#fic title: sore loser
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Sore Loser (Love and Deepspace Characters x F!Reader)
Synopsis: After a very shitty day, you thought playing Kitty Cards with him will make your day better.
A/N: Girl, I hate this damn game. Lmaoooooo!
🗡️ Xavier 🗡️
Xavier didn't mean anything from it. He was just playing by the rules of the game, using his advance cards to parry and block your attempt to stop him from freezing your turn, four times by now. He was so focused on the game that he did not notice how your face became harder, and your eyes stared coldly at the board, now filled mostly with Xavier’s number cards. His kitties were cheering for him, and you watched helplessly as your kitties cried from defeat.
“That was a good game.” Xavier smiled to himself, as he saw how the game ended beautifully for him. He saved up as many good advance cards and used them at the right moment. He was so proud of himself and he can't wait to see your face. You usually analyze how he won, and take notes of what you did wrong. However, when he looked up, his joyous face turned down, and his heartbeat quickened when he saw how cold and mad you were. Your anger wasn't directed at him, instead, you were staring at the board coldly. But he knew at that time, he fucked up.
“I’m tired of this stupid game.” The chair scraped the floor, as you stood up so fast and grabbed your coat, placed atop the top rail.
“Hey wait!” He tried to stop you from walking out but he accidentally bumped into the board, almost toppling the cups and kitties over. In panic, he tried to support the wobbling table, and sighed with relief when it stopped shaking. He tried to find you afterwards, but he lost sight of you.
It has been two days, and as his partner hunter, it shouldn't be impossible for you to meet, but you must have been so mad because whenever he asks of you, you decline his calls and only reply in messages as promptly and professionally as an HR. He tried looking for you on your table, but most of the time, you were out or doing something else, whenever he came over. He was about to give up apologizing and accept his fate that he pissed you off at a game, so bad, you decided to cut him off, when Jenna ordered all the alpha team to meet at the unicorns headquarters for a debrief.
And he was right, you were there, but you were sitting in between two hunters he knew nothing about. He wasn't listening at all, he can always check on the information later, but he was afraid that if you manage to sneak out again this time, your relationship will fall apart and he doesn't like the sound of it, even when it wasn't going to happen because he will make sure of it.
“Let’s talk.” Before you can even stand up from where you were sitting, Xavier immediately moves over in front of you, calling your attention in front of the other hunters, making you unable to turn him down.
“Sorry. I should have known you were playing to enjoy that day. I didn't mean to make you mad. I will make sure to be more sensitive in the future about your needs. I know I can be slow at times, sometimes emotionless, but I don't want to repeat the same mistake and lose your company over a silly game.” Xavier started right after the door closed, leaving the two of you alone together. He looks tired. There were visible dark bags right under his eyes. He must have been torturing himself after you gave him the cold shoulder.
You feel silly now. You were not mad at Xavier for winning. It was just a shitty day and you were just looking forward to having a good day and resting with Xavier at your side, when it seems like even the Kitty Cards were against you. Xavier keeps on getting good cards, and you keep getting the most useless advance and number cards. You sighed and closed your eyes. You shouldn't have run away from him. Now, you made it worse and made him feel like he should tiptoe around your mood, instead of enjoying each other's company in your free time.
“Please, don't. It wasn't like that. I was just annoyed about my day at that time and losing was the final straw for me. I’m sorry that I made you feel like that for days. But I wasn't sure how to confront you, especially when I was just acting like a sore loser. Have you not been sleeping well? You have a bag under your eyes.” Worried, you cupped his cheek and moved his face closer to yours, inspecting and noticing how his face looks paler, dry, and tired.
Instead of saying anything, he hums at your touch, and he moves forward, resting his head on your lap.
“Let me take a little sleep. I miss you.” He said before dozing off, and you stroked his hair while he slept.
❄️ Zayne ❄️
Zayne is bad at playing the Kitty Cards game. Due to his fatigue, sometimes he mistook some colors as the same, making his turn score nothing. But today was a bit different. Zayne keeps on winning, and he keeps on using advanced cards that will be fatal on your turn. He steals your advance cards, takes away your good number cards, and freezes your turn. Meanwhile, you keep on getting advanced cards that mean nothing when you have no good cards at hand.
“I win again, huh.” It was obvious that Zayne didn't mean anything from that, other than him wondering why he won again. But maybe you're already at your limit and hearing that made you snap.
“Well good for you. I’m going home.” It was all you have told him before you left him dumbfounded on his seat, leaving him alone at the cafe.
Whatever you did back there was just embarrassing. It was just a game but you took it personally. You're not going to wonder if Zayne refuses to talk to you now, other than being your physician, after that embarrassing display of attitude when you lose. You're not even sure how you're going to talk to him today.
It's your physical exam and it's been two days since you always kept him on read or only replies with emoji. You have to toughen up and apologize. Zayne did not deserve being treated that way.
Upon opening the door to his office, you breathed in, swallowing all the courage you needed. You walked towards the chair and sat in front of him. He was busy typing whatever on his computer, but you know, he already glimpsed on your way, because you felt his heavy stare for a second, before it went back to his task at hand. It didn't take long when he finished and stared you down. It was so awkward and it was at this moment, where you wished to be swallowed down by the earth and be gone. You gulped and opened your mouth to apologize when he started talking first.
“You didn't tell me you were injured that day.” You shivered at the icy tone in his voice. Just like his evol, Zayne can also be cold and scary. He didn't even need for you to emphasize on what he just said, because you already knew what he was talking about. A wanderer caught you off guard hours before meeting Zayne and it scratched your arm. The wound is not that deep, and you already put first aid on it so you never thought about it much, until the small wound did not heal as fast, and almost gave you a fever when it deepens. You realize now that it was the guilt of keeping you're injured to Zayne, and also, being a sore loser from the pain.
“It was very small. I don't want to bother you on your day off so….I kept it.” You squeak, when he glared at you, for being nonchalant about it.
“I don't care if it was my day off. It was my duty to take care of you. I hate it when you lie to me about being fine, when you know too well I can help you.” He continued scolding you, as he inspected the scarring wound, and offensively stared at it.
“I’m really sorry.” Was your only answer, to both, hiding your wound from him and to him receiving the burnt of your pain.
“Also, you can always ask me to switch our cards. I don't mind.” Zayne added as he patched you up.
🧜🏻♂️ Rafayel 🧜🏻♂️
Rafayel is the ultimate king of petty.
You already know that right from the start but nothing prepares you for the way he massacres you from the game Kitty Cards.
During at the last hurrah of your showdown, Rafayel finally revealed his advance cards, he uses freeze to stop you from playing, uses advance cards that will turn your cup scores into one, kicking out your highest score kitties from the colored cups, and replacing it with his, stealing your deny cards, and using it against you. It was so bad, that on the inside, you felt your blood boil on how cruel it was. If he did it the first time, you would be proud of him, but he’s been winning all the rounds, and every time, it ends up with him brutally winning. His wins hit a nerve and you finally snapped.
“Ha! Please don't cry. Losing isn't that bad.” He said proudly, as Rafayel nodded to himself. He loves teasing you and he enjoys your banter together. He knows at this point, teasing each other is a form of bonding.
He was celebrating his win when he noticed how quiet you were. When he opened his eyes, the smug look on his face dropped and he stopped in his tracks. The look on your face was devastating and he never saw that before. Your scrunched up face, eyes filled with upcoming tears. When both of your eyes met, there seemed like a switch in you, that made you burst into tears. Rafayel, who doesn't know how to handle your outburst, tries his best to console you. But he did not expect that you were still mad at him, so when he tried to hug you, you pushed him away and ran.
Since then, you have refused to reply to his texts. You even muted his calls so you won't have to answer it. Whatever you did that day was so embarrassing that you’d rather sever whatever relationship you have with Rafayel instead of relieving how sore loser you were. It was just a game, and you cried like a baby from it. There were times that you're trying to justify your tears by saying maybe Rafayel’s insults were too much that day, and it was the reason why you burst into tears, but there would be nothing so petty as pushing someone away and running due to losing from a board game.
Sighing, you just accepted that Rafayel will probably stop talking to you. It is what it is as you continue to go on with your day, when your phone blares and a notification about Rafayel being in danger popped up in bold letters. You did not hesitate as you rode your bike and flew to Rafayel’s whereabouts.
You burst through his studio door, and your eyes caught his figure slumped on the floor, leaning to his couch.
“What happened? Are you okay? Did you slip on your paint brushes again?” You asked worriedly, as you touched his shoulder, arms and legs, to see if he injured himself again. You were so worried and kept asking many questions that were meant silently, you were about to unleash the hulk at him for not answering, when you stopped on your tracks when you noticed the frown on his forehead and his glare.
“Really? Do I have to injure myself so you can notice me?” He bit down and you whimpered, not from his anger but from guilt.
“Sorry.” You apologized. You look down and twiddle your thumbs, not knowing how to dissipate the awkwardness of the situation and Rafayel’s glare.
It took a moment before you hear Rafayel’s sigh in defeat and open his mouth to talk again.
“You could have just asked me, and I will allow you to cheat by putting my kitties in different cups, or even by replacing my advance cards. All you have to do is say please.” He continued, exasperated.
All you can do is look down in shame and murmur an apology for acting so childish.
“Just….. don’t ignore me again like that, please. It doesn't feel good when the most important person in your life suddenly stops talking to you.” He added, his voice quivered a bit and you wince when you realize how your action affected him. Opening up his old wounds.
“I’m really sorry, Rafayel. I promise to be better next time.” A silence falls between you again. It took a moment before you realize despite how mad he was, he refuses to move his left hand. The air of guilt slowly turned into worry again.
“Did you injure your left hand?” You asked worriedly and slowly touched his left hand when he flinched and gritted his teeth from the pain.
“Probably sprain it when I fell.”
“You fell!?”
“It's fine, Ms. Bodyguard. I bet it will heal tomorrow. Just feed me for now.” He chuckled at your worried face and you watched him move his left hand with no worry, following your reaction from it. You just shake your head at how silly that was, and was so happy he was okay, before you stood up, helped him up, and treated him like a prince just for today.
#eydi andrius#fic title: sore loser#love and deepspace#love and deepspace zayne#love and deepspace rafayel#love and deepspace xavier#love and deepspace x reader#xavier x reader#zayne x reader#rafayel x reader
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strong!
pairing: roman reigns x black reader
warning: explicit sexual content after the "read more". degradation and pain kinks! talks of roman losing the undisputed title (a sore spot for some of you lol)
authors: fic based on this post. nothing else really. give it a like, a reblog and a comment. let me know what you think!
word count: 1300
tagging: @333creolelady @harmshake @theninthwonder @thesamoanqueen @kill-the-artiste @empressdede @spritelucozade (others who have been asked to be tagged, your tag wasn’t popping up. not sure why)
the shameless scent of iron bothers him. blood about his nose. smearing through the delicate trim of his mustache. the cultivation of such a great mountain of hubris, shattered. undone and red, dripping easy to taint his tongue.
the roar of the crowd deafens his ears. his skin slippery from sweat and his muscles tight with pain from the labor of a great defending and the cold. he lays there, pinned and defeated. a rapturous celebration about him, bright and lively but not for him. his stomach twisting sickly.
the walk is long and silent. his ears ringing and split with an inward disdain. you sit comfortably in his dressing room. a disinterest in your eyes that sinks his heart. and all the words that refuse to pass through such pretty lips speak sharply to him still, through distinctive cuts about his face and taut reddened skin. an examination of him filled with pity. roman's stomach flips again, disturbed. he shuffles to a chair. breathy and his body loosely plopping against the seat. wallowing. you won't speak and he's wallowing. he feels bile in his throat. his eyes squeezing. an unceremonious rise before it falls back to the pit of his stomach.
a tissue paper tears. wet and dabbing at where he bleeds. your eyes falling over him as you stand between the wide stretch of his legs.
"you're bleeding...", you state. fingers curling in viciously to hold his jaw still, a harsh maneuvering that forces his eyes to meet you. softly dabbing stains of blood caked in his mustache still. the contrast making him weary. lightheaded. "...and without a title. what do you have to say for yourself?"
a ball forms in his throat. feverish heat over his skin. a stabbing pain behind the eyes that makes him bristle silently. of all the times to be so recklessly emotional. why now? why here? under such a thick blanket of silence and the scrutiny of your gaze. he was strong. he's still strong! so why does this feel like a great diminishing. a breaking from which he can not return whole again. your grip growing tighter. nails warring against the tenderness of overly worked skin. a stinging behind the thickness of his beard. water pooling steadily in his eyes.
small and defeated. barely registrable. "i'm sorry".
you near. perfume sweetening the iron scent in his nose. your breath warm over him. "speak. clearly".
"im sorry", roman chokes. the syllables awkward and new off his tongue.
a mirthless smile takes your lips. forming more and more disgusted by the second. "are you crying?", words like nails screwing into him. feeling worser than simple little drips of blood. "if you're gonna lose, at least do it well".
you discard the tissue. stalk back to him with less venom in your eyes. taking his face to hold in your hands. the warmth in your palms uncomfortable. a cross examination done by the slipping over of your stare. an appraisal. your thumbs running over the freckled apple of his cheeks to assess. not to dote. like the inspection of a beaten trophy, to gauge how much he'd fallen into lack luster. your knee slips in to rest between the thick stretch of his thighs, pressing firm into the unsoftened way of his crotch. a slim sort of panic undulating over his skin. remembering the pierce in of your nails. the stinging it brought his skin. he much prefer that than you holding him with such fragility.
he was strong. he is strong! he can bare the pain. he was made to last.
"my pitiful little loser", you tease. kissing along his face. a trail from his forehead down till you rest soft lips at the corner of his mouth. never giving him the satisfaction. giggling in his ear.
the tips of his ears grow warm. probably red. "don't say that", he breaks. voice horse and tired. groaning as you take his face to grip again. the feed in of it into his skin tightening the space in his tactical cargo pants.
"why?", fingers combing through wild hair to rough backwards. leaning over him. knee roughed into the ache of his dick. the spinning chair singing with a short creak as the back of it bends to take the weight of both your bodies. "that's what you are no? or are my eyes and ears mistaken? is your name cody rhodes?"
soft pretty lips around another mans name. his chest tight. his breath heavy. panicked and vexed and excited. "don't say his-"
your knee presses in. forcing a grunt from his chest. your eyelashes fanning beautiful as your lips twist scornfully. "you don't have ground to stand on..", the seam of your lips faint over his. "...to tell me who i can and can't evoke. four years of good work", the displeasure rife on your tongue. "great work, gone because of some petulant playground bullshit revenge. are you happy with yourself at least?"
roman feels high. like he can barely breathe. stomach coiling steady with a burning sort of ache. hands tingling with need. resigned to touching the handles of the chair instead.
"no", he gives. a whisper.
your brows pull. disbelief. your body standing straighter, your knee still pressed into him. his hips canting with ill-control. desperate for friction. "no?", your hand mushing his head. "no?!", sharper. angrier. "you did all that shit with a steal chair and you're not even happy? real shameful shit".
roman's naked chest rises and falls. heavy breaths and pleading eyes. his pants too tight now for comfort. stomach twisting about horribly. his cock throbbing in his pants.
your fingers slip delicate over his zipper. a slow release of it along with the buttons. the warmth in your hand gracious as you reach and fondle your way in his underwear. seeking the hard heat of him with your knee still pressed into his balls. his eyes dim and weary. "maybe the top of the mountain was too high for you", you give. an easy go of words at the corner of his mouth. a slight tremble in him as he spits over your hand, feeling you work him thoroughly with a sweet twisting in your wrist. "maybe winning for so long was too much", voice pitying. babied and teasing. like he was small and unfit. "you rather suffer without a crown, than bare the weight".
a string of spit from your lips to the reddened tip of his cock makes a greater mess of him. the grip in your palm tighter by the second. warm and unrelenting. the base of his core nearly undone.
"its easier being a coward than enduring".
his head shakes. he was strong. he is strong! perfectly made to endure. "i held it for four years".
you laugh. he moans. his jaw lax and his muscles burning. "and now you're a loser", your thumb circling sweetly at his tip. his hips awkwardly rocking into the press of your knee. "the people saw you bleed. they saw you fail. main event status revoked".
his fingers grow more weary. for the title. for a microphone to plead his case. for the supple touch of your skin. anything but the cold metal of this chair.
"need to touch you". he pleads. desperate. nearly undone.
"you don't deserve it", you clip. nearly kissing him. he can feel it. the hesitation of your lips. full and soft. hovering over dangerously. "be happy i'm giving you this".
"please".
his spine throbs hard. a harsh rut in his hips as you stroke him tight.
"you gonna finish? or is that gonna be a dud too".
and the relief is sweet. an unloading of his shoulders. bursting and full of heat as he comes against your hand. "go ahead", you relent. and his arms work swiftly. embracing your body as his damp face falls into your belly. lightly trembling. groans tumbling off his lips.
he was strong. 1300 plus days. he is strong! made to last.
#roman reigns#roman reigns fanfiction#roman reigns fanfic#roman reigns fic#roman reigns x reader#roman reigns x black reader#roman reigns imagine#roman reigns smut#joannasteez
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tsamsiyu ta'em - a new leaf part one
Masterlist - part four
Summary: Kayla learns the way of the Omatikaya and gets to know a bit about her brother's family.
Pairing: Ronal/Tonowari/Original Female Character
Tag: #tsamsiyu ta'em fic
posted on ao3
Word Count: 6k+
Taglist: @mooniequeen @shit-i-say-shit-i-think @heart-an0n
Warnings: canon-compliant, canon-typical violence, mature language, adult content, slow burn, polyamory, found family, cool aunt agenda, alien/human (technically avatar), jake sully sister agenda, time skips, I'm trying to hurry up and get to the good parts so bear with me, fluff, angst, adopted spider, tags to be added
A/N: I both hate and love my fic's title. Every time I read it, I accidentally read it in my head as 'tiramisu' XD
When Kayla emerged from the Longhouse the next morning, Jake greeted her with a beaming, knowing smile. She did her best to glare at him, slightly defeated that he had convinced her to come back, but he wasn't deterred. He smiled genuinely, even when she shoved at him to get out of her space.
"Wow. Still not a morning person, huh?" He grinned.
"Get fucked." She hissed, a bit of a sore loser that way.
"Yikes. Still got a mouth, too," he laughs, genuinely surprised by the foul word. To be honest, he hasn't heard language like that in a while. It felt nice to get a small bit of that human culture back, even for a minute. With Kayla still used to that military lifestyle, Jake has a small part of his old routine pop back into him. "Could you do me a favor and maybe refrain from mouthing off in front of my kids? Neytiri would definitely blame me if she ever heard Tuk say 'shit' in her sweet voice."
Kayla snorts at the image of that playing in her head, "Sure. No problem."
"Kayla! Jake!" Norm, still in human form, waved over to them. The siblings walk in his direction while Jake looks around, sighting a group of Na'vi calling out to each other and getting ready to leave.
He taps Kayla's arm, "Hey, I have to be on this morning hunt. Norm will show you around and give you a better tour of the place. If he gives you a hard time, let me know."
"Copy that," she replied automatically, barely looking in Jake's direction before he gives up saying anything more and left, knowing when she was being dismissive. Kayla pushes on and meets Norm where he stood waiting, hands on his hips again as he watches Jake head in the opposite direction.
"Of course, he gets to go on the hunt and fool around while we do all the hard work," Norm playfully rolls his eyes, trying to lighten the mood, "That's Toruk Makto for ya."
"Huh?"
Norm peers up at Kayla oddly before a thought dawns on his face and he scowls to himself, "Right. Need to catch ya up to speed. We can do that while we work today. First I need to get into my avatar suit. Let's go."
He leads her back in the direction of the biolab, but they don't get far before Kayla is suddenly tackled into a tiny hug around her waist. The woman nearly falls back in shock, frozen about what to do when she looked down and recognized Jake's youngest kid beaming up at her with her thin, blue arms still wrapped around the taller woman's waist.
"My dad said that you're my auntie!" Tuk exclaimed.
Kayla is still taken aback by the child hugging her before she could even register Tuk was speaking in Na'vi, not English. She was too amazed by the little one who is barely shorter than Norm in his human form. Kayla could only imagine how short she would be standing next to Tuk if she met the little girl in her own human body. Still not realizing that she needed to form a response, Norm smiles and takes pity on Kayla, stepping into her view, "She says that you're her aunt."
Blinking, Kayla comes back to reality and tries offering Tuk a pitiful smile and a gentle pat on her shoulder, "I suppose I am."
Norm repeated her phrase in Na'vi, and Tuk squeals excitedly in response, "I've never had an auntie before!"
"Tuk, for the time being, maybe you should talk to Kayla in English until she gets the hang of Na'vi," Norm gently explains to the girl while barely nudging her with his elbow. He winks when she meets his eyes underneath his mask, "She's barely understood 'nari' yet."
Tuk laughs while Norm looks around, "Why don't you go play with Popiti? You'll see Kayla at dinner."
"Will she sit with me?"
Norm chuckles before glancing back up at Kayla, who had remained quiet during the whole exchange especially since she couldn't understand half of it, "She's asking if you will sit with her at dinner."
A small warmth bleeds through to Kayla's heart as the little girl stared up at her with the cutest, roundish yellow eyes she had ever seen. Not even the cat she had back at home had a face that could stop wars in their tracks. Tuk continues to plead with her eyes before Kayla finally relents, her posture melting while addressing Norm, "Only if you sit with me so I'll be able to talk to her. I want to ask about her songcord."
Norm repeated what Kayla said, but he didn't have to. Tuk caught onto enough of it as she squeals in happiness again, squeezing Kayla's waist one more time before she runs off. Kayla stood still in the place where the girl left her before turning back to Norm, "Did I say the right thing?"
Norm's smile is full of pride, "Sure did."
She feels a little lighter after that, gladly waiting outside the biolab while Norm hops into a link bay. Kayla watches the People around her, going about their day with her new, sharp eyes, observing how they walk, talk, and even blink. It was interesting to watch how they all converse with one another, spotting a few exchange 'good mornings' by placing their fingers on their forehead and lowering their hands in the direction of the person they were speaking to. Kayla tags that bit of information and stores it in the back of her mind for the time being as she heard footsteps approaching her so she turns around, being met with another avatar.
"Ah," He's definitely Norm with that unique tone of voice and that familiar grin. He stood taller than Kayla and he even draws attention to that when he compares their height by measuring with his hand. He flashes a cheeky smile, "That's better."
Kayla scoffs, rolling her eyes even when she felt her lips twitch, "Dick."
"Right this way, Short Stack," Norm continues to laugh while holding his arm out in the direction he wants her to go, "I wanna get the fun stuff out of the way."
The first place on their to-do list was the rookery. Norm takes her to the edge of camp, out to the edge of the mouth cave before looking back, "You a heights person?"
"That depends," Kayla began without looking over the ledge, stubbornly keeping her eyes on the avatar in front of her, "What's below us right now?"
"Nothing that can catch you."
"Then no, I'm not."
"I don't mean to be blunt. But we're Mountain People now. If you wanna stay here, you'll have to get over it quickly. You could climb down from the vegetation acting as bridges if you want. But the only real way to get on and off these particular mountains is by ikran."
He beckons her forward and demonstrates shuffling his feet to test the rock with his weight, then clings to the side of the mountain as he walks along a narrow ledge going around the outside of the rock face. Sucking in a sharp breath, Kayla looks down at her feet as she shuffles forward, trying her best not to look down while figuring out where she was stepping. While Norm kept his back to the wall, Kayla practically hugged it to her front, hands grasping tightly onto whatever part of the rock she could hold onto.
They shuffle far from High Camp and toward the outskirts of the mountain. As they get closer to their destination, Kayla hears the echoing screeches from the day before, along with the loud and heavy flapping of wings. She only clings harder to the edge of the mountain. Norm rounds a corner and disappears behind a waterfall while Kayla tries her best to keep up without quickening her pace. She squeezes behind the waterfall and signs in relief when she finds Norm standing on a more sturdy platform, carved into the mountain deep enough to be far from the cliff edge. The male avatar smiles and nods in approval before pointing in the direction opposite the waterfall, "Welcome to the rookery."
Kayla peers through the water and gapes. Large cliff sides jut out of the mountain, creating large nests full of the flying creatures she encountered yesterday. From where she stood, she can only see a few dozen of them, all of different sizes and colors.
"And these are Mountain Banshees. Or as the Na'vi call them... ikran."
"Wow." She exclaimed, awestruck.
"These are the rogues," Norm explains, "The ones without riders. For now, we'll stay away from them. Follow me. The claimed ones are below us."
Kayla spun to Norm, tilting her head in bewilderment before Norm walks close to the edge again, the only thing between him and falling was the waterfall. Peering over the edge, Norm takes a small leap down and quickly catches himself by the ledge, holding his whole weight up by his fingers. Kayla had nearly gasped out of fright but bit the sound back when Norm clearly appeared to know what he was doing. Using the momentum, he swung himself down and calls up to his student, "You coming or what?"
Kneeling down and clinging onto the cliffside for dear life, she peered down over the ledge and noticed a cave mouth underneath the platform she stood on, with Norm waiting for her at the entrance. Not as confident as him, she doesn't jump down, instead, she slowly folds herself over the ledge and carefully dangles from the side before finally dropping down, only remembering to breathe once she felt solid rock under her two feet. Norm pats her on the back in sympathy before walking into the large cave mouth. Kayla follows and notices that the cave wasn't dark at all, daylight clearly lighting their way, but from where she wasn't sure. As they trudge further in, she could hear more calls and squawks, staying close behind Norm until they walk right into a clearing.
At the center of the cave was another large nest full of ikran with a large hole acting as an exit for these creatures high above them, lighting the whole place up like a skylight. These particular ikran had riding gear comfortably secured on each of their backs, varying different shapes and colors depending on the ikran and their rider's taste in style. Although tamer, the banshees still hissed and snapped their jaws as Norm walked by, who had turned around to beckon Kayla to follow.
"Stick close. Careful not to look in their eyes."
"Got it."
He brings her over to a small group of ikran who chose to huddle close and nest together like their own little family. Dark navy blue, and teal lightning stripes flash in Kayla's vision and she immediately crouches down in fear as Norm calls out to the beautiful blur. An ikran is towering over him in size as it answers to its rider, squawking in feigned defiance. Up close, Kayla could see two pairs of eyes, one smaller than the other, and rows of obsidian-like razor teeth. Norm grinned and happily fed it a raw piece of meat from his cargo shorts' pocket before turning to introduce him, "This one's mine. This is August."
