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sunandsstars · 5 months

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YAWNETU

CHAPTER 9

Tonowari x Ronal x Na’vi!Reader

Summary: With her arrival in Awa’atlu, reader seeks to find a sanctuary for her family, one that she may find in two particular individuals

Warnings: Mentions war, Pregnancy, Mean dad

Word count: 5.5k

A/N: thank you for those who have been patient with me! I know i abandoned you all for a bit but here’s chapter 9, i might rewrite it since the first bit seems a bit rushed but let me know what you guys think!

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The Metkayina pair became good mates for her, they were understanding, loving, protective, everything she had ever hoped for in the past, a dream she once had that now became a reality.

Tonowari hunted for the rarest of pearls outside the reef and crafted pretty necklaces and beaded tops for his new wife, his love was more physical, he enjoyed creating new clothes and loved decorating ___’s hair with small shells and sea glass, his wives only deserved the best after all.

Ronal showed her loved in different ways though, she cooked for the growing family, took care of any wounds, accompanied ___ wherever she went and taught her all she knew about being a Tsahík in hopes that she can learn and become one herself in the future.

Together the three thrived and eventually moved into one large marui with the perfect view of the sunset and sunrise each and every day. The house had much more space for their children too, who were all growing as the years went on, there were even new additions to the family, such as Tsireya, their first daughter and Ronal’s second born.

___ often thought about having more children, but birthing twins, especially in the circumstance she was in, was enough to put her off for a while. But with her new happy family, she continues to ponder what it would be like, she now lives in a more stable environment with mates who adore her and her boys so it was only right for her to think.

“Yawnetu, what is on your mind?”

Tonowari glanced up from the net he was weaving, cocking his head to the side and blinking, usually at this time of the day his wife would be chattering away about what she has been up to while he was hunting, but alas he was met with silence most of the evening. It was obvious something else took up her thoughts, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it.

Snapping her head towards her husband, a purple hue took over ___’s pretty face “I am sorry, what was it you said? I was not paying attention”

Tonowari chuckled and put down the unfinished net, getting on his hands and feet and shuffling quickly next to her, cupping her face. “I know you were not, that is why I asked what you were thinking of” he leaned in and brushed his nose against hers, foreheads connecting.

___’s slightly larger ears twitched at his words, eyes widening, should she tell him?

Just as she was about to open her mouth loud shouting echoed from outside the marui, interrupting the couple peace. Tonowari leaned back and sighed, eyes closing and a hand coming to rub his temple, what could be causing such a racket late into the evening?

As the shouting drew closer it was clear to make out the voices and words, the concern that once appeared in ___’s yellow orbs died down into amusement.

“No! That is mine! I will tell sa’nu!”

“She will agree with me anyway, you must share! It is not fair you get to have this all day!” Two young na’vi scrambled into the hut, bickering and sticking tongues out at each other. One held an akula toy made out of mangrove wood, waving it around like a prize he had won. “Sa’nu! Tell this skxawng to share!”

Syatxì pouted at his greener brother, glaring daggers into bluer eyes, his yellow gaze fell onto his mother who hid a laugh behind her hand, frowning even more at the lack of help. “Mama, tell him off!” he pointed a finger at Ao’nung who stuck his tongue out once more.

“Now why must your mother solve all of your problems?” Tonowari stood up and crossed his arms, analysing his sons who quickly stood to attention. “You two are warriors are you not?”

“Srane!”

“Then you must fight your own battles. Your mother should not be doing so, instead of her looking after you, you must look after her” the boys were fast to nod intently, taking in the words like it was a quest they must complete, and in a way it was. “Warriors do not depend on the fight of others, you must think for yourselves, what would better the situation -“

“Tonowari” Another figure emerged from the entrance to their home, walking inside with the steps of a leader, behind her skipped in another two smaller figures, peaking out between the Tsahìk’s legs. “Must you do this now?” Ronal huffed and placed a few bowls down, squatting by her pile of herbs and sifting through them.

“Ronal, they need to learn”

“And they will, husband” the woman glanced up and offered a small smile, “in due time” she then moved to sit next to her wife, cupping the back of her head as an intimate gesture.

___ patted the space between her legs to offer her daughter a place to sit as the family talked, quickly getting to work adjusting her thick hair “my sons, fighting is not the answer. Sharing is what we do as a family, and Ao’nung, do not call your brother names”

It was Ao’nung’s turn to pout as his counterpart cackled in his face, snatching the akula toy and running away. “Hey!”

Happiness is simple.

That’s what ___ told herself as she watched her boys play, Sylwaì rushing to join in the fun as they soon decided to leave for the waters and explore before dinner.

Her family meant everything to her, she has a home now and has a life with people who appreciate and care for her as much as she does them. “I appreciate you both, I love you in ways i cannot express” she whispered, kissing the top of Tsireya’s head as she jumped up to follow her older brothers who called for her.

“And we love you yawnetu” Tonowari sat on her other side, kissing her shoulder. “You know, you still have not told me what was on your mind earlier, you were thinking very heavily”

“I want another child”

Ronal stopped poking the fire pit that was suspended above the water, inhaling a breath and turning her head to look at her mates with eyes that shined with growing glee. “You do?” her tail started swishing behind her, despite her best efforts to be calm and mellow.

“Srane. Maybe not right now, but at some point, I want children of your blood, and mine”

“It is decided!” The Olo’eyktan jumped and picked ___ up by the thighs, hoisting her up and she squealed, laughing at his joy. “When you are ready, we mate, again, and you will bear our next kin” he rubbed his nose against hers, placing her back on the floor by her feet.

Ronal soon joined and kissed ___’s shoulder sweetly, a small grin on her face “it was about time you said that, I was afraid ‘wari might explode otherwise”

“Ronal!”

Yes, happiness was simple.

It was times like these where Neytiri most thought of her, the beads in her hands resembled the amber of her eyes and the pattern of the bracelet reminded her of her hair.

___ never left her thoughts ever since she left all those years ago. The tsakeram has physically moved on, after her search for the women was left with no progress she decided to pray to Eywa to keep the small family of three safe on their travels to wherever they go and hope for the best. Mentally, Neytiri is sad, her heart still aches and yearns for her lost mate, and if she can turn back time she would, just to change who she was.

“What are you thinking of?” Jake put his bow away, finished with cleaning the exterior and replacing the string, his head turned towards his wife and cocked a brow, noting her silence.

“___”

Jake paused, face turning to look at the ground by his feet, ears going down, just like Neytiri he is haunted by his actions, but he tried to forget about them rather than acknowledge them. He was a brute, a shit ‘mate’ and abandoned his sons before they were even born. It’s thoughts like those that push him to step down from his mighty position as a leader, but the clan needs him, so he stays.

“I have faith that she is safe somewhere” Jake replied, nodding his head to reassure himself. ___ was strong, she would have found somewhere to be.

Neytiri sighed and tied off the bracelet, “and what if she was turned away, for her sons? What if she never found anywhere safe to begin with? what if -“ large hands cupped her face and a nose bumped hers, Jake smiled a little at her rambling, but it was a sad smile, he does not know how to answer those questions, he thinks the same as her deep down.

“The twins were born looking like true na’vi, there is no way they would find out about them without ___ saying so”

The warrior nodded her head, sighing in defeat and kissing her mates cheek, for now she would get on with her other chores, later she will ponder again. It was like a cycle she can never break out of, one that leaves her dreaming dreamless nights and going about her day on autopilot.

“Sa’nok!” Kiri jumped into her mothers lap, rushing to get away from the sticky hands of her brother, Lo’ak, who was chasing her with the intent of throwing tree sap in her hair. “Hide me from him! He will not leave me alone!”

Lo’ak roared and ran up to the pair, squealing when he was picked up and dangled upside down by his father, “Dad! Put me down!” he wriggled and tried to escape the Olo’eyktan’s firm grip.

Jake chucked and continued to gently swing him, “Kehe, what did I tell you about terrorising your sister? you worm”

“Not to do it in front of sa’nok!”

“Hey!” Jake bellowed a laugh as he put his youngest down, catching Neytiri’s judging face aimed straight at him and quickly stopped his laughing, pretending to act serious for the sake of his wife. “Kids will be kids” he shrugged, trying to play the innocent husband with a coy smile.

His wife just huffed, a grin stretching onto her face as she felt a kick in her stomach, hand instantly going to soothe the ache. “Little one wants to join in the fun, it seems”

Kiri gasped as she felt the slight pound on her back, turning to face her mothers bloated stomach and leaning down, smooshing her face against it “I want my sister out, I am tired of being the only true girl, there is only so much me and Lo’ak can talk about”

“Kiri! I am NOT a girl you turd!”

Kiri just ignored her brother in favour of focusing her attention on her new unborn sibling. “How do you know it will be a girl ‘ite?” the youngling shrugged and smiled a little.

“I just have a feeling” she sung. The marui entrance suddenly flapped open with force, another little boy rushing inside, panting slightly.

“Lo’ak! Stop running away from me!” Neteyam went and tackled him, dogpiling onto his younger brother who laughed loudly, the two wrestling for fun. Kiri snorted and rolled her eyes ‘boys’

Jake kneeled next to his mate, kissing the back of her neck and sighing quietly, his family bringing him the comfort he desperately needed, but yet he still feels incomplete. His heart yearned for the missing pieces, his missing sons and his missing mate.

One day he will find them.

A new star appeared in the sky. It was small to the naked eye, almost unnoticeable, but to someone who has studied the stars day in and day out for the past 14 years, it looked out of place, glowing brighter than the others around it, twinkling brighter and brighter as the minutes past.

“Hey” Jake nudged his wife awake from where she laid on his chest, still staring up into space. His distant look urged Neytiri to turn her head up into his line of sight, eyes widening and jaw going slack.

“No, this cannot be” In the far distance, the bright light zoomed down onto Pandora, red hot fire raging down onto the planet with a mission. Everything around the ships caught fire and the flames spread too quickly, the creatures of Pandora screeching and rushing to escape.

Neytiri ran to a higher viewpoint, jumping over logs and dodging yerik who fled in the opposite direction, a cry escaped her lips and she watched her home, once again, fall victim to the humans who once destroyed her planet in a time she thought long had past. The Na’vi crouched and sobbed, feeling the arms of her mate surrounding her who had his ears pinned back, watching the sight of the forest going up in flames.

His nightmares never seemed to end, Jake could only wonder if this was the great sorrow Moat talked about all these years ago.

A year passed from the return of the human race, the humans and na’vi who lived near hells gate moved up to the floating mountains for safety. Always preparing for war, always going to fight.

Spider was squatted over various bowls of blue paint, redoing the stripes that littered all over his body, sticking his tongue out in concentration. Behind him, Kiri worked swiftly and accurately, painting stripes in places he cannot see or reach.

“I still don’t understand why you paint yourself like this”

“I told you, it’s to blend in” Spider turned and faced the much taller girl, looking at the stripes on her body to try and mimic on his own. “When I do this, I look like one of you, the animals respect me more. Plus, I run faster”

“Sure monkey boy. The animals probably don’t want to taste the berries when they eat you” Kiri snorted, dipping her hand in more blue paint and going back to paining his biceps.

“Hey! I am na’vi, just like you” Spider scooped a large glob of paint, although still small compared to the amount Kiri had, and launched it at her face.

“Oop!”

Sudden footsteps interrupted their playful banter, little padding of feet getting closer behind the pair. “Spider! Kiri! The war party has returned! They are back! Come on! Come on!” Tuktirey rushed over and grabbed both of their arms, dragging her sister and friend along to the edge of high camp, watching as banshees shouted as they flew by and landed.

Shouting can be heard by the cliff, the evident voice of their father talking sternly to their brothers, Kirk’s ears went down and she sighed, going behind Neteyam and looking at his evident wounds.

“You spot bogeys! That was your one job! You spot them and you report them, from a distance!” Jake got up to the boys faces, waving his hands like a madman.

“I’m sorry sir, it was my fault” Neteyam lowered his head, disappointed that he let his father down again.

“When are you gonna stop taking the heat from this knucklehead?” Jake glared at him, eyes going to Lo’ak who stood silent, feeling his little sister moving his arms around. “And you? What do you have to say for yourself?”

“Ma Jake. Your son is bleeding” Neytiri interrupted, eyes concentrated on her husband who was evidently stressed. Her tail curled in slight annoyance, heart pumping from the adrenaline she felt in the fight. Jake looked at his wife and sighed, hand going to his temples.

“Go to your grandmother. Now” As Neytiri took Neteyam by the arm and followed her daughters to her mothers tent, she turned around to observe Lo’ak who was left standing in front of her husband. “You understand what your actions caused?”

“Yes sir”

“You could have gotten your brother killed” Lo’ak’s ears went down, he hated disappointing his father. “No flying for a month. See to every ikran, get them taken care of” and with that Jake stormed off, shaking his head and muttering curses under his breath, the ringing in his ears won’t stop, and unlike Neytiri his heart pumps from fear not adrenaline.

‘I could have lost them’

“Yawnetu” Ronal stalked over to her wife who fed the young ilu in the pen, a deep frown on her face at the news she was about to deliver. “The Omaticaya in the forest, they are at war once again”

___’s ears twitched and pulled back, she knew that the star she saw a year ago was not from any constellation she has memorised since her childhood, she had a feeling that the tawtute have returned, but has been keeping her mind occupied to forget.

Her heart continued to hurt though.

“I know, my love. I worry for my family back home” especially Spider, who she prays to Eywa every night to keep safe. Ronal rested her hands upon her lovers shoulders, sighing deeply, she knows that her wife is hurting inside, but the tsahìk can only offer comfort, not truly in the midst of war yet. Somehow Awa’atlu has stayed away from the tulkun huntings, and she hopes Eywa can keep them safe for a little longer. Sooner or later though she knows that war will be amongst their side of the reef, it was only a matter of time.

Ronal then took her hands off ___’s shoulders and stood straight, “I must continue with my duties today, join me?” the forest na’vi shook her head, she was planning to join some of the women to go into the reef to pick some plants needed for food and healing.

“Not at this moment, I must join some of the divers today” the metkayinan nodded and smiled a little, moving away from the ilu pen to wherever she was needed. ___ went back to throwing fish at the creatures in the sea, giggling when the young ones brushed against her legs. The smile she displayed was hardly genuine, but it was enough to fool outsiders who do not know her well enough.

The woman soon slips out of the water, putting down the empty baskets to be filled later and moved to where she was to meet the other ladies. The day ahead was something that she would soon come to dread, unknownst to her the past she once sought herself leaving would soon come crashing into her life tenfold.

But being unaware for the meantime was bliss.

The ladies were kind to her and the job was easy enough, she finished within a few hours into the morning, deciding to rest by the edge of the reef chatting away with her friends of a few years now. Gossiping about their husbands, as wives do.

‘’Do not get me wrong, I adore my mate, but sometimes he is just so overbearing! Why do I need to take two spears with me when I am outside the reef! I can very much handle myself’’ Tayal huffed, tail slapping the ground in slight annoyance from this mornings hunt. She was a seasoned hunter, extremely skilled and praised by the elders for her work, but her husband was just too cautious.

Sayala rolled her eyes and smiled at her ‘’your mate just looks out for you, if you do not like his actions then it is best to talk to him. I, for one, do not have an overbearing mate but he does snore very loudly when he sleeps. So loud that it wakes me up sometimes! I wish that I had your problem’’ The group laughed, ___ patting her shoulder in pity.

‘’If Tonowari were to ever do that then Ronal would shun him to sleep onto the ocean floor. I am lucky that he does not pose any problems late at night’’ She giggled, catching the interest of some of the ladies.

‘’My Tsahìk! You have two mates, what is that like?’’ The question caught her slightly off guard until she remembered that it is extremely rare for Na’vi to hold more than one lover, even then it is usually preserved for important figures of the clan.

‘’Well, it is normal for me, I have had two mates ever since I came of age, they are wonderful to me and the kids, I am just thankful to Eywa for guiding me here to them’’ ___ rubbed her swollen stomach, thanking the great mother for what has become of her, Tayal hummed, basking in the light that is ___.

But the Na’vi cannot help but wonder, her Tsahìk has become of age long before she joined Awa’atlu and she could not have been mated to her leaders since then, not to mention her two sons who were not of Metkayina blood (although she did not bat an eye at the latter, sometimes women have children without mates). Is ___ hiding something from them? But before she could ponder any longer their conversation was abruptly disrupted.

A horn sounded through the village, reaching far to the Na’vi who sat at the edge of the reef. They all yipped and cried out at the warning signal, abandoning their chores and standing tall from their crouches. ‘Visitors? What could this mean?’

‘’Look! Up there!’’ One of the woman pointed to the sky where ikran glided through the air, on top sitting forest Na’vi shouting to each other in panic, not expecting a horn to greet them as they entered. It alerted the village to the visitors, and while it was inevitable, attention was not something that they wanted to bring towards them for the time being.

___’s breath hitched at the familiar ikran colours, if these are the Na’vi who she thinks they are then- ‘’___ come! We must see who they are’’. But the Omaticayan could only sigh, already knowing the answers to the question her friend seeks guidance for, ikran are unique in their patterns, there are no two banshees who look the same. The two large creatures at the head of the formation could only belong to the Na’vi she once ran away from.

Ao’nung stalked through the crowded beach, coming to the forefront of the commotion with hard eyes, Rotxo trailing behind him. His gaze caught the yellow orbs of the two Sully boys who watched him with slight wonder, having never seen another Na’vi race before the Omaticaya. Inwardly the boy cringed, seeing similarities between his brothers and these…people. This was going to be difficult.

‘’Is that supposed to be a tail?’’ His smaller companion laughed slightly, pointing towards the skinny appendage which curled in anticipation. Ao’nung averted his gaze towards it and scoffed, smirking when the older boy of the two brothers turned his head to look at him. ‘’How are they supposed to swim-‘’

‘’Do not, Rotxo, Ao’nung’’ a sweet voice called out, small hand hitting the back of her brothers heads and blue eyes rolling at their stupidity. They were trying to look intimidating and it was obvious, making fun of these newcomers who looked the exact same as some of their family members. It was rude, and extremely unnecessary, these people are guests here, and as the chiefs daughter, she will show them the kindness that her idiot brothers will not do.

Tsireya noted the absence of her mother and two brothers, being suddenly reminded that their presence would be appreciated, if not for the sake of her people then perhaps the sake of these newcomers. Her head moved to look at one of the boys face to face, dipping down and smiling apologetically. ‘’Hey’’ He tipped his head up and smiled a small smirk, trying his luck with making friends with the people who he would be potentially living with. Friends, or something more?

Tsireya grinned and chuckled at his awkwardness, finding it sweet that despite the predicament they find themselves in, he still shows kindness towards her.

Hoots and shouts alerted the clan that their leaders were in the vicinity, Tsireya’s father landing in the water nearby on his large skimming. He waded out of the water, eyes never leaving the newcomers and raised his brows as he got closer, it was Toruk Makto, whom he met during the great clan meetings.

“I see you, Jake Sully”

“I see you Olo’eyktan”

“Neytiri te Tskaha Mo’at’ite” they formally greeted each other, fingers to their forehead and dipping them in the accustomed manner of their people. ‘’What brings your family to our side of the reef?’’

Jake and his wife shared eye contact briefly, unsure on what to say and afraid of saying the wrong thing, they were tired of travelling, tired of war, they could not go on much longer. ‘’We seek uturu’’

‘’Uturu?‘’ a new voice called out, appealed and confused. Ronal sauntered up to Toruk Makto and sized him up with a glare, moving on to his wife who bowed in respect of the tsahik. Her blue eyes caught the sight of their children and waltzed up to them, moving around them like an akula and inspecting their aura.

‘’Srane, we seek a sanctuary for our family’’ Jake’s tail curled in nervousness, he hasn’t felt this scared since that day he had to prove himself to the Omaticaya, warning them and getting them to believe him when the skypeople were attacking hometree.

‘’We are reef people, you are from the forest, your skills mean nothing to us here’’ Tonowari announced to the family, voice strong and firm. He was wary about their arrival, it was sudden and unexpected. He knew of the war happening overseas, everyone does, but has it become so bad that they seek refuge in another clan?

Jake cringed at the harshness in the leaders gaze, so used to respect from his people back home that he forgets his place in others. His ears picked up the whimpers of his youngest as she clung to his legs, scooting away from Ronal’s piercing gaze and scalding touch. ‘’Their arms are thin’’ her voice rang through the crowd, stopping any chatter, ‘’and their tails are too weak, they will be slow in the water’’ she ignored Kiri’s small outcry when her tail was yanked a little too harshly.

But the Tsahik’s calculating gaze quickly turned to critique and panic once her eyes caught onto the girls hand, she snatched it from where it hung limp and brought it into the air to show her people, ‘’these children.. are not even true Na’vi!’’ She grabbed onto one of the boy’s hand with her free one and raised it too, to show who they truly are, ‘’they have demon blood!’’

