#reining up on my horse like you are Beautiful your Name is Danger we can Clearly just run around this man (narrator: they both died)
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getting war flashbacks the second matt mentioned them crossing the bridge of hylia and how that gleeok fuckin roasted me and my horse Danger and matt did not disappoint
#cr lb#totk oneshot#reining up on my horse like you are Beautiful your Name is Danger we can Clearly just run around this man (narrator: they both died)#tpk? tpk
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Home {Charles Smith x Native!Reader}
A/N: This story went through so many ideas. I couldn’t decide, especially because I just feel like my writing isn’t good enough right now, especially bc I try to keep my writing short bc I am not creative enough for long stories and I’m stretching for ideas because I love to write. Thinking about taking requests. Also reader is gender neutral. Might edit this to be an OC fic later on. Also I apologize if this is a little OOC. It’s my first time writing for Charles.
Warnings: canon typical violence, fluff, angst, mourning/grieving, canon character death
Word Count: 1.8k
1899
You met him one afternoon when he entered the reservation to speak with your father and brother. He was a dark skinned man with a long, black braid down the center of his scalp, ending towards the middle of his back. You were sitting alongside your father.
“Father, when will we draw the line? They’ve stolen our horses, they attack our women—“ Eagles Flies ranted.
“Enough, son. We can have our horses returned without fighting.” Rains Fall tried to dissuade his son. You made eye contact with the strange man.
“Rains Fall is right. I will not start a fight over some horses.” He spoke firmly. Eagle Flies lets out a frustrated sigh, storming from the tent. You quickly follow, witnessing through the flaps of the tent as Eagle Flies mounts the strange man’s horse and rides off into the night.
“He stole your horse.” You state plainly, a small smirk playing at your lips.
“My child, please take Charles Smith and find your brother. He is running toward a dangerous situation.” Rains Fall explains from across the tent. So, Charles is his name.
“I know, Father.” You nod and lead Charles to the hitching posts. In front of you stood a tall, warped brindle Arabian.
“Kiona.” You spoke softly, drawing a carrot from your satchel and feeding her. Quickly mountain, Charles mounts behind you.
“A beautiful horse.” He compliments as you follow the trail out of the reservation.
“Found her just outside the reservation. Tamed her myself.” You smile, lightly gripping the reins. Silence passes.
“What do you think about living here… on the reservation, I mean?” He questions.
“It’s not terrible… but my people have suffered. If I could help them escape, I would but with the U.S Army breathing down our necks, it’s impossible,” You respond, “My brother has good intentions, he just… doesn’t always think things through… why don’t you tell me about yourself, Mr. Smith?”
“I know a few men like that,” Charles chuckled, “and please, call me Charles. Mr. Smith is my father. My mother was Indian, and my father a black man. We lived with her people for some time, until one day, some men took her and never came back… my father was never the same after that.”
“I’m… I’m sorry to hear that.” You respond quietly, a frown tearing at the edges of your lips. Up ahead, Charles spotted his horse on the edge of a camp. After reuniting with Eagle Flies in the camp that Charles and his friends inhabited, your brother gathered a small party to reclaim the stolen horses.
“Arthur, we must go with them… to try to stop things from getting… out of hand.”
“I guess… come along. We can get them more horses.” The older man, Arthur, agreed. Charles turned to you, placing a hand to your shoulder.
“Please, return to your father. We will get the horses back.” Charles reassures you.
“Do not worry about the horses, just bring my brother home safe.”
“I promise.” Charles nods to you before mounting his horse and following the others into the night. You did as Charles had asked, and waited at the reservation for the return of your brother.
Hours passed before you witnessed Eagles Flies, Paytah and Charles leading the horses back into the reservation. Rains Fall watches from the entrance of his tent as you approach the group.
“Don’t run off like that again.” You tell Eagles Flies as you wrap your arms around his slender frame. He chuckles, returning the hug.
“Do not worry about me, little one. I am the one who has to protect you.” He spoke softly before pulling away and walking towards your father. You looked at Charles who stood back a few feet. He mounts his horse as you approach.
“Thank you, Charles… for bringing my brother back safely. I’m… my people are indebted to you.” You declare, gently taking his hand. He squeezes it gently before pulling away and leaving.
You should have expected the U.S Army would retaliate.
They came in the night under the cover of darkness, capturing young men and women of the tribe, you amongst them. With a sack pulled over your head and hands and feet bound with tight rope, you couldn’t see or move. All you could feel was the butt of the gun smashing against your head and knocking you unconscious.
For hours, you drift to and from unconsciousness. The sack had been removed from your head, but you were still bound, suspended from the ceiling. Occasionally, soldiers would come and land a few punches and kicks, trying to elicit a response before giving up.
It wasn’t long before you could hear shouting and… gunfire? You hang there, looking around drearily. One of your eyes was swollen shut, bottom lip busted and bruises littering your frame.
“They’re in here!” A familiar voice shouted and weakly you lifted your head to see Charles breaking the lock on the door. He rushes to your side, carefully cutting the ropes to release you. Swiftly, you fell to the ground with a small groan.
“I’m sorry, come on. Are you alright to walk?”
“… ‘m fine.. where’s my brother?” You asked as Charles wrapped an arm around you and helped you to walk.
“Don’t worry, Arthur has him… come on, let’s get out of here.” He encourages you, mounting his horse and carefully lifting you up. You sit behind him, slumped against him. A gunfight ensues during the escape, but you’re too tired and weak to care.
“Alright, we’re at the river. Let’s get you in a canoe.” His sweet voice explains to you, carefully lifting you from the horse and placing you down in the canoe. You laid back against the seat, too tired to sit up.
“Are they okay?” A voice called out as you closed your eyes.
“We just need to-“
And you were out cold.
It was midday when you awoke, the sunlight bleeding in from the tent flaps. You look around slowly, noticing your bloody clothes had been removed, and replaced with a clean tanned leather dress. Underneath, you were bandaged. You could barely see from your left eye, and upon licking your lips you tasted old blood.
“You’re awake.” Charles entered the tent, kneeling down beside you.
“How long was I out?” You ask, gently rubbing your temple as you sit up. He extends a cup of water, to which you graciously accept.
“Half a day. You were beaten up pretty bad. Eagle Flies is okay, he’s recovering.” Charles answered any questions you’d have. You relax slightly as you drink the water he provided. A moment passes between you both.
“Eagle Flies will not let this go, Charles.” You tell him, setting the cup down on the small nightstand.
“I know, I know… just rest now. It’ll be alright.” He comforts you as you lay back down on the bed to rest and recover.