Kayla catches her breath, laughing nervously as she stood back up on her unstable legs, "Cute."
Norm chuckles and pats the beast's neck before pointing over to another banshee off to the side. It was a lighter blue almost teal color for the whole body with purple and splatters of darker blue stripes to make up for the rest of it, "That one's Jake's. He calls him Bob."
She scoffed, "Poor thing."
"You can have one of these too, ya know."
"Really?"
"Sure, if you wanna learn the Na'vi way and eventually become one of us," Norm beamed like a little kid explaining his favorite game, "To become taronyu. Hunter. "
"Oh, yeah? And when can I get my own ikran?"
"When you're ready," Norm gives August one more loving pat on the neck before breaking away, showing Kayla the way back to the cave entrance, "First, you gotta learn the language and get a better grasp of it. Then, you gotta train and learn how to hunt, and only when you make a clean first kill will you be allowed to try and claim a banshee. After that, you must successfully survive Uniltaron, the Dream Hunt. These are the steps every young Na'vi must take before they can complete their Iknimaya and officially be seen as an adult in their clan."
Kayla nods accordingly, still confused about some of the words regardless of Norm explaining them, "How many clans are there?"
"Several. Too many to name off on my fingers, and I've only ever met a few," they make it back to the cave entrance, and Norm steps aside to allow Kayla to climb back up first, "They stretch through the forests, mountains, and even oceans. Around here you'll only see the Omatikaya, obviously, occasionally the Tayrangi, and what's left of the Olangi."
"What's left of them?" Kayla echoes while up and grasping the ledge then skillfully pulling herself up, mindful of the drop below and the waterfall.
"They were mostly wiped out in the battle against the RDA, the one where we drove them off-world. What was left of the Olangi was too small to be considered their own clan, so they integrated into ours. Our clan is technically called the Blue Flute Clan if you wanna get specific."
Norm climbs up next with only a little bit of difficulty. Kayla offered her hand to him and wordlessly helped pull him up when he grasped on. Norm sighs out of exhaustion once he stands back up, grinning a little slyly, "You ready to make the trek back?"
Kayla's nose crinkles up, eyes narrowed with hesitance as she thinks back to the narrow pathways and hugging the wall of the mountain, "... How about you keep answering my questions and maybe I'll forget about it."
~~~~~~~~~
It's like a little kid learning that there's a whole new world out there. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and in Kayla's case, it was. She had several teachers to choose from and several different subjects to learn from each one.
Starting with the language, Kayla was once sitting in a circle with multiple teachers around her, each of them bouncing off the other to try to get her to grasp each word. It was difficult at times, especially when they each start messing around and having fun when they were supposed to teach her. Norm and Spider normally mess around if they teach Kayla together, but otherwise, when separate, Kayla is able to learn more words if she's learning one-on-one with either the scientist or the teenager. Other times the lessons are more tamed if either Neteyam, Jake, or Neytiri teach her. Sometimes, all three do so together and Kayla was faintly starting to enjoy those small get-togethers. While learning their language, she was beginning to know her brother's family, especially his wife and their firstborn. Neteyam is strong, kind, and caring. He's definitely older brother material, reminding Kayla of Tommy, but not like she could admit that, and least of all to Jake.
Everyone keeps telling her that it'll take a while to grasp the language. Jake admitted that he struggled, and Norm explained that he had been studying Na'vi culture for five years prior to reaching Pandora. With their reassurances, Kayla tried not to beat herself up when she still couldn't hold a basic conversation with Little Tuk. She still can't do sentences, but Kayla has grasped basic words that were more important, like saying 'hello', 'thank you', and 'goodbye'. She learned numbers and proper pronunciation, nouns and adjectives, and plants and animals. Once she had grasped how to say and identify the flora and fauna, Neytiri deemed her ready to start hunting.
In order to hunt, Kayla needed to learn to catch up. Jake and Neytiri take her down to the forest floor and run. They run for ages, and after each run, Kayla's legs grow sore overnight then begin to loosen and strengthen the next day. Before long, she had been able to catch up to her teachers when they run along gigantic tree branches and dance gracefully through vines. She had learned to stop looking down and start looking ahead, never thinking about the fall since Neytiri showed her how to break a fall should she slip. Hunting with a bow and poison-tipped arrows had been proven difficult for Kayla, so used to knowing the ways around a gun. Jake gave her advice from one Sky Person to another, but essentially left Neytiri to do the teaching.
"Be on your guard," Jake flashed his sister a grin, "Neytiri is the kind of teacher who's all about 'learning fast or die.'"
"I am not." Neytiri denies adamantly, flicking her husband's ear as he laughed at her defiance.
Kayla greatly admired Neytiri for her teaching skills. If it got Jake into shape, then she knew it would be no problem to do the same. Neytiri teaches her sister-in-law how to track and how to ride direhorses, going back to the days when she used to teach the same to Jake and even her children.
Weaving is not a talent Kayla possessed back on Earth, but it was a skill she was being forced to learn here on Pandora. Mo'at, Tuk, and Kiri were her teachers on the subject, always dragging her into the marui meant for this kind of work. This canopy tent was larger than most, and mostly because it had to house an overly large and eccentric loom shuttle meant for this kind of craftsmanship. While teaching her how to weave, Kiri and Tuk would sing weaving songs meant for this kind of work, while their grandmother fondly listened and would accordingly praise them when finished. Mo'at was the tsahik, as Kayla learned, who was hesitant to accept the new avatar, if not defiant. There was clearly a dark past looming behind her aging eyes, but Kayla didn't dare push for an explanation. The older Na'vi woman explained Eywa to Kayla, as it was technically her area of expertise as the spiritual leader of the clan. Mo'at told stories to Kayla as they weave, explaining legends and moments of history that all connect back to the Great Mother. Mo'at talked about how everything was connected here on Pandora, from the trees to the mountains. From plants to animals and animals to Na'vi. The Na'vi only take what they need and understand how they must give it all back to Eywa in time.
Norm and Max explain all this through a more scientific perspective. They explain to Kayla how everything is rooted beneath their feet, connected together in one large network that fits the size of the whole moon they stood on. It was fascinating, to say the least, learning about how everything works together and even being shown proof when Max takes her on a walk through all their botanical samples and gardens. Kayla was able to grasp the information better when she listened to her fellow avatars and humans, but even when Mo'at spoke to her of Eywa, Kayla was still in awe. She felt as though she was back at home, being tucked into bed with stories of faraway, fantastical places under the soft glow of her nightlight. The only difference now is Kayla is grown, wearing blue skin she was beginning to adjust to comfortably, and listening to an elder woman speak of her deity under bioluminescent glow-worm lamps. And that was not even the most interesting part of Mo'at.
The tsahik taught Kayla how to heal and even make certain healing properties with just the plants and animals around them. Neytiri and Kiri would also partake in these lessons, having past knowledge of healing passed down to them from Mo'at. Neytiri had formally introduced Kayla to Mo'at as her mother, and eventually, Kayla began to form a family tree in her head once learning of their family history. While learning how to heal, Kayla heard small mentions of the sister and father Neytiri had lost, but not much else. Neither she nor Mo'at offered to explain or talk about their past loved ones, at least not to Kayla. When she went to her brother for answers, Jake's ears lowered. Even in a Na'vi form, he had a look of guilt that even Kayla could easily pinpoint from experience.
"I wouldn't try pushing Mo'at," he answered instead, eyes darting wildly around at everything other than Kayla when speaking about his mother-in-law, "She's a dragon lady when she wants to be."
Kayla left that conversation alone, knowing there was a story behind that but one that she wouldn't learn anytime soon. So she instead learned to just enjoy these lessons in order to get to know Neytiri, Kiri, and Tuk better. With these lessons, Kayla began to start understanding Na'vi as the girls in Jake's life tend to bounce between languages without even realizing it. It frustrated Kayla at first but over time it actually helped her grasp words faster. Slowly, she learned little things about her nieces and their mother, like how Tuk's knife was made from suggestions given to her by her best friend, Popiti. Or Kiri, whose woven top was inspired by the Eye of Eywa, and her necklace was something her birth mother once wore.
Kiri is a strange but delightful teenage girl. There are days when she enjoys company and days when she would prefer to work alone or in silence. Kayla understood that a little bit, appreciating that even at such a young age, Kiri realizes when her social battery is drained and needs a break. She gives her mother attitude but is an angel to everyone else, a behavior that all teenage girls must be able to inherit even between universal species. Kayla never related to someone so well.
A small fib she told herself even after meeting Lo'ak. He was adamant about teaching Kayla things, too, not wanting to be left out while all his other family members get to teach his aunt new skills in their culture. Lo'ak, overconfident, stubborn, and reckless, definitely reminds Kayla of Jake the most out of all the kids both physically and mentally, but again, she doesn't say so out loud. Lo'ak takes charge of teaching her to bead together clothing and other adornments the Na'vi proudly wear, even dragging Spider along for these lessons, despite how the human boy didn't appear thrilled to do so.
"Dude, this is so boring," Spider would groan, "We should take her exploring instead!"
"My parents already do that," Lo'ak scolded the shorter boy in front of Kayla as they worked on a bracelet for her, "And practically everyone else is teaching her how to speak, hunt, and heal. I wanna teach her something, too!"
"Well, yeah, but can't you just teach her something only you know?"
"That's a good idea," Kayla helpfully pitched in, trying to play peacemaker between the restless boys, "What are you good at, Lo'ak?"
When she's met with silence, Spider unhelpfully laughs, "Getting into places he shouldn't."
Lo'ak hissed and lightly hit Spider upside the head, earning a laugh from Kayla. Lo'ak's mood shifts a little, defeated and under the weather. Kayla took pity on the boy while pointing out, "You know... I have never been good at making bracelets at home. So I know one thing you're good at, and it's teaching."
His ears perk up, eyes brightening just the tiniest bit. Lo'ak tries fighting back a smile, and he's successful, especially when Spider continues to tease him, "Yeah, well he should probably try getting better at learning before he proudly decides he's better at teaching first."
She smiles in sympathy, "Not a good listener, huh?"
"The worst."
Lo'ak ducked his head, muttering under his breath, "Thanks, cuz. Way to make a guy feel special."
"You would make a great teacher," Spider encouraged his friend with a bright smile, "For example, you should teach Kayla what to expect when she finally starts her Iknimaya."
"That's a good idea." Kayla nods.
"No, it's not," Lo'ak states lowly.
"Why not?"
"Because he can only teach you what not to do, given that he failed the first time." Spider chuckled.
"Dude!"
Kayla sighed, mostly out of the headache that was beginning in the form of two teenage boys, "Alright, Spider, give it a rest."
Spider's jaw clamps shut, eyes widen briefly before shrinking his shoulders in a little under Kayla's stare. Shaking her head at him, she darts her eyes back at the Na'vi boy in question before speaking slowly, "... You know, Lo'ak. We have a saying where your dad and I are from. 'If at first, you don't succeed, try and try again.'"
Lo'ak peers up, one eyebrow raised in curiosity. Apparently, he doesn't hear about a whole lot of stuff from Jake's past let alone Earth. Kayla flashes him an encouraging smile, "There's no shame in getting it wrong the first time. You end up learning better than others when you learn from your mistakes."
Lo'ak watches her carefully as if trying to figure out a puzzle, his tail waving leisurely behind him. For a moment, the three are quiet until a teasing glint sparkles in Lo'ak's eye and he cruelly laughs, "Woah, where did you pull that wisdom out of?"
Kayla's expression screws up, offended, chucking the remnants of her bracelet at him when he continues to laugh. She scowls when the motion only drove him to laugh harder, "Okay, smartass, see if I ever come to your aid again."
The word slips out and Kayla is horrified when the boys catch onto what she said, their grins forming even as she tries to backtrack, "Oh, crap. You know what? Forget I said that. Your dad doesn't want me swearing in front of you kids."
"Not me though, right?" Spider asked, shrugging when she sent him an apologetic look, "No sweat. If you want, I can always teach you how to swear in Na'vi?"
Unbeknownst to the three, Jake was watching their interaction from afar, unable to hear what his sister was saying but felt amused when she got both Lo'ak and Spider to laugh at whatever she said. Norm taps his shoulder and it pulls Jake out of the fog, remembering he was in the middle of talking to his old friend before he caught sight of his son and his sister with Spider. Glancing back at Norm, Jake tilted his head in Kayla's direction, "Sorry. How 'she doing by the way?"
"Great, actually," Norm followed his gaze, observing Kayla's interaction with the teenage boys, "She retains information really well. She remembers the smallest of details, even details that don't matter."
Jake nods in approval, a knowing look in his faraway eyes while watching Kayla retrieve her bracelet from Lo'ak and continue adding on pieces, "I remember that about her. Normally, she retains information that she's excited to learn. Otherwise, it goes in one ear and out the other, like math. I remember Tommy having to sit her down to help with her homework late at night when our folks were too tired to do so."
"Hm," Norm makes a mental image of that particular scene in his head, nudging Jake's arm, "You don't talk about your siblings enough. Maybe you should."
Jake's jaw tightens, blinking whatever haunted thoughts were swirling around in his head, and stiffly nods without ever looking away from his sister, "Yeah."
~~~~~~~~~
There was so much information to latch onto to the point Kayla wasn't sure if she'd be able to pick whatever parts of Na'vi culture were her favorite. As days turn to weeks, she quickly realizes that she hasn't even learned half of the Omatikaya lifestyle as she finds herself being pulled into a hunting ceremony. A great sturmbeest was killed that day and the People were preparing for a large feast filled with song and dance. Kiri quickly taught Kayla the hunting songs that are sung during these ceremonies and urged her aunt to sing along when the time comes. It was difficult to admit that Kayla felt nervous at the idea. She hadn't sung out loud in a long time, and she personally didn't feel as though she was the best singer.
Neytiri had rolled her eyes when Kayla had shyly admitted this to her, "All Na'vi people sing, whether or not they are any good."
"Besides," Jake cuts in with a fox-like grin, "All you need is a bit of liquid courage and you'll be singing and dancing without a care in the world."
Thus how Kayla was first introduced to swoa, taken aback by how strong the intoxicating beverage was. Jake had laughed at her initial reaction to screw her nose up and squint her eyes, but afterward, the following sips were easy to manage. It was safe to say she liked it.
Her first ceremony went beautifully as she danced to her heart's content, mainly with the kids as they were eager to show her their moves. The next party was a tribute to Eywa, and even Kayla could admit that ceremony was a little less fun. Seeing Vitraya Ramunong, the Tree of Souls for the first time took her breath away, in awe of the most beautiful tree she had ever seen in her life. But instead of dancing and playing music around such a magnificent tree, the People sat together, their kuru braids either bonded to the roots of the tree or to the tendrils hanging down from the branches. They either sang or prayed, and Kayla found it difficult to sort out which was which. She still feels awkward praying to Eywa, despite her eagerness to learn all about the Great Mother. Jake didn't blame her for it, sympathizing by saying he still struggled even to this day. Neytiri never took either of their discomforts to heart, understanding that unlearning the mindset you have known your whole life takes a toll when wishing to learn something new.
Months go by, and Kayla finds herself attending all sorts of ceremonies. Some celebrate birth, love, and life, while others memorialized death and revival. When first taught how the Na'vi believe that every soul is born twice, Kayla showed inklings of doubt, but Jake made it his personal mission for his sister to see those teachings through his eyes, "I've seen it firsthand. Do you remember back home, when things come in three's it could either mean something good or bad, depending on who you ask? Same rules apply here. For the most part, everything comes in two here. Two like the avatar and the driver, or me and Tommy. Two like Grace and Kiri, and me and Neytiri. Two like my two boys and two girls. For you, it'll come in two as well. The Na'vi say that every person is born twice. The second time is when you earn your place among the People, forever. You'll be born again when you finish your Iknimaya."
He said it with such confidence, that anyone would believe him as the leader he is, but not Kayla. In reaction to his confidence in her, Kayla only felt dread. Conflicted emotions were constantly running through her mind. While she is running around among the Na'vi out here, she was still waking up among the Sky People back at Bridgehead. She still reported to Ardmore and the lab coats who monitor her links' progress. Even as she lies as easily as she breathes, Kayla feels the shame and regret of still having to return and lie about her whereabouts to her superiors. She had grown to hate waking up with flashlights in her face and needles in her arm, waking up to a million questions and the beeping of her heart monitor among other machines. The lights were always too bright, the walls too white, and the air and Ardmore's face too cold. Kayla's heart was beginning to clench with anxiety and sadness whenever she had to go back to live among her own kind, and the thought terrified her. How could she, after only a few months, begin to turn her back on her whole life, and for what? A life filled with happiness and good health with her brother's family?
The human race was counting on her to test the limits between a driver and their avatar, to go the distance and hope that whatever tests she completes will lead to her entire species' survival. Kayla wanted to save the human race, but now... all she wanted was to be left alone, on Pandora, living among her brother's people.
These thoughts always plagued her, especially at night alone in her living quarters when she was in her human form. As she tossed and turned in bed, she'd stare at all four walls, on her back, before staring up at the blank, cold ceiling above her, wishing she didn't have a heart, much like Ardmore. She wished she could just do her job instead of learning to care for and love the Omatikaya, to cherish every moment she gets with her nieces and nephews. Part of her believes that she had every right to turn on her own kind because when has the human race ever done anything for her other than take everyone she loved away? But another part of her felt immensely guilty, knowing that she would have never thought twice about coming to Pandora if it weren't for the human race.
There was no deadline, but Kayla still felt as though she was running out of time. Two sides battling a war inside her head and her heart, and she didn't know which side to listen to. Dutifully heading to the lab for a new day of poking and prodding, Kayla anxiously awaited until she'd be able to run around in the form she now preferred. She tried her best not to appear excited when it was time for her to jump into a link bay and tried calming her breaths as the lid closes around her and she shuts her eyes.
Waking up in the mountains, sporting a tail and blue skin, Kayla already felt lighter than a feather, her worries washing away the moment she walked out of the Longhouse, and Spider, Lo'ak, and Tuk immediately dragged her away for another adventure. She went about her day normally, learning her respective lessons and helping out among the clan as best as she could. Around the time she was meant to help Mo'at with preparing for the communal dinner that evening, she noticed that Kiri had yet to join them, as she had promised the day before that she would assist. Mo'at clicked her tongue and shook her head before sending Kayla out to find the girl and Kayla happily obeyed. The sky was growing dark as an eclipse was beginning to form when the female marine found Kiri near the edge of the camp, legs swinging off the end of the mountain while braiding bits of her hair and integrating some beads into the entanglements. Her eyes were focused on the braids, but they still looked as though they were hundreds of miles away, deep in thought.
"Hey, Kiri," Kayla had called out so as not to spook her eldest niece, "Mind if I join you?"
Kiri didn't look up and instead motioned to the open spot on the ground beside her, "Please do."
Kayla idly stepped over to the edge and carefully sat down beside her, swinging her legs beside Kiri's. They sat in silence while Kiri braided parts of her hair and Kayla leaned back on her hands to stare up at the stars. "So. Why are we out here instead of helping your grandmother?"
The girl hissed, mostly to herself, as if cringing at her own mistake, "I forgot I wanted to help. Maybe we should just head back--"
"No, no. This is much more interesting," Kayla earns a laugh from the young girl and smiles softly, "What's distracting you today?"
"I went to see my mom today and watched some of her old video logs."
"Yeah?"
"I was watching a video I hadn't seen yet. She briefly mentioned her life back on Earth and it just got me thinking about... whether or not she might have had family still there. What if I have family on Earth? I don't know, it just got me thinking..."
Her hands pull out of her braids and rest on her lap, eyes staring down at her swinging legs with a forlorn gaze. Kayla watched as Kiri's ears and tail lowered as her thoughts likely darken in her mind. Despite coming to terms with the fact that she never learned how to deal with depressed children, Kayla spoke from experience, remembering the days she was once as young and lonely as Kiri, "You know, I read your mom's book."
One of Kiri's ears twitched in Kayla's direction, still unable to look up from her feet, "Really?"
"Yeah. I have a copy back in my room at Bridgehead. Maybe one day I'll be able to get it to ya."
"What's her writing like?"
"Intelligent and informative." Kayla hums while looking up at the sky, "There's a fascination and a bit of sarcasm in there. Doctor Augustine is definitely one of those women who know they're the smartest in the room and is annoyed at the fact that she's surrounded by idiots."
Kiri huffed a small laugh, lips turning up into a gentle, sweet smile as she craned her neck up to also watch the stars, "I wonder if I would be anything like her if she was alive to raise me."
"And what's wrong with how you are now?" Kiri visibly winced at the question and so the older woman backtracked, "Sorry. You don't have to tell me."
She decides to approach the subject from a different angle by using distraction as her tactic. Kayla's voice changes a pitch, indicating a change in conversation, "Hey, could you help me out with something?"
Kiri shrugged, "Sure."
"Could you tell me which star is Earth?"
Kiri finally looks back at her aunt, eyebrows furrowing oddly at her before looking back up at the sky. She searches for a moment, her eyes darting over the inky canvas surrounding her homeworld as she finally spots the star her father has pointed out to her several times before. She raises her own hand to point it out as well, "That one."
"Thanks."
When Kiri looked back at the older woman, she found Kayla staring up at the star she had pinpointed, a vulnerable expression the teenager couldn't quite figure out, "... Do you miss someone there?"
"No, but I miss the planet. At least a little bit. I think I just like being able to see it, even if it's from afar instead of up close. It's comforting," Kayla lowered her gaze from the stars above to Kiri, even depicting the small star constellations scattered across the teen's face, "Kinda like how you are with your mom's avatar. So close but so far away."
Kiri's eyes widen briefly before she turned away, biting her lip to refrain from sniffling when her eyes began to grow warm and blurry. Kayla's hand reaches out and hesitantly rests on the girl's shoulder, "We all miss home, kiddo, even the parts we never got to know."
"... Thanks, Auntie."
It's a strange title, one that Kayla was trying to get used to as the kids started to call her that more and more. She awkwardly tried responding, "Sure thing."
They go back to star gazing after Kiri managed to tame her tears. The girl watches the sky with her new comfort in the form of her aunt's words blanketing with an aura of safety and understanding between them. Without looking back at Kayla, Kiri spoke the motto she knew since she could learn to talk, "Sullys stick together, right?"
Had she looked, she would've seen Kayla's entire body bristle at those words, sucking in a sharp breath as quietly as she could. The phrase haunted the woman's dreams and now followed her everywhere she went. Who knew that she would have to travel to an entirely different planet before she would hear those words again? Envy and resentment invade her senses, skin prickling with anger as she tried to visibly contain the bomb going off in her head so Kiri couldn't see. Her voice is tight when she responds, like a rubberband about to snap, all the while years' worth of betrayal start rushing back to the forefront of Kayla's mind, but not directed at the poor girl who was unaware of the fire she had started.
"Yeah. Right."
A/N: 'a new leaf part two' will be out soon and then it'll be onto the events of the Way of Water! Please let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!
#tsamsiyu ta'em fic#ronal x oc#tonowari x ronal x oc#tonowari x oc x ronal#tonowari x ronal#ronal x reader x tonowari#ronal x tonowari x oc#ronal x oc x tonowari#ronal x tonowari x reader#ronal x reader#tonowari x ronal x reader#ronal x tonowari#tonowari x reader x ronal#ronal avatar#tonowari#tonowari fanfic#tonowari imagine#tonowari x reader#atwow fic#atwow#atwow fanfiction#avatar 2#avatar the way of water#avatar imagine#james cameron avatar#ronal fic#ronal imagine#avatar 2009#avatar#avatar way of water
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beat the shit out of them [Vin Jin x Reader]
this work is heavily influenced by @wannaeatramyeon 's works, especially her unhinged reader fic featuring vin!! no warnings, reader can also be considered genderneutral as far as im concerned just a bunch of cussing tbh. hope you enjoy :))
"Vin Jin."
...
"Hey, Vin Jin."
...
"I'm fucking talking to you!"
The next thing he feels is a harsh smack on the back of his head as he quickly catches himself before the chair can tip over.
"The fuck do you want?! Fucking crazy ass bitch," he rubs the now throbbing, sore spot you gave him, face scrunching up as usual.
Dramatic motherfucker.
"If you didn't tint your glasses over so much you wouldn't be getting smacked. You would've seen me preparing to swing, too," you smirk in retaliation, your arms moving from their crossed position to resting next to your sides while you're leaning against his table.
He merely sends you what you think is probably supposed to be a nasty glare and re-positions his legs on that same table, nudging your back with his polished sneakers.
So you continue talking.
"Mary's been trying to gesture for you to leave the classroom without making a commotion, you know."
"Okay, and?"
"Your bff needs you and that's all you can say? Really?" You roll your eyes.
"Can't be so important if it only took you to solve it."
"Fuck off."
"Lol, you first."
"Sure. Tell me why you keep tinting your glasses and I will."
His eyes furrow inquisitively.
"I don't need to do shit. Class is starting soon so you need to move your fat ass soon anyway, might as well do it immediately," his smug smile one of those you'd love to fill with a pile of some of his ridiculous sheets of lyrics crumpled up.
That's a good idea. You're adding that to your list titled 'what would piss vincent the fuck off'.
"Your sense of time is, unsurprisingly, tremendously shit. We have another half an hour left, you moron," you reach out your hand to flick his wide forehead, which he now sees coming and dodges, catching himself before falling yet again.
What a fucking loser, you shake your head and keep yourself from succumbing to laughter.
"Whatever. I'm not showing you shit."
"Come on. I'm sure whatever it is you're blowing it out of proportion," you reach out again to touch his glasses.
He reaches out too. To stop your hand from moving towards his sunglasses. And his grip is not as harsh as you'd expected it to be.
"Stop it. If you see it, I'll have to kill you."
"See what? You're being so ominous. Do you have weird rectangular pupils like goats or what?"
He sputters for a moment.
"That'd be funny."
"The fuck?"
"You could come up with a line like 'my eyes are like those of a goat, yeah, I'm the GOAT'," you press your lips together to stop the laughter from spilling out of your mouth.
That line was good.
He won't tell you that, though, because you were way too close to uncovering the truth.
He huffs, turning his head away from you and crossing his arms in front of his chest.