Gasps rung out among the Metkayina, not expecting the very aliens to destroy Pandora to come across the sea to their island for sanctuary, hisses vibrated through some of them, hostility in their blue orbs. ‘’Yes we are!’’ Kiri snatched her hand back and glared, subtly moving closer to her mother who narrowed her eyes, not liking the way this woman, clan leader or not, spoke about her children.

Jake felt panic course through him at the judgemental gazes being directed to their small group, this was not going to plan. ‘’Hey..look! Look at this! I was a skyperson but now i am Na’vi! We can adapt, we will adapt right?’’ He showcased his five fingers to the Tsahik who watched his pinky finger poke outwards curiously. Murmurs of small ‘yeah’s’ rung through the Omaticayans as they agreed with him.

‘’My husband was Toruk Makto. He brought the clans to victory against the skypeople’’ Neytiri stepped forward, trying to assert herself. She will not let her family suffer once more just because she was turned away by this disrespectful Na’vi.

Ronal scoffed, glare hardening. Eywa so help her if this outsider continued to scorn her and her position in her own clan, ‘’is this what you call victory? Hiding, among strangers’’ her eyes flicked from Neytiri to her husband and back ‘’it seems Eywa has turned her back on you, chosen one’’

A sharp hiss interrupted her sentence, sharp teeth obstructing Ronal’s vision. On instinct she hissed back, ears flattening to her skull, unaware of the worried look her mate shared with Jake.

Tonowari decided to put an end to this feud before the women fought with spears, ‘’Toruk Makto is a mighty warrior, all Na’vi people know his story. But your people are at war and us Metkayina, we have stayed away from the conflict. We do not want you to bring this fight to us’’

‘’I am done with war’’ Toruk Makto picked Tuktirey up who clung to his neck like a lifeline ‘’I just want to keep my family safe, please’’

‘’Let them stay’’

The crowed parted once more to reveal a dark blue figure emerging from a sea of green, pearls dangling delicately on her heavy figure. ‘’Let them’’ she repeated, eyes darting from Tuktirey to the other children, and then to her mates, ‘’they come from a place of war, ‘wari. That is no place for children to live’’

‘’___’’ Ronal snapped her head towards her wife, tail lashing in anticipation ‘’you do not mean that, look at them. Demons’’. The mentioned woman’s ears lowered and she frowned, opening her mouth to remind her partners of where she came from, where her sons came from, but instead of any words coming out, only a puff of air escaped.

She closed her eyes and huffed, opening them once again and looking up, yellow clashing with blue. ___ stared intently into Ronal’s eyes, hoping to convey the message she so wishes to speak aloud. Luckily, the pair have known each other long enough to be able to understand one another without words, they say that the eyes are the window to the soul.

Ronal conducted a slow blink and pursed her lips, nodding her head, partly in concern to what the future may hold if she let these outsiders in her home. ‘’It is decided’’ Tonowari began, turning to face the crowd and raising his arms to gain the attention of the Metkayina ‘’Toruk Makto and his family will stay, treat them as your brothers and sisters for they do not know the sea, they will be like babies taking their first breath’’

At that Neytiri looked towards the sand, a sudden memory popping into her mind, her ears lowered and frowned, only straightening up when feeling the hand on her shoulder being squeezed. Kiri noted the sudden tenseness in her mother’s posture as soon as this third mate of the chief appeared in front of them, she was as blue and as slim as them, same tail and large ears. The girl recognised the familiar beads and weaving patterns on her clothes, despite the difference in material, this stranger was from the Omaticaya clan.

‘’Teach them our ways so they do not suffer the shame of being useless’’ the large man huffed, turning to make heavy eye contact with Jake, the rider of shadow dropping his youngest onto the ground and smiling in gratitude, patting Tuktirey on her back.

‘’Well what do we say guys? Irayo’’ The Sully’s coreoused, some more enthusiastic than others, Kiri rolling her eyes and sighing. Her father straightened up from his slight kneeling position for his daughter and nodded his head to his new chief, then turning his head to acknowledge his wives with a swallow, afraid of the Tsahik’s each for entirely different reasons.

___’s breath hitched when yellow clashed together, tail curling upright in anticipation, her old mate then nodded to her like he did her husband out of politeness and notably swallowed, averting his eyes back onto the sand, afraid that if he were to look into her eyes any longer he’ll get swallowed into a pit of shame, one that he wont ever crawl out of.

‘’My son Ao’nung’’ Tonowari gestured towards one of his boys who decided to show up, mentally going through the scalding he will carry out later ‘’and daughter Tsireya, will show your children what to do’’

Ao’nung’s ears flattened into his skull, not liking the idea of being buddy-buddy with these weirdos ‘’but sempul-‘’ a large blue hand rose infront of the boys face and he immediately paused his speaking in respect.

‘’It is decided’’

That respect was soon lost.

Ao’nung rolled his eyes and glared at the sand beneath his feet, tempted to kick it out off frustration but not wanting to embarrass himself in front of the people. Luckily, Tsireya felt the anger that radiated off of him and decided to speak up, ‘’come, we will show you our village’’ she waved them over in the direction of their new home, once they acquired their things.

This was going to be a long day.

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#*ੈ✩‧₊˚ yawnetu #avatar the way of water #x reader #atwow #atwow x reader #ronal and tonowari #tonowari x reader x ronal #Metkayina #omaticaya #chapter 9 #polyamory

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fanaticsnail · 5 months

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El Tango de Mihawk (Dance Series)

As promised, although arriving much sooner than anticipated and only half beta-read (apologies, but over-eagerness wins again). Warnings: dancing, flirting, danger, peril, kissing, touching, pining, prior relationship hinted, enemies to lovers.

Word Count: 5,223

Masterlist here.

Song Suggestions: Tango de Roxanne, La Cumparsita.

Arm hanging loosely within the crook of the young marine’s elbow, you took in the incredibly intricately decorated large, circular room. It was not difficult to feign wonderment; your eyes widening, a gasp falling from your parted lips and a coy cock of your head as your eyes danced around the room.

It seemed almost too easy for you to swipe an invitation at the bequest of the marine to attend as his date. As soon as your mischievous, scheming eyes fell to the advertisement plastered to the notice board; you knew the opportunity for finery-theft was too great to pass up. Feigning a stumble, you fell within the open arms of the marine who blushed at your praises of heroism. Fingertips dancing over his cheeks, a small flutter of your eyelashes, and spoken words of: “how could I ever repay such a valiant sailor?” had him baited and hooked as your prey for the evening.

He was old enough to know better, but ill-seasoned in the art of feminine flirtation and suggestion. Just how you liked your prey: pretty, dangerous and ill-prepared to handle your advances.

After purchasing your evening dress and lace adorned masquerade mask for you, you knew this night was to hold much more thrill than the average night of petty theft. You were simply itching for the loot the evening would have in store for you.

White and red roses hung loosely like vines cascading down the white pillars, candles thrust within the arrangement and lit with flamed wick to create a romantic atmosphere. The fragrances whispering upwards to your senses was of the tart bubbly champagne, the softness from the florals and the subtle perfume you dropped on your neck, chest and wrists. Oh, how you adored the rich. You adored them even more when you claimed their wealthy treasures as your own, adding to your hoard of finery with objects that shimmered and glowed.

The first item of the night was the ribbons of pearls clasped on the neck of the wife of a seasoned marine captain. You managed to obtain an introduction, feigning innocence in attempting to rise the rank of your date for the evening. Charisma, charm and innocence was the part you played; always the coy flatterer and encourager. Once you felt the clasp of the brass hook behind the woman’s neck within your fingers, it was immediately unhooked and fell within your skilled and feather-light hand with neither care nor acknowledgement from their prior owner.

As the music began, you twirled with a smirk; placing the beaded sea-gems within the crevices of your cleavage to fall slowly between the mounds of your breasts. Once established within their home for the evening, you allowed the marine in the attempt to sway his body with yours. This appeared to be the first time this particular nameless gentleman has ever graced a dance floor, his fluster adamant in his movement.

The orchestral arrangement of pieces thus far was mainly waltzing and an odd foxtrot falling within the air to paint it with their artistry. Your body had been trained by your mother for years to gather the confidence and skill necessary to surpass her abilities to steal and burgle your way up to the higher class; dance falling as a necessity to obtain such a goal.

Rings, bangles, necklaces, tie-clips, a small wad of berry; child’s-play to follow after the first item with similar ease. You even managed to snag a small switch-blade on the belt of one of the marines, much to your delight. The only hinderance halting your less-subtle advances on fine material was a small feeling that your maneuvers were not as discrete as you would like it. You felt eyes. Eyes watching, waiting in the wings and ready to pounce. As you spied a large diamond ring, you halted your advance as the burning eyes scorched your fingertips.

Seeking their origin, you would subtly gaze from the corner of your eyes to search them out; never locating their source. You would huff your chest, readjust your mask and plaster a false smile on your face to gaze in feigned awe up into the eyes of your date in lieu of your prize.

Feigning a small lip bite and praising his dance moves, you finally managed to trace your fingers atop his gold marine pin of honour, effortlessly removing it without the notice of your date; rolling it against your inner palm before stooping to lay your hand against the brush of your hip to fall the small object within the open back of your dress. The opening was high enough to be tasteful, but low enough to gain ease of access with one of your many hidden pockets.

You had three major points you had managed to place upon your person for ease of concealing your many finds: your bag attached to your left hip, the crevices of your breasts down into your cleavage, and a small bag above your hidden daggered holster on your right thigh.

Every good thief has their specialty weapons. Your father used a blow-dart with toxins to paralyse their victims, your mother used a sword: both options you would prefer to steer clear of for agility and the thrill of the chase. Toxins were too easy, swords were too bulky: throwing knives were a perfect fit for you.

After the completion of one dance with the marine, he bowed lowly to you and offered to retrieve refreshments on behalf of you both. You bit your lip, a large sigh falling in thanks with more slow and deliberate eyelash kisses in thanks and encouragement had that similar light blushed pink once again gracing his cheekbones and upper ears. After he turned to walk away, you felt your character slipping in joy of the ease the role took to you; a smirk tickling the corners of your lips.

“Too easy,” you whispered in a light sigh, rolling your shoulders back and rotating your neck to relieve the tension. At the lull of your neck, you felt the familiar sensation of being watched. The hairs on the back of your neck prickling to attention at the unwanted gaze, with the skin elevating behind them in subtle bumps. Slowly dragging your feet around the floor, your toes raking deliberately against the polished marble, you attempted to find the owner to the unwanted attention you seemed to snare.

You raked your sights around the room, first falling to the orchestral ensemble as they once again made to equip their instruments to begin their melody; before your sights fell onto the silver-haired Vice-Admiral, Garp. He was engaged in deep conversation with another higher up amongst the marines. Your mind was screaming: “Danger, Danger. Do not approach,” yet as soon as your eyes dropped to his platinum and gold-plated pocket watch; your mind was immediately persuaded to halt all warnings eclipsed by desire to obtain the item.

Eyes glazed, you began your approach from the rounded dance floor to only feel the inner arch of both of your elbows clasped within the talon-like grip of unfamiliar and unwelcome hands. Your breath hitched, back arched outwards as the familiar and dangerous oaken-fragrance of the person behind you overwhelmed your senses before his voice cut through the silence.

“One wrong move, vixen,” he uttered in a low tone, “and I’ll reveal you to the masses.”

“Dracule Mihawk,” you whispered in a small hiss, your lips curled into a small grimaced snarl, “why are you here?”

“I could ask the same of you, little thief,” you felt his signature taunting smirk rise up within his bored tone, prompting your scowl to deepen further atop your brow. He tugged at your arms, your body responding by laying your back flush against his bare torso, his lips falling to tickle his wine-scented breath against the outer shell of your ear.

“I see you have come chaperoned this time,” he whispered into your ear, your eyes darkening beneath your ornamental mask concealing the upper half of your face, “how very clever of you.”

A small growl fled from your lips as you continued to hold your sights forward, lulling your head to the side to reveal more of your neck to him.

“I’ve learnt from my prior mistakes, warlord,” your scowl turned into a small smirk, unwrapping your right arm from his tight grip by circling it around itself; raising your arm behind your head to trace the outer neck of the broody swordsman behind you, dragging it slowly downwards.

“So it should seem,” his voice taunted you, allowing your small gesture to fall against his skin; your fingertips dancing in a small brush down towards his collar and torso.

He twirled you to face him, your hips swaying against his guidance as the silent hall gathered to couple up for the next musical interlude. Your gaze met with his honey-coloured eyes, his finely manicured facial hair rising against his lips as his smirk broadened to meet your face.

“Here is what’s to happen,” he uttered darkly, his smirk dropping as an air of dominant superiority fell in its stead, “you are going to return all of these items to these fine people,” you huffed out an exasperated breath, “and you are going to leave.”

“And should I refuse?” you challenged him, angling your chin upwards in defiance. His lip curled upwards into a frustrated snarl.

“I will have no choice to reveal you,” he informed you, arching his face down in a stoop towards your own. You hummed at him, tilting your head and swaying it innocently.

“Reveal what, exactly?” your coy smile returning to your lips, batting your eyelashes up at him with a small air of confidence, “I have done nothing wrong, and I have a formal invitation at the hands of my young chaperone.”

The warlord’s hand clasped firmly against your lefthand hip, grasping a handful of your flesh alongside the satchel containing some of your hoard. A small whimper fled from your lips at the unwithheld gesture, eyes immediately fleeing from his hunted and accusatory gaze to search the room for your date; praying he wasn’t watching the interaction.

Mihawk chuckled, leaning down further into you; yourself feeling small under his dominance as your back again arched away from him. The musicians began their open-stringed tuning of their instruments before the lectern was tapped by the conductor with their long, steel rod.

“As uncooperative and stubborn as always, I see,” he smirked down at you as the conductor began to tap the introductory beat against the wooden frame, “then I shall simply have to rid you of the items myself.”

You twirled from his grasp, your back arched as you stooped low with your hips swayed to the sultry arrangement; “you may certainly try, swordsman.”

It had been years since the Mihawk had first laid his eyes on you, and you had blossomed beautifully under the guidance of your parents. You had just reached the cusps of adulthood, your abilities as a thief had only began to be explored in the field where he first saw your flirtatious advance of some decrepit and disgusting marine with his travelling hands making you uncomfortable.

Of course he felt hooked to free you from the cusps of the uncomfortable exchange; and the price he paid for such a valiant feat be the relinquishment of his berry clasped within his leather-bound wallet. Only one small kiss was paid against his cheek in the exchange for it, without his knowledge of being parted from the object in the first place.

Your youthful and innocent eyes were what snared him then, but your sultry and tempting expression is what captured his attention now. Challenge rose within the chasms of the broody warlord’s chest, a small rotation of his shoulders rid him of his inhibitions, as he raked his feet along the ground to engage you in this dangerous dance of flirtatious conquest.

His hand reached for yours, outstretched and demanding rather than requesting your own. You smirked before tracing the palm of his hand with a dance of your fingertips to claim it; his hand firmly wrapping his digits around your own with haste and confidence in response.

This was not the Mihawk you remember. The valiant saviour, the all-too willing to draw his blade, the desire and eagerness to win your heart and hand was long since fled from his demeanour: an overly confident, arrogant and almost bored gentleman now rose within the shell of such a man. A dangerous man. A man who was purchased by the World Government in the stead of leading a life of piracy.

Twirling your body within his own and falling back to press chest to chest, your senses were once again filled with his signature cologne; a scent he had not changed in all the time fallen between you. The oaken undertones, the smoky and oceanic middle and the almost sweet floral hint enchanting you as he held you so tenderly pressed against himself as he engaged you in dance.

His curled, raven locks shorter than they once were, his moustache and beard grown and shaped into a fine art piece atop his face; and he had you cornered as a predator would his meek prey. His guiding hand found the small of your back, cradling your body firmly against his as he swept you throughout the circular hall to the seductive and tantalising music. His hand travelled once again to your left hip, thumbs tracing the outside of the material flush against your thigh.

“My, my,” he commented with his smirk once again gracing his lips, “so many fine additions to your hoard today,” his hand dipped against the leather satchel, expertly unhooking the clasp from your hidden girdle and falling the bag to your knees, “it may even cover the berry you took from me all those years ago.”

Your lips formed into a small pout as he gathered the satchel within his open right palm, twirling you to place the bag on an empty table framing the dance floor before turning you both to the centre of the room again.

“But that was such a long time ago,” your breathy gasp was laced with a slight sarcastic whine as you allowed him to continue leading you through this dance with danger, “surely the amount of berry has been recovered by now.”

“No, no, little thief,” he cooed at you his left hand falling to your right thigh and drawing your knee over his left hip; raking his broad fingers against your exposed flesh to draw closer to the concealed blades, “in fact, the interest gathered alone from your theft has left me in complete ruin.”

“You will not take my arms,” you firmly stated, Mihawk twirling you to the rhythmic swell of the melody.

“I will take as much as I desire for your ill-cooperation, vixen,” he taunted you, fingers tracing lower to fall to your thigh as his breath tickled your neck in a seductive taunt.

Eyes widening, Dracule Mihawk teased the circular daggers from your holster one by one and expertly threw them silently to imbed within the rose-covered pillars within the room.

You breathed out an air of irritation, your snarl once again rising as you warned him; “then you will also take my fury, alongside my revenge.”

“I am simply quivering in anticipation, vixen,” he chuckled darkly, lips trailing over your jugular as he toyed his index finger against the outer ring of your final throwing blade. Your eyes fluttered shut against his adventurous touches, arching your back to press your torso into his own as he breathed in the subtle florals of your perfume.

His mind became foggy from the thrill of the hunt, you falling so easily into the role of prey to his pursuit. The vixen and the hawk: both as dangerous to one another without having one truly triumph in their battle of victor. He was now winning, and he was relishing in such a victory.

Your prized daggers, now effortlessly disarmed from your body, now became a part of the scenery surrounding the dance floor. Your breath haltered in your throat; now not having a failsafe method to protecting yourself, you felt you had no choice but to allow Mihawk to continue prying your treasures from your body.

Annoyance fell to your face, committing the landing points to memory regarding your blades as Mihawk dropped your thigh back to fall your feet to the floor. Both of his hands now raked slowly from your shoulder blades down to fall to your hips; his right hand locating your bag on the righthand side above your holster.

“Clever again, vixen,” he praised you in a small, sarcastic purr, “you thought I wouldn’t frisk your dominant side again in my search.”

“Truthfully, Lord Dracule,” your addressal caught his attention, his yellow eyes snapping back to your own, “I did not prepare myself adequately to receive such attention from your travelling hands.”

His hands faulted in his retrieval of your secondary pouch slightly; just a whisper of hesitancy before he continued on his journey of ridding you from your lifted wares.

Necklaces, rings, bangles; everything the wealth of the evening you could’ve brought home to add to your hoard was now collected from you within the sultry dance Mihawk was guiding you through. The swell of the music in addition to the dangerous aura he engulfed you within had you set on a slight disadvantage. You needed something to even the odds, something to bring the control back to you as you held it for the majority of the evening.

His eyes fell to your cleavage, noticing the glimmer of a pearl beneath your brassier. Floating his eyes beneath his dangerous, dark eyelashes, back towards your own; he made to reach his hand down into your chest to retrieve the fine item. You immediately broke from his embrace as you spun away from his direct withdrawal of the object from your breasts.

Stalking and calculated in his approach, he circled himself behind your back; drawing your left hand to thrust delicately and horizontally within the air. He trailed the ghost of his lips along your forearm, your eyes flittering shut under his flirtatious advance.

“I will not leave here with less than what I arrived with,” you whispered your warning to him, his lips now falling to your outer neck.

“Then by all means,” he flicked your hair to fall over your other shoulder as he continued to circle your body, “retrieve your daggers and be on your way,” trailing his lips down and firmly clasping your right hand within his own and turning your wrist to face the inner, soft flesh to the chandelier above, “if, that is, you can find them.”

He drew his lips down to press a tender kiss against your inner wrist as the character you adorned for the night began to truly slip away; the smirk beneath his moustache rising more of a hateful blush to your cheeks as he continued his flirtatious tirade of insults with his words and actions. You wanted to stab him with something sharp, something that hurt for the embarrassment he was pulling to best you. Having no such blade upon your person would make that feat all the more challenging, but truly delicious should you pull it off with success.

He again drew you to himself and danced you around the floor in slow and calculated strides, his smirk not once falling from his controlled face; relishing in the knowledge that he had bested you truly. His eyes once again were drawn to your cleavage, the ribbon of finely beaded pearls once again within his sights as he decided this time to dive his face within your breasts in lieu of his hands.

Shock would be the first emotion to fall against your face, your innocent character behind the masquerade mask the only thing keeping you firmly held within this dangerous game of cat and mouse; or hawk to a vixen. As his lips fished out the pearled end of the long piece of ribboned ornate string, your hands instinctively fell to the back of his neck to hold him in place.

