#he's alive and we're together and we're happy and life is great thanks for asking
Note
hello! i saw that your requests for avatar was open :) neteyam death had me sobbing for a few hours, so i decided to request a one shot where reader was there with him and never stopped trying to save his life. maybe with a happy ending please 🥲. the reader can be whatever you decide (human or na'vi). i think that's it, thank u so much 🫶🏼✨ hope you're having a great day!
♡. "why?" —
synopsis / why?
gn!human!reader | there are alot of crazy things people would to for a dead loved one. y/n is coocoo in this. I'm sorry anon this is so silly I failed you
"I'm supposed to fight with you!" you yelled, neteyam only scoffed. "we're supposed to fight together, that's what we do!" neteyam interrupted you promptly, placing a firm hand on your chest to stop you from moving any closer to the sea. "you are safer on the shore. don't make this any harder than it needs to be, y/n." his tone was firm as he geared up, leaving you on the shore with nothing but a broken heart & an unsatiated wrath.
you were hurt. you were hurt that he thought you were safe here. in Pandora, no where was safe. you were a human, after all— the only time you'd ever be safe would be with him. and you're not with him. you're alone. you're alone, and maybe that works better for you. a part of you hopes you get hurt so that neteyam can feel bad for leaving you out here, and yet you choose not to entertain that thought. even then, you're stuck with it for god knows how long before you hear ruckus coming from the sea. two soldiers swims to the shore,
"get all the supplies the tsahik requested! he's dying! the forest boy is dying!"
the forest boy.
it was an umbrella term, and yet you had a gut feeling. it was bad. it was real bad. you panicked, scrambling to ask what had happened— and what you heard left a ringing in your ears.
"neteyam has been shot."
neteyam has been shot.
neteyam has been shot.
god, you wish you never even asked.
the things you do for love.
all you remember after asking is grabbing a spare spear and making a run for it, to the sea, to neteyam. now, you float, in the middle of the battle field — ten seconds away from slaughtering everyone in your way. neteyam is dying. neteyam is dying. neteyam is dying. thats all you can think, thats all you hear, and blood— blood is all you smell. there has been so much blood shed. so much corpses are infesting the water, and—
you hear neytiri's scream of anguish.
neteyam may have joined them.
you didn't think that. you couldn't think that. you just kept swimming. you just kept fighting. you just kept killing any human who tried to pick a fight with you. you ignored anything else. you couldn't think of anything else. you kept hearing neytiri's screams. you cant think of anything else but seeing neteyam smile again. you remember everything you've experienced with him, everything you've ever done together, you remember his kind smile. you realize,
you want to be his. you have always wanted to be his. you can't be his if he doesn't survive, and that just gets you to swim faster, to be more ruthless— to kill with no hesitation. you scream, rage filling your lungs as you charge at the soldier that fell overboard— impaling them on your spear as you cry. you knew nothing but neteyam, once. but now, you know death. you know death in all its forms. you're almost positive you have killed enough in the lifetime you have right now. You just hope Eywa forgives you, and to some extent— helps you.
"Eywa, have mercy on me."
you could've been swimming all this time, for a dead boy.
you just kept swimming.
why?
when you finally arrive, that is all you can think.
why?
why didn't they protect him? why couldn't anyone else go? why couldn't anyone else go? anyone would work. anyone but him. why didn't they notice sooner? why weren't they quicker? why didn't they get him medical help quicker? why didn't they do everything they could to save him? why couldn't he have stayed alive? if not for himself, for you?
a scream tears out of your throat.
except it is not what one would think a scream would be, it is not full of just fear or just anger or just sadness. it's just a scream. it's a scream comprised of every negative emotion because you could've saved him. you could've saved him. you could've saved him. why didn't you come sooner? why?
why?
"my neteyam, my neteyam—" you cried, cradling his dead body like it was worth diamonds. it may have been heavy on a normal day, but right now, it was weightless. tears fell down your cheeks, drying and staining and falling down in blobs of salt. you could only focus on him. you noticed his wound was stitched shut, you noticed the bullet that pierced him discarded. so why did he die? why couldn't they save him? why didn't he live?
you couldn't think anymore.
you should've done the thinking when things were tame, you should've thought to tell him, "I love you" — atleast before he entered his demise.
you couldn't think anymore, nonetheless.
you could only stare at him blankly, tears dripping down and landing onto his face, your lips sealed. your mind screamed his name one last time, and your once sealed lips placed a kiss onto his closed eyes. you hugged him, tight, close, for one last time. "I love you." you whispered, voice hoarse from all the screaming. you were tired, that's what you were.
you laid him down, and you laid yourself down aswell. muttering prayers for your first love, you laid yourself next to him— hands clasped together on your stomach, and you slept.
if you died because of this obviously foolish decision, atleast you'd be with him.
atleast you'd be with him.
you believe you're dreaming once you wake up.
you're still on the battle field, on that same rock, except you're surrounded by the Sullys. they crowd over you, and you realize the battle, at last, is over. you send jake a small smile, he sends one back. his smile is different.
it is a knowing smile.
tuk greets you cheerily, and you wonder why they let a child on the battlefield but not you. lo'ak sends you a grin, "enjoy your sleep, oh royal liege of rockdom?" he teased. you whack him. you miss a certain someone's chuckle. the family seems uncharacteristically happy, after having lost a son. kiri blows a raspberry at a miserable spider. another person whacks spider upside the head, and he gasps dramatically.
you are out of your mind, surely.
because that person is neteyam, with the same stitched wound. you yell out in surprise at the epiphany, it's a curse and you catch everyone's attention. neytiri covers tuk's ears and hisses at you, but you could care less. you frantically look around, hopefully to find an explanation— and you point to a very alive neteyam. "is he alive or are we dead ?!" you yelled, neteyams eyes widen and he holds his stomach , busting his arse laughing. jake smirks at you, and neytiri is the only one with the kindness to explain.
"mawey." she says, 'calm. calm yourself.' you do. "we don't know how he is alive, y/n. all we know is that Eywa has given us a gift, and we must be grateful for it. no questions need be asked any longer." she says, voice even. "maybe the power of your love revived him y/n!" lo'ak adds, only to hiss in pain at the fact his own mother pinched him right after. he's betrayed.
the power of your love... the power of your love.
oh, crap. they know. neteyam told them? neteyam definitely snitched. you look at the culprit, and when you do, he places a kiss onto your forehead. you look at him, flustered and dazed. he can only respond with— "I see you."
the whole family coos. besides spider. spider just marvels at the scene, adding in his two cents a moment later—
you only look at neteyam, lovestruck & stupid with love. both terms work.
"IM SORRY? DID NETEYAM JUST GET HIMSELF A BABE?" spider yelled.
kiri almost pushed him into the water.
#neteyam x reader#neteyam#neteyam awow#awow neteyam#atwow x reader#avatar 2009 x reader#avatar 2022#avatar 2009#avatar 2022 x reader#lo'ak#tuktirey#spider socorro#avatar kiri#neytiri#jake sully#neteyam sully#neteyam sully x reader#vibing tbh
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Suptober day 2 - Great Eggs-pectations
A fluffy little epilogue to last year's Fowl Play series, in which Dean and Cas take a big scary exciting step together as husbands and farmers.
Suptober prompt: Pumpkin Patch
(Read on AO3)
“Son of a bitch,” Dean hisses, careful to keep his voice too soft to reach the ears of his son, who's happily engrossed in killing some video game demons in the next room. He sighs and tosses his pen across the kitchen table. The terrifyingly official form laid out in front of him is pristine, untouched.
“Do you really think we can pull this off, babe?” he asks his husband for the fifth time in an hour. “We've been gettin' by alright just doing the farmer's market every week, and the pumpkin patch and the hay rides and stuff here every fall. What if we go all in on opening up this store and it flops?”
Even though he would be well within his rights at this point to roll his eyes or snap at Dean to just fill out the damn form already, Cas simply takes his hand and gives him a soft smile. “I never said it would be easy, darling,” he murmurs. “There are no guarantees for us in this life, of course. But we've gotten nothing but encouraging feedback about our plan from our customers at the market, the loan manager at the bank, our family, friends, loved ones... People are excited for us to open. I'm ready to make the leap. Will you leap with me?”
Dean looks into fathomless blue eyes and feels his world wobble on its axis. It's a familiar sensation, the dizzy wash of love and abject gratitude that he feels whenever he realizes once again that this is his life now: his gorgeous husband, their wonderful son, this thriving farm. It's been over a year since he's touched a gun, and even then he was using it to ping empty soup cans out back with Jack. The last time he bought a bag of rock salt, it was for their old-fashioned hand-cranked ice cream maker.
He's a retired hunter. He's a loving husband. He's a father. He's a farmer. He's alive, and he's here, and he's happy, so fucking happy. It feels dangerous to try for more, greedy. And no matter how hard he works to bury them, those old feelings of being a fraud refuse to lay down and stay dead. Does Dean Winchester deserve to thrive like this? Surely not.
He gulps, feeling the hot sting of tears behind his eyes. Cas stands, then tugs on their still-joined hands to pull him to his feet as well. Then he's being held, snug and warm in his beloved's strong arms. He rests his head on Cas's shoulder and breathes out as his tears begin to flow.
“Don't worry,” comes a whisper in his ear. “I've got you.”
“I know, baby,” he replies hoarsely. “I've got you,too.”
He pulls away just far enough to plant a soggy kiss on his husband's cheek.
“Thank you for putting up with me,” he says. “It's gotta be rotten work.”
“Not to me,” comes the reply with a quirk of those full lips. “Not if it's you.”
Dean huffs a laugh and swipes at his eyes with his free hand. “Okay,” he says firmly. “We're doing it. This is happening. We're gonna open our own little store. We're gonna sell honey and eggs and flowers and preserves, and your knitting and Jack's pipe cleaner spiders with the googly eyes and my hand pies, and it's gonna fucking rock. We're gonna pay back our small business loan and the mortgage on the storefront, and we're gonna put money aside for Jack for if he decides to go to college in a few years. And in the fall we'll have pumpkins and apple cider donuts and horseshoes and hay rides and the corn maze and make-your-own scarecrows. We're doing this.” As he speaks, he feels his own words buoying him up, filling him with a surge of confident energy. He sees this energy reflected back to him in his husband's gaze.
“Yes, love, we are,” comes the certain reply. The expression on Cas's beautiful face is resolute. He looks every inch the avenging angel he once was. Dean can never resist teasing him a little bit when he gets his serious face on like that.
“It's gonna be take a lotta elbow grease, though. You know?” Dean says with a grin. “We're gonna have to... work around the cluck.”
Cas does roll his eyes then, and shove him away. Dean goes with the push and pivots back into his seat at the table. Reaching for his pen, he fills out the top line in neat caps: FOWL PLAY FARMS MARKET.
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After things ended well in the last session, Starlight felt emboldened enough to plan the next session sooner. It's only been three days since the Generosity lesson. Like she mentioned to Chrysalis already, the egos of this lesson's guests this time do somewhat worry her for this lesson. But not in a way that means she has no faith in her friends, just a bit curious how Chrysalis is going to behave with guests who have egos closer to the Queen's own.
At the same time this lesson should be something of a breather compared to the last one since it won't require any emotional talks with Ocellus and/or Thorax. Perhaps arguably there was a lot more at stake, and things that could have easily gone terribly wrong in the previous lesson and in fact almost did when Chrysalis tried to escape, but Starlight also doesn't want this session to end in a standstill with every one in the room just saying what they're the best at while doing nothing but irritating Chrysalis. Some of the guests are those she's known for more than a decade now, but there's certainly going to be some chemistry with this group. Starlight just doesn't know if it will all mix together, or just blow up in her face.
She approaches the now much more enlarged cell behind the barrier and calls out for Chrysalis
Starlight: I'm back, Chrysalis! Hope the extra space has felt much better these past few days.
Unlike so many of the previous sessions, Chrysalis actually seems a bit pleased to see Starlight. The additional cell space has really allowed her to be more cheery.
Chrysalis: Ah is it that time already? You'd given me such a break before our last lesson, I didn't think you'd be having this one so soon. I'm well aware who's coming… at least one of the ponies who's coming. You'll be happy to know I have been practicing my flight thanks to this bigger space! I know a certain competitive blue pony will try to assert her dominance over me, but that's not going to happen now!
She cackled.
Starlight: I figured since things ended relatively well last time, it would be best to strike while the iron is hot you could say. You obviously needed time after not just the overfill of Pinkie and Cheese's love, but the emotions you had after seeing Discord again. It could have been very easy to just leave you after you had finished talking with Thorax and I'd have had to wait much longer, possibly even the longest wait out of any session yet. But... instead I gave you a chance to explore the hive, and I expanded the size of your cell as a gift... even if that included an escape attempt mixed in the middle of all that.
It helps that today's guests I can gather on a near moment's notice. Where either they already currently work at the friendship school, or they have the speed to arrive anytime I need them.
Chrysalis smirked
Chrysalis: Old habits die hard, what can I say? I chose not to leave though. Or put the blame on you for escaping either, never forget that.
She huffs, speaking as if Starlight owed her for what she did, or rather didn't do. She was aware that Rainbow Dash would be one of the guests, but she was still in the dark on the others.
Chrysalis: It's safe to assume today's lesson is about loyalty… though it's not about pledging loyalty to me is it~?
She gives a toothy grin, while Starlight just lifts an eyebrow with a snarky chuckle
Starlight: Ha, sorry 'Your highness' but we're far from doing that. However, before we bring in our guests... I figure I should ask... is there a moment of your life you held great loyalty for someone that you can share with me. At any point of your life.
Chrysalis thinks about it for a moment before she nods.
Chrysalis: My… my parents. I was quite loyal to them… when they were alive, anyway. And… then I was loyal to the next leader of the hive… or at least the leader who decided to take charge. He taught me everything on how to be the Queen I was!
She noticeably didn't give a name.
Chrysalis: So I do understand the importance of loyalty towards one's leaders. The undying loyalty that would make you put your life on the line for them! That is what I tried to instill in my changelings before I was betrayed.
Starlight writes down on her journal, though in respect to Chrysalis decides not to push for more information. There will be a time and place for that she feels like, and it would feel like pushing her luck if she digs any deeper. She nods and thanks Chrysalis for giving a straightforward answer as she can at this time
Starlight: Thank you Chrysalis, you don't need to go any further than that for now. Let's bring in our guests then, shall we?
Chrysalis sighs.
Chrysalis: Fine, bring them in. I can only imagine the headaches I'll be having tonight. But fine, portal them in... I'm at least ready for the element of loyalty... honestly, she can't be worse than some of the other guests that were… uninvited.
Chrysalis watched as Starlight opened the portal for not only Rainbow Dash, but all of the others that were joining them for this lesson, Chrysalis did directly recognize another pony in this group as well, Trixie.
Chrysalis: (Oh goody… TWO blue annoyances… and both of them have taken part in stopping my plans before…)
Though just as Trixie steps in, a rainbow trail ZOOMS into the chamber, almost blowing Trixie's hat clear off her head and flies all around Starlight's half of the chamber. The Captain of the Wonderbolts enters in style. As she makes a dramatic landing, she poses near Starlight. Her mane style was more like Spitfire's now, and she even had a captain's jacket and sunglasses. As she beams a smug smirk.
Rainbow: Wasssssuuuuuuuuup?! Captain Rainbow Dash of the Wonderbolts is here to provide a bit more color to this dreary room!
A snarky voice is heard from behind a portal in which an orange and purple dragon walks on in. This was Smoulder, she was about Dragon Lord Ember's height from 10 years ago by now.
Smolder: I didn't know you were a painter... Professor Dash.
Trixie was also in some slightly different attire, she was wearing a suit of the same color as her magician hat. It looked more professional than her cape though it was still in a similar style.
Trixie: Hmph! You nearly made Trixie lose her hat! How can the Great and Powerful Counselor Trixie make a grand entrance without it!? Trixie must look presentable at all times! Chrysalis has not seen the new, and improved, Trrrrrrixie!
The other pony that came in was pretty speedy as well, carrying a backpack on her that was large enough to cover her tiny wings.
Scootaloo: Let's not forget Equestria's Mermaid, me, Scootaloo! One of the fastest members, if not the fastest member of the Waterbolts!
Chrysalis looked at them all and deadpanned.
Chrysalis: Ah… egotistical self love, well at least I know what kind of flavor I'll be getting to taste plenty of today...
Starlight about sighed, this was certainly going to be one hard room to handle she felt.
Starlight: Uh yeah... even if most of them have introduced themselves plenty… I’ll still give something of an overview of them all.
Rainbow Dash since you last saw her has become the new Captain as soon as Spitfire retired. Rainbow now leads the Wonderbolts along with her squad of Thunderlane, Vapor Trail, and Sky Stinger.
Trixie meanwhile, was my first ever friend made after meeting Twilight and the others. She took over as Counselor when I was promoted to Headmare of the School of Friendship. She may sound conceited… but she's a stage magician true-and-true that is just really good at keeping up her act. Once you really get to know her, Trixie's one of the funnest friends to be around. We've had our fair share of friendship field trips both in and outside of Equestria, heh heh.
The tall orange dragon you see before you is Smolder, she was another of our first non-pony students a decade ago. And she took over as Professor of Loyalty once Rainbow committed full time to the Wonderbolts from then onward.
And last but not least, is Scootaloo. The 2nd of 3 Cutie Mark Crusaders who thanks to a wish made from Twilight long ago gained the ability to transform into a seapony at any moment sort of like the Hippogriffs do with their necklaces. She's been practicing her swimming ability ever since, and as she stated. She has a reputation as Equestria's Mermaid. Known worldwide as the fastest pony ever... in the sea that is
Chrysalis: Hmmmph… All your titles are certainly achievements, but they pale in comparison to the true Queen of the Changelings~!
Chrysalis looks at the entire group, as if she's measuring them up. It's nice to be able to have more room in this area now, she doesn't feel as confined to a corner like before. She feels as if she can have a bit more leverage.
Chrysalis: Smolder… with that position, you must be friends with Ocellus then. Interesting… I certainly hope you're as loyal as Glimmer says.
Smolder: You kidding? Ocellus is almost like a little sister to me! I'd never leave her hanging!
Rainbow: Same thing for me and Scoots! Isn't that right, squirt?!
Scootaloo nods enthusiastically
Chrysalis: I can certainly already taste your love for yourself… young Scootaloo, and your idolism for her.
She smirks, looking over to Rainbow Dash. Chrysalis then looks at Trixie.
Chrysalis: You… yes, I remember you well. You snuck into my hive with Glimmer over there when I was… removed from my throne. There's a lot of love coming off of you for yourself… and something else about you… I cannot place my hoof on i,t but there's something about you that I like.
Trixie: Aha! Trixie can see she's already made a good impression as well! Hmph, was there ever any doubt though?
Chrysalis: And you, Rainbow Dash… it's been a while hasn't it? The windswept look makes you look more… mature. But are you still really the fastest at your age? Hmm?~
It sounded like she was trying to get under their skin just a bit.
Rainbow: Ha, I haven't slowed down a bit Chrysalis! And now that I have experience to add to that, I could probably outspeed anyone even when I turn 50!
Scootaloo nods at Rainbow with a grin.
Scootaloo: That's right! Rainbow's still the fastest flier in all Equestria! Age can't slow her down!
Chrysalis smirks at them, pacing back and forth, her focus on Rainbow Dash. Something about this… was familiar to Chrysalis. Like there was a bit of a competitive flame burning within her.
Chrysalis: Really? You want to put your money where your mouth is Rainbow Dash? You claim to still be the fastest… but can you really beat...
She takes one step as green flames envelop her, transforming Chrysalis into Rainbow Dash at her prime.
Chrysalis: Can you really beat yourself?~
Starlight: Hold on now, it's not time for a race... or at least... not yet. We're only going to be talking first, but I promise that we will see a great race between Rainbow Dash and Chrysalis soon. Assuming Chrysalis consents to that idea that is.
Rainbow: Ha, I won't be surprised if she declines. There's no way she can beat me!
Chrysalis grins widely at them, still speaking in Rainbow Dash's voice
Chrysalis: Ah, a chance to show who the fastest flier really is? I can handle that!
Scootaloo rolls her eyes
Scootaloo: Oh please, you can look like her all you want, but you can't match Rainbow's speed! She's been training all her life and you've been in stone for the last few years!
Trixie: Better a race than trying to challenge Trixie to a magic off, not like Chrysalis would win that either!
The air of competition was heavy among all of them, wanting to prove how superior they were. Chrysalis shifts back to her normal form.
Chrysalis: Ha! I will accept all challenges! I will show you my greatness! But fine, Glimmer… let us have our preliminary chat. Then I can show the power of a Queen!
Smoulder just rolls her eyes
Smolder: You ponies and your competitions... granted, I know I can be a bit competitive when it comes to lava surfing but I know neither ponies nor any changeling wants to get near lava.
The mere thought of lava sends a chill down Chrysalis' spine.
Chrysalis' expression drops immediately at the thought. Something all of them can see clear as day on her face.
Chrysalis: No… no, we do not. Not again, not ever...
She walks back, the competitive fire having died down for now.
Chrysalis: So Glimmer, how did you actually want to start this lesson?"
Trixie and Scootaloo looked surprised by the sudden change in tone from Chrysalis, and the fact that she wanted to really go through with the lesson proper rather than just bluster at each other.
Starlight: Well, I suppose we can start with Scootaloo showing her seapony form. I'm sorry we don't exactly have a pool for you to show off your swimming skills. Though say, I see you've brought a backpack. Did you bring something here?
Scootaloo nods and pulls out a projector. The walls around there are flat enough that it would make for a pretty good screen.
Scootaloo: It's too bad I can't show off my swimming skill directly. Buuuuut at least with this you can actually see it, instead of just seeing an orange and purple blur, heh. Watch and be amazed at the fastest swimmer in all of Equestria!
Chrysalis rolls her eyes as Scootaloo sets up the projector. The sound of the film running echoing through the prison. Onscreen she can see a waterbolts show. She recognized Silverstream there. And she even saw a few changelings in the group too. Inside it made her happy, but she was not about to show it, especially not to this group. She could also taste the prideful love coming off of Scootaloo… and also from Rainbow Dash, who looked quite proud of her number 1 fan's accomplishments.
Rainbow: Hey Squirt! Rewind to get some slow-motion views of your underwater stunts! Show how amazing you are even on a frame-by-frame basis!
Scootaloo: Heh, for once I'm ahead of you on something! I made sure to get a whole supercut made of my best stunts, check it out, it's coming up now!
They can all see on the projector, zoomed in shots of Scootaloo darting through the water, her breaching the surface and flipping around, even creating a whirlpool on her own too! It was admittedly impressive, even Chrysalis couldn't deny that. Though she did notice something that hadn't crossed her mind when Scootaloo walked in. Her wings. She saw them in the Waterbolt film and only then she realized how small they were. Like a foal's wings. But Scootaloo was clearly much older than a foal.
Chrysalis: (Odd… this mare isn't a child anymore, yet she has the wings of one… that's probably why she's not a wonderbolt… but why not just ask Twilight Sparkle to give her normal wings? Even Cadence and Shining’s little brat had wings that were adult sized, and she was still a child! I don't understand… they have a genie as an ally, why not harness her power?)
Starlight claps for the clip show from the projector and smiles toward the talented swimmer
Starlight: Now Scootaloo, although there is no water down here. How about you briefly sit down on the floor and show Chrysalis your seapony form right here
Scootaloo nods happily, getting herself into position. Chrysalis also gets a better view of her and her wings.
Scootaloo: Sure thing! Now you better watch closely, and be careful, cause my awesomeness might just blow you away!
Chrysalis watches as the back half of Scootaloo begins to glow. Her legs seemingly merged into one and elongated into a fin. Scootaloo looks quite proud of herself, as she poses as best she can in her transformed state.
Scootaloo: Ta-da~! So, what do you think? Not like your flames of green when you transform, but still pretty flashy in its own right! Don't be too stunned by Equestria's Mermaid!
Chrysalis: Again with you ponies trying to measure up to Changelings by transforming yourselves. I'll give you credit, your speed in the water is something to behold. But I do have a question regarding… those, your wings... I hadn't noticed it when you had your bag on, but now that I see them up close… is that some result of you trying to transform?
Starlight: Ah! I nearly forgot you haven't seen Scootaloo for long enough to notice, or well... back when you did last see her she was a filly. So the small wings looked relatively normal. You see Chrysalis... Scootaloo was born with a disability. She's a pegasus who under normal circumstances could never fly like any normal Pegasus. She could buzz a little bit above the air, but otherwise was incapable of taking to the skies herself.
However, the small size of her wings in the case of her swimming talent actually is a boon. The hippogriffs were bird-esque equines with a large set of wings, they can still swim quite fast with practice but those wings even when turned into more translucent water wings do slightly drag whereas for Scootaloo she's basically like a torpedo with her small sized wings. It's not the sole reason she is the fastest Waterbolt, but it's certainly turned what was a disability into an extra edge in any underwater performance. Scootaloo's speed in the water could match Rainbow's fastest speeds in the air.
Rainbow nods
Rainbow: Scootaloo may never be able to fly like me, but who cares about that when she can wow crowds in the water! And she worked hard to achieve this.
Sometimes a disability is simply a dead end that makes you find another path around to achieve your dreams, even when that path's a bit unexpected. Cause I know how much you used to hate baths!
Rainbow chuckles and winks
Scootaloo chuckles herself awkwardly and rolls her eyes a bit as Rainbow mentions her initial dislike of baths but quickly turns around to look proud, unlike when she was young where she would be ashamed of her inability, she was happy that her wings can actually be used to her advantage now. She transforms back to her normal pony self and stands up before responding.
Scootaloo: Hehe yeah! I can draw in crowds on my own and I have so many adoring fans who are going through the same kinds of issues I went through! And if I can show them what somepony with a disability can do, then they in turn will believe in themselves! I can make them realize that life isn't as cruel as it might seem!
Chrysalis tilts her head.
Chrysalis: Very inspirational yes… but I'm still confused. You say you've had this disability since you were a filly… so why not just wish from Twilight Sparkle to make your wings grow properly? That seemed like it would well be within her power, even then...
Scootaloo went quiet for a moment.
Scootaloo: I won’t lie that a part of me thought about it early on, but… I dunno, at this point it'd feel like more of a disadvantage. In fact, that would feel more like a disability to me. I'd also be letting my fans down if I just showed up with full size wings out of nowhere! And even back then, I wanted to do it on my own! No shortcuts! Twilight had way more important things to be worried about!
Rainbow: That's right, I could have wished to be a Wonderbolt straight up if I had wanted to. As back when Twilight became a genie, I hadn't even been invited to the reserves yet. But I held myself still, because I thought of the implications. Twilight wishes up some sort of official contract that certifies me as a Wonderbolt.
Do Spitfire and the others just accept that? Are their minds instantly made to be ok with my sudden addition to the Wonderbolts without even having been to the academy? Or think if I'd even feel I've truly earned it. All those years dreaming to get into the bolts, and it's done with simply saying a single sentence to a friend that just so happened to gain this cosmic power out of nowhere? It... just didn't sit right with me
Some ponies say I don't think things through enough ... and to be fair they were sometimes right... but when it came to achieving my dream. Just as Scootaloo said, I wanted no shortcuts. Earn what you can achieve by your own willpower.
Starlight: And even if Scootaloo had wished for wings and tried to earn her way to the Wonderbolts through normal means. Most Wonderbolts had been training their entire lives while Scootaloo would be quite behind.
Maybe Scootaloo could add onto the wish to be as skillful as a Wonderbolt, but that gets back to how she wouldn't feel like she'd had earned her skill. Whereas wishing to be able to turn into a seapony at will started off as realizing that she loves to swim and didn't mind briefly sacrificing her hindlegs to trade for a feeling similar to flying when she visited Seaquestria for the first time with Sweetie, Apple Bloom, and Twilight.
Plus it helped make Scootaloo feel more unique that she was the first pony in the Waterbolts.
Rainbow: Spitfire had been looking for ways to expand the Wonderbolts. We initially were only going to expand to non-pony fliers as Equestria continued to be inspired by the diversity of the School of Friendship. But then Scootaloo suggested the possibility of a naval branch to her. Spitfire told Scootaloo that if she could find enough talented swimmers in Seaquestria, she'd consider giving it a shot.
Though it would turn out that the best swimmers were already trying out for the Wonderbolts. Because we saw some AWFUL flying performances... but once we realized Queen Novo didn't send only the fastest fliers. We switched the training course to go underwater and suddenly the worst fliers were the best swimmers, and vice versa. Thus, the Waterbolts had its foundation!
Scootaloo nods.
Scootaloo: Just because we could ask Twilight for the things we want, honestly getting it that way would cause more problems than it's worth. And then the whole implications of messing with ponies' heads, I can't get behind that! Sure, I would've loved to have my wings be normal. But they don't define me, I do! The waterbolts are where I belong! I can live out my dreams and inspire others like me! I think that's better than some quick fix.
This made Chrysalis go silent for a moment. The prospect of hard work isn't lost on her either… and the idea of just a quick fix being dull or unearned made her think about her villainous days.
Chrysalis: I suppose you may have a point there… as much as I had wanted to conquer Equestria, I would rather have done it by my own hooves… Even when I had captured Twilight before in the past I didn't try to force a wish out of her… hm...
It was a dark comparison but Chrysalis was at least understanding somewhat.
Chrysalis: So none of you would rather wish to have a better situation in life?
Smolder: I don't know about everyone here, but I'm pretty ok with where I'm at. Sure, I could think of ways my life could be selfishly better, like if Dragon Lord Ember were to suddenly resign and I get a chance to become the new Dragon Lord. But then I think about if I would really want to be a leader. All that power is nice, but then comes all the responsibility. I mean... I'm still responsible for my students as the Teacher of Loyalty. But a classroom is on a whole different scale from an entire nation.