Days had passed before you and Eagle Flies had recovered from your wounds. You returned to your duties, helping the sick and elderly. It wasn’t long before Eagle Flies demanded justice for those who were hurt by the U.S Army.
“Today, we ride! No longer will we be abused and killed by the Army, for sport, for oil!” He shouted, leading a small war party from camp. You watched as father looked on with a frown before mounting his own horse, and following.
It was a quiet day within the reservation. Eagle Flies had fled with some of the brave warriors of the tribe to strike the heart of the tribe’s issues — Cornwall Kerosene and Tar.
He’s your brother, although sometimes it doesn’t feel as though that’s the case. While he was brave and headstrong, you were more calm and peaceful like your father.
With the galloping of hooves outside, you and your father emerge from the tent. Arthur, pale and sickly, dismounts his horse while Charles follows, carefully helping Eagle Flies down from the horse. You take a small step forward, frowning.
“Bring him to me.” Your father commanded, watching as your brother was transported to the small enclosure. You follow, sitting down beside your father as the men carefully place Eagle Flies down. Rains Fall takes hold of his son’s hand as you place a gentle hand to your brother’s cheek. Tears begin to roll.
“My son.” Rains Fall whispered as his son took his final breath. You sobbed, leaning over your brother’s body. Arthur and Charles left the tent, speaking amongst themselves for a moment.
“I’m sorry, but we must pack and move…”
1907
With the changing of the seasons and the passing of the years, you grew into a young adult. It was shortly after the tribe’s arrival in Canada that Charles Smith left to return to his friends.
“Charles, please, wait!” You call out, following him to his horse. You pull something from your satchel, holding it out to him. It was a trinket adorned with a small moose antler with a coyote fang on one end, and a cougar fang on the other, “Take this.”
Charles carefully takes the trinket, examining the craftsmanship before looking at you, “Thank you. This is… amazing.”
“You are one of us.” You reassure him as he puts on the trinket, mounting his horse. He leans down, taking your hand and squeezing gently.
“Until we meet again.” He tells you before releasing your hand and riding off.
It didn’t take you much longer to leave as well, the pain of your brother’s loss being too much to bear. You wandered across the states, never staying in one place for too long. Your mind often wandered to all those years ago, the people you met, and the people you lost. No matter where you traveled, you always felt like something was missing, never feeling at home. Saint Denis was never your cup of tea, but it was a good place to gather supplies and clean up. The sound of a trumpet filled the streets between the random conversations throughout town and noises from the railroad you had overheard. You were standing outside the post office, sliding a letter over the desk.
“To Rains Fall in Canada,” You mention as you glance to your right for a moment. In the distance, two familiar men were crossing the cobblestones street to the docks. Quickly, you pay the man in the window before leading Kiona to the men.
“Charles?” You called out softly, slowly releasing Kiona’s reins. He stopped, and turned on his heel to face you. He looked different — his hair was no longer shaved and braided but instead splayed freely around his shoulders. He wore a collared shirt and vest that had seen better days. There were some bruises and scarring to his face and knuckles but he was still the man you met all those years ago. Before you knew it, you both were running toward each other to embrace. He lifts you into his arms, taking a slow, deep breath.
“I never thought I’d see you again.” You cry quietly, remembering all too well the day he left.
“I’m here now.” He spoke softly into your neck, his hot breath hitting your soft skin.
Home wasn’t with the tribe. Home didn’t have four walls and a roof. Home was in his arms, you knew that now.
#rdr2 fanfic#red dead redemption 2#arthur morgan#rdr2#red dead redemption#charles smith#charles smith x reader#john marston#dutch van der linde#rdr2 spoilers
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More levihan reccomendations!
Part 1
• One Last Time by PiercingThePage
[Multi-chapt || on going]
Summary:
Levi & Hanji have been dating for about 3 years in highschool. He starts to have feelings for one of the pretty girls names Petra Ral. After he starts cheating on Hanji with her, he decides he wants out of the relationship. Until the day he decides to tell her, ends up being the day she tells him that she's pregnant. Will they make it out well, or will Levi start to realize he is becoming his own dead beat dad
• Having My Baby by Countess_Dorkula
[Multi-chapt || on going]
Summary:
Another SNK Kink Meme fill. Follow Levi and Hanji as they go through the marvelous adventure towards parenthood.
• catch me if you can by fanmoose12
[Multi-chapter || on going]
Summary:
The Ackerman duo. Just the mention of this name filled Hange with so many feelings. Mostly, when she reread the files of their cases over and over, until her eyes watered, she felt pricking annoyance. Sometimes, when she stared at the dead bodies of those scarce unfortunates who stumbled upon their crimes, she was filled with hatred and a pushing need for revenge. Hange couldn't deny, however, there were times when she marveled at the impudence of their crimes. And, when she was investigating the Ackerman's cases and saw just how meticulously planned they all were, she couldn't help but feel something close to fascination.
No one knew who they were. No one had seen their faces, no one knew their true names. Almost everyone knew of their crimes.
Hange was determined to unravel every last one of their secrets. She will put an end to their crimes and then she will get the elusive Ackermans behind bars.
• Partners by fanmoose12
[Multi-chapt || on going]
Summary:
When Petra was promoted to a detective and partnered up with legendary Levi Ackerman, she felt like the happiest person in the world.
But, as she soon found out, detective Ackerman she used to admire so much was actually a far cry from the ideal policeman Petra thought he was. He was rude, harsh and easily annoyed.
And, in addition, he still hadn’t moved on from the death of his previous partner - detective Hange Zoe.
• can't keep my hands off you by fanmoose12
[Multi-chap || completed]
Summary:
Hange, Levi and their not so secret relationship.
• Looking for You by fanmoose12
[Multi-chapt || completed]
Summary:
Returning from a long mission, all Levi wanted was to spend sometime with Hange. But instead he got a message from Erwin, urging him to come to HQ. There he found out, that Hange was missing for over a week and that his new mission is to partner with Moblit, Hange's loyal assistant, and together find and bring Hange home.
• A Tale of Two Slaves by TundrainAfrica
[Multi-chapt || on going]
Summary:
"Soulmates don’t exist. Fate doesn't exist. Everything's a choice. And Levi could only watch as she made the choice for him."
Levi remembers everything from their past life. Hange doesn't.
• Free-Falling by djmarinizela
[Multi-chapt || on going]
Summary:
Skydiver and tea shop owner Levi Ackerman meets the town’s resident mad scientist and tries to convince himself that he's not falling for her.
• All of Me by MannaTea
[Multi-chapt || completed]
Summary:
By the time they reached the trees, Sylvia's sides were heaving, her flanks covered in sweat-foam, but they couldn't afford to stop; two titans had become more. Hange refused to look behind her, but she could tell by the way the ground shook that one of them was at least a 13-meter class.