But what was that your fingertips brushed? Was is a solid bayonet clasp holding a priceless metallic necklace against the chest of the warlord; a warlord currently distracted by his own task within your breasts? Why yes, it appears it was.

Stampeded by the will to not leave this arena of seductive taunting empty handed; you ushered any inhibitions away from your mind as you convinced yourself to once again thief from the warlord in front of you.

Immediately, your fingertips expertly pried the clasp open with ease; you holding the chain in place beneath your palms and feigning freight beneath the swordsman’s ministrations, as his teeth reclaimed the lengthy necklace shamelessly from within your breasts. He unlaced one hand from behind you to collect the necklace from his mouth, his eyes holding his gaze as piercing as the hunter’s arrow against your own.

You danced your eyes between the two of his, glancing down briefly to meet with his lips as he completely withdrew the necklace from his slacked jaw. Sensing a slight shift in your emotions, his eyes narrowed to seek out the source for the shift.

“What are you playing at, little thief?” he asked you with an air of dangerous caution, “you’re staring at me like you’ve won, whereas I am clearly the victor in our little charade.”

Immediately, you dropped your right hand from the back of his neck to fall onto his cheek; caressing his bearded skin within your palm as the other held fast to the clasp around his neck.

“You have won this round, my lord,” you confirmed with him, ushering his face closer to your own, “now allow me to present a reward for your victory.”

You drew him truly downwards, cradling his face within your right hand as your parted lips captured his own. Where once was an innocent kiss parted onto his cheek in your youth, this amorous exchange felt like opening a tabbed chapter of a long-since neglected novel. Mihawk’s breath was stolen from his lungs as you held his lips fastened in a dance of passion against your own; your own heart beginning to swell as he reciprocated the tryst of your lips.

As he leant further into the kiss, his shoulders stooping as his hands wove around your shoulders to dip you in a low arch perpendicular to the floor. You almost felt bad for the way the chain around his neck fell so easily into your hand beneath him. The gold cross, now clasped firmly within your left palm, was to be your prize for the evening. Your hoard of trinkets worthless against the excitement this item brought to you.

The musical decrescendo began to dip, informing the two of you, and the other dancers on the circular floor, that the melody had come to its conclusion. Unbreaking the kiss, Mihawk rose you from your dip and nudged your chin with his own; his tongue darting out to brush with your own briefly before retuning behind his lips as briefly as they opened.

Not truly desiring the moment to end; you rewove your left hand, which now clasped Mihawk’s neck-chain and cross within it, behind his neck to hold him firmly to yourself. Your lips opened to pry more of himself against you, his gasped breath again claimed by your unwithheld ministrations. Eyes closed, you tilted your head and drew your torso completely flush with his as you stood on your toes to bring yourself fully flush with his chest.

The warmth radiating from his open shirt, the heat pouring from his skin was enough to hold your attention captive entirely. Mihawk again arched your back to chase your lips with his, unbreaking and unwavering in intensity before he closed the exchange of romance by withdrawing his lips from their proximity against your own.

“My, my,” he teased with his hawk-eyes half-hooded as he gazed at you, “what a reward that was for my efforts, vixen.”

You sighed against his teasing, your heart almost breaking for what you were about to depart from the ballroom with; but not enough to halt your strategic withdrawal.

“I will take my leave then, warlord,” you curtseyed low, the cross within your palm concealed by the gathering of your dress out to the side as you dipped in respect; a curt bow of his own with his feathered hat falling to your view.

“Until next time, little thief,” he rose from his bow as you did from your curtsey, “enjoy wallowing in your own pity as I relish in my victory. May you win the next round.”

You bit your tongue, opting to not give yourself away from his taunts while fighting the blush his voice drew out of you. Desperately hoping to never see him again to keep his golden cross all to yourself; while hopelessly longing for another chance to best him and greet him with an embrace had your heart racing, judgement clouded and eyes glazed.

“May our next meeting arrive sooner than the time parted between our first meeting and our now,” you offered him a warm smile, “I do miss your charming face and your way with words, Mihawk.”

“Flatterer,” he purred at you, before clicking his boot heels together in a curt tap while turning to rejoin the gathering of warlords and representatives of the world government.

Opting to not seek out your blades, nor locate your chaperone for the evening; you immediately danced yourself away to withdraw to the shadows of the event. Raising your right hand up to fix your mask in place, you located the nearest exit from the venue: a large arched doorway with glass panel windows on a white frame. The roses hung low from the tall arch, ivy and baby’s breath sporadically placed in lieu of the candles.

This was not the large entrance you originally entered through with your young chaperone, but the ally entrance to the finely and meticulously maintained labyrinth of green hedge-ends.

You paused, turning one last time towards the dance floor to seek out the warlord with your sights. Upon your eyes tracing the floor to meet your sights with his form, you were immediately met with the piercing yellow-eyes you were craving; he, too, seeking you out to set his eyes on yours once more before your departure.

Lips parted, a small quivered tremble in apprehension and pity fell to your face as the valuable metal remained secured within your left hand. You raked your eyes over his neck to the place his cross was once hanging, noticing how truly beautiful you found his statuesque physique.

Unfortunately for you, his brows furrowed at your sights dancing on his skin; his chin dipping, his jaw hanging slack as soon as he found vacant space instead of his inestimable necklace. Your breath hitched in your throat, eyes widening as he snapped his sights back to your face.

Anger. Pure and unadulterated fury fell to his face, prompting you to shy backwards through the archway while holding his burning gaze.

The first time you bested him with your thievery, he only noticed what was taken from him as he made to purchase a pastry from a nearby bakery on his journey retuning to the inn he’d purchased for the night; finding vacant space where his wallet once was. He was angry and upset then, he was enraged and his fury burned brighter now you remained behind to witness it.

Seeing no other option, you scurried immediately to your feet as you stampeded towards the entrance of the labyrinth; the moon the only illumination for the dark emerald and navy hues of the circular leaves. Tunnelling through corner to corner of the confusing muddle of gravel, dirt and shrubs; you continued to swiftly barrel through the winding road to seek out the true exit to the maze.

Not a sound was uttered, the music far from your ears within the large ball-room not travelling far enough to grant you the pleasure of its company. Your breath picked up in hitch as you panted against the hasty retreat, your body propelling to the centre of the maze; well lit with domed fire pillars with an ornate marble table at the centre.

Five openings surrounded the table: one you just exited from, alongside three options to trap you in your doom and one to throw you into your victorious freedom. Your head bobbed frantically between the options as you debated which path to fall your feet towards. Finally choosing for the path closest to the north; your steps were halted as a knife was thrown to whistle past your eyeline and imbed itself within the cement, torched pillar beside you.

“As you have learnt from your mistakes, vixen,” his voice relayed in an agitated tone under the cover of darkness, “I, too, have learnt from mine.”

“M-Mihawk,” your voice wavered in your throat as another blade cut through the air beside your head to imbed itself lower in the pillar.

“You stole from me once,” he taunted from the shadows, “made me out to be a fool,” another blade whispered it’s sharpened edge against your cheek, not quite making contact but enough as a warning, “I despise looking to be anything less than what I am.”

“And what are you, Lord Dracule Mihawk?” your own agitation drawing itself to your brow.

“I,” he began, stepping into the light of the central area in slow and steady strides, “am the consequence you have brought upon yourself this evening.”

His feathered hat atop his head danced within the whispered wind, his eyes hidden beneath it as you stepped back to fall your lower back against the marble top of the circular table.

“And what such consequence must I prepare myself for?” you asked him with a pointed tone, “turning me over to the World Government would be low, even for you.”

He hummed a small shadow of a chuckle within his throat, tilting his head up to grace your vision with his yellow-eyes; wild with a sadistic joy above his smirking mouth.

“Turn you over?” He approached your body, raising his left hand to caress your cheek while his right sought out the blade clutched within the palm of your left hand, “such a simple solution for a complex vixen. I hardly see that as a fitting consequence for your crime.”

You swallowed a dry breath, your body screaming as you were finally captured within the talons of the mighty warlord of the sea. His fingertips brushed a stray hair behind your ear, the pad of his index finger toying at the ribbon clasping your masquerade mask close to your right eye.

“I am going to work you hard to settle your debt, little thief,” he informed you in a low whisper, his fingers trailing to the bow unifying your mask against your face, tugging on it to fall the laced object from your eyes, “from this day and all to follow, you are mine.”

#one piece #opla #opla fic #one piece live action #x reader #opla mihawk #mihawk x reader #mihawk fanfiction #dracule mihawk #dracule mihawk x reader #mihawk #mihawk fic #mihawk x you

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ddejavvu · 1 year

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Plain Old Man - Jim Hopper x Reader

Summary: Jim can't figure out why you love him. After all, isn't he just a plain old man?

Contents/Warnings: hop's self-conscious :(, consensual + legal age gap, fem!reader

requested: hopper x younger really feminine reader. he think she’s the cutest thing ever and that she’s too good for him so he’s kind of upset, but she figures it out and sits on his lap and kissing all over his body </333 // slightly deviated from, but i hope you still enjoy it!

WC: 1.47K / navi

feedback is greatly appreciated! comment, reblog, talk in the tags, send me a message, tell me what you think!

You love Fridays, because when Jim swings by the pizza place for your dinner, he stops into the boutique next door, and always brings you something. Last week it was a pair of dangly earrings, shimmery and green in the shapes of fairy wings. The week before that it was a silver necklace with a pearl charm, to match a set of earrings he'd gotten before that.

You're buzzing with excitement as you hear his car pull up outside, and you bypass the hand he's balancing the pizza on to wrap your arms around his waist. They interlock behind him and you squeeze, wishing you could latch yourself onto him forever and hang off of him like a sloth.

"Hop!"

"Hey, sweetheart." You feel a kiss placed on the crown of your head, his mustache prickling the skin there, "Let's get inside, okay? Pizza's gonna get cold."

Your nose is, too, so you let him nudge you back inside before it starts to ache.

"I baked us muffins," You inform him, taking the box from his hands and watching him toe off his muddy work shoes by the door, "They're blueberry, but I added that topping over them that you liked last time on the banana ones. It's a little sticky, and kinda clumpy, but it tastes the same!"

He nods through your ramble, eyes lighting up at not only the prospect of muffins but of the special crumble you lay over top. He ushers you into the kitchen, but when you reach for the lid of the pizza box he sets a hand on your waist.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he pats the breast pocket of his jacket, and you visibly brighten.

"Oh! Oh," You gush, reaching eagerly for the bag that he hands you, crinkly plastic and purple-tinted, "Thank you, honey."

Your nails pry at the tissue paper that's wrapping whatever present you've gotten, and when you rip the tape away it reveals two barrettes, one pink and one blue. they're beaded, shimmery under the light, and they'll look adorable tucked into your hair.

"Hop," You gush, surging forwards to face-plant into his chest, "I love them! I can use them to twist my hair back like I've been doing lately."

"I know," He nods, leaning forwards to bump his nose into your own, his eyes crinkled at the corners with a smile, "That's why I bought them. I know the pins haven't been holding it."

You'd stolen two worn-out, dented bobby pins from Jim's nightstand, that you're fairly certain he'd used to pick locks with. It concerned you, but he hasn't asked for them back, so you're sure his lock-picking days are behind him.

"Put 'em in!" You urge him, unclipping the barrettes from the card they're on and dumping them into his large, rough hand, "You know how to do it, right?"

"I know how to pull your hair back," He scoffs, sticking one clip between his teeth so that his words muffle as he uses his hands to twist a chunk of your hair away from your face. He pulls it back and secures it with the clip, a snap letting you know it won't fall out.

"Perfect," He praises you (though you think it might be aimed at himself), and pops a kiss to the metal clip.

Your smile is infectious as he uses the other clip on the opposite side of your head, thick fingers twisting your delicate hair carefully. When it's pinned he kisses that side, too, and backs away to look at you head-on.

He smiles, but it's strange. It doesn't fade, per se, but the look in his eyes shifts, and your gut churns with nerves when they seem to be sad.

"Hop?" You tilt your head, watching him try and fail to focus on you instead of whatever's happening in his head, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," He nods, pressing a mediocre kiss to your cheek as he rushes for the pizza box behind you, "Yeah, sweetheart. You look real pretty. Let's eat, okay?"

He plates his pizza in silence, so you do too. But it's strange, because he always complains about the cheese not being gooey when he pulls slices apart, and there's not a peep out of him today. Just a downcast glance that tracks his feet all the way to the couch. He typically spreads out, eager to relax after a day of work, but he sits proper, plate on his lap and eyes on the tv.

You reach down to flick it on when you pass, and you sit closer to his side than you normally would. You feel his thigh tense up against your own, and you frown, glancing over at him.

"Jim," You croon, setting your hand cautiously against his thigh, "Are you okay? The truth this time, please."

"Yeah, honey, I.. I don't know." He shakes his head slightly, blinking rapidly and sighing, "It's fine, really. I like your clips, sweetheart, they look good."

He goes to take another bite of pizza, but you pull it out of his hands just before he can. It means that his teeth clack together instead of meeting the bread, and he looks bewilderedly at you, hand still outstretched.

"Hey," He frowns, "That's my pizza."

"I know it's your pizza," You plop it back onto the plate, setting it on the coffee table and taking its place in his lap, "It'll still be your pizza when you tell me what's bothering you."

He sighs again, and this time you feel it where your hands are braced on his belly. You smooth your hands over it, tracing your thumbs from the dip of his navel out to his sides.

"Tell me, Jim," You plead, "I'm worried about you."

He looks at you for a moment, head-on, eye to eye and face to face, and breaks. He murmurs a gruff 'fuck,' under his breath, head drooping down so that his chin meets his chest.

"Jim," You whine, tucking your fingers under his chin and lifting it so that he can't avoid your eyes, "Just tell me, honey. I need to know."

"You are.." He pauses, cupping your cheek and smiling sadly at you, "Gorgeous. You know that?"

"You tell me all the time," You promise him, shimmying your hips slightly to press your tummy further into his, "What's that got to do with anything?"

"I think you're too gorgeous for me. And sweet, and nice, and perfect. I'm a plain old man," He gestures to himself, his beige uniform and scruffy stubble, "That's it."

"You're not a plain old man," You chide him, pinching at the pudge of his belly, "You're the man I love. You know that, don't you? That I love you."

"I'd like to think so," His smile stays sad, "I just can't think of a reason you would."

"Well because- because you're.. you! Jim," Your brows furrow and you lean closer, nose-to-nose, "I love you because of who you are. Not because of any one specific reason, the reason is just you. I love you, Jim Hopper."

His hand cups the back of your neck and pushes you forwards. It's not a kiss, but your lips meet, as do your foreheads as your noses smush together.

"You're too good to me," He murmurs, his voice slightly raspy.

"No," You protest, pecking his lower lip in a sweet smooch, "I could never be too good to you. 'Cause you deserve the best."

"You are cheesy today," He chuckles, but you know it's not an insult as much as it is an observation, "Did those muffins have extra sugar in them? Something's got you all sweet."

"It's you," You grin, knocking your nose into his once more and digging your hands into the soft chub of his belly, "I'm glad you're home. I missed you all day, I wanted to call you a bunch but I didn't wanna bother you."

"You wouldn't bother me," He promises, smoothing a hand down your back, "But it's probably not good to hold up the line at the police station."

"Yeah," You hum sadly, and lean down to tuck your face over his shoulder in a much-needed hug, "It's better when El's here. She keeps me company."

"Speaking of," He glances at the clock, patting your back gently, "We need to go get her soon. Max's mom said she can't stay another night, she's got chores to do."

"Finish your pizza," You clamber off of his lap and rush for your own plate, "Because before she comes back, you're going to make me happy scream."

"Oh, yeah?" He laughs as you settle yourself back against him on the couch, attention finally turned to the television, "We should brush our teeth first, then. I'm not kissing pizza breath."

feedback is greatly appreciated! comment, reblog, talk in the tags, send me a message, tell me what you think!

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sciencelings-arts · 3 months

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🌻✨🏳️‍⚧️Girlifies Capcoms favorite punching bag✨🏳️‍⚧️🌻

Closeups and rambles about the designs under the cut, you know the deal

I stared at Feenie’s pitiful puppy eyes sprite for like a half hour for this, I just wanted you guys to know that. I couldn’t decide on whether I wanted to draw her bleeding or include the necklace because logically they can’t be there at the same time but I did it anyway because I wanted to. Also I wanted her to be splattered with paint where in later iterations she’d have scars.

Sunflower/defense attorney badge inspired earring, and bleeding heart necklace. I didn’t feel like going easy on the symbolism on this one lol.

Closeup of Rookie!Phoenixes gay little earring, I love putting too much detail into things that end up being way too small to appreciate. Obviously it’s an Edgeworth reference, and a reference to that one DD concept art where he has a little blue knight on his tie and I thought this is her era of getting really into being a knight in shining armor for everyone ever.

All the earrings/jewelry correspond to the people she’s closest to at the time, or at least most devoted to. Feenie: Mia and Dahlia, Rookie: Edgeworth (the sketch had the chess piece replaced with a large bead which is for Maya/Pearls), Beanix: Trucy, and MILFeen: the WAA (the star in the celestial trio alongside Athena’s moon and Apollo’s Sun)

Another note about the main trilogy Fem!Phoenix design is that I included temporary marks from Franziska’s whip rather than the burn scars from the bridge which are included in the later versions. Also the scars from being bashed in the head bc i felt like that wouldn’t just disappear, and I wanted to focus this design on JFA.

More about the scars, specifically her lip scars, I wanted to give her a darker lipstick that she uses to draw away the attention from the necklace chomping scars but during the 7yg she kind of gives up on hiding them. I also wanted to make sure there’s a dramatic change between Beanix and MILFeen, Edgeworth bullied her into having a decent skincare routine.

Speaking of Edgeworth, she’s here, having homosexual feelings in the background. As usual. The fun thing about Narumisu is that they almost exclusively refer to each other by their last names so it doesn’t matter if they have different first names for a gender swap, they will always be ‘Prosecutor Edgeworth’ and ‘Defense Attorney Wright’

All side by side at the sacrifice of image quality. I love her eras

#artists on tumblr #my art #phoenix wright ace attorney #phoenix wright #ace attorney #fem!Phoenix AU #narumitsu #naruhodo ryuichi #wrightworth #through symbolism and a sapphic little sketch #gender swap #trans phoenix wright #beanix #feenie #fem!beanix #fem!feenie #fanart

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drawsmaddy · 6 months

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[ID: A digital illustration of Klavier Gavin from Ace Attorney. The illustration is styled to look like a magazine cover. Klavier is visible from the shoulders up, centered in the image and facing forwards. He looks slightly down and off to the side with a soft smile. He is wearing a black t-shirt with simple triangular cutouts at the shoulders, between the main portion of the shirt and the sleeves. He has a pearl necklace with a metal bead at the centre that his stylised 'G' logo hanging from it and there is a chain necklace with large links layered over the pearl necklace. He has a few silver earrings in, one of which has a dangling simple rectangle. The magazine is titled Rose Baby and text in the bottom right hand corner, layered over Klavier's shirt, reads "Klavier Gavin" in a large font and "Life after the Gavinners" in a smaller font underneath. Other headlines about the future of menswear, illustration in fashion, and court fashion are much smaller and positioned to the right of Klavier. On the left of Klavier is vertical text reading "November 2027". End description.]

Will there be a solo career?

#klavier gavin #my art #ace attorney

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tiyawnyana · 1 year

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yawne

Requested by @therroseandthethorn :

Shy Neteyam who doesn’t know how pretty he is with Aonung determined to claim Neteyam as his mate and away from wondering eyes ASAP. With overprotective Sullys (parents and siblings) interfering whenever they can. Smut to if possible. Please and thank you.

Notes: so I went a lil crazy on this and tbh I think it's more fluffy than I anticipated BUT I'm very happy with it so I hope you are too, THANK YOU I loved this one

Warnings: aged up characters, fluff, feelings idk, bit of smut

Ao'nung has been pining over a certain Omiticayan Na'vi for a while and has decided to make a move. But it seems Eywa (not Eywa) is against him on this one. (Ao'nung is 20, Neteyam is 19 almost 20.)

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

(Yawne: beloved | eveng:child)

Ao'nung stomps along the sand, Roxto trailing behind him (he snickers to himself, watching the anger near roll off of his friends shoulders). Ao'nung is muttering to himself and replaying what had happened no more than 10 minutes prior.

•••

He's nervous, but giddy, Ao'nung grins to himself as he traces his fingers along the beads he had hand crafted, a pair that, coincidentally happened to match the beads in his hair, along with a beautiful necklace, a pearl nestled in the center with gorgeous shells and threading framing it. He had been so nervous, watched Tsireya show him but had insisted he do it himself. After nearly 3 weeks, he had finally finished the necklace, finally satisfied with how it looked.