It's more fun just to make my students play Dodge Ball every Friday. Couldn't make all of the Dragon Lands do that as Dragon Lord...
Or COULD I...?
Smoulder paused, before chuckling to herself
Starlight: There was certainly a time of my life where I definitely would have wanted to wish for a better situation... but well... Twilight basically has already done that for me without having to wish for anything. I didn't just wish Twilight would become my teacher, she offered that all on her own. No genie magic required. You'd think that Twilight would use wishes to solve every problem that comes in her or her friend's way, but what makes Twilight such a great genie. Is she knows when something doesn't necessarily require her powers to do. She'll still use them to help on occasion, but she usually thinks things through.
Really, the only thing I can think of that I'd desire more than anything else would be to have my mother be alive again and in her own body. But that's something that's beyond even Twilight's wishing power.
Trixie: Wellll, Trixie did have the idea for some more personal items, but Starlight convinced her otherwise. Besides, Trixie could easily wish to be the world's greatest stage magician… even though Trixie absolutely already fits that description. But Trixie would much rather show the world what she is capable of! The world will marvel at the great and powerful Trrrrrrixie! Not because of some wish, but because she worked for it!
Chrysalis was stunned. They were so confident in their own abilities to get what they wanted and they had so much respect and… loyalty to Twilight that they didn't want to abuse her power. So what did that say about Chrysalis then? She already admitted that she would rather have worked to take over Equestria too… at least she would have in the past.
Chrysalis: You all believe in Twilight Sparkle that much....? And in yourselves… hm… here I thought you were all talk… just bluster...
Rainbow: I suppose another part of it is how Twilight has the full ability to say no to wishes. She isn't like one of those storybook genies! Otherwise Spike could have wished for Rarity's love... although I suppose the Aladdin sort of genie had a rule against wishes for love. From what I know Twilight COULD hypothetically do that, but she has the moral fiber to turn that down immediately.
As Rainbow mentions Spike most of the room just nods along although Chrysalis can see a hint of nervousness from Smoulder as the subject changed to not just love but mentioning Spike in there too.
Chrysalis snickered initially
Chrysalis: Oh come now, it's not so bad to force others to love you. so the other person gets a little… empty headed when you force them to love you. It's fine! But I guess that's not what any of you are looking for in a relationship, be it a pony or… dragon...
She could taste something in the air, her attention turned to Smoulder. It seemed the mention of Spike had made her blush.
Chrysalis: What's the matter? Getting a bit warm in here? Don't tell me, you have feelings for the little purple dragon? I can taste it on you… so no point in lying~
Smolder frowns and her blush goes brighter
Smolder: W-w-w-what?! H-hey! I-i-i don't have a c-crush on s-s-Spike!
Starlight shakes her head
Starlight: Sorry Smolder, you're not exactly going to be able to hide it that easily from the Queen of the Changelings here. Honestly, it's not even that hard to guess for most of us. And we're not even the ones who can taste love
Smoulder, incapable of hiding it, just turns her back to hide her blushing face from everyone in the chamber.
Smolder: I-i-i-i-idiots!
The others in the room just roll their eyes and chuckle.
Rainbow: I should at least correct Chrysalis by saying I wouldn't call Spike a LITTLE dragon any more. He's about a head taller than most ponies now! A bit on the lean side at the moment still, but he's been working on bulking up. He's even shown up at Wonderbolt HQ to use our top-of-the-line Exercise equipment!
Starlight: And it's ok Smoulder, remember that you have quite a long time to decide if you want to follow-up on your feelings for Spike. You know Dragons don't have marriages, right? You can ask Spike out whenever you feel like it, even if he already has a partner!
Smolder: ...Yeah, b-but... it's just... still... sooooo... e-e-embarrasing...
Chrysalis couldn't help but laugh at this. As Smoulder got more embarrassed, the more the love she felt for Spike increased. Chrysalis could taste it all in the air, a better 'breakfast' than the egotistical love that she tasted when they came in.
Chrysalis: Mmm yes, keep thinking about him! Your flavor is so spicy! Fitting for dragons I suppose! Come now, embrace your feelings! It makes me happy to get a good meal~!
She did look a bit confused to hear that Spike had grown so much. She couldn't see him being the working out type.
Chrysalis: Seriously? He's that big? I just assumed he would stay short and stubby forever… you know...
She transforms into the Spike she remembers, just to taunt Smoulder
Chrysalis: More like this~
Smolder: h-h-Hey! I didn't have feelings for him back then! He was still only a little kid in dragon years! B-b-but... I-i... suppose now that we're both relatively young teens in dragon years... I have come to see him as more than just that nice little kid I knew...
T-t-though I don't even know Spike's current thoughts on romance. All I know is he used to have a crush on Rarity which I think he's gotten over by now. Maybe he's even taking a cue from his genie mom, and not taking interest in romance altogether currently.
Rainbow: Sometimes I feel like the moment Spike's ready for romance it could certainly solve some things. Maybe Rarity would go for Spike as he is now or sometime in the future, Smoulder could be there too, and honestly Spike and Gabby seem like they'd hit things off well enough too. Without marriages, dragons like Spike have ALL the options in the world!
I'd almost be jealous if I had any of these mushy feelings for anypony else. It'll take somepony that's faster than me before I settle down! And according to my calculations... that's an exact number of... ZERO ponies, heh!
Chrysalis turns back to normal and laughs.
Chrysalis: I don't see the problem then. Have multiple partners. Problem solved. You dragons have a long enough life span, what's a few years to wait? And full freedom to spread their love far and wide? Seems like dragons and changelings have more in common than I once thought.
And as for you, Rainbow. So… that means you're perfectly fine with being alone? Interesting, you're quite different from Rarity that's for sure.
She snickered, thinking back to how she and Rarity had a similar conversation during her last lesson.
Trixie: Sometimes it may just be better to be alone, this way nopony can hurt you! Besides, who can provide more love than oneself?
Starlight: Oh yeah... that's right, you're referring to your parents relationship...
You're going to have to excuse us Chrysalis, we have a bit of another... tearjerking story to tell you so that you're all caught up with us. Trixie, do you want to tell Chrysalis the story about your parents, or shall I tell it?
Chrysalis sighed and sat down.
Chrysalis: Fine fine, at this point I'm used to hearing your guests' stories... and you, Trixie right? I can only taste the love for yourself on you. So go ahead, what happened to you?
(Ponies and their melodramas I swear.. Not like I'm one to talk… but ugh… more family talk... I suppose I can relate)
Trixie looks at Starlight and nods.
Trixie: Trixie... may need some assistance… Starlight. Only if Trixie cannot handle it herself. You see, Trixie has always aimed to be the greatest magician in all of Equestria.
Chrysalis: And I'm guessing like the others here, you achieved your goals through hard work and determination? You talk so highly of yourself so I can only assume this is the case.
Trixie: ...No... Trixie has struggled much of her life to attain that goal. Trixie boasts and brags because it allows her to lie to herself enough until she believes her own lie. But you see, Trixie wanted to be somewhat like her father… well in a sense… Trixie doesn't want his personality...
Starlight: I'll start off with who Trixie's mother is, she's a unicorn pony living in Canterlot named Dandy Lion. Trixie is quite close to her mother, if there's one pony Trixie loves more then herself it's probably her. Her father, Jack Pot on the other hoof... Trixie didn't even get to know him. He abandoned them when Dandy became pregnant, breaking her heart in the process. Dandy was left to take care of Trixie all on her own in Canterlot. While Jack Pot was living it up in Las Pegasus.
Sometime in her early childhood, Trixie picked up remnants of what was left in her home from her father and became interested in becoming a magician. Dandy Lion supported Trixie on her desired career, even if it was the very profession of her former husband that broke her heart. Trixie would eventually find out her father herself is a magician, though instead of using that as a reason to stop pursuing that career. She used it as motivation, to one day have magic shows so popular that Las Pegasus would be begging to invite her, and she could then outright challenge her father and confront him. Show him that she's become a better magician then he could ever hope to be, and scold him for not showing his face to either her or her mother again for so many years, without a clear explanation.
The only problem of course is that Las Pegasus is the most prestigious attraction around. Some shows that are popular in Manehattan don't even make it to Las Pegasus. Trixie would have to work her way from the ground up, and when she failed to captivate what she saw as a simple village like Ponyville... Trixie began to realize how much of a mountain she had to climb to get anywhere close to matching up with her father. Luckily, she had Twilight first before she met me for magic lessons. The both of us helped improve Trixie's shows to some of the most dazzling displays of stage magic anypony has ever seen. And eventually, Trixie finally got that long desired call from Las Pegasus.
Trixie: Trixie's mother… I... She tried her hardest to raise me. Supporting me even on my lowest moments… but what Starlight said is correct. In a world of magic, having a successful stage show enough to catch Las Pegasus’ attention is quite the feat...
She stands tall, trying to boost her ego
Trixie: B-but the great and powerful Trixie was not going to let a simple challenge be her downfall. With the assistance of her friends… I finally got my chance… to humiliate my deadbeat of a father.
Chrysalis had gotten used to listening to these stories… she even got better with empathizing. Familial drama seems to be a big constant. The thought of abandoning a child… it does make her think about what she did to 'protect' Ocellus and even Pharynx or Thorax. But she did it for their sake and the hive...
Chrysalis: So you humiliated your father in front of everyone and got your revenge and thus you moved on?
Trixie: Not… exactly… things were… more complicated.
Starlight: After years of trial and error, and her friendships with me and Twilight to further her skill. Trixie may not have been born with me or Twilight's raw power, but part of the idea of stage magic is how seamless you can make your tricks look to the eyes of audiences. Even an average unicorn can effectively learn to wow audiences with enough practice and guidance.
On the stage set Trixie's show was set to go directly after her fathers. But in a sudden move, Trixie instead interrupted her father's show and challenged him to a magician's duel. At first the CEOs of the theater were a bit livid that Trixie started performing ahead of schedule. But then they realized the idea that a sudden magician duel would draw the attention of the crowd more than anything else. So they quickly re-arranged things to make it look like this was the plan the entire time.
And thus, a duel between a father and his daughter began in earnest.
Chrysalis got a bit more interested now. Leaning in closer.
Chrysalis: Oh? A true competition to show who is the best? Or to use your own phrase, great and powerful?
It was strange, when Chrysalis said it, she sounded nearly identical to Trixie.
Trixie: Yes well… Trixie's father was no slouch. But it was not the duel that was the true challenge... Trixie's emotions had gotten the better of her during the fight… he didn't recognize who Trixie was until… my mother's name was dropped by me. Everything changed. The crowd at the time knew it too, they thought it was some scripted challenge, a way to spice things up, which… now that Trixie thinks of it out of that context… that would make for an interesting show...
She shakes her head, trying to stay focused
Trixie: But Trixie would come to realize, Jack Pot wasn't the villain Trixie thought him to be...he broke my mother's heart and I will never forgive that but… the situation wasn't so one sided...
Starlight: It was a hard fought duel where neither had the edge for the majority of the contest. While Jack Pot had heard of Trixie and even noticed a suspiciously similar color scheme to him. He did not think Trixie was the daughter he abandoned, he dismissed her as simply an obsessed fangirl that went out of her way to look just like him, and was just an upstart copycat that could never beat the original.
As the duel progressed though, her father realized Trixie was no mere copycat. He got more curious about who exactly Trixie was as she matched him trick-for-trick. The duel went on for a dazzling spectacle of magic for an entire half hour that mesmerized the crowd. The crowd themselves got in on the contest as some cheered for Jack as longtime fans, while some cheered for Trixie as they saw her as the brave underdog. This would go on, up until… as Trixie said… she name dropped her mother's name.
As soon as Jack Pot heard that name, the duel went to a standstill. And Trixie and her father simply just started talking. And it wouldn't be long, before Jack Pot finally realized it: Trixie was his daughter. The one Dandy was pregnant with at the time.
Chrysalis: ...and I imagine you worked things out, sang a song about it and put on a show together?
Trixie couldn't help but chuckle at this even if this was a more serious matter for her.
Trixie: Must you make a snarky comment after everything? Heh… to be fair, that does sound like something that would happen. No, once the truth… and the tears came out. Trixie would soon learn of her father's past, why he left… and… Trixie… Trixie actually understands his reasoning… in a way, he was still loyal to us… so we wouldn't get hurt in the long run…
Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. Feeling like there was more to this now
Trixie: Jack Pot was afraid of responsibility and Trixie thought that was the sole reason he ran. But he was being blackmailed by his boss at the time he got my mother pregnant. Had he stayed with us… we would be under constant threat of the ones squeezing him...
Starlight: Jack Pot's one of the best magicians of all-time. His shows were so popular, a rich con pony by the name of Gladmane quickly worked on setting up a generous contract when he was a young celebrity that was just grateful for the support and had been fooled by Gladmane's supposedly "friendly" demeanor. Jack signed the dotted line without even reading all of the terms and conditions. Jack simply saw the money he would get per year and got so excited because he felt like he was going to be set for life. It even said it was a lifetime contract.
He was so excited that when he got back home to Dandy in Canterlot, the two had a party with just the two of them with some of the finest alcohol Jack could bring. And amidst their drunken stupor, they consummated in bed. Jack had not even realized he knocked up Dandy that night, it would take some weeks before he found out Dandy was pregnant. Dandy herself was shocked she got pregnant, but she had actually wanted a child for a while now and took initiative to try to get Jack to bear fatherly responsibilities. But Jack gave her the cold shoulder instead.
At around the same time he got the shocking news that his wife was pregnant. He also started to learn of the parts of the contract that he didn't read. While initially the idea of a lifetime contract sounded like good news to Jack, there was a fair share of catches to this including clauses that said Gladmane had the full option to pull funding and blacklist Jack's shows from nearly all venues if he were to ever fail to perform his magic show. For any reason outside of sickness and/or injury. And even then, the contract only granted him a total of 3 sick days for the entire year. no room for vacations, and an NDA that would also blacklist him if he broke it.
He initially tried to convince Dandy to move to Las Pegasus to negate this issue somewhat, but she refused. And it tore the seams of their relationship apart. Jack was forced to choose between being set for life with his dream job but under constant surveillance under Gladmane, or struggling financially with a damaged relationship with his wife and a child he wasn't ready for...
Chrysalis went silent, hearing how ponies who seemed so friendly on the outset only to show their true colors later… it confirmed what she'd thought about them. Or at least… most ponies...
Chrysalis: ...so it was, a case of someone more powerful taking advantage of naivety... and fear of commitment from your father… as someone who set up plenty of similar schemes and villainous plots in my time… I can't say I'm not impressed… on a technical level… I'm more surprised that they kept it going for so long. I also fail to see how your father was as loyal as you claimed.
Trixie: Yes well… once the truth came out, Trixie and her father exposed Gladmane as we found that he did this to more ponies under his employment. It seems he'd skirted the line before legally speaking, but contracts like that along with threats… that's the evidence we needed to take him down for good.
As for Trixie's father he… he actually was sending money anonymously to my mother… he wanted to keep us well afloat. This does not mean that Trixie and her father get along and we are a big happy family now… no… no, he has not earned that. We were still led to believe he abandoned us and in some ways he did. But… we're getting better. Trixie and her father… talk now. He's shown Trixie some spells of his and Trixie has shown off skills he could not do… so it's something.
Trixie smiles and wipes a tear from her eyes.
Starlight puts an empathetic hoof on Trixie's shoulder. Knowing full well what it's like to have a complicated relationship with a father.
Rainbow: Ugggggh, types like Gladmane make me sick. I had my own pain in the flank when Wind Rider got me framed for a crime I didn't commit. Luckily for me, Rarity was a good detective but still, I can't stand manipulative jerks! Between ponies like him and Lightning Dust, the Wonderbolts have certainly raised the bar on required character to join. They can have all the flight skills in the world, but if there's any hint they aren't a team player and wouldn't look out for their squad mates. Then they are NOT Wonderbolt material!
Scootaloo: The same rule went for the Waterbolts when they were created. We've got no time for jerks like that!
And Trixie...I get it, having issues with your dad, I mean I never got to see my folks that often. It's like they barely knew me when they did get to see me! I lived with my aunts most of my life...and thankfully I also had Rainbow act like a big sis to me. Sure it's different now, I'm all over the place too but we're at points in our lives that we can just go visit each other. Heck I can even go on adventures with them! Especially when they need to go underwater, as obviously that’s my expertise!
...But as a filly, it was just rough to not have a parent or parents around...
Chrysalis sat with her hooves together in front of her face… thinking.
Chrysalis: Family... it's always going back to family...
She muttered to herself. Her mind thinking back on the relationship she had with her own parents and her siblings...
Smolder: I admit I don't personally have a sad story about my relationship with my family, although my brother Garble might. He missed me so much when I started living in Ponyville to attend the School of Friendship.
Rainbow: Hehe, that was pretty funny to hear from you and Fluttershy. Garble was the head honcho of that group of dragons we saw bullying Spike when me, Twilight, and Rarity followed Spike to the dragon lands waaaaay back. That was even before the Canterlot wedding that Chrysalis crashed! Feels like such a LIFETIME ago, come to think of it!
Chrysalis felt a bit weird for Rainbow to call her first major attempt at an invasion an old event. But then again all that time in stone may have messed with her concept of time. As she still feels like that was only a few years ago as opposed to the actual time frame.
But to hear that the big bully was just projecting onto Spike as a big softie? It still makes me chuckle to this day, although I will at least say he's a pretty good poet.
Starlight: Not even dragons are immune from the habits of a troubled teenager. Garble took one look at us ponies, and dragons who like ponies and says he's above our "friendship and rainbows", a toxic masculinity where being tough and looking down on the "weak" and "girly" is all that matters. When he finally matured a little and looked past his insecurities, he found more peace with sharing who he really was. He's even been known to come by the Friendship School every now and then to write poetry with Maud.
Trixie: Oh yes, Trixie sees Garble and Maud together often. Their poetry may clash in tone but they work well together at it. The poetry club has grown ever larger because of them!
Chrysalis just felt like the odd one out, hearing their conversations. They kept mentioning family… parents, siblings. It just made her internalize, go quiet. On the plus side, all of them showing love towards their families and friends gave her a nice meal. But she was still uncomfortable feeling this… introspection about her family again, she needed something to get her mind off it. That's when she looked to Rainbow Dash.
Chrysalis: So now that I see your loyalty to your friends, f-family and what have you, I need a change from these… ugh… these emotional endeavors! So... I want that race, Rainbow Dash!"
Rainbow smirked
Rainbow: You bet! Starlight, can we get the race started soon?
Starlight: Of course, of course. Though I admit, we're going to have to talk about how this race is going to work. If I recall correctly though, this hive does have a large chamber with a flight training course that Chrysalis made for her army. A sort of boot camp before her invasions. This will mean we have to risk taking Chrysalis out of her cell... (Again, at that...) I'd understand if any of you have reservations on that idea.
Rainbow: Hmmmph, if Chrysalis decides to chicken out of the race by using it as an excuse to escape. That's fine by me, that just means I win by default! AND I can use my superior speed to get her back anyway~
Chrysalis grinned
Chrysalis: Ah yes, the training grounds. A perfect place to show what the queen can do. And don't fret about me trying to escape, I have no intention of running away. Not when I can prove my superiority~. You have my word.
She looked at Starlight directly, smirking a bit. Everypony in the room seemed skeptical of this.
Scootaloo: Your word huh... yeah...
Trixie: How good is your word anyway...?
Chrysalis: Do I detect some hesitance? Aren't you all great in your own skills? Could you not just capture me if I tried to run? Unless you're telling me you're all weak
She was trying to taunt them, get under their skin… and with this kind of group, it could definitely work.
Smolder: I sure hope you know what you're doing, Starlight... perhaps with your magic and Rainbow's speed we can make sure she doesn't run off on us. I could also use my fire breath as a warning shot. But otherwise this IS Chrysalis we're still talking about. Master of deception, manipulation, not to mention... who knows how much power she's gotten from this session alongside the last three sessions.
Starlight: Again, I understand all of your concerns. I may at least have a special guest already at the grounds there that has agreed to be an observer/referee for this race. She may give more of a reason for Chrysalis not to try leaving. But I think we'll be ok, I can see the competitive fire in Chrysalis' eyes. Even if she plans on escaping, she won't do it until she's completed this race at the very least.
Trixie: The great and powerful Trixie will not let you escape if you try it. She will take you down if necessary!
Chrysalis rolls her eyes
Chrysalis: At least you have the sense to show some.... loyalty, Glimmer.
She chuckles as she transforms into the younger form of Rainbow Dash. Starlight was correct in her assumption though, Chrysalis has already done this before during a previous lesson. There was a spark in her eye, to prove she was better than anyone else. It happened during the evil laugh off too. Chrysalis was not going to lose to another member of the elements of harmony. Chrysalis spoke in Rainbow Dash's voice
Chrysalis: Alright, let me show you how a wonderbolt in her prime handles herself, old lady!
She gives off a smug look, trying to peeve off Rainbow before they even leave.
Rainbow: Oh I KNOW you just didn't call me old when I know you're a great grandmother to many of the baby changelings here! Nice try...
Rainbow sticks her tongue out
Chrysalis: Ah while that may be, notice that I have not aged a day since you last saw me, and even if I did get those years added on, I'd still be in my prime! You however, that's not the case~!
Starlight just rolls her eyes and opens the barrier to allow Chrysalis in the form of a younger Rainbow to step out. She winks at Rainbow Dash, enjoying how easy it is to set her off. She looks so smug, stepping out of the cell.
Starlight: This form you're in is actually perfect for this race. It'll make sure the race is even from the start. Cause your length in your normal form may be an advantage in a close ending
Which reminds me... Scootaloo, can your projector double as a recording camera? We could get an instant replay if so
Rainbow: Like we'll even need it! It'll be clear as day that I won it with just your two eyes!
Chrysalis: Don't worry, I'll try to play by the rules. You may be surprised by my speed! I certainly hope you can keep up.
While Rainbow and Chrysalis are bantering, Scootaloo nods at Starlight.
Scootaloo: It sure can! This thing can capture every single moment in the finest detail! It'll capture Rainbow Dash's win for sure!
Chrysalis: I wouldn't be too sure, believe me, I've done my fair share of making claims I cannot backup. But this is not the case here! So enough of this! Glimmer, lead the way!
While it looked like Chrysalis was being a blowhard, maybe even regressing a bit, internally she… was getting very excited for a challenge, for a race.
Starlight leads the group higher up until they reach an expansive chamber with a spiraling running track, as well as sturdy stalagmites and stalactites used as obstacles for the training course. There was also a separate cave in this section that was new to Chrysalis, where it included exercise equipment like weights and treadmills, along with food and drink dispensers. What was once a chamber used for bulking up and preparing her army seems to have become more of a recreation center. With no invasion on the horizon, it was now a place simply for the more athletically-inclined Changelings to keep themselves in shape.
Chrysalis: Hm, seems other things have been added to make this place… more… friendly... At least the course is still up to the standards I set for my changelings...
This did sound a bit funny given that she was using Rainbow's voice. Though Chrysalis lets out a sharp gasp as her keen eyes pick up who their special guest was.
Soon, the mentioned special guest that Starlight mentioned is visible to everybody there. It's none other than Ocellus who waves to the group, while holding up a checkered flag with her magic.
Smolder: OCELLUS!
The orange dragon immediately flies up to one of her best friends.
Smolder: Heh! I should have figured you were who Starlight meant! Give it here!
Smolder raises her hand, and Ocellus happily gives her a hoofbump. Or rather a hoof-to-claw bump
Trixie: Ah, Ocellus! Trixie hopes you're doing well. You know the students always speak highly of you!
Scootaloo: Aw yeah! Good to see ya Ocellus! It's been a while huh?
Ocellus: It’s very nice to see all of you, again!
Chrysalis was stunned. After what happened during the last session, Chrysalis wasn't sure Ocellus wanted to see her again so soon. Even if things were amicable… then again, Ocellus was the real reason why Chrysalis didn't escape fully. So it makes sense she'd be there as insurance. She grumbled as Rainbow saw this as a taunting opportunity. She also didn't want to acknowledge that Starlight was absolutely right with her reasoning.
Rainbow Dash looks toward Chrysalis with a smirk
Rainbow: Oh, I see what Starlight's doing. In the case you attempt to leave, you'll look like a coward right in front of your own precious daughter~
Chrysalis: Oh... so you admit the only way you could win is if I forfeit? Well, I certainly have bad news for you. I will crush you in this competition.
Starlight shakes her head
Starlight: Ehhh... Rainbow, it’ more so intended to further motivate her. while I'm sure she is already quite motivated for this… The chance to show Ocellus she's still got it must provide more of a reason to try and win this race.
Anyway, Rainbow and Chrysalis. I'll let you two decide how many laps you'll be taking before the winner is decided. Or any other conditions to this race. We've already talked about Chrysalis being the same size as Rainbow for fairness. And in a similar vein, no mid-race transformations either. But if there are other conditions you want to consider, you can talk it out before we start the race.
Chrysalis: So… the rules then? Since you're the wonderbolt captain, why don't you lay down the conditions then? That way you cannot accuse me of making up something you could justify as 'cheating'
Rainbow: Hmm... I feel with the speed this race could go in. We would need a significant amount of laps. I might be thinking... at least 50 laps to determine the winner. And oh yeah, I don't think Starlight's mentioned this yet when she was talking to me about the rules of this race before I got here. But no dirty tricks such as kicking dirt off the walls and into my face, or hitting me with a punch or kick. Ocellus will be watching our every move with her excellent sight. If you're caught interfering with me, you can be disqualified. Same goes for me if I try something on you. But I promise I'm all for a fair race
At the very least, just like how you can't transform mid-race. I promise I won't use my Sonic Rainboom. It's probably not safe to use inside the hive anyway. Might scare the changelings up top that an Earthquake was happening. I may have used the Sonic Rainboom to win a fair share of contests early in my life, but in this case I'll count it as an illegal move. But I probably won't need it, anyway~
Chrysalis: Agreed, no physical obstructions, I see you trying to accuse me, but I don't want to see you attempting some sad, desperate display when you find yourself in the dust… but verbal banter will still fly, yes? And the lap count is fine, 50 is more than fair enough. I promise to play fair, as long as you do the same.
She snickers, it still feels like Chrysalis might be one to play dirty but they have to take her on her word. Just as every other previous guest has had to do.
Chrysalis: And you'd better not use that blasted rainboom technique if you know what's good for you... Any damage to the integrity of the hive, and I'll just take you down myself. I don't care if they turn me to stone after. Now will you need a head start? I believe ponies find it kind to be respectful of their elders~
Chrysalis sneers as Rainbow rolls her eyes and crosses her hooves when she taunts her about her age again
Rainbow: Oh come on! I'm not old! mid-30's is still very much part of an active Pony's prime years! Spitfire had some of her best performances when she was the age I am now!
But on a more serious note, you shouldn't even worry about my Rainboom, even if the hive wasn't at risk. Just the sound alone of the boom would reverberate through this chamber and that could seriously hurt everybody's ear sockets, especially yours and Ocellus'. Maybe I've been a bit of a blowhard to you, but I'm not one to risk hurting anyone I didn't intend to.
Chrysalis: Well… I'm glad you realize that...
Rainbow: But regardless... yes! Of course smack talk is allowed during the race. That's the fun part!~
Internally, Chrysalis is far more happy to hear that she's not so foolish as to damage the hive or the other changelings. She did however smirk at Rainbow's other comments. If anything this is the most fired up Chrysalis has been! Not even since she became freed from stone but in general, at least to the others! This was different from the excitement she used to get from her villainous deeds, this felt more… genuine. Like she was really getting into the spirit of competition.
Chrysalis: Glad to know we do agree on something, the back talk is absolutely a fun part to these competitions! At least someone gets it!
And whatever you say Rainbow Dash, let's just get into position!
As soon as everyone else heard that, they all did the same. Scootaloo set up the camera to record, Trixie went to the side to spectate, having brought some popcorn from the snack area. And Chrysalis stood at the starting line, doing some last minute stretches.
Smolder: Counselor Trixie, mind passing some of that Popcorn my way? I'm not missing this for a second!
Meanwhile, Rainbow herself does some stretching as Chrysalis does, she also takes off her captain's jacket. It almost looked like a mirror between the two, even if Chrysalis took the form of Rainbow Dash as she looked 10 years ago. The only way to tell the two apart was the mane style, as Rainbow's still adopting a cut similar to Spitfire.
Starlight steps closer to start the countdown
Starlight: Alright racers! Get set on the starting line and good luck! I will start the race on the count of 10! Are the both of you ready?
Rainbow smirks toward Starlight, before facing forward
Rainbow: I'm ALWAYS ready~
Trixie passes some popcorn over to all spectators, it seems she was prepared ahead of time. They all watch as Chrysalis and Rainbow stretch one last time before getting into position. They can all see the genuine determination on Chrysalis’ face.
Chrysalis: I will not lose, not in my own domain!
Something about this felt like deja vu, being at the starting line of a race within the hive...but she couldn't focus on it now, her goal was winning this race, proving her superiority! As soon as she heard Starlight yell go, she'd dart off.
Starlight: Ok! Then without further adieu...
10...
9....
8...
7...
6...
5...
4...
3...
2...
1....
...
...
…
GOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Chrysalis speeds off in a way that would surprise the others, she was not just hyping herself up, she was actually quite speedy for someone who's been trapped in stone for the last few years. Of course she knows the course like the back of her hooves having made the original herself. The feeling of the wind against her face, this is the most freedom she's had since getting turned back from her stone prison.