And all she had with her was one blade and a horse who was about to drop dead of exhaustion.1
• Dreams May Not Come True by MannaTea
[Multi-chapt || completed]
Summary:
Levihan. Hange knows something is wrong when she goes down to breakfast one morning and the smell makes her stomach churn.
• Something Like Destiny by MannaTea
[Multi-chapt || completed]
Summary:
Reincarnation AU. Zoë doesn't have dreams; she just knows.
• A Dangerous Game by just_quintessentially_me
[Multi-chapt || on going]
Summary:
A snk 1920′s AU:
Sina is wild, crowded, bursting with industry. Home to jazz, fashion - and corruption. Crooked politicians, dirty police, and powerful gangs have turned the city into a cesspit of violence where the powerful rule. At the center of the chaos are the Ackermans - one of the most powerful gangs in the city, Mayor Fritz - who is as corrupt as he is wealthy, Erwin - a police commander determined to weed out the corruption in his own department, and Hanji - a journalist willing to risk everything to expose their city’s darkest secrets.
• A Simple Choice by just_quintessentially_me
[Multi-chapt || completed]
Summary:
The rain had started up again. Fat droplets drummed over her hood, drenching the fabric. Her horse’s reins were wet and cold; though her fingers, numbed from continued exposure to the elements, could hardly feel them.
Following the sound of the explosion, they’d arrived at a clearing. It was a mess of blackened, shattered wood, and the wagon, a skeleton, was little more than a smoking husk. Beyond the wreckage, a titan lay prostrate. Felled, its limp, hulking form was barely visible through the rain.
As soldiers shouted, pointing at the creature, one of the horses still tethered to the ruined wagon, writhed. When the beast screamed a broken, panicked wail, her own horse shifted, flanks twitching with unease.
Hanji barely noticed.
The soldiers' voices, the poor beast’s screams, even the heavy, even thrum of rain - had silenced as she looked to the river.
A body lay at the edge of the dark, white-capped water.
• License to Science (And Kill) by just_quintessentially_me
[Multi-chapt || completed]
Summary:
When International criminal organization, TITAN, successfully steals an arsenal of missiles along with their encrypted launch codes, Code Blue is initiated. It up to Agent Levi Ackerman, a spy in a class of his own, and Research scientist Hanji Zoe, the premiere authority on the organization, to halt a global catastrophe in its tracks.
She lowered her glasses, brown eyes blinking over the rims. “Does this mean I have a-” One brow lifted. “License to Science?”
“No. But I do have a License to Kill. Don’t tempt me to use it.”
• Aftermath by just_quintessentially_me
[Multi-chapt || completed]
Summary:
Levi rushes to the wall in the aftermath of the Armored and Colossal Titans' attack.
“Are you worried about your wife?”
The question shocked him out of his musings.
Levi looked up, “My what?”
But the pastor was already speaking, “You’re obviously beside yourself with stress – and it’s understandable. Not knowing if your wife has survived-”
Levi cut him off, “My what?”
The pastor hesitated, apparently realizing he’d made some mistake, but misunderstanding precisely what it was. “Your…wife? The woman we traveled with before? She’s ah – forceful. You two uh – have the same, er – strident personality. When we first met, she dangled me off the wall.”
• Terrible Things by someonestolemyshoes
[One-shot]
Summary:
The first time he tells her she’s pretty, Hange is all kinds of filthy - sweaty, dirty, twigs in her hair and mud on her shoes and a great big disgusting ball of everything Levi hates.
She is also crying.
It isn’t like he’s never seen her cry before - they’re nine and crying is just what kids do, especially kids like Hange who like to play with things they probably shouldn’t play with and like to climb trees even though they’re kind of clumsy and so the crying, in it’s self, isn’t all that weird.
What’s weird is that Hange - Hange, with her print-smudged glasses and ratty ponytail and clothes two sizes too big for her - is crying because a boy called her ugly.
• Acquiescence by 3LevisInATrenchcoat
[Multi-chapt || on going]
Summary:
On Judgement Day, the tide brought someone strange.
• My soulmate by a_golden_hearted_snk_fan
[Multi-chapt || on going]
Summary:
When your soulmate gets injured or hurt, their injuries show up on your skin with a slight sting then slowly fade. It was a rare thing to occur, but Levi and Hanji were the lucky ones.
• SOS by djmarinizela
[Multi-chapt || on going]
Summary:
Levi is a reclusive senior student who shares an apartment with Mike, Nanaba, and his best friend, Hange, who he's secretly in love with. Oddly enough, they also belong to the same secret club with a special operations squad. The 104th cohort is a bunch of freshmen misfits they've taken under their wing, Moblit is Hange's lab partner also vying for her affections, while Erwin’s the newest instructor who doesn’t know how to teach. And they say school is fun.
• the moon is dark by alteirkay
[Multi-chapt || completed]
Summary:
His face was wet.
“What the hell?” He murmured touching his face to see if he was mistaken. He was not. His hair was damp with sweat. There was an uneasiness invading his whole body. He was filled with it like he had drunk it straight from a bottle. His chest was heavy, his breaths were uneven, and his right eye was throbbing like a hammer was hitting at it continuously.
He was feeling like he had just lost someone.
• The Experiment by KakashiSensei
[Multi-chapt || on going]
Summary:
After a public brawl between them, Commander Erwin confines Captain Levi and Zoë Hange to barracks. When the Survey Corps next heads out, they are left behind as a punishment. Soon bored out of her mind, Hange turns her scientific curiosity towards the most interesting specimen within her reach: Levi. When his past reaches out to him to claim him back, she joins him on a dangerous journey. Do budding feelings have a chance in the most desolate of places?
• windmill by alteirkay
[One-shot]
Summary:
Here is the thing about Levi, his heart is a windmill in the middle of a wilderness where there was no wind to make it twirl, there was no wind to make it beat, pound and feel. Just feel.
Until one day he got hit by a storm so wild, so rare and so incredibly terrifying but in the most beautiful and breath-taking way that it left him defenceless, vulnerable and weak. Like a tiny little flower which had long passed its day of blossoming in a fierce, winter dawn yet it stood erect with its fragile body, challenging against the merciless winds and the brutal frost.
He fell in love.
• In Your Shoes by Neighborhood_Nori
[Multi-chapt || on going]
Summary
Levi, Paradis Studio's strict ballet instructor, can't stand the newly hired hip-hop instructor, Hanji. As a ballet dancer with his own complicated history with hip-hop, Levi only has respect for the more refined forms of dance. Can Hanji change his mind about her and her style of dance through determination, persistence, and her passion for dance?