What he doesn't know is that his oh-so-clever self forgot to re-tint his glasses.
This in turn means the sun's rays hit his lenses so nicely you were able to catch a tiny glimpse of his two grey irises and the resulting pupils in his left eye.
Your breath catches in your throat.
A soft gasp makes his head turn back to you, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
"What's that? Pulling a stupid line like that and immediately growing quiet?" He mumbles to mask his alarm.
You hum, and he notices your solemn expression, making him grow apprehensive.
"Weren't you Cheonliang's number one?"
"Still am."
"And Allied's number two?"
"Yeah."
"How come you don't just lose the shades and simply beat the shit out of anyone who comments on your eyes, then?"
He stares at you. Still occasionally having rubbed the wound you'd inflicted on the back of his head, he loosens his arms which were crossed behind it.
Placing them on his thighs, he balls his fists.
"Shut up."
He abruptly stands up and moves towards the door, shaking the table you were leaning against, making you furrow your brows in irritation.
Typical.
At least you'll know where to find him.
If things don't go his way, he'll just lock himself in the boys' bathroom and listen to one of Duke's albums.
You don't intend letting him flee the scene this time, though.
"Don't you dare run away now."
He doesn't know why, but he halts in his steps.
"Or else what, pipsqueak?"
He turns back towards you.
"Your eye adds to your nonexistent charm."
...
"Hello?"
...
"Earth to Vincent?" You wave your hand in front of his shielded eyes.
Turning on his heel, he doesn't leave without wanting to have the last word.
"Fucking weirdo, I don't need your pity."
"Asshole, I'm not pitying you!!"
What you fail to see is the faintest of rose-coloured blushes on Vin's cheeks as he puckers his lips, absentmindedly scratching at his lenses while sauntering down the hallway.
#vin jin x reader#jin hobin x reader#lookism x reader#genderneutral reader#lookism reader-insert#lookism fanfiction#lookism fanfic
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And I've Been A Fool and I've Been Blind
Notes: And I am back with another fic.
I was really interested in exploring Eddie's perspective a little because I couldn't get it out of my head what Buck's phone call to Eddie would be like with Buck still in the midst of discovering himself and so this happened.
Title from Shake it Out by Florence and the Machine.
Summary: Looking back at the last two weeks made Eddie feel bad. It’s not that he hadn’t noticed Buck acting a little strange, it was just that Buck was Buck and he wasn’t normal about things and sometimes it was better to just let it play out.
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Or Eddie's pov after the basketball game and the days and weeks that follow while oblivious to Buck and Tommy dating.
Pairing: pre-Buck/Eddie, Buck/Tommy, Eddie/Marisol
Words: 3,977
On Ao3
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Looking back at the last two weeks made Eddie feel bad. It’s not that he hadn’t noticed Buck acting a little strange, it was just that Buck was Buck and he wasn’t normal about things and sometimes it was better to just let it play out.
Not to mention that Eddie had just been excited about hanging out with Tommy. He couldn’t remember ever finding someone that he had so much in common with before. Buck was his best friend and there was no denying how well they got on, but with Tommy it was about all the things that Buck didn’t understand. It was almost like back with his friends from the army, but even more.
On the ship, he and Tommy had gotten to talking and Tommy had been in the army like Eddie and he was into MMA fighting. It hadn’t taken very long for them to make plans, first a night out for drinks and then Tommy was hooking him up with a ticket to a fight in Vegas. They did muay thai together one afternoon and when Eddie asked him about a pick-up basketball game, Tommy was excited about it. At some point they even got to talking about cars. They just clicked and Eddie hadn’t had a friend like this in ages.
Maybe he hadn’t realized just how much time Tommy was monopolizing. It was just that after Eddie called him up and they went to Vegas, they just kept texting and calling and making plans and Eddie couldn’t say no. Even Marisol had been a little annoyed after Eddie had called her for a third time with the intent of asking her to babysit so he could go out with Tommy. He should have realized sooner. Maybe included Buck.
Selfishly, though, Eddie had wanted to hang out with Tommy on his own. Maybe that made him a bad friend. He definitely should have known something was up when Buck showed up for the basketball game. It was just that he’d been a little annoyed when Chim claimed to have convinced Buck to go when Buck always turned him down.
So, in some ways he only had himself to blame. His ankle had been the final victim.
At the moment his leg was elevated, wrapped up to minimize movement and the ice pack was off it. Eddie had chosen his couch as the place to be for the time being. It was a minor sprain and he’d be good to go back to work in a couple of days. Bobby had pushed for Monday so Eddie got a bit more rest and Eddie didn’t argue.
Tommy made sure he had everything he could need. His pain meds, snacks, even a blanket. He’d even helped Chris out with some math homework.
“I think I’m to blame for all of this,” Tommy said as he set down a few water bottles on the coffee table. “I think I came between the two of you.”
Eddie was quick to shake his head. “No. No. It’s on me. I should have known something was up when he showed up to basketball. He’s not a fan.”
“No?” Tommy asked. “I just thought he was a sore loser.”
“Well that too,” Eddie said with a chuckle. “But no, it’s just Buck. I don’t think he’s learned how to share yet. I’m surprised he didn’t show up here or call, actually.”
“I kinda jumped in to take you to urgent care,” Tommy said. “Maybe I am the problem.”
“You’re not,” Eddie said. “I just have to learn to manage my time right.”
Tommy nodded, lips pressed together. “He probably hates me now.”
“That’s not Buck. He couldn’t hate anyone if he tried.”
He saw Tommy take a glance at his phone. “You know what, I can’t go to work without trying to fix this. I have just enough time. Text me his address. I’ll go talk to him and give him an update on the patient.”
Eddie watched him go. He wondered if he should give Buck a call as a warning, but he decided against it. Buck would have called if he wanted to hear from Eddie. Maybe it was better to let Tommy and Buck talk it out first.
—
When Buck called, it was almost midnight. Eddie had made it off the couch to the bathroom and then into bed. His ankle twinged a bit from all the movement, but the pain meds were still working and he had his next dosage ready to take him through the night. A part of him regretted not asking Marisol to come over and help him out, but maybe a part of him had been hoping that Buck would show up and hadn’t wanted her around if that did happen.
“He calls,” Eddie said.
Buck let out a weak chuckle. “Yeah,” he said, “look, Eddie, I’m sorry. I was…well, I was behaving horribly.”
“You don’t say,” Eddie said and let that linger. “I’m sorry, too, Buck. I didn’t even realize how left out you were feeling.”
“I could have said something,” Buck said. “How’s your ankle? I really do feel bad about that.”
“It’s gonna put me off trying to get you to go to basketball. Just a sprain, Buck. I’ll be back to work in no time.”
“Good. That’s good,” Buck said. “I’m glad it wasn’t anything worse.”
“Oh, hey, did Tommy catch you? He said he was gonna stop by to clear the air. He felt really bad.”
“Um,” Buck said and then, “yeah…he was here.”
Buck sounded a little weird. Was it because Tommy had showed up unexpectedly? Should Eddie have warned him it was going to happen? He had thought that Buck liked Tommy well enough, but maybe this whole thing had made Buck want nothing to do with Tommy instead and that was a shame because he knew for a fact that they would get along.
“Did it go okay?” Eddie asked.
Buck coughed. “Yeah…yeah, it went…it went fine. Tommy’s great. I really — he’s going to give me flying lessons.”
“Oh. Okay. Good,” Eddie said, even while trying to figure out why Buck was stuttering a little and talking too fast all at once. “He really is a good guy, you know?”
“I know,” Buck said. “Look, I should get to bed. One of us has a shift tomorrow morning.”
“Sure,” Eddie said and before he could ask if Buck wanted to hang out after his shift, Buck had already hung up.
Putting his phone on his bedside table, Eddie leaned back against his pillow. That had been strange, right? It wasn’t that he and Buck talked on the phone a lot — they saw each other in person too often for them to call each other. Sometimes they texted, but that was usually Buck sending him random facts or memes. Except that they hadn’t seen each other outside of work for two weeks and there was plenty they had probably missed in each other’s lives.
Eddie let out a sigh. He took his medication and settled himself into a comfortable position. He’d call or text Buck in the morning.
—
He spent most of his day in the living room. Carla had made her appearance to take Christopher to school, and then returned to help Eddie despite his protests that he could walk. She didn’t want to hear any of it, and Eddie decided to stop complaining.
He heard from Marisol around lunch time and because he felt bad about not seeing her and putting her off coming over, he asked if she wanted to get dinner on Saturday. She readily agreed.
Tommy called a little after. “How’s the ankle?”
“Alright.”
“And Buck called you? He thought you were mad about the whole thing.”
Eddie allowed himself a smile. “He did. I think we’re good.”
“Good. Well, I just wanted to check in. I’ll talk to you soon, Eddie.”
And then he was gone. Eddie dropped his phone on his chest. He picked it up again when he remembered that he’d meant to text Buck.
Hey, you want to come over after work? Video games and pizza?
Buck didn’t respond, but Eddie didn’t expect him to unless there was some downtime at the firehouse. He busied himself for a while trying to find something to watch, finally landing on that lawyer show from years ago that had blown up. By the time that Christopher was home, Eddie was a few episodes in and he was oddly compelled to keep watching.
Sorry. I made plans with Maddie earlier. Another time.
Eddie felt disappointed. A part of him couldn’t help but think about how often Buck had probably felt like that while Eddie was busy with Tommy.
—
Marisol looked beautiful. It wasn’t what had attracted Eddie to her, as much as how after seeing her in the hardware store he’d felt like seeing her again. There hadn’t been anyone that caught his attention like that in a while. It was easy going, their relationship. Not casual, or anything, but not exactly serious either. The pacing was everything that Eddie needed, it was entirely unlike his relationship with Ana. He liked what they had and maybe it wasn’t forever, but it was enough.
Marisol stood next to him as the hostess grabbed menus to show them to their table. They hadn’t made it too far, when Eddie spotted a familiar face.
“Tommy! Hey!”
Tommy threw him a large smile. “Hey!”
Eddie and Marisol approached the table, just as Eddie realized who was with Tommy. “Buck! You guys are here together!”
Buck looked startled. Tommy smiled easily.
“Figured it was time we hung out,” Tommy said.
“Uh. Yeah,” Buck offered, but he didn’t look at Eddie.
“Well, we can join you guys,” Eddie said. “It’ll be fun.”
“Eddie, I don’t think—” Marisol began.
“No, no, it’s fine. I’m just so glad to see the two of you together. And you can meet Tommy properly.”
Eddie had to move the table over on his own, neither Tommy or Buck standing to help him while Marisol watched and the hostess moved a chair. Eddie wound up sitting next to Tommy with Marisol across from him. He smiled at her and she smiled back.
“Tommy, this is Marisol.”
“Ah, yes, the girlfriend. It’s nice to meet you, and I should apologize for taking up so much of Eddie’s time.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Marisol said.
“I’m going to the bathroom,” Buck announced, standing up so quickly he almost knocked over his chair.
“Is he okay?” Marisol asked. “Seems kinda jumpy.”
Eddie was putting the behavior off the feeling awkward about not inviting Eddie along to hanging out with Tommy after how the last two weeks had gone. Tommy, however, stood up.
“I’m gonna check on him,” he said.
That, however, felt weird. Except that it was the type of guy that Tommy was. He was nice and he cared. Maybe Eddie should have been the one to go after Buck, but Eddie wouldn’t have thought to do that. He would have let Buck have his moment.
Buck and Tommy were gone so long that Eddie and Marisol managed to look at their menus and put in their orders.
“Maybe we shouldn’t have asked to join them,” Marisol said.
Eddie shook his head. “What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know, I just don’t think Buck was happy to see us. Maybe we’re interrupting something.”
She said “us”, but Eddie thought she actually meant “you”. That wasn’t possible, though, Buck was always glad to see him, wasn’t he? Except that since he’d gotten injured, Eddie hadn’t seen Buck and the one phone call had been kept short and then he hadn’t wanted to hang out with Eddie the next night.
“I think it’s fine,” Eddie said.
Buck and Tommy came back together. They were talking as they walked back to the table and Buck was smiling as Tommy said something, breaking into a laugh.
“Sorry we were gone so long,” Tommy said.
“We ran into Lucy,” Buck added as he sat down.
“She’s jealous I got to fly you guys out to save Bobby and Athena,” Tommy said.
“I’m glad it was you,” Buck said. “Fake mouth statics and all.”
Tommy’s grin was wide and he stared at Buck for a long moment. Eddie watched them as their eye contact finally broke and Buck quickly grabbed his beer and drank a large gulp. His cheeks were tinged pink.
“How’s the ankle doing?” Tommy asked, facing Eddie.
“Good. I’ll be back at work on Monday. Has it been alright without me?”
Buck shrugged. “Nothing crazy.”
“Personally I think everything you guys do is a bit crazy,” Marisol said.
When his and Marisol’s food came, the same waitress took Buck and Tommy’s empty plates. Clearing the table and leaving a dessert menu behind.
“Did you want anything, Evan?” Tommy asked Buck.
“Ah. No. I’m — I think I’m good.”
“Alright. But I think I want some tiramisu for later.”
Buck smiled in Tommy’s direction, and then turned to Eddie and Marisol.
“Hey, who’s watching Christopher tonight?” Buck asked.
“He’s actually at a sleepover,” Eddie said.
The more his kid grew up and the more independent he became, the less time that he spent at home or that he needed Eddie. In some ways, he was glad that his son was getting to be so well adjusted. Sometimes he did miss when Christopher was younger, and yet there was a lot to be said about watching him grow up.
“Did Eddie tell you I had to talk to Christopher about his dating life,” Buck said to Tommy.
Tommy shook his head. “No. That’s hilarious. Eddie, you couldn’t handle it yourself?”
Marisol giggled. “Well, Chris had a video game date and then later, Eddie caught him facetiming a different girl.”
“What?” Tommy asked with a grin.
“Yeah,” Eddie said. “What was it…he was texting five different girls. I figured with Buck’s past, he’d handle it better.”
“Evan’s past?” Tommy asked, eyebrows raised.
Buck’s eyes widened. “Oh. I…I guess back in the day I—”
The waitress interrupted and Buck jumped at ordering Tommy’s tiramisu and then asking for the check.
“Well I just thought Buck had more experience in that department,” Eddie said. “I got married right out of high school and between the army and Christopher it’s not like I really dated or anything.”
“Ah,” Tommy said and then looking to Buck, “well, I’m sure you gave good advice.”
When the check arrived, Tommy reached for it first, but Buck tried to grab it instead.
“I’m the one that owed you a beer,” Buck said.
“This was more than a beer, Evan.”
“But—”
They had a kind of stare down, until Buck relented, but Eddie thought that he was pleased.
Eddie had the thought that when he and Tommy had hung out they had split everything. Same with any time Buck and Eddie had dinner or lunch together. He watched Tommy stick his credit card in the slot. It didn’t take long for the waitress to come back to pick it up and when she returned it was with a small take out bag handed to Buck.
“Well, I think Evan and I are heading out,” Tommy said.
Eddie almost wanted to protest and keep them there a bit longer.
Buck nodded and he was on his feet pretty quickly. “Nice to see you again,” Buck said to Marisol. “See you on Monday, Eddie.”
“Bye, Eddie, we’ll hang soon,” Tommy said, lifting his first for Eddie to pound and giving a nod to Marisol.
They didn’t wait for a response. Buck walked in front of Tommy and Eddie couldn’t help but notice that Tommy pressed a hand to Buck’s shoulder and that his hand then fell down to the small of Buck’s back. And then Buck turned his face, smiled at Tommy and they continued to the door.
“Was Buck acting a little off?” Eddie asked.
Marisol shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, Eddie.”
He had been. Eddie was sure of it.
—
On Monday, he arrived at the station just in time to see Hen throw her arms around Buck. The hug didn’t last long and after a pat on the cheek, Hen left Buck where he was standing. Buck looked after her with a starstruck look and a slow smile that grew into place.
“What was that about?” Eddie asked.
Buck’s eyes widened and his mouth gaped open, smile disappearing. “Oh, um, nothing.”
Eddie didn’t press. If it was something, Buck would tell him. He did catch Hen and Buck talking again. At one point, it also looked like Buck and Bobby were having a serious conversation. It felt weird to not be in the loop.
Things fell back into normalcy, though. Buck was still right there next to him for every call. Bobby called the shots while the rest of them listened. If Buck sometimes pulled out his phone to send a text and he had a strange look whenever a text came through, that was his business.
“You doing anything after work tonight?” Eddie asked a few hours before their shift ended.
“Actually, yes,” Buck said. “Tommy was talking about this exhibit and I said I’d go with him.”
“Oh,” Eddie said.
He waited for Buck to ask him to go along, but that didn’t happen. And that was unusual for Buck. Buck always invited him along to things, unless his plans happened to be a date and this wasn’t that.
“We can hang out tomorrow,” Buck offered.
“Sure,” Eddie said even though it meant he’d have to move plans with Marisol. He hoped she wouldn’t mind.
—
The next day, Eddie arrived at the station just in time to see Buck get out of Tommy’s car.
“Something wrong with the Jeep?” Eddie asked as he approached.
“No,” Buck said and he looked a little nervous. “Just…I was with Tommy and it was faster if he dropped me off here.”
There was something that Eddie was missing and as Buck walked away, Eddie felt like he needed to get to the bottom of it. For the rest of the day, he watched Buck closely. He didn’t act like anything was different, instead he seemed lighter. Happier. He was still texting and laughing a lot.
At the end of their shift, Buck got into Eddie’s car. He was sending a text, but turned to Eddie.
“Should I order food?”
Everything seemed normal. Buck called in their usual pizza order. They stopped to pick up some beer. By the time they were settled on Eddie’s couch, Christopher joining them, it felt like everything was normal. The only abnormal thing was how often Buck got a text.
“Who are you texting so much?”
“It’s…it’s Tommy.”
“Oh,” Eddie said, but noticed afterwards that the frequency of the texts stopped.
But when Eddie offered to drive Buck home, Buck shook his head. “My car’s at Tommy’s apartment so he said he’d pick me up so I could get it.”
“You guys are spending a lot of time together,” Eddie said.
“He’s a cool guy,” Buck said.
“I’m aware. We should all hang out soon.”
“Yeah. Definitely.”
“Not basketball,” Eddie added.
Buck laughed.
—
It took another week for things to get stranger. There was the day that Tommy showed up at the 118, sticking around for lunch and sitting next to Buck, the two of them seeming way closer than Eddie had expected and talking about a movie they’d caught and how Buck was horrible at Karaoke. How at one point, Hen had pulled Tommy off to the side and they had come back smiling. And then Buck walked him down and out of the firehouse when he was headed out and didn’t come back for almost ten minutes. Twice more, Tommy dropped Buck off at work. One of those times, he also picked him up.
The week after that, Eddie finally found a night for the three of them to go out for some drinks. Eddie found himself on his own at one side of the table, watching Buck and Tommy with their shoulders pressed together. Tommy’s arm had wound up behind Buck’s chair at one point and Buck just leaned back without question. It was the night Eddie realized they were spending a whole lot more time together than he realized. That they even had inside jokes.
Buck had replaced him with Tommy as his best friend and that night when he got home, a little buzzed from the shots and beer they’d drunk, he found himself hating Tommy…except that he really couldn’t.
Then, it came to a head, the night that he and Christopher headed over to Buck’s for pizza and video games. When Buck answered the door, he was just shrugging on his t-shirt and as he and Chris headed in, Buck’s bathroom opened and Tommy stepped out.
“If it isn’t the coolest kid,” Tommy said with a grin directed at Christopher.
The two of them had met all of twice, but Chris was very much a fan of Tommy.
“I didn’t know Tommy was gonna be here,” Eddie said.
“Oh, I’m heading out. I got a shift.”
Eddie was weirded out by how pleased he was that Tommy wasn’t sticking around. He’d actually just seen Tommy the day before and everything was fine between them, it was just that the three of them together somehow always ended up being TommyandBuck with Eddie as some kind of third wheel. It was strange and didn’t make sense.
“I’ll walk you out,” Buck said.
It seemed unnecessary to Eddie, but Buck walked Tommy to the door and the two of them stepped out. Buck returned several minutes later, smiling a bit. Eddie couldn’t help but stare at him. Something was definitely different.
“What?” Buck asked.
“I should be asking you that.”
Buck’s shoulders drooped. “Yeah, okay. There is…I’m…that is…”
Buck was nervous. He was rubbing his neck and not looking right at Eddie.
“Whatever it is, Buck, you can tell me.”
Buck did that thing when he was unsure, laughing a bit breathy. “I thought out of everyone, you’d just figure it out. That I wouldn’t have to say it.”
“Say what?” Eddie asked.
“Tommy and I are dating. I’m bisexual, Eddie.”
Eddie’s entire world changed.
“The other night,” he said, “that was…that was a date.”
“Yeah.”
Buck’s behavior, the way that he and Tommy were spending all their time together. Tommy driving Buck to work. Tommy picking up Buck from Eddie’s. Tommy at Buck’s apartment. The inside jokes. The change in Buck’s demeanor. All of it was adding up and Buck was staring at him, biting his lip. Eddie reached out to him, hands landing on Buck’s shoulders.
“I’m happy for you, Buck. You know this doesn’t change anything, right?”
Buck let out a breath. “Right.”
Internally, Eddie didn’t know what to do with the information. Buck was bi. He was into men. He and Tommy were dating. He could settle on being supportive, he could settle on showing Buck how nothing changed between them because of it. Later, he would deal with his own confusing feelings because while Buck looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, Eddie felt like he’d been saddled with it.
“Come on, video games?” Eddie asked and he hoped his voice didn’t sound strange.
Buck smiled. “I’ll get us a couple of beers.”
As he walked to Buck’s living room, aware that Christopher had already turned everything on, he tried his best to act normal. He didn’t know if Buck wanted to discuss it and he didn’t want to cross any lines. This was all just new. It was different. Eddie would get used to it. He had to.
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Checkmate
Summary: Maybe you're not the best at dejarik, but you do know your way around a chess board. In the absence of a board, you'll make due with your imagination. (Alternate title: Two dorks play chess, maybe they’ll kiss?)
Pairing: Tech/Gender Neutral Reader (no Y/N, no descriptions of reader's appearance other than being shorter than Tech)
Rating: G
Warnings: None! Just some brotherly teasing and good old fashioned chess.
Word Count: 2.9k
A/N: This is silly and short and not Busted Hyperdrive (it's coming, I promise!) but I couldn't rest until I got this out of my system. It's my first non-platonic fic so if it sounds a little strange, I offer my sincerest 'my bad's. I'm also not a chess master, so if you're just here for the chess you're probably not gonna dig this. Anyways, I hope you enjoy and feel free to leave some feedback! <3
Read on AO3 | Masterlist
It started a few months back when you all had some downtime at Cid’s. You entered the parlor to find her grumbling to herself as she attempted to fix the dejarik table, now temporarily out of commission after taking one too many frustrated blows. You’d all been off-world when it finally kicked the bucket, but Cid’s grumpy tone while recounting the incident paired with the large dent was all the evidence you needed. The Trandoshan, feeling particularly charitable, offered a small handful of credits if they were able to patch up the abused machine. Taking it as a challenge, Tech finished the repairs within the hour, even going as far as to fix the nasty dent. You and Omega waited patiently for the table to be revived so she could teach you how to play, explaining the rules and pieces over a carton of mantell mix. You nod along, half-understanding how the game works but knowing full well you’re about to make a fool of yourself.
“I am finished.” Tech announces, slipping his tools back into their respective slots on his belt as he stands. He’s nearly knocked over by his little sister in her mad dash to the table, waving you over as if you’re not just a few steps behind her.
Nevertheless, you laugh and pick up the pace, thanking Tech as you take your seat. Omega pushes a few buttons and the table begins humming to life. “Why do I get the feeling you’re not gonna go easy on me?”
Without missing a beat, Tech answers the question for her. “She will not.” He pulls a chair over to the table, knowing exactly what’s about to happen even if Omega denies the claim.
Three games later and both clones are sporting rather smug looks; Omega’s for pride in her strategizing skills, and Tech’s for being right in his claim. Not one to be a sore loser, you thank her as you stand from the table, “That was fun, but I think I’ll stick to the version I played back home. You wanna take over for me, Tech?”
“I wanna hear about your version!” Omega perks up, interested in a variation of her favorite game. You glance over to Tech, who hasn’t taken the now empty seat, his head just barely cocked to the side in question as he wordlessly awaits your explanation.
You stand, looking between them for a second before returning to your seat, a sigh slipping through your grin. With that, you dive straight into your description of the game, detail matching Omega’s earlier lesson. Both of them listen intently, asking questions that you happily answer. Tech glances down at his datapad every so often, you can’t seem to fight back a smile when you realize he’s been taking notes. Once you finish your explanation he sets it back down on the table while Omega looks at you expectantly, as if waiting for you to pull a full chess set out of thin air to give them both a demonstration.
“That sounds fun! Can we play?” Omega asks, eager to try her hand at a new strategy game.
“If we can find a set, I’d love to! But they’re pretty hard to come by outside of my planet.” You try to put on a hopeful smile, now regretting mentioning it in the first place as her own smile slowly fades. “I mean, technically you don’t need one,” this grabs both of their attention, “but it will be a little tougher.”
“You can play without the board? Or the pieces?” Omega asks, clearly skeptical as you said it was a board game. Tech, on the other hand, seems intrigued.
“Y’know how I said there’s a notation system?”
“Are you suggesting the game can be played verbally?” Tech reaches for his datapad; checking his notes, you figure.
“It’s possible! When the Empire showed up in my city and forced us out we didn’t have time to grab the fun stuff – mostly just, like, food and water.” You almost cringe a little, talking about your past isn’t really your forte. “We got bored, we played in our heads and called out our moves. It took some getting used to, but it’s still fun!”
“Fascinating.”
“You guys wanna give it a go?” Omega seems a little unsure but excited enough to jump into a practice round.
Despite her hesitation, Omega did surprisingly well. She even managed to beat you in the third game. And, unsurprisingly, Tech played like a natural, instantly picking up the game that took you months to master. You managed to beat him in your first game, but the next two were easy wins for him. If you were playing against your friends back home you might’ve gotten a little competitive, but the proud smile that crept onto your face after the first game has yet to fade. Later on, after the rest of the batch returned to the parlor, you sat back and listened to Tech and Omega’s gripping game – too enthralled to tell either of them that it will most likely end in a stalemate.