He takes a deep breath, puts the beads into a beautiful seashell he had found while diving with the object of his desire.

Ao'nung huffs out a breath, then quickly gets up, accidentally knocking over some things, startling Tsireya and his mother quirks am eyebrow his way, questioning. He grins at them, cleans his mess and darts out of the pod, going off to find the one the gifts were for.

After speaking with a few of the villagers, some girls his age attempting to woo him and some of the elders lightly scolding him to go and hunt more, he finally finds himself at the pod he'd been looking for.

He glances in, looking for his target.

But someone spots him first.

"What is it, Ao'nung?" Lo'ak speaks, yawning,"It's too early to go hunting."

Ao'nung chuckles,"it's near noon, skxawng."

The younger one huffs, rolling his eyes, but his eyes land on the shell clasped between Ao'nung's hands,"Bro, what's that?" He stands up, trying to peek at it.

"Nothing, back off," Ao'nung says back, swerving his body back away from Lo'aks gaze. He decides to peer in the pod, searching, and his eyes land on who he'd been looking for.

Neteyam. Oh, Neteyam, who'd have thought that the son of Tonowari would fall for someone who'd punched him in the face only a few years ago?

Ao'nung's ears perk up, visually showing his glee. His tail flicks behind him and he shuffles in place.

Neteyam sits on the other side of the pod, Tuk is sitting in his lap and he's fixing her braids, Kiri sits besides him and Neytiri is kneeled behind Neteyam, fixing his braids. He hisses as his mother tugs a bit hard, then chuckles as she swats him in the head lightly. Kiri is talking to them, Tuk barely listening only to interrupt with her own addition or her own story.

Ao'nung feels a grin slide onto his face, followed very quickly by a frown as Lo'ak moves to stand in his way. The younger one has partially filled out, less lanky but still a long ways to go as Toruk Maktos youngest son, but he's large enough to block the view Ao'nung had of Neteyam.

"Sorry, Neteyam isn't here," Lo'aks ears flick back, he narrows his eyes just slightly. He had caught on a while ago to Ao'nungs feelings for his older brother, and honestly, he was annoyed. He didn't want fishlips over here to become his brother through mating! Also, frankly, he didn't think Ao'nung would be good to his brother.

Ao'nung feels his jaw drop a little,"He's literally right there," he points behind him.

"Nope, sorry, just me, Kiri, Tuk and mom," he shrugs,"But I can make sure that he gets that," he reaches for the shell.

Ao'nung smacks his hand away, nearly dropping the shell in the process and hisses lightly at him.

Lo'ak just glares, seemingly puffing himself up.

Just then, Ao'nung hears his father calling his name, and he huffs out in anger, turning and storming off.

Which brings us back to now.

"Ao'nung, there's always another time," Roxto tries to reason with him, jogging lightly to catch up.

Ao'nung sighs, slowing to a stop. He looks down at the beads and necklace, his anger simmering. He nods, before continuing to his pod to put the gift away.

Roxto trails after him, and they end up going hunting per Tonowari's request.

Another time comes after several other attempts, nearly 7 days afterwards.

Ao'nung tried to find Neteyam that afternoon, but coincidentally the latter had gone out on a flight on his ikran. Ao'nung huffs in annoyance as he goes back to his family.

The next few days, Ao'nung tries many times to catch Neteyam alone.

Lo'ak keeps getting in his way. And Neytiri, surprisingly.

She keeps sending him to the wrong place, apologizing and brushing it off later. After the third mistake, Ao'nung decides he won't be asking her where Neteyam is.

Other times, he's able to find Neteyam but he's swept off by Lo'ak, their dad or even some other Na'vi of the village dragging him into conversations with poor attempts at wooing. His stomach twists in jealousy but he pushes it down whenever the Na'vi leave, upset. He grins to himself.

When Ao'nung sees him another time, Neteyam is not alone. One of the fellow warriors, Aki'li, is with him, smiling and laughing with Neteyam. She's grinning up at him, talking kindly and hands him something, and Ao'nung feels his body freeze up, red hot anger filling in his gut. Neteyam smiles back, before nodding in thanks. She grins before nearly skipping away, saying goodnight as she goes.

Ao'nung briskly turns around, heading into the water to cool off. Lo'ak spots this, snickering to himself.

Another time, Ao'nung had gone off to the sullys, and had bumped in to Jake, Toruk Makto himself. Ao'nung was always a little intimidated by Jake, but over the years it had dwindled as the former chief and his father had grown to be close friends.

Ao'nung mustered up his courage and asked,"Is Neteyam courted?"

He feels the air freeze, he swears to Eywa. And Jake turns to him, his eyebrow raised as he stares down at him.

"Why." Is all he says, and Ao'nung nearly dies inside at his tone of voice.

He stammers, "Was just, um, wondering, as one of my friends was curious," he diverts his gaze.

Jake narrows his eyes, before sighing and chuckling, his head bowing,"well, tell your "friend" that no, he has not been courted yet, as far as I know."

Ao'nung nods in thanks and books it out of there.

And the last time he tried to get Neteyam alone, was just earlier yesterday.

He wasn't alone though, Neteyam and Tuk were in the water. Neteyam chuckled as Tuk tried to grab his ankles under the water, only for him to drag her up by hers and tickle her.

Ao'nung approaches, waving as Neteyam smiles at him; he silently thanks Eywa.

Tuk shrieks and giggles, throwing herself at Ao'nung and insists on protecting her. Ao'nung grins, lifting Tuk onto his back and getting into a defensive position against Neteyam.

"How am I the bad guy, Tuk?"

She sticks her tongue out at her brother,"You keep tickling me!"

Neteyam gets into a defensive position too, he grins at Ao'nung.

"Only because you keep grabbing my ankles!"

Ao'nung dramatically gasps,"Tuk! How dare you, grabbing his ankles?"

She giggles on his back, and Neteyam takes this chance and attempts to grab Tuk. She shrieks, Ao'nung winces but manages to twist his body around, avoiding Neteyams hands.

Neteyam groans, and Ao'nung books it through the water, holding Tuk as she squeals with laughter.

Neteyam chases after them, and soon enough Ao'nung stops abruptly as Tuk scrambles on his back and he stumbles forward as she shoves herself off of his back; Neteyam tumbles into his side. They crash into the water and Tuk gasps, giggling behind her hands.

Ao'nung lifts his head, spitting out water and groaning. He chuckles, and Neteyam lifts himself.

They lock gazes and Neteyam smiles so sweet, his cheeks a darker hue,"Sorry, Tuk betrayed you."

They chuckle and Neteyam slowly lifts himself off of Ao'nung. He offers a hand and lifts him up, and he can't help his gaze locking onto Neteyams waist.

Eywa, he swears his hands could wrap around Neteyams waist.

Ao'nung feels his face warm, surely a darker teal hue covering his cheeks and he brushes off any thoughts that'd make Eywa blush.

He just gazes at Neteyam as he chases his little sister, the water droplets gradually coming down his skin and his loincloth is soaked, clinging to his inner thighs. Ao'nung swallows, turns his head and groans as Lo'ak comes towards them, Tsireya, Kiri and Roxto not far behind.

They end up all swimming together, Lo'ak making sure to keep the space between Neteyam and Ao'nung as his. Kiri rolls her eyes at this.

The next morning, Ao'nung is so frustrated. That stupid gift stares him in the face. He smacks a hand over his face, before getting up and going to find Roxto to go hunting.

Only then, Neteyam had tried to find him a little while later.

Ao'nung and Roxto return hours later, and a celebration is commenced.

All of the hunters had caught great amounts of fish during the past month and the chief had wanted to celebrate the young hunters skills.

Ao'nung and Roxto were celebrated too, having brought back several large fish and a net of smaller ones as well.

Ao'nung felt great, he wanted this to impress Neteyam, so he brought the Sullys one of the larger fish that he had caught. (He also brought the seashell, beads and necklace hidden in the pouch on his hip).

Jake had patted his shoulder, thanking him, Tuk following by giving him a high five (four?), as confusing as that was, and Lo'ak smirked and nodded at Ao'nung. Neytiri had smiled gratefully, her eyes bore into him, reading his motives. She narrows her eyes, judgeful. (Plus, Lo'ak had told Kiri earlier of Ao'nungs affection for Neteyam and Neytiri had happened to overhear.)

Kiri, being one of the chaotic sullys, had taken it into her own hands and dressed Neteyam up beautifully for the celebration, specifically in Metkayina clans tradition.

She had made a whole show of it, calling her family to look, grinning as everyone turned to see Neteyam. She nearly cackled out in laughter at Lo'aks face alone. His eyes shot open; and Ao'nung. Well.

Ao'nung had thought he'd gone back to Eywa, because wow, Neteyam was beautiful.

He had been gifted a new loincloth ages ago, a beautiful deep green blue, and it was beautiful along his darker blue skin. Jewelry hung around his hips, seashells and crystals beaded together that clinked softly as he walked. He has an armband around both of his biceps, similar to his fathers, and he wears a beautiful tunic around his torso, and Ao'nung realizes that it's one of Tsireya's creations. He sends a thank you in his mind to Tsireya. He also wears anklets and two matching bracelets, beautifully crafted beads framed his ankles and wrists.

Neytiri smiles so wide, rushing to her son and cupping his cheeks,"You look so lovely, ma 'eveng."

He smiles at her, nodding in thanks.

Kiri grins, before hissing as Lo'ak elbows her. He glares at her and she just smirks back before elbowing him back.

Neteyam then spots Ao'nung, and his ears flick back, eyes widen and what seems to be a darker blue hue covers his cheeks. He turns to Kiri and glares lightly at her and she nods her head towards Ao'nung.

Kiri then stretches,"C'mon guys, let's go cook this fish!" And drags Lo'ak out of the pod. Neytiri nods, taking Tuks hand and Jake follows. They pat his shoulder before whispering,"be good to him" and "don't hurt him". Ao'nung shuffles where he stands and they're finally, finally alone.

"You wen-"

"You look-"

They both speak, and chuckle. Ao'nung nods to Neteyam.

"Sorry, I had tried finding you this morning, but you were hunting, huh?" Neteyam steps closer, only a few feet away now.

"You did?" Ao'nungs ears flick forward, tail swishing behind him.

"Yes, Tsireya and Kiri told me that you had wanted to talk?"

"OH, oh, um," he feels the nerves rise up, and he stares down at the ground for a moment for shaking it off and opening the pouch on his hip. He carefully grabs the seashell, and holds it out for Neteyam. He hears a soft gasp and glances over at him.

"Ao'nung," neteyam says softly.

"I've wanted to give this to you, but never found the right time to," he says,"but now works perfectly," he grins.

Neteyam carefully takes hold of the seashell and picks up the hair beads, smiling so soft and Ao'nung can't help but gaze at him. The deep blue of his skin, the bright yellow eyes, his perfectly placed freckles seemingly done by Eywa herself. Neteyam was beautiful.

Ao'nung doesn't realize he had said that last part out loud, Neteyams ears flick and he gazes up at him, a darker blue covers his cheeks.

"Sorry, did I say that outloud?" They chuckle together. Neteyam ends up clasping the beads into some of his hair framing his face, then turns to him.

"Could you put this on for me?" And hands him the necklace. He carefully slides his arms around him as Neteyam lifts his braid, clasping to necklace around his throat and its a perfect fit.

He's fixing Neteyams hair over his shoulders when the tail in front of his flicks between his legs, curling lightly around his mid thigh. He apologizes, ears flicking back in embarrassment.

The necklace goes surprisingly well with the outfit adorning Neteyams figure, and Ao'nung is beyond happy.

"Neteyam," he starts,"this is one of our courting gestures."

Those golden eyes stare into his soul.

"If you're accepting, may I court you?" He stumbles over his words,"You have caught my gaze since you've arrived, it's been torture watching others try to get your attention, I wish nothing more than for a chance to see me the way I see you. You're so beautiful," they're gently holding hands by this point,"I see you, please allow me a chance to gain that back."

"I know this is a courting gesture of yours," Neteyam grins, he's blushing, then walks out of the pod before turning and offering his hand to Ao'nung,"and you already have, yawne."

They arrive, hand in hand, an Ao'nung swears his heart is in the clouds.

Lo'ak decides to sink that feeling by being an annoying ass the entire night.

He sits right next to them, talks in their conversations and Neteyam just ends up brushing him off.

It doesn't help that multiple young villagers have seemingly, suddenly, taken an interest in Neteyam. (They have before, but Ao'nung swears it's more than usual.) Seemingly everyone wants to talk to him, attempt to woo him.

Lo'ak ends up dragging Neteyam off later on into the night, insisting he meets with Aki'li. Ao'nung watches, upset and annoyed and Kiri approaches, watching the scene.

Aki'li is grinning as Neteyam speaks with her, before she hugs him tight and Ao'nung scowls. He walks to Neteyam and thankfully Kiri grabs Lo'ak, scolding him.

Neteyam spots him and meets him halfway, smiling so prettily up at him before he's dragged off and they're suddenly on an Ilu, Ao'nung and him going wherever he leads.

They arrive around the rock formations near their spirit tree, and Ao'nung helps Neteyam up on the form. They sit together quietly for a few moments.

"Aki'li likes someone else," Neteyam speaks softly, peering over at him,"she has been asking for advice."

Embarrassment crawls into Ao'nungs gut, his ears flick and he groans, cupping his face.

Neteyam just laughs lightly,"she actually gifted me this jewelry, said it'd be sure to get attention. Who'd have thought it'd catch yours?"

Ao'nung lifts his face, gazing over at him,"You've always had my attention," he gently takes his hand in his,"I guess you're just too beautiful."

Neteyam chuckles, shaking his head.

"I mean it, 'Teyam," he leans closer, thumb rubbing over his knuckles gently,"unfortunately that means everyone else sees it too."

Neteyam chuckles, turning his gaze away and his ears flick back.

Ao'nung just gently grabs his chin, tilting him back to facing him.

"You are so beautiful," he gazes all over his face, mapping every freckle, every mark,"May I kiss you?"

Neteyam is surprised, ears flicked forward,"Sure, yes," and he's interrupted as Ao'nung gently grips his cheeks and pulls him into a searing kiss. It's soft, so filled with emotion and Neteyam gasps into it.

The kiss grows more passionate, they lean into eachother and grip eachothers arms, hips, arms wrapping over shoulders, anything to press themselves so close to eachother. Ao'nung licks into Neteyams mouth and kisses him deeply, his hands grip his hips and he groans at the fact that his hands could nearly wrap around his waist.

Ao'nung disconnects his mouth and sits back, dragging Neteyam to sit on his lap. Their tails lightly entwine and they leap back into kissing, gasping into eachothers mouths as they continue to touch eachother.

Neteyam backs up to breath and Ao'nung takes this opportunity to kiss down Neteyams neck.

"You are," kiss,"so beautiful,"a nip,"ma'Teyam," a sucking of a hickey right below his jaw.

Neteyam tilts his head up, sighing open mouth before covering his mouth and moaning quietly. His hand is pulled down moments later.

"We're alone, ma' yawne," Ao'nung whispers, kissing over his knuckles,"let me hear you."

Neteyam breathes out a shakey sigh, gazing down at him before tilting his head up and kissing him sweetly.

They continue to kiss, holding eachother as it grows hotter than before, and soon enough Neteyam shifts and gasps as he feels his crotch brush Ao'nungs. They're both breathing shakily, gazing at eachother and nodding at one another.

Ao'nung makes the first move, his hands trailing along Neteyams sides, brushing his waist and hips causing the man above him to shiver; he brushes his hands along his stomach and traces his fingers along the hem of his loincloth, teasing.

Neteyam huffs in frustration before untying it himself, peeling it off of his body before he glances up, asking silent permission.

Ao'nung feels himself harden up even more, if possible. He nods before just soaking in the view on his lap. He gasps as his loincloth is yanked off his body and their cocks rub against eachother. Neteyam wraps a shakey hand around their lengths, moaning breathlessly. He gently jerks both of them, his head tilts back a little and he moans lowly and openly.

Ao'nung grips his hips, there's sure to be some lightly visible marks by the morning, but he relished in that. He continues kissing along his shoulders, nipping lightly here and there before gliding down to his chest. He kisses so lightly over Neteyams pecks, lingers over where he feels his rapid heartbeat before kissing over his nipple.

Neteyam gasps, his hand freezing momentarily and Ao'nung grins before flicking his tongue out and licking over the pointed nub. He engulfs Neteyams hand around their lengths and coaxes him into moving again, jerking them both off. They both groan, and Ao'nung continues teasing. He lightly bites over the nub then sucks over it, his tongue flicking around the nipple. Neteyam moans louder, his back arching forward.

Ao'nung pulls back,"ma'Teyam," he whispers into his neck,"so beautiful, so good to me."

Neteyam gasps out another moan, shaking his head,"yawne, please," they're both so close, that coil winding up in their bellies and Ao'nung brushes Neteyams hand away before speeding up his own hand over their lengths.

His hips buck, so does Neteyams, and the latter wraps his arms around Ao'nungs neck, burrowing his face into his neck. He moans and pants into his neck, kisses lightly and grinds his hips forward.

"So beautiful, so lovely," Ao'nung whispers into his ear, and suddenly the coil snaps and Neteyam moans, his head tosses back and he finally cums, landing across their bellies.

Ao'nung keeps stroking, shuddering and groaning as it snaps only a few moments later, he's groaning into Neteyams shoulder as the pleasure simmers.

They take time to breathe, kissing over eachothers shoulders and Ao'nung whispers sweet nothings.

"Yawne," Neteyam whispers,"I see you."

"I see you, ma'Teyam."

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Part 2 mayhaps?

Let me know!!

I think I definitely went more soft with the build up but let me know your thoughts! And keep sending requests my way! (I think I fixed my page I'm not sure tho)

#avatar #avatar imagine #avatar the way of water #neteyam #aonung #aonunete #neteyam x aonung #avatar smut #neteyam smut #aonung smut #lo'ak #neytiri #jake #jake sully #kiri sully #kiri

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zablife · 9 months

Text

Pearls from Tommy

Author's Note: Blame @thomashelbyswife for these naughty headcanons! All that talk about Tommy's fetish for his wife's jewelry got me thinking...

Warning:🔞 drinking, nothing but smut

💋 Tommy buys you a long flawless strand of pearls for your birthday, gifting them to you before an evening out on the town. Despite your protests about the cost, he assures you nothing is too good for his beloved. "They're the gem of queens, my darling, and you'll have nothing less."

💋 When you return to your suite at the Midland after dinner, pleasantly tipsy from the champagne, he undresses you with feverish kisses, anxious to discard any impediment between himself and your soft skin...except your pearls.

💋 Admiring the shine of the beads in the dim light as they disappear between the valley of your breasts, his eyes become hazy with lust. He instructs you not to remove the jewelry in an octave lower than usual and you nod obediently unable to respond in your state of arousal.

💋 To your delight, Tommy has several creative uses for his present, breaking his own rule almost immediately by removing the jewels and wrapping them around your wrists. "Can't having you wriggling away while I'm tasting you, can I?" he asks, quirking an eyebrow at you playfully.

💋 After your first orgasm, you push him into a leather chair. Watching his face contort in pleasure as you repay the favor, rolling the strands experimentally over his firm shaft as a wicked smile plays on his lips. He's had another idea.

💋 Pulling you up from your knees, he guides you onto the bed and runs a knuckle through your wet folds. With a hum of appreciation at you laid out just for him, he pulls the necklace from his pocket and gathers it between his fingers, teasing your slit by dragging it tantalizingly slowly across your over sensitive clit, eventually making your breathing ragged with desire.

💋 You don't realize his mouth has replaced the jewelry, sensation overwhelming you when he begins to use a single, thick finger to fill you with the precious bauble. All too soon you're coming undone and he's pulling the strand from you along with a flood of juices as you tug at the long strands of hair atop his head.

💋 Pupils blown wide, he holds the necklace before you, glistening with your release and you gasp as he licks it clean, tongue running over each tiny ball as he had with your delicate bud moments earlier.

💋 He climbs up to meet you on the bed, lacing a large hand behind your neck and slipping the necklace over your head. You bite your lip as you mount him, feeling him throb inside you as the weight of the precious piece slaps your stomach, tapping over the spot he's hitting so delightfully and achingly deep.

💋 Tommy grips the strand of pearls in his fist hard enough to cease your movements and you cry out at the force wondering if you'll run out of air before it snaps. Desperate for more of you, he pulls you into a passionate kiss full of tongue and teeth before rolling you to your back and plunging into your velvet heat once more.

💋 As his pace becomes punishing, the sweat between you collects, sliding the beads between you, massaging your breasts and brushing your nipples. You don't notice the noise you're making until Tommy stops his thrusts just before your climax.