Scootaloo: Woah, okay, Chrysalis came to play! I thought she'd be winded after one lap! Guess she does know a thing or two about flying. But Rainbow's totally got this! You can do it, Rainbow Dash! Show her what the 'bolts are made of!!
Trixie: Well now, Trixie had a feeling Chrysalis was more than bluster!
Smolder: Whoooooa! My gosh! Hey Ocellus, If it weren't for the fact she tried to take over the world like... three times. I'd be comfortable telling you your mom's pretty cool... but I suppose that's weird to say.
Ocellus gives an understanding nod
Ocellus: I get that... but hey, I think these sessions have been legitimately working. You'll be more than free to say she's cool when our family's back together for good!
As the two's speed flurries across the course it's not long before 10 laps have gone by.
Chrysalis: You'd best not disappoint me, Dash! I want to see a real challenge! Don't tell me you're going soft on your training!
Rainbow: Ha! You don't know me if you think I've stopped training now that I'm the captain! The rookies need to look up to the best, you know when Spitfire made her decision to retire some years back? It was after she challenged me to a 1-on-1 race not too different from this, and when I won by a hooftip at the finish line... she put a hoof on my shoulder. And told me, I was the best now. And she pinned her captain's badge on my flight suit, symbolically passing the torch!
The group watched on in shock as Chrysalis was indeed able to keep up at the beginning. Darting around the obstacles and keeping her speed. It really did look like Rainbow was racing her younger self.
Trixie: ...woah ...Trixie was not expecting any of this! How exciting, if only Trixie had placed some bets on who'd win!"
Scootaloo: I guess this is why she could always get away so quickly...Chrysalis has been a speedster and we never knew! Kind of a shame she was going around being evil!
Chrysalis wasn't hearing any of the chat from the group below, she was focused on the race. The feeling of the wind in her face, the banter with Rainbow Dash… it all felt… nostalgic.
Chrysalis: Hah! So you're saying I'll be the next captain then when I beat you!? The Queen of the Wonderbolts? Heh, I hope you don't mind if I change those gaudy outfits to a more jet black attire!
Back in the stands, Smolder actually likes the idea of a quick bet.
Smolder: It's not too late, Counselor Trixie. Let's make a fun little wager! If you win, I'll do cleaning duty for your office for a month and a supply of peanut butter crackers for that long too. If I win though, you'll be my manicurist and you'll mine some tasty gems for me for that same amount of time.
As for who I pick, my bet's on Professor Dash. Chrysalis' is surprising me with her speed already, but I can't imagine any bug that's been in stone for a decade's going to beat the more active Wonderbolt! I bet she's just toying with Chrysalis right now. If you need help finding those tasty gems, I'm sure Professor Maud will be able to assist you~
As the lap count turns closer to 20, the speed of the two competitors reach ever higher. if a pony blinks the two are almost nearly a half-lap away when they open their eyes. The only one that can keep a good eye on the both of them are Ocellus with her keen eyes.
Trixie: Oh, so it's like that then! Fine, Trixie accepts your wager! You'd better be ready with those crackers especially! Trixie feels that Chrysalis has more to give. Call it a hunch, but she's definitely got more power in her! Chrysalis knows the course, Rainbow Dash doesn't!
Scootaloo rolled her eyes seeing the two bet on this, knowing in her heart that Rainbow had this one… though Chrysalis was pretty impressive at the start here. Chrysalis and Rainbow were too focused on the race to care about some bet.
Rainbow meanwhile smirks toward Chrysalis
Rainbow: Ha, even if you do win. I figure you'd have more important things to do. But I'll admit, you're quite impressive. Though if I know you... you're actually holding back, aren't you? Well, that's ok... because so am I!
Chrysalis: Oh you noticed, I thought I was just being courteous! Isn't that what you ponies want out of me?
She asks in a more sarcastic manner. Rainbow can see the genuine enjoyment Chrysalis seemed to be having with this race.
Chrysalis: But since you don't want me holding back, I'll gladly leave you in my dust!
Both Chrysalis and Rainbow Dash pick up speed, the two of them leaving rainbow trails behind them.
The race soon hit it's halfway point
Starlight: The race is already halfway done! What incredible speed! No matter who wins, both of you should be proud!
Ocellus next to Starlight marvels at the sight of Rainbow and Ocellus' who smiles, giggles, and cheers for both competitors
Ocellus: Go Professor! Go Mom!
Smolder: C'mon, Professor Dash! You can't let that pompous queen beat you!
The cheers for both racers, especially that of her daughter, begins to trigger a feeling of... nostalgia? Which briefly makes her slow down, before shaking her head and quickly catching back up to Rainbow. But this didn't get unnoticed by the experienced Wonderbolt as she smirks.
Rainbow: Oh? Are you running out of gas, Chrysalis? I'd understand... there's still quite a bit of race to go. If you're getting tired, you're more than free to quit now.
Otherwise, it's high time you show me if your exoskeleton is a beetle shell or a tortoise shell!
Rainbow chuckles, mostly referring to her dear pet tortoise Tank back home
The moment Rainbow had said those words though drew Chrysalis even further back.
Chrysalis: What… what did you say...?!
In her mind, mixed with the cheers of the spectators, she could hear echoes of her past of the cheers from changeling bystanders, her family, particularly her sister's cheers, and the voice of another changeling Chrysalis she once considered to be a friendly rival.
???: Can't spell Mt. Thrace without race, come on! Is that a beetle shell or a tortoise shell on your back?!
Trixie: Don't give her an inch, Chrysalis! Trixie is counting on you to win for her! Delicious snacks are at stake!
Scootaloo: Come on Rainbow, show her a little dash! Show her the full power of the wonderbolts' captain!
The sudden wave of nostalgia… the cheering… it was all coming back to her now. Arista cheered her on as she raced. Chrysalis gasped as Rainbow triggered another memory within her. It was like looking back into the past, the same view of her trailing behind, the same taunt. Her horn flashed as she transformed back into herself.
Chrysalis: I'll show you who's the tortoise around here! You're gonna lose this time, Spur!"
She darts past Rainbow Dash, laughing, but not in a maniacal way. Though this transformation would be considered as Chrysalis breaking the rules. Which of course made Trixie groan.
Trixie: OH COME ON! You had ONE JOB, Chrysalis! Trixie's not going to ever forgive you for this!
Smolder: HA! Alright counselor, you better be ready to trim these claws next week!~
Still a bit in her memories, Chrysalis continues talking
Chrysalis: Come on?! I thought you had more in you than that! So much for being the fastest huh!? Come on, slowpoke! Give me a challenge!
Though her focus is broken soon by the realization that she had transformed in the middle of the race
Starlight gasped as Chrysalis transformed back. Rainbow actually stopped moving for a moment, actually heading back toward where Chrysalis was. She could declare victory right now if she wanted simply by telling Starlight and Ocellus to declare it over, but she decided that she had other plans. She looked Chrysalis in the eye who was no doubt worried that this would be an instant loss for her. She leans over to Chrysalis ears and whispers
Rainbow: I'm not letting some stupid rules end it like this. This is too fun, I don't even care if I lose because of this. This is no way to end a race...
Rainbow physically shoves Chrysalis left and right, and acting a little bit like Rarity as she over-acts and winks when they're out of the view of the spectators
Rainbow: Oh noooooo! I accidentally flew into Chrysalis, shoving her! A blatant violation of the rules! I guess that means we offset, and start this lap all over again!
A certain dragon's mouth drops the lowest it can
Smolder: WHAAAAAT?! NOOOOO!
Chrysalis was getting to see how Rainbow Dash had grown from the mare she brushed off as simply an egotistic show-off that would take their wins no matter how it was done. This was one of the few times Chrysalis actually felt a real connection with one of the Elements of Harmony. She sort of liked the early part of Fluttershy's but the sudden appearance of Discord soured the kindness session for her, and the other sessions to this point either had the humiliating loss to Pinkie or the talk with Thorax and her failed escape.
She thought she was going to regret seeing Rainbow Dash nearly as much as she did with Pinkie during that first session with guests. But as it turned out, Rainbow's been arguably her favorite thus far. She's smack talked with her prior to and during the race, but for someone like Chrysalis that's just all part of the fun of the competition. And it helped that this very atmosphere felt the most familiar to her then at any point.
And now that Rainbow was giving her another chance, when she could have easily left Chrysalis with yet another loss in a long string of them to Equestria. Chrysalis felt like her ice cold heart was thawing. That said, she does also give Rainbow a smug look as if to tell her that she'll regret giving her this chance. As although she's thankful for the save, it only makes her more determined to win.
Meanwhile, Starlight and Ocellus are stunned at what transpired. They just looked at each other before shrugging.
Starlight: Well... both of you get back to the starting line to start over this lap then...
Smolder: Hang on a moment! Didn't Chrysalis break the rules first?!
Rainbow shoots a glare to Smolder
Rainbow: This isn't about some silly rules nor is it about your dumb bet, she didn't transform in order to cheat! We still have a race to finish, and that's final!
Smolder looked understandably disappointed. But she slumps over and gives up.
Smolder: Ugh, fine....
Scootaloo knows that look in Rainbow's face though, she knows how much fun she's having with this race. Trixie cheers as Rainbow 'cheats' as well. Chrysalis snaps back to reality, realizing what she was just doing and what Rainbow had just done for her. Of all ponies, especially one of the elements to connect to, she never thought it'd be Rainbow Dash. This opportunity was not lost on her. As they set back up for the lap. She smirks to the group
Chrysalis: As much as it may shock you, I agree with Rainbow Dash here. This is a race I intend to win! And finish it, we will! You, orange one...Scootaloo? Make sure that camera of yours is still working, I want you to know when I win!
Chrysalis laughs before looking back to Rainbow Dash as they dart back off.
Chrysalis: I hope you don't mind, but I intend on winning as myself!
Trixie: YES YES YES! THE CRACKERS ARE BACK ON THE TABLE FOR TRIXIE!
It's still neck and neck as they race, reaching up to that final lap. The rules they put in place, right now, it's all just a blur. Their focus was on the enjoyment of the race itself. But Chrysalis still wanted to win, that memory of her, and her siblings....it inspired her in a way she hadn't felt in a long time.
As the final laps come around, Rainbow just has one question for Chrysalis
Rainbow: Say, I overheard you call me... what was it... Spur? Was that some sort of changeling slang for something?
Chrysalis stumbles a bit at the question, but she's still focused on the race.
Chrysalis: It… It was a slip of the tongue! I've… been having a few of those as of late! It's not slang… you just… reminded me of someone! Someone from long ago! My… my brother! You and him… are a lot alike!
Even Chrysalis couldn't believe she'd admitted that. But perhaps being in that mindset of reliving a memory from long ago, a positive memory at that, it made her more willing to talk. The final lap was approaching.
Chrysalis: But I won't let that similarity allow history to repeat itself! I will win this time!!
Everypony watched as the two neared the finish line. Scootaloo had her eyes on her camera, even with her confidence in Rainbow Dash, the fact that it was this close had her sweating.
Rainbow Dash says no more, she doesn't want to win just because she distracted Chrysalis with something clearly dear to her. Now at the final stretch, both of them give it their all and speed up to a max speed. Or at least in Dash's case the fastest she can without risk of making a Sonic Rainboom. Even with the rules mostly tossed aside, she maintains a loyalty and protection of her friends and even her opponent's sensitivities.
It's only a mere seconds later when both have crossed the finish line, they both skid their hooves on the ground as the race finishes. They wait for any confirmation from those watching to give a sign who won. However, it was not clear who won to anyone's naked eye.
Starlight: ...Ocellus, I don't suppose you caught who won this when I didn;t?
Ocellus just shakes her head
Ocellus: No... they came by way too fast even for me!
Most of the spectators looked around in confusion and wondered if it was actually possible that they had raced to a draw somehow. Starlight turns to Scootaloo.
Starlight: Alright Scootaloo, this is the situation we needed the camera for. If not even Ocellus could see who won then none of us would be able to tell, so we're going to need to project the slow motion view onto the wall.
Everyone in the room waits in anticipation for the footage to roll.
Chrysalis was breathing heavily… and laughing. She didn't even care right now if she won or not. She was still in her memories. Thinking of how it always ended in a draw between her and her brother.
Trixie: Please… please tell Trixie that Chrysalis won! Those peanut butter crackers won't provide themselves! That was too fast even for someone as great and powerful as I!
Scootaloo: H-hang on, hang on, it's coming in now!
Scootaloo was trembling as the camera began to project the last moments of the race in slow motion. Her jaw dropped… as Chrysalis won by a nose...
Scootaloo: No… way...
The footage was plain to see and it was actually clean. No sense that Chrysalis was using her longer length to win. Rainbow's own nose was just a few centimeters behind the end of Chrysalis' own. This was about as fair as it could get despite the length difference.
The whole room gasps as they see the frame that clearly shows that Chrysalis' nose broke through the line first
Rainbow looked disappointed, as she looked downward. But she recovers soon, she used to hate losing more than anything. But in her experience, a loss is only a motivator to improve. She looks Chrysalis in the eyes. and offers a hoof shake after an exhilarating race.
Rainbow: Congratulations, Chrysalis. You beat me fair and square. If you weren't a royal with more important responsibilities once you return to being amongst your subjects again. I'd seriously offer a spot on the Wonderbolts to you at the very least. But if nothing else, I want to race against you again. It's been a long time since I've had a real challenge like that. I'll win next time~
Meanwhile in the stands...
Smolder: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Ugh, this bites... I'm not upset that Rainbow stuck to her morals as I've always respected it ever since I was her student... but pardon me if I'm salty over this bet... especially as I'm cleaning your office, Counselor Trixie...
Trixie was the one dancing around happily as if she was the one racing.
Trixie: YESSSSSS THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE KNOWS HOW TO PICK A TRUE WINNER!! But… tell you what, Smoulder. Trixie is feeling generous. You do not have to clean Trixie's office for a month. Trixie only wants the month's supply of peanut butter crackers.
Smolder: I suppose I can deal with that, Counselor. Thanks for being lenient
They would think that Chrysalis would gloat, parade around at how great she was… but she didn't do that. She was laughing, sure, but it seemed more genuine. She looked like she just had the time of her life, with that smile on her face.
Chrysalis: Ha! Well if I were anything other than what I am, then I might have taken you up on the offer. But with Rarity's sister asking me to join her metal band in my last session and now you, I'd have no time to run the hive.
She snickered.
Scootaloo: Sweetie asked you to WHAT?!
Chrysalis does shake Rainbow's hoof.
Chrysalis: I know I only won because you still needed to hold back though, next time I'll have to show my superiority over that sonic rainboom of yours. Best train up, Dash. I'll be waiting
Rainbow gives a confident smile towards Chrysalis as she puts her captain's jacket and sunglasses back on.
Rainbow: Of course! Next time we race it can be in Cloudsdale, possibly even straight at Wonderbolt HQ. That way I'LL have the homefield advantage. And much more space to fly. For now though, you earned this victory. I know you still have at least two more lessons to go before you're free. But you're much more awesome than I thought.
I'll admit I once saw you as simply a "Queen of the Spies” that hid behind their massive army and can only be powerful if you feed off love from us. But after today, not to mention getting to know many of your children like Ocellus over the years, I know you're much more than that.
Sure, you've tried to take over Equestria multiple times. But between having other friends that tried to start a reign of eternal night, had a reign of chaos, and began a cutie mark cult along with time traveling...
Rainbow turns to Starlight
Rainbow: ...No offense
Starlight sighs and shrugs
Starlight: None taken
Rainbow: ...I'm sure you'll fit in just fine.
Chrysalis: Good, so then you won't have any wiggle room to complain when I dominate the skies there too! I'll give you some credit as well, I've been dreading this lesson as I thought you'd all be insufferable… that you'd all be egotistical blowhards… but it seems we've got more in common than I thought. I think you've reawakened a part of me that's been dormant for a good while. But don't think I'll ever go easy on you in the future.
The group laughs as Chrysalis is trying to be nice in her own way. Still trying to be stubborn or be tough… but this group especially knows what she really means. Scootaloo shook her head at Starlight's question.
Rainbow: Oh! And before I forget, you don't have to just race me when you get out of here. If you're any confident in your swimming ability, I'm sure Scootaloo would love a challenge from you. What do you say, Scoots?
Chrysalis smirks back at Rainbow
Scootaloo: I suppose the Prancific ocean isn’t too far off from here, I’d ask for a race now, but it wouldn't be fair to take her on after such a race. Next time though, we can see who's transformed state is better in a race of our own!
Trixie: And we will need to have a magic duel to see if the great and powerful Trixie can best the queen of the changelings!
Chrysalis: I'll be sure to swim circles around you, and best you in magic! You forget how long I've been in this game! Perhaps I should be the one to call myself great and powerful! I think it has a nice ring to it, the great and powerful Chrysalis~!
Smolder: You know, if not for that echo-y filter Chrysalis has, her voice doesn't sound too off from yours, Counselor. I bet she'd make the perfect body double in a "disappearing" act in your next magic show!
Trixie and Chrysalis look at each other and back at Smolder
Trixie & Chrysalis: She sounds nothing like me! My voice is one of a kind!
They looked back at each other as it just sounded like them speaking in stereo.
Chrysalis: That is... bizarre...
Trixie: Freaky...
Starlight gasps just remembering something Rainbow said earlier
Starlight: Wait... Rainbow Dash, didn't you say earlier that you'd wait until somepony comes along faster than you before you start thinking about romance... you don't think... you might be falling for Chrysalis... do you?
Rainbow's eyes go wide as Starlight recalls what she said earlier, Starlight almost expects her to blush and deny it. But then Rainbow simply puts a hoof to her mouth, stifling a giggle before she could hardly contain it
Rainbow: BWAH HA HA HA HA HA! Are you serious, Starlight?! I was joking! If all it took for me was one loss in a race or any other kind of competition to fall for somepony, I'd have already married Applejack by now! It's simple respect between competitive rivals, and hopefully soon... friends. And nothing more.
As they have that moment of realization, Chrysalis' attention is snapped to Starlight and Rainbow Dash. She feigns being hurt by the rejection
Chrysalis: Oh, you wound me! And here I thought our love would blossom and.....pfft, HAHAHA! No, not in your life! While I'll say you've really matured, Rainbow Dash, this is not an avenue I want to go down. Especially with who I compared you to during our race!
Chrysalis laughs, thinking about her brother, Spur once again.
Chrysalis: You've even got that same competitive… yet loyal spirit he once had...
Even Ocellus chimes in a laugh.
Ocellus: Hehehe Starlight, I could have told you myself if they were actually having chemistry of that kind. But nah, this is far away from romantic love. Just the spicy, fiery aroma between two competitors who have mutual respect for each other's abilities and personality
Regardless, congratulations Mom! I could tell you were having fun out there. Don't know if you two heard me, but I cheered both of you on! I could see you two were having fun. And that's more important than getting the win.
As Ocellus smiles in front of Chrysalis, she could feel more flashbacks come to her as she was recalling her memories of Spur. She now also had the closest counterpart to her sister reborn as her daughter. And while there weren't others in the room that were all that similar to her other family. The gabble from multiple conversations going at once she hears from the group could nonetheless remind her of a small crowd of changelings watching her race with her brother too. For a moment the image of Spur and Arista replacing where Rainbow Dash and Ocellus stood in Chrysalis' eyes, she stumbles backward, looking away from the group. Which got a collective gasp from the group as they watched the queen act strangely.
Chrysalis smiled at Ocellus when her daughter did the same… but as her memories kept flashing back into her mind. She just kept seeing her siblings… the ones she genuinely loved within Ocellus and in Rainbow Dash.
There was a twinge in her heart as she stumbled back. It scared her… she clutched at her chest. Breathing a bit more heavily. Some tears rolled down her cheeks as she fully remembered. These were memories that she'd pushed deep down into the back of her mind, not because she didn't care, but because she didn't want to lose herself in them.
Starlight: Chrysalis?!
Ocellus: MOM?!
Starlight and Ocellus quickly trots on over to Chrysalis side, wondering what's gotten into her all of a sudden. She worries if maybe that race took a lot out of her. It's been years since she had ever needed to go as fast as she did, especially with being in stone for so long, she didn't know if maybe Chrysalis body was not quite conditioned for such an intense race so soon. Starlight's knowledge about changelings have included how best to treat them medically if problems come up, so she's on standby for any potential medical procedures she could need to perform if Chrysalis is having trouble breathing or anything. And Ocellus' is concerned as well at what she may think is a health issue too.
Chrysalis: Arista… Spur… I...
She rubs her eyes, looking away from the group. The images of her siblings fade back to Rainbow Dash and Ocellus.
Chrysalis: (I… I miss them... Arista… Spur… we never did get to have another race… never did I think these ponies could make me see that… and allow my own daughter… to cheer for me… You two would have thrived during this time period…)
I… I'm fine, just some… some dust in my eyes!
For just a faint moment as she's rubbing her eyes, they can see Chrysalis' wings sparkle a bit, similar to how Thorax's did before he'd fully transformed. Though the sparkle in Chrysalis' wings is much dimmer. But Trixie and Starlight would recognize this. Trixie rushes over to Starlight and whispers.
Trixie: Look, look! Trixie believes this race triggered something in Chrysalis! You thinking what Trixie is thinking?
Chrysalis tries her best to hide her face using her long mane, but it's not long before Starlight spots something dripping from behind Chrysalis head. They had to be tears, it was clear now thankfully that Chrysalis was ok, it seemed she just had a bit of an emotional reaction at the scene before her that struck deep. And as Trixie points out, she does notice something happening with Chrysalis wings.
Starlight: (Her... her wings... it was just for a moment... but... it was like... Thorax's... before... before...)
Starlight knew now that this was a very pivotal moment. She doesn't know if she'll get another chance to continue to strike while the iron is hot like this so soon. Moments like this is what her and Trixie's experience as a counselor was meant for.
Starlight: Chrysalis... take some deep breaths. Take as much time as you need to calm yourself. And... if it would help... I'm willing to listen to everything that's on your mind. This race has clearly cut you deep emotionally. If there's anybody in the room you feel uncomfortable telling why that is. I can tell them to leave before you get into it.
Only Trixie and Starlight had seen Thorax up close with the more sparkly wings but the others had a feeling something was happening with Chrysalis yet they chose not to bring it up, given how Starlight and Trixie are whispering.
Trixie: Could… could she be on the cusp of changing?
Starlight: I don't want to jinx anything, but it seems that way. I didn't think we'd get to this point quite this soon. But it's very promising. But let's try not to get too cocky, this is a sensitive situation here.
Chrysalis fully wiped her eyes clear of any tears before turning back to face them. The sparkling in her wings fading a bit as she composed herself. She didn't see Spur in Rainbow's place or Arista in Ocellus' place anymore.
Chrysalis: I'm… fine, Glimmer. I just… it's as I said to Rainbow Dash during our race. It's also why I transformed mid lap. She… she said something that made me think of family… of my brother, Spur. He and I… we used to race across Mt. Thrace when we were younger… and he spoke similarly to the way she did when he got competitive… down to the exact taunt honestly… I just needed a moment.
Starlight stays with quiet attention. Though a gasp can be heard from the entire room at the mention of Mt. Thrace
Rainbow: Mt. Thrace?! But that... how is that possible? That volcano along with the island it was on sank DEEP into the Prancific Ocean a long time ago! That is... that is... unless...
Even in the usually less perceptive pegasus' mind the cogs began turning in her brain, realizing that... Chrysalis must have lost her family in whatever kind of disaster destroyed and sunk the island.
Rainbow: Oh no...
Rainbow takes off her sunglasses, a clearly sympathetic look turns toward Chrysalis.
Rainbow: I... I am so sorry...
Ocellus herself maintains a concerned look. She had of course heard about this from her private talk with her mother the last time, though the location of where it all took place was certainly new.
To Equestria's knowledge, the mysterious disappearance of Mt. Thrace and the island it stood on remained largely a mystery. It became a sort of mystical legend, where theories of a sophisticated civilization deep underground there abounded. Some even tried going where it sank, but could only find miles and miles of cooled volcanic rock and what was left of the island's volcano underwater. There were little to no clues as to what happened other than obviously a humongous volcanic eruption. But that’s not how volcanic eruprions usually work, it should have made the island bigger. Not sink into the ocean. So it stunned many Equestrian scientists for years, but it seems it's all connected to Chrysalis' past.
The location of the current hive suddenly made so much sense though. If Chrysalis is one of, or even the sole survivor, the hive is directly to the nearest coast to the right of where Mt. Thrace once stood.
Even dragons like Smolder were surprised to learn of the disappearance of an entire volcano. Being a dragon, that kind of spooked Smolder given volcanoes were very much homes for dragons like her.
Smolder: What... what were you and your family doing near such an active volcano?! A volcano is not a good place for any being that isn’t a dragon!
Chrysalis looked down and snarled a bit. Being one of the only creatures still around that had seen what happened to the mountain and those that lived there, she was still quite bitter.
Chrysalis: You think I am not aware of that?! That being there was a dangerous endeavor!? But it was not my decision to have us live there!! We would have survived had it not been for...
She slammed her hoof on the ground, her horn crackled. It almost looked like she was about to attack the group… but she shakes her head. Looking away from the group.
Chrysalis: What happened then… it's none of your business. Mt. Thrace was our home… Once… that's all you need to know. You can guess what happened as a result... let's just go back to my cell, I do not wish to discuss this any further....
Trixie frowned at this but it was understandable that such a sensitive topic wouldn't be spoken about so easily, at least not to all of them. Potentially Ocellus and Starlight may have a better chance to get her to talk on her own.
Trixie: Well...there goes that chance...
Smoulder grimaces, she almost feels like she screwed this up.
Smolder: S.... Sorry, Starlight... if I spoke out of line...
Starlight shakes her head as she sighs.
Starlight: No, it's ok Smolder. I might have been a little too overconfident hoping Chrysalis would still be comfortable enough after the race to share more even with a few more friends here to hear it. She didn't tell any of you to leave when I asked about it... so I thought... maybe we'd warmed her heart to that degree.
But yes, let's escort Chrysalis back to her cell. It's almost time that we've finished up here.
Chrysalis sighed
Chrysalis: Do not apologize for something you didn't know, none of you could possibly understand… I… I… ugh...
The queen looked conflicted, like she wanted to say more and yet at the same time, she didn't want to say anything at all. They all went back to her cell in silence. Once inside, Chrysalis didn't struggle, she didn't put up any fight and went back to the cell willingly. Her back was turned to the group. They could still see a faint glimmer of the sparkles in her wings, a sign that she wasn't angry with them specifically, just angry with the memory being brought up. Though her tone did make her sound distant, like her mind was on something else entirely.
Chrysalis: I… I need time to think on this. Rainbow Dash… I will still have my rematch with you someday… and you, Scootaloo, we too will have our own race… but right now… no… I don't have it in me. And for you, the one who sounds so much like me, we too will have our magic duel… but do not expect a win, any of you.
She tries to smirk, as if to brush off what happened. But it was clear the topic was still on her mind.
Rainbow's less concerned about the rematch as she is about Chrysalis herself. She's excited inside for the idea of a rematch, but knows Chrysalis still has a lot of emotion to get over before it happens.
Rainbow: Understood, Chrysalis. Just know that when you get out of here... I want to see you at your best, and I don't mean just your physical form. But mentally too, I know there's not a lot I can say that will help you instantly. But your mental health is just as important as your physical body, and I can tell you still have plenty of trauma locked up.
The good news is, coming up next you'll get to see one of my best friends who on some level has understood your pain and loss of beloved family. If there's anypony that can help you tackle this issue. It'll be her.
Chrysalis: I figured she'd be next. I've picked up on Glimmer's pattern of her… major guests at least. Of course Applejack is next. Twilight Sparkle is being saved for last. But don't worry about me, I can manage my own emotions… don't go thinking I've gone soft either! But… thank you.
Chrysalis chuckles while Trixie, and Scootaloo are just as concerned as the others.
Trixie: It won't be as fun if you're not fully in on it. As a counselor, Trixie knows you must take your true feelings into consideration, Chrysalis. Don't go hiding it on our behalf.
Scootaloo: Yeah! And Rainbow's right, Applejack can totally help you come to terms with any family stuff. I'm sure if anypony can help you out, it's definitely her!
Chrysalis: We'll just have to wait and see, won't we? Still I didn't think you lot would give me so much to look forward to… yet here we are.
She was still trying to mask her other feelings but this was a genuine statement from her too.
Starlight: (Not to mention that there will be 2 particular guests that will no doubt shock her to her very core... almost makes me want to bring in Spike right away. As I imagine I know what Chrysalis may want to do once she realizes Spirits are a thing.... if we can set up the Magic lesson to be a day after honesty though, all I'd have to do is hope Chrysalis can be patient for one more day)
Starlight writes some final notes in the Loyalty section of the binder, before closing it
Starlight: Alright, thank you Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo, Smolder, and Trixie for coming along. That ending was rather sudden, but overall… I think today was perhaps our most successful yet.
As the mood shifts to the goodbyes, Rainbow finally manages a smirk.
Rainbow: It was a pleasure, Starlight! Especially that race. Even though I lost, that was one of the best 1-on-1's I've ever had!
Smolder: I feel similarly even if I lost a bet, that was one exciting race.
Rainbow is suddenly struck with an idea, that might also help lighten the mood even if it's a little cheesy.
Rainbow: Everyone! Let's give our winner today some well-deserved cheers! Come on now! Chrys-a-lis! Chrys-a-lis! Chrys-a-lis!
Smolder and Ocellus joins in on Rainbow's pep rally esque call
Smoulder & Ocellus: Chrys-a-lis! Chrys-a-lis! Chrys-a-lis!
Trixie, Scootaloo, and Starlight get in on it as they continue cheering Chrysalis' name.