Hunter took a seat next to you at the bar, when his gaze shifts from Tech and Omega to you with a quirked brow you let out a quiet chuckle. “They’re playing chess.” He huffs, amused as the two of you watch their game in silence.
Soon, it becomes a favorite pastime among the three of you. Omega has tried to get her other brothers to join in to no avail, none of them seem to enjoy it nearly as much as the three of you. After a little digging, Tech finds a slew of archived games from your home planet and studies them intently. Whenever you find yourselves on a supply run off-world, you and Tech volunteer yourselves every time to search for a real set. What started off as a wild porg chase turns into a sort of tradition and, strangely enough, you find yourself looking forward to supply runs.
You’re counting ration bars and bandages after a too-long mission for Cid, most of your stock depleted, while Omega takes another study break to play a few rounds of chess with you. Hunter makes the call to stop on Boonta to refuel and restock, knowing the second you return to Ord Mantell you’ll be sent off on another mission. This time, when the Marauder touches down in a dingy space port, no one bothers asking who will be heading to the market.
Omega hums in thought, absently fiddling with her datapad as you wait for her next, and most likely last, move. She’s got you cornered, your only possible escape is Kb7 but she’s still got her Queen, and you’re out of pawns to promote. Her eyes light up. “Rook to b3! Checkmate!”
“I forgot about the rook!” You laugh, impressed at how she’s improved. “Good game, Omega, that’s four wins in a row!”
“It’s all about the strategy.” She beams triumphantly.
“Yeah? How about you strategize some homework,” you laugh, standing to leave, “then maybe we can play on a real board later.”
The girl’s laughs are suddenly interrupted by Wrecker’s booming voice calling your name from the cockpit, followed by a loud, “Your boyfriend’s waiting!” You just roll your eyes, Omega tries to suppress a giggle as she puts on her best studious face, her eyes locked on her datapad.
When you pass him on your way out, a barely noticeable blush on your cheeks, Wrecker lets out a barking laugh. You shoot him a look, but this only draws another laugh from the gentle giant. “Keep that up and I’ll make sure to stock up on those blue ration bars you hate.” That does the trick. Letting out a victorious laugh of your own at his silence, you make your way down the ramp where Tech patiently waits. “Ready?”
He clears his throat quietly, storing his datapad before he begins leading the way to the market. “After you.”
“Oh, how kind of you. E4.” You laugh, you two always tend to walk a little slower on supply runs.
“I assumed you would like the advantage after losing our last match.” Tech simply states, his impartial facade cracking when you shoot him an incredulous look. “E6.” His smile is barely visible, but you manage to catch a glimpse before he fixes his gaze on the path ahead. The two of you focused on the game as you navigate the city streets.
“Rook to B5.” You’re about to reach the forty-eighth move of the game with no clear end in sight as you approach the bustling market. “Did you wanna split up? I have to grab rations and stuff for the medkits.”
“Rook to A8.” He pauses for a moment. “I will accompany you.”
“Cool. Rook to D2.” You glance around the market, hiding your grin. You spot a vendor selling rations by the crate, buying wholesale might save you all some trouble. “Let’s check that stall first.”
“Very well. H6.”
You make your way through the crowd, now quickly calling your moves back and forth. Barely ten feet from the stall, you realize stocking up on rations would mean fewer supply runs and your mind starts to race. Suddenly, your pace is even slower than before and you’re losing focus on your mental image of the match. When you make an obviously thoughtless move, losing your knight, Tech stops in his tracks, turning to face you. “Are you alright? That was a terrible move.”
“Huh?” All of your focus has been diverted to quickly concocting an excuse that the genius would find believable. You can’t bring yourself to look away from the vendor’s stall. “Oh, yeah. They- uh, it looks like they only have the blue ones. You guys hate the blue ones, right?”
Tech’s brows furrow behind his yellow-tinted lenses. Maybe he didn’t buy the excuse but it certainly confused him. “I have no preference, nor do the others to my knowledge. Wrecker doesn’t like them, but he will manage.” You can feel his eyes on you, studying you, and you wished he would look literally anywhere else. “You’ve mentioned preferring them, however.”
“Let’s just look around a little more, maybe we can find someplace with more variety.” You turn to walk further into the market but he catches your wrist, his grip is loose but it brings you to a halt.
“Would I be correct in my presumption that you are attempting to under-stock our supplies to continue our regular supply runs?” You’re glad you haven’t turned to face him, your eyes are wide and your cheeks flushed, and he’s still holding onto your wrist as if you’d run away if he let go. You can’t think of anything to say, clearly you’re not great at excuses so you just stand there hoping he’ll just drop it.
You let out a heavy sigh, turning around to just barely face him, avoiding his gaze. “Yeah, Tech. Sorry. I just…” You trail off, maybe now he might let it be, you’ll grab the crate of blue ration bars and be on your way.
“You don’t need to apologize.” His tone softens, you’ve never heard him sound so gentle. Your cheeks feel like they’re burning and he’s still holding onto you. “If we are unable to find a chess set today, I’m positive I can make one to your standards.”
You didn’t realize you were holding your breath until it came out in a choked laugh. The chess set. Right. You make a mental note to not let Wrecker’s teasing get to your head. Cheeks slowly reverting to a normal temperature, you finally turn to face him with a bashful smile and the concern in his eyes begins to dissipate. “Thanks, Tech. That’d be nice.”
He returns your smile. “I will need your input, of course.” His gaze falls a bit and you see a flash of panic in his eyes before he quickly releases his grip on your wrist. Quickly bringing that same hand up to adjust his goggles, he clears his throat, now looking at anything but you. “G5.”
Your head drops with a laugh, nudging him with an elbow as you start towards the stall. “C’mon, let’s go buy a month's supply of ration bars Wrecker will hate.” As the tension fades from your body you find yourself able to focus on the game again. “Oh, and thanks for the pawn. Rook to H6.”
You were right, wholesale is way cheaper. Much heavier, too. After you find a med supply stall that’s somewhat reasonably priced, Tech offers to take the crate and you hand it over with almost no objection.
“Would you still like to look around for a chess set?” Tech asks, lowering the crate a bit so you can rest your pack on top while you fill it with rolls of bandages and tubes of bacta.
You pause, your hands resting atop the pack that rests atop the crate in Tech’s arms; your brows furrowed in thought, you absently chew on your lip as you consider his question. You look up to find him watching you intently, and, rather than avert your gaze from his, you smile and shake your head. “Nah, I think I’d like one you make much better.”
He opens his mouth as if to say something but seems to decide against it, simply responding with an equally warm smile.
You return your attention to your pack, making sure it’s shut securely before swinging it over an arm as Tech readjusts his grip on the crate. Letting out a content sigh, you both begin making your way out of the market. “Your turn.”
“Ah, yes.” He thinks for a moment, it’s anyone's game now since you came back from your earlier blunder. Waiting until you’ve left the crowded area, he calls his move. “King to F7.”
“Running away from me?” You joke, unable to suppress a giggle when Tech looks at you with mock exasperation. “What? Queen to B7.” He instantly realizes what that move means, but you can’t help but give him a deviously smug smile. “Check.”
“Interesting.” He ponders his next move, absently attempting to adjust his goggles only to realize he’s still holding the crate. You watch on as he shifts it around, trying to balance it enough to free his right hand momentarily.
“Okay, okay, hold on, just… look at me.” You place a hand on his fidgeting arm, all movement coming to a stop. You stand on your tiptoes, reaching up to gently slide his goggles back into place, careful not to touch the lenses. Your breath catches when you make sure you didn’t accidentally leave behind any fingerprints and finally see the intensity in his eyes. He’s completely still, as if he would scare you away with any sudden movement. You can’t help but freeze as well, hands still gently resting on the frame of his goggles. When you wobble a bit on unsteady tiptoes, your fingertips just barely graze his cheekbones and his lips part in a silent gasp and, oh god, now you’re looking at his lips. Eyes, look at his eyes, that’ll help, you think, so you look back to his eyes and catch them flicking back up from your lips, or maybe the ground, maybe he’s just really into dirt these days, and now you’re starting to get dizzy. You retreat rather abruptly, your heels meeting the ground with a quiet thud, one hand resting on his shoulder and the other on his forearm to keep from falling over. After overthinking some more, both hands come to rest unnaturally at your side, wide eyes trying to focus on anything that isn’t him but ultimately failing. His gaze hasn’t left you, his expression unchanged. Deciding you should say anything, literally any words to break this tension that you created, you clear your throat and give a shaky, “Any better?”
He just stares for a moment. You’ve never seen him this flustered – or flustered at all – and now you’re really about to panic, your mind playing a loop of oh maker, I broke Tech. You’re about to release a minimum of one hundred apologies when it seems he’s finally returned to his body. “King to G8.” As if nothing happened. As if he can still win after such a pitiful move.
“Oh, Tech, I’m so sorry.” You look up at him, guilt dripping from your words.
He shakes his head, readjusting the crate one last time before finally just setting it on the ground for a moment. “No need to apologize, I have been wondering for some time if my feelings were reciprocated.” When your eyes widen in shock, he decides to clarify. “Romantic feelings. Towards you.”
“No yeah, I got that.” You shake your head, a pleasantly confused smile somewhat replacing the shock on your face.
“You appear to be confused, is my conclusion incorrect?” Now it’s his turn to internally panic, second-guessing himself for what appears to be the first time.
He looks confused when you let out a short, nervous laugh. “No, you’re correct. Romantic feelings are very much reciprocated.” You take a tiny step closer, leaving little room between the two of you, returning to your tiptoes. Tech, ever the genius, takes the hint; first bringing a hand to your waist to steady you before closing the distance, your lips meeting in a sweet kiss as he brings a tentative hand up to gently cup your cheek.
When you finally part, returning to ground level once again though still in his embrace, he cocks his head to the side. “May I ask, then, why did you apologize?”
You laugh, your forehead bumping the chest plate of his armor before once again meeting his gaze. “Rook to C8.” You reach up for the shortest, sweetest peck of a kiss. “Checkmate.”
A/N pt.2: If that wasn't the cheesiest thing I've ever written, I don't know what is - Alexa, play Yuck! by Charli XCX. This was so fun to write! Thank you so much for reading! <3
#the bad batch#the bad batch x reader#tech x reader#tech x you#tech tbb#hunter tbb#wrecker tbb#omega tbb
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you asked and i delivered: cosmere tumblr yearbook superlatives
so its a crisp summer day, the last day of our collective senior year at Cosmere Tumblr High, and we just got our yearbooks. as we wait eagerly to see if kelsier-fortnite will be cool enough to write "have a neat summer :)" on our autograph page, we flip through to the Most Important Page Of All: the page where we find out which one of our classmates is Most Likely to Succeed. or is Most Likely To Starve To Death On The Streets Of Brooklyn (not included on the form). who will it be? i intend to find out. this is where you guys come in.
basically, what you do is you fill out this nifty form with the urls of whoever you think best deserves the title. this can be anyone. nominate your friends! nominate yourself! nominate big name bloggers with whom you have a parasocial relationship! the form will stay open for one week, until Monday, June 19th at 9:00 PM Central (USA) Time. from there, i will count up who got submitted the most, and they will win. in the event of a tie, i may put it up to a poll, but idk.
there are no questions like "best artist" or "best fic writer" because i feel like questions like that are the easiest for drama to break out over. thank you for understanding :-)
this should go without saying but be respectful be gracious winners and sore losers dont go out and harrass winners etc. please for the love of god do not start world war 3 about this. i am begging you. it is meant to be a fun way to spread silly positivity to cosmere tumblr and if you abuse that i swear to god i will Eat You.
reblog to spread the word, or don't idk im not your dad. have fun everyone!
#luke.txt#cosmere#stormlight archive#mistborn#(getting my post to have reach outside of my immediate mutual circle - sorry if this counts as spamming lmao)#this is such a funny concept to me. like conceptually. i hope this doesnt bomb
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New fic! (Yes I’m still working on my other fic I assure you)
Relationships
Apollo/Percy Jackson
Annabeth Chase & Percy Jackson
Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Percy Jackson & Poseidon
Eventually
Percy Jackson & Triton
Nico di Angelo & Percy Jackson
Jason Grace & Percy Jackson
Percy Jackson & The Olympians
evenutally they're assholes at the start
and the middle
and practically the end
Characters
Percy Jackson
Annabeth Chase (Percy Jackson)
Apollo (Percy Jackson)
Poseidon (Percy Jackson)
Triton (Percy Jackson)
Amphitrite (Percy Jackson)
Kymopoleia (Percy Jackson)
Rhodes (Percy Jackson)
Zeus (Percy Jackson)
Aphrodite (Percy Jackson)
Athena (Percy Jackson)
Hermes (Percy Jackson)
Hades (Percy Jackson)
Ares (Percy Jackson)
Hera (Percy Jackson)
Dionysus (Percy Jackson)
Achilles (Percy Jackson)
Patroclus (Percy Jackson)
Menelaus (Song of Achilles)
Eros (Percy Jackson)
Paris
Helen of Troy
Odysseus (Percy Jackson)
There's proabably more I'm forgetting
Agamemnon (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)
Additional Tags
I don't want to tag this as non-con but it's def a good bit dark
any mentions of SA or anything of sorts will be warned in the notes
Obsessive Behavior
References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Ancient Greece
Trojan War
Politics
Time Travel
Time Travel Fix-It
Fix-It
BAMF Percy Jackson
Sassy Percy Jackson
He's so done
Canon-Typical Violence
Protective Poseidon (Percy Jackson)
but like
way way to protective
obsessive protective
Alternate Universe - Ancient Greece & Rome
Dark Apollo (Percy Jackson)
Dark Poseidon (Percy Jackson)
Work title:
Those eyes add insult to injury ( and it hurt’s so much)
Summary:
It seemed that Kronos, essentially, was a sore loser.
This conclusion became evident to Percy as he regained consciousness in the what seemed to be Greece. There stood an elegant woman, around his mother's age, in garments that were unfamiliar to Percy. She gazed down at him with concern and care. A man stood beside her, sharing her concern but with an air of wariness. His hand rested on what Percy presumed was his wife's shoulder, and his eyes seemed fixated on Percy's sword, which laying by him.
Percy's day turned worse as soon as the woman began to speak, "Young man, are you well? It appears you might be injured. Has there been another clash with the Trojans? Shall we get you to Lord Apollo's temple and to the healer within? The woman's gaze darted from Percy to her husband, whose brows creased in response.
At that moment, Percy yearned to obliterate Kronos once more.
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BAD BETA, SWEET BETA JHS (m)
Pairing – Beta! Hoseok x Reader
Genre – Werewolf AU, Smut, fluff, Beta Going Into Heat AU, Brother’s best friend AU
Summary – [Hoseok’s heat comes early while the pack tries to figure out what might have triggered it you reach a decision that will change not only yours but Hoseok’s life as well. ]
Warnings – heat sex, werewolf sex, big dick! hobi, sub!hobi, dom!reader, food play, finger sucking, lots of saliva and cum, clothed grinding, teasing, knotting, marking/biting, neck kisses, bondage (because in this series we like our men bound), cum play, breast play, belly bulge, creampies, pet play (hobi gets called puppy, pup and pet), cock riding, face sitting, masturbation (fem), fingering, dirty talk, oral (fem).
Word Count – (5,6k)
Author note. TMI but I’m on my period and now I realised that I wrote all three of these stories while being horny on my period xd so I guess I’m quite productive when it’s that time of the month. lol It takes place at the same time as bad alpha, sweet alpha but at a different location (wink-wink). So I finally finished the trilogy but I might make plus content for all the boys but(t)! thank you for reading and showing so much interest and love for the series!
Menu: Masterlist l Be part of my permanent taglist to recieve a notification when I upload a new fic or send an ask!
⤷ Part of Bad and Sweet Trilogy
Taglist @unicornbabylover, @mwitsmejk, @agustdjoon, @jinscharms, @preciouschimine, @taeshuworld, @jjklovetattoos, @marilo11, @wecanpretendit, @moonchild1, @nan-nie, @mydramaspace, @dollhobigem, @casspirit0705, @di0rgguk, @elyte, @dreamingkth, @toxicgguk, @ellavyuubts, @yoongisideblog, @babycoffeefire, @purpleunicorn051, @thesirenita, @chunkybabygorl, @jooahchu, @lolalee24, @jiminie-08, @pixievelour, @soeur-de-ame, @dinorahrodriguez, @lpgirl2324, @wayward-student-philosopher, @copycat-namjesus, @pandabunbuns, @cambo-backwards, @tatatae13, @miwsowtaes, @kiminn93, @monohoed, @chiefdreamercherryblossom, @weasleyswizarding-wheezes,
”I can smell iron on you.” You push your brother slightly away, his intrusive nose landing a little close to you for your comfort. A roll of your eye and a simple sentence is enough to get over the topic of your menstruation. This is one of the things you hate about having a wolf brother he can smell every change in you from a mile away. It was unnecessary for him to point it out if they ask you.
”Jeez thanks. I hope everyone heard in the house that it’s that time of the month.” Your brother gets almost afraid that if you roll your eyes at him one more time your eyes will stay at the back of your head forever. It wouldn’t be a huge loss.
He can’t really blame you for not being respectful you have no part in the wolf hierarchy since you were not born with the genes. It’s absolutely rare for women to become wolves when two alfa’s mate and conceive only sons would inherit the title and the other one is just like any other regular human born baby. You were never too jealous about your lack of wolf traits since your parents tried to treat you equally and they succeeded in loving you both just as much, wolf or no wolf.
Yoongi is pretty cute when he scrunches his nose whenever you let your tongue loose he would never admit it but he loves you even when you drive him crazy with your witty comebacks. It doesn’t phase anyone when they find you two bickering in the kitchen with two cups of hot coffee with steam coming from the edge of the cup warming both your hands. Everyone is here except for Hoseok and Taehyung and you look at your brother questioningly.
”Where’s Hobi?” Yoongi shrugs don’t really care about giving you an explanation. He’s just a sore loser because he couldn’t catch his mate on time. You almost died of laughter when he told you he just caught onto her scent but apparently she was in a hurry to be somewhere so she shoot him an apologetic smile right when the bus’s door closed on his nose. She lives in the next city so it’s not like she’s local. And She’s a wolf!
What a misfortune of events. He became quite grumpy that he had to miss his chance. You don’t blame him though finding your mate is a big deal of course he was disappointed.
”Up in his room but I wouldn’t go in. He started his heat yesterday. Kinda weird it’s pretty early.” You hum pretending to be met with great news when in reality you already know about his upcoming heat.
”Something probably triggered it. Or probably someone.” Jimin’s grin reminds you of a fox’s grin full of mischieve as he kinda already put two and two together. For a while, he had a suspicion that you and Hoseok hide something from the pack. You’re the daughter of two alphas but to speak the truth no one thought that you have a mate out there. Even your brother doesn’t have a clue that his best friend is your mate. Nearing the end of your period Hoseok’s body is getting ready to breed you when you’re the most fertile. You’re the one who triggered his heat to come a little earlier.
They usually use the cabin in the woods to wait for their heat to pass but because of the schedule change thanks to you the cabin is already occupied by Taehyung and he’s not alone if you can believe what Jungkook told you.
The others already packed their stuff to leave the wolf alone for this time and Yoongi is ready to use this opportunity to go over to the next town and hunt down his darling maybe that’s why he’s not overthinking that you decided to stay behind and check on Hoseok if he needs something to eat or drink.
Normally he’s very protective of you but thanks to him being over his head, singlehandedly thinking about only one thing you could save yourself the poor excuses that you would have to come up with to not arouse any suspicion in him. You two don’t plan on keeping it a secret forever just until you’re really sure if you’re truly who the moon goddess sent him to spend the rest of his life with. It’s a lot trickier to make sure the bond is there because you don’t have the inner wolf to confirm it. It makes your situation very unique. You can’t deny the emotions you feel for him and you don’t doubt that what you feel for him is true. You just come to the mutual decision that you try not to jump into things and instead do it the human way. Going on dates and exploring your natural chemistry without his wolf whispering in his ears and clouding his judgement no matter how hard it is for him.
Knowing how hard he fought against his instincts to not claim you when you first had sex, from that moment you knew that he was the one. Today is the day that you will tell him to claim you and later you will soon reveal that you’re together to the pack. They would sense the bond either way so no more hiding. When you woke up this morning you couldn’t contain your excitement that it will finally happen.
The room gets quiet as everyone leaves one by one as you prepare some fruits and a glass of water for Hoseok.
You kiss Yoongi on his cheek and tell him that everything will be fine with you here and that he should hurry to catch up with his love this time, you don’t really have to tell him twice as he gives you a gummy smile in turn.
Now that you’re alone you take a quick shower knowing how intense his heat will be you make sure to clean yourself and have something filling to eat because you won’t get away for a while if things get steamy. Thinking beforehand you pile a few snacks and bottles of water that you can leave nearby for easy fillings.
Stepping into his room your nose is filled with his strong scent mixed with sweat and something sweet in the air. His duvet is discarded to the leg of the bed the sheets are crumbled and used as he wriggles around in it to relieve some of the tension in his muscles but it’s hard when he can’t even think straight. Focusing on something else other than the arousal licking tight flames from his stomach up to his throat is out of the question. He’s so wound up he could cry from the relief that he momentarily gets from your comforting scent reaching his nose and filling up the space.
His length twitches when your scent slightly changes seeing him naked with his cock heavily resting against his stomach doesn’t help you keep your calm head around him. You want him just as much as he wants you. Your pulse quickens when he looks at you from under his slick bangs his eyes are so dark that they could swallow you up just like a black hole at the edge of the universe.
”Hmn- I’m so hungry.” You could almost not recognise his voice you never heard him talk with such deepness the tone makes you shiver as you bring the food you brought closer to him. Entranced by his natural beauty you move without thinking. Straddling his naked lap you pull the bowl full of fruit closer to you that you put down on the nightstand before climbing in bed with the big bad wolf. You inhale sharply when his nose bumps into the prodding vein in your neck stretching yourself to get a closer grip on the bowl you unknowingly presented yourself for him to sniff you to his heart's content. His hard cock rests against your bare thigh as you stretch to get some grapes before you settle down rewarding your lover’s patience with some well-deserved friction against the apex of your thigh. You have your white panties on that don’t let him slide against your wet cunt but he doesn’t mind the drag of the fabric over his sensitive tip either. His cock bumps to your clit purposefully and you have to bite back a moan, the grape in your hand gets slightly squashed that resulting in your fingers getting sticky with its juices. While your other hand grabs onto Hoseok’s muscular shoulder to steady yourself. You should focus on feeding him but it’s hard to concentrate when he impatiently grinds against you, you’re getting embarrassed how your panties stretch around your folds a dark patch clearly forming as Hoseok chases his pleasure.
Not letting the grapes go to waste you push your fingers into your mouth and you swirl your tongue over them until they are clean. Not expecting Hoseok to react to your innocent actions so strongly you loudly moan around your own fingers when his cock gives you a particularly hard grind that pushes your panties slightly off to the side some of your stickiness now gets smeared on your thighs as well.
”Feed me.” Your eyes snap back to Hoseok from watching the mess between your thighs your fingers leaving your mouth with your saliva all over the digits. You reach for more grapes and push your wet fingers against his lips. His mouth opens at the same time his eyes close in bliss. He chews the juicy fruit slowly and while waiting you trail your fingers over the seam of his lips until he swallows. You’re not caught off guard when he opens his mouth and takes your fingers inside, this time he sucks your digits with a loud moan and your panties get even wetter as his cock glides over the ruined fabric. It’s not just your own slick however as his beautifully pink tip oozes his precum that he rubs into your thin layer of underwear. It’s getting uncomfortable to wear it but you’re not ready to stop teasing. The moment you remove the last layer that separates him from you he would surely breach your opening and doesn’t stop until he reaches your warm depth.
He knows how deliciously tight your walls are and he’s dying to push his enlarged tip into your pussy and feel how your walls part just for him. You feed him some more grapes until your fingers are coated in his saliva. Hoseok whines when you remove your fingers from his mouth and trail down his throat and then stomach to reach the base of his cock. The impatient wolf bucks his hips into your touch as you feather lightly draw a few circles around the tip of his leaking cock. His precum sticks to your finger and you playfully close your lips around it and taste the salty substance. Now he’s getting pretty impatient he lowly growls in frustration and his gesture presents you the perfect opportunity to latch your mouth onto his neck and suck your bruises on both sides. He welcomes your bites by tilting his head even more back to give you unlimited access. The chains that hold his hands bound behind his back are rattling as he tries to grab onto you but is unable to.
Shows you his distress with a low whine that you hear loud and clear. Knowing what he wants you push yourself into him even more until there’s no more room for you to get closer. His skin is shearing hot but it doesn’t deter you from removing your shirt and pressing your naked breasts against his chest to feel more of his skin.
”A little more baby.” You mouth the words against his ear. One hand pushes more grapes into his mouth while the other is firmly placed on his throat to get him to swallow. He tries to resist you but you continue to feed him until you think it’s enough. Even though he doesn’t want to eat or drink right now, he wants to fuck you. He keeps whining and whimpering that you can’t understand. You can’t understand that he just wants to be inside you he will eat later or better he will eat you instead.
”If you eat a little more I’ll remove my panties. Does that sound fair baby?” Hoseok shakes his head. He wants it now not later.
”If you continue to be a bad pup I will just let you rut against my soaked panties and let you cum just like this. Do you want that, huh? I bet it would feel a lot better to cum inside me don’t you think? But only good pups get the privilege to cum inside this pussy.” You continue to taunt him rolling your hips against him to drive him absolutely crazy and it’s working because Hoseok only gets whinier shaking his head no. Hoseok is a beta he’s not particularly submissive or dominant but when you call him puppy he gets into this headspace where he wants you to take care of him. He gets so needy when he’s in heat that he could only think about you fucking him into the mattress. It might be considered a weird thought since wolves normally like to be at the giving end of it. He likes that too. He loves when you writhe under him fucking you until your legs are shaking around his waist but he wants that later. He has other priorities for now. For example, getting you to finally get that stupid white fabric off you so he could sink into your wet heaven.