• Distractions by Rookblonkorules
[One -shot]
Summary:
Hange’s love for pop culture interferes with her and Levi’s work.
It’s annoying.
• Leave You Whole. by zerothecreator
[One-shot]
Summary:
Levi spends his last moments in Hangë’s arms.
• Moments by Anonymous
[Multi-chapt || on going]
Summary:
Levihan Modern AU
She's a long-legged, sun-kissed beauty with tattoos in hidden places and multiple piercings.
Her leather jacket's on his bedroom floor, her ripped jeans too and she's pretty sure one of her heeled scarlet boots got left in the living room in their haste last night. At least her glasses are on top of the bedside drawer- they managed that, at least.
• more baby snacks by argethara
[One-shot]
Summary:
Levi tries to find out how and why boxes of Udo's biscuits are gone.
• Anniversary by EllePellano
[One-shot]
Summary:
AU One-shot: Erwin and Levi have a short conversation about the woman they both loved
• All We Are by TundrainAfrica
[One-shot]
Summary:
"We’re what’s left of the old survey corps Levi. We’re all alone.”
“We can’t be alone if there’s two of us.”
“So what do you suggest Captain Levi?”
“We stick together…” Levi answered. “We stick together, Commander Hange.”
During the time skip, Hange and Levi's relationship develops.
• Thin Ice by Xenobia
[Multi-chapt || completed]
Summary:
Takes place between events in chapter 90 of the manga. Hange, now commander of Survey Corps, commissions Captain Levi to scout territory in the mountains to search for a supply tower she believes may still be stocked. The scouts need all the supplies and currency they can get in order to carry on with their goals. Against his better judgment, Levi joins her on this excursion. The bitter, early winter makes their mission harder than expected, however. The pair find themselves relying on each other to survive, and they find it increasingly difficult to treat one another as comrades in arms and nothing more.
• Hidden Meanings by WhatHistoryForgets
[Multi-chapt || on going]
Summary:
Hange never thought a materialistic item could mean so much to her until she lost it.
• Of teacups and stale bread
[One-shot]
Summary:
Five times Hange prepared tea for Levi, and the one time that he did.
• Unintended Consequence(s) by Ella3982
[Multi-chapt || on going]
Summary:
Not all of the Anti-Personnel Control Squad died when the cavern collapsed. Some of them escaped through the tunnel Hange, Moblit, and Armin used. When the two parties meet, the Anti-Personnel Control Squad takes the three Survey Corps members hostage with the intent to force the Survey Corp's hand. However, when they find out that Kenny Ackerman has died, they become more desperate.
If the Uprising Arc had ended a bit differently, how would it alter the course of the story? What would change, and what would stay the same?
• A Fire in the Shadows by free_pancakes
[Multi-chapt || on going]
Summary:
LeviHan in an Avatar the Last Airbender AU - a side story occurring alongside the events of ATLA
Levi, the nephew of a fire nation captain, stumbles upon a ragtag group of 5 known as the Scouts, formidably known for foiling the plans of local fire nation control, living in the forests a few miles north of Ba Sing Se.
• Speak Your Dark Pleasures to Me by Lamia of the Dark (VisceraNight)
Summary:
A collection of drabbles and oneshots exploring a sexual relationship between Levi and Hanji.
• Tips & Tricks by Sleepyheadven
[One-shot]
Summary:
Eren’s brow was furrowed forward in confusion as he spoke. “I thought you said that staring at people isn’t nice?” He said after a few moments, gathering his thoughts. He seemed genuinely bewildered as to why she was intensely staring down a stranger when she had told him countless times before that it was impolite to do so.
Oh, lord, was her only thought as she quickly scrambled for an excuse. “I - Uh - well, sometimes people stare at other people because -” before she could even begin to form a proper sentence, Eren interjected. She wasn’t sure whether to be grateful or dismayed by his actions.
“Is it because you think he’s cute? My friend Ymir stares at my friend Krista that way all the time, she says it’s because she’s so pretty!” Eren babbled happily, oblivious to the way Hange’s grip around the handle of the cart tightened. Her brown eyes darted back and forth between the stranger and her son, hoping that he couldn’t overhear their conversation seeing as Eren wasn’t the softest of speakers.
• A drunk man always tells the truth by krissixh
[Multi-chapt || completed]
Summary:
Levi finds out that Hanji is engaged to a rich man. He gets drunk that night and confronts her his feelings. The two have to confront a lot of difficulties to be able to end as a couple.
• Relapses by Oreotragus
[Multi-chapt || completed]
Summary:
Despite having become a great asset to humankind, Captain Levi still has some trouble adjusting to his post-crime lifestyle, especially the social aspects of it. One extremely badly coordinated step out of his comfort zone creates a grand mess that he has to clean up.
• Weight of Survival by otterbeans
[One-shot]
Summary:
Hanji gives birth to Levi's unintentional child. She pretends to be surprised when he shows up for it.
• Don't drink the kool-aid by smallblip
[One-shot]
Summary:
Think of a number between one and ten. Because that's how you love in this world. First you toss out the word love. You tell it to its face that Commander Erwin Smith says “love is the ultimate cult of men... A sect... A dirty ploy by the whatever god is up there to make us all vulnerable..."
And then, everything falls into place.
• until another thursday evening by pinkweirdsunsets
[Multi-chapt || on going]
Summary:
and ever since they were only five, Levi had protected her, whether it was from the daily shenanigans she came up with or the criminal background he came from. She was his sunshine, messy and grinning, and he shielded her away from all terrible things.
until zeke yeager came along.
• Make It Make Sense! By cznpai
[Multi-chapt || completed]
I can't add the summary cause I've reached the limit. Welp i still have a lot of fics here so ill make a another post of reccomendations... HAHA bye!
#levihan#levi x hange#levihan oneshot#levihan fanfic#levihans#pls tell me if i putted the wrong link#guess im gonna make a part 3 👁👄👁#i thought all of them will fit in here#guess im wrong lol#k bye!
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🌼~BEAUTIFUL PERSON AWARD! Once you are given this award you’re supposed to paste it in the asks of 8 people who deserve it. If you break the chain nothing happens, but it's sweet to know someone thinks you’re beautiful inside and out.~🌼 xoxo toss a coin to your bard
You are far too sweet to send this, and my apologies for sitting on this so long without replying! I will definitely be continuing the game and appearing as a loving anon in ask boxes soon. In the meantime, here's a little ficlet of thank you.
As a bit of background, I've been watching Centaurworld recently and this song (Rider's Lullaby) has been stuck in my head for days. So I thought I'd give it a bit of a twist and let the horses of Kaer Morhen have it.