💋 He runs a single strand taught over your juicy, parted lips and onto your tongue. Leaning down to brush his nose against the shell of your ear, he whispers, "Have to keep quiet, love, or you'll wake everyone in the hotel."

💋With an impatient moan, you allow him to push your chin closed and you bite down as the first waves of pleasure crash over you. Muffled cries turn to gentle sucking sounds as you come down from your high, lustrous round gems rolling over your tongue as you pulse with aftershocks.

💋 "How do you feel, sweetheart?" Tommy asks, running his fingertips over your thigh as you sit in bed together afterward having a smoke.

Twisting the strands between your fingertips you giggle, "Like a queen!"

----------------------

Tag list:

@peakyswritings

@evita-shelby

@shelbydelrey

@alanadetigy

@wandawiccan60

@severewobblerlightdragon

@lovemissyhoneybee

@theshelbyslimited

@kittycatcait219

@callsign-fangirl

@christinasyellowflowers

@theshelbyclan

@areyenotfondofmelobster

@polishcrazyone

@elenavampire21

@little-diable

@lyarr24

@jomarch-wannabe

@the-fangirl-diaries

@kmc1989

@runnning-outof-time

@look-at-the-soul

@gypsy-girl-08

@peakyscillian

@moral-terpitude

@raincoffeeandfandoms

@dreamlandcreations

@there-goes-thefighter

@call-sign-shark

@brummiereader

@shelby-fangirl00

@l1-l4

@watercolorskyy

@cillmequick

@dandelionprints

@peakyltd

@holacia3

@pacifymebby

@huntingingoodwill

@allie131313

@dearshelby

#Tommy Shelby #Tommy Shelby x female reader #Tommy Shelby x you #Tommy Shelby x y/n #Tommy Shelby headcanons #Tommy Shelby smut #Cillian Murphy

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blueiskewl · 9 months

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Extravagant Bead Necklace from Neolithic Child’s Grave Reassembled

An elaborate necklace of thousands of beads discovered in a child’s grave in the Neolithic village of Ba’ja, southern Jordan, has been reassembled bead by bead five years after it was unearthed. It is the most elaborate adornment ever found at a Neolithic site, and is a unique testament to the funerary practices of the elite in this prehistoric farming and livestock-raising community.

Located not far from the Nabatean rock-cut city of Petra, Ba’ja was occupied between around 7,400 and 6,800 B.C. It is densely packed with multi-layered stone dwellings that are believed to have been homes and stores for family units. While the deceased were usually buried elsewhere, some of the dead were buried in individual, double or collective graves underneath the structures.

In the summer of 2018, a stone-lined cist grave was found underneath the floor of a stone house. It contained the skeletal remains of a child about eight years old buried in fetal position. While the sex could not be conclusively determined, the shape of the chin suggests the child was female. The archaeological team named her Jamila (meaning “beautiful” in Arabic).

The skeleton was in a very poor state of preservation with bones missing and severely damaged by thousands of years and the heavy weight of the layers above the grave. Excavation revealed concentrations of beads of various materials and sizes mostly grouped around the child’s chest and neck. An astonishing 2,500 beads — flat beads, cylindrical beads, disc beads, tubular shell beads — were ultimately unearthed. Most of them were made of sandstone, but there were also turquoise, shell and amber beads from Lebanon that are the oldest ever discovered.

The bead concentrations were distributed between two large pendants: a mother-of-pearl ring carved from a large single pearl oyster shell with multiple perforations and a double-perforated oval hematite pendant. The mother-of-pearl is particularly spectacular, and cannot have been local. It was likely an import from the Red Sea more than 700 miles away.

Some of the beads were found still aligned in several rows on the left side (the child was positioned on her left side and gravity did the rest) but many were scattered. Repeated patterns and combinations of bead type and color in the surviving rows indicate the beads cannot have been scattered over the body, but it was not clear whether they were originally part of a necklace, a decorated garment, chest piece or something else entirely.

The grave was documented in painstaking detail, and the concentrations and surviving rows made it possible for researchers to reconstruct the original configuration. The entire assemblage was loaned to research laboratories in Germany and France for cleaning, consolidation, restoration and analysis.

The result of the reconstruction is nothing short of spectacular, 12 inches wide at the widest point and 12 inches long at its longest. The most plausible arrangement for all those beads and pendants turned out to be ten rows, seven connected to each side of the mother-of-pearl ring and 3 separated from it.

The reconstructed necklace (with black foam placeholders for the beads that are too fragile to be integrated) is now on display at the Museum of Petra.

#Extravagant Bead Necklace from Neolithic Child’s Grave Reassembled #ancient grave #ancient tomb #ancient necklace #ancient jewelry #ancient artifacts #archeology #archeolgst #history #history news #ancient history #ancient culture #ancient civilizations

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merovingian-marvels · 5 months

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How Merovingian cloisonné inlays were made

Cloisonné is the technique of inlaying Almandine. This mineral from the garnet family, previously referred to as a semi-precious stone was used plenty from 400-800 AD. It was imported from South East Asia (predominately Bangladesh and India) via the Eastern Roman Empire.

Cloisonné was usually done on a gold base or possibly used as a small detail on bronze with gold overlay jewelry.

The base was often cast. Some moulds and workshops have been found around Europe and indicate local variations in execution.

On the base of -for example- a bird brooch, a gold trim was soldered on, giving shape to the eye, wing, beak and optionally the wing and foot. How they shaped the Almandine isn’t clear yet, but it is assumed that bits were broken off from one large piece and carved to match one of the “cells” on the brooch.

A variety of putty/glue/cement was used to lock the almandine in place. Residue of these can be found on brooches with lost bits of almandine.

Optional security was to bend the gold edges over the stones. This was also dependent on regional varieties.

Additional decorations used, f.e. visible on the artefact above, are red glass paste, green glass paste and pearls. It was optional to back the garnet with reflectant gold foil to make sure the garnet would catch as much light as possible. Some researchers see this as a reference to the goddess Freya who wears a “flaming” necklace called Brísingamen. Brooches inlayed with garnet usually doubled as the base for string bead necklaces.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York - United States of America

Museum nr. 17.191.165

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synajewel · 1 year

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Diamond Owl Pendant

Add a touch of elegance to your jewelry collection with our stunning Diamond Owl Pendant. At Syna Jewels, we offer exquisite and unique designs that are crafted with precision and quality materials. Browse our collection of Diamond Owl Pendants and find the perfect piece to complement your style. Shop now and make a statement with Syna Jewels. Call us at 201-336-4132 Address: 2125 Center Ave #107, Fort Lee, NJ 07024, United States

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swampstew · 7 months

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Luffy, N-45 ~ Stockings

Summary: You and your alien boyfriend are going to see a cult classic movie about queer aliens. Y'all get dressed up for the show, Luffy awakens an appetite for pop culture, you awaken an appetite for certain attire on your man.

Warnings: Spicy and suggestive, Alien Luffy with Female implied reader though no pronouns or body parts mentioned, y'all put the whore in whoreror show Word Count: 633

“Are you sure they’re aliens Y/N? They don’t look it – I do like their outfits!” Luffy chirped happily as he looked at the photos you showed him as you both got ready for your date. There was a Rocky Horror Picture screening happening at the local theater and you were so excited to engage with the crowd and bring your alien boyfriend to experience a cult classic. The fact that he was also an alien made the whole thing funnier in your opinion.

“Well you don’t look like an alien either, Luffy. I didn’t know until I saw you stretch your body! Besides this is a fiction, we’re just meant to enjoy the vibes. This has been a Halloween tradition for decades and I can’t believe that after all your years here you’ve never even heard of it!”

You had opted to dress as your favorite, tragic character: Columbia. For Luffy however, you requested he dress as the sassy antagonist of the film – Dr. Frank-N-Furter himself.

You had ordered the costumes and done both your hair and makeup. To be honest, you killed both lewks. You looked gorgeous and jubilant just like the eccentric groupie. Luffy looked other worldy. His hair was tightly curled and styled, his dramatic makeup complimented his face, and his clothes did something to your lower belly. Dressed in a tight corset, neck accented with a comically large, plastic pearl necklace, fishnets over his arms, ripped thigh-high stockings held in place by the clips attached to his leather whore shorts.

Luffy looked perfect. The pinnacle of liberation and queer pride oozing from his rubber alien body. Strutting around the room and rating himself in the mirror, praising your work as he crowed about how identical he looked to the star of the film.

Something broke in your brain. Those stockings in those strappy kitten heels. The way they emphasized his bulging calf and thigh muscles. The way the pump made his round ass look tighter.

You don’t even remember getting to the theater. You vaguely recalled the film itself, feeling unable to look at anyone or anything else but Luffy. He was having the time of his life, actively participating in the show with the bag of goodies given at the door – filled with playing cards, rubber gloves, kazoos and rattle clacker toys, toilet paper, feathers, and more. He danced to the time warp again and again, even after the show ended.

“Y/N, didn’t you enjoy the show?” Luffy asked you and for the first time you felt snapped back to reality. Looking around the nearly empty theater as everyone left to the diner next door for the annual after showtime dinner.

“I-I did. I just,” you stuttered.

“But you didn’t even watch the movie,” he frowned.

“I’ve seen it before,” you tugged his arm back, “But I haven’t seen this before.” His arm stretched in your grip as he was walking towards the exit; he looked back at you with a confused look.

“Aren’t we going to eat?”

“No.”

Luffy let out a surprised cough as you nearly slammed him against the back of the bathroom door. He bounced off the steel frame and you shifted his weight to pin him to the door, your fingers tracing over his exposed skin as you eyed him hungrily.

“I’m in the mood for something else entirely.”

Luffy gave a coy smile, “Oh! Well if that’s all—” he began to yank the shorts and stockings down when you stopped him.

“No, keep the stockings on. You look so fucking good in them,” you traced the bulge of his erection.

The theater was empty and dark. Not a soul in sight. The only sound that could be heard was a muffled roar and the clatter of beads spilling on the floor.

15 tiles to go, 31 calls made so far.

#kinktober 2023 #kinktober #kinktober 2023 masterlist #raven's bingo board #raven's halloween party #one piece fanfiction #one piece smut #monkey d. luffy #swampstew stories #swampstew bedtime stories #monkey d luffy x reader #luffy x you #luffy smut

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toorumochi · 1 month

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"𝕿𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝕯𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖞: 𝕬 𝕻𝖎𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖊’𝖘 𝕻𝖗𝖔𝖒𝖎𝖘𝖊"

A Karushuu Pirate x Prince AU

@akabane-yum if you see this, no you didn’t.

In a world where royal lineage clashes with pirate rebellion, two unlikely souls are entangled in a web of fate. As ancient feuds simmer and alliances teeter on the brink of collapse, a prince and a pirate must navigate treacherous waters of love, loyalty and longing. Bound by destiny yet torn apart by circumstance, their story unfolds amidst a backdrop of adventure, danger and forbidden desire.

In a tale as old as time, Gakushuu Asano, a scion of a royal lineage, and Karma Akabane, born into the infamous ranks of a pirate clan, found themselves locked in a generations-old feud. Initially, their animosity towards each other ran deep, both harbouring a visceral disdain that seemed insurmountable. However, fate intervened one fateful day when their paths converged at a bustling port on a remote island.

Bound by a fragile truce enforced by the island's formidable locals, the families of Gakushuu and Karma were compelled to set aside their longstanding grievances. The imminent threat of the islanders' prowess in combat loomed large, serving as a deterrent against any acts of aggression between the warring factions.

It was amidst this uneasy peace that Gakushuu's perception of Karma underwent a profound transformation. Observing the pirate's striking resemblance to his father, the prince found himself inexplicably drawn to Karma's rugged charm and rebellious spirit. There was an undeniable allure to Karma's rough-edged exterior—a magnetism that stirred within Gakushuu an unexpected and tumultuous attraction.

Karma Akabane, the son of the most powerful pirate captain known to roam the seven seas, at the mere age of 19, embodies the definitive pirate aesthetic with the weather-beaten tricorn hat, tilted daringly to one side, and decorated with a crimson feather. His once-pristine white shirt, now bearing the marks of countless battles, is adorned with faded embroidery and ragged sleeves, while a leather vest, weathered and worn, boasts brass buttons etched with intricate sea monster designs.

Burgundy trousers, rolled up at the cuffs, and a midnight-coloured coat with gleaming gold trim complete his ensemble. Multiple belts and sashes cinch his waist, each laden with pouches containing the tools and treasures of a true pirate, while beaded necklaces strung with seashells, pearls, and ancient coins adorn his neck. His fingers glitter with rings bearing emblems and gemstones, a symbol of his status and prowess.

Karma's bronzed, weathered skin, long crimson red hair cascading like molten gold, kohl-smudged eyes gleaming with mischief, and a grin revealing teeth as sharp as cutlasses, speak of a life lived on the edge of danger and adventure, with scars as souvenirs of battles fought and won, displaying strength and tenacity in the face of trouble.

As Gakushuu watches, he sees Karma's father laughing with him, playfully taking back the tricorn hat he had placed on Karma's head, revealing beneath it a bandana, a symbol of their legacy of piracy that runs deep within their bloodline.

One morning, Gakushuu spotted Karma snatching a handful of fruits from a stall before darting out of sight behind the nearby booths. He decided to follow him up until he couldn’t see him anymore. The streets were crowded so it was hard to see.

Suddenly someone grabbed him by the arm, pulling him somewhere. Gakushuu was ready to fight back, but the person put their hand on his mouth to keep him quiet.

It was Karma, who was calmly grinning and eating the stolen apple with one hand and with the other, he held Gakushuu in place.

As Gakushuu's eyes widened in surprise, Karma's mischievous grin only grew wider. The two boys stood in a hidden alleyway, away from the bustling streets of the port. Gakushuu's heart raced, unsure of what Karma had planned.

"Shh," Karma whispered, removing his hand from Gakushuu's mouth. "I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't cause any trouble for our families. The locals here are no joke, and I don't want to risk any fights breaking out."

Gakushuu's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why would you care about that? We've always been enemies, haven't we?"

Karma chuckled, taking another bite of the stolen apple. "Yeah, we have. But that doesn't mean I want to see you get hurt. Besides, it's more fun to mess with you when we're not fighting."

Gakushuu's cheeks flushed slightly at Karma's words, a mix of annoyance and intrigue swirling within him. He couldn't deny that something was captivating about the pirate's carefree attitude and rebellious nature.

"I don't need your protection," Gakushuu retorted, crossing his arms defiantly. "I can handle myself just fine."

Karma raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eyes. "Oh, I know you can. But that doesn't mean I can't lend a hand now and then. Plus, it's not like I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart. I just don't want any interruptions when I finally defeat you."

Gakushuu's lips curled into a smirk, a challenge gleaming in his eyes. "Defeat me? We'll see about that, pirate."

Karma's grin widened, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "I look forward to it, prince."

He released Gakushuu, who felt a subtle stirring of arousal, though he adamantly refused to acknowledge it.

Despite their families' long-standing feud, there was an undeniable spark between them. It was a connection that neither of them could fully understand, but one that seemed to draw them together despite the odds stacked against them.

As the days passed on the bustling island port, Gakushuu was unable to shake the memory of his encounter with Karma in the hidden alleyway. There was something about the pirate boy that intrigued him, something that stirred emotions within him that he had never experienced before.

Meanwhile, Karma couldn't seem to get Gakushuu out of his mind either. The image of the prince's defiant smirk and challenging gaze lingered in his thoughts, igniting a fire within him that he couldn't extinguish.

It was on one fateful evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon and the stars began to twinkle in the night sky, that their paths crossed once again.

Gakushuu was wandering the crowded streets of the port, lost in thought as he pondered the events of the past few days.

He had tried to push thoughts of Karma from his mind, to focus on his duties as a prince and the expectations placed upon him by his family, but the boy seemed to haunt his every waking moment.

Suddenly, he caught sight of a familiar figure up ahead, his heart skipping a beat as he realized who it was. Karma was once again standing at the edge of the bustling marketplace, his eyes scanning the crowd with a mischievous glint.

Without hesitation, Gakushuu made his way towards him, his footsteps quickening with each step. He wasn't sure what compelled him to seek out Karma, to seek out the very person who was supposed to be his enemy, but he couldn't deny the pull that drew him to the pirate boy like a magnet.

As he drew closer, Karma turned and spotted him, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Well, look who decided to grace me with their presence," he said, his voice laced with amusement.

Gakushuu rolled his eyes, trying to mask the fluttering feeling in his chest with a look of indifference. "Don't get too excited, pirate. I'm only here to make sure you're not causing any trouble, once again."

Karma chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest as he regarded Gakushuu with a playful glint in his eyes. "Ah, but where's the fun in that? Besides, I thought we already established that I’m up to nothing strange."

Gakushuu bristled at Karma's words, a surge of irritation coursing through him. "That doesn't mean I have to stand by and watch as you wreak havoc on this island."

Karma raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "Oh, so now you're concerned about the well-being of this island? How noble of you, prince."

Gakushuu scowled, his cheeks flushing with anger. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for the people who call this place home, people who deserve better than to be caught in the crossfire of our family's feud."

For a moment, there was a flicker of something in Karma's eyes, a hint of vulnerability that took Gakushuu by surprise. But before he could dwell on it further, the moment passed and Karma's usual smirk returned, his mask firmly back in place.

"Well, aren't you just full of surprises, prince," Karma said, his tone teasing. "But enough talk. How about we make a deal? You let me go about my business, and I promise not to cause any trouble for your 'precious island'."

Gakushuu hesitated, torn between his duty as a prince and the strange connection he felt with Karma. In the end, curiosity won out, and he found himself nodding in agreement.

"Fine," he said, his voice firm. "But don't think for a second that I'm letting my guard down around you, pirate. I'll be keeping a close eye on you."

Karma grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "I wouldn't expect anything less, prince. After all, where's the fun in a little competition without a bit of tension?"

With that, he turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Gakushuu standing alone in the bustling marketplace. As he watched Karma go, a strange mixture of emotions washed over him, leaving him feeling both exhilarated and unnerved.

Amidst the longstanding rivalry between their families, their fathers found themselves ensconced in a local bar, their laughter and camaraderie echoing into the early hours of dusk.

Gakushuu observed Karma from across the room, perched in a secluded corner, thoroughly entertained by the adoration of the town's girls. His charm was palpable, he even gifted one of his penknifes to one of the girls.

Gakushuu couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy—not for the girls themselves, but for Karma.

Meanwhile, amidst the joviality of the bar, a young sailor approached Gakushuu's table, his intent clear as he sought an opportunity to secure a position aboard Captain Asano's esteemed ship. Such a feat was no easy task, as the entire port was aware of the formidable challenge it presented.

Despite the sailor's persistent flattery, Gakushuu's attention wandered, inevitably drawn back to Karma's table. Their gazes met fleetingly before being interrupted by the sudden clamour of the girls surrounding Karma. With infectious laughter and playful tugs, they whisked him away towards a concealed doorway, leaving Gakushuu momentarily captivated by the sight.

As Karma disappeared into the throng of giggling girls, he threw a small wink in Gakushuu's direction—a gesture that sent a flurry of emotions coursing through him. Confusion mingled with excitement as Gakushuu grappled with the unfamiliar sensations stirring within him, unsure of what lay ahead in this unexpected entanglement with the enigmatic pirate.

 As the night wore on, Gakushuu found himself unable to shake the image of Karma's mischievous grin and captivating presence. He couldn't understand why he was so drawn to someone from the enemy camp, someone who had caused him so much frustration and anger in the past.

Unable to resist the pull any longer, Gakushuu excused himself from the sailor and made his way towards the door Karma had disappeared behind. He pushed it open cautiously, unsure of what he would find on the other side.

—————————————————————————

You can continue reading the rest of this fanfic on my AO3 if you're interested!

#assassination classroom #assclass #karma akabane #gakushuu asano #asano gakushuu #karushuu ao3 #Pirate x Royal Prince AU #this has been sitting in my notes for so long #was physically shaking to write this #Couldn’t wait #exams are killing me #shaking #I love them #my sweet little boys 🤲🏻#Gakushuu Asano as the Prince #Karma Akabane as the Pirate #Pirate AU #Royalty AU #AO3 fanfic

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httpscomexe · 3 months

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Gods and Their Necklaces (Pt1)

Summary:After your realm was discovered, attacks from other planets and foreigners have become common. Your King and Queen, also your parents as the Princess, have asked Asgard if their mightiest warrior, named Thor Odinson, would be able to protect the realm, with a heavy payment in the end.

Parings: Thor (Post Ragnarok) x Reader (Mentions of Y/N), (Kinda bratty and not so grateful)

Warnings: Choking, language, size difference (non-sexual), reader has small eating portions, anxiety attack if you pay attention, implied forced marriage, there will be individual warnings per chapter, I plan on making this a dark one. If you don’t like non con, don’t get attached to this Chapter unless you like cliffhangers. (My English can be kind of bad)

Pet names: Good girl, fawn, princess, little girl, little princess.