”Give me. Hurry up- hmnn.” You shut him up with some blueberries they’re a little sour but he doesn’t care about the taste. His moan is approving as you kiss him hard. Finally feeling your tongue slip past his whine and intertwine with his wet muscle. Things are getting messy not just between your thighs as some of his drool rolls down the corner of his mouth with a blue tint in it thanks to the fruit. You lick it all up starting from his jaw until you explore his mouth again taking full control over the passionate kiss.
”No, don’t stop. Wanna taste more.” Hoseok doesn’t let you to pull away from the kiss. His teeth sink into your lower lip almost drawing blood but careful enough to not make you upset. You giggle between kisses until you could pull away for a few seconds to tell him why you try to end the kisses.
”How else would I be able to pull off my underwear?” The wolf perks up at that and lets you finally pull away fully. He’s eager his big doe eyes are watching you like you hold the key to the universe but on the other hand his cock twitches against his stomach wet with his precum that still rolls down his shaft.
”Baby, can I see it?” He’s asking so nicely how could you say no to that face. You tell him to fully roll onto his back even though his bound hands don’t make the position laying on his back too comfortable he doesn’t have a bone in him that would want to complain when you sit over his face. You part your folds with two of your fingers and your arousal clearly drips from your excited hole. Your other hand slips between your puffy folds and pinch your clit between two digits that make your body jolt upwards and your opening convulse around nothing. Two fingers travel down to your slit and without a word you sink two of them into your cunt stretching your walls.
Hoseok moans even louder like the stretch gives him more pleasure than for you as he watches you play with your pussy in a front row seat. He licks his lips expectantly wanting nothing more than to bury his face between your thighs. You only pump your fingers in and out for a couple of seconds before you pull them out and push your glistening fingers into his open mouth. He sucks them like he would treat your clit if you allow him. You know how good he is with his mouth but you think you’re turned on enough to leave it for another time. Maybe after he came inside you a couple of times.
Pleased with your wetness you push yourself down his body. Hoseok’s protest to let you wrap his lips around your cunt for a little dies on the tip of his tongue when you grab his cock to align it with your opening. Fuck he thinks that can wait for later. Even when you push only his tip to be inside, his body gets overwhelming pleasure from it.
Your mouth falls open as you lower yourself down more. Your lips mouth ’so big’ it makes Hoseok’s cock twitch in you and his lips quirk up into a boyish smirk. Hoseok startles you when he suddenly sits up the motion pushes more of him into you at once that you both let out a loud moan.
His mouth founds your perky buds and sucks showers your body with kisses everywhere until you get yourself seated on his cock entirely. His hips thrust up to make you move without having to put them into words the motion makes your clit grind against his skin which only makes your walls get tighter for him.
”Impatient pet can’t even wait for me to adjust.” Your wolf tries to shake his head. He’s not impatient on purpose. You just feel so incredible around him that he can’t help himself but want to fuck up into your tight cunt.
”I’ll be good! Please move.” He could easily just defy your grip on his hipbone but he sits still like a good boy. A good pet.
”I know you will. Good boys like you can cum whenever they want to. Fill me up all you want. I won’t stop until you give me everything you have.” You squeeze your walls around him to make a point hearing his sweet sounds is just a pleasurable bonus that you get.
You push him to lay flat don’t care if his arms will get sore as you watch him put up a show just for you. His lips are parted with every moan you get out of him with you bouncing on his cock. Half lidded lustful eyes can’t know what to focus on. If he should look at your boobs bouncing up and down with your movements or watch your face contort into pleasure as you ride his cock like there’s no tomorrow. Or he could look at where you two are connected how his length gets covered in more of your arousal or how he disappears in you and reappear as a cute little bump on your stomach. You can fit him so well even though he’s so big he could see his cock’s outline bulging reaching so deep. He massages your sweet point with his curved tip with each stroke.
He’s presented with so many options that he can hardly choose so he doesn’t. You’re so beautiful owning his cock like a true mate. You could do anything to him and he would thank you for it. Pressing your hips down you start grinding pushing his cock in you until you can’t decide where he starts and you end. The proximity allows you to kiss him and Hoseok reciprocates your advances like a hungry wolf. Your legs are getting tired so you opt to keep rolling your hips – still providing the delicious friction that both of you crave - the position helps you to move your grand plan into action as you bare your neck to him. He immediately moves his kisses downwards peppering your neck with lovebites but not the kind of bite that you’re after this time.
Hoseok barely feels his arms aching as they’re pushed against the bed by your bodyweight everything you do to him fills his body with so much pleasure that the pain turns into something amazing. You can tell that his fangs are elongated and ready to pierce through your skin but he holds back. You don’t want him to. Regaining your energy with a single task in hand is easy ok maybe two tasks as you want to make him cum and to get him to bite you. You’re determined to make him lose his mind to get him to the point where he would do anything you tell him without question. Acting as your dumb little fucked out pet.
Your wolf laying underneath you unaware of your intentions could only register that you’re now vigorously bouncing on his sensitive length as you want him to cum in two seconds. He feels like he could fucking do it. You feel so good and he’s so weak when it comes to you. Your tightness and how the wet squelches that your core lets out each time he goes in and out fill his ears, he wants to let go and cum.
Hoseok smacks his dry lips closed for a moment to gulp down the saliva in his mouth his drool is already on the sheets though. Feeling his nearing end he forces his eyes to open as wide as he could do and press out the words between heavy pants and moans of your name. You always loved how vocal he is, not afraid to tell you how good you feel.
”Can I cum? Hmn- ugh, fuck. Y-You said I can.” Your tongue slides over your front teeth before you decide on the answer. So sweet asking for your permission when you already said that he could cum whenever. Now’s the right time.
Tilting your head you sensually push your hair to the other side leaving your neck bare for his hungry eyes.
”You can cum if you will be a good wolf and bite me here.” You show him that specific part that werewolves use for mate marks and Hoseok swears his mind shortcircuits for a moment already forgotten what he asked just mere seconds ago. He can only focus on that inviting patch of skin and how good it will feel to just sink his fangs into it.
”I c-can do that.” Hoseok slowly licks his lips sounding so innocent and you would coo if you weren’t feeling his cock twitch repeatedly inside of you. He’s about to cum only needs a little push to go over the edge and that bite will surely give him that. Your moves are slow but reach deep Hoseok thrusts up into you every now and then while his eyes are completely fixed on your neck. You’re bending and moulding your bodies together like a perfectly fitting puzzle. Your skin comes closer and closer until you can feel his warm breath. His eyes are icy blue letting you know that it’s not Hoseok but rather his wolf taking control over this very important moment that will change your lives forever. You thought that you will be more nervous or even hesitant but now that the moment is here you can only feel love. You love this person with your whole heart and you’re ready to be fully his.
It’s not a question that he has been ready to be yours for a long time now. The anticipation is building in you as he cleans your skin just where he will sink his fangs into you. He waits and waits a bit more but not out of hesitation. You’re touched by the gesture but you’re so sure. You were never so sure about something in your life other than this. To show him that you won’t regret this you nuzzle into his neck biting down on the pleasantly warm skin. You know you can’t quite give him the same mark but for now it’s there. Your own mark on his skin taking what’s rightfully yours.
Your bite took the wolf by surprise pain and pleasure only blurred by a thin line. You even draw a few drops of blood. A possessive growl rips through his throat that you never heard from him before it’s the only warning you get before his teeth pierce your skin. You can hardly feel the sting as he fills you with his warm cum the base of his cock swelling to make sure not a single drop spills from you.
The icy blue eyes fade into your favourite shade of black as he licks away the blood and cleans up your mark. You can’t quite explain this feeling now that he claimed you there are no words to describe this feeling other than things snapping into place. Your heart is full of the love you feel for this man. He’s a part of you that you never thought was missing but now that it’s there you couldn’t imagine your life without him.
”Your eyes.” Hoseok looks at you with wonder his hand caresses your cheek. Deeply looking into his eyes you try to figure out what he means. What he sees.
”Your eyes are red, pretty.” Your eyes grow wider for a moment before you start giggling. Right. Red is the alpha’s colour. It seems like you do have some of those genes in you. You start kissing him everywhere. His nose, his brows, his cheeks and lastly his lips, those sweet lips. The corners turn up to give you a content smile.
The sweet moment is short lived however as you can feel his base deflating. Suddenly feel his cum gush out and the fat drops of sticky whites roll down to your buttcheeks. It’s kinda hot that marking you got such a strong reaction out of him.
”So much cum. Filled me up so well.” You smirk when he shyly looks away but it doesn’t take away the feeling of wetness, his cum leaks everywhere. He’s embarrassed that his cock twitches at your praise. There’s no way you didn’t feel it he’s still inside you. He already cum why is he feeling still rock hard in you? Hoseok is so embarrassed he can’t even make eye contact with you.
It’s pretty comical to see him acting shy after everything you two did already. You’re not phased at all.
You help him sit up and it seems like you’re contemplating something but then you decide it’s best if you get it over with. You get up onto your feet – a little wobbly but gets the job done – one hand pushing back the cum that tries to leak out, you slowly make your way to the other side of the room fetching the key to his wrists.
Hoseok watches you move around the room completely naked trying to keep his cum inside while you get the key. Embarrassing or not he has to admit that if his cock were not hard already after seeing that, it would be now.
Tossing the key on the bed you occupy your rightful seat on his cock again sinking all the way down with ease the grith of his length pushes out some of his cum that smears around your thighs but you don’t really care about that. All that matters is how good it feels to have him inside you again.
”You didn’t think I was done with you right? I told you I’ll get all of the cum that you can give me.”
He bobs his head up and down like a decorative puppy his cock twitching inside your core clearly feeling his excitement.
”Here baby, all free.” You rub his wrists sweetly kissing the red lines even though he can’t feel any pain from it. He would be surprised if he did with you sitting on his dick so prettily.
You don’t waste more time talking you have more important matters to attend to. Like. Riding your werewolf mate’s cock until he cums in you again. It was a good call to release his wrist you were already tired from riding him the first time as much as you like to be on top you enjoy some pillow princess moments. Hoseok quickly catches your intentions and flips you over to be under him. If you want more of his cum who he is to deny it from his pretty mate. Licking over your mark his thrusts pick up their pace chasing his pleasure as his heat is not quite over yet.
You might think that the second time he fills you up it will be less but oh you were so wrong. He has so much cum for you coating the insides of your pussy with his sticky cum smearing the drops that spill over your tits and stomach licking you clean.
You’re so sensitive down there filled up to the brim. He can’t decide what he wants more eat his cum out of you or push it back in and watch your belly bulge a little. You can’t say no to his puppy dog eyes as he closes his mouth around your enlarged clit sucking until your hole quivers and makes more of his cum leak out. More for him to clean up.
You’re entirely covered in his scent by the time he’s done with you and both of you are exhausted. A big smile ghosts over your features when Hoseok pulls you close and licks over your mate mark.
Hoseok is so happy even though he will probably need to face Yoongi’s wrath for keeping their relationship a secret.
Bonus content
The first thing you feel when your eyes open is a tingling sensation from down there. Don’t know what it is but it’s good. You need a few more waking seconds to register the sounds of someone sloppily slurping something and then the pleasure that makes your toes curl. Lastly, you feel your lover's wet tongue explore your pussy – you don’t even remember how did you get so wet – your thoughts stop altogether when he sucks on your clit and push two of his fingers inside for good measure.
”Good morning baby.” You can’t believe it’s still the same Hoseok who got shy after sex. Now he’s greeting you like he’s not eating your pussy out like a five course meal. Your hand move on their own when he delivers a harsh suck and your hands pull his hair to have something to ground yourself with. You’re so close. You have no idea how long he has been between your legs before you woke but it doesn’t really matter as you’re about to cum all over your mate’s pretty face.
”Hmn, morning.” You greet him absentmindedly too consumed by the pleasure. It doesn’t take a second for you to forget what you even said. His chuckle vibrates through your sensitive pussy. He’s about to say something cocky seeing his smirk but you push his head back to work and he relents his smirk already wiped off his face as you pull on his hair the way you know he likes it.
”Be a good pet and make me cum on your tongue pretty wolf.” Hoseok nods – changing back to his natural role as his alpha wishes - removing his fingers to fuck you with his tongue instead. He’s so good with it. The sounds of him slurping on your juices gives you a new high. You’re not the only one moaning as he moans your name every now and then into your folds kissing sucking and drinking you in.
It doesn’t take you long to let go and cum on his face. You’re so sensitive you pull on his hair hard when he tries to flick the tip of his tongue over your clit to make you squirm.
”Good beta bad beta. Waking me up with your head between my legs. Clean me up now pup look at the mess you made.” You push his head back - but don’t force him down - he goes back licking you like a good boy as you soothingly card your fingers through his hair. He’s so eager to clean up his mess.
Your legs feel like jelly after his heat passed your pussy feels worn out you’re surprised it was not too painful to come again. You should really clean up soon before everyone gets back. ”Come on baby I have to get up.”
Hoseok only whines when you try to pull him back by his hair gently he’s still lapping at your core collecting the last bits of your orgasm when you hear voices from downstairs. The voices grew louder so you are sure that by now they could all smell you. Fuck. You hope Yoongi is not back yet.
”Get decent and come the fuck down I’ll introduce you to my mate!” Good. Now that Yoongi is occupied he surely can’t smell your bond. Great.
”Oh, and don’t think I can’t smell that you two fucked! I’ll deal with you later!” You swear you try to take him seriously but it’s hard with your mate still laying between your legs resting his head on your thighs.
”We’re in deep shit you know that right?” You question Hoseok with a raised brow who looks too calm for the situation.
”If I die I die happily.” He grins at you and you can’t even get mad. He’s so cute.
#bts smut#bts fanfiction#bts fic#bts fanfic#hoseok smut#werewolf bts#bts supernatural au#werewolf hoseok#bts werewolf au#bts fluff#bts#smut#fanfiction#fic#fanfic#werewolf au#werewolf!hoseok
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Title: Casa Mia
Set: During, before and after LMJ
Spoilers: Mainly for the anime and the final case of the LMJ. Slight spoilers for Mystery Room, Curious Village, PL2 and PL3
Warnings: The title of this fic was originally going to be ‘The League of Absent Fathers’… because it contains a lot of talk about absent fathers— and very light mention of a character becoming pregnant and giving birth.
Also, contains a lot of headcanons connecting LMJ to characters from the original series
Also, contains a lot of Italian phrases and some idioms literally translated into English! I’ll include some translations below.
Inspiration: The title, ‘Casa Mia’, is a translation of ‘My Home’. I wish I could say this fic was inspired by an Italian song, but no, it’s ‘My House’ from Matilda the Musical
-
Casa Mia
“Miss Perfetti, I believe you owe Miss Layton an apology!”
Emiliana blinked at Katrielle’s besotted schoolboy assistant. (She really needed to get a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign for her office door…)
“Chiedo scusa?” Emiliana said, a tad sarcastically.
If she had hoped Ernest Greeves would be intimidated by her native tongue, then she was mistaken…
“M-Mi Dispiace!” he replied in passable Italian. “I’m sorry… See— that wasn’t difficult, was it?” He offered her a smile, but Emiliana still didn’t understand.
“Why would I owe her an apology? Have I done something to offend Kat?”
Ernest’s smile retracted. “As a matter of fact, you have! Miss Layton was frightfully ang— upset by how you treated us— I mean, her, at the cafe the other day…”
“Oh…” Was he referring to the little competition she’d had with Kat during the stakeout? “She’s not still upset about that, is she?”
Sternly, Ernest nodded.
Emiliana arched her eyebrows. On her way out of the cafe, she had seen Katrielle stomping her feet like a petulant child, but surely Emiliana’s actions hadn’t affected her that much!
Emiliana had predicted Kat would storm off in a huff, but she would cool down as soon as she’d had some ice strawberry cream or some frozen cheesecake…
“I paid for everything you two bought at that cafe,” Emiliana reminded Ernest. She leaned back in her desk chair, lifting her chin. “It’s not my fault if Kat’s a sore loser, obsessed with horoscopes—“
Ernest planted his hands on the desk. “That’s not what upset her!”
Emiliana stared at him.
Ernest reared back, probably shocked by his own boldness. “I… It was…” He clenched his fists. “…how you lied…” He pointed at Emiliana. “…about your tragic backstory!”
(Cosa diavolo…?)
Emiliana pushed her glasses up her nose. “You mean Kat actually believed— the fictitious plot line of a movie— was my life story?”
“I-it might be fictitious to you,” Ernest fumed, “but you shouldn’t make light of such things!”
“What things—?”
“Missing parents!” Ernest burst out.
…Oh. Perhaps she did owe Katrielle Layton an apology after all.
-
Of course Emiliana was aware that Professor Hershel Layton was still missing…
Emiliana had never looked into the case herself— Scotland Yard seemed keen to forget it by the time she’d started working there— but she knew not everyone had forgotten Professor Layton.
Her mentor— once a student in Layton’s archaeology class— had ceased his investigations into the disappearance after a few years. (Secretly, Emiliana had been relieved. She couldn’t imagine losing her blundering mentor as Kat had lost her father…)
Then there was her distant colleague, Inspector Alfendi Layton— Professor Layton’s controversial son and Kat’s far more qualified older brother.
Alfendi might have aided in the search for his father years ago, but now (most likely due to the Forbodium incident Emiliana had heard so little about) it was rare to find him outside of his office.
Emiliana had only bumped into Alfendi on a handful of occasions, and he had never breathed a word about the Professor to her.
That wasn’t to certify that Alfendi had given up on the search entirely— but he had by all outward appearances.
The same could be said about Commissioner Barton and the other senior members of Scotland Yard. As much as they wanted to locate the Professor— to bring closure to the Layton family— it had been over a decade since Layton had left (on his own accord).
All those funds and work hours could go towards helping other missing people. Surely Professor Layton would agree…
And then there was Katrielle Layton. Like Alfendi, Kat had never mentioned her father directly to Emiliana…
In turn, Emiliana had never thought to ask.
Obviously, Kat must miss her father. She had taken up his mantle as a puzzle-solver and a detective, naming her agency after him. Kat even had her own top hat!
She differed from her father in a lot of ways, though; where Layton had relied on his famous intuition, Kat depended on ‘instinct’ and dumb luck.
Layton had a lot of salt in his gourd and a polite tongue. Kat, on the other hand, had a habit of losing her gourd and she did not have a single hair on her tongue.
The Professor had fought all sorts of villains and machines in a composed manner. Kat was all pepper— full of life— every second of the day…
Though, maybe that wasn’t completely true, now that Emiliana considered it.
There had been an… incident when Emiliana shared a cabin with Kat aboard the Thametanic.
Early in the morning, Emiliana had awoken to the sound of sniffling. Rolling over in her bed— ignoring the rocking of the boat— she had asked Kat what the matter was.
“Nothing!” Kat had exclaimed, before stumbling out of her bed, dashing across the cabin and locking herself in the bathroom.
After that, Kat had brushed the whole thing off as “Sea sickness!” and Emiliana had pretended to believe her, because it was easier.
(Because how could Emiliana comfort Kat if she was crying?)
At the cafe, upon hearing the synopsis to ‘Lonely Study Girl’, Kat— and Ernest— had shed tears. Emiliana had assumed they were overreacting, playing up in front of Mama Sandra, but now that she thought about it…
Kat had looked so concerned when she mistook Mama for, well— Emiliana’s mamma.
Emiliana’s mamma was nothing like Mama Sandra. She was big-boned and brown-eyed, with flowing dark hair.
Mamma made most of her own clothes. By comparison, most of Sandra’s clothes were designer labels.
Emiliana’s mamma was not an award-winning actress— she couldn’t even keep a straight face if she lied!
She was a beauty therapist who owned her own salon. Every other day, she would call Emiliana just to gossip about the customers she had to deal with. (“Emi, you won’t believe what Mrs. Wolfe was wearing this morning…!”)
When Emiliana was little, her mamma hadn’t had a lot of money— one trait Emiliana actually shared with the ‘Lonely Study Girl’— but she had her family to help her.
Contrary to ‘Lonely Study Girl’, however, Emiliana’s mamma would never dream of leaving her!
Mamma had moved to England with her just so Emiliana could follow her mentor…
But Kat, believing Emiliana was abandoned as a child, had felt sympathy.
No wonder Kat had been so unsettled when she found out the truth— that Emiliana was simply summarising her favourite movie.
That movie mirrored Kat’s reality.
Yes, Emiliana definitely needed to apologise after that glaring oversight.
So, as soon as she had finished work for the day, she went with Ernest to visit Kat.
Kat lived a few streets away from her detective agency— up a hill.
Emiliana had to stop to catch her breath as they reached a bright blue block of flats. It was a nice neighbourhood— hill notwithstanding— but Emiliana was surprised Kat could afford to live here.
Either private detectives were paid more than Emiliana had assumed, or maybe Kat’s family helped her out.
Kat’s bother earned a decent wage as an inspector… But was there anyone else Kat could depend on? Grandparents? Aunties and uncles? Cousins…?
Ernest hadn’t been beaten by the hill— not as badly as Emiliana, anyway.
He marched up to the front door and pressed the buzzer for the intercom. “Hello— Miss Layton? It’s me, and— and Emiliana—“ Ernest broke off as they heard barking.
Emiliana had a feeling the barks were aimed at her. “The dog lives with Kat?”
Ernest nodded. “They don’t always get along, but Sherl’s good company for Miss Layton.”
“Right…”
“I’ll take Sherl out for a walk while you two talk—“
Much to Ernest’s relief and Emiliana’s apprehension, the front door clicked open. Ernest held the door for her. “After you…”
The stairs did nothing to improve Emiliana’s shortness of breath— or, admittedly, that might have had something to do with her nerves.
She had confronted violent criminals without flinching, and yet, the thought of facing Kat, after Emiliana had hurt her, was daunting.
When— and why— had Emiliana grown to care about Kat so much?
Yes, the two of them were friends, but Emiliana was friends (Well— colleagues!) with Inspector Hastings and she had no qualms about insulting him!
Occasionally, Emiliana would bicker with her mamma— over how Emiliana worked too hard, or how Mamma could be so picky— but they would always make up afterwards…
Emiliana hadn’t irreparably ruined her relationship with Kat, had she?
The barking grew louder as Ernest led her across a landing. Emiliana gulped when they reached a door— Kat’s door— and Ernest knocked.
From inside, Kat called, “C-Coming!”
Kat (and Ernest) had no reservations about invading Emiliana’s office unannounced, so why should she feel intrusive visiting Kat’s home?
Kat even had a green ‘Welcome!’ mat, sitting slightly askew outside her door.
Emiliana didn’t feel very welcome as the door opened by a crack and, with a low growl, Sherl poked his snout out.
“Sherl,” Ernest chided. “Don’t be so rude! I invited her…”
The snout snorted at Emiliana.
Meanwhile, Kat had been fiddling with the door chain. She unlocked it and lifted Sherl up with a grunt. “Alright— your guard dog duties are no longer required!”
Kat fully opened the door. She looked flustered; sans top hat headband, her hair was tousled. Not to mention, there was a grouchy basset hound in her arms.
“Hi!” Kat gasped. She straightened up the ‘Welcome’ mat with her bare foot. “Welcome to my humble abode!”
“Va bene,” Emiliana replied, crossing her arms.
She stared at Kat. Kat stared back.
The silence between them was broken by Ernest stepping forward. “Should I take Sherl out, Miss?”
“Yes— thanks, Ernest.”
Sherl grumbled as Kat handed him over to Ernest. Turning to Emiliana, Ernest told her, “Sherl said he’s very sorry for his rudeness!”
Emiliana hummed dryly. “I didn’t know you spoke dog…”
To his credit, Ernest just gave her a content smile, before he carried Sherl downstairs.
“Do you want to— come in?” Kat said.
Unfolding her arms, Emiliana forced her feet forward. (Forza e coraggio!)
Walking past a cabinet with a mirror, Emiliana fought the urge to check her reflection. Her hair looked how it always did— how Kat always saw her— but after their misunderstanding at the cafe, Emiliana felt tempted to change her appearance so she wouldn’t resemble Mama Sandra as much.
Locking the door behind her, Kat hollered, “Please excuse the mess…”
Entering the front room, Emiliana saw Kat’s coat and hairband hanging off a wooden stand, a half-eaten bowl of choco-pops and a rolled-up newspaper on a table, a pale pillow and a fluffy blanket that had fallen off a green settee, and a slightly disordered bookshelf. (Granted, Kat didn’t have as many books as Emiliana, but it was still more than Emiliana had expected.)
Kat’s flat wasn’t that messy… just lived-in. Maybe even comfy.
Joining Emiliana in the front room, Kat gestured for her to take a seat.
The back of the settee was designed in a way that looked like Kat’s curls, Emiliana noticed, as she sat. She tried not to glance at Kat’s bouncy hair as Kat plonked down beside her.
There was nothing— special about being close to Kat like this. Wasn’t this a common thing among friends? Visiting each other’s homes?
Kat had picked up a yellow pillow. Hugging it against her chest, she began apologetically, “I told Ernest I wouldn’t be accepting any cases today—“
“I’m not here about a case!” (Emiliana hadn’t meant for that to come out so sharply…)
Kat blinked. “Oh?”
“I just need to— explain myself to you,” Emiliana gritted out, “after what happened at the cafe. I… Ernest said you were upset…”
“Oh,” Kat said again, more softly. She put the pillow down. “S-should I get us some tea?”
“Do you have any of that mint stuff?” (Emiliana was going to need it.)
As Kat nipped into the kitchen, Emiliana surveyed the dark blue mantelpiece facing the settee.
Above the mantelpiece— alongside an old radio and a lamp— were several framed photographs. In one of them, Emiliana saw a child-Kat and a teenage-Alfendi (His hair was a bolder shade of red…), with Professor Layton, Luke Triton and a young brown-haired woman.
There were other photos of other people Emiliana didn’t recognise…
“I have a big family!” Kat was back, clutching two cups of mint tea.
“That’s… good,” Emiliana murmured as Kat passed her a purple cup.
“So,” Kat said, returning to her seat.
“So…” Emiliana took a sip of tea, as if it could give her strength. She swallowed and started, “First of all… I shouldn’t have involved you and Ernest in that stakeout without informing you first—“
“We were fine!”
“I know,” Emiliana said. “I calculated the risks beforehand, and I knew you could handle it.“
Kat preened at her praise. “Thanks!”