Trixie, Scootaloo, and Starlight: Chrys-a-lis! Chrys-a-lis! Chrys-a-lis!
Chrysalis shakes her head at how cheesy it is but she tastes a very different kind of love that she wasn't expecting from this group. One of camaraderie, it was a sweet tasting love. They saw the sparkles in her wings flicker a bit more from it. It actually made her laugh and smile a bit.
Chrysalis: Okay okay, that's enough! I'm going to lose my royal figure if you feed me too much love right now! Now go home, you've all done enough.
Rainbow and Smolder nod as Starlight hands the wonderbolt captain a portal gum to go back to Ponyville.
Rainbow: Goodbye for now, Chrysalis! I promise we'll meet again, I don't know if our next meeting will be our rematch exactly. But we'll see how things play out from here. I have every confidence in you as well as Starlight to safely bring you on good terms once and for all with us.
Trixie: The great and powerful Trixie will be more than happy to give you the honor of seeing her again in the future! We will have our glorious magic duel and you'd best be ready!
Scootaloo: That goes double for our race too! I know you'll be able to get out and see the world too!
Trixie and Scootaloo would follow Rainbow and Smolder into the portal. Smolder simply waves goodbye though she does turn toward Trixie before she walks out
Smolder: So...is there a particular brand of Peanut Butter crackers you prefer? Or is just any ok?
Trixie: Oh any brand is fine, just be sure to have that full amount ready~!
Before Starlight and Ocellus could leave, Chrysalis spoke up, looking more seriously at them.
Chrysalis: Wait, you two... I feel you have a right to know more... of what happened at Mt. Thrace...
Starlight waved goodbye to the group and started to pack her things to head out as well but her ears perked up as Chrysalis caught her attention. Starlight closes the portal as she imagines if it was only for her and Ocellus' ears. She'd make sure no one could overhear from the other side.
Starlight: Oh... really? Are you sure, because it did seem maybe we were close to pushing a few too many buttons...
Ocellus: Yeah... if you're really not comfortable with saying more about it yet, you don't have to tell us anything more. Though I do feel it'd help to get some things off your chest.
Chrysalis: Perhaps... but the information would get out eventually… and I feel they would have asked too many of the wrong questions. Ocellus, you have the right to know as my heir...and Starlight… well you were most likely going to get the information one way or the other. I'd rather have it be on MY terms. I'd rather speak while I have the desire to.
She took a deep breath
Chrysalis: Ocellus, you may remember this from our last talk… but this should be news to you, Starlight. How the old hive went up in flames...you see we believed that the volcano would have been a deterrent from outside attacks...and for the most part it was. Some of us, like Arista, believed being there was foolish, that the volcano would be used against us… how right she was.
But I believed in my brother… and I'm not referring to Spur, no. I speak of the one who took charge after the former king and queen were murdered, Tarsus. He made the changelings stronger, he was the only one who wanted to take action to prevent the hive from ever being defiled again! Tarsus made me see the truth! Allowed me to be the Queen I needed to be! Mt. Thrace was to be our fortress, away from the ponies who would attack, away from any other predatory species… and yet… it would be a pony who set everything ablaze… and sank the volcano along with everything else...
Starlight: (That's not how my mom described Tarsus... that's for sure... this is probably my biggest worry for the remainder of these sessions, Tarsus isn't the great king Chrysalis thinks he is, he's quite the opposite! But any attempts to prove he isn't could make us lose all of our progress. The worst thing you can say to a patient of Chrysalis' type is the words "You're wrong". She'd need solid proof, and even then she might be skeptical. We'll be in a pickle with this for sure
But... a pony was responsible for what happened to Mt. Thrace? I feel like my mom would have mentioned that... but maybe she didn't see the pony who did it. Though I find it hard to believe one pony did all that, maybe if it was a pony that had Twilight's level of genie magic. But there were no genies then, if Luna had not been on the moon at that time maybe there'd be an argument of it being her doing as maybe Luna has control of the tides... but...
Did perhaps Chrysalis just see a pony escaping the island as a natural disaster occurred, and falsely assumed the pony was responsible for it somehow? Should I dare ask if Chrysalis knows this particular pony's name? ....Nah, I feel that'll be best for the next session. That way she's 'honestly' telling everything she knows, for now I'll just jot down some more notes.)
Starlight takes out her binder and notes up what Chrysalis said
Starlight: Ok, Chrysalis. I'm afraid I have no idea who this pony could have been, but a pony who could have had both the power to do it and the moral bankruptcy to do such a thing is certainly something that has not happened since. Because leveling entire islands sounds more like Grogar-level destruction. Not any individual pony I've ever heard about.
But I can ask the identity of this pony next time. All I can say is that whatever the case, no pony on that level would be welcomed in Equestria. Ever. They'd meet the same fate as Cozy Glow if we ever found a pony like that. That certainly sounds like an example of a pony that is not who we are. The kind of ponies my mother despised to no end.
Ocellus simply nods with Starlight's statement.
Chrysalis sighed, the memory of her hive's destruction. The screams she heard… and the pony she saw as responsible for all of it. It was still clear as day in her mind.
Chrysalis: Hmph, well at least your mother sounded like someone with honor… this pony… she was more wicked than Cozy Glow... I remember the heat… the screams... I watched as she pushed my brother into that volcano...just before she made it erupt. And I could do nothing… merely watch my hive be destroyed. Tarsus… he told me to stay away… in doing so, he saved my life… some other changelings had been with me at the time as well… but we were all that remained...
She trembled and stomped at the ground.
Chrysalis: It was from then on my enemies, those ponies and specifically her. I vowed from that day on to make them pay...
Starlight: Oh huh, yeah maybe it wasn't because of some sudden super magical perpetrator, rather the volcano was already on the verge of erupting... (And if Tarsus is as evil as my mother described... then it could have been the dark magic that his soul became that sank the island...)
Anyway, hopefully the conversation about your family hasn't soured today's session for you. I didn't expect you to get along with Rainbow Dash and the rest so well. I suppose I underestimated my own friends, and didn't account for the camaraderie that a close competition can create even between opposing athletes and/or teams.
This was an excellent day from that perspective, and I have high hopes for our next one. As Rainbow mentioned, Applejack's no stranger to tragedy within a family. Plus, there are some... major stuff to go over. And I do mean MAJOR... the kind of stuff where we've learned far more about how the world works, and life itself since before your sentence in stone. If it weren't for the fact that this is the Honesty lesson, you'd probably scarcely believe what you'll learn next time. I'd just prepare yourself for your mind to be blown multiple times.
The Apple Family's getting close to the end of harvest season, once that's all done. Everyone I plan to bring along to the next one should be ready.
Chrysalis: Whatever it was… I will never forget what I saw that day... but to answer your question, no, this didn't sour things. I wanted to speak of it… I felt that you've earned the right to know.
She gave her a small smile.
Chrysalis: And I'm certain if her session is as interesting as this one was. I'll look forward to it. I don't see a reason to dread the lesson with Applejack as I did before meeting with Rainbow Dash. To think she'd remind me so much of my brother… heh. I'm curious to hear what these 'mind blowing' revelations will be, but we can wait until the time comes. I'll be mentally preparing myself.
Chrysalis was clearly warming up more to everything. Things were looking good, if the lessons continued like this. Chrysalis would be reformed in no time.
Starlight turns to Ocellus
Starlight: Before I go, thank you Ocellus for being there to referee the race.
Ocellus: Of course Starlight! It was a great race, and I'm glad Mom enjoyed it. I'm not sure I could ever reach those speeds myself, but when you get out of here, mom. I'd like to be trained by you if I can. I wouldn't mind having some friendly races with Smolder, Silverstream, and/or Gallus in some races of my own eventually. The Loyalty P..E. classes were the only parts of school I wasn't that great at. But Professor Dash was always nice and encouraged me even when I made mistakes. If there was a team sport that required some strategy, I did much better at that then anything I could do alone.
Chrysalis looks to Ocellus and smiles at her, she was touched that she actually wanted to spend time with her. Be trained by her too. It almost looked like she'd cry, but her pride got in the way.
Chrysalis: Ocellus… you... r-really? I… I'd love that! Yes! You and I will absolutely be as speedy as myself! NO, even faster than myself! I know you have it in you! We… we'd have something to do… together!
Her wings fluttered a bit at the thought.
Starlight simply smiles seeing Chrysalis and Ocellus both excited about the future. There's still work to do, but it looked like Chrysalis' reformation was a foregone conclusion. 4 down, 2 to go. And Starlight couldn't see anything going too wrong when Applejack and the rest come by aside maybe a little tension with Pharynx. She even thinks about how proud Twilight will be when it comes time for Magic.
Starlight: (I think I've made it through many of the toughest parts about this. The only remaining hurdle I see is telling her the truth about Tarsus, but I'm sure when Chrysalis meets my mother AND especially her family from her old hive's spirits. That should allow Chrysalis to face the truth. Though the whole revelation about Spirit Summoning existing is going to take her for a loop in general. This next session might be the most interesting yet.)
Starlight jots down some more notes in her binder, before closing it.
Starlight: Alright, that's all for now Chrysalis. I'll see you again, soon enough. Ocellus, are you coming to Ponyville with me?
Ocellus shakes her head.
Ocellus: I think I'll stay at the hive a little longer. But give me a pack of that portal gum in case I need to go to Ponyville quick enough.
Starlight nods and floats over a pack to Ocellus.
Ocellus: Thanks Starlight!
Starlight: You're welcome! Bye Chrysalis and Ocellus!
Starlight waves off before forming a portal with her piece of gum and leaving off. Leaving only Chrysalis and Ocellus as the only beings in the chamber. A look of hope in both their eyes as they stare from the opposite sides of the barrier.
As they watch Starlight leave, Chrysalis smiles. Not worried about her future for once. As much as she'd still hate to say it out loud, she's really come to trust Starlight more. Ocellus could see it in Chrysalis' face as well.
Chrysalis: While you're still here, daughter... I just wanted to say… thank you for cheering me on earlier… It… it meant a lot to me.
Ocellus: Oh, Mom. That's the least I could have done for you. I just know you're so close to reuniting with us for good. I'd wish you luck in the next session, though I almost feel you won't need luck. As I know Professor Applejack will be very amicable, and then it won't be long before Princess Twilight comes back to see you. Wouldn't be surprised if she's the one that lifts the barrier to declare your freedom has been gained.
...Though uh, Mom you also might want to be wary that Pharynx is likely to show up to the next session. I know that might be a bit awkward, but I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle.
Chrysalis: Pharynx... Ah that will be… interesting... I do not look down upon him as I do to Thorax… yet I'm certain to hear an earful from him… I was wondering if and when he would be a part of these. I almost assumed he'd have come today given his undying loyalty to the hive...
She sighed, knowing full well that the conversation with him may be the hardest one yet. Pharynx was the son she praised so much when she was in charge. But now things are much different.
Chrysalis: But I will be ready for whatever may come. And as for Twilight's eventual arrival… oh to see the look on her face as I am set free. I hope you will be there, Ocellus, when I truly gain my freedom.
Ocellus: I wouldn't miss it for the world.
Ocellus tilts her head and smiles towards her mother.
Ocellus: I think I'm going to head on up the hive and get some grub to eat. Would you like me to bring back some to teleport into your cell? Or did you get enough fill from Rainbow and the others? If you are full, then this is likely a goodbye until our next meet-up.
Chrysalis: I'm quite fine actually... these lessons always provide a good amount of love to subsist on. It's funny, I don't feel a loss of it for once either. As if I'm still full. So go get your meal and rest, daughter. Until our next meeting, and hopefully it will be outside of these walls once more.
Ocellus waves off, and leaves the chamber. Chrysalis is now all alone again, presumably until Starlight comes back with Applejack and the rest of the group she intends to bring for the Honesty lessons. Chrysalis has many things going through her mind. The exhilarating race with Rainbow, the similarities that the wonderbolt had with Spur, the emotional breakdown she had not long after the race, and a wonder of how the next session will go. But most of all, she was feeling something that she's never truly felt since the glory days of her old hive.
For the first time in years, she truly felt things were changing for the better. Chrysalis, the Queen of the Changelings... had hope again.
#my little pony friendship is magic#my little pony#starlight glimmer#queen chrysalis#chrysalis#changeling#Earnest Empathetic Change#rainbow dash#scootaloo#seapony#transformation#dragon#smolder#trixie#trixie lulamoon#ocellus#IDOTS stories#racing#arista#spur#tarsus#Mt. Thrace
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i know jimins wife in fragments is lovely…but does she know how jimin truely feels about oc? i cant help but think that no matter how nice and understanding i was, if i found out my SO was ready to call off our wedding because he still loves his ex who he has a child with and therefore sees all the time….i couldnt go through with the relationship. 🤷♀️
obviously jimin loves her since they were happy and had kids too, and obviously him and yn were too different to ever reconcile (eg. he wanted to settle with a family and she didnt believe in marriage cos of her parents) but since everyone around them knew yn was his “great love” i cant imagine that was easy to deal with. irl lots of people dont marry their great love but usually that person isnt in their life anymore which means they can learn to move on…whereas jimin and yn literally raise a child together. 💀
hello. i took some time off but here i am haha anyways, i can see where you're coming from :) it's a valid point! even i would find it difficult to move past a previous relationship esp with someone that i truly loved despite everything that happened between us, and to imagine raising a literal child together.. oh that would be the end of me lol but in jimin and oc's case, well... there are factors we can consider to be able to understand how they made it work (including lucia the wife as well)
prior to jimin meeting lucia, he and yn hadn't been actually living or close together while jiho was growing up. yn was with her mom, and the mom was the one in full communication with jimin since they'd been in contact even before yn found out everything. technically they raised him, but apart, they stayed friends and yes they still had feelings there but jiho became their topmost priority.
jimin met lucia at a time when fifteen years had passed by, which meant that even if he did think about asking yn out again, a huge part of him knew that could potentially damage the bond they've developed as co-parents, and all he cared about was yn's mental and emotional state. she was vulnerable and was healing for a long time. and lucia, i wanted to write a drabble that's in her pov but decided not to, but i'd be honest, ofc there was a little bit of jealousy and A LOT OF curiosity, but jimin was honest with her since the beginning. he told her practically everything when they began dating, that's because he wanted to know if she'd push through if he told her, which she did apparently.
lucia's ability to feel completely aware and still be alright with yn being her husband's great love was something yn had unintentionally influenced her to. when they met, lucia figured out right then and there why jimin was in love with her, and why he cared for her, she didn't feel inferior - thanks to yn's emotional intelligence lol she did everything she could to stay in her place, as jiho's mother and that's it. it's not easy to do for anyone really, but it's a matter of choice, not by feeling but by what is right. after all, jimin became the man he had dreamed of, a husband and a father, a good one at that.
one example i can give in terms of this great love scenario is my own parents :D my late mom's my dad's great love, and i learned about that years after her death, when i started noticing how my dad couldn't stay committed in his relationships without having to remember how my mom was like when she was alive and around him. i've had stepmoms over a decade and until now, he'd talk to us and tell us how he often wished she was still there to cook his favorite dish, how the sound of her laughter filled him inside. while he stayed loyal and in love with my stepmom now, who's the longest one to be in my dad's arms lol, i can still see the way his eyes would sparkle when we're remembering my mom during conversations.
in conclusion, marrying or being in a relationship with someone who still have lingering feelings for another person, is a choice. it's not for everyone and that's okay! it's just that people love in different ways, and even loving is a choice in itself. staying in love is, i mean. lucia chose that for herself, and she didn't have anything to be regretful of.
hope everything makes sense! :)
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Almond Review
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Warnings!
Mentions: murder, gang violence, family complications
And of course spoilers!
Won-Pyung Sohn made her literary debut in 2017 with her novel Almond, a novel that follows Yunjae, a young boy born with alexithymia, a brain condition that makes it difficult for him to feel emotions like anger, fear, etc. He struggles to make friends and interact with the kids his age, but his loving and devoted mother and grandmother him with shelter and love as they try to overcome his condition together with their second-hand bookshop. That is all until a random act of violence that leaves his world shaken, leaving him on his own; alone. In his attempts to grieve and cope with the sudden loss, he meets troubled classmate Gon, new to his school. The two become a ragtag team of sorts and build a friendship together where Gon becomes a new teacher for Yunjae on emotions. When Gon is faced with danger, Yunjae has to decide if he can step outside of his comfort zone to safe his friend from peril and become the hero of his own story.
This story absolutely lived up to the hype! I initially learned about this book on tiktok sometime in June of 2023(?) and managed to find it in store the following week and it was the best decision I've ever made! This book is definitely one for anyone, simply because it's that good. It gets you hooked, it's easy to follow along - thanks to the first-person perspective that makes understanding Yunjae so much easier - and the ending is just so feel good.
Another thing I LOVED in this book was the relationship between Yunjae and Gon. Though it might be a stereotype to have the misfit duo; a loner/outsider character paired with the troubled character with a dark backstory, it's ultimately forgiven by how wholesome and wonderful the relationship between the two is, and how we get to witness them build their chemistry at a really even pace as well. My favourite between the two is the final few chapters where Yunjae goes to save Gon from Steel Wire, the leader of a gang made by troubled, orphaned teens. You really see how much the two care for each other and how important they are to one another with the way they defended one another in attempt to escape Steel Wire.
I don't really have much else to say because it's something you have to experience to understand, but here is a small collection of quotes that I liked from the book:
“Whenever life pulled brutal pranks on him, Gon would think that life was like having your mom hold your hands one moment, warm and safe, then suddenly drop them with no explanation. No matter how hard he tried to grab hold, he was always abandoned in the end.”
“To me, that's like being asked, Why do you live? Do you live for any purpose? Let's be honest, we just live because we're alive. When things are great we're happy, and when things aren't, we cry. Same with running. I'll be happy when I win, I'll be sad when I don't. When I feel I haven't got it, I'll blame myself or regret starting this in the first place. But then I'll still run. Just because! Like living life. That's all!”
“If you think about it that way, then it would’ve been better if Gon had never been born. Because, more than anything, he wouldn’t have had to feel so much pain and loss. But everything loses its meaning if you think that way. Only purpose remains. Barren.”
"I stared at the period after "Truly" for a long time. I hoped that period could transform Gon's life. Would we ever meet again? I hoped so. Truly."
This review is a bit shorter but I hope it was still enjoyable. Thank you for reading <3
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Jumu'ah Khuthbah: 11 November 2022
This week's spiritual highlights were a many Alhamdulillah. Life's lessons can easily be forgotten because we are insan (forgetful) after all. Alhamdulillah for Ammu's Khatheeb duties which forces us all to meaningfully reflect on Jumu'ah, Ya Shakur and bismillah...
#1. Shaykh Nishaat reminded that when we're seeking Allah's intervention, we must do so with an open heart and open mind. I say, as our comprehensive dailly dues as I refer to them, allows - Subhana'Allah! We don't necessarily have all the knowledge, and only Allah knows all as Al-Alim (the all-knowing One). We know what has been made clear in the Quran, but there are many levels of faith that we are blissfully unaware of! Awliyah are the lights of Allah.
Our Pir (founder) Shaykh Abdul Qadir Geylani is revered as Sultan e-Awliyah (moral or spiritual authority), Ghous e-Azaam (the greatest helper). He reaches all of us mureeds, through the Qadiri-Rifai Sufi Tariqa, which means he (Allah bless his secret) will be there for all of us! We have to be true to our medet (pledge), when we follow our daily dues. Why else would your Ammu be alive after a 2-month coma, Subhana'Allah × infinity! And for this knowledge coming at the enth hour of her Khuthbah preparation 😢
https://www.aqrtsufi.org/aqrt/geylani-bio.html
#2. Shaykh Taner then asked a question on a simple truth that we often unconsciously do, that is wipe our faces after dua'a (supplication) and say ameen..? To wipe the blessings on our faces, and ameen is a profession which indicates "I believe".
#3. Shaykh Taner then continued to resonate Al-Haqq (the truthful One) by stating that Allah is different frequencies. In order to be with Allah, we must move from habitual action to being conscious of them. We must bring all things back to Allah indicating that we truly mean it. From the simple to the great things, we must acknowledge the source and connect to Allah through all the different frequencies. So that a variety of Allah's behaviours can be exhibited in the universe, in us as His manifestations with open minds.
Allah is after all, closer than our jugular veins. Allah knows reality and when we get haqq al-yaqeen (knowledge with certainty), we'll know - as this Khuthbah coming together at this late hour. It proves what our tariqa professes, there is always more and Allah exposes to each of us, what we possess in our understanding of things! Allah feels what we feel through remembrance of Him in time and space as His manifestation. Now to sounding like your Aunty Rubina's spiritual twin 😁:
Alhamdulllah
Subhana'Allah
Allahu Akbar
#4. When Shaykh Taner connected with what Allah wanted us to know in the moment, it was that even if we remember Him once a day, He will be happy! Subhana'Allah, as to what got your Aunty Rubina, Ammu and Abbu shedding happy and grateful tears!
https://islamkazikr.com/so-remember-me-i-will-remember-you/
#5. The cherry on the Khuthbah cake was topped by you children, Subhana'Allah! Your Shaykh Nishaat reflected that sometimes our lessons aren't necessarily taught to us but we acquire them by observing our spiritual mentors or the world deeply. Here he reflected when your Rehnbir Abbu was in the garden with the two of you. Muntaha came back with a pawpaw plant flower which it gave her, so she she placed her hand on her heart and thanked it, and the plant replied "You're welcome!". He marvelled at a young child exhibiting this level of awareness as a natural disposition. Alhamdulillah!
It proves that we learn by observing our environment, and with gratitude to Allah, He shows us that He is closest / acquainted to us as the all-aware One (Al-Khabeer which is our 11th name of Allah this year, Alhamdulillah) in the signs in and around us. We have to take the initiative as seekers as our natural disposition, like you children!
Above: An image of a pawpaw plant flower akin to Muntaha's gifted one! 😊
This takes us to our delayed Jumu'ah Khuthbah when your Abbu returns from his final Mauritius trip of the year in the heart and hearth of Shaykh Sadeck's family, where he will perform our Jumu'ah Zikr, Insha'Allah!
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I. AM. HERE!!!
OK SO first of all srry abt literally ghosting for like a month. now we're gonna pretend that didn't happen and i'll send here what i would have sent for each chapter so. get ready for a BIG wall of text.
29– tf??? free yn and soobin like???? don't get me wrong i'm glad beomgyu didn't appear again but not like this 😭😭 also hee's friends liking yn more than him. AS THEY SHOULD!!!
30. i'd kiss hee rn if he wasn't dating yn bc HE SAID WHAT NEEDED TO BE SAID!! i love how non-threatening mama kim sounds bc it's all through text but in my head i'm imagining the typical k-drama rich mom getting more and more pissed until her face is so red it looks like it'll explode (kinda wish it did 🤭)
31. love the hees sm. literally the chillest ppl alive. it's so funny how mama kim's plan just. didn't work and she's acting all high and mighty already like??? that's now how it works honey 😊 you're going down AS YOU SHOULD
32. MAMA KIM PRISON ARC??? IDK WHAT I EXPECTED BUT DEF NOT HER GETTING A LIFE SENTENCE 😨😨😨 deserved but like stillll!! also heeyn marriage pls <33333 i love them
NOW ONTO THE FINAL NOTES.
first i have to ask. is soobin ok? and like his family?? bc idk if mama kim was being dramatic when she said his family NEEDED the marriage and i'm kinda worried :(
second. i just love sm how dramatic you made this smau 😭 the way i could picture so many of the scenes cristal clear even though i was just reading texts??? even the dramatic bg music that escalates when things get more serious and ppl start shouting
finally tysm for another great smau <33 i WILL SAY unexpected partners is still my fave bc it was how i started to know you but it's amazing how you can just. make such different stories but have both of them be so great??
PD: i will be checking out other smaus some time in the near future. might be tomorrow might be in 2 weeks bc i clearly have NO concept of time 😨
PD2: i wrote all of this at once and didn't reread it so sorry if it's a bit jumbled together but that's how my brain works </3
Hey, sorry I took some time to reply. I'm on holiday 😂.
I love a long ask let's get into this 😊.
29 - Free Soobin and YN 😂😂😂. So true, they needed to be freed from Mama Kim. Ngl, Beomgyu was gonna make a comeback but then I thought that Soobin would be a better option, low level drama ya know 😂. Obviously Hee's friends like YN more they see the difference in their friend. They see how happy they make each other and they just love to roast Heeseung 😂.
30 - I loved Heeseung taking Mama Kim down thru texts 😂. He did not hold back and I love him for it. Originally I planned for the confrontation to be a written chapter but then changed my mind and I love how the texts turned out. No I love that 😂😂. Mama Kim very much was inspired by kdrama villain mothers. She's a mix of kdrama rich moms and Indian soap opera evil mothers.
31 - The Hee's were my favourite too. I just loved writing the family dynamics this fic. The sibling bond between the Kim's and the Lee's being the chillest ppl in the world. They don't care abt anything as long as their son is happy.
32 - Mama Kim is going to prison for life and she's never coming back 😂😂. The villain gotta be taken down somehow neh. I always planned for marriage to be the endgame for Heeyn and I'm happy with how it turned out.
Final Notes:
Soobin and his family are completely fine. Mama Kim was exaggerating. Soobin's family was going thru it but not to the point that they needed marriage to save the family 😂. Ur like the only person who cared about Soobin, I really have been doing my bias dirty in my fics and I feel so bad abt it 😭😭😭.
That was always the goal. I wanted this smau to be dramatic and over the top. It honestly makes me so happy that you could picture the texts. With the BG music and everything, really makes me very very happy 🤗🤗🤗🤗.
Ah thank you so much for reading my fics 😭😭😭. I love your asks, they make my day whenever I get an ask from you so really I love them more than you do. Unexpected Partners does have a special place in my heart too ❤️❤️.
PD: Check them out whenever you have the time. No rush honestly, if you don't like the story don't read it. Please don't force yourself to read something you don't want to 🥺🥺🥺. All I ask is if you do read any one shot or smau that you send asks, I love them so send those my way please but again no pressure to read everything all at once. Whenever you want, my smaus and one shots aren't going anywhere.
PD 2: It's fine, my brain works that weirdly too. Everything made sense and as I said at the beginning. I love a long ask 😂.
Again sorry it took me some time to reply, I'm on holiday and finding free time and WiFi is a struggle 😂.
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Rude! (3,000+ Follower Fic Special 1/3)
Pairing: Billy Hargrove x Female!Hopper!Reader
Warnings: Swearing, Billy stuff, lyrics, fluff
Song: Rude by Magic!
Words: 1,798
Summary: Billy's love for Hopper's daughter is too strong to be stopped by the tough Chief Jim Hopper. Despite being told "not in a thousand years", he plans to love her regardless.
Note: Thank you so so much! I love you all, and writing your ideas, as well as sharing mine with you, has been so fucking fun and amazing! I'm sorry for my lack of words, I wish being an author came in handy with writing this, however, all I can say is that I love you all from the bottom of my heart. I've seen people do shout-outs, and ask-related stuff with their follower things, and I may do that, I'm not sure. For now, I hope you enjoy this... Thank you all, again!
Also 1/3 means that there will be two other fics released for the 3,000+ follower present!
Taglist: @urie-bowie-mercury, @matth1w, @redspaceace-writes, @fandom-puff, @darling-i-read-it, @simonsbluee, @sebastianstanslefteyebrow, @dpaccione
Masterlist | Stranger Things Masterlist
"Saturday morning, jumped out of bed and put on my best suit. Got in my car and raced like a jet all the way to you. Knocked on your door with my heart in my hands, to ask you a question, 'cause I know that you're an old-fashioned man. Yeah."
Billy was freshly graduated, working as a lifeguard whilst his girlfriend worked her own job, both saving up for their chance to ditch Hawkins and move to California. Sweet Cali. Billy was excited to show the love of his life around the place he called home. Though, physically, he left the salty ocean and windy beach behind, the place never truly left him.
You could see it in his eyes. The waves crashing in his blue orbs. He swore the scent had just barely clung to his belongings; the smell of the tangy air that followed a majority of the state. Working at a pool was the closest he got to the memory of California. Chlorine was most certainly not the salted ocean waters, but with the circumstances, he decided it'd do.
The way his face lit up whenever he talked about his home...it made Y/n more and more excited to see it. His girlfriend had grown up in Hawkins, stayed there her whole life. Never once did the Hoppers leave Hawkins.
But the second that was introduced to Billy, he knew it had to change.
Although they were saving for a big move, Billy had...other things in mind with what to do with his first large pay-check (or series, rather. Working as a lifeguard didn't pay well with just one check). He began to work more shifts to make up for the money he'd spent, and one day after calling in for a day off, he decided to put his plan into action.
"Billy, stop messing with the tie."
"It's annoying." Hands slapped away his attempts of adjusting the black silk tie.
"Well it won't stop being annoying if you keep fucking it up."
For the first time in a long time, Neil Hargrove was calm. Not happy, not amused, not pissed off for some unjust reason- just calm. He wasn't wreaking havoc and he wasn't being an asshole to his son. Billy hadn't seen this side of his dad in quite some time, in fact, he thought something important was going on and he was about to fuck it all up. And then, Susan retreated to the living room with a camera and a freshly ironed suit.
"You're not putting me in that."
"And who asked for your opinion?" Neil deflected with a raised brow. One heavy sigh later and Billy was leaving the bathroom, dawning the whole black and white getup.
Susan clasped her hands over her mouth, a tear leaving her eye, "You look so handsome! Just like your dad!"
Billy rolled his eyes, "Great."
