate call-outs. (Also I finally got my laptop charger today so I can snip my posts again 😭)
Her treatment of Max in ‘Gamer’.
It’s not unique to her; it’s a very common salter thing to utterly tear into Max for being a “sexist jerk” and daring to underestimate princess Marinette because she’s a girl. Never mind that they canonically aren’t close friends because of Chloé’s bullying, so Max probably had no idea that Marinette’s liked video games all this time, where Adrien is the new boy so it’s just one more thing to learn about him.
It’s especially heinous compared to how the other classmates are treated far more leniently for their own mistakes - they still get salted on but Max, aka the Black boy, always seems to get singled out and held to higher standards. Just look at ‘Chameleon’ and how the other classmates are mildly to moderately attacked by salters but Max gets utterly ripped to shreds because he “should know better”. (Never mind that just because he’s smart doesn’t mean he’s good at human interaction. They just want to attack him).
It also angers me because people like Nathaniel and Ivan are absolved of what they do as akumas (like kidnapping others and literally forcing someone to go on a date with them) because they couldn’t help it, yet Max is literally held responsible for what he did when akumatised (because he dared to go after Princess Marinette) and even for daring to get akumatised in the first place. Both these things just make him a sore loser, apparently.
So SL ‘Gamer’ was the final straw for me, especially with how she characterised Max as a smug arsehole, and it made me so angry that I just exploded to my friends, but I didn’t know how to directly call it out without looking like a petty bitch.
Here’s a post I made about salters and ‘Gamer’ if you’re interested in a more coherent and in-depth thing about it.
Alya’s treatment throughout the whole thing.
In canon, she’s an enthusiastic and passionate girl who sometimes gets carried away and goes too far and who idolises Ladybug because Ladybug stands against evil. Here? She’s treated as the butt of the joke for being so starry-eyed over superheroes that she idolises Scarlet Lady while Marinette mocks her behind her back. Never mind her iconic line of “all that is needed for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing” and this is why she loves Majestia in the first place. Never mind that she loves Ladybug because Ladybug is kind and passionate and strong and creative. Canon Alya wouldn’t want a bar of Scarlet Lady, who just sits around complaining, and yet SL!Alya worships her because...why? Running joke? The only Black girl in the series is treated as a gag to be made fun of by someone who’s supposed to be her best friend, just for the audience’s amusement. Marinette’s probably meant to look funny and relatable here, but she just looks like a major bitch to her new friend. Alya’s flaws are basically blown up and exaggerated for comedic effect, while Marinette in contrast is airbrushed to perfection, with no flaws and no anxiety that was only alleviated in canon by - guess what - being Ladybug.
It’s like Zoe wants to stick to canon while adding her own little “fun” twists for humour, like making Marinette snarky and perfect (which just makes her look like an utter bitch) and in the case of Alya, it does her so dirty that even Lila is more sympathetic. LILA. After SL humiliates Lila, Alya looks doubtful but buys some bullshit excuse so that she can continue to be the Scar-worshipping idiot. And then in the aftermath, her concern isn’t for Lila, the girl who was humiliated and bullied by a literal superhero and then ended up sick. No, she’s angry because...Lila lied on her blog. The blog that doesn’t have nearly as much recognition as in canon because SL would never validate her, unlike Ladybug. So her passion for her blog is exaggerated to imply that she’d say that a girl deserves to be bullied and sick because she told a few lies (since at this point, Alya doesn’t know about any possible malice on Lila’s part, just as in canon. All that’s known is the lying for attention).
It’s horrible hypocrisy, where Alya is held to higher standards than the other (white) characters and when she fails to meet those standards, she’s torn into. She’s not afforded any sympathy for being hurt that Lila lied to her; in fact, she’s demonised for feeling hurt, especially because of the running joke that her blog is focused on someone so horrible and she doesn’t see that. Lila is presented as the sympathetic one here. LILA. Just because Alya dared to believe her in canon.
Also, how she’s constantly trying to either tease Marinette for having a crush or insist that Marinette’s only doing what she does because of a crush...even though according to this ‘verse’s canon, Marinette is too good to make mistakes and do obsessive stuff over a crush, which is why canon Alya thinks this about her in the first place. That didn’t just come out of nowhere in the show purely for “woe is Marinette, her best friend doubts her”.