Lullaby of the Wolf
Winters weren't a time of rest for just Witchers. Their trusted companions on the perilous Path were also granted some much needed rest. Roach and Scorpion went years back, familiar enough with each other that Roach's disdain and Scorpion's less desirable personality traits no longer caused problems. They could even be housed in neighbouring stalls which was a major breakthrough on an especially cold winter. All the same, it was a welcome surprise when a bay gelding separated them.
"You're not the prickly bastard's," Roach sniffed daintily.
"My rider travels with him. They call me Nettle. Because I'm a pain in the butt."
There was a snort from Roach and Scorpion laughed heartily at that.
"Bossman called me Scorpion because I stung his pride. He really hoped for a nice juicy steak as his surprise."
Roach dryly cut in, "He should have eaten you anyway, probably would if he could understand you."
Nettle, rather wisely, decided not to comment on that. Or the colourful swearing Scorpion went off on about how a full blooded stallion like him was...actually, Nettle tuned it out in favour of watching a goat trot into the stable and give him a hard stare.
"Prickly's mate is staying, teach him."
Which was how Nettle spent the rest of winter learning the way of a Wolf Witcher's horse. Though he was a Cat Witcher's steed, he was deemed worthy of being brought into the fold. Namely, the lullaby. While horses' singing wasn't audible to humans, Witcher or not, it still seemed to help. Not only did it seem to soothe the Witchers, it helped the horses too, gave them something to focus on outside the wild panic of the situation at hand.
Despite none of them being exceptionally gifted in the way of singing, they all joined in, their soft voices joining to make a chorus.
"Where did the song come from?"
"The old one's mule taught us. Who was taught by the mule before," Roach explained.
The goat, Lil Bleater, chipped in. "It's been passed down generations. Sometimes the old one still hums it. Especially when he's been left by his pups each spring."
That wasn't something Nettle ever heard. But he dutifully memorised the song and even sang it softly under his breath on the way down the mountain, where his human and his mate were tense, as worried as they were on the way up. The others had been right, though they couldn't hear the song, they both relaxed whenever Nettle sang.
It was pure luck that the prickly one's payment for a contract was a horse. She was black, had a tendency to be lame when she didn't want to do something and was, inevitably, named Bitch. Even if she was the nicest horse Nettle had ever met.
"You're a Wolf Witcher's horse now," he told her in the evening as they were left to graze on the sparse grass. "There's some things you need to learn."
Travelling together, Nettle taught Bitch the song. She was definitely suspicious at first.
"Just go lame, they won't pull you in the direction of danger. It's much easier."
Nettle laughed at that. "Their job is to go into danger. And ours is to follow. This is what we can do for them. Carry them, be there for them when nobody else wants to be. It's not much but sometimes we're the only thing they have. It's an honour."
So together they sang and Bitch learned to be brave. She appreciated not being coerced into things, no forceful shoving, no smacks. A lot of cursing and name calling, even a threat of being eaten if she didn't get with the programme but it was all empty words. The underlying impression she got from her prickly owner was that he cared and that was his problem. Because his fragile heart couldn't bear the idea of more senseless loss. Everyone knew the fate of those who got close to a Witcher, human, horse, goat, they all eventually died. But Bitch grew fond of him, she sang the song Nettle had taught her the first night they were alone. Nettle and his Witcher had to head off, she didn't pay much attention to the reason, her main concern was her prickly one and his sudden sullen coldness. It seemed Nettle had been right, Witcher sometimes only had their horses.
They'd been alone together for weeks. Human settlements came and went, monsters too. Her job was to make sure her human got from one place to the next and, sometimes, she kicked up a fuss still, limping in an effort to get him to rest. Despite her best efforts he was still miserable, obviously missing the company of his mate even when he vehemently denied the need for anything but solitude.
Trust was an easy thing to earn. Bitch was content to follow her new owner, following after him obediently. Though his job was as odds with her nature, he had yet to lead her wrong. And she no longer gave him grief either, only insisting on breaks when he needed them too. At least, that was what she told herself until she heard a soft baritone shakily singing.
"You're okay, you're alright, I'll never ever leave your side."
The voice buckled, a soft "I'm sorry" that most certainly wasn't part of the song whispered before continuing, "I will stay and I will fight with you."
Stomping her feet, Bitch pulled at her reins. It had her prickly owner cursing and pulling back, trying to get her to follow along. However, they weren't moving towards the song and Bitch wasn't going to let this go. Rearing up, the yanked her reins free and started off at a canter towards the voice. She ignored the cursing and yelling from behind, trusting her Witcher to follow. Off the path, she crashed into a clearing where a dark horse was curled around a large body. As she clattered to a halt, the horse snorted defensively, ears pinned back.
"If you know what's good for you, you fuck off right now," he snarled. The smell of blood made Bitch shift uncomfortably.
"The song! I know it!" As she approached, the other horse snorted in warning and slowly got to his feet, standing protectively over the barely conscious Witcher.
Though Bitch tried to sing the song, the other horse pawed at the ground. He would have no trouble running her down, they both knew it. Before he could charge though, Bitch's Witcher tumbled into the clearing and blinked once.
"Fucking hell Eskel, what the bloody tits have you done?" There was no hesitation as he barged up to the body and gave the large horse a two handed shove with a growled "move it".
"He's mine," Bitch said, plain and simple. "I've not had him long but he's a good man."
"I know, Prickly is part of Bossman's herd. Didn't think Prickly ever really wanted a steed."
"He didn't. But he got me anyway. Calls me Bitch."
"Nice. I go by Scorpion." The dark horse trotted closer, turning to look at his human with sadness. "I wouldn't do anything to help. I'm glad you brought Prickly here."
They watched together as a camp was quickly set up, potions poured in the fallen Witcher's mouth and wounds tended to with gruff efficiency.
"We might as well settle in," Scorpion announced. "It'll be a couple of days at least before we get moving. And knowing these two, we'll stay in close quarters for a while yet. Welcome to the herd."
#minor lambert/aiden#roach#scorpion#lil bleater#lambert#the witcher#oc horses#tldr: the horses of kaer morhen have a song
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When the world falls apart, the only thing we can hold onto is ourselves (Part VII)
Series Master list
pairing: canon Eren Jaeger x reader
content: Angst, unstable relationship, breakup, smut/nswf+18, major character death, violence, blood (obviously), war (pretty obvious)
summary: War and hate. It’s what defined the world at this exact moment. You failed your comrades, and by failing them, you failed yourself. Your relationship is hanging by a thread and your enemies will not only be found on the other side of the sea, but also in the mind of the person you love the most. How will you take the reins in the face of so much destruction?