Word Count: 3487

You stood still as some of the castle maids dressed you for the occasion.

Your realm had been hidden for years, all it took was a small space battle to accidentally dent your invisible barrier, and then came the bigger problems.

Space wars to calm the realm, attacks frequently on the King and Queen, and within the first week someone almost got their hands on you, claiming they wouldn’t be returning you until the kingdom was given up, their mistake was your mother and father sucked at negotiating, which was reasonable since they’ve never had to interact with any other realms.

Even though your realm has been isolated from everyone else, Asgard was still a loyal companion and your realm would send out secret guards to help aid in any wars, not that there were many in the past few years.

But here you were, getting dressed into this pink, flowy gown. The pastel pink gown had a short tail, and it came all the way down to your matching pink heels, and your shoulders were completely bare to the cool air of the castle.

After they were done with the lace on the back of the beautiful dress, a pearl necklace with a quartz bead in the middle was draped around your neck, completing the look.

Standing in front of your golden mirror, you fixed the necklace so the hanging quartz was centred on your throat, then with an exhausted sigh, you turned to see the maids smiling and waiting for your approval on your outfit. “It's perfect.” You assured them, allowing them to leave and soon after you followed them, only leaving their track to make way to your throne.

“There is my beautiful daughter!” Your fathers voice boomed through the large room, echoing for a moment as he walked quickly over to you, wrapping his arms around you, then pulling back a little to rest his hands on your shoulders. “You look amazing, do you like your dress? I had specifically asked for it to be coloured rose gold, figured it would be more elegant, and it would seem I was correct!” I let out a heartfelt chuckle as he took your hand gently in his and twirled you in place, admiring the way your dress flowed.

“Now didn’t I tell you to get her a red dress?” Your step mother, breaking the bond you were having with your father in the moment. “I’ve told you, red would match the cape that Odin's son wears on his back.” She rushed over to you on her heels, pushing your bangs behind your ears and claiming how it only makes you look lazy and underdressed when there’s hair in your face. “I suppose you can always wear red tomorrow.” She holds your face in her skinny hands, her long painted nails touching your skin and making you want to groan on the floor. I’m not a baby.

“Well regardless of the colour, she looks elegant nonetheless.” Your father protests, his voice daring your step-mother to continue arguing. “The guests will be here any second now, so let's take our seats girls.” Then he leaves you two, your step-mother following him a second later to your thrones.

Some short minutes later, some of the castle guards moved aside from the large gate of the castle, allowing an Asgardian army to enter into parallel lines. In the centre were three men. The one in the middle was old, you assumed he was Odin since he was definitely the oldest among them, and the first thing you noticed was his eyepatch. To the right of Odin was a younger man. He was dressed in green and black and he had long slick black hair, he was rather handsome, and you wondered if his horned crown was made of gold.

Then there was the man who was being paid to protect this realm. He had short blonde hair and he was particularly larger than the other two. He was wearing a black armour that had no protection on the arms,and it had red paint in some areas, along with the armour was two braces on his arm, and a leather strap that went from his left shoulder to his hip and around his waist, which was adorned with a simple medallion.

You all stood at once. “Your Majesty, king of Asgard, I am King Ivan, ruler of Axothae, realm of the Axothans. It is an honour for you to make my lands acquaintance.” Your father paused. “Please, allow me to introduce my Queen. Queen Catherine.” He swayed his hand out to your step mother and she curtseyed Odin, then spoke again. “Your majesty, allow me to also introduce my beloved daughter, Princess Y/N. She is a true gem and brings great joy to our kingdom.” He made the same movements with his hand, allowing you to also curtsy.

Your father finished introducing the kingdom, and then Odin introduced himself and his two sons. One named Loki, the dark haired one, the other was named Thor, he was the one who would be staying for a while. After the introductions, your father stepped down off the stage for the thrones and approached Odin with respect, your step-mother and you staying behind, still standing in front of your thrones.

“So, my only daughter here, Princess Y/N…” He turns and faces you. “Will be the reward for your son, Prince Thor, for protecting the realm” He says lowly, hoping you won’t hear him, but by God you did and- What. The. Fuck.

He was giving you to another kingdom like you were some trash he could just get rid of.

The entire castle was silent, not a single sound was heard as everyone looked over to you, your mouth was now hanging open slightly and the red that was on your cheeks was becoming more prominent, suiting your rose gold dress. You weren’t sure what to say or do, so all you could do was stand there, fighting the urge to run.

“Y/N, you’re supposed to curtsy and thank him.” Your step-mother says, leaning closer to you and pulling you out of your space.

“Curtsy… him?” You mumble, the guards and every other person staring you down on all sides of the room.

“Yes, curtsy, like you did when we were introduced? They are waiting.” She says the last few words with annoyance.

You could feel your muscles tightening as all eyes were on you, and you felt like you were melting. That was enough of a hint from your body to leave the room before you had a breathing attack.

Without a word, you turned and walked down the steps of the thrones stage, lifting your dress to keep from tripping as you speed away into one of the tailor rooms that was nearby, slamming and locking the door behind you.

“Looks like someones a little nervous.” Loki speaks finally, more of a mumble.

“No, oh heavens no, she’s just upset. You know with all the attacks and pressure that has been happening, she’s been rather upset. Please your majesty, excuse my daughter, I’ll have a word with her later.”

“That would be nice, I would like my son Thor to introduce himself to your daughter soon…” Odin claims, his voice dragged with disappointment, he was clearly feeling disrespected.

“Darling?” You could see your fathers hand pressed to the door and he walks calmly into your room. “That wasn’t very kind of you… His son is here to protect our kingdom and you couldn’t even-”

“Father, you're basically putting me up for sale here! I did not agree to this!”

“Princesses don’t get to decide whom they are wedded to.”

“It’s not about deciding, it’s about letting me know beforehand! I wasn’t aware you were setting up a marriage!”

“Lower your tone with me girl.” Your father approached your bed where you were removing your necklaces, your eyes and nose were red from crying.

“Don’t tell me what to do when you can’t even be fair with your own daughter-!”

SLAP!

Your face stung and the skin on your cheek heated up where his hand had slapped your face, and finally you had shut your mouth.

“You will do as I say, Y/N. We are having a formal dinner tonight in order to thank them for their kindness, and I expect you to be at your best behaviour. The maids will dress you appropriately for the occasion in a fine Asgardian gown. Is that understood?” He declares, he leaves absolutely no room for you to argue or answer as he turns around and leaves you in your room with your thoughts and red handprint on your cheek.

You were required to wear a dress that was a gift from Asgard. Although, with as much as you wanted to throw a tantrum and argue, you couldn’t disagree that it was a beautiful asgardian dress.

It had a red silk cape of course, and the dress perfectly rounded on the floor around your feet. There were no sleeves, and instead to hold up the front there was a silk fabric adorned with golden chains and beautiful pearls. You were sure that wearing it would at least allow Odin and his sons to forgive you for your disrespectful exit earlier.

“Would you look at that? You look amazing in red as well.” Your father boasts as you enter the banquet hall, everyone is standing around, already dressed and ready to feast.

The hall is adorned with elegant decorations and soft candlelight to set the calm mood. There’s a long, beautifully set table with the kingdom's finest plating, and luxurious linens were draped in their given areas. The guests were all dressed in their most regal attire.

“Let’s all sit and enjoy the rest of our nights shall we then?” Your father chuckles a little, and you find your nametag on the long table, you were seated between Thor and Loki, the two princes. You couldn’t help but immediately notice how well the blonde's posture was compared to Loki who slouched back and crossed his arms over his chest, whilst Thor was even kind enough to pull your chair out for you.

Moments passed of you keeping to yourself, not daring to say a single word along with Loki who clearly wasn’t interested in the occasion. “Oh and here’s our food!” Your step-mother sits up happily next to your father and she glides her hands over her silverware and plate as multiple chefs come out with steaming hot meals, some of them dressed in your kingdoms attire, others were dressed in Asgardian attire, which was almost the same but again, it was decorated in gold and precious jewels.

“You look wonderful…” You flinch a little as Thor suddenly speaks into your ear, making sure no one could hear him since it was a custom to not speak when the food is being brought out.

“Thank you…” You whisper back, feeling a little more confident in your dress.

The covers from the food were lifted and the banquet hall was filled with all kinds of smells. At first you could smell the familiar scent of roast beef and other simple dishes, which was quickly replaced by the smells of family recipes from both of your kingdoms.

As usual, everyone was handed a plate in front of them with food that the chefs knew each individual liked, and the food in the middle was for anyone who was still hungry after everyone else had finished their first meal. Everyone's plates were full of pastas, meats, and a variety of vegetables. Your plate on the other hand, seemed more empty. There was a small portion of meat, and some mixed vegetables. Luckily you weren’t given any awkward looks.

The hall is filled with lively discussions about anything from happy stories to boring politics. You haven’t said a single word since everyone started digging in, but as you lift your glass of wine and twirl the liquids inside, Thor finally speaks to you quietly again.

“Are you alright?” He gets closer to you, making sure your parents couldn’t hear his concern.

“I’m fine, why?”

“There’s not much on your plate. Parents have you on a diet?”

“No, I choose not to eat much.”

“Do you not like to conversate at the table?”

“I don’t like to conversate with strangers.” You snap a little, finally looking him in the eyes, your wine glass still in your hands on your lap, and you circle the rim of the glass with your index finger as you wait for him to respond again. Then suddenly he drops his right hand under the table and you think he’s about to touch you and you’re ready to scream, but he only gently takes the glass of wine out of your hands, then he brings it to his lips and drinks about half of it. What the actual fuck is going on?

“Little girls like you don’t need alcohol.” He says as he sets the empty wine glass back in its appropriate place. “I’d prefer if this little princess was drinking water.” He keeps his voice quiet so no one can hear the conversation, not even his brother right next to you.

“I’m not a little girl-”

“Then stop acting like one.” He cuts you off, finishing his sentence with a mocking smile, he knows you won’t act up, it’ll only make the kingdom look bad…

Weeks pass by like hours in a day and the shield around the realm is making progress. Upon the news of hearing that ‘The almighty Thor Odinson, God of Thunder, and son of Odin of Asgard’ was protecting the realm, there were many less attacks towards the throne, no one dared to cross his path with a bad intent, and he always made sure to keep an eye on you, maybe even a little too much…

“There you are.” You could only scream in your head as you heard his voice again from behind you. “Let’s get back shall we, I’d rather not have to carry you this time Princess.” You lower your bow and turn around to face him, recalling the last time he had to carry you out of the woods and back to the castle.

The sun is setting but it’s still shining brightly behind him, casting a shadow on you through his large frame, making you look smaller, and as he stepped forward, the crunch of leaves and small twigs sounded under his heavy boots and you could see he was holding Mjolnir. He looked down at you, his blue eyes seemed to burn into yours like cool fire, and his hair had grown some bit since he first showed up.

“Or you could leave me be and let me practise.” You cocked your hip out a little and held your bow in your left hand in order to show him what you were doing.

“You can practise your shooting again when your engineers have repaired the barrier, until then it is my duty to make sure your parents are safe, and that you’re my main priority.”

“I’m not your main priority.” You sneer, turning back away from him and reloading your bow.

“Considering you’re my payment, you are absolutely my main priority whether you like it or not.” You flinch a little when you hear his footsteps through the leaves again, and you know he's right behind you when you hear some of the snow on the floor crunch directly behind you. “Don’t make me ask you twice.”

A shiver runs down your spine as you lower your bow and his hot breath is felt on your ear, while his left hand rests gently on the hip of your warm dress, making you grip the bow a little tighter in your palm. “You know I’ll fight back.” You turn your head slightly, your noses touching as you do, causing you to lean your head back a little.

“And you know I’ll win.” His grip on your waist tightens a little as he fans his lips over yours. “So either you follow behind me and behave like the good little fawn you are, or I’ll throw you over my shoulder and make you regret it.”

The lower octave in his voice makes your stomach tighten, and your throat feels full of rocks as you two stare into each other's eyes, waiting for your response. His body slightly crouched down in order to barely match your height.

“Well? What’ll it be then?”

You shiver a little, his lips were still ghosting over yours.

“Make me.” You mumble, you know he doesn’t mind carrying you, and you know he’d end up punishing you for every wrong you’ve made as soon as he claims you, but until then, you plan on torturing him as much as you can.

“So be it.” Was all he said as he bent down and took hold of your knees, picking you up and carrying you over his shoulder.

“Let me down!” You shout, banging your fists on his large back and kicking your feet wildly in the air. “Let me down! Let me down! Let me down!!” You repeat, still drumming on his back but you assume he’s finding your little tantrum hysterical. “If you don’t let me down, I swear I’ll-”

“You’ll what? You’ll keep screaming for help? Tell you what, if you allow me to prove my point on how dangerous it is for you to come out this far, then I’ll let you go.” He grunts as he lets you off his shoulder holding you still by your shoulders.

“That’s it?”

“Yes. And if I’m right, then you’re not allowed to come here again without my permission.”

“And if you’re wrong?”

“Then I’ll leave the realm without another word.”

Well that’s just a done deal.

“Sounds like a good deal.” You say stupidly, bending your neck to look up at him. “But how exactly are you going to prove it?”

“Well we’re gonna see just how good of a fighter you really are, see if you’d really be able to defend yourself as you claim you’re able to.”

“Alright, let's do it.” You say confidently. This is gonna be so e-

In the snap of a moment, your back is flat against a tree and your feet are off the ground as you’re eye level with Thor. You feel something around your throat, his hand, and his entire hand was just engulfing your throat as he held you up as if you were weightless.

“Now don’t give up so easily, I’d love to see how well a princess can fight a God.” He mocks you, but there’s no humour in his voice. Was he actually pissed at you? “Well?” He raised his voice impatiently, his grip on your throat tightening.

You finally try to fight back, your grip that was on his wrists as he held onto your throat moves and you reach to claw at his forearm and to kick at his stomach, but before you can even land a single kick his grip on your throat tightens so much that you were surprised you could breathe and your neck hasn’t snapped.

You choked, gasping for air as he stood there waiting for you to prove yourself, but it was pointless, and you only lost another bet against him, you’ll never be allowed this far in the woods again.

“That’s what I thought, fawn.” He says finally, releasing your neck when your lips were numb and your face started changing colour, causing you to fall to your knees in front of him, gasping for air on your hands and knees, you could just feel his eyes on you as you caught your breath and sat back on your heels, looking up to see him, as you expected, both of his arms to his sides and his special hammer in one of his hands. “So, no more coming out here alone.” He reminds you, stepping closer to you and offering you his hand to stand, which you reluctantly take. “Good girl.” He coos as he lifts you. He was slowly taming you, and you were kind of enjoying it. “Now come, let’s get you back.”

He holds onto your hand and you’ve gotten used to how his hand swallows yours, but you really don’t mind.

“Soon enough, you won’t ever speak to me that way again, I don’t care how long it takes, you’re only making it more fun for me when you fight me.” He explains to you. “And you’ll make it easier if you don’t. I’m winning either way.” He lets go of your hand and reaches behind you, placing his large hand on your lower back at first before wrapping his arm around your waist as you two walked back to the castle.

#marvel #marvel smut #thor odinson #thor #loki #y/n #marvel fanfiction #fanfic #dark

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sweetestofchaos · 11 months

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Blackthorn Ch 10 | M.YG

Home - Prince Yoongi finally shares his final gift with the Princess and Namjoon leaves the palace to see an old friend.

a/n: As always thanks to @sailoryooons for being my beta and making the banner. Huge thank you @colormepurplex2 for the Namjoon and Jungkook edit! Character asks and the taglist for Blackthorn are always open! Minors do NOT interact with my work, please and thank you.

a/n 2: I understand that some might be triggered or uncomfortable with reading about animal abuse/murder, so I have marked off the paragraphs where is starts and ends with **** if you would like to skip that part.

Taglist: @thickemadame

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News in the castle traveled fast and by sunrise the next morning, every person on the Palace grounds knew that the Prince and Princess had made up for whatever fight they had. The Princess was still staying within the butterfly house but it didn’t matter much anymore once the Prince was invited to the Princess’ dwelling for breakfast. Prince Yoongi rejected the Princess’ offer and laughed when he understood where she was located. Prince Yoongi sent a letter to the Princess and requested that they have breakfast in the seventh garden. The Princess had not yet seen the garden and was excited to see what all the fuss had been for. If she remembered correctly there were only six gardens but the Prince had created the seventh garden himself and no one had been allowed to see it.

The Princess wondered why that was and why had the Prince granted her access to such a place. The Princess accepted the Prince’s request and she watched from her seat in front of the vanity as her handmaids rushed around to ready a proper outfit fit for an outing with the First Crown Prince. Wheein took her time as she made three large braids with the Princess’ hair and pulled the braids upward into an intricate updo with three hair loops in the style of a flower. Each hair loop had ropes of pearls and golden beaded chains that were different lengths attached; small glass apricot blossoms with diamonds and pink garnets were scattered on the crown of the Princess’ head and matching earrings hung from her ears. Four necklaces of different lengths, mixed with gold and diamonds wrapped around the Princess’ neck, and the longest gold one had a large pink garnet in the center of a moon shaped pendant.

The Princess was instructed to hold out her arms and she smiled as thin gold bracelets were pushed onto her wrist. Two rings with thin gold bands and three white scolecite gems on each glittered in the light from the Princess’ right index finger and she placed her hand back into her lap.

“Have you finished with the Princess’ hair? We have kept His Highness waiting long enough, Wheein!” Byulyi whined as she shifted her weight from foot to foot.

“I am sure His Highness won’t mind one bit if the Princess arrives late, once he sees how radiant she looks today,” Wheein giggles and the Princess rolls her eyes.

“Come, Your Highness, I shall assist Hyejin with your outfit today.”

The Princess stood from the vanity and followed Byulyi behind a golden partition where Hyejin waited with a beautifully decorated hanfu hung from a wooden rack. Hyejin stood with a wide smile and hopeful eyes as she looked at the hanfu beside her. It was elegant; iridescent rainbow silk and chiffon fabrics, flower embroidery and bead work with shades of light pink, baby blue and white mixed together. The more the Princess examined the hanfu the more she fell in love with it.

“Where is my iro ata buba?” The Princess asked as her fingers traced over the intercite stitch work of a jellyfish and water waves on the hanfu’s bixi. Byulyi and Hyejin both bowed low at the waist as they spoke together.

“Forgive us, your Highness!”

“We assumed that you would wear this outfit since you are having a meal with His Highness.”

Princess Keena frowned at their words. “Is there something wrong with my own outfits?”

“N-No, Princess!”

The Princess hummed and clicked her tongue. “I do not wish to keep His Highness waiting any longer, so I will wear this for the time being.” Princess Keena narrowed her eyes slightly and stepped away from the hanfu. “Do not assume in the future. I will wear what I please, not what best suits your ideals.”

“Yes, Princess!”

Princess Keena untied the loose knot around her waist and rolled her shoulders back to allow the dressing robe to drop to the floor. As she stood nude before her handmaids she kept her eyes forward and they quickly rubbed warm oils into her skin. Once the Princess’ skin was completely moisturized, Byulyi helped her into simple undergarments before she slipped on a silk camisole that had pink stitching along the collar with embroidered flowers in the center.

Over top a soft pink ru - blouse - was tied with a knot, the straight collar left open to reveal the flowers on the camisole. Multicolored flowers were embroidered onto a thick band of baby blue silk that followed the width of the sleeves, four inches above the hem. The hem itself was lined in a thinner baby blue silk band with more embroidered water waves in between the two bands.

A one-piece half-pleated skirt made from the iridescent chiffon fabric with a baby blue waist band was wrapped around the Princess’ waist, over top of the blouse and the soft pink belt was tied in front. The baby blue bixi - knee covering - had colorful jellyfish, flowers and water waves embroiled on the fabric and Hyejin carefully tucked it under the belt of the skirt before she stepped away to admire the outfit as a whole.

Byulyi held small pink apricot blossoms in her hands that were strung together with tiny cream colored beads and medium sized pink beads that made a fashionable belt. She wrapped it around the Princess’ hips and pinned the flowers four inches apart from each other which made the beads in between droop down slightly and swing freely. Two more apricot flowers were pinned to the collar of the Princess’ blouse and the beaded attachments dangled down to the Princess’ hips in different lengths.

“You look stunning as always, Princess!” The handmaids beamed and the Princess nodded her head in agreement as she looked at herself in the threeway mirror.

Hyejin crouched down onto the floor with a pair of slip-on shoes that matched the Princess’ outfit. As the Princess stepped into the pink and blue slippers, Yongsun came into the room and looked around. “Is the Princess ready? His Highness is waiting and the food has arrived already.”

“Her Highness is all dressed!” Byulyi led the Princess to stand in front of Yongsun and Yongsun nodded her head.