Emiliana hid her face behind her cup. “Secondly, it was never my— my intention to deceive you or mock you when I was discussing the ‘Lonely Study Girl’ movie. I swear, Mama Sandra was there by complete coincidence… but still, I didn’t consider how the… content of that movie might be, er, sensitive for you.” She placed her cup in her lap and looked Kat in the eye. “I’m sorry.”
“N-no problem!” Kat exclaimed. (Clearly, she hadn’t expected an apology from Emiliana.) “I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did— it wasn’t very ladylike, was it?”
“No, it wasn’t…” Emiliana smiled. “But you don’t need to be ladylike all the time.”
“I try to be, for my dad…” Kat’s eyes became distant as she gazed at the photo with Professor Layton.
If Emiliana gripped the teacup any harder, it was going to shatter.
She had only just worked up the courage to apologise— how was she meant to console Kat?
Clearing her throat, Emiliana ventured, “Like you, I have no idea where my father is…”
Kat glanced at her with shock.
Emiliana was about to throw the hoe on her own feet, but she forged forward anyway.
“…However, unlike you, I do not miss my father. I never knew him. I never needed him. My mamma— my mother— and our family are more than enough.” She sighed. “But just because I don’t care about my father doesn’t mean you shouldn’t care. I-I’m sure Professor Layton was a good dad…”
“He was,” Kat whispered. “I mean— he is. He could just be absent-minded.”
Professor Layton wasn’t the only one! Emiliana’s mentor constantly had his head amongst the clouds. Once, he had left seven-year-old Emiliana in his car by mistake.
There were far worse crimes…
Kat had gone quiet again.
“Kat…” Emiliana hedged. “Do you live alone?”
“N-not really!” Kat laughed. “I have Sherl, and sometimes my older sister, Flora comes to stay…” Kat pointed to the brown-haired woman in the family photo.
“And did your siblings look after you, while your— while you were growing up?”
“Of course! My Grandma Rosa was there too, and my aunts and uncles…”
“Che sollievo,” Emiliana murmured. It didn’t sound like Kat had been passed from relative to relative, or made to feel like a nuisance.
“What about you?” Kat returned.
“I live alone, yes— but not far from Scotland Yard. It’s actually nice to get away from the trambusto…” Emiliana clicked her fingers until she found the word. “…From the bustle the end of the day.”
Still, it could get lonely sometimes. Emiliana was glad whenever Mamma came over for a ‘girl’s night’, or if Nonna flew in for a visit.
“And can I ask—“ Kat enquired hesitantly, “—have you always lived in England?”
“I grew up mostly in England,” Emiliana confirmed, “but I was born in Italy—“
“Ooooh! What part of Italy? I bet it’s so lovely there, with all the food, the weather, the history, the culture, and the food….”
Emiliana chuckled. “It is lovely!”
Kat kicked her legs against the settee with excitement. She shuffled closer to Emiliana. “Tell me more! Come on— allez! Wait, that’s French…!”
“Va bene,” Emiliana sighed. She hadn’t come here to spit the toad out regarding her family history, but if that would make Kat happy… Then so be it.
-
“I was born in Atranori, a village (though, it is considered a town these days) on the Amalfi Coast, in south-western Italy. It was a peaceful place, famous for its picturesque beaches and its prized lemon trees.
One day, the peace was disturbed by the arrival of a stranger in town.
This man was no ordinary tourist; he had the strangest hair, shaped like a bull’s horns, an equally sharp moustache, and a perpetual sneer—“
-
Kat hummed.
“What?” Emiliana grunted. (Here she was trying to be honest with Kat— sharing her life story or whatever it was close friends did— but Kat had interrupted her!)
“Nothing!” Kat shook her head and motioned to Emiliana. “Go on!”
-
“The man’s white shirt and tie indicated formality— perhaps he was of an academic or office career— but his dishevelled coat contradicted this.
He might very well have washed up on the sands of Atranori. The only bags he carried with him were the ones below his eyes.
Everyone in Atranori was wary of the interloper… except for a young woman who worked in a beauty salon. Her name was Bhamini Perfetti.
When the man wandered into her salon, Bhamini took pity on him. (Her mother had been in a similar situation years before, travelling all the way from India, until she’d met Bhamini’s father.)
Bhamini offered to give the man a makeover— tidying up his hair and his moustache. She would even throw in a facial!
He agreed, and he told her his name was Marco.
Marco was so grateful and so impressed by Bhamini’s work that he asked if he could take her out to dinner. Bhamini accepted.
So began the pair’s ‘whirlwind romance’; they would build sand castles on the beach, share pistachio ice cream, paint each other’s nails, browse records in the music shop, explore Atranori’s Roman ruins…
As the townspeople saw Marco spending time with Bhamini, they gradually lowered their guards around him. Marco was still considered eccentric, but how bad could he be, if he had captured Bhamini’s heart?
Several months into their relationship, Bhamini invited Marco to live with her.
Marco, having been residing above an old bar, jumped at the opportunity.
Their first night in the same house was filled with laughter and passion…
But when Bhamini awoke the next morning, she was very much alone.
Panicked, she searched the house, but in Marco’s absence, all she could find was a note. It read:
‘Tesoro mio,
I’m sorry to leave you, and I’m even sorrier to confess I have lied to you.
I’m not who I claimed to be, even though, for the first time ever, I felt like I could be myself when I was with you. Thank you for bringing out the the best in me.
I’m a wanted man, and I’m worried that if I stay here, I’ll bring you unwanted attention.
I’ll admit, I’ve taken some old jewellery from you— but just enough to buy my way out of Italy. I’ll pay you back every cent someday, I promise.
Once again, I’m sorry. You don’t need to forgive me.
Addio!’
Bhamini tore the letter to shreds as tears fell from her eyes. She had given all of her love to this man— this lying, swindling thief— only for him to break her heart and steal her possessions.
Soon, however, Bhamini would discover that he had left her with something far more precious—“
-
“You?” Katrielle gasped.
Emiliana nodded.
A squeak escaped from Katrielle. “I’ve heard a similar tale before! I know how this ends!”
Emiliana chose to humour Kat. “Okay…”
“Fifty years after your birth,” Kat recited, “your daughter will track down her grandfather, and your family will finally be reunited!”
“Per amor di Dio…” Emiliana rolled her eyes. “I thought we’d already established my life isn’t a movie!”
“It could still happen! The truth is always stranger than fiction!”
With a huff, Emiliana continued her story. “The truth is…”
-
“Bhamini, thankfully, had her own mother, her father and the rest of their family to fall back on.
Despite “Marco’s” duplicity, Bhamini vowed to raise her child with her whole heart— for it was not irreparably broken.
From the moment she felt the first kick… right up until she gave birth, Bhamini
knew nothing would ever rival the love she harboured for her daughter.
She named the girl “Emiliana” and chose to use her family’s last name, “Perfetti”.
Even as an infant, Emiliana was inquisitive. Much to her family’s amusement, she would inspect toys, food and objects with a thoughtful expression.
Propelled by curiosity, she learned to crawl, walk and talk far faster than other children her age.
By the time she was in nursery, she was reading books that some university students would struggle with.
Her nonno proudly declared she was “Un genio!”— a genius—“
-
“I guessed that,” Kat scoffed, grinning.
Heat claimed Emiliana’s face. She coughed. “Anyway—“
-
“Little Emiliana also developed a love of movies (Everything except horror!)— with her favourites being from the mystery genre.
One afternoon, Bhamini was shocked when she came to collect Emiliana from her parents’ house; five-year-old Emiliana had been watching a psychological thriller about a wanted thief!
Emiliana tried to explain that she was following her favourite actress, Mamma Sandra, but the movie was rated VM18!
Far too violent for Emiliana— no matter how mature she was for her age!
From then on, Bhamini would double-check any films her daughter chose, but Emiliana still had questions.
“Did you say my papà was a thief?”
“Yes,” Bhamini huffed (for she had never kept this a secret from Emiliana). “He was a liar, a swindler and a thief— and he left us before you were born.”
“Do you miss him?”
“Sometimes… but I have you, Emi. You are mio tesoro più grande.”
“…Can I finish watching that Mamma Sandra movie now?”
“After I’ve watched it on my own it first!”
Soon, Emiliana grew bored of her movies, her schoolwork and her books. She longed to help people and solve mysteries, like one of Mamma Sandra’s heroines.
Her opportunity arose when news spread throughout Atranori that someone was stealing from the town’s lemon groves.
While Bhamini’s back was turned, Emiliana ventured out to question her neighbours. Apparently, the police already had a suspect: a stranger who had driven through a red traffic light on his way into Atranori.
(Could this ‘stranger’ possibly be Emiliana’s thieving father? Had he returned, at long last?)
Emiliana went to visit the suspect at police headquarters— much to the amusement of the officers.
The suspect insisted he was not a thief, but a detective, and he has come to aid the townspeople after hearing about their plight.
His tone of voice, his eyes and his body language indicated he was telling the truth…
Emiliana decided to trust him, and she was determined to prove his innocence.
She set out, with the so-called detective in tow, to track down the true culprit.
The detective took drastic measures, like sneaking onto the lemon farms for a stakeout, while Emiliana was more level-headed, analysing any evidence they uncovered.
Finally, in front of the entire town, Emiliana revealed that the lemon thief was in fact… a rat. A greedy rat, stockpiling lemons in its burrow.
The rat was given a new home at Emiliana’s school, and the detective was freed from all charges.
The detective expressed his gratitude to Emiliana by gifting her a pocket notebook.
Before he could speed away in his car, leaving Atranori and Emiliana behind forever, Emiliana asked him—“
-
“Are you my FATHER?”
“Wha—? NO!” Emiliana pinched the bridge of her nose. “She— I asked— can I be your assistant?”
“Awww,” Kat cooed.
“The detective agreed, after my mamma agreed. We moved to England so I could investigate more cases with him.”
Kat breathed, “I know I’ve heard that story before…”
Of course she had; Emiliana’s experience mirrored that of a young Luke Triton, who had become Professor Layton’s apprentice. Layton and Luke had gone on many adventures together.
Professor Layton had also inspired Emiliana’s mentor to become a detective— Though he was far more impulsive and accident-prone!— so, some of Emiliana’s knowledge had been passed down from the Professor.
But Kat didn’t need to know that.
Rapidly, Emiliana concluded, “As I got older, I decided I wanted to work for the police. I studied psychology at university and then I became a criminal analyst at Scotland Yard. Fine della storia!”
“Then you met me!” Kat chimed in.
And my life has been a perfect storm ever since, Emiliana mused. Unpredictable, unprecedented,unrefined…
Exciting, congenial, cordial…
Finally, Emiliana had met someone who she felt comfortable opening up to— revealing the imperfect parts of herself and her family history…
Emiliana simply nodded.
“I don’t think you were entirely correct earlier,” Kat said, clutching her chin in her hand. “You do share some similarities with the ‘Lonely Study Girl’… like your love for your mother, and how you became a criminal analyst to find out what happened to your thieving father.”
“I don’t care what happened to him!” Emiliana growled. “My goal— if I’m ever given the chance— is to bring him to justice! But I’m not going to waste time hunting him down.”
She crossed her arms firmly. The sudden movement caused her to dislodge the cup in her lap. It fell onto Kat’s rug. Emiliana gasped.
“Mi— sorry!” She scrambled to pick up the cup.
“Don’t worry!” Kat crouched beside her. She took the purple cup from Emiliana’s hands. “You never know— your father might find his own way back to you!”
“I sincerely doubt that…” Standing up, Emiliana smoothed out her skirt. “Your dad is far more likely to come back.”
“I hope so…” Kat sighed.
Looking at Kat’s crumpled face, Emiliana realised she might have a way to console her after all.
“Some people at Scotland Yard might have given up on finding him, but I won’t,” Emiliana vowed. “If you get any leads, let me know, and I’ll help you as much as I can.”
“Th-thank you…” Kat whispered.
A smile pulled at her lips— one Emiliana had never seen on Kat. Usually, Kat wore a bright grin or a satisfied smirk. But this smile looked small, sad and lost.
Kat promised, “I’ll do the same for you.”
-
“You were driving at SIXTY MILES PER HOUR in a THIRTY ZONE!”
“With good reason—!”
“Hello?” Kat’s voice called from outside. “Is this a bad time…?”
Before Emiliana could reply, Kat breezed into her office— right into the middle an argument. (Emiliana really needed to get a lock for that door!)
“You should knock first, Kat,” Emiliana sighed from behind her desk. She shot a glare at her maverick mentor. “Non importa… We’re finished here—“
”Wait— did you say ‘Kat’?” Blue eyes widening, he looked between Emiliana and Kat. “As in ‘Katrielle Layton’?!”
Smiling, Kat held her hand over her heart. “That’s me! And you are—?”
“No one of relevance!” Emiliana interjected, leaping to her feet.
“Carmine Accidenti,” Carmine exclaimed (so quickly that Emiliana hoped Kat had misheard him). “I was your father’s student years ago— he’s the one who inspired me to become a detective— Emiliana, cosa stai facendo?”
Emiliana was shoving him out of her office. (The one time he wasn’t in a rush to leave…!)
“Pay your speeding fine!” she snapped, before she slammed the door on him.
Puffing, Emiliana turned to Kat. “You didn’t need to hear all of that…” Emiliana meant that partly as a rebuke, but Kat took it as an apology.
“It’s fine! You should hear me arguing with Alfendi…” Kat smirked. “Though, I never argued with my dadthat much—“
“He is not my father,” Emiliana grumbled.
“Father figure, then?” Kat teased.
“Non! Carmine is— was— my mentor—“
“And my dad was his mentor?” Kat deduced.
Emiliana gaped at her, caught out like a criminal during an interrogation.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Kat didn’t sound offended— Grazie al cielo!— just curious.
“I… I…” Emiliana foundered. She pressed her back against the door. She glanced around her office, searching for something to distract Kat with, but it was fruitless.
She removed her glasses, cleaned them on her sleeve for a few moments.
When she put her glasses back on, she realised Kat had crept closer.
Emiliana sighed deeply. “I suppose… I didn’t want you to have any… preconceived notions about me when we first met.”
“Hang on!” Kat said, pouting. “Weren’t you the one who underestimated me?”
Shamefully, Emiliana bowed her head. “I assumed you were a fraudulent detective, based on what I had heard… but, the more I thought about it, how could that be the case, when your father taught my mentor? What would that make me?” She peered up at Kat. “What would you make of me?”
“First impressions are rarely right,” Kat said knowingly. “We’re friends now, and that’s what matters!”
“That’s very wise,” Emiliana said, smiling with relief.
Then, Kat reached into her coat and pulled out a envelope, sealed with a waxy red ‘L’.
“Can I ask you a favour, Emiliana?”(Emiliana gestured for her to continue.) “I’ll be… leaving London tomorrow, but if I’m not back within a week, please give this letter directly to Alfendi and Lucy—“
“Why? Where are you going?”
Kat beckoned her closer. She whispered in Emiliana’s ear, “Southampton… I’ve finally found a leadlinked to Dad’s disappearance—“
“I’ll go with you!” Emiliana gasped, knocking heads with Kat.
“Ow…” Kat winced. “Thanks, but I need someone I can trust to pass this letter on to Al—“
“Why can’t you tell him yourself?” Emiliana rubbed her head. “Or call him?”
“I don’t want to let him down if this is another false lead.” Kat glanced out of the office window. “He’s been doing so…. well lately… I won’t ruin that for him by dragging him out on a wild goose chase—“
“We— he’ll have to go after you if you put yourself in danger,” Emiliana pointed out through clenched teeth.
Kat handed her the letter. “This is just a backup plan— I’ll be fine! Sherl and Ernest will protect me!”
“Are you sure you can trust ‘Ernest’?”
Emiliana was embarrassed she hadn’t seen through Ernest’s— or rather, Miles Richmond’s— act sooner.
He’d really believed the Seven Dragons had stolen his family’s fortune, and he really did care about Kat— but that was no excuse for Emiliana, the ‘genius analyst’!
She’d been tempted to resign for her post, but then, she still needed to help Kat…
Kat was frowning. (Emiliana had never seen such a serious expression on her!)
“I trust Ernest with my life… and I trust you will give this letter to my brother if I don’t return.”
“Bene allora,” Emiliana conceded. She slipped the letter into her blazer. “You have my word.”
“Thank you…” For a few seconds, Kat hesitated. Then she added, “If you see Alfendi… tell him— tell him I said… ‘I love you’, okay?”
“Okay,” Emiliana whispered. And, because she was a coward, she said, “Ti voglio un mondo di bene, Kat.”
“What does that mean?” Kat breathed.
Emiliana gave her the literal translation,
“I wish the best for you,” but it meant more than that.
Kat meant far more to her than Emiliana would ever admit.
-
Professor Hershel Layton and Luke Triton had been cryogenically frozen in a cathedral for the past eleven years, until Kat had freed them.
Instead of waiting for her father and her uncle to wake up in hospital, Kat had rushed off to find the man responsible for all of this.
And Layton— rather than chasing after Kat— had found time to stop at Scotland Yard for some files!
“What are you doing HERE?” Emiliana barked when she caught Layton and Luke rooting through the archives. (She didn’t care that she was addressing the Professor Layton— Kat’s father— they needed to help Kat!)
“Please excuse us,” the Professor said in a polite but hurried tone, “we require some files— it’s urgent—“
“Urgent?” Emiliana repeated angrily. She stabbed her finger at Layton.
Luke shuffled away from them with his nose in a file.
“Your daughter has gone to confront your captor—“ Emiliana spelled it out to him “—after waiting eleven years for you to come home— and you think this is urgent?”
It felt like Kat’s letter was burning a hole in Emiliana’s blazer. Why hadn’t Emiliana informed Alfendi sooner? Why had she waited until Kat‘s life could be at stake?
Layton, in his infuriatingly calm way, tried to explain, “Our captor is an astronomer. We’re looking for any information that could—“
“I will find that information for you! You need to catch up to Kat!” Emiliana grabbed a file off a shelf and started speed-reading.
Luke said, “Thank you, Miss—“
“GO!”
Sometimes, one needed to be impulsive.
-
Emiliana waited a week— giving Professor Layton time to catch up with his family— before she called Carmine with the good news:
After eleven long years, Professor Layton was finally home!
Within an hour, Carmine was outside Scotland Yard, honking his car horn.
Emiliana scolded him as she entered the car, “You’re in a staff parking space— Accidenti!” She cursed when he hit the accelerator.
“Rallentare!” She slammed the car door as he sped way. “Professor Layton isn’t going anywhere…”
“Let’s hope not!” Carmine quipped. He glanced at her, smiling as she put on her seatbelt. “So, you helped the Professor with his research to stop the villain—?”
“When you say ‘villain’, you make it sound like a fairytale,” Emiliana muttered. If they had been in a fairytale, Emiliana would have confessed her feelings for Kat after Aldebaran’s fall…
But no; Layton had waxed poetic about how Aldebaran had ‘planted the seed that would save the world’ and Kat had deemed him an ‘unsung hero’— just like ‘brandy kneaded into a plum cake’.
(Qualunque coda significhi!)
After that, they had all returned to London. Kat had reunited with her family and Emiliana with hers, separately.
Mamma had said it was fine if Emiliana wanted to join her friends, but Emiliana hadn’t wished to intrude.
Surely Kat would rather spend some time alone with her family… with Ernest there too.
But Ernest was different— he was an orphan, so of course Kat would invite him along. No doubt, the Laytons had already embraced him as one of their own!
Would they mind Emiliana dropping by today with Carmine?
Carmine was just pulling up at the end of Chancer Lane. He hit the curb as he parked the car, but Emiliana was too perturbed to chide him.
“Here we are!” Carmine said, pointing out the window at the Layton Detective Agency’s storefront.
He opened the door on his side and got out. Emiliana stayed in her seat.
“Emiliana, vieni anche tu?” Carmine poked his head back inside the car.
“Tu va’, io aspetto qui,” she replied stiffly, sticking to Italian in case Kat and Co overheard. (Unless Ernest was there, then he would translate everything and they could all mock Emiliana!)
Carmine frowned with concern. “Perché?”
Emiliana mumbled, “Non hai bisogno di me…”
Kat didn’t need Emiliana anymore. Professor Layton was home. He could help Kat with her cases now— far better than Emiliana ever had done.
“Sei il mio assistente,” Carmine said wryly.
Emiliana argued, “Non più—!”
“Not anymore,” Carmine agreed, in clear English. “Now, you’re Emiliana Perfetti, Scotland Yard’s genius criminal analyst. You’ve solved countless cases— many of them with Katrielle Layton!” He smiled softly. “I’m sure she would be most disappointed if you didn’t show your face—“
“Shhhh!” Emiliana hissed, flushing. “Va bene, va bene— I’ll go with you.”
As she exited the car, she added, “I’m only where I am today because I had a decent mentor.”
Carmine snorted as they made their way over to the detective agency.
Their knocks at the door were answered by Ernest, who announced their arrival to everyone inside.
Luke Triton had been crouched next to Sherl’s dog bed, but he stood up as Emiliana and Carmine came in.
“Nice to see you again?” Luke sounded uncertain. Emiliana gave him a reassuring nod.
Sherl didn’t growl— he just grumbled at them.
Professor Layton had been sitting on the settee, reading a book. His eyes widened when he saw Emiliana and Carmine.
“Hello, Emiliana… and Carmine, it’s been too long!” Smiling, he also stood up.
Kat, who was in her usual seat, spun around. She beamed at Emiliana. “Is that you, Emiliana? It’s been a whole week!”
A long week…
Emiliana smirked slightly in return. “How did you survive without me…?” Her retort was halfhearted, however.
Emiliana glanced at Carmine. He was
already surging across the room to shake the Professor’s hand and ask him a dozen questions.
While the two of them chatted, Kat got up and approached Emiliana.
“I need to tell you something,” Kat murmured. Emiliana gulped.
Ignoring Ernest, Luke and Sherls’ curious stares, she followed Kat through a door at the back of the agency.
Was this it?
When they were alone together in a small kitchen— just when Emiliana thought she was about to burst with tension— Kat blurted out, “We might know who your father is!”
Emiliana deflated. “What?”
-
Upon hearing Emiliana’s description of ‘Marco’, Kat had gotten a hunch.
She had shared this hunch with Professor Layton and he had agreed— ‘Marco’ sounded familiar.
When the Professor learned Emiliana’s mentor was none other than Carmine Accidenti, that had cinched it.
Years ago, over a decade before Kat was even born, Professor Layton had gained an arch-nemesis…
A self-proclaimed nemesis, all because Layton ‘stole’ the affections of a young woman from him.
This man swore to get revenge, bore a grudge for ten years, and tried to foil Layton on several occasions— always failing.
He and Layton did come to a truce during the ‘Future London’ affair, when they teamed up to defeat a greater enemy.
Following this were a few years of peace between the pair… until, one day, the man asked for Layton’s help in locating his lost daughter and her mother.
“I started looking into his request,” Professor Layton explained, when Emiliana and Kat came to talk to him in the front room, “but I had to stop when I discovered Carmine had brought you and your mother to England—“
“He didn’t bring us here,” Emiliana objected. “I asked to join him as his assistant— and Mamma came with us!” Carmine nodded in agreement.
“Apologies,” the Professor said, “but I feared your father would blame Carmine for ‘stealing you away’. I didn’t want to put Carmine, you or your mother at risk.”
The Professor frowned at Emiliana. “Your father has responded… adversely to what he perceived as rejection in the past—“
“Dad has personal experience,” Kat interposed.
“Thank you, Kat,” the Professor sighed. “Yes, I’ll confess that due to personal experience, I thought it best to keep the truth hidden from your father, and I halted my investigations. He took this as an offence—“
“—And he returned to his old ways,” Luke said, with a grim smile.
Emiliana hummed. “Let me guess… Lying, swindling, thieving—“
“Golly!” Ernest piped up, as he popped in to pour everyone some tea.
“And kidnapping!” Luke added. “He trapped me at the British Museum—“
“When was this?” Carmine asked, looking from Luke, to Layton, to Emiliana, to Kat.
“Sorry— I’m having trouble keeping up…”
“Kat was ten at the time,” the Professor clarified. “I allowed him— Emiliana’s father— to escape, and we were able to free Luke—“
“What was his name?” Emiliana demanded.
“Don Paolo!” Luke declared.
The Professor amended, “Paul was the name he went by during our time at Gressenheller…”
The Professor went to grab something from his trunk. He returned with a near-faded photo of a university class.
Emiliana recognised Hershel Layton as a young adult in the front row. (Was this before he’d gotten his top hat?)
Layton was smiling next to an older bearded man— his archaeology professor, perhaps?
Behind them was a figure in a pale pink blazer with a white shirt. This man’s smile was strained and off-putting. His piggy eyes were aimed at Layton and their archaeology professor.
His flat brown hair reached his shoulders, but he was balding on top of his head. He had a dark goatee and a moustache beneath his long nose.
Emiliana scowled. At a stretch, she could say her hair was a similar colour to his…
But the resemblances ended there.
Could this man— Paul/Don Paolo— really be her father?
-
Professor Layton let her borrow the photo to show her mamma.
At first, Mamma’s face froze— her brown eyes widening. Then, they became filled with rage. Her lips trembled.
Fearing Mamma would tear up the photo, Emiliana took it back.
“That’s him,” Mamma confirmed in a hiss— or it might have been a sigh. “Marco.”
“I’m surprised you recognised him,” Emiliana noted, impressed. (Don Paolo had been a master ofdisguise!)
“I could never forget…” Mamma caught Emiliana’s hands, crushing the photo between them. “What are you planning, Emi? Please, don’t go chasing him down! He’s not worth it…!”
“But you are,” Emiliana whispered. She squeezed her mother’s hands. “He lied to you, stole from you and left. I need set things right.”
Mamma sniffled. She tried to tuck a frizzy curl behind Emiliana’s ear, but it instantly sprang back out. “Tesoro mio,” Mamma murmured.
-
Atranori had changed a lot in the years since Emiliana had left, but the old bar had mostly remained the same— just down the road from Mamma’s former salon.
At first, Emiliana had planned to travel alone, but Kat had insisted on joining her, and of course Ernestcouldn’t bear to leave Miss Layton’s side, and then (much to Emiliana’s relief) Professor Layton had offered to them chaperone them, and Luke— as the Professor’s apprentice— came along too.
(Sherl, thankfully, had been left on the care of Alfendi, who had called the hotel several times to make sure Layton and Kat were safe.)
The five of them entered the bar. Emiliana led the way, though her heart was hammering in her chest.