Chapter summary: Sometimes, to understand the present, it’s necessary to pay a visit to the past. While reader is in a deep sleep, their unconscious plays a trick on them by reminding the most important and catastrophic moments in their life.
Word Count: 9.1K
Year 847, a very hot and humid day.
First day of training in the 104° squad. Each of the hundreds of soldiers coming into the slaughterhouse gathered in lines, lined up, waiting for our first orders. Announcement of names and locations. Some serious who didn’t need an introduction, other clowns who didn’t take the training seriously. Instead, I...was waiting with an empty view towards the horizon, not seeing anything or anyone in particular.
First day, call and presentation; some came from cities, some from towns, but none from a filthy wealthy family of nobility, much less royalty. Most of us simple villagers, presented on a silver platter for the aristocracy, entering our graves on our own. Each one would have their reasons, some simpler than others, some more hypocritical than others, and others more selfish than all of us here.
First day, and there were already a couple on the ground and others being severely punished. Like the tall girl with a ponytail who had the brilliant idea to not only steal, but also cook a potato before training and eat it in the middle of line formation. A village girl, a hunter and faithful to her principles and culture; a girl who wasn’t ashamed to show her true colors on the first day, even if it gave her a punishment that would end up lasting for hours, until nightfall. An incredible example for the most stupid, but equally for the bravest. I think it was hearing where did she coming from that something inside me arose like a flower in the middle of spring, or maybe it was hearing her resound every minute around the training ground until the moon rose. I’m not very clear about it. Maybe I wanted to be nice to someone after a long time, and what better way to start with a person who was humiliated on the first day of what would be our next life.
I wasn’t quick enough to bring her something to eat when her punishment ended, a certain very short blonde beat me beforehand, but I was quick to save her a seat next to me the next night, while saving her a portion of bread. I assumed she would like it, and I wasn’t wrong. She devoured every last crumb along with her ration of dubiously sourced food on a metal plate. Hearing her eat with such enthusiasm brought a smile to my face, it reminded me of the little tadpole children who came and went in my town, asking for a piece of bread or an apple, even knowing that they had food at home. Those playful children who wandered through the small market, looking for some candy and returning disappointed at their doors when they hadn’t found any.
"I didn't hear yesterday where you came from"
Sasha, I think that's the name of the girl in front of me. Apparently she was talking when my mind wandered with nostalgia and melancholy. Her eyes were very fixed on mine, and as much as I looked away, I could still feel them penetrating my skull. I guess you can't dodge the past for long, right? At the very least, I tried to be as cautious as possible when giving my answer.
"I come from a village northeast of the wall Maria, far enough away from the wall to be warned of the fall before a titan reached our town"
She played with the poorly made metal spoon on a piece of carrot that came out of the poor soup, already cold, that this place delighted us for the second night in a row. I made me a mental note to go out hunting every now and then if I wanted to have a good meal and not end up anorexic and a failure.
“And what do you do in your village? In mine we are dedicated to hunting, but they’re taking away the land for the cattle” She took a huge bite of his bread, showing how angry she was. I couldn’t blame her, taking the land out of a hunting village was like taking away their essence, a part of their soul.
"We’re dedicated to raising horses and handicrafts" From our town came the fastest horses that the military police could ask for, some of them stayed for the field and keep the children busy.
Beautiful horses dedicated to the gambling of the nobility, others common for the plowing of the agricultural peoples. Horses dedicated to the race for the survey corps; what the government needed, we provided. It would be hypocritical of me to say now that the horse was my least favorite animal. It was not. For me they were the most beautiful, faithful and loyal creatures in this whole little world. My favorite animal without a doubt.
I wanted to talk about the various horses we managed to sell at a high price to the most authoritarian court on the Rose wall, but a noise from behind our table made my jaw drop.
A "Tsk" echoed throughout the dining room.
I turned my head, hoping to find an animal, or anything but a human like us. To my misfortune, I met the withering look of a brunette with bright green eyes, just as bright as those of the forest, and his hand holding the spoon tightly, as if my simple face angered him.
"Do you have a problem, Jaeger?" I remembered him from yesterday. Serious, tall, with a look that could kill you at any moment. Decisive and lethal. At the same time conceited and childish. He had won the ears and admiration of the majority here with well-used words and a touch of drama.
"Yes, I have a problem" his hand let the spoon escape on the plate, causing some drops to fly in all directions "I have a problem with people like you"
He got up from his seat, walking slowly but steadily toward my table, planting himself in front of me. The lap dog as a friend of his following behind him with a decomposed face, one hand half raised, perhaps to stop him if necessary. But let's face it, of the two, Eren was the one with the most strength, it was obvious to the naked eye.
"And what is that due to? Or do you wait for me to get into your little head and find some clue that can help me understand the cockroach you have for a brain?" At no time did I get up, I wasn’t going to lower myself to the same situation as him.
Half of my body had my back to him, so I was looking at him over the shoulder. He may not have liked that, ‘cause he immediately grabbed my shoulder and turned me around, waiting for me to look him in the eye.
"People like you, who come from villages far from the cities, who don’t know the real danger, are a problem" He looked so angry, angry with the world perhaps? I couldn't find an answer to that anger, nor the source of his feelings. But what I did know, was that he wasn't going to let me be trampled on by a fool who knew the world simply by seeing a titan within his short life.
"Excuse me, but you realize that many here come from villages far from the big cities and only very few saw a titan with their own eyes" And it was those same people who began to get up and look at him with bad eyes. The same ones who looked at him with wonder, as if he were an angel fallen from heaven to bring them the news of the world.
I fervently removed his hand from my shoulder and deigned to stand up, trying to gain some ground in this pathetic discussion. I wasn't going to raise my voice like I assumed the boy in front of me was going to do it at any moment, so my body did it instead.
"I don't understand what your complaints are about, but please, oh great Eren, the one who saw a titan bigger than the wall, explain to me" I could notice how his other friend was approaching towards his back, looking at me with caution. Now, of the group of three, with her I had to be the most careful.
"Are you making fun of me?" he took a dangerous step towards me.
“’course not” ‘Course yes, but I wasn't going to say it openly.
"People who don’t see the enemy in the face think they can come out of the walls to face it" did my ears hear that correctly? I looked at him as if a third eye had popped out on his forehead.
"Not having seen a titan in my short life doesn’t mean that I cannot go out to fight them"
"And yet you have no fucking idea what you're up against" the conversation was getting more and more heated, his feet were getting closer to mine and I could lightly feel his breath on my skin.
"That doesn't mean you can come and mistreat me" I instantly threw myself back, but ran into the legs of the table. Sasha's hand rested on my shoulder, unable to encourage me with words, but enough emotionally.