“Wheein and Hyejin will join me in escorting the Princess to the main gate, from there Wheein will stay by your side along with your guards,” Yongsun explained as she turned on her heel and opened the bedroom door. “Do you have any questions, Princess?”

“How far is the seventh garden?” The Princess wondered and the maids all smiled with knowing glints in their eyes.

“Not far at all, Princess. Now, shall we be on our way?” Yongsun motioned for the Princess to leave the room first and the others followed behind once Princess Keena stepped out of the room.

Outside of the butterfly house, Aga stood with Minho and Kai by his side. The three guards were dressed in matching outfits: a simple robe with gladiolus flowers stitched along the cuffs and collar with a changui on top, and the same gladiolus stitched on the collar, down the center and the hem. A wide belt with matching gladiolus were tied around their waist and a jumeoni sat at their right hip, opposite of their swords. The only difference in their hanboks was that Aga’s robe was black and his changui was a burnt orange with golden gladiolus whereas Minho and Kai had white robes and navy blue jumeonis with light blue gladiolus.

Aga explained to Minho and Kai that they were to keep any comments to themselves and focus on the surrounding area around themselves. The Prince and Princess were to meet for breakfast and afterwards, Aga did not know if the Princess would carry on with the rest of her like normal or choose to spend her hours by the Prince’s side. Either way, Minho and Kai were on duty today and that put Aga a little on edge. He trusted Kai. for he had picked the young man himself. and Minho was chosen by Hoseok; however they were not Mingi who had spent the most time outside of Aga with the Princess.

“Open the gates!”

San pushed open the main gate and bowed low at the sight of the Princess. Everyone followed his lead and bowed before her, as she stepped outside of the butterfly house’s walls. Aga crossed his arms over his chest and bowed his head before he stood straight and offered the Princess a nod of his head.

“Let us depart.”

Aga stood beside the Princess while Minho and Kai stood to the right, the path behind them blocked by their bodies. Princess Keena smiled at the guards and her eyebrows pulled together in confusion when she noticed a large white tarp that stretched across the whole length of the right side of the outside. She could not see behind the tarp for it stood taller than the walls that surrounded the butterfly house.

“Aga, what is that?” Princess Keena motioned to the white tarp and Aga ignored the question.

“His Highness is waiting, Princess.”

Aga started to walk in the direction of the white banner and Princess Keena folded her hands in front of her as she followed his lead. Namjoon appeared from behind the white tarp, his blue hair pulled neatly into a ponytail behind his head, not a single flyaway in sight. His robes weren’t a style the Princess was used to seeing and she wondered why Namjoon was dressed up. An ivory cross collared shirt had grey and sand dollar tan ink stains along the thick neckline and dropped into a dusty rose skirt with the same grey and tan ink stains at the hem. A thin ivory belt was wrapped around his waist. He wore a dusty rose open cross collared jacket over top that had grey and tan plum blossoms stitched along the wide sleeves.

As the Princess approached, Namjoon bowed low at the waist and gave a dimpled grin as he stood upright. The sky above was densely blue with faceless ashen clouds that swirled about and gave those on the ground little respite from the sun’s rising warmth.

“Princess Keena, you look beautiful today.” Namjoon clasped his hand behind his back and bounced slightly on the balls of his toes as he spoke. “His Highness is waiting for you inside, but first-” Namjoon smoothly untied the black silk cloth from his wrist and held it outwards for the Princess to see. “His Highness requested that you wear this before entering.”

Princess Keena glanced down at the blindfold and bit the inside of her cheek. “What does His Highness wish to hide from me?”

Namjoon offered a smile that was hardly apologetic. “That is for His Highness to speak of.”

The Princess sighed but nodded her head to acknowledge Namjoon’s words. “Very well…” She looked over her shoulder and nodded her head for Yongsun to grab the blindfold.

Yongsun stepped forward and Namjoon placed the black fabric in her hands before he again locked his hand behind his back with a dimpled smile. As Yongsun placed the blindfold over the Princess’ eyes, Princess Keena spoke up, “Those dimples will not protect you forever, Namjoon.”

Namjoon laughed and bowed his head. “They have not let me down yet, Princess.”

Aga was careful and he took the Princess’ hand in his and Kai took the other. Minho kept watch from behind as everyone entered behind the white tarp and once he stepped inside he was amazed by the sight in front of him.

"Ale dousman, Princess." Aga muttered as he helped the Princess follow the lush path of green grass and large smooth stones. Aga was thankful that the stepping stones were flat with the earth so that the Princess wouldn’t trip.

The world around the Princess was dark and cool, the rising temperature of the sun cut in half the farther she walked. Sun spots of warmth touched her in scattered patterns that she couldn’t understand and when she finally came to a stop, she strained her ears for any hint of where she might be. Running water was faint in the background as leaves rustled in a soft breeze, but everything else was silent. The Princess’ heartbeat was the loudest thing she heard and when Aga and Kai pulled away, she tensed.

"Ou ka retire banday la, Princess." Aga’s voice was close but distant enough for the Princess to know that he was no longer right by her side.

Princess Keena reached behind her head and tugged at the knot of the blindfold. “It won’t come undone,” Princess Keena announced and before she could struggle any more a set of hands covered hers. Princess Keena lowered her hands to her side and waited until the blindfold loosened and dropped away from her eyes. Her vision was blurred and she blinked a few times as the sunlight created a warm halo around whoever stood in front of her. Once her vision started to clear, the Princess took in the sight of familiar blond hair and when she blinked once more the Prince’s face was before her.

The black scales on his jaw reflected a rainbow on her chest as the sunlight from above peaked through openings within the canopied area. Prince Yoongi smiled as the Princess stared at him and he cupped her cheek with one hand as the blindfold fell to the ground beside them. “Hello, Princess.”

Princess Keena tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. The Prince was handsome, so very handsome this close up and it made the air around them hard to breathe. He was breathtaking. The Prince’s robes were soft and light. The white cross collared shirt had a baby blue and white watercolor pattern with a baby blue strip along the neckline, tucked into an white skirt that had a grey and black watercolor speckled pattern. The waistband was grey with a thin baby blue belt wrapped around his waist. The jacket over top had a blue and cream gradient dye pattern with white, black and blue cranes embroidered on the shoulders while small black and white goldfish were stitched along the wide sleeves.

Prince Yoongi licked his lips and grinned. “Would you care to join me for breakfast?”

The Princess nodded her head silently and Prince Yoongi’s grin widened, his gums on full display as he grabbed the Princess’ hand in his hand and turned his back to lead her to where their breakfast would be. The Princess looked away and saw that they were in a garden or maybe a forest of some sort. The ground beneath their feet was covered in plush grass that looked soft to the touch and large flat stones of different shapes created a path. Palm trees, peach trees and snowbell trees were spread throughout with guelder-roses, daylilies, vinca and hostas on the ground intermixed to create a colorful blanket.

A canopy of shade was made from the leaves above and the sunlight came through playfully as the shadows danced around below. The Princess looked away from the blocked heavens and found that the Prince had led her to a small clearing. The ground gave way to black and grey pebbles, in the center of the clearing a marble table sat alone with four matching marble stools placed around it. A single golden candelabra with sunstones shaped as flames was placed in the center of the table surrounded by food and drink. Princess Keena’s steps faltered at the sight and the Prince stopped by her side.

“What is this place?”

“Hummm? This place?” Prince Yoongi stroked the back of the Princess’ fingers with his thumb as he repeated her question out loud. “This is part of the seventh garden, Princess…do you like it?”

The Princess was unimpressed by the Prince’s answer. “Would you like me to rephrase my question?”

Prince Yoongi shook his head and tugged the Princess farther into the clearing. “I made it clear that no one was allowed in this garden. Namjoon, Seokjin and myself took great lengths to ensure that this garden was perfect in every sense of the word.”

Princess Keena sat down on a stool and the Prince sat across from her. Wheein and Hyejin started to set food onto the young royal’s plates and the Princess stared at all the food. Different fruit dishes were the main focus with some noodle and meat sides. Everything looked delicious and smelled amazing, it was mouth watering. Wheein held a white porcelain cup with black and red koi fish painted on it in her hand and poured fresh ginseng tea for the Prince and Princess. She stepped away and stood beside Yongsun who had her hand folded in front of her.

Prince Yoongi held back the sleeve of his robe and grabbed his cup before he cleared his throat, “I hope you enjoy this meal, Princess. Thank you for giving me a moment of your time.” Prince Yoongi raised his cup and the Princess followed his action before they both drank with smiles on their faces.

The meal was more than the Princess had expected- it surpassed every meal that she had in her time within the Min empire. Prince Yoongi was delighted to see that the Princess had enjoyed the meal. His mother had informed him that the Princess seemed to like lighter foods to start her day, so he thought it best to have fruit be the star of the meal. The meat was for himself but he was happy to watch as the Princess tried a few pieces.

After their meal, Prince Yoongi rose to his feet and walked around to where the Princess sat. He offered his hand to the Princess and as she put her hand in his, he noticed the familiar rings on her index finger.

“Come, I have more to share with you.”

Princess Keena stood and allowed for the Prince to lead her farther into the forest garden. More and more plants, some known and most unknown lined the stone path that took them deeper. Again the trees started to thin out and the Princess noticed a break in the trees. As they got closer, the Prince slowed his steps and the Princess copied his movements. Prince Yoongi turned to face the Princess and he bit his bottom lip. One of his fangs peaked from under his upper lip and the Princess squeezed his hand.

“What troubles you, my Prince?”

Prince Yoongi shook his head and looked over his shoulder at the clearing, “Nothing…I-I just wanted you to know that I have always thought of you as so much more than just my dear friend.” The Prince looked down at the Princess’ hands in his and nibbled on his lower lip before he spoke, his voice soft as he allowed for the truth to leave his lips. “You are e-everything to me. I wish that we had meant sooner in person, so that we could have made more memories together.”

Prince Yoongi picked his head up and brought the Princess’ fingers to his mouth. “I could offer power or all the riches in the world and yet I know that you would not accept.” The smile on the Prince’s face was amused as he spoke and looked into the Princess’ eyes. “What could I offer one such as yourself, hum? What would keep a smile on your face when you are miles away from home?” Prince Yoongi pressed his lips to the Princess’ fingers and lowered their hands.

“My gift to you Princess, above all else, is your happiness.” Prince Yoongi turned and gazed out at the land just beyond the break in the trees. “May you find that once more here within the seventh garden…a home away from home.”

The Prince slowly stepped between the trees and the Princess followed behind. Sunlight spilled down from above and Princess Keena closed her eyes from the sudden brightness. She counted to five in her head and peaked open her eyes as the Prince’s hand fell away from her own. White. Everything was white, white, white. A subtle scent was in the air, light and sweet with a faint trace of almond…a copse of trees. Princess Keena’s hands flew to her mouth as she stared wide eyed at the blackthorn trees before her.

“How?” The Princess’ voice shook as her watery eyes found the Prince’s. “I…thank you.”

Prince Yoongi grinned and he turned his head to look at the trees, impressed. Namjoon really out did himself with the layout. Blackthorn trees were grouped together in clusters spread throughout the clearing while thick bushes outlined the perimeter with peonies at the bottom. White wild flowers were planted on the ground throughout the clearing and the stone path that was laid down, led to a tiny gap in the grove of trees that would be perfect to sit under and enjoy a meal or read. Prince Yoongi turned his head back to the Princess and noticed the others as they stood at the entrance to the blackthorn garden.

“Do you like it, Princess?” The Prince’s words were unstable. The pitch was all wrong and he quickly cleared his throat to which the Princess giggled. Prince Yoongi rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks heated and flushed as the Princess grabbed a hand in hers.

“In my nation we have a saying that shows our thanks…ou fè byen.” Princess Keena squeezed the Prince’s hand as he brows pulled together in confusion and she spoke again, “You do well, my Prince.”

"You do well," Prince Yoongi repeated the phrase and the Princess’ face lit up even more. “I like the sound of that.” The Prince pulled the Princess into his arms and hugged her lightly as he ducked his head down so that his mouth was next to her ear. "Ou fè byen."

The Princess melted, her body pressed against the Prince’s as he held her in his arms. She closed her eyes and inhaled the earthy scent that was simply the Prince. As petals from the blackthorns swung in the breeze, the almond scent swirled around them and a single thought crossed the Princess’ mind as she hugged the Prince.

Home.

She had found home in his arms. The Prince and Princess released their embrace of each other and Prince Yoongi refused to let go of her hand.

“I have one last gift for you, Princess.”

“My Prince, you have given me more than enough.”

Prince Yoongi laughed and started to lead the Princess into the trees. He waved off the guards as well as the Princess’ handmaids once he noticed that they had stepped farther into the grove. The rippling water that the Princess had faintly heard became louder as the greenery around them became denser. Prince Yoongi pointed out a small section of bushes that didn’t look any different but once they got closer, the Princess noticed that the bushes were slotted together oddly. She looked to the Prince with a question on her tongue but he shook his head and placed his index finger over his lips.

The Prince pulled the Princess through the miniature maze that was hidden in plain sight and once out at the other end, Prince Yoongi let go of the Princess’ hand.

“Just a little farther, we’re almost there.”

The excitement was ever present in the Prince’s eyes that glittered and danced as his body seemed to vibrate in place. Princess Keena followed quietly behind the Prince and took in the different scenery. The grass was softer underfoot, the trees were thicker and the flowers were sparse. The bubbling water sounded closer as the once soft sloshing had now become an endless roiling. Hostas, lady ferns, liverwort, tapestry and bluets appeared more frequently and the ground gave way to large flat slabs of rocks. The Princess looked over the Prince’s shoulder as he came to a stop and the sudden squawk that came from her mouth made both royals jump.

Prince Yoongi pretended as if nothing happened and kicked off his shoes. He bent at the waist and brought his knees upward to remove his socks as well before he gathered his skirt in his hands.

“Care for a soak?” Prince Yoongi’s smile was teasing as he walked closer to the large rock wall that was covered with moss. A spring sat at the base of the rocks, its water so clear that the Princess could see right down to the bottom when she looked in. The spring was well hidden from prying eyes and upon further inspection, the Princess noticed that the soft grass she had walked on was fern moss.

The Princess watched from a safe distance away from the water as the Prince followed a small set of stacked rocks into the water. Princess Keena had thought that whoever had made the stone steps had incredible foresight. Goosebumps rose on the Prince’s arms and he shivered slightly from the cooler temperature of the water as he sat at the edge of the spring and soaked his feet.

“It feels wonderful, Princess! Join me!” Prince Yoongi’s voice carried over the splashing of the spring and the Princess sighed. The Prince’s smile was wide and gummy, too sweet to decline.

The Princess bent low and removed her sandals before she walked over to the spring and stood across from the Prince. She looked around at the layout and noticed there was a smaller waterfall to the left of the rock wall and to the right the water went up the wall where three runes seemed to glow from the rocks.

“What are those inscriptions?” Princess Keena questioned as she raised her skirts and eased her foot into the water on the first step.

Prince Yoongi glanced over his shoulder to see what the Princess had meant and once he saw the glowing runes he turned back around with that large gummy smile.

“I asked Namjoon if he knew of any water magic that would help keep the water fresh and clean. Unfortunately, this would have been a stagnant spring for there was no water source outside of the rain.”

Princess Keena stood at the first step, the bottom of her feet wet, but the tops still dry. Prince Yoongi chuckled and when the Princess shot him a glare he quickly coughed into his hand and cleared his throat.

“The runes are an old magic that were used to help farmers during times of drought and stopped flooding in other areas like forests and oceanside villages. I do not recall what Namjoon had called them.” Prince Yoongi pointed to the top of the rock wall and shrugged his shoulders. “There are more at the top to direct the water downward as well.”

Princess Keena nodded her head at the information and carefully eased herself down onto the second step. She yelped as the cool water wrapped around her ankles and jumped back, her foot missed the top step and Prince Yoongi was quick to catch the Princess in his arms. Unfortunately, when the Prince jumped to his feet, his skirt dropped into the water and tangled around his legs. The sudden weight of the Princess sent him backwards and they both fell into the spring with a loud splash.

The young royals swam to the surface and laughter filled the air as Princess Keena saw the wide eyed look of confusion on the Prince’s face. Strands of hair were plastered to the Prince’s face and as he treaded water, the Prince huffed out smoke from his nose and he pushed his hair back from his face. The Princess’ giggles were clear and before the Prince had the chance to ask if she was okay, a cool wave of water hit the Prince right in his face. He sputtered and hissed as he spit out water and the Princess swam away.

“Hey!” Prince Yoongi swam after her and stood straight and once his feet touched the bottom of the spring, he threw his arms out and splashed the Princess.

“Ahhhhaha!!” Princess Keena laughed and scrambled to her feet, she was shorter than the Prince, but was still able to stand with her head above the water. The two royals splashed and chased each other around while their laughter carried on the wind.

In the grove of blackthorns, Hoseok watched as Aga and Namjoon stood before one of the trees. Aga was impressed by the amount of trees. He had no idea that the young Prince had prepared such a meaningful gift for the Princess. The blackthorn was the tree of Escistan and it meant a lot to the people. To have a piece of their homeland so close within touch made Aga a little soft. He knew that the Princess would spend most if not all of her time tucked away within the sweet almond shade.

Yelling and laughter was warped as it rode the wind but Hoseok and Aga knew that the royals were safe. They may not have known the location but it was not something either of them worried about. Kai and the Princess’ handmaids sat by the edge of the clearing and chatted away with each other. Minho kept his distance from everyone and looked in the direction of where the Prince took the Princess. He did not understand why Hoseok or Aga did not go with the young royals. Dangers lurked all around the palace.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder and Minho jumped at the sudden presence of Hoseok by his side. Hoseok grinned, all of his perfect white teeth displayed as he looked in the direction that Minho had watched.

“Are you anxious with them out of sight?”

“Shouldn’t we be anxious? His Highness is alone with the Princess and no one is by their side.” Minho frowned at Hoseok’s question and Hoseok laughed.

“I will let you in on a little secret, Minho…” Hoseok leaned in and whispered into Minho’s ear. “There is no dragon stronger than Agust. If someone were to attack His Highness or try to harm the Princess they would be killed on the spot. Understand?” Hoseok patted Minho’s shoulder and stepped away.

Minho flinched at Hoseok’s words and looked away from the direction that the royals disappeared to. “Enjoy the break while you can, Minho. Stop and smell the flowers!” Hoseok giggled as if he told the funniest joke.

He walked away from Minho and joined Namjoon at his side while Aga explained the history behind the blackthorn and the Escastan kingdom. Minho shook his head and walked over to where Kai was seated. As he sat beside him the laughter on the wind grew louder and clearer. Minho looked in the direction of the laughter and the royals appeared seemingly out of thin air. They were both wet from head to toe, large smiles on their faces as they stood with their hands linked together.

“We are not going to make this an everyday thing!” Hoseok scolded as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Princess!” Yungsun jumped to her feet and hurried over to where the Princess stood, her robes soaked once again much like the day before but worse. “We must get you changed right away, least you catch a cold.”

Aga shook his head and grunted as he noticed a shadow above the trees. Hoseok noticed the shadow as well and whistled before he held out his arm and Ussik flew down onto his arm. The Princess’ eyes lit up at the sight of the black eagle and before she could take a step forward, Aga shook his head once more.

“Leave her alone, she has a message.”

Hoseok pulled the small note from the eagle’s leg and sent the bird away. He unrolled the note and pinched the bridge of his nose as he handed it to Aga.

“I am going to go grey early at this rate.” Hoseok muttered to himself before he turned his attention to the young royals. “His and Her Majesty have called for an audience. They are on their way to the throne room now.”

“Let us go now, Princess!” Yungsun moved to usher the Princess away but Aga stopped her.

“Do what you can while we walk. There is no time to change.”

Everyone stared at the young royals at Aga’s words and the Princess felt heat pool in her cheeks while the Prince just frowned. He gave the Princess’ hand a squeeze and removed his outer robe and tossed it to Minho.

“An audience for what reason?” The Prince questioned and Aga handed over the note. Prince Yoongi read over the written words and sighed. Just how much longer did his parents plan on interfering with his love life? It’s bad enough they had almost caused the Princess to hate him.

“They will wait until the Princess has had the chance to change.”

“Your Highn-”

Prince Yoongi held his hand out and silenced Hoseok before he turned his attention to Yungsun. “Take the Princess back to her chambers. I will have an outfit sent right away.”

“My Prince-”

Prince Yoongi turned to the Princess and cupped her cheek gently in his hand. His thumb grazed the outer corner of her lips and he smiled. “Go and warm up. I will see you again, shortly. Do not give your maids any grief. They are acting on my orders.” The Prince placed a soft kiss on the Princess’ forehead and everyone quickly looked away.

The Princess wrapped her fingers around the Prince’s wrist and turned her face in his hand. Her lips pressed into the meat of his palm and gold started to ripple through the dark of his eyes.