However, his careless attitude was swept under the rug when the blue Camaro pulled up to the police station, interrupting a clearly distressed Chief Hopper bickering with his daughter. Billy had to get himself together before stepping out of the car, jaw slack after seeing the beauty he got to call his date.
"Hello Mr-"
"Don't even try play nice with me, Hargrove. She's not going anywhere with you. End of story." Hopper kept his eyes trained on the blond, body tense like a snake preparing to strike it's prey.
Y/n grabbed Billy's arm, slowly directing him to the car, "And in the sequel, we find out I am going with Billy. End of that story."
"There is no 'sequel.' The writer got drunk and lazy." She paused, turning to face her father who stood tall, arms crossed and face unamused.
"So his daughter picked up where her father left off, and then the sequel was published and the two lived happily ever after, the end."
While her dad attempted to search for a line that would better hers and force her to stay, she pushed Billy toward the driver's side and slid into the car as fast as she could, rolling down the window as Billy started it up. "Bye! I'll be back before midnight!"
The two drove off toward the school, leaving behind a trail of dust and very, very, pissed off Hopper.
Prom was better than Billy thought it would be. He didn't want to go at first, but after Max found out and spoke to her mom about it (the little redhead a cupid-in-the-making), Neil pushed him to go (as he was "doing something else besides being a lazy-no-good rebel"). It was then that he called Y/n and asked if she'd be going.
The suit came in handy. Clashing with his rocker aesthetic, he put it back on once more. The once-annoying tie proved to be somewhat okay in the end.
Can I have your daughter for the rest of my life? Say yes, say yes, 'cause I need to know. You say I'll never get your blessing "till the day I die, tough luck my friend, but the answer is no!"
Why you gotta be so rude? Don't you know I'm human too? Why you gotta be so rude? I'm gonna marry her anyway. Marry that girl, marry her anyway! Marry that girl, yeah, no matter what you say! Marry that girl, and we'll be a family! Why you gotta be so rude?
With a deep breath, he ran-over the conversation in his head once more. Like a script for an actor, he had thought of every possible outcome and every possible line for him to face it with. He almost chickened out as his fist rose to the door, but it was too late, for his knuckles rapped against it before he realized he was even knocking.
El opened the door, eyes wide when she saw the familiar mullet and button-down. "Papa..." She muttered as she backed away and out of view.
Hopper traded places with her, his lazy expression sobering up instantaneously, replaced with a grumpy scowl. "Hargrove."
"Mr. Hopper, sir."
"What are you doing on my front porch?"
He swallowed roughly, palms sweaty against his sides. "I was wondering if I could talk to you."
"You seem to be doing just that right now, Hargrove." Hop crossed his arms and clenched his jaw.
Well, this was certainly not something Billy had thought of. He was on panic mode internally, attempting to find any response that could save his hide and accomplish what he set out to do. Unfortunately, the word-vomit button seemed to be misplaced under the button labeled "help".
"I'd like to marry your daughter, sir."
Hop's eyes grew just as big in size as El's had when she opened the door. He choked on his own surprise, coughing it off, then glaring at the boy in front of him. "Over my dead body, Hargrove. If that's all, I'd strongly advise you to get off of my fucking porch while you're still alive."
I hate to do this, you leave no choice; can't live without her. Love me or hate me, we will be boys- standing at that alter. And we will fly away, to another galaxy, you know. You know she's in love with me, she will go anywhere I go-
"Billy, he's just stubborn."
"No, no, I don't think he likes me."
Y/n sighed, rubbing her boyfriend's back. He hadn't told her of his proposal plans, only that Hop seemed to have it out for him. "It'll take time, but he'll warm up to you!"
"It's been how many years since he's met me?"
"To be fair, your reputation wasn't doing you any good until now..."
"It's not like that was fucking obvious." He slouched further down in the front seat of his Camaro. To Billy, all hope was lost. If he couldn't get Hopper to give him his blessing, he was sure he'd lose his goddamned mind.
Y/n frowned. Her frown flipped around as an idea popped into her head, her lips finding Billy's knuckles and quirking his attention. "Even if he never likes you, I'm not going anywhere."
Billy laughed softly, "he'll fucking kill me if you go against him."
"Eh, that's only if he can catch us."
"You're out of your fucking mind, Y/n Hopper."
"I know."
The rest of the night was spent in the Camaro, of course, doing one of Billy's favorite pastimes. By the time the sun rose, Billy was sneaking a kiss to a giggling Y/n before dropping from her window in the cabin and running to his car, parked far enough that Hop or El wouldn't notice. He blew her one more kiss, which she pretended to catch, then he broke into a sprint.
Maybe, he thought, just maybe; there was still a chance.
His knuckles hit the door again, shifting on his feet nervously. It swung open to reveal Hopper, an unimpressed look bringing no surprise Billy's way. It was quite expected, honestly.
"What." His tone made it clear he wasn't up for fucking around.
"Mr. Hopper, if you just give me one chance to prove to you that-"
"No, no, no, no, no. Let me make it very clear to you that I want you to have nothing to do with my daughter whatsoever. No marriage, no friendship, I don't even approve of you guys fucking or whatever-"
"We're in a serious relationship, sir. It's nothing like you think it is."
This made Hop laugh. He continued to do so, holding his stomach, until he realized Billy was unamused. "Oh, you're serious?... My answer is still no, Hargrove. My answer will always be no. Go find someone else's daughter's heart to break. You're not hurting mine."
"It's not like-"
Before he could even get the words out, he was met with a door in his face. Turned down, again.
Can I have your daughter for the rest of my life? Say yes, say yes, 'cause I need to know. You say I'll never get your blessing "till the day I die, tough luck my friend, 'cause the answer's still no!"
Why you gotta be so rude? Don't you know I'm human too? Why you gotta be so rude? I'm gonna marry her anyway. Marry that girl, marry her anyway! Marry that girl, yeah, no matter what you say! Marry that girl, and we'll be a family! Why you gotta be so rude, rude?
Again, again, and again, Billy incessantly pleaded with Hopper. Different tactics were all met with the same answer; rejection.
He held up a sign outside the cabin, only for Hopper to close the curtain and chuckle as he sipped his coffee.
He asked at the door again, only for Hop to threaten to give him a black eye (which was met with "aren't you the sheriff? Isn't that illegal?").
He raced past the police station, Max leaning out the window with another sign, only for Hop to threaten them with holding cells.
He even went as far as to ask Max and El to help, but Hopper had none of that, and sent Max home with a rant full of nos.
However, if Jim Hopper thought any of it would get it into Billy's head that getting his blessing was just not happening- he was as wrong as Nancy when she claimed not to have feelings for Jonathan.
Billy had another plan in mind, and this one was impossible to say no to.
Can I have your daughter for the rest of my life? Say yes, say yes, 'cause I need to know. You say I'll never get your blessing "till the day I die, tough luck my friend- but no still means no!"
"Hopper." Billy stood before his desk, interrupting his nice date with a delicious doughnut, and earning a very annoyed glare. "I got Miss Byer's blessing. Aren't you two a thing?"
"You son of a-"
"I got Eleven's too."
"Hargrove, I'm gonna-"
"Before you cuss me out, I think you should know that I've got a stable job, an interview with a mechanic so I have a job when the pool closes for the winter, and I've got a house on the market I'm looking at. I'm devoted to your daughter and she's devoted to me. You may not like me, but I think you're a great dad, better than the one I was unfortunately stuck with. You raised a strong and amazing woman. She's incredible and I admit, she deserves better than me-"
"You don't have to say that twice." Hopper huffed, crossing his arms.
"I know she deserves so much better than me, I'm surprised she's even with me too. But she loves me, and I think you can see that. I love her too. I would never, in a million years, break her heart."
Jim stayed silent for a few minutes. The silence brought uneasiness to Billy, but that was intentional on Hopper's behalf. He finally piped up with a cough, clearing his throat, before his piercing eyes met Billy's blue orbs.
"I'll hold you to that, Hargrove."
Why you gotta be so rude? Don't you know I'm human too? Why you gotta be so rude? I'm gonna marry her anyway. Marry that girl, marry her anyway! Marry that girl, yeah, no matter what you say! Marry that girl, and we'll be a family! Why you gotta be so rude? Why you gotta be so rude?
Bonus:
(after the wedding)
"What was that about a no?" Billy quipped with his infamous smirk.
"You're lucky I'm sheriff, Hargrove."
Why you gotta be so rude?
#billy hargrove x reader#dacre montgomery#billy hargrove#dacre montgomery x reader#stranger things#x reader#all readers#imagine#reader insert#holy shit!#zodiyack#3000 followers#3000 follower special!#thank you guys!#i'm without words- that's how happy i am lmao#also sorry if this is shit writing#i'm still recovering#special#by recovering i mean getting back into the gist of things#stranger things x reader#stranger things imagine#x y/n#billy hargrove imagine#dacre montgomery imagine#x you#rude!#song fic#rude by magic
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The Spiral Hill
Pairing: Axel x Reader, platonic Roxas and Xion x reader
Just a bunch a lil Halloween fun with my fave trio! Love these guys. Got it memorized?
Roxas and Xion have never done trick or treating before. As their accidental sort of paternal figure in their life (not that you were complaining) you decided you had to teach these adorable darlings about Halloween
They have a lot of fun picking out costumes and trying on different things, while creating a bucket list of everything they should do on Halloween night
You urged them to take it slow and that they’d have plenty of time to celebrate
Axel was also onboard with Halloween and decided you two HAD to wear a matching costume
The man is going through everything, these absolutely must be the best and most coordinated outfits ever
Accidentally says you look so cute when you try on your costume and he turns red and looks away. Like. Jeez Axel can you get ANY more corny???
He quickly brushes that embarrassment aside and is like “well of course we both look great since we match!” And gives you a heart-stopping cheeky wink and smile
Roxas and Xion chuckle quietly to themselves when they see you two awkwardly compliment each other
You guys make a stop to Halloween Town (in part thanks to Roxas begging to go there) and see your good ol pals Sally and Jack! Since it's Halloween, the big Pumpkin King parade is going on and you all watch in awe at the amazing tricks all of the citizens are doing.
Roxas and Xion immediately want to go trick or treat with the younger kids, and they tell you and Axel to go find more candy too
Since they're your kids, you can't possibly say no to that and set off in another direction to find more
You and Axel get to talk to Jack and Sally for a bit, and it's great to catch up with them! However Jack makes a comment that you two look splendid together and ohhhhh boy- do your faces turn redder than Axel's hair.
"We're not together!!!" you both shout, too embarrassed to look at the other
Sally giggles while Jack is surprised and quickly apologizes for his mistake
The night is pretty awkward for the most part after that, Axel trying to joke about how silly Jack is while glancing at you then looking away then glancing back at you and-
Okay maybe he's fallen pretty hard for you, but how the heck is he supposed to say that???
You end up running back into Xion and Roxas, who proudly show their spoils
They saw how awkward you both were and ask what happened, but neither of you could admit it.
That's when Xion mentions how the kids were talking about the "Spiral Hill"- a gorgeous hill that unfurls and curls to the Hinterlands.
Roxas immediately jumps and says you two should go check it out and see if it's scary or not!
You chuckle at his comment and agree, and before you know it, you two are alone again
You both walk across the empty and quiet graveyard trying to find this special hill
"I'm glad they're having fun." You mention. Axel nods and chuckles
"I've never seen them that happy in a while. I'm glad we could make this real for them." He sighed in content.
"Yeah, you'd think for a bunch of Nobodies we wouldn't be affected yet... it feels like when I had a heart again."
"Do you think we really have hearts?" Axel trails off. Maybe if he did then... then he could actually say what he felt
"I don't know. But I don't feel as empty as before... meeting you, Xion, and Roxas made me feel those emotions again. I feel more alive than when I first joined." You had a gentle smile on your face, one that Axel couldn't help but smile back at.
As you two continued, you found the gates to the fabled Spiral Hill.
"It's... really beautiful, actually."
Axel agrees and you both sit at the top of the hill, gazing at the large glowing moon
The anxiety and embarrassment from earlier faded, leaving only a comfortable closeness between the two of you
"Hey (Y/n)...." Axel begins, staring at the moon. You turn to him and are entranced by how his gorgeous emerald eyes are shining and his red hair is softly blowing in the wind
"Yes, Axel?" Your supposedly non-existent heart beat rapidly.
"You said you think we have hearts, right?" You hummed in response, and you felt his hand on top of yours. "Then... you think that what I'm feeling is real?"
"Well... depends on what you're feeling."
"Hey now, don't act clueless! I'm still a sensitive man, ya know?" He chuckled. You felt your face heat up, and you smiled.
"Then... I guess....maybe my feelings are real too." You nodded.
"That all you gotta say? Come on now, don't hold back on me babe!" he laughed, leaning closer to you. "I just... want to make sure that I'm not imagining this. I want this to be real. Even if we're not supposed to have these feelings I know I have something here!"
His words struck a chord in you and you held his hands tightly.
"Axel, I feel them too. It feels different than with the others. I know it's different. I know there's something here too. And it tells me that everytime I'm with you."
You both held hands and stared for a bit in each other's eyes. Hesitation, doubt, anxiety- things that were felt despite the emptiness you were told you were.
Without thinking, you pressed a quick kiss against his cheek. It was something you remember reading about with Xion and Roxas. That kisses express love.
The shock in his eyes was all too evident and he covered his face.
"H-hold on! Time out! You can't be so cute like that! Agh! So much for being suave..." he murmured. His face was red and you chuckled at his reaction.
"What's this? Axel can't speak anymore?"
"No way! I'm not nervous! Got it memorized?"
"Yeah, yeah, sure, you big fire-brain." You flicked his forehead and he pouted.
"I demand an apology kiss." He huffed.
"What's the magic words?"
"Please?" He begged
"It was 'trick or treat' but that works too." You leaned towards him and kissed him gently on his lips. You could fill his lips curve into a smile before he kissed you back and held you close.
You hummed as you both separated and leaned against his chest.
As you both were quietly enjoying the night, you heard a small "click" sound.
"Did you hear that?" You asked, immediately jumping into to a defensive position.
"Yeah I did, it came from over there." You two looked in the direction Axel pointed at before seeing two figures hide behind a pumpkin
"Shoot!" a familiar voice yelled in exasperation.
You and Axel put down your weapons and walked to the pumpkin, finding Xion and Roxas awkwardly laughing while the young boy held a camera.
"Guess we found some ghosts here, hm?" Axel smirked. "I think we have to teach them a lesson for spying on adults. What do you think, babe?"
The nickname made you smile, and you crossed your arms as you looked down at the two kids. "I think we should teach them a lesson. Maybe they should give us some of their candy. What do you think, dear?"
"I think that's a splendid idea." Axel smiled all too sweetly as he took their candy bags. "And now you know the price of what happens when you snoop. Got it memorized?"
"That's not fair!" Roxas cried.
"Pleeeeeeease give it back? Pretty please? We won't snoop again! We just wanted you to get together!"
Your eyes widened at Xion's words.
"You two set it up?"
The two kids nodded, a cute grin on their faces.
"Sally and Jack were here when they said they loved each other! We thought it would be perfect for you two to finally confess!"
"What?!" You and Axel yelled.
"See, you're perfect for each other! You're saying the same things!" Roxas pointed out, laughing at you two's surprised looks.
"Tch, damn, you're lucky I love you two." Axel joked, ruffling their heads. "I can't stay mad at you for long. Come on, let's eat the candy before Saix gets mad at us for being out too long."
Xion and Roxas cheered while Axel shot a glance at you.
"You coming? I'll even feed you a piece if you want~." He winked.
You nodded and sat beside the them, all of you chattering about the night and how good the candy was.
You looked up at Axel and he gave a toothy grin before he kissed you.
"Ew." Roxas gagged while Xion sighed sighed dreamily.
"Hey, you know, this is your fault! You set us up. So I think I get to kiss (Y/n) lots and lots!" Axel teased.
"Adults are so weird." Roxas mumbled.
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𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐨𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟓
Imagine: “Could I request a Daniel Gillies smut like they are both at the comic con(they are both in the originals) and he is teasing her while he answers a question ? Or makes fun with Joseph and he says some dirty things.” Requested by @elijahspersonalwifeyyy .
Pairing: Daniel Gillies x Reader
Warnings: Smut
Words:
Edited: Yes
A/N: I apologise @elijahspersonalwifeyyy for the incredibly long wait. I’ve had this lined up to post but with coursework and writing so much at the same time, it’s made it difficult but I refuse to quit. I’m not a quitter. I’m also not a person to announce a hiatus. Either way, hope you enjoyed ! There is a lot to read I know but we needed a build up and this is one of my favourite comic cons ever, I wanted to do the before hand scenes either way so. Don’t forget to check out my new story “On The Way” !
All of us at the current moment in time were stood backstage waiting to be called on. I couldn't tell you how irritated I was when I went on after Joseph and then Daniel followed. They were both irritating enough to me together anyway but they were in a particularly annoying mood today and I was not prepared for it.
“The man who will break your heart and then rip it out and then probably eat it. Joseph Morgan.”
The whole audience cheered as he walked on and he waved quite casually as he did.
“The women who brings all men to there knees but still can't find anything better to do than drink wine. Y/N Y/L/N”
I giggled as I walked out and I saw the audience screaming and Joseph giving me a mischievous look.
“The brother with a suit for every occasion. Daniel Gillies as Elijah.”
He walked out, threw me a quick smirk and blew a kiss to the audience as they screamed. He pulled his chair out and smiled at everyone.
“Nice jacket.”
“Yeah. Give it up for this jacket ! Huh ? Out of a suit and into a smoking hot jacket.”
“I know right, the one time he's not wearing a suit.”
“Thank you. It was actually a gift from Y/N.”
“Aw that’s super sweet Y/N.”
“Thank you. It was actually a gift for our anniversary.”
“Really ? How many years ?”
“Seven.”
“and very sweet.”
He called the rest of our costars out and we continued on with the panel.
After the host had started the panel with a question for Julie and Michael, it was now a group question for me, Joseph and Phoebe.
“Uh now going to the show, we've seen Klaus and Lily and Klaus and Hayley kind of trying the uh co-parenting thing and it did not really go so well as we all saw. How is Klaus going to be as a parent now that Hayley isn't around and Lily and Elijah have reconciled ?”
As soon as the question was asked, we all turned to Joseph.
“Uh you know, before he alienated his whole family by toasting Elijah's girlfriend, sleeping with his wife and and and cursing the women he thought he was in love with um Klaus survived under this sort of umbrella of Elijah's protection and forgiveness I suppose and so Elijah was always a voice of reason and Hayley was always there to battle it out with him. So, I would say badly. He's gonna do badly as a single parent you know and I think he knows he's kinda messing it up but he's trying. At least he's trying. You gotta give him that. Even if he's warping the minds of his two daughters, one before she's even uttered a syllable and the other before she get's old enough to realise that Klaus and Lily aren't actually together you know like she’s thought for years.”
“Geez. So uh how are are Lily, Elijah and Klaus going to tell her ? Who's going to be the one that does it or will they all do it together ?”
I decided to answer this questions, being more involved with the story line of my children.
“I think that Lily will have to be the one to tell her and whilst doing so will definitely have to be quite cautious when telling Sofia, you know not only because she's only 7 years old but also because she’s thought of Elijah as her Uncle her whole life- and although that hasn't changed it's still going to be difficult since this latest revelation is that, her Uncle Elijah that she adores oh so much is now also 'mommy's boyfriend' or in more formal terms her step-dad. So I think she's going to be confused and it might be quite difficult for her at first but I think she’s mature for her age and that she will understand quite quickly that, Mommy and Daddy aren't together and that despite realizing that her mom was married to her uncle I think she will quickly appreciate the fact we told her because of her understanding personality. “
Daniel quickly leaned forward and spoke before the host could ask another question.
“The moral of the story is, don't sleep with your husband's brother. Especially when not using protection and then deciding to get back together with your husband before trying to force him to sign the divorce papers.”
The whole room suddenly echoed with loud laughter and I couldn't stop giggling myself despite being offended for my character. I hit his arm playfully. He grinned at me and rested his hand on my leg as the room calmed down and he slouched back in his chair a little.
“Very true. So, I mean he can always just compel a few dozen nannies but he does have Elijah there to help him co-parent you know not just with Sofia but with Hope. I'm thinking like shared schedules, late night feedings...Whose doing what ?”
“It’s like we both wake up and the baby is crying and it's like, are you going to get her or am I ? Alright, I'll get her.”
“Yeah no it's gonna be me. I'm gonna do the graveyard shift, I know that all to well. But we gotta remember too, Lily and Freya are going to be doing a large share of the work.”
“Oh yeah, they can do it. There you go.”
I giggled and hit Joseph in the shoulder for the comment.
“Sexist.”
“No, come on. Lily's already been through this twice she knows’ what she's doing and Freya's Switzerland at this moment in time, I think for both of us to be in there...I’m gonna stop talking.”
We all chuckled at Daniel's comment.
*
“Now we're going to go to audience questions in just a little bit but first I wanted to do something fun. I know it's not the holiday's and I know we don't have a big ass bonfire in front of us but I thought it would be quite fun if everybody kinda thinks about a wish for their character for the future, just throw it in the imaginary bonfire.”
“Well, I'm a human....so I just want to stay alive.”
“Good answer.”
“Oh I forgot you weren't a character.”
“I have wishes for everybody but I don't have a character.”
“I do wish for Julie that Supernatural Judge Judy becomes her next spin off and Exploding Ovaries is the title of Daniel Gillies' next memoir.
“A wish for Hayley would be that Hope can live a normal, happy existence. I think would be what she would want the most.”
“That’s very sweet.”
“Thank you. That's it, I'm done.”
“Uh, I think for Elijah...I mean other than wishing that his girlfriend's wouldn't be incinerated or his wife doesn't sleep with his brother again...”
I giggled at Daniel's comment, despite his comment towards my character and spoke with Joseph, simultaneously.
“Oh, come on.”
“I'm not letting that one go easily. So, uh...I would wish for him. Oh man. I wish for him, I’m actually wishing for something dark, like I sort of would wish for...a great division between the brothers before reconciliation.”
“So that's how it's going to be.”
“So, my wish for Lily is um...to finally find that bloody fertility spell that she's been looking for, for centuries. So that her and Elijah can have children of their own which they want more than anything and move somewhere outside of New Orleans in a nice family home, away from the drama.”
“That’s very sweet.”
“Uh, I wish everyone would just do what Klaus says because he's always right. He knows what he's doing. It's for the greater good. Come on. Get on board with his plans. Everything will be alright in the end. Not everyone will be alright in the end but everything will be alright in the end. Right ?”
“Um, I wish Marcel would cross over. No.”
“I wish for more of your cleavage.”
I couldn't help but laugh a little when he says comments like that. Even though it wasn't directed at me, I knew the double meaning behind it. Daniel has not taken his eyes away from my chest today. That's what breast feeding does to you, I suppose. When Daniel picked my outfit this morning, I was glad. I was going to wear some leather pants and a red blouse with some heels but he somehow convinced me to wear a dress. God was I glad, I actually listened to him. It was hot in San Diego summer heat and I underestimated a little when I decided on leather pants.
“Yeah. We gonna get some dollar bills. Let's see some ones. Tryna make some money out here. Somebody, put on some Usher. Slow jam. Uh yeah...”
“I have a twenty. What can we get for a twenty ?”
“Break it up. Break it up.”
“Make it into ones and let's make it rain.”
“If I throw loose change at you, can I make it hail ?”
“Alright, moving on. Next subject.”
“Um, Davina is a witch and I think it would be really cool if she could fly. So, whether it's a broomstick or something else...I still think it would be really cool.”
“That’s a good one. Um, mines pretty selfish. I hate shaving, so I wish we could work something in so Vincent could have like a huge beard.”
“I changed my mind, I want superpowers as well. Three one foot long, retractable adamantine claws from each hand please.”
”Why is the camera on me ? I wanna fly. I wanna see these guys fly. I want them charging up walls and...we don’t have the budget for that. I wanna see more vampirey stuff. Why am I wishing again ? I exhausted my wish.”
“You guys can make as many wishes as you want. This is your made up tradition.”
“It’s raining wishes on you.”
“Raining for your wishes.”
“God this is embarrassing.”
“T it up.”
“T what up ?”
“What do your need for a rain of wishes ?”
“What happens when it rains ?”
“An umbrella.”
“What ?”
“An umbrella, sweetheart.”
He closed his eye in frustration and dropped his upper half into my lap, whilst we all laughed at his slow mind.
“Oh shit. Umbrella. So sorry, so sorry.”
“The rain, the umbrella...”
“Dropping hints. Awesome, alright well let’s turn it over to some audience questions.”
*
“Hi, my name is Julia and first I'd like to say, I love you all. Especially Joseph Morgan and Danielle Campbell.”
“Thanks. Thanks a lot.”
“Don’t worry, I love you Daniel.”
He squeezes my thigh and leans in to kiss my head. Before deciding to move his arm around my shoulders and hugging me into his side. I rested my hand on his thigh as I hugged him back.
“I love you too, beautiful.”
I blushed and smiled, whilst the audience all awed. Which prompted the red in my cheeks to darken. I sat back up straight and he returned his hand back my thigh, yet this time a little higher up and whilst stroking the fabric of my dress up my thigh.
“My question is for the whole cast and it is, if you were able to play another role...who would you wanna play ?”
“On our show ? Or just in general ?”
“Yeah. On The Originals.”
“I..I think I would choose Hayley. The Hyrbid female. She's a pretty cool character. Your welcome.”
“Um, I would play...Klaus. Mind you probably better but...”
“I don't wanna play anybody else, I wanna play Elijah.”
“I would play, Elijah....purely because it would be an absolute blessing to wake up that hot everyday and he's a pretty awesome character.”
He smirked at me and moved his hand further up my leg, his fingers now resting at the hem of my white lace thong. I gulped a little but held my composure. It seemed hat every time I complimented him, he got further up my leg and closer to my core. Like a game...and I was more than happy to play.
“If...If I had to absolutely play someone else uh, I would play Oliver because I just think he needs to be brought back to the show...and uh #saveollie. Bring him back !”
“Uh, I would play Elijah because I think I look damn good in a suit.”
“Yeah, you do.”
“Buttoned up to the naval.”
“There we go. I know it's distracting for you, my body.”
“I cannot concentrate. I refuse to continue.”
“Um, I would play Genevieve. I thought she was a really cool character. She was a lot of fun to work with.”
“I see some Genevieve fans in the house, awesome.”
“Um, yeah I think I might choose Elijah too. I think uh, it's a really cool character that Daniel has created.”
“They both quietly believe they can bring more to the role, is what they’re saying. Not quietly, they're saying it to an audience of like three thousand.”
“Only because of what you've done with it Daniel.”
*
“Hi Guys, wow that's loud. I'm so sorry, my name's Marissa. First, I want to say Daniel I watched saving hope and your death killed me. I'm so sorry that you died.”
“Yeah, tell me about it ! I was gutted.”
He squeezed my thigh a little more and started making circles with his finger on the spot closed to my core.
“Oh my goodness.”
Yeah, oh my goodness indeed. He really knew how to make a woman feel good, without hardly doing anything...quite literally.
“Um, so my question is for Julie and Michael. Um, I was wondering...there’s so much violence on the show and so much adult stuff and I was wondering if the network or the studio has ever told you, 'No you can't do that’ ?”
We all started laughing in reply to the questions.
“Oh, we have a story about that don't we...Leah.”
“I don't wanna tell the story again.”
“There's things that we did that couldn't be shown.”
“So here's the thing about broadcast television is that, apparently you can decapitate someone, you can drive a knife into a vampires skull, you can rip out their heart, you can shove a pencil up their nose, you can stab them a million times with glass but when stimulating a sex scene...if there's any movement at all that one would define as thrusting...”
“No thrusting. Pull back on the thrusting.”
“A motion that originates from the hip.”
Charles decided to get up and share a demonstration of thrusting and everyone on stage started laughing and the audience started to scream. Daniel gripped my thigh a little harder, due to jealously. I didn't have to ask him what the reason was, I already knew. At the best of times, he was not a jealous person. He loves and trusts me and Charles a lot and he knows nothing would happen but when he's horny and in need of some attention...he does get jealous. Understandably so, I know because we both do. His pinky finger then started to stroke me, through the lace of my pants.
“It’s difficult because I don't actually remember thrusting being in the script. That was something the actors chose.”
“It was a creative choice. I mean, look at Charles...you would do the same thing. Also, let's not forget the originators of this little problem.”
The audience stayed silent, indicating that they weren't sure how to react to her last sentence. I leaned into Daniel and rested my forehead against his bicep in retaliation to Leah's comment. I couldn't stop giggling, despite the finger rubbing against my wet thong and the blush rising on my cheeks. Daniel was using his other hand to pinch his forehead, whilst chuckling.
“Come on guys, explain it.”
“So, what happened was we were doing the flashback sex scene of Elijah and Lily's wedding night. Daniel got a bit too excited and started to thrust a little and I tried hiding it by opening my legs a bit more.As I did, my underwear snapped because it wasn't as flexible as I thought. So, I had to pay a fine for showing too much skin because the sheets had come off of me a little and we hadn't realised. Not that it was much it was just a little side boob, still.”
“So, it wasn't the thrusting ?”
“No, ironically it wasn't.”
“Let me tell you. There was some excellent, simulated thrusting in those scenes. That was cut, per broadcast standards. While, I think in the same episode seventeen people got brutally massacred. It is what it is.”
“Some of the best thrusting. I hope it makes the special features.”
“Charles called Leah, for some extra rehearsal before hand.”
*
“Hi I'm uh Skylar. Um, I know that between you there has been a myriad of different supernatural creatures. Uh, Phoebe...I think you've been a werewolf, a witch and a mermaid. Uh, in really life...What would you wanna be ?”