"Fucking villagers" he took a step back, turning on his heel and looking, without seeing, or so it seemed, the crowd around him "you don't know what it’s to see a relative of yours being eaten in front of your eyes!"
Ah, that's where so much hatred for the world came from. But I wasn’t his target. He must express his emotions, his anger, towards a common enemy, not towards a comrade who was going to help him in battle. Taking it with me wasn’t going to help him at all, and the fact I was from a small village didn’t mean I was naive and deserved the anger of the citizens. "I'm sorry that happened to you-"
"My mom was eaten in front of my eyes!"
"I'm sorry that happened to your mom! And I'm very sorry that you had to see it with your own eyes, but taking it out on me is not going to help you ”I pushed him back with my words, unfortunately they were not enough to stop his viper tongue.
"You can't know what it feels like to lose your mother like that" he turned his back on me, and before turning to his blond friend, he turned his head over his shoulder, looking at me again with contempt. "Go back to your village with your mommy and cries on her lap for being incapable of shit"
His comment blew me away.
He had left my mind blank and the only thing I managed to do was throw myself back, and sit down heavily on the hard wooden bench. My eyes stared into nothingness, unable to observe the multitude of eyes that settled on me with sadness, some with regret and support. Sasha sat down next to me on the left, while on the right a figure that I didn’t recognize crouched down to look me in the face. All I could make out of him, or her, were those big round blue eyes. A blue that reminded me of the rivers that flowed gracefully near my town. The same water that landed on a larger lake or river, and… perhaps, on the same sea.
"Hey, Eren-" I heard someone yell. From the tone of their voice I thought I distinguish Jean's annoyance.
I didn't have a second to reflect on what I was doing and before I could blink, a plate full of food was flying in the direction of the two boys, impacting on the wooden wall and scattering the pieces of vegetables on the floor and the people who unfortunately was close.
The two boys turned to see where the plate had come from, finding my hand half raised and smeared on the thumb of the cold soup. My body was euphoric, my breath hitched and my chest rose and fell quickly.
"You ... you don't know shit about me, or my family, or my people" I started slowly what would be the best speech I would have given in my 13 years, a speech that would bring me problems, as well as friends. “I’m so sorry about your mother, but in the same way, she was devoured by an enemy of which we still do not know exactly"
I came around the table and approached the brunette, meeting his friend halfway through. Without stopping, I hit her shoulder with mine, pushing my way over her.
"While mine was shot by the people who had to protect her" now my body was a few inches from him, taking Jean away from his side "my mother was killed for the simple fact of wanting to see the sea"
His blond friend, who hadn't been separated from him at any time, widened his eyes, even more than the person who bent down to comfort me. His eyes stared at me in amazement before turning to understanding and sadness.
"Judging by your friend's expression, he understand what I'm talking about" There was little space for me to move calmly, so I chose to get closer and closer to Eren, keeping my face a few inches from his. Even with the slight difference in height, I could manage to have an aura of warning and seriousness.
I raised my hand to his forehead slowly, preventing the girl from earlier from pouncing on me thinking I was going to hit him.
"The military police took her out of my house, placed her to the center of the village and with a pistol in the middle of her forehead" I closed my hand except for two fingers, simulating the muzzle of the rifle, and placed them in the same place as they did it with my mother "they shot her in front of her little child"
I detached my fingers from his forehead and with a "bang" I simulated the same shot that, to this day, continues to haunt me in dreams, after 6 years. My eyes observed his expression, the color had disappeared from his face, he was so pale that it seemed he was going to faint at any moment. There was no longer a trace of his anger towards me or towards the titans; An immature child had been left in front of me, from whom they had taken food for not knowing how to appreciate it.
I walked away carefully, noticing the trembling in my body, in my legs, and took small steps towards the door, leaving everyone who wanted to give me their condolences and emotional support behind.
"You are lucky that your mother was eaten by a spice stranger to her, mine didn’t have the same fate"
***
Weeks passed from that terrible night. The golden trio hadn't deigned to approach me, and for my part I longed for it to stay that way for the next three years. I didn't want people like Eren or his friends to get involved with me, I preferred the company of people like Sasha and Marco, Jean and Connie, as empty-headed as they were. I preferred to spend my free afternoons practicing archery, preventing some stupid from passing through the shooting range or next to the bullseye from getting a head shot.
"Here, I fixed your glove, now you are supposed to be able to put your thumb in without it opening" Marco had his hand extended, grabbing a leather glove, which I’d found in the storage bag of the training set.
The leaders had been very understanding when explaining the training I wanted to follow as free time. Although no faction was going to need a bow and arrow for sure, due to its inefficiency, I had given my point of view that it would end up being useful if an expedition needed more days than predicted and more food and provisions were needed, a bow was going to be of great help when hunting.
"Thanks Marco, you are an angel in this place" I proceeded to put on the worn glove and test its elasticity with the arrow and the bowstring.
"See you at night" and with that, the freckled man marked himself towards the canteen, greeting Jean in the distance who was waiting for him at the door.
The shooting area was not far from the entire training ground, close enough to observe everyone who came and went on the field, everyone who wandered without any direction or aim, and everyone who wanted to train. As well as being close enough to the training area with the movement equipment, equipment that was being used a lot recently by many colleagues in need of balance. One of them turning out to be the annoying brunette with bright green eyes, who was walking very dangerously with his friends on the target at the time I was about to release the arrow.
The small deadly weapon shot out and ended up hitting the red dot in the middle, grazing Eren's neck. He put a hand on his skin and when he saw the arrow stuck on the straw object he turned to look at me angrily.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing? That almost hit me in the neck "
"If you saw where you walking you would realize you’re in the shooting zone, if an arrow hits you it’s not my fault" I yelled at him from a distance, preparing a new arrow to launch.
When I saw him take a couple of steps towards me, I stretched the arrow back as a warning, I wasn’t going to laid on a rose’s field while he went back to being a fucking asshole. Armin, I knew his name in these weeks when listening to a conversation he’d with another person, he grabbed his arm while Mikasa put herself as a shield. They both took him away from the target and I was able to shoot the arrow without taking my eyes off them.
I followed them until they positioned themselves on one of the balancing machines, helping Eren onto the equipment. I was about to accommodate a third arrow when I heard a scream coming from his direction. My head spun at the same speed an owl would, given countless hours of practice in the woods, and I watched the last second of Eren's fall, watching in broad daylight as his head hit the stone floor. The blow could be heard from a distance, even where I was located I could hear it as if it’s next to me.