Professor Layton indicated to a dark-haired man perched on a barstool, far away from the other patrons. The man had his back to them, his head bent over a beer as if he hoped to find a better life at the bottom of the bottle.
Emiliana glanced around at her companions. She received a thumbs-up from Luke, an encouraging nod from Layton, and a bright smile from Ernest.
Kat placed her hands to Emiliana’s shoulders and pushed her forward.
Emiliana tapped the man on the back as he took a swig of his drink. “Excuse me,” Emiliana muttered, in English.
“Hm?” He turned his head to her. His dark eyes bulged. He spat out his drink, narrowly avoiding Emiliana’s scowling face. “Y-you…!” Don Paolo spluttered.
(Had he noticed the resemblance between Emiliana and her mamma?)
“I,” Emiliana announced, “am Emiliana Perfetti, daughter of Bhamini Perfetti. I am twenty-two years old. I was born in this town, and I stayed here until the age of five, when I moved to London with my amazing mamma and my detective-mentor…”
Still gaping, Don Paolo looked past Emiliana— at Layton and Luke.
“L-Layton?” he gasped. “And Luke? You’re alive?”
“I now work at Scotland Yard,” Emiliana went on, “as a criminal analyst—“
“She’s a genius!” Ernest crowed.
Emiliana’s father— Don Paolo— returned his attention to her. “So… what? Are you here to arrest me?”
“Consider yourself lucky…” Emiliana levelled him with a glare. “I don’t have permission to make arrests abroad— without reason.“
“I won’t give you any reason,” Don Paolo said, holding up his hands. “I’ve retired from my criminal ways— though, I retain the title of ‘genius scientist’.”
Overhearing this, Kat cried, “Like father, like daughter!”
Emiliana felt her face flare up. She bit the inside of her cheek.
“Is that Layton’s kid— his youngest?” Don Paolo muttered.
Nodding, Emiliana replied in a low voice, “She’s twenty-one…”
Don Paolo raised his brows. “About the same age as you, then! Are you two rivals? Friends? Or—“
Before he could continue, Emiliana called the others over.
As Layton and Luke regaled Don Paolo with the details of their ‘mystery journey’— while Ernest ordered them all some drinks from the counter— Emiliana stood back with Kat.
“Grazie mille, Kat,” Emiliana said quickly. “I never would have tracked him down without your help…”
“Did you really mean what you said—“ Kat wondered, “about not being able to arrest him?”
“Yes— even if I could, I don’t think that I would…”
What would be the point, all these years later? Emiliana wouldn’t gain any satisfaction from seeing her father in a cell— and neither would Mamma…
At least Emiliana had finally found him, just as Kat had found her dad.
Kat chuckled. “Careful, Emiliana! Your soft side is showing—“
“I’m not soft!” Emiliana protested. “It’s just protocol…”
Kat hummed hopefully. “Would protocol permit you to take me out to dinner later?”
“I think, for you, I can make an exception,” Emiliana said, smiling and blushing even more.
Kat beamed. The two of them leaned their heads together—
“Are you two DATING?” Don Paolo cried, cutting off the kiss. He turned to Kat’s dad and demanded, “Layton, are our daughters DATING?”
To Emiliana and Kat, Luke mouthed, “Good luck!”
“If they get MARRIED, YOU’RE going to have to fork out for the WEDDING, Layton! I’M saving up to pay my ex-girlfriend back…!”
“D-did I miss something?” Ernest had returned from the other end of the bar counter, carrying a tray of drinks.
Kat gave Emiliana a quick peck on the cheek. “Keep up, Ernest!” Kat said lightly. “I was just making dinner plans with Emiliana… but before that, why don’t we all visit that ‘Museum of Cinema’ you saw earlier?”
Much to Emiliana’s relief, Ernest smiled at the both of them.
“That sounds perfect, Miss.”
#professor layton#lmj#layton’s mystery journey#Lmj anime#emiliana perfetti#katrielle layton#kat/Emiliana#Katriana#Ernest Greeves#my fics#my writing#Don Paolo#hershel layton#carmine accidenti#luke triton#pl ocs
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JJK: Gamer / Streamer AU
List of all Jungkook fics under 'Gamer / Streamer' AU:
* ² - two shots s - contains smut sm - social media format
* Last updated: 21/05/2023
D R A B B L E S
12:40 PM by beomcoups friends to lovers
Summary: You are playing games with Jungkook and you decide to take your friendship to another level.
* d.va by minstrivia s established relationship, PWP
Summary: It’s a pretty important day for you but Jungkook doesn’t seem to think so.
Game Cheater Meets Couch by v-hope established relationship
Summary: “I beat you at Mario Kart and now I’ve been banished to the couch for the night.”
Good Game Gone Bad by musicloverxoxo7 s pro gamer!Jungkook, established relationship
Summary: Jungkook is gaming with friends. Horny you might get him in big trouble.
“She’s good with me, right baby?” by theiris-storyvault gamer!Jungkook, established relationship
The Hand Game by solastia s gamer!Jungkook, established relationship, PWP
O N E S H O T S
Confessing to My Crush *NOT CLICKBAIT* by scriptaed wc~3.8k / YouTuber!Jungkook, friends to lovers
Summary: When your best friend Jungkook asks you to partake in his next video on YouTube, the shock of the script’s title quickly becomes the least of your worries; because unbeknownst to you, while you’re spending time crestfallen over a confession you could only wish was reality, Jungkook treats the entire video as practice for the real deal.
Distractions by 1kook s wc~3k / established relationship, idol au
Summary: “Soft.” / “No shit,” you say, “you’re deep between my boobs.”
Gamer Boy by hoebii s wc~2.3k / gamer!Jungkook, established relationship, PWP
I'll Show You, If You Show Me by hazytaezy s wc~2.1k / friends to lovers
Summary: Game night suddenly gets a little more interesting when Jungkook forgets to hang up from your video call.
Let the Games Begin by venusiangguk s wc~5.7k / gamer!Jungkook, established relationship, PWP
Summary: Just another fic where OC rides JK in his gaming chair.
Let's Play: Dirty by jungkxook s wc~10k / gamer!Jungkook, enemies to lovers, roommates au
Summary: On today’s stream, watch as the king of gaming Jeon Jungkook gets totally pwned by some newbie player on Overwatch (he swears he was stream sniped)! To make matters worse, he can’t seem to focus anymore when you’re in the room but he promises that’s not because he’s in love with you or anything. Use code ‘jungkook’ on any game purchase through steam at checkout for 25% off so that Jungkook has something to feel better about!
On Camera by agustdiv1ne s wc~3.1k / YouTuber!Jungkook, established relationship, PWP
Summary: Jeon Jungkook, also known as kookiemonster97, was a youtuber and, more importantly, your boyfriend. Your sex life was great, amazing really, but what happens when he asks if he can film you two one day? He did have the equipment, after all.
Out of the Blue by jungkxook s wc~5.2k / gamer!Jungkook, YouTuber!Jungkook, established relationship
Summary: Catching your boyfriend bleaching and dyeing his hair for a livestream is definitely not what you expected — but it certainly has its perks.
Player Two by minjoonalist s wc~10.6k / ft KTH, gamer!Jungkook, PWP
Summary: You’ve always wanted to be as good of a gamer as your boyfriend Jungkook and you’ve tried many times to ask for his help only to be turned down…on your game. but this time you’re over his bratty attitude towards it and he still can’t get enough of yours.
Press Start by softyoongiionly s wc~5.5k / established relationship, idol au
Summary: A night in with your boyfriend Jungkook includes all kinds of things: anime, witty banter, snacks from 7-Eleven and, you know, sex.
Sore Loser by sailoryooons s wc~9.5k / streamer!Jungkook, Valorant pro!reader, established relationship
Summary: It’s another day of shooting Run BTS at Bangtan Streaming for Jungkook. At least, he thinks it is until his girlfriend walks into the room and the director announces that Jungkook and his teammates will be battling two professional Valorant players for the episode. The stakes are high - but the prize if he manages to beat you? Total submission in the bedroom.
Starry Night by kithtaehyung s wc~7k / gamer!Jungkook, established relationship
Summary: All you wanted to do was take your boyfriend on a super late date.
Stupid Game by kookiesjoonies s wc~2k / gamer!Jungkook, established relationship, college au
Summary: All you wanted to do was study in peace, but that becomes impossible due to your boyfriend’s constant screaming at the video game on the television. So you decide to teach him a lesson; if he insists on being loud, you’re going to give him a reason to be.
Ruined by whatifyoulivelikethat s wc~8.2k / gamer!reader, PWP
Summary: Why is there a mostly shirtless man in your bedroom and why is it Kim Namjoon's, your roommate's, fault? All you want to do is play League of Legends, not be visually attacked by ridiculously attractive Jeon Jungkook as his six friends perform living room karaoke at the top of their very drunk lungs.
[...] You’ll Find Love with Me by reliablemitten s wc~5k / sexpert!Jungkook, YouTuber!Jungkook, established relationship
Summary: Your husband Jungkook is a famous YouTuber who teaches people how to be more confident in the bedroom. You go back to the university where you met for homecoming and some sexy shenanigans ensue.
T W O S H O T S / S E R I E S
Fan Identity by tteokggukk sm enemies to lovers, social media influencer au
Summary: In which you and Jungkook are both famous internet celebrities that have never interacted, but share a common secret. You both have fan accounts for each other where you actively show support and express your opinions. One day, you were both nominated for the same award, social media influencer of the year. Lowkey rooting for the other, you both express your opinions on your secret fan accounts as certain interactions begin to arise from a famous fan account dedicated to your “opponent” nominee.
Ghosted by fortunexkookie s bartender!Jungkook, patron!reader, arcade bar au
Summary: There are a lot of things to love about the local arcade bar, Drinking Games, but you definitely have your favorites: sinking countless hours into a Ms. Pacman knockoff and lovingly tormenting one of the bartenders. It turns out he’s one of the bar’s owners, a friend of one of your friends, and he just might like you back.
Glitter and Disquiet ² by joheunsaram s CEO!Jungkook, YouTuber!reader, enemies to lovers, chaebol au
Summary: Poised to inherit Korea’s largest gaming company in a few months, the world looks at Jeon Jungkook as a symbol of envy. Why wouldn’t they? He has everything, riches, power, and according to the rumour mill, endless women. Little do they know that his father’s company is on the verge of downfall, he barely has respect of his employees, and regardless of the rumours, he’s just a virgin saving himself for true love.
Just Another Boy by srwbrycke sm YouTuber!Jungkook, YouTuber!reader, strangers to lovers
Summary: In which Jeon Jungkook, self proclaimed playboy, not so smoothly shows his “cool” side to Y/N.
This Kingdom by whatifyoulivelikethat s gamer!Jungkook, tsundere!Jungkook, gamer!reader, enemies to lovers
Summary: In some cases, hate and love are the same thing. Or, in this specific case, hate and overwhelming, breathless, mind-blowing lust. And it all started because you were better at League of Legends than Jeon Jungkook.
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Soul Eater
“I know,” Soul sighs, sounding so unbearably exasperated and inexplicably fond that her heart is sent into overdrive. “Can’t take you anywhere without worrying about whether we’re gonna get kicked out ‘cause you thought punching someone was easier than using your words -”
“Y-you’re one to talk!” Maka crosses her arms, clutching them close in an attempt to calm the pounding in her chest. “You hate making conversation more than I do!”
“Lucky I got you with me then, hm?” He sends her a devastating, sharp-toothed grin, and her heart refuses to be caged in by her ribs and arms any longer, leaping into her mouth.
- untitled, in which Soul and Maka have to pretend to be engaged in order to stop a witch that works as wedding planner
She hesitates. She's hugged Soul loads of times, and vice versa - they've never been shy about physical contact, couldn't be, really, what with him being a weapon and her wielding him. Honestly, she'd probably been in far more compromising positions with Soul in reality.
But something about the way they touched each other in the dream felt different. A kind of casual comfortableness, perhaps, a intimacy that seems strange and out of place in their reality. Just imagining it happening with the Soul sitting across from her, solid and immutable and unequivocally real, causes a low-lying embarrassment to settle in the pit of her stomach.
- titled “giving up”, in which Maka has too-real dreams about future her and Soul in a relationship that makes her start to question what she wants in the present
Shinigami are tools of the living, and so your father tried to write it into the flesh of his firstborn. But tools must have wielders, ones that are equal to the strength of the task, or all risk being consumed. A lesson the world learnt swiftly, but not so swift to prevent your creation.
Asura had a name. Your father merely calls you Kid, and on good days you think that to be a source of pride. On bad days, you think it to be a reminder of the brother you are too close to becoming.
- titled “ghosted with the memories gone astray”, Kid’s part of inverse weapon-meister AU
" 'Never being able to live up to my father?' " he interrupts, tone deadly level. "Don't worry, Maka, you made that point quite well yesterday too, and I assure you, I am well aware of all that I am lacking in comparison to him." Even with the mask, she can read his quiet grief, hear the loss in his voice. The crushing weight of regret and guilt bears down upon her, and she nearly reaches out for him, lips already forming an apology -
But Kid's next words betray none of the lost son she once called 'friend', and her ire spikes as he says, "However, I will tell you as I told you not twenty-four hours ago: whether or not I possess all the qualities as my late father, I am still your god - and your employer. Therefore I suggest you treat me with the respect I deserve."
- tentatively titled “Maka Albarn’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” where Maka gets stuck in a time loop after her insecurities cause her to piss off two very important people to her
Soul doesn't say, You were the one that challenged him in the first place. He doesn't say, Kid's our friend, and you know he only agreed to it because he knew it'd make you happy. He doesn't say, Stop being a sore loser and acting like a brat and let's go play basketball to blow off some steam.
He doesn't say, I wish you cared half as much about my opinion as you do Kid's.
What he does say is, "If you break your hands, we won't be able to challenge him for a rematch tomorrow."
- untitled Soul/Black*Star fic (with minor Star/Kid and SoMa)
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Fic title idea are watching Mr. Popper’s Penguins with my kids; “Why are you hittin’ yourself? Why are you hittin’ yourself? Why are you hittin’ yourself? That’s not very attractive for a tyrannical warlord!”
Definitely part of the Megahusband AU.
Megatron and Reader are playing the newest fighter video game that Starscream got for Christmas from your parents. (You already gave them the heads-up no live animals for the giant, metal grandchildren. Much to Starscream's and Skywarp's displeasure.)
Megahubby said some fighting words, so you have the burning need to destroy him!
Of course, it ends with Megatron losing his temper and breaking the controller after your XXth consecutive win. He's such a sore loser, your husband.
But then again, you did rub it in by pelvic thrusting...
#ask#ask meme#megatron#reader insert#megahusband#starscream#skywarp#maccadam#transformers#transformers g1#g1#my writing#starscream really wants that cat#rocksinmuffin
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The Madness of Dragons- Addam 1
Chapter summary: The Queen calls for dragonriders in fear of an upcoming war; the dragonseeds answer it
Warning: Swearing, Violence by dragons (graphic), mentions of poverty
Words: 7,032
A/N: This is technically part of a longer fic I have on AO3 but I wanted to post it here since I’ve never posted a full chapter here before; this follows Fire and Blood heavily
AO3 Link
-Addam
Addam ran quickly, however, his younger brother, Alyn caught up. They passed through the streets of Hull. Fisherman were selling their catch of the day, seamstresses were selling clothes for the windy weather, and merchants were selling hooks and nets. The air was cold today, yet the sun was bright. A strange combination but one he savored on the rare days it occurred. The scent of the tide and sand drifted throughout the island. It was one of Addam’s favorite parts of his home. The taste of salt was still on his tongue from working on the dock when he came upon their house.
By the time Addam got to their door, Alyn was already leaning against the wall. A triumphant smirk on his face.
Addam scoffed. “Got lucky this time.”
Alyn raised a brow. “Sore loser, I see.”
“I had to cover most of your work today, so I’m more tired than usual.”
“Someone doesn’t want to admit they’ve lost,” Alyn hummed.
“And someone doesn’t want to admit they can’t tie a knot.”
“Can to! That rope was poorly made.”
Addam moved to open the door. “I’m sure it was.”
The door opened with a terrible creak. Addam glanced at the hinges. The door was barely hanging onto them, and it looked as if it would collapse if jostled too much. He ignored it for now.
“We’re home!” Alyn announced over his shoulder.
The wood squeaked under the weight of their boots as they walked inside. The kitchen was warm with the smell of stew clinging in the space. On the table where they ate, their grandsire sat in his usual chair.
He turned to them. “Boys, you’re back early.”
Addam smiled at his grandsire. The older man had a full head of white hair and a beard that never seemed to stop growing. Addam would almost think they had gotten their pale hair from him. But it was just the passage of time.
“We are and we have news.” Alyn sat on one of the chairs.
“Did they let you go early?” A soft voice asked. “They better have you boys work so hard there and they hardly give you a break.”
Addam watched as his mother entered the kitchen. Her dark brown curls were tied back with a thin piece of fabric though a few strands managed to evade capture. An apron was secured around her dress. The sharp steps she took were emphasized by her boots hitting the wooden floor. Her arms reached out. She pulled him into a hug and kissed his cheek.
“Was today alright?” She asked while moving toward his brother. “You two didn’t get into any trouble?” His mother hugged Alyn while surveying his face for answers.
“Everyone at the docks was dismissed early,” Addam explained.
His grandsire looked over wide-eyed. “They never do that unless a storm’s comin’. Did something happen?”
Alyn nodded enthusiastically. “The Commander of the Queensguard stopped by today.”
“Royal business?” His grandsire asked.
Alyn was beaming. “The Queen is making a decree that any man or woman who can claim a dragon will be ennobled with a title and lands, as long as they are under the loyalty of the Queen. The commander and the Queen will be in Dragonstone in two days to meet those who will claim the dragons.”
“That would be… interesting,” his grandsire slowly said.
“Who would they even get to mount those beasts?” His mother said stiffly.
“They are asking for the dragonseeds, anyone with the blood of the dragon.” Alyn stared at his mother’s back while she cooked. Her hands moved slowly now as she stirred the soup.
Silence took over the kitchen.
Alyn was still excited and seemingly didn’t realize the strange tension. “So, what do you think?”
“What do you mean, what do I think?” His mother inquired.
“It’s perfect, right? Addam and I can go to claim a pair of dragons.”
“You can’t be sure of things like that.”
“Why not? Addam and I clearly have the blood of the dragon-”
“-You don’t know that.” She snapped.
“Marilda,” his grandsire sighed. “They’re boys, not fools.”
His mother trembled in her breathing. “Even then, you don’t know how those dragons will react.”
“We won’t know unless we try,” Addam joined in.
“Say you do claim a dragon then you will be bound to serve in whatever war the Queen sees fit.”
Addam looked at her. “But if we succeed in claiming a dragon, we will become lords. We will have a name and be able to have a better life.”
Their mother was taken aback by this. Her brown eyes wavered. She looked down in shame.
Addam approached her. “Mother, we know you try both you and grandsire, but if we have a chance to change things for ourselves, we should take it.”
His mother kept her arms crossed, still reluctant.
“Marilda, they have the blood of the dragon running through their veins,” his grandsire said. “It is their legacy.”
She looked at him for a moment before lifting up her face to meet theirs. “I will allow you to go but if nothing happens then you two will come back home and that is the end of it.”
Alyn nodded. He pulled their mother in for an embrace. She held on tightly to his shirt, almost scared that Alyn would disappear.
She reached into the pocket of her dress and placed coins in Alyn’s palm. “This was meant for a new fishing net, but you’ll need to get to Dragonstone someway.”
Alyn’s face fell slightly. “Mother…”
“Take it. You’ll both need it for passage on a boat. You don’t have dragons yet to fly there.”
Addam gave his mother a gentle smile. “Thank you.”
His mother nodded. “Just be careful.”
As the ship approached land, a single thought came over Addam, Dragonstone was nothing like Driftmark. When they docked, his theory was only proven correct. A shroud of mist enveloped the entire island making it difficult to see around him. Where the sea breeze kept the Driftmark cool from the shining sun, there was no light in Dragonstone. A cloud blocked the sun and the mist served to cover any other warmth. While they walked, Addam smelled the morning dew sticking to the grass. Even upon making their way toward the Queen’s castle, the island was eerily still. He couldn’t hear any villagers, any merchants, or even any dragons. The island was simply silent. He decided he didn’t like this place.
He noticed a group of people began to form around the entrance of the castle. Almost all of the people had silver hair and purple eyes. Suddenly, the idea of having the blood of the dragon didn’t make him feel so exceptional. A few of the men gathered were large with muscle, and their faces were scarred with what he could only assume were wounds from battle. As he looked around, Addam realized he and his brother were the youngest dragonseeds.
The castle gates creaked. It got everyone’s attention. They all watched as the gates opened. A single man on the other side. Addam took in the sight of him. His brown eyes seemed to take them all in. A scar ran down the side of his face, barely missing his eye. He wore silver armor that even in the grim atmosphere shined brilliantly. His white cloak was unstained despite how long it was. He stepped forward and began walking. An unspoken order was on his lips. Follow him.
Those gathered did. He walked into the empty fields of Dragonstone. Fog loomed over the grass and Addam wondered how often he walked here to become familiar with the area. Then he turned to them.
“You are the dragonseeds brave enough to answer the Queen’s decree?” He asked them.
Addam watched the adult men murmur to themselves that it should be obvious. A single voice from the front of the group answered for all of them.
The man didn’t smile but he also didn’t frown. “The Queen will be pleased to meet you.”
A loud noise ripped through the sky. Addam glanced up. From the dull clouds, a flash of yellow passed by. It flew out of the grey haze. Wings stretched out, neck extended, and jaws wide open. It was a dragon. And it was moving toward them. The man seemed unphased when the dragon flew over and landed only feet away from him. Only when it was right in front of him, did Addam realize someone was on the dragon’s back. In a swift motion, someone jumped down. She brushed the side of her coat. Silver hair was flung over her shoulders. Finally, she turned toward those gathered. Violet eyes observed them.
“Her Grace, Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen 1st of her name Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men. Lady of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm,” the man announced.
They all bowed their heads in respect. However, even with his head down, Addam kept his eyes on her. The reality of the situation was starting to set in.
She nodded at the man. He cleared his throat.
“As many of you know, a large number of dragons reside in Dragonstone, specifically within the Dragonmont.” His brown eyes looked behind them.
Addam followed his gaze. Behind the castle, there was a mountain. Slowly, Addam watched the clouds shift. It wasn’t a mountain, he realized, it was a volcano. The smoke surrounding the island made sense now.
“There are eight dragons that reside within the Dragonmont,” the Queen spoke. “Three are wild dragons, having never been claimed: Sheepstealer, Grey Ghost, and the Cannibal. The other five have lived under the dragonkeeper’s care or once had a rider. These are Vermithor, Silverwing, Seasmoke, Caraxes, and Morghul.”
Addam saw a glint in Alyn’s eye.
The man looked over them. “Of the wild dragons, Sheepstealer is the most acquainted with humans due to his diet of sheep, he is the best to try and claim. Grey Ghost avoids humans at all costs, finding him will be difficult. And the Cannibal? It’s best to leave him be unless you’re foolish enough to try, though I do warn you while his name is Cannibal, he isn’t exclusive to dragon meat. Of the semi-wild dragons, Vermithor is the largest and his only rival in size is Vhagar herself. Silverwing is patient and friendly with humans, she would be more inclined to bond with someone. Seasmoke is fast though a bit withdrawn. Caraxes is a force to be reckoned with, but his behavior is somewhat unpredictable. Morghul has never claimed, but the dragon is still young and has been cared for under humans, so I doubt it will be impossible.”
His brown eyes then narrowed at them. “That being said, don’t think this will be an easy task. You do not get to pick and choose whichever dragon you fancy. A dragon does not bend their will lightly. You can try to claim a dragon, however, in return, the dragon must choose you.”
Alyn leaned close to his ear and whispered “, I’m going for one of the wild ones.”
Addam frowned. “You’re jesting.”
“No. Way better story to tell, right? Claiming a wild dragon.” Alyn grinned.
The knight shifted toward the Dragonmont again. “Of the dragons, Vermithor, Seasmoke, and Caraxes have experience fighting in war. If someone can claim them, the better. The traitors across the sea have dragons of their own, as such it is imperative that at least a few dragons worthy of fighting are claimed during these next few days. In six days, her Grace will have to return to King’s Landing, once she does those who have claimed a dragon will follow us there where you will be given your official titles. Until then, may your boldness reward you with a dragon.”
The Queen turned back to her dragon and flew off toward the castle. The knight who had been speaking to them led them back. Addam noted a group of men were waiting for them.
Ser Criston, as the man introduced himself, stood in front of the new arrivals. “These are the dragonkeepers. They are the ones in charge of feeding and caring for the semi-wild dragons in the Dragonmont. Should you go looking for the dragons in their lairs, speak with them first unless you wish to end up in the wrong cave.”
The men said something in a language Addam couldn’t understand.
As the men left, Ser Criston began helping them set up tents outside the castle walls. Around the time it took them to finish, the night was falling. The knight brought a cooking pot. He started the fire for them, as some maids carried over the chopped ingredients. When they all sat around the fire eating the food prepared, Addam’s eyes passed over those present. There were fifty or so of them. Yet, something deep inside him warned him it wouldn’t remain that way.
The following morning, Addam was awoken by Alyn. His younger brother only had to call, and it was enough to startle him. Addam had always been a light sleeper, unfortunately. After blinking for a few moments, Alyn threw his clothes at his face.
“Good morning to you too,” Addam mumbled.
“Hurry up, everyone is starting to go,” Alyn said.
“Where?”
“The Dragonmont, obviously.”
Addam put on his shirt and pants before throwing on his boots.
“Have you thought about which dragon you’ll claim?” Alyn asked.
“Perhaps one of the semi-wild dragons.”
Alyn nodded, seemingly satisfied.
They left the tent and found the group of men setting out. Alyn snatched two pieces of bread from a table before sliding one to him. Addam cracked a smile at his brother. They ate all the way during their journey.
It wasn’t long before they were in front of the Dragonmont. The volcano twisted up toward the sky, a cloud of smoke forming around the entrance. The smell of burning rock was growing as they walked closer.
“They say that’s where Grey Ghost lives,” one of the men commented.
Addam looked at the entrance of the volcano and wondered how resistant to flame a dragon must be to live in such an environment.