“Well, I would say witches because witches don't have to turn on a full moon and they don't have to be like plagued by vampire...the demon’s of vampires. They can just have all the power and really cute outfits...and if I can look more like Danielle Campbell. I'll take it.”
“H20 rocks!”
“Thank you ! Well actually I-Im gonna say a mermaid then. Like, life is better under the sea and I think I would be a mermaid.”
“I don't know-"
“Merman ?”
“Merman. No, I...um. I'm pretty pervy...so I'd say like invisibility.”
“Um, so I'm not pervy at all unlike Daniel. I do think that Heretics are soooo cool though. Like, they can do magic and they are vampires but still have all those human capabilities...like procreation. So, yeah a heretic.”
His hand stopped stroking me through the lace of my panties suddenly and I instantaneously felt a cold gush of air race up my well-shaved legs and punching me in my core. I felt the frayed edges of my lace tickling my upper thigh, where they shouldn't be. Hinting that my favourite pair of thongs had been snapped. I turned to Daniel and narrowed my eyes at him whilst he just continued the panel, like nothing happened. His hand when back to it’s original position resting on my thigh, clearly in punishment for making a comment about his pervy answer.
“Nah, I'm happy where I am. You know, Hyrbid. Definitely not, invisibility. When I joined the show, I thought I was only gonna be a vampire so I was thrilled when I was a werewolf-vampire. I'm sticking to my guns.”
“I like being the token human. I'm just gonna like stay there. Create more mermen.”
“Season three, season of the mermen.”
“The next spin-off.”
“That would be so cool, let me be a mermaid. I would kill it .”
Joseph put his arm on the back of my chair, looking at me after I made my wish known to be a mermaid.
“You better not cum in the water.”
The entirety of the room ruptured into fits of laughter. Even Daniel, who had now moved his hand closer to my core again. Letting his fingers stroke my entrance. Meanwhile, I continued laughing...ignoring the feeling of my husband’s gentle and sensual touch.
“I’m blushing.”
*
“Hi, I'm Katie. If you were to go to Comic Con, on the floor. Is there anyone you would dress up as ?”
The first thought that came to mind was pleasing Daniel. If I said him there was no doubt he'd give in. The problem was, was it a risk I was willing to take...at a comic Con in front of three thousand fans and some of my closest friends.
“Daniel Gillies.”
Every one repeated my answer and whilst doing so I was discovering that I was unequivocally correct with my thought process. Sure enough, Daniel plunged his fingers straight into my entrance leaving me to deal with the resounding squeal that ripped from my throat. Causing Daniel to laugh at me, influencing Joseph to join in.
*
The final question had just been answered by Daniel and I was leaning my head into Daniel's shoulder to help with controlling the moans erupting inside me. The warmth in my stomach has just appeared as quickly as it vanished again, Daniel had stopped and chuckled at my irritated expression. Nevertheless, I got up and shoved my now broken thongs in Daniel's jacket pocket and waved at the fans with a bright smile on my face as we all walked off. We had just got out of the fan's eyesight when a hand delivered a hard slap to my barely covered assume cheek as this dress was so short. I span around and grabbed his wrist before dragging him further backstage, behind a screen next to the dressing rooms.
“What do you think your doing ? Playing around like that during a panel and then not even letting me finish ?!”
I didn't even let him reply as I dragged his face down towards mine and kissed him lustfully. His hands wandered down to my waist and clutched the already tight fabric tighter around me. The other unoccupied hand drove down to my ass and clutched it, allowing the skirt to rise up. Exposing the bare skin of my cheek. I used one of my hands to undo his zipper before pulling his dick out and stroking it. Clearly, he was eager because before I knew it. I was pressed up against the wall, sticking my tongue down his throat and moving myself up and down on his already hard cock. What we hadn't realised that the screen had moved, as Daniel had knocked it with his foot when walking to the wall. He pulled away and smirked at me.
“You told me we wouldn't have public sex after last time.”
“This is the last time Mr Gillies, I'm promising you.”
We smiled at eachother and kept going against the wall. His tip caused some tension when arriving to a depth he hadn’t before but it was a pleasurable one most definitely. The lips of my pussy enveloped his tip and he ran it through my drenched folds before deciding to plunge into me once again. I was about to scream and he knew I wasn’t good at being quiet when he fucks me so good. I clung onto him hoping it would relieve tha ache he’d created by filling me so good. He sat down on a chair that was sat in a chair of the little area backstage. Sitting down, allowed his thrusts to speed up rapidly and his face to rest in between my smooth and nearly covered beasts. He bit my hardened buds through my dress and caused a shive of please to shoot down to my core and promoting me to burst.
I then decided to let go and couldn’t help but let out a gratifying scream for him. I was coming down from my high and the screen pulled back. A man that looked about 40, eyed us disgusted and told us to move it.
“Well atleast I won the deal ?”
“Remember the deal we had ? If I was right about is having sex in public again no matter how much you denied that we wouldn’t. Your were very adamant.#
*
MASTERLIST
#imagines#the vampire diaries#the originals#to imagine#tvd imagine#tvd#the originals imagines#elijah mikaelson#daniel gillies x reader#daniel gillies has ruined me#daniel gillies smut
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All Through the Night
A Choices: The Royal Romance Dark AU
@gkittylove99 @krsnlove @kingliam2019 @texaskitten30 @yourmajesty09 @mom2000aggie @ofpixelsandscribbles @twinkleallnight @lodberg @twinkleallnight @amandablink @neotericthemis @mm2305 @sfb123 @iufilms @tessa-liam @busywoman
Masterlist
Catch up here with Prologue and Part 1
Part 2
Fydelia...
"Madeleine dear, have you seen the lost book of Aurelia?" Regina called out when she noticed the countess passing by. "There were some notes in there that I think can be useful for Maxwell."
"No mam." Madeleine stepped into their library.
The walls were covered with a variety of the history of the five kingdoms and the mysterious sixth. Madeleine had spent years studying every single myth in the hopes of finding hints of cures and such for the ailments of her people. Her usually sharp gaze softened at the faded leather spines. They had been her source of comfort long before Regina arrived.
When her parents were alive they rarely spared their daughter a single glance. As long as she was quiet, well behaved, and properly attired; they expected little else from her. She had been their disappointment. Her father had hoped for a son while her mother hoped to never have a child.
She did not feel grief when they died. In fact, she had rarely felt any emotion until Regina took over her care. Through her cousin's encouragement and treating her with kindness, Madeleine began to understand happiness and contentment.
She also began to long for love.
The stories she read about the great love Queen Kenna shared with Dominic had made her begin to daydream about her finding someone of her own. She rather liked the idea that the creatures of the Dark Kingdom fell in love instantly. It certainly took all the guess work out of he loves me, he loves me not.
Though Regina was a kind and nurturing soul, Madeleine wanted something more.
And she had found it one afternoon with the banished prince of the Dark Kingdom.
**************
A year ago, the capital of Cordonia...
Madeleine ran down the sidewalk as a torrential downpour began. Being lost in thought, she had wandered away from the market place without paying attention. Townhomes with small parks and cottages with flower gardens dotted the quiet neighborhood.
"Oh!" Madeleine slid down, landing not only upon her left ankle, but also in a puddle.
She closed her eyes at the painful throbbing. Tears began to intermingled with the rain falling upon her face. She tried to standup but ended right back in the puddle.
For the life of her, she couldn't think of a single spell that she could use to help herself. It was part curse and actually a blessing to others that a witch could rarely use magic to improve their own circumstances. Other than being able to take potions to improve their physical health, most spells could only be used for someone else.
If she had asked Regina to come with her for a visit to the capital, then she could have healed Madeleine easily. She probably knew a spell offhand to immediately dry her clothes. But then again, Regina was the most powerful out of their coven.
She attempted to stand once more, only for a cry of frustration mixed with agony to slip out.
She could hear footsteps rushing towards her from behind.
She turned her head and saw a man. Her lips parted at how handsome he was. His drenched clothing revealed what was a definite muscular body. His blonde hair had darkened from the rain. But his eyes...they were the most intense blue she had ever seen.
"Are you badly hurt?" He asked.
She nodded. "It's my ankle. Either a bolt of lightening struck when I fell or I definitely heard a definite pop."
Without another word, he scooped her up in his arms as if she weighed no more than a feather.
He kicked open the wrought iron gate and ran with her into his townhome.
"There's a light switch behind you." He waited for her to find it then continued on into his living room. "Here." He set her down on the couch. I'll try to find you something dry to put on and then we'll have a look at that ankle."
Her lips parted then closed as he dashed upstairs. She took advantage of her solitude to study what was clearly the home of a bachelor. Her eyes touched on the masculine décor of oversized leather furniture and no pictures on the walls. There no trinkets of any sort nor any type of color to add to the brandy colored leather and beige walls.
She turned her attention back to her ankle and winced when she tried to rotate her foot.
"That will teach you not to do that again."
Madeleine jumped at the sound of his voice tinged with amusement.
He handed her a towel then knelt beside her. Using another towel, he dried her foot and leg after removing her shoe.
"Thank you, um..." She bit down on her bottom lip when his fingers gently pressed around the swollen area.
"Leo." He looked up at her. "And who might you be?"
"Madeleine." She sucked in a painful gasp when he lifted her foot.
"Madeleine," he shook his head, "I believe it is just a bad sprain."
She slumped back in relief at that news. "I think so too."
He took off his shirt off and pulled a dry one on.
Her parted lips at the sight brought a grin to his face.
"If we're going to get you an x-ray just to make sure nothing is broken, then you'll have to stay in your dress." His eyes roamed over her petite figure. "I don't have anything that will work for you out in public."
"Yes, of course." She lowered her eyes. "Thank you for your assistance. I'm certain I would still be sitting in the puddle if you hadn't come by."
"I saw you slip down from my bedroom window." He scooped her up once more and carried her out to his garage. "Don't worry Lady Madeleine, we'll have you fixed up in no time."
Her head jerked up. "How do you know I'm a noble?"
He paused then shrugged. "With your beauty and the way you speak, it seemed likely that you were one." He set her in the passenger seat of his car. "Then again," he winked at her, "perhaps I was hoping to be your knight in shining armor."
Her pale skin flared with color from his flirting.
Leo chuckled at the sight then patted her hand.
After taking her to a nearby emergency care clinic, he then drove her back to her hotel.
He carried her and her crutches to her room despite her arguments that she could manage now that she had something to lean on.
"You shouldn't trouble yourself, Mr.--"
"Leo." He insisted. "And it is no trouble at all, I assure you." He set her down on a chair. "So, what brings you to the capital?"
"Nothing in particular." She lowered her eyes. "I had a few council meetings to attend and then I decided to stay over for a few days."
Leo nodded. "Wanted to get away?"
"Yes." Madeleine twisted the hem of her skirt. "I shouldn't feel this way. My life is filled with responsibilities that I actually enjoy handling." She lowered her eyes. "But sometimes..."
"It isn't enough." He smiled at her. "I've been there."
"You have?"
"Of course." He stretched his legs out and took a deep breath. "Though, I think the worst thing that can happen to someone is to have those very responsibilities that they thrive on taken away."
He bent down when he saw her struggle to prop her foot up on a small table. Before she could utter the words that he needn't feel like he had to keep helping her, he had slid it over closer.
"Thank you." She smiled shyly at him. "If you don't mind my prying, what responsibilities do you have?"
His easy smile dimmed. "Ah, none."
Her eyes widened. "But you seem to understand --"
"Like I said," he got up and went to stand at her window. "Nothing is worse than being denied what you are made for."
"What were you made for?" She prodded.
He glanced at her from over his shoulder with a smirk. "Me? To be king."
Her eyes widened with realization. The infamous handsome looks. The chivalry. The recognition of her nobility.
"You're the Dark King's son." She whispered in disbelief.
He turned to fully face her. "And you're The Guardian's ward, the very one she gave up being queen for."
Madeleine swallowed nervously. "I--I'm sorry you lost your kingdom." She gripped her hands together in her lap. "I heard about your father naming Liam as heir."
A brief flash of anger appeared in his blue eyes. "Yes, it seems that my embarrassment of not being a vampire extends to all areas of Cordonia."
"No!" She lifted her hand toward him as if to try and comfort him. "It isn't anything you could control." Her brow furrowed. "I'm certain you would have been an excellent king."
He returned to his chair. "Do you?"
She nodded. "I've always had a gift of, well...of sensing a person's true nature."
"Sounds impressive." Leo reached for her hand. "And what do you sense with me?"
Madeleine bit down on her bottom lip. "I can't quite find the words, but I sense great things in your future." A blush formed on her cheeks as she locked eyes with him. "And that I am somehow tied to your destiny."
He lifted her hand to his lips. "I think you're right."
***************
It had to have been fate for their paths to cross. The young man had been wandering Europe in search for a place he could belong.
"Once I saw you," Leo told her late one night, "I knew I had finally found the right place."
She had lost her heart to him. His stories of not being loved by his father matched her own, especially in being considered a great disappointment. She had not been born a boy and he had not been born a vampire.
There was little either could do about it.
Leo admitted that he had gone in search of a vampire in Sweden to try and turn him. Something though went wrong when he was given the Vampire's kiss. He did not change. He had remained in his mortal form even after completing the procedure by drinking from the Chalice.
There was no increase of strength. There was no vulnerability to the sun. There was nothing new or different about him.
Only further frustration and heartache.
Madeleine kept their encounters to herself. It wasn't that she didn't trust Regina. She simply didn't trust what she might say to Constantine.
The King continued to invite Regina to visit. He understood her reasons for refusing his marriage proposal but he refused to never see her again. Since she was in love with him too, she went each time he called for her.
Madeleine didn't approve of their relationship, yet she also kept this thought to herself. She had seen as a child the effect speaking one's mind had on others and she never wanted anyone to know her plans or opinions.
But then she began to sneak away to see Leo.
He had been the first person she had actually opened up to. His charm and confidence seemed to spill over and infect her with an openness she never knew she possessed.
Leo was interested in everything about her, especially her knowledge of spells and potions. For nearly a year, he marveled at her intelligence and encouraged her to dig further to find ways to push magic to its very limit.
Then one night, he shared a dream he had recently had.
"You and I were the King and Queen of the Dark Kingdom." His blue eyes flashed with emotion as he gazed off into the distance. "The people were overjoyed to have the true heir back within the fold."
"We were married?" She asked.
"We were." He squeezed her tight, drawing a startled gasp from her lips. "Everything was how it was meant to be for me. I had claimed the black crown for my own."
"What about your father and Liam?"
He turned toward her. Images from his dream of their ashes floating about his feet brought a slight smile to his lips.
"They weren't there."
"Did you feel in the dream that they approved?"
"Of course." He replied. "I have no doubt they finally saw my true strength."
"You would be an excellent ruler, my love." She pressed a kiss to his cheek. "No one has as big a heart like you."
With her head pressed to his chest, he softly agreed. "Yes, I believe I would be just the ruler this country needs."
As the months passed, he fed her little by little tidbits of stories he claimed he had heard. The creatures of the Dark Kingdom were miserable. They were being ill treated by their once beloved monarch.
"I can't stand the thought of any of them suffering." He paced back and forth before her.
"Of course you can't." She replied. "I wish there was something we could do."
His steps faltered. Turning toward her, his sharp eyes filled with tears.
"Do you truly wish you could help them, Maddie?"
"I do." She reached for his hands. "It seems so wrong to be given these magical powers and not use them in some way to help your people."
He smiled warmly at her. She had stopped referring to the people of the Dark Kingdom as monsters. It had taken a long time to get her to do so, but he knew it would all be well worth it in the end.
Leo sat down before her. "If anyone can find a way for us to take our rightful place, it is you," he pressed a kiss to her hands, "my love."
Madeleine blushed at his faith in her. She loved that he saw her as no one else did. How could she not spend every single spare moment she had in pursuit of a way for him?
"I'll try, darling." She vowed. "I'll do everything within my power to return what is rightfully yours."
He captured her lips in a ravenous kiss.
**************
Now...
"I received your message." Leo climbed the trellis to Madeleine's balcony. "Did you find something?"
"I think I have." She showed him the lost book of Aurelia. "It is taking me a while to decipher, but I believe that what you need will be in here."
He stared at the book that might possibly hold his future.
"For instance," she opened it to the third chapter, "a witch held a vampire hostage to discover where their super strength and mind powers originate from."
His eyes narrowed on the crude symbols meant to be letters of the ancient Aurelian language.
"And you believe you will find a way to destroy Father's powers?" He asked.
"No." She gently placed her arm around his waist. "I believe I will find a way to give you those same powers without the vampiric nature."
His eyes widened. "Are you serious?"
"I am." She smiled up at him. "What will your first act as king be?"
He returned her smile. "After naming you queen, it will be to heal our fractured kingdom once and for all."
****************
That same evening, near a bustling market place in the capital...
"Lady Hana?"
Hana spun around and smiled. "Lord Beaumont?"
"Maxwell, please." He grinned at her. "It's nice to meet you."
She shook his hand then gestured to the lady beside her. "This my best friend and business partner, Riley Brooks."
"Hi." Riley shook his hand. "Hana said that you would be our tour guide."
"Well," he slipped his hands in his pockets while summoning his charming façade, "I don't like to brag but I do know all the best places to see in Cordonia."
"Great!" Hana relaxed some. "We have quite the list prepared of what we want to see most."
"Oh?" His eyes widened when she handed him a notebook. "Wow. You, uh, you weren't kidding."
"We're vloggers." Riley explained. "Our subscribers depend on us to be thorough with the places we travel to."
"Then you've got the right kind of tour guide." He hesitated when he came to Riley's section. "Interested in the supernatural?"
"Yep." Riley laughed. "You wouldn't think it of us," she nudged a giggle out of Hana, "but we have a lot of fun exploring the creepy."
"Not that we have ever come across a ghost or creature of the night." Hana added. "But we refuse to give up."
"I see." Maxwell mumbled. He looked up at them with a grin. "I'm a fraidy cat myself."
"That's okay." Riley shrugged. "It won't be the first time Hana and I have to venture into the unknown alone."
"She means supposed haunted houses and woods." Hana added with a chuckle.
"But that's not all I want to see." Riley pointed at another section of her list. "Night clubs and historical spots are another part I want to spend time on."
Maxwell shut the binder. "How about for your first venture into Cordonia's nightlife we go dancing?" He flashed another dimpled grin. "No need to spook you on the first night here."
"Sounds good to me." Riley replied when Hana tilted her head in agreement. "Lead the way."
******************
"Why did we come here of all places?" Drake grumbled.
"I sent Leo a message to meet us here for a drink." Liam sat down at one of the bar's balcony chairs. "He hasn't replied but I am still hopeful he will show up."
He had always enjoyed this particular bar simply for its view. The bustling marketplace of Cordonia's capital was the perfect place to people watch.
It was one of his favorite past times and he usually came by himself. Tonight though, he had dragged Drake and Sherry along while forcing Rashad to promise to meet up with them once he concluded a business dinner.
"Here we go." Sherry set some glasses down. "One whiskey for Mr. Grumpypants."
"Hey!"
"Sorry, I meant Sir Grumpypants." She teased. "One scotch for Liam." She sat down between them, "...and one--" her eyes began to glow as she zeroed in on an all too familiar figure down in the crowd.
"Sherry?" Drake poked her when she stilled.
"What is it?" Liam became alarmed by her fury forming.
Her eyes narrowed to mere slits. "He wouldn't dare!"
Sparks shot off from her hands as she shoved her chair back.
"Sherry!" Liam grasped her arm to try to calm her down before her emotions gave away what she was. He believed though that he should be able to alter the few patron’s memory here yet he hoped it wouldn't come to that."
"Who are you--" Drake's jaw spasmed as he tried to remain under control. He finally saw what she had seen. "It's that damn Beaumont!"
Liam turned to scan the crowd. He noticed the hunter walking with a lady on each arm. His brow furrowed at the strange sight. He knew Sherry had secured for the most part a future with him, and yet he was out with two--
Liam sucked in a strangled breath. The lady on his left had lifted her face to look at the upper level bars and restaurants. Her deep brown eyes met his and she smiled before continuing on her study of her surroundings.
Sherry jerked her arm out of his grasp. "I'm going to burn off some pieces of his body for this!"
Drake didn't bother to help stop her, hoping she would indeed hurt the man.
Liam shook himself out of the haze seeing the strange woman had caused. "Wait!" He took off after his relative. "Sherry!"
Drake heaved a groan, downed his drink, and begrudgingly followed in their wake.
******************
"...and if you are looking for the latest fashions, Hana, this store has a direct from Paris line--"
Maxwell took a step back when Sherry appeared before them.
Hana and Riley looked first at the furious woman then at his shocked face in curiosity.
"What do you think you're doing?" Sherry hissed.
Maxwell swallowed uneasily. "Will, uh, will you ladies excuse me a moment?"
"Sure." Riley replied as he grasped the mystery woman's hand.
He released it with a yelp as if touching her had hurt.
"Is something wrong?" Hana asked.
Maxwell shook his scalded hand. "No."
"That's what you deserve." Sherry muttered for his ears only. "How could you--
"Ladies, allow me to introduce Lady Sherry Alcantar." Maxwell bit out. His blue eyes seemed to spark with a fire of his own as he gazed upon the woman. "My love, this is Lady Hana Lee and Ms. Riley Brooks of New York. Lady Hana's mother is an old friend of my family who asked me to show them around."
Sherry's eyes narrowed somewhat. She was slightly mollified in hearing him call her his love, but that still gave him no right to escort two disgustingly beautiful women around Cordonia at night.
"It's nice to meet you." Riley held her hand out. "Maxwell told us all about you on the way here. I'm so glad we have a face to put to the name he says in every other sentence."
Sherry took a deep breath to cool her fiery temper. She shook her hand with a sincere smile. "It's nice to meet you both."
Hana smiled warmly at her while describing their work. "Lady Sherry, perhaps we could question you about some of the places we hope to capture on film.
The two friends shared a significant glance when Maxwell and Sherry merely stared at one another.
"If you don't mind, I would love to go in there and look around." Hana gestured toward the shop. "I can already see some dresses that I think would be perfect for our videos."
"We'll be back in a few." Riley added, winking at Sherry on her way inside. “I’m sure Maxwell would prefer staying out here with you than be stuck shopping with us.”
Sherry took a deep breath once they were gone. "Why are you really out with them?"
"I received a call the other night from Hana's mother." He explained. "She heard about Liam's search for a bride."
"Her mother knows about the Dark Kingdom?" Sherry couldn't hide her surprise. It was rare to find anyone today who actually believed that the stories were true.
"Yes, she is from one of Cordonia's minor houses." Maxwell sighed. "She doesn't want her daughter to be the next Dark Queen."
Sherry tried to control her temper. Nothing sparked it like someone denying the sweetest, most gentle man she knew a chance at happiness. She clinched her fists when she felt the heat move over her body.
"Sherry?" Maxwell took a cautious step forward. "You're overheating." He tried to take her in his arms, wincing at how hot she felt.
Her eyes flashed as she glared at him. "I know."
He let her go. "I'm sorry, honey."
The unexpected apology and endearment was what instantly cooled her. "You're what?"
"I know how important Liam is to you." He added, running his hands down his face. "But, I doubt this will be then only lady I'm tasked with protecting from him."
"Liam deserves a chance at finding his mate as much as anyone else. Maybe even more so." Sherry argued. She raised her eyes to his. "If you would spend time with him, then you would see what kind of man he is." She looked back into the shop at the two new ladies. "Maybe then you wouldn't take on jobs like this."
Maxwell hated seeing her so down and knowing he was partly responsible. He reached out and took her in his arms, cuddling her close. He dropped a kiss on top of her head.
“I know you want me to meet him. I’ll try to do so one day.” He tried to fight how wrong that felt saying aloud. “But for the moment, I can’t take a chance on Liam meeting Hana.”
“Why did you accept this?” She asked. “You've never taken on bodyguard duty before.”
"Hana's family offered incentives that I needed to help with Bertrand's healing." He rested his cheek against her head when he felt her arms wrap around him. "I didn't think about how it would affect Liam or you. I just knew I couldn't pass up this opportunity for my brother.”
Sherry lifted her head and gently kissed him. "I understand." A rueful smile formed on her lips. "And I apologize for blowing up at you earlier. When I saw you with two highly attractive women and clearly having the time of your life, something in me just snapped."
"You know, you ruined me for anyone else." His dimpled grin appeared. "I could be out with a dozen so called gorgeous women and all I would notice is that they aren't you."
She beamed at him. "Really?"
"Really."
When silence fell between them again, Maxwell exaggerated clearing his throat. He cocked an eyebrow when Sherry looked up at him.
"You ruined me too." She admitted.
"I better have." He grinned once more when he heard her laugh. "Just so there is no misunderstanding, I have to spend the next few weeks with Hana and Riley." He nudged Sherry's chin up. "I want you to come with us as much as you would like."
"You do?"
He nodded.
"I suppose I could find the time." She teased. With a sigh she looked up at the bar. "I should probably head back up there."
"Where?"
"I was up there having a drink with Liam and Drake." She pointed toward the empty balcony. "I wonder where they went."
"Liam's here?!" Maxwell let her go and rushed over to the shop window. He breathed a touch easier when he saw Hana critically studying a dress Riley had tried on.
He then scanned the crowd. His hand immediately went to his side, causing him to curse aloud when he remembered he had not brought his sword. He had left it behind to keep the illusion of a fun, party lord intact.
He really needed to start carrying a hidden dagger like Olivia kept insisting.
Sherry folded her arms while watching him revert into hunter mode. "Max? You know Liam would never harm them."
He narrowed his eyes as he searched for the Dark Prince and his right hand man.
He glanced at the lady beside him when he heard her deep sigh.
"Let me see where he disappeared to and I'll try and get him out of here."
"What was he doing down here anyway?" He asked.
"Oh." Sherry bit down on her bottom lip. "He recently found out that Leo is back in Cordonia and invited him to meet us for a drink."
"Leo's here too?!" Maxwell briefly closed his eyes. "I've got both of Constantine's sons converging on the very spot where I bring the woman I'm supposed to protect from that family."
Sherry rolled her eyes. "Stop panicking. I don't think Leo will show."
Maxwell noticed the bitterness in her tone. "He’s still not speaking to any of you?"
"Nope." Sherry wrapped her arms around his waist when he placed his arm back around her shoulders to try and comfort her. "No one in our kingdom has heard a word from him since Liam was named heir."
Maxwell pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "I'm sorry--"
She jumped when her phone vibrated.
"What's wrong?" Maxwell asked when her brow furrowed.
"Liam has gone to the palace. He said he needs to talk to Olivia." She sighed. "I guess Leo really is going to ignore us." She looked up at Maxwell. "You can rest easy in your job this evening, Lord Beaumont."
He hugged her close against his side. "You want to come with us? Riley wants to check out the nightlife here and I offered to take them to one of the clubs."
"A night club, huh?" She laughed. "It might actually seem like a date if I did come along."
Her heart melted at how bashful he suddenly seemed over the reminder that they had yet to have an actual date.
"I guess I have dropped the ball on that."
"It's hard to find the time when you're guarding the border nearly every night." She reminded him.
"We'll have our date one day." He promised.
"I'm fine with our nights at the border."
"You deserve better." Maxwell kissed her once more. "I'll make it up to you."
Sherry's lips parted to reassure him, only to pause when Riley and Hana came out of the store.
"Ready?" He asked them, summoning his fun loving persona once more.
"Please get us out of here." Riley pleaded playfully. "I think I actually heard my bank account cry after buying these." She held up the garment bags.
Hana laughed while keeping her own purchases off the ground. "Perhaps we should call it a night since we ended up buying so much. Is there any chance you can show us more tomorrow?"
Sherry could feel the tension in his body ease completely at the notion of putting these two safely away from the night.
"Sure." He looked down at the lady in his arms. "Sherry and I were just deciding on the places to show you these next few weeks."
"That's wonderful!" Hana beamed at the new lady. "We are grateful for all the help we can get."
While Riley and Hana began to eagerly question Sherry on her favorite restaurants and things to do, Maxwell guided them out of the market place, all while keeping a lookout for any sign of Liam.
***************
"Why are we going to see her again?" Drake grumbled. "Isn't it bad enough we had to see a Beaumont tonight? Now you want to add a Nevarkis to the evening's entertainment."
Liam ignored him as his jumbled thoughts focused in on one fact: he had actually seen the woman he knew to be his mate.
When he chased after Sherry, he had decided to hang back in the shadows. Knowing that the hunter his relative had lost her heart to would not be comfortable with his presence, he decided to remain far enough that he could intercede if Sherry's temper caused any problems.
Plus he hoped to hear more about the woman Maxwell was escorting.
Ms. Riley Brooks of New York.
He not only had overheard her name but also where she was from. He was able to see her more clearly in the lights from the nearby shops. Her beauty and the sound of her voice stirred something he had never felt when looking upon any other person.
She had to be the one. There was no other explanation to his reaction to just the sight of her.
Then he heard the reason Maxwell was with them.
The Dark Prince could not have cared less about the lady named Hana. But his job to protect her was going to make Liam's courtship of Riley difficult. He knew he would need some help if he was to get her away from her friend and Maxwell.
He couldn't ask Sherry to manipulate Maxwell into time alone with Riley. It didn't seem right to use the love between them in such a manner.
While frustration grew, he overheard the fact that Hana's mother was a Cordonian noble.
And he finally knew who could help him.
"Wait here." Liam ordered when they reached the palace gates. "I want Olivia in a good mood when I ask for her help. Seeing you, sadly, will not accomplish that."
"You're asking for her help?” Drake asked. “In what?"
"I'll tell you everything once the plan is in motion." He promised.