“Thank you, my Prince.” The Princess’ words were petal soft as she pulled the Prince’s hand from her face and tugged on his wrist. Prince Yoongi licked his lips and lent his face down towards the Princess.

"Ou fè byen." Prince Yoongi’s words ghosted over the Princess’ lips and he sighed as the softest kiss was placed upon his lips. The Princess was gone in the blink of an eye along with her handmaids and guards. Hoseok and Namjoon stood together with smirks on their faces as they watched the Prince touch his lips.

“Come on, lover boy. You need to change as well!” Hoseok walked off unable to fight the large smile that had started to pull at his lips. Looks like the plan had worked well, very well.

True to his word, the Prince sent a new outfit to the Princess’ home and it was bold to say the least. A blush colored blouse with a high squared collar was the base with two golden buttons to fasten the collar shut. The buttons were butterflies, four in total. The butterflies on the left had a hollowed out section above its head and the butterflies on the right had a jewel inlaid above the head. When fastened together, the butterflies seemed to hold the moon above them. The sleeves were long and wide with a silk band around the end that had gold gingko leaves embroidered. A white pleated skirt with a subtle pattern of black and red peonies was next. The same red silk band and golden gingko leaves were at the bottom of the skirt and the blouse was tucked in.

A red silk bixi with a blush border was to be tucked into the waist of the skirt; black and gold peonies embroidered down the center. The hanfu was completed by a red robe with a straight white collar that was covered in embroidered gold gingko leaves. The ends of the sleeves were shorter than the blouse, so the bottom of the sleeves stacked against each other. The sleeves on the robe had a white band around them with black and red peonies and on top of the white band was a thinner blush band that wrapped around the sleeves.

The Princess didn’t put up a fight as her handmaids dressed her quickly after her bath. Her hair was touched up and kept in the same style but reversed. The loops pointed downward and hung low on the back of the Princess’ head. The accessories were replaced with rubies, fire opals and a gold tikka headpiece that dangled loosely on the forehead with a large ruby in the center. The headpiece had long elegant side tassels that draped over the top of the ears and reached the Princess’ breast, covered in rubies and diamonds. To offset the dazzling tassels, the Princess wore small golden studs in her ears.

Jooheon, Wonho and Mingi were to escort the Princess into the palace, where then the Princess would touch base with the Prince. They would enter the throne room together and from there, Hoseok and Aga would take over guard duty.

The Prince wore his traditional red, black and gold gonryongpo with his hair pulled neatly into a topknot with a black band wrapped around his forehead to keep the flyaways from his face. He stood off to the side of the throne room with his hand clasped behind his back while he waited for the Princess and Hoseok lent against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Do you know what this is about, Hoseok?”

“Not a clue, Your Highness.” The Prince shot Hoseok an unamused look and Hoseok shrugged his shoulders. “It’s the truth.”

The Prince hummed and tried to wrack his mind for any idea as to why his parents wanted to speak with him and the Princess at the same time. When they spoke to them together before, the news was not taken well. The Prince was pulled from his thoughts when Hoseok subtlety kicked his calf and when the Prince turned to scowl, Hoseok nodded his head in the other direction. Prince Yoongi turned around and his breath caught in his throat at the sight of the Princess. He had seen the Princess in red before but the hanfu he picked out was one of the most glamorous and extravagant that he had seen the Princess wear to date. She looked like the true future Empress of the Min empire.

Princess Keena was beyond pleased at the look on the Prince’s face once they locked eyes. Those dark orbs that pierced the Princess’ very soul were bright as a thin gold rings tried to expand. The Princess bowed her head before the Prince and he did the same before he extended his arm and offered his hand. The Princess placed her hand in his and Prince Yoongi wrapped his fingers around her lightly.

“You look more stunning than just those few moments ago,” Prince Yoongi teased with a wink and Princess Keena rolled her eyes.

“Thank you, my Prince. Red seems to be one of my stronger colors.” The Princess held her head high as she stood by the Prince’s side and Hoseok motioned for the guards to open the doors to the throne room.

“His and Her Majesty will see you now.”

Together, hand in hand, the Prince and Princess walked into the throne room and neither was surprised when the doors slammed shut behind them. The younger royals bowed their heads to the Emperor and Empress before they stood before them with fire in their eyes. Emperor Min eyed the joined hands of the young royals and he cleared his throat loudly before he spoke up.

“Let us try this again, shall we?”

Outside of the throne room, Hoseok and Aga stood guard with emotionless faces. Few people walked by and when they did, they whispered to themselves and bowed their heads. Hoseok inwardly rolled his eyes, he knew that every person in the palace was a glutton for gossip. Aga stared ahead blankly and he clenched his hands at his sides.

“Be honest with me, Hoseok.”

“What is on your mind, Aga?”

“Will the Princess be happy here? Truly happy?”

Hoseok glanced at Aga from the corner of his eye briefly before he looked ahead once more. “I believe that His Highness’ feelings for the Princess are candid in the purest of forms. I have known the Prince since childhood. I watched him grow into the young man he is today and I know a large percentage of his mindset is because of the Princess.”

“Love does not mean happiness.”

Hoseok chewed on the inside of his lower lip as he thought over Aga’s words. The statement was true enough.

“Well, I guess we will have to wait and see. Only time will tell.”

Aga grunted and Hoseok sighed. He hoped that the meeting with His and Her Majesty would be over soon.

There was a forest that was home to many animals and it was said to be protected by a God. The Min Emperors of the past refused to destroy the forest in fear of the Gods wrath so, they built around it. The crossroad that led to the capital of the Min Empire was where Jungkook was to wait for Namjoon and it was beside the great forest. Jungkook had arrived at his and Namjoon’s agreed upon meeting place early, too early in all his excitement. It had been a long time since Jungkook had last seen Namjoon and so much had happened.

Jungkook was no longer the wistful kid that fell in love with his best friend…well he still loved Namjoon, that would never change. Now, after traveling around the world, Jungkook felt more mature. He felt like he could finally get Namjoon to notice him in a different light. Jungkook had changed, not only was he more worldly, but his appearance was different as well. His long dark hair was cut short and cropped close to the scalp on the sides of his head. Jungkook also got his eyebrow pierced by a tribe he met during his travels.

Jungkook was all grown up and he couldn’t wait to show Namjoon just how much he had matured. However, Namjoon wouldn’t be there for a while, so Jungkook decided to leave his belongings by the road and explore the forest to pass the time. The moment Jungkook entered the dense greenery, the temperature dropped slightly since the leaves of the trees hid the sun. The shade was welcomed and Jungkook hiked the cloth pack on his back up a little higher. Maybe he would find something interesting to sketch while he waited for Namjoon. As the thought crossed his mind a large swallowtail butterfly flew into Jungkook’s view and he grinned.

“Hello, there.” Jungkook bowed kindly to the butterfly and rolled his shoulders. “Could I have a moment of your time?”

The butterfly landed on Jungkook’s shoulder, close to his neck and he huffed a laugh as the wings tickled his skin. The butterfly took off and Jungkook giggled to himself as he followed the butterfly, all alone farther into the forest. It was midday and the sun was high in the sky. The air was warm and fresh, filled with the scent of grass, dirt and flowers. Jungkook felt alive as he chased after the little butterfly. His art supplies jostled around on his back as he skipped about. The butterfly seemingly rode the breeze as it glided through the air and landed on a fallen tree. Red Spider Lilies rested around the rotted tree and Jungkook’s dark eyes lit up at the sight. What a pretty picture he stumbled upon.

“Stay right there, please?” Jungkook softly begged the butterfly as he quickly lowered himself to the ground. He plopped down on the plush grass below and shrugged off the pack on his back before he swung it into his lap. Jungkook kept his eyes on the butterfly, determined to burn the image into his memory just in case the small creature decided it didn’t want to stay.

All of Jungkook’s art supplies were laid out in front of him and he smiled to himself. Luck had been on his side lately. First he was commissioned to repaint the butterfly house, one of the many smaller developments within the Min court and now, Jungkook sits with a pretty butterfly in front of him just waiting for its beauty to be captured. It was a great start to Jungkook’s month and he was looking forward to seeing his dear friend, Kim Namjoon once again. Silently, Jungkook sat and started to outline the view in front of him. Lost in his own world, Jungkook failed to hear the pounding of feet that grew louder and louder.

The butterfly felt the vibrations and flew away which made Jungkook sigh. He stared at the empty log in front of him and frowned; its beauty wasn’t the same as before.

“It’s getting away!”

“Get it!”

Voices echoed through the air and Jungkook’s head whipped around just in time to see a large tiger. Its eyes were wide in fear, as it growled at the sight of Jungkook and tried to backtrack. The voices were louder now and the tiger looked hurt. Jungkook slowly rose to his feet and looked around for anywhere he could hide the tiger. The tree!

“I-I won’t hurt you!” Jungkook whispered as he pointed towards the fallen tree. “Please, hide! I will protect you!” Jungkook’s voice was desperate as he finally realized what was taking place around him.

“Please!” Jungkook begged.

He might have been human but he loved animals and he didn’t want this majestic creature to be harmed or worse killed. The tiger seemed to understand Jungkook’s intentions and scurried over to the falling tree. The tiger paused by Jungkook’s side and nudged the side of his knee with its large head in silent thanks. It whined low in its throat as it squeezed its body into the hallowed entrance and Jungkook sat back down in front of his art supplies. He picked up one of his charcoal sticks with shaky hands and took a deep breath. He forced himself to ignore the voices that were now practically right behind him and started to draw again.

“Hey!”

A voice shouted out and Jungkook jumped, the charcoal stick in his hand snapped in two. Jungkook turned his head and his eyes widened at the sight of five men all dressed in black hanboks with quivers and bow on their backs. Machetes were in some hands while others held bows with arrows notched.

“Boy! Have you seen a tiger?”

“A-A tiger?” Jungkook stammered and quickly shook his head as he licked his lips. “I would be dead if I saw one…right?” Jungkook forced himself to lower his art supplies and slowly stood up while he dusted himself off.

“We got ‘em good. Stupid beast couldn’t have gotten very far.”

“It’s weakened. Are you sure you haven’t seen it?”

The men all stared at Jungkook and he shook his head once again before he snapped his fingers. “Oh! I heard something in that direction-” Jungkook pointed a little off from the way that the men came. “I wasn’t sure what it was, so I didn’t pay it much attention.”

The men looked at each other and the one that seemed to be the leader stepped forward with narrowed eyes. “What are you doing out here, boy?”

Jungkook bent down and grabbed his unfinished artwork. He held it out towards the men and cleared his throat. “I’ve been commissioned by the royal court. I’m collecting references for my pieces.”

The leader looked back at his group and spit at the ground before he snatched the artwork from Jungkook’s hands. He looked it over and Jungkook chewed on his lower lip in silence as he waited. His lie was flawless, there wasn’t any reason for them men not to believe him.

“What’s that on your leg?” The leader nodded towards Jungkook and when he looked down sure enough, there was a patch of bright red on the side of his grey and white robes.

“It’s from the sketch. I thought a red butterfly would look-”

“Hold him down.” The leader smirked and his crew quickly surrounded Jungkook before they grabbed him. They kicked the back of his knees and sent him crashing to the ground roughly.

The leader threw Jungkook’s sketch to the ground, the only color on the paper was black. “I don’t like liars, kid.” He looked around the forest and licked his lips. “Where’s the tiger?”

“I didn’t see a tiger.”

The leader pulled his machete from his hip and placed it under Jungkook’s chin. Jungkook stared up at the man with large eyes.

****

“I will slit your throat and leave you here, since you like nature so much. I’m sure the other beasts in this place will be happy for a fresh meal.”

Jungkook gulped and felt tears burn his eyes. This was it? He would never see Namjoon or his parents again. He never even got to meet the Princess. Jungkook closed his eyes and readied himself for the deadly blow. The man above him sucked his teeth and kicked Jungkook in the stomach. Jungkook gasped as the air was knocked out of him and he groaned, while the two men that held him tightened their grip on his arms.

“Where is the tiger!?”

Again the man kicked Jungkook and it felt like his spine would snap in two just like the charcoal he was so fond of. A broken roar came from behind Jungkook and everyone froze.

Jungkook weakly looked over his shoulder and the tiger was no longer hidden in the fallen tree. Its eyes were round and wild, all fear replaced with rage. It growled and Jungkook could see that it was in so much pain. “No! R-Run!” Jungkook begged as tears started to fall from his eyes. “Run!”

“Shut up!” The leader punched Jungkook in the face and pain spread from the center of his face to his temples as blood gushed from his broken nose. The tiger roared loudly and pounced on the man closest to it.

“Kill it!” Someone shouted and Jungkook was thrown to the ground. His vision was spotty, his equilibrium off from the sudden punch to his face and loss of blood. Jungkook could hear the tiger fighting for its life and Jungkook tried to clear his vision with a shake of his head. That only made things worse, it felt like he was going to throw up.

“S-Stop it!” Jungkook grumbled. He blinked hard and noticed that there was an abandoned machete in front of him. Jungkook had never held a weapon in his life, yet alone attacked anyone. He grimaced as he reached out and wrapped his fingers around the hilt. There’s a first time for everything. Jungkook struggled to pick himself up off the ground but when he heard the tiger yelp in pain, he jumped to his feet and swung the machete with full force. He spun in a clumsy circle and nearly tripped over his own two feet. Someone shouted and Jungkook blinked his eyes quickly. His hazed vision cleared for just a moment.

The tiger had its mouth around the leader’s neck and the sickening crunch that filled the air made Jungkook’s stomach turn. Jungkook felt nausea and when the tiger dropped the man from its mouth, it started to limp towards Jungkook. Jungkook blinked and he noticed movement from behind the tiger.

“NO!” Jungkook’s body reacted faster than his mind. He jumped in front of the tiger and blocked the poor beast with his body. An arrow pierced his skin and sunk deep into his heart. Jungkook staggered back with a pained gasp and another arrow hit him just below his heart. Jungkook fell backwards with a thud. The tiger yelped as two more arrows were released, both hit the tiger in the neck.

“Now, none of us will live.” The man that had shot the arrows, dropped his bow and fell to his side, dead.

Blood dyed the whites of Jungkook’s robes a deep red with traces of black. Jungkook looked down at the arrow in his chest and started to cry. Large fat tears rolled down his face, the pain was horrible. It felt like he had been burned from the inside out. It was excruciating as his heart kept beating. Slowly, Jungkook rolled over onto his hands and knees, the tiger was in no better shape. The poor thing was covered in gashes and arrows. The blood that seeped from its body was almost black and Jungkook crawled over to the tiger. It whimpered sadly, its eyes watery and wet which made Jungkook cry harder.

“I-I’ll get help. My friend…he-he’ll know what to do.” Jungkook’s words were slow and felt like lead on his tongue. Jungkook patted the tiger on the head gently and tried to stand but his legs wouldn’t work. He had little to no strength left. “I’ll get help…” Jungkook looked around and felt his blood run cold, he didn’t remember the way he came. “Help…s-someone!”

Jungkook whimpered as he settled himself on his knees and wiped at his nose. Blood and snot mixed together on the sleeve of his robes. “N-Namjoon…” Jungkook called for his friend, he didn’t want to die. Not here, not like this…he wanted to save the tiger as much as he wanted to save himself.

The tiger made a gurgling sound and Jungkook shook his head. “I’ll stay…I’m here. I won’t leave you.”

Jungkook moved around slowly so that he could sit with the tiger and rested his back against the falling tree. Bright red spider lilies were scattered around them, unharmed while Jungkook pulled the tiger's head into his lap. Carefully, Jungkook pulled the arrows from everywhere that he could reach and the tiger whimpered.

“I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry!” Jungkook cried as he held onto the tiger. Blood soaked into his robes more and Jungkook slowly petted the tiger’s head. Through his tears Jungkook couldn’t tell what was blood and what was a flower, it all blended together. “I couldn’t save you.” Jungkook’s eyes grew heavy. It was hard to keep them open as his tears continued to fall and his energy faded little by little.

****

On the ground the half finished sketch laid forgotten, splotches of red bloomed and spread like the flowers that surrounded Jungkook and the tiger. A single swish of reddish black smeared the paper in a messy swirl of wings. The tiger in Jungkook’s lap started to breathe slower and slower until Jungkook knew it was no longer breathing. He smiled sadly and wailed; his cries carried on the wind as he gave up all hope of being saved. A cooling breeze sent falling leaves up in the air and created a gentle twister a short distance from Jungkook. He blinked slowly and his eyelids refused to open again.

“Jeon Jungkook…what have you done?”

A warm hand cupped Jungkook’s cheek and he felt a light pressure on his forehead.

“Open your eyes, Jungkook.”

Jungkook whimpered, he was scared. What would he see when he opened his eyes? The pain in Jungkook’s chest lessened and Jungkook could breathe a little easier. He inhaled softly and his eyes popped open.

“You are such a foolish mortal. Foolish with the most tender of hearts.”

There crouched before Jungkook, was Namjoon. He was different yet somehow still the same. The robes he wore were a cloud white with hints of leafy greens and sky blues. His skin was flawless and seemed to glow from within, a pale green light; those familiar brown eyes had a green ring around the pupils that quivered with life. Jungkook wondered if it was a dream, a trick of his mind as he crossed over into the afterlife. Namjoon smiled sadly and pulled his face away from Jungkook’s.

“I was going to tell you everything. Once your work at the palace was complete, I wanted to tell you everything. This is who I really am.”

“God?” Jungkook whispered and Namjoon laughed with a shake of his head.

“No, not God. A dryad.” Namjoon stated and Jungkook looked confused. “I was human like you but right after I called on your help, my soul fused with a hamadryad that was dying and I became a dryad.” Namjoon explained softly as Jungkook stared down at the tiger in his lap.

“I look after those who cannot speak for themselves. I was too late for this one,” Namjoon stroked the head of the tiger in Jungkook’s lap. He looked up into Jungkook’s eyes and frowned as he saw the fear on Jungkook’s face.

“Are you here to take me to the afterlife?” Jungkook questioned and Namjoon seemed to hesitate.

“I can give you that option…you cannot return to your old life because you have died.”

Jungkook’s eyes widened and Namjoon nodded his head.

“You may cross over if you would like. You will be reborn like any other who lived a good life and kept a good soul-”

“Or?” Jungkook licked his lips as reached out for Namjoon’s hand.

“Or-” Namjoon laced his fingers with Jungkook’s and squeezed lightly, “you could join this beast in their new life. They are willing to share it with you after your sacrifice.”

Jungkook looked down at the tiger in his lap and hugged the beast close to his chest. He was grateful for such an offer, he felt honored.

“Do you know how ginkgo beasts are created?” Namjoon asked though he knew the answer was no. “A ginkgo beast is born from an unjust death. Myself or another dryad hears their call and we answer. It’s another chance at life and this time they have the power to protect themselves as well as those around them.” Namjoon spoke softly as he squeezed Jungkook’s hand once more.

It hurt to see that Jungkook had died such a tragic death but he was proud of Jungkook. This was one offer that Namjoon hoped the foolish mortal would take. Jungkook thought back to a few moments earlier when he tried to comfort the tiger, he told the beast that he would stay and wouldn’t leave it behind…he would keep his promise.

“I-I would like to stay with the tiger…”

Namjoon grinned and pressed his lips firmly to Jungkook’s forehead. When he pulled away a small yellow ginkgo leaf rested between Jungkook’s eyebrows.

“When you wake, you will be in a new body. You won’t remember anyone from this life an-”

“I-I won’t know you?!” Jungkook looked at Namjoon and his eyes filled with even more tears. “Will you know me?” Jungkook forced himself to ask the question and Namjoon smiled, his dimples deep as he rested his forehead against Jungkook’s once again.

Namjoon reached out for Jungkook’s hand and linked their pinkies together tightly as he whispered, “I could never forget you, Kookie.”

Jungkook smiled through his tears and looked down at their joined hands. There wrapped tightly around their pinkies was a thin red thread and Jungkook felt his heart clench. Jungkook closed his eyes and inhaled softly. “Okay…I-I’m ready.”

Jungkook flinched when he felt something warm and wet hit his skin. He refused to open his eyes, he understood that Namjoon was crying. Jungkook leaned forward and pressed his lips to Namjoon in a cotton soft kiss.

“I love you, Namjoon. Always.”

When Jungkook opened his eyes, he was surrounded by the brightest white he had ever seen. The tiger sat a few feet from him, clean and unharmed. Jungkook smiled and walked over to the tiger.

“Sorry, I kept you waiting.” Jungkook placed his hand on the tiger’s head and scratched behind its ear. “Let’s go start a new life.”

#dragon yoongi #emperor yoongi #bts fantasy au #blackthorn ch 10 #bts ambw #yoongi x oc #yoongi x black oc #friends to lovers #daechwita yoongi

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