Like in the first part of ‘Gamer’, where she’s accusing Marinette of only entering the tournament to flirt with Adrien while Marinette so “coolly and calmly” rebuts her...why? By the ‘verse’s own logic, Marinette isn’t a flustered mess around Adrien. The only purpose of this scene is to glorify Marinette and her amazing calmness while making Alya look like a nosy idiot who dares to doubt her best friend. The logic of the ‘verse and of canon clash really jarringly in moments like this, and it becomes clear that the only purpose of these moments is to make Marinette look better at the expense of others. Most often her best friend, who’s an utter idiot for not seeing Scarlet Lady’s true nature and just can’t keep her nose out of Marinette’s business and so comes to wrong conclusions. Why are Marinette and Alya even friends in this ‘verse? SL!Marinette’s been nothing but condescending towards Alya most of the time.
Uh, and also the way she occasionally whitewashes Alya. Just look at the SL headers. She literally made Alya, aka a Black girl who’s one of the good guys, lighter than Lila, aka a white girl who’s one of the bad guys and not even that tanned in canon. Why do people make one of the villains darker and often whitewash one of the heroes? It’s not that hard to figure out.
(Also the way she really played into the aggressive Black girl stereotype in ‘Horrificator’ over a minor argument, even physically threatening Nino. Why? Literally why did she have to go full-on aggressive instead of just looking angry and scolding him or something?)
This all might not be conscious on Zoe’s part but the way Alya is treated is still disgusting, especially if you’re operating on internalised salt from other aspects of the salty fandom. I’ve seen her claims that she’s trying to help Alya improve and she’s not being salty but...even if she’s not being consciously salty, her salt is definitely still leaking over it and part of that salt includes racism. I also don’t see how making Alya a joke and exaggerating her flaws is helping her to improve when there was plenty to go off in canon but, well, that might just be me.
Even Marinette, who’s pretty much treated as white for 99% of it.
Marinette, aka the girl who’s only made visibly “Asian/Other” in SL ‘Reflekta’ with her Chinese-inspired Black Cat suit and name which is a one-off, while her permanent Bee outfit is just the bland tight suit that salters criticise Ladybug for having and her name is just Marigold. It comes across as using “Asianness” as a costume and it really didn’t sit right with me at first, but it took me a while to tease out why exactly this made me feel ick.
There’s nothing wrong with touching more on Marinette’s heritage and expanding on it in ways that the show doesn’t, especially because this is a big sticking point for salters, but again...it’s only a one-off. A costume. There aren’t casual hints sprinkled throughout the comic that just normally establish Marinette as half-Chinese, aside from like a page or two in ‘Timebreaker’ showing Sabine’s outfit. It’s another ‘Kung Food’ where it’s slammed into one episode and shoved into our faces that Marinette Is Chinese and it’s really jarring and unpleasant.
It just comes across as fetishising, is all. I don’t think it’s something most people would pick up on unless they’re used to being able to see this kind of thing.
Master Fu. Oh, Master Fu.
From an old man who made mistakes but tried as best as he could with the limited knowledge he had, he’s now a bumbling idiot who...put the earrings in Marinette’s bag instead of her room for some reason? To kickstart the plot? Especially because the ring was still in Adrien’s room. It’s very, very contrived.
And then in one of the most recent updates, Zoe has Adrien - a white boy - physically threaten Fu, aka an elderly Asian man. It’s disgusting. I was gobsmacked when I first saw it. And that’s the thing with salters: they tear into Adrien for being a white boy so they can look Enlightened when he hasn’t actually done anything racist, yet they then turn around and perpetuate actual racism in trying to “fix” him
There’s probably more but those are the examples that jump out at me of the racism in SL. There are plenty more problems but...whatever. I’ll be here all day if I try and cover those.
As for the Galahad thing...it’s personal. That original post was as much as I was comfortable revealing.
#ask#aotq babbles#miraculous ladybug#ml fandom salt#yeah there’s a lot here lmao#cw racism#antiblackness#ml analysis
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