"But--" Drake rolled his eyes when Liam vanished. Within a second, he saw him climbing into the queen's window of her study.
"Good luck." He mumbled as he settled in for a long wait.
******************
"Hold on." Olivia raised her hands. "You want me to invite you and these Americans to my masquerade ball?" Her eyes widened. "Are you insane?!" She got up from her desk and began to pace. "Liam, my guards are trained to find and destroy any vampire who dares to enter the palace during such events!"
"I won't touch a single drop of blood that night and my manners will fit right in with the rest of the nobility." He explained. "Plus with wearing a mask, no one will recognize me."
"Why here?" Olivia asked. "Can't you do whatever you vampires do when you find your mate without involving me or my home?"
Liam leaned against the edge of her desk. "Because of Maxwell and Sherry."
"Maxwell and Sherry? What does my most trusted monster hunter and one of your dragons have to do with this?"
Liam's brow furrowed. "Hasn't he told you that he is Sherry's recognized mate?"
"Maxwell is a dragon's mate? Maxwell Beaumont?!" Oliva sat down in a chair completely stunned by this news.
"I can't believe he didn't tell you." Liam hoped he hadn't ruined anything by revealing this.
"Maxwell owes me nothing, especially when it concerns his private life." Olivia quickly explained. "If anything, it is me and Cordonia that owe him for all his years of service." A wiry smile flirted about her lips at the irony of it all. "A renowned monster hunter and a monster in love and destined for one another. Poor Maxwell. That had to be a shock."
"You know, you really are a nice person." Liam grinned and sat across from her. "That's why I knew as a little boy that we were destined to be friends."
Olivia rolled her eyes. "Back to your request. Why will my ball not only help you but also keep Sherry and Maxwell out of it?"
"Because Maxwell will be forced to come along once you invite Lady Hana and Riley. And if I'm here--"
"Yes, but my head of security knows your name and what you are." Olivia stressed again. "I can't have him see your name on the guest list and--"
"But I will simply be company with the Duke of Domvallier." Liam explained. "Rashad's duchy is technically Cordonian, as you well know. Since only a rare handful know that Rashad and Sherry are dragons, I assumed your head of security would think it was a myth too."
Olivia nodded. "That's true. Bastien believes that the only creatures of the Dark Kingdom are vampires."
Liam's smile grew. "I can be a business associate of Rashad's. While Maxwell is keeping an eye on Hana and distracted with Sherry, I can then meet Riley under easier circumstances."
Seeing his excitement, she knew she couldn't refuse him.
"You're the only one who can do this for me." Liam added. "Plus, you're one of the few I can trust with this."
"Geez. Why not whip out those mind powers of yours while you're at it?" She grumbled.
Shaking her head over how easily she was ready to help him, she couldn't help but return his smile. "Fine. I'll send invitations to Rashad for the three of you and for Lady Hana and company."
Liam scooped her up out of her chair before she could blink and hugged her tight.
"Thank you!" He bowed and kissed her hand. "I knew I could count on you."
"Uh huh." She waved towards her window. "Now get out of here before I change my mind."
He winked at her and did as she said. "I'll see you at the Masquerade Ball, your majesty."
She walked over to the window and watched him disappear through the gate. Her smile dimmed as she thought of the report she had been reviewing when he appeared in her private study.
Olivia wondered if she should have told Liam about his brother's secret meetings with the Countess of Fydelia. There could only be one reason he had recently become so close to the witch. Leo must be searching for a way to gain the power he had been denied since birth.
Deciding to keep a close eye on the banished prince, she planned on telling Liam once she had more information. He was so happy with finding his mate that she couldn't stand the thought of taking that away from him with this news.
"Damn it." Olivia muttered. "Liam really is my best friend."
Somehow a Nevarkis had developed a love for a Rhys.
*Character moodboard for Madeleine and Leo*
#all through the night#choices the royal romance#trr vampire au#trr dark au#liam x riley#maxwell x oc#maxwell x sherry#drake walker#olivia nevarkis#hana lee#vampire liam#leo x madeleine
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Insert Coin - Chapter 2 / Series Masterlist
Waking up to the cursed sound of Monokuma’s voice, (Y/n) let her body remain in the warm confines of her duvet. Her eyes were heavy and burned whether she had them open or not. Turning, she let her back rest against the mattress, endless stare settled on the ceiling.
Every time she went to close her eyes, Byakuya’s bloody corpse was staring her in the face. His voice festered between her ears as it called her name. Quite possibly the last thing he’d said to anybody was him calling her name for help.
Stabbed over ten times between his abdomen and throat.
It must’ve been excruciating. To be working to bring everyone together only to be brutally murdered in your endeavors.
She can only hope death was quick to lay its merciful hands upon Byakuya’s soul.
And to be boiled alive, even.
A hand came up and over her heart, scrunching up the fabric of her sleepshirt, a new wave of misery banging at her brain as she thought of Teruteru. The Ultimate Cook. No, their Ultimate Chef. The least she could do was honor his wishes in her mind.
To be slathered in slimy batter and caked with breading was a mere inconvenience in comparison to being boiled - being cooked. The heat. The bubbling and popping of your skin as you quickly simmer.
It made her queasy just to think about.
All that pain, all that suffering - brought about by the hands of Nagito Komaeda. The sweet-faced, gentle-smiled boy of luck. The same boy she was planning on meeting in the dining hall.
Sighing through her nose, (Y/n) slowly rose from her bed before swinging her legs over the edge of her bed frame and pushing up to a complete stand. Her body felt like gelatin, mind in a foggy haze as she moved towards her closet, pulling off her makeshift pajamas and trading them in for cleaner versions of the clothes she already had on.
Exiting her cottage, (Y/n) was sure to lock her door before stowing the key away and heading towards the dining hall before anybody sent out a search party for her. The sand crunched under her shoes as she made her way to the dining hall, hopefully, the others had somehow forgotten about the entire night prior. If she could be the only one with the horrid memory of their friends’ deaths, she’d be happy.
Ultimate Peacekeeper and yet she couldn’t even keep two people alive.
Clenching her teeth, (Y/n) shook her head - if she thought like that then she’d be too busy throwing herself a pity party to focus on any of her peers. She reached out to open the dining hall door and stepped inside, and for a split second, her heart picked up at the thought of finding another body.
A corpse laid across the floor and Monokuma’s wretched voice bringing about another body discovery announcement.
Once again, she forcefully shook off her thoughts and pushed forward. Everyone was there. No, two people were missing.
Fuyuhiko, which was no surprise, seemed an avid supporter of being the “lone wolf” of their group. Nagito, on the other hand, was almost never by himself - despite his previous exclamations of being unworthy of a friend, he surely liked the company of the people on the island.
(Y/n) sidled herself up beside Hajime, giving the boy’s side profile a gentle, unnoticed smile - he looked exhausted, “How’re you feeling?”
“Hm,” Hajime flinched at the sudden noise, turning to lock eyes with the mediator, “I feel…” he looked down at his plate sadly, “fine.”
“Alright,” she pat his back, “if you need anything, I’m always available. It’s what I’m here for, Hajime.”
“Right,” the brunette nodded, he let his shoulders droop, defenses falling ever so slightly, “thanks, (Y/n).”
“Of course,” she nodded, looking around the dining hall once again and quirking a brow, “is it just me or… are there people missing?”
Before Hajime could answer her question, Monokuma appeared suddenly inside the cafeteria - frightening a few of the students. Hajime’s brows furrowed, “You can't just pop up out of nowhere like that!"
"Puhuhuhu, but I can!" what a high-pitched drawl, (Y/n) suddenly thought - she’d always been taught that villains have sickeningly deep voices and here Monokuma was, proving her entire life wrong, "I'm here to deliver the next motive!"
"A motive?" Hajime tilted his head in the midst of his confusion.
"It's not that I don't think you all love participating in my super fun killing game or anything..." Monokuma fidgeted, faking a new shy persona, "But, of course, I thought it would be even more fun to give you guys a motive!"
"Well, we've taken care of everything,” Kazuichi immediately rebuffed, “No one is going to kill anymore, no matter what your motive is!"
(Y/n) swung her head to look at the Ultimate Mechanic, “‘Taken care of’, what are you talking about?”
"Whatever you say!" the black-and-white bear waved off, clearly in disbelief of the boy’s words anyway, "If you're interested, there's an arcade machine in Jabberwock Park with a game on it that might have some cool info for you! And that’s as much as you’re getting from me, bye for now!"
"Ooh, fun!" Ibuki blurted out as Monokuma disappeared.
"Fun?” Hajime shook his head, irritation clear on his face, “No! Guys, we absolutely cannot play that game. This is Monokuma's attempt to trap us. Who knows? The game could be filled with lies to get us to kill each other!"
“Hajime’s right,” (Y/n) nodded, “If anyone plays that game, a murder is likely. I know it’ll be hard but we have to do our best to keep alive.”
Hajime could be a good leader. Strong, independent, commanding - a good man. He could be great. Then again, so was Byakuya.
Mahiru looked around and asked the question (Y/n) had before Monokuma arrived, "Wait, where's Nagito?"
Hiyoko giggled, covering her mouth with her hands as she did so, "He's probably too ashamed to show his ugly face around here.”
"No," (Y/n) interrupted, “I don’t think he’d be so self-conscious.”
"Don't worry about it,” Kazuichi waved off, locking his hands behind his head, “He isn't going to bother us anymore."
"What did you do?" (Y/n) pushed herself away from Hajime and toward the mechanic.
"Kazuichi, you probably shouldn't say stuff like that..." Nekomaru’s voice was strange - hasty, as if he was trying to hide something.
"Nekomaru, Kazuichi," (Y/n)’s brows furrowed as she looked between the boys, “Tell me, right now, what did you two do?”
"Well, we..." Kazuichi glanced at Nekomaru, "Took care of him this morning."
"You guys killed someone?" Mahiru exclaimed, face running pale.
"No! What the hell? Of course, not, we didn't do that!" Nekomaru shook his head as if he couldn’t fathom how his suspicious behavior could lead to that conclusion, "We found him on the way here and... tied him up. So he couldn't do anything drastic again! He's on the floor of the room we had the party in, he's- he'll be fine."
"So you guys - without telling anyone - kidnapped Nagito this morning and just left him tied up?" Hajime turned his head between the two, obviously done with the idiots, "Do you understand why that possibly wasn't the most fantastic idea?"
"What were we supposed to do, just let him run around acting like that?" Kazuichi asked, exasperated, "It's fine! He'll live, we just have to bring him food or something once in a while..."
"Now that we're in this mess, it will be difficult to pull us out," (Y/n) crossed her arms, thinking over the situation, “I’ll keep watch over him. I was going to do so anyway, but two people,” she glared directly at the boys of the hour, “decided to act without consulting the group,” as Mahiru prepared a plate, (Y/n) continued, “Just leave Nagito to me, I’ll be a babysitter for him - if anybody has an issue with him, please don’t act on your own until necessary. It could do more harm than good.”
Handing over the plate, Mahiru gave the peacekeeper a nervous smile, "Be careful, okay? Just run outta there if anything weird happens."
“Right,” (Y/n) nodded, taking the plate, “Kazuichi, Nekomaru,” the two hesitantly looked over to her - it felt horribly similar to facing a disappointed parent - she pursed her lips before giving a sympathetic grin, “I get where you two were coming from and I appreciate it, but don’t do something like this again. It’s dangerous.”
The two murmured out their agreements as (Y/n) left.
Crossing from the dining hall to the old building, (Y/n) flexed her fingers as she walked, gut knotting up inside her. Byakuya died there. Her friend, and to some extent, a role model. All because of the man she was going to be spending the rest of their stay at Jabberwock with. She had to. She needed to keep tabs over him if they wanted to avoid something like the party again.
Her hand stopped at the door handle, fingers resting against the cool metal.
She could just let him starve, it’s not like anybody would care. Nobody would check the old building anyway.
Shaking her head, (Y/n) pushed the door open - she’s supposed to be the Ultimate Peacekeeper and she was already dropping the ball with two deaths and a kidnapping. Letting Nagito starve was just a cruel and unusual punishment. An impulsive thought she'd never act on.
And so, putting one foot in front of the other, she continued down the hall Teruteru did. To find Nagito.
#insert coin#sdr2 x reader#sdr2 reader insert#nagito komeada x reader#nagito x reader#hajime hinata x reader
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me, nodding of to sleep: IM HERE IM HERE
did my head just loll to the side? you will never know. first of all this chapter was the most beautiful thing i have ever read. Mavid have my HEART. It's also 4 16 am so im sorry if the reactions are a little bland but this was PERFECT.
me, throughout the whole thing: mavid mavid mavid
They had kissed for the first time almost a week ago. And they had kissed again. A couple of times.
Okay fine, they had kissed a lot since then.
Not a lot a lot. But a lot.
Wait a minute. How much kissing was a lot of kissing?
this is adorable
“I heard he cried when he found out Lexi and Liv were dating,” David chuckled.
yup that's jace
“We have to pay to talk on the phone?” Max asked incredulously. “I thought it was free.”
“Of course it isn’t free, Max!” David chuckled. “We have to pay for WiFi too.”
“This is ridiculous!” Max said. “Next you will say we have to pay for electricity.”
“Um, we do have to pay for electricity,” David chuckled again.
we pay for water too
but max you didnt know-
“Don’t let them guilt trip you!” Max had chastised. “They like doing chores. Let them do it. They fight demons all day and then come home and do chores. I feel like it’s their form of therapy. They need this.”
cant relate nope
“I don’t know,” Max groaned. “My family is so dramatic.”
the lightwood-banes in one sentence
THERE ARE SO MANY FEELS MY HEART CANNOT CONTAIN
“Well, too late!” Max announced. “This date is going to be the best first date in the history of first of dates.”
In retrospect, he really shouldn’t have said that.
nah its gonna be great
“Perhaps you should just take him to the New York Library. They have, uh, books.”
yes that is what they keep in libraries
OH MY GOD THE FRIEND IS ELYASS
HERE'S MY FAVORITE DEMON Y'ALL
His parents would not be pleased if they knew Max was summoning demons for relationship advice.
But they had also encouraged Max to make friends with everyone regardless of their identity. So, technically this was their fault. They gave him very mixed messages.
well-
you know i really shouldnt have laughed at the demon attack news but for some reason i did
i blame my sleep deprivation
shit i feel sick
you know maybe i shouldve just waited till the morning...
ok but the demon attack is NOT coincidental
there is something going on
“I thought dragon demons were extinct!” Max yelled over the commotion.
well-
ANJALI
“Man, fuck the orders!” Max said in frustration.
if you get hurt ill kill you
oh it's not her
well fuck
“That was an Armani, you piece of shit!” Rafael yelled at the demon. Max almost laughed.
THE AUDACITY
It really did. Dragon demons smelled like they lived inside a boys locker room.
well that's nice to know
FUCK THEY ARE TALKING NOW???
ok what is going on
“Say the thing!!!”
“I’m not saying the damn thing, you maniac!”
“Say the thing!”
Rafael groaned and raised his hands, the alliance rune lighting up.
“I’m not just a shadowhunter,” Rafael said through gritted teeth. “I’m Magnus Bane’s son.”
LMAO THEM
“Well, demons are stupid,” Max pointed out.
“Yeah, that makes sense,” Rafael said with a mouthful of food. “You are half demon after all.”
Im so sleepy i cant even react to this
but THEM I CANT-
WHERE.IS.ALEC
Max wanted to laugh. Only David would worry about another person while being injured in the infirmary.
MUST BE PROTECTED
Max nodded; his throat still dry. He couldn’t stop staring at David. At the wound. At the blood.
Also, maybe the naked chest.
AHEM
OH MY GOD JAIME IS ALIVE
we're getting lightwood-bane fluff LET ME CRY
alec...
on one hand alec smoking is fucking hot BUT WITH THE MUNDANE DISEASES OH HELL NAH
“But it tastes so good when it’s from your plate!” Max said with a mouth full of food.
“Oh, you want my food? Here!” Rafael grinned and threw a piece of chicken at his face.
Max caught it with his mouth cause wasting food was a crime. “Thanks, bro!”
“You little s-”
HE CAUGHT IT IN HIS MOUTH
“And no fighting over chicken!” Bapak pointed out. “We can always summon some more.”
“Order,” dad corrected. “We don’t summon. We order. And then we pay.”
“How do we destroy capitalism if we have to pay for everything?” Max asked.
Max has a point y'know
“That’s rich coming from someone who is wearing an Armani jacket,” Max stuck out his tongue.
“It was a gift!” Rafael said, furiously chewing on his chicken.
“Does that mean Bapak is a capitalist?” Max asked.
LMAO
Max: What even-
Max: Can shadowhunters get high on iratzes lol
CAN THEY???
David: Mr Herondale yelled “Yes! Two out of three!”
MOOD
PLEASE RAFAEL AND MAGNUS ARE LIKE "About time"
SAME THOUGH
“David is what you get if Dad and Uncle Jace and Uncle Jem had a baby.”
STOP NO
“Oh,” Max said. “Uh, David and I…We are dating.”
Dad choked on his coffee. “Excuse me?”
Bapak chuckled next to him. “Of course you didn’t know.”
“You two are dating?” dad demanded. “Since when? Who else knows about this? Why didn’t you tell us before? Were you dating when you were in London? Magnus, did you know about this?”
“There you go!” Max yelled triumphantly. “That’s the dramatic reaction I was looking for. Thanks, dad!”
There's alec. Yup
OH MY GOD NOT THE SEX TALK
good thing i had wattpad I MEAN-
“Kissing?” dad gaped. “On the mouth???”
“Um, where else would we kiss?” Max asked incredulously.
“Well, actually,” Bapa cleared his throat. “There are many ways you can enjoy-”
IM CACKLING
And that’s how the next hour turned out to be the most painful and most embarrassing hour of his life.
Max decided he would rather get attacked by a hoard of dragon demons than sit through it any longer
“You guys know we have something called the internet, right?” Max demanded.
“Well, the internet can have mixed messages,” Bapak sniffed. “We on the other hand have real life experien-”
“Magnus!” dad looked red in the face.
“Fine,” Bapak sighed. “Now moving on to the importance of lubrication and-”
“I’m begging you to stop,” Max groaned.
THE NOISES WHICH LEFT MY MOUTH ARE NOT OK TO BE MAKING AT 3 30 AM
“I’ll have you know this conversation utterly traumatized me. I demand financial compensation.”
HE'S SO DRAMATIC
“Well,” dad said carefully. “David is…”
“French?” Max asked.
i blame my sleep deprived ass for laughing at this
next thing i know someone's being tortured and im laughing because i dont have sleep in my system
Max honey...
listen to him
i for one, dont want a repeat of pg 511 cols
oh he's finding out about the incident
that's what i call it
Max thought of all the stories he had heard then. The one of the warlock who killed people who he could bring back his dead girlfriend. The one about a nephilim mother who paired up with prince of hell to bring back her dead son.
oh yeah...
shudder
They called it The Jem effect.
AYYYYY
It was true. In fact, he used to have a crush on both Tessa and Jem. It’s how he had found he was bisexual.
very very valid. have a good day sir
AWW MAX DIDNT KNOW HE COULD BLUSH
you know it's a sign ive been watching b99 too much that i was imagining mina talking like gina...
pls send help
ALSO MINA BESTEST SDCHJDFVYDYUGFYUGFVDYVFD
“Can we not talk about my boyfriend’s sperm, please?”
im surprised my parents havent woken up by the sound i let out
BUT HEY THE DOOR'S CLOSED SO
SUGGENS MINA
“I’m hearing an inflated sense of self-importance,” he heard Ragnor call from the bathroom. “Is Magnus here?”
“Just the spawn,” Max called back.
THE SPAWN BYE-
“He is married to the Consul!” Tessa chuckled. “And one of his sons is a shadowhunter.”
“It’s still very bad for our reputation,” Ragnor grumbled. “He is too close with shadowhunters.”
“You are the headmaster of Scholomance!” Catarina said incredulously. “You teach nephilim! Even though you don’t need a job!”
“I was coerced!” Ragnor huffed. “Manipulated by the children of the angel.”
really ragnor?
The grin disappeared and Ragnor buried his face on Catarina’s shoulder. “I can’t go through this again, Cat! Not again!”
“So much for not taking up after his father, huh?” Catarina chuckled and looked at him. “That’s nice, Max. We are happy for you.”
“We are not!” Ragnor said in a muffled voice.
RAGNOR DJHDCUHUKIHDVVFDDB
OOOO MAX DIDNT KNOW ABOUT CAMILLE
a kind of endless love...
dont make me cry
“I know you are worried, love,” Tessa’s voice was a whisper. “You are worried about surviving after David. You are worried about your own heart. But you should never let that fear stop you from finding love. Because love is what sustains us immortals. It keeps us alive. When you love a mortal, you love them forever. You might not remember all the memories. The colour of their eyes or the sound of their voice. But you will remember the love. You will carry that love inside you forever. It does not make you weak or fragile. It makes you stronger. And you will forever be grateful for it.”
my eyeballs are too tired to cry
stop it
THEY SAID I LOVE YOU
I FEEL LIKE A PROUD MOM
bitch you hate children wtf-
Max laughed. “I’m going to kill dad for making us do this. God, this is so weird!”
better get it done now
HE'S DAVID'S FOREVER
dont do this to me at 4 am
“You should two should some spend time together. Get to know each other and all of that,” Max suggested with a smile. “Maybe you can bond over archery or something.”
“I’m pretty sure he would use me for target practice,” David mumbled.
“Don’t be ridiculous, David!” Max said incredulously. “My father doesn’t need target practice!”
At this point, a David and alec scene isn't a want its a NEED
“I got it all planned,” Max said – for someone who had no idea what he was going to do.
me throughout life
max Rafael isn't the one smoking-
OH MY GOD MY DAD JUST CAME TO CHECK ON ME THE WAY I SLAMMED MY LAPTOP
“Also tell him to stop smoking!” Max pointed out seriously. “It’s not good for his health! Especially with all the mundane illnesses going on.”
“I know, Max,” dad sighed heavily and blinked. “I mean, I’ll talk to him. For sure.”
Alec if anything happens to you...just know ill raise hell
“I don’t want easy,” David smiled. “I want you.”
IT'S 4 AM DUDE
AYYY THE SHANGHAI SHADOW MARKET
CELESTIAL PALACE
“Dad? The Consul? That dad?” David looked surprised and relieved all at once. “Oh my god, he doesn’t hate me!”
“Of course he doesn’t hate you!” Max chuckled. “But he did say he will put your nerd ass in the silent city if you don’t bring me home by 11.”
of course, he did
oh my god SLEEP. there is so much to do tomorrow dying...my grammar was really bad and I don't have what it takes to use Grammarly's corrections except for the ones it's already doing as type.
this chapter had my heart BURSTING!! AHHHHHHH
the talk was so important I'm so glad they took care of that. ok imma head to bed now BYEE
Eeeeeee this was a lot sfkjdfkd I hope you are okay. Get some sleep next time or I will call the police.
Thank you as always for reading, reacting and supporting 💚
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Made a Grumpus OC
They're just one of few of them..not sure if I'll draw any of them, I drew them because..I'm bored
I have a grumpsona in mind..but I'm not finish with it's design
I guess I'll explain them
Amly Ductforce(I'm bad at names) came to Snaktooth island because they were bored and needed a vacation from their "job"
He's gender-fluid and doesn't mind people getting his pronouns wrong when he doesn't feel that gender, but some just call him a "They" and that's fine by him
One thing that she's really good at, is lying and stealing. When she came to Snaktooth Island, she started her hobby right away and stole some things from Wambus which got him pretty upset
He gives everyone nicknames despite not liking anyone besides Cromdo
She likes order yet enjoys chaos, sometimes, she would plant random objects that belong to the residents in each other's huts to start up something
When the town split, he went to the Boiling Bay due to the nice warm yet cold feel to it and because she wanted to steal stuff from Floofty
They're probably in their late 40s early 50s
Her and Cromdo get along for the most part as long as she doesn't steal anything from him
In their hut, they have a lot of stolen objects, most from Wambus
Their hut is beside Liz and Egg's hut but is to the right of the beach
If he was in the game, then you'd meet them the same time you meet Floofty
She doesn't like Lizbert because she always calls her out on the stuff she steals, same for Beffica
Due to his hatred to Lizbert, he shares the same hatred towards Eggabell but doesn't go out his way to steal from her, seeing her as too fragile
He's scared of Chandlo(because he would snap her like a twig), Shelda(because she acts like a cult leader), and Gramble(because he's too nice)
If they get caught stealing, they lie about it and theres a 90% chance it'll work due to their confident sounding voice and being a bit manipulative
Dialogue in game:
What everyone thinks of them
Filbo:
"Oh..them? They're..ok, as long as they don't cause any trouble.."
Wambus:
"...."
Beffica:
"She's just a thief, no wonder her and Cromdo work so well together, they're nothing but squeebs."
Gramble:
"I never spoke to him before..but..I don't think he likes me very much.."
Wiggle:
"She stole my banjo and said she wanted to play a song, but then she threw it off a cliff! I'm so glad I have fast reflexives."
Snorpy:
"All they do is steal stuff! Then lie about stealing that stuff! I haven't gotten my inventions back in 3 months!"
Cromdo:
"Ah..that grump is something all right..greatest business partner ever, she and I are gonna rule the money world!"
Triffany:
"Oh..Amly? I don't come in contact with her often but Wamby doesn't like her."
Chandlo:
"After they stole my balls AND Snorpy's inventions, I promised to never speak to them for the rest of my life bro!"
Floofty:
"I don't appreciate them stealing my leg or my notes. If given the chance, I would experiment on them."
Shelda:
"Do not speak of thy name who gladly would turn his back on us if given the chance!"
Cemi:
"Nope. I don't like her at all..she's not that attractive..and she hangs with Cromdo."
Charlia:
"I really don't like it when she tries to remove my arm..it hurts my feelings.."
Being asked about Floofty:
"I like stealing their stuff but if I offered to help them, I think they'll kill me."
Meeting them:
"Woah..a new face! I haven't seen anyone new around here in..grumping forever!"
"Who are ya and why are you talking to me?"
*explains*
"Oh! You're that amateur journalist Lizzie was talking about! I thought you were never coming, isn't this grand? New faces! New people! New stuff to..borrow!"
"I'm Amly Dustforce, the ruler of Snaktooth island!"
Will you come back to town?
"Wait..town? No way..if Cromy's not there, then I'm not going!"
"Also, I'm a little parched, can ya get me a Sqaquiri? I'd drink those things, everyday of the week, maybe we can..cut a deal, how's that sound doll?"
*Caught Sqaquiri*
"Now THAT was a refreshing beveridge, thanks doll!"
"So, ya want me to come back to town? Well, I might need some convincing, I want ya to find out what that Filbo kid does when nobody's lookin, I could use it for..things."
*You find out what Filbo does*
"HA! Are you serious?! Oh jezz, and I thought he couldn't be more of a squeeb! HAHA! Goodness..that's a laugh I needed..ha!"
"Good to know theres some things to see in town, but I'm more interested in WHAT is in town."
"For ya final task, I want ya to steal Beffica's diary..then rip out some pages that are interesting, and give them to me. Easy."
*You grab the pages*
"Sweet! Good job my messenger grump!"
"*sigh*, I think I'm ready to go to town..but..first I want you to get Cromy in town."
But you said that was the final task
"I lied."
"Get Cromy in town and I'll follow right behind, deal?"
*Cromdo is in town*
"Wow! That was..slow but it'll do!"
"Thanks doll, looking forward to chatting with ya! Farewell!"
Interview:
Have time for an interview?
"Interview? That sounds fun! I'm in."
Who are you?
"Amly Ductforce, it's pronounced Aim-ly. Strange. I know."
Why come to Snaktooth Island?
"I heard of Lizzie's stupid conspiracy on TV, I was about to change the channel when I heard there was an island involved, and I just so happened to be looking for a place to host my vacation. So I packed up and lied about being interested in her expedition."
Vacation from what?
"My life. My job. My family. Everything basically."
Thoughts on Bugsnax?
"I guess they're ok, the names could be better..but some taste pretty good. Note, keep away from the Aggroll."
Why?
"Because those things will break some bones and the flavor isn't even worth it! Also because it's named after someone I'm not found of."
Why did you leave town?
"I could handle the drama between Wamby and Gram, but once Cromy left, I had no reason to stay. I wanted to follow him, but I decided to live near the beach instead, so yeah."
What do you think about Cromdo?
"Me and him have a pretty decent relationship, I give him what he wants and he takes the fall for me. Simple business."
Are you planning on betraying him?
"No way, he's cool, I don't consider him a friend, but he's still great to work with."
Any info on Lizbert?
"Liz..I grumping hate her! She keeps saying I stole stuff from her, I would never do such a thing! If she didn't have that little obstacle beside her, I would burn her hut down!"
Woah, calm down. Who's this obstacle?
"I am calm..just speaking out my mind. And I'm talking about Eggabell. The doctor? Lizzie's girlfriend? Eggy bell? Yeah. She and her are like..two papers in a file. Theres nothing you can do to separate those two."
What happened to Lizbert?
"If we're being honest, I'm not sure."
Are you lying?
"Heh. For once in my life, no. I really don't know what happened to Lizzie, she went up that mountain and didn't come back."
How do you know she went up the mountain?
"I saw her."
Why didn't you tell anyone?
"I did. Nobody besides Cromy believed me, guess that's the price being the best liar in the world."
That'll be it. Thank you
"No problem doll, that was pretty fun! Here, have this!"
*stolen piece of journal paper*
"Found it while cleaning Lizzie's hurt, it might help ya in someway. Any who, I gotta run, farewell!"
Side Quests:
"Heya doll, you won't believe what I discovered! It'll help ya find Liz!"