The dragonkeepers stood at the base of the volcano. Addam counted five of them, one for each dragon, he supposed. From their stern expressions, they seemed to be expecting them.
The oldest of the dragonkeepers asked, “Which dragon have you come to claim?”
Addam glanced at the group they were with. One man stepped forward. He was middle-aged with blond hair and brown eyes. He wore armor and had a sword by his waist. A grin was on his lips.
“Vermithor,” he said without hesitation.
The dragonkeeper did not seem surprised in the slightest. The older man nodded and pointed up toward the volcano. “Vermithor resides in the cave furthest from the entrance of the volcano. His lair is connected to Silverwing, so if you intend on claiming Vermithor try to stay away from her.”
The dragonkeeper then turned to the other keepers, communicating something in another language before turning to them again. “I will take you to his cave, but I will not enter.”
Alyn nudged Addam on the side. The teenager winced. “What?”
“You said you wanted to claim a dragon, tell them which one so we can go,” his brother whispered.
“I haven’t decided which one yet. Besides, maybe we can follow and see how it’s done.”
Alyn slowly nodded. A grin eventually illuminated his face. “That’s why you’re the clever one.”
Addam chuckled.
The dragonkeeper began to lead them toward Vermithor’s cave. The soil around the volcano gradually became gravel and shifted against their boots. The wind howled in his ears. He wrapped his vest closer around his chest as the cold air picked up, sending goosebumps along his arms. He could smell the smoke now as they approached an odd trail. Several caves were positioned around the base of the volcano, while others, Addam noticed were higher up and needed to be climbed to reach.
The dragonkeeper glanced at every cave they passed. He gestured at a tiny entrance to a cave that seemed to go underground. “That one is Morghul’s. They’re a smaller dragon so a small cave suits them.”
“Them?” One of the men asked.
The keeper frowned. “No one knows Morghul’s sex.”
Alyn scoffed “, Why not?”
“We tend to be wary of Morghul and no one come forward to be their keeper,” he answered.
“What is it an aggressive one?” One of the men asked.
“Their name is not a good one. It’s bad luck. No keeper wants to be around a dragon with bad luck,” the keeper said.
Alyn moved closer. “What does Morghul mean?”
The dragonkeeper frowned. “Death.”
Addam glanced up. One cave was higher on the volcano. He noticed it was relatively quiet.
The dragonkeeper must have noticed his staring and said “, That’s Seasmoke’s cave. He’s a quiet one, never leaves his cave.”
“He’s one the ones that’s gone to war before, right?” Someone asked.
The keeper nodded. “He used to belong to the son of the Lord of the Tides. He lived on Driftmark for many years.”
Addam’s ears perked up when he heard the mention of his home. “He was from Driftmark?”
“He was. That was before his rider’s death. Once the man died, however, he stopped flying to Driftmark and has stayed in his cave ever since.”
Addam regarded the cave. It didn’t seem right for a dragon so used to the beaches and warmth to be here. Such a creature deserved to be flying above the tides with the salty wind rushing against his face. A smile grew on his lips as he thought about the dragon.
“And that one,” the dragonkeeper suddenly said. “Stay clear of that one.”
Addam’s eyes flew to the cave on the side of the volcano. It was a massive entrance and much higher up than Seasmoke’s lair.
“Whose cave is that one?” Addam found himself asking.
“The Cannibal.”
Addam swallowed. They began moving a bit faster than before upon hearing whose cave was above them. Once they were far enough, the dragonkeeper slowed his pace. Another cave was carved into the side of the volcano where Addam saw a group walking inside.
“Whose cave is that?” A man inquired.
“Caraxes.”
The man seemed surprised. “Caraxes? Didn’t a prince used to ride him?”
The dragonkeeper glanced at the cave, a similar frown on his face as before. “Yes, Caraxes used to be the former Prince Daemon’s mount. However, he disappeared twenty years ago.”
“Disappeared?” Alyn asked. “Was he never found?”
“No. It’s assumed that he has since passed given that Caraxes has not tried to find him.”
Addam noted the frown on the keeper’s face. “What is Caraxes like?” He asked.
“He’s rather unpredictable.” A grim look was on his face. “He is quick to violence when irritated. The keeper assigned to him feeds him from afar.”
The dragonkeeper stopped walking. “We’re here.” He pointed at a cave that was nestled in between the volcano. The entrance was large with jagged edges. Another cave was close by. Silverwing’s lair.
“This is where our paths diverge. I will return to the other keepers.”
“You’ll see us soon enough,” the man with blond hair said. “And with a dragon.”
The dragonkeeper for some odd reason didn’t smile. He simply nodded then turned back. Addam watched as he disappeared in the distance.
“Well come on boys, I’ve got a dragon to claim.” The blond grinned.
The group trudged toward the cave. The moment Addam stepped inside the smell of dead animal hit him. He held in the urge to gag. He didn’t want to think of the leftover rotting flesh Vermithor had forgotten to eat. He tried to focus on the chill inside the cave. It was cold. No sun touched this place, he shouldn’t be surprised. Gods it was dark. It was getting harder to see things in front of him. The floor was unsteady, and he caught himself tripping. As they walked further inside, Addam grabbed his brother’s arm to keep him close. There was no light now. Addam realized their mistake much too late.
One of the men tried to jest about the situation. “Of course, you would choose the second largest dragon in the world, Massey.”
“Shouldn’t I get the best? Would be satisfied with a cursed dragon like Morghul?” The blond, Massey said.
“Yeah, well maybe you should have brought a torch,” someone else mentioned.
A soft growl interrupted the conversation. Addam tightened his grip on his brother’s arm and placed himself in front of Alyn. A gust of wind blew against his hair. It came from further inside the cave. Everyone went silent. Another growl vibrated through the walls.
A glow came from the darkness. Fire erupted from the cave. It reached out and orange flames danced toward the ceiling. Standing within the cave breathing the deadly fire was a bronze dragon. His horns were long and ran along his neck. The rows of his teeth were uneven. A peculiarity he noticed was one eye was brown while the other was completely white. The teenager stared up at him. Vermithor.
A gentle purr came from nearby. Addam turned to see another dragon approaching. The newcomer had smooth silver scales. The dragon was much leaner in terms of shape. Her neck extended out to the Bronze Fury, and she placed her head under his snout. Her sapphire blue eyes were planted firmly on the dragon she nestled with. The connected caves suddenly came to mind. This was Silverwing. Vermithor ceased his rampage upon feeling Silverwing, closing his mouth promptly.
It went dark again.
Addam became aware of every sound in the cave. Every breath taken both human and dragon, he heard. That included the steps against the stone ground. He stilled. Who was moving?
“Vermithor!” Massey called out.
Addam’s stomach twisted.
“Vermithor!” Massey called out to the darkness. “You have a new rider.”
The glow began illuminating the cave. This time it was closer. Without warning, flames engulfed the space. Addam could only watch as Massey, who was standing a few away from Vermithor and Silverwing was burned. The bronze dragon rained fire down on the man while Silverwing observed.
Addam turned to his brother and screamed: “, Run!”
Alyn wouldn’t let go of his arm. Addam screamed again. “Run now!”
The flames danced dangerously close to them. Addam heard Alyn run toward the exit, but he stayed put. He had to make sure that Massey was alive.
Addam saw the dragon close his mouth once more. The flickering flames engulfed Massey. He and the men grabbed him. Addam ignored the burning sensation on his hand when he held Massey’s burnt shoulder. Silence filled the cave. No word came from Massey. No cough. No heaving his chest. Nothing.
He was dead.
Screams broke through the air. They all ran out of the cave and toward the source. Caraxes’ lair. As they headed there another sound pierced through. Snap.
Addam stilled. The men continued to run past him. He stared ahead. He watched the men’s features contort. The teenager forced himself to pick up his feet and walk. When he reached the entrance of Caraxes’ lair, he regretted it.
Stains of red painted the wall of the cave. Below the red, were the mangled bodies of the dragonseeds he had seen earlier. Their corpses twisted unnaturally as if every bone was broken.
In the middle of the massacre was Caraxes. Never in his life had he seen a dragon that looked like him. His neck was extended far longer than a regular dragon’s. His body was thin and seemed more in line with a snake. He understood why there had been hesitation on the dragonkeeper’s end regarding Caraxes.
One of the men dragged a corpse away. Addam could tell from the way he looked at the dead man, they knew each other. Massive teeth marks were along his waist horizontally. Yet they weren’t deep enough to kill him. No, he died impacting the wall. The man grit his teeth. He lifted his head to look at Caraxes. The dragon hardly looked at them, his amber eyes remained on the wall. The man took a spear left behind by a dragonkeeper. Someone tried to grab his shoulder, but he pushed them away. He charged at Caraxes. The dragon’s eyes flicked back to him. The Blood Wyrm didn’t turn his neck. However, the man ran toward his center, not noticing his tail slowly rising.
Addam watched in horror. Someone screamed, “Look out!”
It was too late. The man barely had a chance to look when Caraxes’ tail swung. He was tossed into the air almost like a ragdoll. The force threw him against the wall. Snap. Blood splattered the wall. His limp body twisted backward. His spine was broken. Caraxes shifted his gaze toward them. The threat of doing the same was evident in his eyes.
Addam felt someone grab his shoulder. It tore his eyes away from the corpse that had moments ago been a living man.
They retreated back to the camp. Not a word was said between them as they walked. Addam trudged through the camp feeling numb. His feet took him back to his tent. Upon opening the fabric, he was met with the sight of Alyn. His brother stared expectantly. His indigo eyes were beginning to waver.
“Is Massey…?”
Addam shook his head. His brother’s eyes shifted toward the floor. An uncomfortable silence filled the tent. Addam sat down in a chair, his mind replaying the corpses of the dead men who tried to become dragonriders. Ser Criston said dragons can reject riders. But he never thought it would be like this. Yet their mother had already sacrificed the money to get them here to Dragonstone. The price to become a dragonrider was high but Addam felt there was no going back. He would either leave here with a dragon or as a failure. He would keep trying. It was the only thing he could do.
Addam left the tent the following day, alone. It was later in the afternoon but as most of the other dragonseeds were returning from failed attempts to claim a dragon, he figured now would be the best time to go to the Dragonmount. He navigated through the rocky soil and narrow pathways until he reached his destination. His eyes focused on a particular cave. With careful steps, he made his way inside.
The air was cold inside the cave. Drops from the ceiling fell every now and again. Bats clung to the high crevices, squeaking as he walked. For as old as the cave must have been, it smelled damp. He had heard dragons smelled a certain way but all he smelled was the cold water suffocating the small space. A chill ran up his spine when he heard metal drag along the ground.
Addam peaked his head from behind a corner. There he saw him. Seasmoke. The teenager was caught off guard by his appearance. His scales were a brilliant silver-grey color, but they clung to his bones, outlining his ribs. His snout traced every curve of his face. While his yellow eyes were sunken in. Addam heard from the dragonkeeper that Seasmoke became reclusive after his former rider died. The man mentioned that he never left his lair and would go long periods without eating. Addam believed him but he didn’t think it was to this extent. The dragon looked barely alive.
Addam stepped forward. His stomach fell upon seeing Steffon Darklyn. The man was already approaching the dragon. Disappointment set in for the boy. He had hoped that no one else would be here. Now there was a chance that Seasmoke would be claimed by someone else. Looking at the older man, Addam knew that with his position as a former knight and the bravery it entailed, there was a real chance the man would claim Seasmoke.
The metal shifted again. It was the chain around Seasmoke’s neck. The dragon lifted his head to look at Steffon. His yellow eyes bore into the man. Addam felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand.
Steffon was leagues braver than he was and set down the torch he’d brought, never breaking eye contact with the dragon. The man stood up and began steadily walking toward Seasmoke. The dragon for all his staring hadn’t moved from his position. His legs were still curled by his side, likely sleeping before the dragonseed arrived. His tail remained still even as the man neared his jaws, showing no visible emotion.
The man was inches away from the dragon’s face. He reached out his hand. Addam was struck by disappointment when it made contact with Seasmoke’s scales. Steffon dragged his hand along Seasmoke’s snout and Addam could only watch in sadness. He knew he shouldn’t feel this way. This was all to serve the queen after all. Yet even though he never met the dragon before, he felt they could have had a connection. Seasmoke was close to the sea despite being a creature of fire, Addam understood that. He lived his whole life in Driftmark and felt he was one with the tides. Of all the dragons, Addam had wanted Seasmoke. It was a stupid thought and he had been a fool to want something that was never his, to begin with. As Ser Criston said, you do not choose a dragon.
Steffon moved away from Seasmoke and turned to the wall. A leather saddle was hooked there. The dragonseed picked up the saddle and approached Seasmoke. As he neared the dragon with the saddle, Addam saw Seasmoke pull his neck away. Seasmoke’s mouth opened. Addam’s stomach twisted violently. Before Addam could yell out a warning, the yellow glow transformed into flames and drowned Steffon in it. A blood-curdling scream erupted from Steffon. The dragon only responded by dousing him with more fire. Addam jumped from behind the corner. It was too late, however. The screaming stopped. Seasmoke closed his jaws. Steffon fell to the ground. His face was burned beyond recognition and his body looked mangled. The saddle landed before Seasmoke. The cave was quiet, all too suddenly. The man was dead.
Addam stood in the entryway; his eyes wavered as he looked at the corpse. A terrified breath escaped his lips. It was too loud in the stillness of the cave. Seasmoke raised his head and looked at him. Addam’s heart was beating in his ears. His breath was trembling now. The dragon stared at him. Yellow eyes bearing into his soul. Then Seasmoke moved against his chains, trying to get closer to him. Addam backed away. Seasmoke kept approaching. The sound of the chains dragging against the dirt snapped him out of it. Addam ran. The metal shifted quickly. His legs moved without thinking. The boy ran toward the exit of the cave. His erratic heartbeat was ringing through all his senses. The chains clanged. It came to an end, and still, Addam kept running. He didn’t stop until the cool air rushed onto his face. It was dark but there were stars above, they let him know he escaped.
Everything he felt collapsed on him. Addam gripped his knees, trying to catch his breath. Slowly, his heart slowed down to where he could breathe normally. His hands ceased to tremble. Then a resounding screech came from the cave. Addam kept his eyes on the cave. He could hear the chains clanging and clashing against their restraints. Yet, nothing came out of the cave. The dragon inside let out another screech, it sounded desperate. Addam stepped away from the entrance. The screeching intensified. Addam left the Dragonmount with the sounds of Seasmoke filling the quiet night. Even when he made it to the tent and covered himself with a thin blanket, he could still hear Seasmoke. As he closed his eyes to sleep, the teenager remained unsure if he was imagining the echoes or not.
The morning sun rose from behind the mysterious volcano of Dragontone. When he woke, the young man stared at the ceiling of the tent. A terrible feeling set in. Addam wasn’t sure anymore. For most of his life, he was the one that his family could count on to be steady. He felt like a ship sinking into the watery abyss. His hands ran through his silver locks. He had the blood of the dragon. He knew this. His mother said so herself. She wouldn’t have allowed them here if she wasn’t sure. Yet… he didn’t feel like someone with the blood of the dragon. Valyrians were supposed to be brave and daring. He didn’t feel it. After what he witnessed with Vermithor, Caraxes, and Seasmoke, Addam felt his confidence wearing down.
Does he truly have what it takes to claim a dragon? He wasn’t sure anymore.
Alyn, however, was sure. His brother rose from his covers and hurriedly put on his clothes, urging Addam to do the same. He reluctantly did so.
“Where are you even going?” Addam mumbled.
“It’s early in the morning, which means the shepherds have the sleep grazing now.”
Addam raised a concerned brow. “You want to claim Sheepstealer?”
Alyn nodded, a glint in his eyes. “He’s the perfect dragon, isn’t he?”
Addam frowned. “He’s a wild dragon. You won’t know how he’ll react.”
“The same goes for the semi-wild ones.”
Addam bit his tongue because his brother had a point.
Alyn turned to him. He gave a lopsided smile. “I know you’re worried, but I have to try, don’t I?”
“I’m going with you,” Addam said firmly.
“That’s fine.” He smirked. “You’ll get to witness me claim my dragon.”
Addam smiled but felt dread building inside him.
Alyn led him out of the tents, however, instead of the volcano they walked toward the open fields. The wet grass held the sweet scent of morning dew. While the morning sun was still shyly hiding behind the clouds, a soft glow was cast over the meadow. Rows of purple flowers bloomed within the mist.
In the distance, Addam saw the delicate wool of sheep. The animals were quietly eating grass with little worry. That was until they flinched. The sheep seemed to become spooked by something and ran off. Addam and Alyn ducked down behind a rock. A shadow loomed over the field. Alyn grinned when a growl came from above.
The ground trembled when something landed in the field. The mist hid the creature but just from seeing the silhouette, Addam knew it was a dragon.
Alyn nudged his side. “Come on let’s get closer.”
“Are you even sure that it’s Sheepstealer?”
“There were sheep, and he came to steal them. Which other dragon could it be?”
“Did you even have a plan or was it just to come here and see what would happen?” Addam turned to look at the dragon. His brows furrowed together. “Wait…who’s that?”
Alyn turned to look. Shock painted his features. Four men were approaching the dragon already.
Alyn grit his teeth. “Damnit! This was my one chance!”
Addam sighed. “It’s fine. We can just wait and if anything, we’ll find you another dragon.”
Alyn snapped. “I don’t want another dragon. I wanted a wild dragon. Grey Ghost hides from everyone and lives where no one can reach him. The Cannibal eats humans and other dragons. Sheepstealer was the one I wanted. There is no other dragon.”
His brother stood up and sprinted toward the dragon. Addam’s eyes widened in horror. “Alyn no!”
The four men and the dragon hadn’t noticed either of them. He tried to run fast but his younger brother kept a better pace than he did. The features of the dragon came into view the closer Addam got. He was a mud brown with a skeletal figure. An odd detail given how many sheep he ate. His scales were different than any dragon he had seen before. Instead of being smooth, his scales were upright almost like small teeth. Spikes went along the back of his neck. Those same spikes were also sticking out of his cheekbones. Even his jaw looked unnatural. The term wild suited him.
One of the men reached out his arm. Addam watched the dragon unhinge its jaw. A snap echoed through the field. Then a scream. Alyn stopped running.
The dragon swallowed something before turning back to the sky.
Addam caught up with his brother who stared where the dragon once was. He felt his skin pricking up as he listened to the man screaming. The other three men tried to help him, but it did little to stop his agony. Addam observed the man. He was gripping his sleeve. His right arm was missing.
Addam stared at the blood dripping out. The only benefit was that the dragon had left him alive. His wound could be sewn back at the camp.
The three men surrounding him helped him to his feet. Addam let out a sigh of relief.
A soft cooing broke through the quiet meadow. Addam glanced around. The gentle call broke out again. It was a small noise. A docile sound.
Addam noticed a shadow approaching the field. The cooing was getting closer. Addam stared at the growing figure. Was Sheepstealer returning?
The question died on his lips as he realized the black wings on the creature. They expanded out farther than the dragon he had seen earlier. Holes were torn into the bottom of the wings, yet it did little to affect its flight. Horns grew out from its head, branching out toward the sky. Two horns bent inward toward his jaw, almost like another set of teeth. The snout was narrow and hollow. Its eyes were as black as coal. The Cannibal.
The ground vibrated as the beast landed in the meadow. His massive jaw opened. The injured man tried to run away. He was too slow. The dragon snapped his jaws shut on the man’s head. He screamed. A snapping sound filled the air. He went silent. The dragon swallowed his body whole. His black eyes shifted over to the remaining three men.
Addam grabbed his brother’s arm and ran. His legs moved hastily as he passed through the grass.
He made the mistake of looking over his shoulder. The three men were running but one was caught. The dragon sunk his teeth into the man’s waist. He shook the man like a dog would a ragdoll and the still-breathing man was screaming. The dragon swallowed him down quickly. The next man had tried running too. His shirt was caught by the Cannibal’s teeth. With a single motion, the dragon threw him up in the air. The dragon opened his mouth and the man fell inside. The last man stared in terror. The Cannibal pinned him down with his wing. His jaws neared the man’s legs. He sunk them into the legs and pulled. Addam heard the most deafening scream he had ever listened to in his life. The legs were torn off while the man was still alive. Blood poured out where he used to have limbs. The bones and muscles stuck out of the body. The man still screaming his lungs out. The Cannibal feasted on the legs, keeping the man pinned down. Once he finished them, the dragon’s wing pressed down on the man’s chest.
The man’s terrified eyes scanned the fields. They landed on Addam. He reached out his arm. Fear in his eyes. “Please! Help me!” He shrieked.
Addam’s stomach turned when he heard a crunch. The man’s chest was caved in. His arm fell to the ground. His dull eyes still staring at him. The Cannibal feasted on him soon after.
Addam hastened his running when the gentle sound came from behind. Alyn began sprinting faster than he did and pulled his older brother to keep pace with him. The grass fields were flat. Empty of any place to hide. Addam then saw the rock they had hidden behind earlier. He made a turn toward the small shelter. The docile sound was steadily approaching.
Addam made a dive toward the rock and landed in front of it. He pushed his back against the rock and brought his knees to his chest. He pulled Alyn close, wrapping an arm around his brother. Alyn was shaking. The call came from above them. Addam saw a shadow looming over them. He blinked a few times. His heart was beating frantically as his hands trembled. The dragon stood over the rock. Addam kept a hand covering his own mouth. He did not trust that his fear wouldn’t get the better of him. The dragon opened his mouth, letting out his docile call. It sent shivers down Addam’s spine. The creature seemed too vicious to have that be its roar.
The dragon realized nothing was being lured by its call and spread its wings. He took off into the sky, his dark figure disappearing into the fog.
Addam slowly removed his hand from his mouth. However, the rest of his body refused to move. Glancing at Alyn, he could see his brother was the same. They stayed there, for how long Addam wasn’t sure. His indigo eyes glanced up at the cloudy sky often, terrified that he would see a black silhouette return. The dragon seemed clever given his deceiving call so Addam wouldn’t put it above the dragon to come back with a vengeance.
They finally left as the sun began to set. They ran and didn't stop until they reached the camp. The dragonseeds were eating dinner when they returned. Neither of them ate. Their appetite was thoroughly ruined. They just walked toward their tent. Alyn collapsed onto his bed with his clothes and boots still on. He covered himself with his blanket and that was that.
Addam sat on a chair. He stared at the ground. Nothing was going through his mind except for one thought. He wasn’t meant for this.
#house of the dragon#hotd#hotd fanfic#my writing#fanfic#addam of hull#alyn velaryon#rhaenyra targaryen#criston cole#the dance of the dragons#fire and blood#ao3 fanfic#dragonseeds#wild dragons#caraxes#vermithor#seasmoke#the cannibal
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Fake fic title: Sleeping With the Enemy
"You know, if you had let him win, we wouldn't be in this position." Natasha mutters through clenched teeth, her arm shoved under the couch. Bob can see her grasping for the playing cards.
"I don't let people win, Tasha." Bob says with a wry grin, scooping up a pile of cards by the door. "Especially since he would have thrown a bigger hissy fit."
"Your boyfriend is a sore loser." Bradley says.
"He's your boyfriend too." Bob glares. "You're also the one who goaded him into 'starting a new game' of 52 pick up."
Bradley snickers, and Bob narrows his eyes more. He's not sure why he's so attracted to smug assholes, especially two that can't handle losing, or coming in second place.
"This is what you get for sleeping with the enemy Bobby." Natasha drops the recovered cards in his hand.
#shelly answers#Robert 'Bob' Floyd/Jake 'Hangman' Seresin/Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw#Floydsereshaw#shelly loves em#fake fic titles
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✩ MASIVECHAOS' 100 FOLLOWERS CELEBRATION✩ FICS RECOMMENDATIONS!
Thank you all so much <3 i wish i could have done a bigger thing but i'm already really busy with school and honestly scared no one will send ask if i do a celebration with events oops.
i corrected/am correcting grammar errors i found in older fics (sorry i'm french) and want to apologize for all the times i wrote titled instead of tilted, though instead of thought and other stupid things like that.
also i thought about my username. i choose masivechaos on another website because massivechaos was taken and naturally took the same name on tumblr. but the most i look to it, the most i want to change it for massivechaos. what do you think?
ALL FICS ARE SFW!!
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Sirius Black:
Smart Cookie - @robynlilyblack
this blurb! - @ddejavvu
hot sleeper - @ell0ra-br3kk3r-writes
Who did this to you? - @forourmoons
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
Regulus Black:
The last night - @padf00ts-l0ver
ergo dum me diligis - @urlmeeks
dating with regulus black would include (hc) - @angelblacksmith
did i take it too far? - @jamespotterswhcre
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
Remus Lupin:
Sore loser - @robynlilyblack
Beyond Rumours (multi parts) - @ladylokilaufeyson5
a little help - @eddiesbug
The love we share - @natashxromanovf
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James Potter:
james tries summer muggle activities - @mediocre-daydreams
James with a girl whose love language is gift-giving - @rayodelastrorey
your hand, forever - @luveline
this dialogue! - @padf00ts-l0ver
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
Eddie Munson:
Jammin' - @loveronlineee
Jealousy, jealousy - @theoreticslut
a sunday kind of love - @moonlitmeeks
june baby (multi parts) - @luveline
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Steve Harrington:
heaven tonight - @urlmeeks
my girl - @mad-elia
this fic! - @keeryshouse
you feel the same? - @ahsokaismyqueen
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Robin Buckley:
awkward - @mirclealignr
tastes like strawberries on a summer evenin' - @my-my-only-angel
head over heels - @shysneeze
word vomit - @hopelessromantic87
tagging moots (even the ones i don't interact with ily) <3 :
@users09 @acupnoodle @illuminationofstars @ell0ra-br3kk3r @robynlilyblack @neilperrysflannelshirt @mediocre-daydreams @urlmeeks @omenhel
#masivechaos 100 celebration#remus fluff#fluff#harry potter#marauders#remus lupin#sirius black#the marauders era#lily evans#james potter#marauders era#remus x sirius#remus x reader#james x reader#james potter x y/n#james x you#james potter x you#james fleamont potter#remus x you#remus x y/n#remus lupin fluff#remus lupin x you#remus lupin scenario#remus lupin imagine#peter pettigrew#the marauders#sirius o black#sirius black fluff#sirius orion black#sirius x you
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