What?
"First..get me a Poptick..it's very important."
Why?
"Trust me! It's super super SUPER important!
Sure, I guess
"Caramel please."
*Got the Poptick*
"Perfect..now..I need a Snaquiri.."
Are you going to tell me why?
"Nope. Make it quick! I have a feeling my brain's about to forget everyone!"
*Got the Snaquiri*
"Good..now..I need a Cheery, that'll be all to finish this!"
I have a feeling you're lying
"I'm hurt."
Fine.
"Hurry up! I'm losing my life force!"
*Got the Cheery*
"Alright..now-"
*silence*
What?
"That's it. I was just hungry."
Why did you say it was important
"There was no way you'd do it if I asked, so I just..slightly lied."
Slightly?!
"Calm down doll! Everything fine! Nobody got hurt.."
You have a lying problem
"I know..but I can't do anything about it, it's the only thing I got."
"When you're a liar, nobody wants to be around you, nobody likes you..and nobody will trust you."
"Ever since birth, I lied, stole, and broke so many things, nobody wants anything to do with me. I had no friend and my family kept saying I was a bad person..so I don't talk to them anymore."
"Lying is all I got left doll and if I stop, I got nothing. So I'm not stopping anytime soon, so deal with it."
"Thanks for the food..farewell."
Welcome back message:
"Oh..you're..back."
"Heya Wamby, didn't know you'd be back either! How sweet! The gangs coming back!"
"Amly, if you go near my farm-"
"What? Me? Go near your farm? No way! I would never!"
"Don't think that everyone things you're a saint! Only Cromdo thinks that!"
"I don't think I am one, but it's nice knowing you think so!"
"Just stay away from my farm."
"Deal. Happy catching up with you!"
Major Celebration Dialogue:
"You know, Cromby..maybe we should take a break from our business, we're making a few people upset by it."
"Agreed. What should we do to be occupied til then?"
"Hm..maybe we could sell Bugsnax? I could..borrow that trap the journalist uses."
"Yeah..yeah I like that idea!"
"It's settled! Cromy and Amly's marketing lives on!"
"We need a better name."
"Yeah.."
*approaching him*
"Heya doll, how's the party?"
*asked to dance*
"Sorry, but I'm working. Maybe when we sell out."
*sold out*
"Wow! That was quick, how's about a dance Cromy?"
"You bet! Meet you on the dance floor!"
Reaction to partner(I guess..he paired with Cromdo and Beff):
Cromdo:
"Grumping..NO!"
Beffica:
"Wait..no..what..what's going on?!"
Dying message:
"I'm nothing but a liar..a cold..worthless liar. I hurt so many people..no wonder I have no friends..at least I got bugsnax.."
Final message(Good ending):
"What the ever grump was all that?! Why..did...oh zonk who cares?We're alive! Ha ha! Amly lives to see a new day!
You know..after all of this..I think I'll finally turn over that new leaf..I'll quit my job..and start fresh in the country. I should also apologize to everyone I hurt, so..sorry doll, I stole your pen...
Geez that took a lot out of me! Ah! This'll be hard!
But..it feels..kinda nice..guess I shouldn't wait around..farewell, til we cross paths again, doll."
Final message(Bad ending)
"What..the grump? Cromdo..he's..gone. This..makes me..realize..our lives are so..fragile, I..shouldn't waste it..
Oh Cromdo..if I known that..I would have put myself in your place
At least..maybe we could be together..again
Business partners forever...ha.."
I over complicate everything
#bugsnax#grumpsona#bugsnax oc#art#bugsnax art#random#original character#my art#idk#cromdo face#beffica#Amly Dustforce
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I Like Boys
A Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers Story
Master List
Pairing: Stucky | Word Count: 2256 | Warnings: Language
Based on the Todrick Hall song I Like Boys
A/N: With all the crazy in the world right now, I thought we could all use a little something fun and fluffy. This is my first Pride fic, please be kind as I did my absolute best. Love who you love, people. There’s nothing greater in life.
This fic is for @magellan-88 who inspires me even when she doesn’t intend to.
***
James Buchanan Barnes was ninety-seven years old when his Hydra programming finally broke. He spent two years running from his best friend, another two in cryo, and five after that apparently blipped into nothing. After the fight - were, somehow, they all came out alive - Bucky decided, fuck it!
How many times had he almost died? How many chances had he had? How many more would he waste before finally living his best life?
So he retired—sort of.
There was no such thing as "retiring" when your idiot best friend continued to throw himself out of planes and into the line of fire on a regular basis, but Steve did slow down. He took on a more managerial role, was promoted to "General" for his service, and spent his days sitting on his ass behind a desk.
Bucky liked him there. He liked having Steve unbruised and unbusted at the end of the day, saunter through the door to their joint living space and holler, "Honey, I'm home!"
It was a joke on the blond's part that was wearing thin, for when Bucky decided to live his best life, he'd begun to do some research about what that meant. Be true to you was a big part of it. But to be true to himself, he had to be honest with himself, and honesty meant admitting he'd been in love with Steven "is this a test" Rogers for most of his natural life.
Sadly, Steve liked girls. Case in point, one Peggy "gonna bust some balls" Carter.
Bucky couldn't exactly compete with that. She was one classy dame, and it hurt him to know that Steve would likely never move on. This era and it's dating rituals had thrown Cap for a loop. Women were too forward, and Steve - surprisingly - too shy to dive into the world of casual dates and sex.
For Bucky, it was different. He liked boys. There, he'd said it, but he still hadn't said it to Steve. Natasha, however, was a different story. She'd grown used to him sighing and pining on her shoulder. She said she hated it - she didn't - but she bitched enough for both of them.
Then she took him shopping.
While he was standing in some place called Sephora with miles of makeup and aisle of perfume that kind of made him want to sneeze, he had the shock of his life. All this "girly" crap everywhere, but in the middle of it was a guy? A cute guy. With well-groomed hair and this fabulous winged eyeliner - nothing like his Hydra days - wearing really cute skinny jeans and glitter on his cheeks.
Enchanted, Bucky left Natasha's side and slowly made his way over. The guy, man, guy he wasn't sure, looked up and flashed him a smile.
"Help you, honey?"
Bucky blinked. He had fantastic skin. "You're so shiny." A flush immediately reddened his face.
But Sephora Guy, whose name ended up being Ben, laughed and lightly patted his arm. "Aw, thanks, sweets. You looking for some skin care tips?"
Bucky nodded, unsure what else to do.
"Honey, you came to the right fella!"
Ben grabbed his wrist and led him to a chair where he bid Bucky sit. For the next hour, he was educated on everything from moisturizer to foundation to why Ben wore makeup. They talked about hair care, skin care, and what it meant to be "out" with such enthusiasm. Bucky had never spoken so candidly with anyone about his sexuality and found it enlightening.
He left the shop with five hundred dollars worth of product, a list for the hair salon, and a bunch of links to reputable websites if Bucky had more questions.
The smug on Natasha said she set him up, but he didn't care. He'd had the best day.
And when everything wound up on the counter in his and Steve's shared bathroom, Steve only arched a brow, smiled, and said nothing.
Bucky continued to learn, research, and occasionally visit the mall to have coffee with Ben or his partner Matt. They were always kind, never impatient, and easy-going. He'd begun to wonder if they hadn't realized who he was until one day he asked, and they both looked at him with amused smiles.
"Metal arm, slightly brooding, runs around after a "little punk" but now with a much better skin routine? Honey. Please," Ben snorted.
After, Bucky began to explore and try new things. He cooked, found a love for baking, and especially loved baking for Steve. The man refused to slow down, so it never affected Steve's physique, but Bucky found he was a little bit softer around the middle, his face fuller, his body less hard, and he liked it.
It was nice not to be combat-ready all the time. Sure he could strap on the black and spend nine hours running down Hydra, that hadn't changed, but he had the smallest pudge of a belly, a soft little roll that he loved.
Then, out of the blue, Natasha introduced him to roller derby.
Bucky was thrilled! He'd never seen anything so flashy, showy, violent in all his life that was meant to be fun! Oh, sure he'd watch the wrestling that showed up on TV, but he felt most of that was so phony. This? This was chaos. This was mayhem.
This was freaking awesome!
And the women were great. They were loud and boisterous, or sweet and shy, but when they put on their gear, they all became demons. Natasha occasionally trained with the group known as Red's Devils, a group of women from difficult circumstances she sponsored during the blip. It gave the ladies an outlet for grief, anger, pain that they wouldn't have had otherwise.
Once they met him, they'd put him in a pair of roller skates and dragged him around the track. Of course, with the serum and his enhanced body, getting his balance and figuring out how to move on wheels was cake, and soon he was skating around the room, learning neat tricks and tips from the women catcalling and laughing along with him
Bucky loved it.
Finally, after seventy years as a Hydra pawn and all the crap that came afterward, he'd figured it out, found himself, and was happy. The only thing he wasn't satisfied with was Steve.
It was getting harder and harder to pretend like he didn't tent his pants every time the big dumb blond wandered through the apartment in a towel. Or that "Honey, I'm home!" didn’t make his damn heart flutter. Some days it hurt to look at his stupid beautiful face and not want to kiss it. Or punch it.
He swore Steve's shirts were getting tighter. Sometimes, it felt like his eyes lingered.
The shit was messing with his head, dammit!
Then, just as the world was getting it's shit back together, the pandemic happened. Covid 19 struck, and everything stopped. The world stood still, went into lockdown, and Bucky wanted to slam his head on the wall.
He had been going to his first Pride event with Ben and Matt, ready to step outside and be who he was, while those who didn't approve could kiss his lily-white ass. He was going to tell Steve. He was going to stop hiding, conforming, resiting who he was. And it all went to shit thanks to a fucking virus.
He was pissed! It wasn't fair! He'd been so prepared.
Natasha found him pouting on the couch in the common area of the now mostly empty compound. Anyone who could go home was sent home, leaving them running a skeleton crew of people, and forcing as much separation as possible.
She flopped down mostly on top of him. "Why so glum, chum?"
"Pride's cancelled," he muttered.
She snorted. "No, it's not."
He rolled his eyes. "We're under a shelter in place order, Natalia."
"I'm aware, Barnes," she huffed. "But Pride isn't cancelled. Just because you can't strut down the street waving a rainbow flag doesn't stop what this month is about. It's about you, celebrating you, and all the people who came before you who fought, screamed, raged against injustice and in some cases, died to be able to stand up proudly and say I'm gay, I'm bisexual, I'm transgender. You can't go out. That doesn't mean you can't celebrate."
She patted his chest and left him sitting there to think about what she said.
***
The music that pounded through the compound jerked Steve's head up. Reports forgotten, he rose and went to look out his office door, only to gape in shock as Bucky, wearing the shortest, tightest, black shorts he'd ever seen and a cropped top that showed off his cute little belly, rolled by on roller skates. He'd cut his hair not long ago, his interest in styling it a new hobby. Right now, it was fluffed high and held there with wax, looking soft and shiny and pretty as hell. Glitter sparkled on his cheeks, on his lashes, and glossed his lips.
He smirked as he rolled by, blue eyes amused. "Close your mouth, Rogers."
Steve swallowed thickly and followed Bucky down the hallway. Those shorts should be illegal. The top wasn't much better. The cropped top was blue, sleeveless, showing off defined muscles and metal arm. His skin freaking glowed against the blue.
It was seriously unfair how hot his best friend was, and Steve thanked his lucky stars he'd worn sweats and underwear today that helped disguise the tent forming in his pants.
When Bucky stooped to pick up a big ass rainbow flag, Steve's jaw dropped. He knew what June first represented, how did Bucky?
Like a moth to a flame, Steve followed Bucky into the common room where Bucky was skating in happy circles, singing along to the music.
"I like boys, I like pecs, like them arms when they flex. Like that print in them sweats. Tell them, girls, "Thank you, next." I like when they text me sexy pics of 'em, like them abs when there's six of 'em. Tell them girls I'm sorry; I like boys, Mama, boys like me."
Steve's jaw dropped. His mind refused to compute what he was hearing. It blue screened, whited out, and returned in time to watch Bucky drop it low and twerk like he'd done it all his life.
"I like when they shake it, shake it. I like when they grind real slow. I like when they almost naked. Tell dad I'm so homo. Lights off, doors shut. Tall, dark, clean-cut. Thick with a bubble but. Yup, Mama, I like boys."
A sound like a fax machine escaped his throat as Bucky danced, shook his ass, swung his hips, and sent Steve's mind so far into the gutter he wondered if it would ever come out.
"Bitch, B to the O to the Y to the S, Boys will be boys, and with boys, I'm obsessed. Boys in their gym clothes, boys in a dress, and if boys are a crime, then I'm under arrest. 'Cause I've been boy crazy since the boy scouts. Fuck the closets, let the boys out. Don't be a camel when you are a llama, period. No comma, bring on all the drama. Mama, I like boys, I like pecs, like them arms when they flex. Like that print in them sweats. Tell them girls, "Thank you, next." I like when they text me sexy pics of 'em. Like them abs when there's six of 'em. Tell them girls I'm sorry; I like boys, Mama, boys like me."
The music continued to play, but Bucky rolled away from the window, leaving the flag he'd been carrying behind on the couch when he skated up to Steve and stopped. On the skates, Bucky was inches taller and caused Steve to tilt his head back to look up at him as he had when they were kids.
"So," Bucky murmured, a blush under the glitter and eyes suddenly shy and uncertain. "I like boys."
Steve's heart clenched. Before he could stop himself or second guess what he was doing, his hand shot out, grabbed the back of Bucky's neck, and dragged his friend down in a kiss that had been pent up for almost a century.
Bucky squeaked, flailed once, almost rolled away, and finally wrapped his arms around Steve in a near bone-crushing hug. Lips slanted, mouths softened, parted, inhaled, changed the angle and softened.
Tingles raced through Steve's body as he kissed Bucky, his Bucky, pouring every bit of emotion he felt into it. Then, he nipped his teeth into Bucky's lip and slowly pulled away.
"I'm bisexual," Steve murmured. "I've known for years."
"You punk-ass piece of shit! Why didn't you say something?" Bucky barked, but Steve noticed he didn't let go.
"There wasn't time." He gently squeezed Bucky's nape. "And how do you tell your best friend in the whole world you've been in love with him your entire life?"
"Steve…" Bucky whispered, resting their foreheads together. "You're an idiot."
Steve kissed him again because there was no refuting that logic.
***
From the second-floor observation deck, Natasha turned her phone camera from the scene below to her grinning face. The live stream event had hearts and comments blowing up her Instagram. "Happy Pride everyone. If those two old farts can figure it out, anyone can."
She blew a kiss at the camera and ended the stream.
-The End-
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Text
The Winter Soldier - Part 15
Info: A Devastating car crash causes you to lose your memory and start over. The only thing left in the wreckage was the horrific nightmares which plagued your mind. If you knew what today would entail you would have just stayed in bed. But you didn’t and because of that, everything you knew was about to change.
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader
Warnings: swearing, gun violence.
W/c: 2.9k
A/n: I’m double posting for @kalesrebellion because she called me out. So here you go babe. Also, I did an embarassing amount of research trying to come up with the basics for the serum. But I concluded that this is fiction and it doesnt really matter. But if you’re ur a science major and this doesnt make sense please dont come for me lol
There are moments in your life that define you. Moments you look back on after everything and wonder, if you had listened to your gut, maybe it would be different. This was one of those moments. Bucky’s world shattered around him as Natasha’s words rang through his comm.
“We’ve been compromised, Buck. I’ve been hit. They got Y/n.” Her voice, broken and solemn.
No.
Dammit, NO.
This isn't how this was supposed to happen. This was an easy job. Only a few Hydra agents resided in this compound. The whole thing felt like a dream. One he was completely and utterly unprepared to handle. How could he let this happen. He should have been there.
“Dammit. What's your location? I'm coming to you.” He shouted. His blood began to boil and he heard your heavy breathing on the other side. You were running. “Y/n, please come in. Please, doll. Where are you?” Bucky hated how broken he sounded. He knew the rest of the team could hear his begging, but he didnt care. He couldn't. He just needed to get to you.
“You always were a fighter. Right till the bitter end.” A man’s muffled voice came through his comm. He didn't recognize it as anyone he knew, but there was something familiar about it. A distant memory he couldn't quite piece together. Before he could speak, your voice broke though, a small whisper shattering his heart and sending him into a blind rage.
“Bucky” You breathed, choking on a cough.
“Y/n. I’m coming to you, doll. Don't worry, I've got you. I’m going to get you out of this. Don't worry, I’m coming.” He pleaded, but was only met with static, and then finally silence. The rest of the team kept quiet, waiting for any kind of sign of life from you. When none came, Nat spoke up.
“Guys, we gotta get out of here. They've set off a security alert, this place is going to blow in three minutes.” Her voice was now back to its usual tone, but Bucky knew better. She was scared, he could hear it. “ There’s no sign of her out here. She’s just… gone.” He could hear that she was running now.
“Bucky, we gotta go.” Steve spoke from beside him. Bucky’s head snapped to his friend, eyes wide and body still frozen.
“We can't leave. Not without her.” He all but begged.
“You heard Natasha, she’s on her way.” He paused, “Nat, you got the files?” He spoke into his earpiece, motioning Bucky to follow him to the entrance they had come through.
“Yeah, I have them. Thanks for asking by the way. I’m great, two more bullet holes in my gut, but yeah, files are more important.” She scoffed, causing Steve to roll his eyes. “I’m headed to the entrance right now.”
“No, I’m not leaving without Y/n!” Bucky tried to pull away from Steve, but he was stronger. A fact he would never admit to the guy, his head was already big enough.
“She’s not here Buck. They wouldn't blow the compound with her in it.” He persisted.
Sam’s voice interjected, “Jet’s fired up, you guys better get the fuck outta there. We have less than a minute.”
Bucky and Steve ran through the dark hallways together until they almost slammed into Nat’s small frame. He gasped when she appeared in the hollow moonlight. Her face was contorted in pain, something he was all too familiar with. Guilt.
“I lost her. I’m so sorry, it was my job to-” She broke off into a sob. Bucky wanted to agree. Yell that if she was a better agent- a better person his girl would be coming home with them. But he couldn't... This was on him. He knew it was a bad idea to bring you on the mission. He deserved all the blame.
“She’s not dead. Not yet anyways. But we will be if we don't get out of here.” Steve yelled over the alarms blaring in the hallway.
Bucky and Nat both nodded, and followed Steve across the field. Before they could reach the jet, the warehouse behind them rumbled before letting out an earth shattering explosion, sending the two of them flying into the ground. Without hesitation, Bucky grabbed Natasha's hand and pulled her from the ground. He wrapped her arm around his shoulder and all but dragged her body onto the jet.
“Vision’s been alerted we need medical. He’s been staying at a safe house in Munich. We can be there in thirty minutes.” Steve spoke urgently, rifling through the cabinets of the jet looking for the first aid kit.
“Seriously guys, it's a flesh wound. I’m- Ah!” Nat screamed in pain as the jet hit a spout of turbulence.
“Like you were saying.” Wanda smirked, placing her hands carefully on Nats' wound. Her hands glowed a deep red as she tried to relieve the pain. The spy’s face relaxed, but only for a moment before she was back to worried.
“He’s alive, Buck.” Nat spoke, and when she did, he could hear the fear in her words.
“Who?” Steve demanded, but Nat’s eyes stayed put on Bucky’s.
“Tommy. She said his name in the hallway. It was him, Buck. He’s not dead. He’s the one that shot me, the one that took her.” Nat flinched in pain as Wanda's hands fell from her side.
“That’s not possible.” Bucky shook his head. “Steve found my mission file. I killed him. I remembered it. You just don't walk away from that.”
“Well, clearly you do.” Nat spoke sarcastically, pointing to the gushing holes in the body.
“So Tommy’s alive? And he’s Hydra now?” Wanda asked, suddenly realising her hands were not on Nat’s wounds anymore. She placed them back silently apologising.
“And he’s got Y/n.” Bucky added, his jaw clenched in anger.
“We’ll get her back.” Steve spoke. He placed a hand on Bucky’s shoulder which he quickly shrugged off, pacing back and forth through the small aircraft.
“I know we will. And i’m going to finish the fucking job and tear that prick in two.” He seethed, mostly to himself.
He tried to focus on the task at hand. Desperately brainstorming how to get to you, but his mind was spirling. How could he just leave you? How could he have been so stupid? The sound of his name leaving your lips echoed around him, only fuling his growing rage.
“All our tactical suits have hidden trackers in the sleeves. We will hear it go off, but until then we wait. They cant have gotten far.” Steve started as the jet began its descent. “We're almost at the safe house. We’ll track her from there. In the morning, we’ll head out.”
“Morning? That's too long. She could be-'' Bucky cut himself off, too broken at the thought to finish that sentence. “I’ll find her myself tonight.” He grumbled.
“Oh no you don’t. We’re a team, Buck. We do this together. Vision will be able to enable her tracker. But we need to work together. We can't lose anybody else to impulse decisions.” Steve scolded.
He knew his friend was right but it didn't make it any easier to agree. All Bucky wanted to go but get you back. Keep you safe and never let anyone touch you again. He tried to keep his distance before, he really did, but that was out the window now. There wasn't a chance in hell he was leaving your side after this. As for the man that ripped you from his grasp, oh boy… He tried not to make a habit out of fantasizing murder, mostly as it resulted in the Winter Soldier coming out of the shadows, but if that was the case with Tommy, so be it. Only when Bucky stood in a pile or carnage and gore and blood would he finally feel peace again...
“We're coming up on the safe house. Y'all ready to bail?” Sam's voice tore Bucky out of his thoughts, and thankfully so. He was sure it was leading to a very destructive path.
“Buck, help us get Nat inside. Wanda and Sam - sweep the area, make sure no one has followed us. I’ll fill Vision in on what's happened and see if he can turn on Y/n’s tracker now.” Steve commanded as he hopped out of the jet.
“Can you stand?” Bucky asked, dipping down to tuck Nats arm around his shoulder, helping her up. She nodded reluctantly, wincing in pain as she moved.
The safe house was a small cabin in the middle nowhere. Munich was only a few minutes down the road but the thick coverage of trees that surrounded the cabin made it feel secluded and hard to be spotted from above. If they weren't followed, no one would ever know they were here.
Bucky helped Nat inside, letting Steve and Wanda take over once they were through the door. Before he could enter, he stopped, taking a moment to gaze upon the sun rising over the mountains. In a few hours, he’d be with you again. He just had to make it until then, and pray to whatever god would still have him, that you were alive.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
“Продолжай копать. Нам надо её найти.” Keep digging. We have to find it. The voice rang in your mind, waking you from the recurring nightmare. Visions of Tommy and that boyish smile that once brought so much happiness.. His voice, the way it used to say your name, now only causing you ache.
“Wait, rewind there! Вернись. That’s it.” The voice spoke again, echoing around the room. You opened your eyes slowly, taking in your surroundings, but all you were met with was darkness. You could feel movement around you, but the blindfold tied around your eyes masked their faces.
“I’m positive she told me what was in that serum.” His voice caused your heart to just about leap from your chest. You knew that voice anywhere.
“You better be right. You're as good as dead to me otherwise.” Another man spoke.
“No I’m sure. Wait! Right there. Replay that part.” Tommy asserted.
Suddenly a headache burned through your temples, scorching the inside of your eyes. You screamed in pain as it coarsed though your body until an image appeared in your mind. It replayed over and over, making you dizzy.
“Whatcha doing?” Tommy cooed, taking a seat on your desk.
“Just trying to find the right components.” You spoke, not taking your eyes microscope as you examined the petri dish below.
“Cummon, baby. You've been at this for hours. Come eat something.” You looked up, Tommy stood there with that big goofy smile you loved so much.
“I’ve almost got it. Just a little longer.” You reassured him, rolling in your chair and picking up another sample and analysing it.
“What exactly is, it?” he asked, emphasizing the word.
“If I mix the steroid with-”
Another shrieking jolt of pain seared through you as the memory disappeared, leaving you trembling.
“Go back, we almost had it!” Someone yelled from beside you.
You tried to scream, to beg them to stop, but it was no use. Before you could try again, the same horrible pain erupted through your body, ripping you back to the distant memory.
“If I mix the steroid with human blood, it does as it's designed. But taking into account the theory of nuclear transmutation, we can assume given the right element we can use the serum to absorb its surroundings, right?” You spoke, like it was common sense.
“Sure…” Tommy chuckled.
“So, strip down the original serum, add radiation to its compound, now it needs the ability to absorb energy… What element do we know has that power?” it wasn't a question, nor did you think Tommy would know the answer so you continued, “Water, and our bodies are basically made of that. So in turn, if we can create the original serum mixed with high levels of radiation, inject the person, granted you're not killed by that high levels of toxicity, we're looking at a new type of Super Soldier. One that could, in theory, mutate around the serum and absorb its surroundings!” You finally finished.
“I have no idea what any of that means… But it sounds cool. Now put the vile down, and eat something.” He laughed, grabbing the sample out of your hands and carefully placing it on the table next to you.
“Thats it!” Someone shouted. “Of course, why didn't we think of this. Call the commander, tell him we found it.”
You felt your body twist in agony, but soon the memory left, leaving you back in the dark with disembodied voices echoing around you.
“What do you want me to do with her?” a man asked.
“I don't care. убить её?” Kill her? You froze at his words. Even if you could move, your hands were tied down to the chair. Gentally you wiggle your fingers, careful not to draw any attention to yourself. Not that you would be able to tell. The ring that Shuri had made you was still there. If you timed in right, and you still had Wanda’s borrowed power, you could use it to untie yourself and hopefully get the fuck out of this hell hole.
“Kill her?” Tommy choked. “You didn't say anything about killin’ her?”
“You should be thankful. The girl’s been sharing a bed with the same man who killed you once before. In fact, I’m so pleased with your work developing this memory decoder that I’ll give you the honour.” The man spoke, shuffling around the room. “Here, tell me when you're done having your fun.” A few heavy footsteps later, and you finally heard the door close. The silence was deafening, but eventually, Tommy let out a deep breath and took a step towards you, ripping your blind fold off.
You squinted as you tried to acclimate your eyes to the lighting of the room. It was small and dark, but a few dim lights hung above you illuminating Tommy's features. Once upon a time you would have described them as strong and rugged. Now they seemed to loom over you, sending a shiver down your spine.
“Are you okay?” He asked, softer than you expected. You quickly clocked the pistol in his left hand and tried to suppress a scoff.
“Am I okay?” You gawked at him. “You just dug through my head like a sand pit. No- no I’m not okay you shit head!” You screamed.
Tommy chuckled, using the gun to scratch the back of his neck. “Touché…” He spoke, pulling up a stool and plopping himself down on it infront of you. “I missed that attitude baby. Really, these past couple years have been hell without you. These guys are really scary, but I told em- I said, my girl will know what to do. And you did, baby. I never doubted you.” His voice was like honey. Thick and sickenly sweet.
“What are you talking about?! I thought you were dead!? I mourned you, asshole. And you've been alive this whole time, working against me?” You couldn't believe how cavalier he was being about this. Tommy only shrugged, fuling the rage inside you.
“Nah, it's not like that. I was dead, really I was. But then Hydra came and BOOM I was back. They promised me that they’d keep me safe, as long as I could help em get that serum you were always talkin’ bout. Said they wanted to give it time in your system, make sure it didn't kill ya.” He started, narrowing his eyes slowly, “You grieved me? That's a funny way of putting it. Cause from what I saw in that head of yours, you were pretty chummy with that Soldier.”
You couldn't stifle the scoff that erupted in your mouth. “You're kidding right? Jesus, Tom. They brainwashed me. And I don't need to explain myself. You're sick, you know that? How could you do this? Do you have any idea what they're going to use that serum for?” You fired the questions off like explosives into his chest, but he didn't even flinch.
“I don't really care. They told me if I gave em’ your little recipe, they’d let me go.” He shrugged.
“And so what? Now you're going to kill me?”
“No… Maybe. I haven't really decided yet.” He looked down at the pistol like it was the first time he really noticed it was there. Contemplating your death like he was deciding between his morning coffee.
“I would get going on that if I were you.” You lifted your hands, wiggling your wingers playfully “Really, Tommy, you're not cut out for this line of work.” You spat, jumping from your seat and landing a hard kick to his gut, sending him flying back. The gun ricocheted off the ground and hit the wall, but before he could react, you grabbed it. In one swift move you turned the safety off and placed your finger on the trigger.
“Cummon baby, let's talk about this.” He raised his hands in surrender. “You wouldn't shoot me.”
You cocked a brow, “You sound really confident in that statement. Especially for a boy who was debating my death a moment ago.” You argued.
“Dont take it personally, baby. Anything you can do, I can do better. Remember?” You smirked.
................................................................................................................................
A/n: Another Cliff hanger? Yes. Do I know how to wrote anything else? No... My bad lol. I hope your enjoyed this one as much as I did writing it! As always, @cutie1365 is the bomb dot com for editing this for me. Tommy sucks, we both agree. I hope he gets whats coming to him... please leave some love and reblog if you read it!
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#marvel fanfiction#msmarvelwrites#marvel fanfic idea#marvel#marvel fanfic series#marvel fanfic#bucky x reader#bucky barns imagine#bucky barns x reader#bucky barnes#bucky x y/n#bucky angst#bucky fic#bucky barnes reader insert#bucky barnes smut#bucky barnes x reader smut#bucky barnes reader#bucky x you#bucky x female reader#bucky barns x y/n#bucky barns fanfiction#marvel civil war#wintersoldier#winter solider fanfiction#thewinterghost#winter soldier x y/n#the winter solider x reader#bucky and reader#bucky barnes angst
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