Seeing him lying swaying on the floor, half hanging from the equipment made me burst out laughing. I couldn't stop the laughter from coming out of my mouth seeing him in such bad shape. He was going to have a safe bump and maybe some neurons would end up rearranged. My laughter didn’t go unnoticed, the commander Sheith passed on his way to the shooting area and stood in front of me, looking at me with that serious, expressionless gaze.
"Cadet (Y/S)!" I settled myself as best I could, putting the bow to one side and the arrow on the back sleeve before standing firmly "help young Jaeger heal his wound"
I was puzzled and my face reflected it.
"But, sir, why me?" I begged with my words to let me go, or at least give me a couple of hours of punishment, whatever it was before starting a conversation with that selfish man, much less heal his wound.
"Are you arguing with me, cadet?"
Every movement or prayer that I could make to try to accomplish my task vanished like a leaf in the wind. I lowered my head, avoiding his frivolous gaze and waited for him to leave, snorting. I reluctantly put down the bow and arrow sleeve next to a target and headed towards the three of them, Armin and Mikasa were trying to lift Eren off the floor as they took the equipment off his hips.
"Come on, I have to heal your wound" I didn’t stop to greet them, or to explain the situation. In the same way that I approached, I went towards the canteen, without looking back.
On the short drive I overheard Armin asking about my rare kindness, to which I replied dryly that if it weren't for the commander, I'd be breaking my asshole on the floor by laughing. We walked and walked, me in front and the other two physically stable, keeping the dark-haired boy as best they could, lifting his head so that he wouldn't hit himself again. Upon reaching the canteen stairs I yelled "Sasha, I need a bucket of cold water and a washcloth!"
I opened the door for them and pointed to a table near the kitchen door so they could seat Eren. I warned them to keep his head steady, to keep him from going forward or backward, and to keep him awake at all times.
"I didn't know you knew so much about medicine" Armin pointed out when Sasha came out with the bucket of water and a cloth floating in it.
I let out a slight "hmm" before positioning myself behind Eren, squeezing the hands of the other two and allowing them to let me do my job. I ran his hair back, trying to locate the wound and notice any cuts. Finding none, I proceeded to feel the area, finding the slight bump on the upper side of the forehead. I down the cloth in the cold water, letting it soak, and placed it on his head. The water was so, so cold, it had even made me shivered, but for some reason, Eren didn't seem to be fazed at all.
I didn’t give it much importance and I passed the cloth over the bump, waiting a few seconds for it to deflate a little before going through the sides, preventing the area from becoming inflamed as well. I soaked the cloth again and laid it on the side of his forehead, indicating to Armin to press down and not move his hand while I looked for a handkerchief or some bandage to cover the blow. In the same way, I explained to Mikasa to keep watching Eren, to talk to him, even if he wasn't waiting for an answer, to keep him awake for fear of having an accident in his brain.
I found what looked like a used bandage, quite disgusting for my taste, but I wasn’t going to take much longer of my time for "patient" who didn’t deserve my treatises. I stretched the bandage as far as I could over his head, giving it two full turns before pinning it around the back of his head.
"Try to find a better bandage for the blow" I washed my hands with cold water, hoping to get rid of all the irritation the situation had caused.
"Thank you" Armin sounded really grateful, with a hint of ... sympathy perhaps?
With my hands clean, I grabbed the bucket and started to put it back in the kitchen when the blonde asked me again "where did you learn all this?"
I sighed not once, but twice, the kitchen door was open and I was about to enter when I threw a look over my shoulder "everything I know, I learned from my mother's books"
And with that I closed the door behind me a second time to the golden trio.
***
Year 850, a beautiful spring night.
The night before our graduation. A hectic night. Between the well-deserved nutritious food, meat and bread that we have longed for the past three years, and the shouts of encouragement for each of us who were present that night, a great party was put together. Many people defected and others didn’t have the ability to move on. Many were frustrated when they fell short of the top ten, fearing they would be sent to the survey corps, others claimingthey had contacts in the military police and had an assured position. Others fought for their point of view before such faction; and with others I mean the same suicidal brunette. Eren, finishing 5th out of the top ten, undoubtedly deigned to throw me in my face.
"Three years and I'm still better than you, your little village tactics were useless" he smiled wickedly and his eyes showed that characteristic glow when he won a fight. Although there wasn’t a fight here, therefore, there was nothing to be gained.
"Congratulations Eren" I turned around without waiting for an answer and walked briskly towards Marco and Jean, they were both heading towards the boys cabin and I followed them to the entrance, leaving a fuzzy Eren behind.
Now, tonight, with the years of training in the past, it was time to rest, have a night of peace before the real deal began. I never thought it would arrive the next morning.
From my position, far from the main entrance to the Trost district, a thunder crashed into the ground, followed by hot smoke covering our feet. The famous colossal titan stood imposing on the side of the wall, watching my companions who were a few meters from him. From where I was standing, I could see his arm rise and run the guns and the others, burning and blinding them with its smoke.
An calvary that started very early and had no intention of ending soon. Death and dismemberment in every corner, blood flying through the air, comrades being eaten. At each step we take, each turn a building took to dodge a Titan or go after one to kill it, a comrade fell in battle; with each step I took, it was one step closer to my own death. But, call it a miracle, call it divine grace, or simple luck, I managed to reach a roof of one of the many houses destroyed by the attack. From the roof, I could see the disaster more clearly, and I could examine my own disaster with great concern.
The pants were torn in the knee area, the tips of my boots brushed my bare skin and apparently bruised from some friction. I had a blood stain in the abdomen area, apparently from a person who was eaten near me and I didn’t have the dignity to see it. I didn’t have the strength or the courage to unbutton my shirt to see the disaster that surely my body had taken in the hours we were surviving in the city. I had enough of the bruises and cuts on my hands and cheeks thanks to some small rocks flying through the air from the impacts; I didn't need to see if my ribs were in place.
In the distance, perhaps three, four houses in from where I was, were a few comrades sitting on the rooftops of another house. It seemed a few had survived and came together to rest, there weren't many titans in sight and the few there were were wandering around without looking around. Those idiots gave me the chance to jump houses, without looking down. If I looked down I would’ve see the cobblestone streets stained red, I would’ve see limbs scattered right and left. I had a goal in mind and I wasn’t going to lose focus on the death around us.
I landed on the fireplace, hitting both knees when landing, I was running out of gas and it showed. The movement wasn’t being so fluid anymore. I scrambled down the stone wall of the fireplace, landing right next to Armin. My movement gear hit his, jerking my hips and torso on impact, nearly knocking me off the roof. Armin didn't flinch, he was just looking at the tiles, but given his expression, I think he wasn't looking at anything at all. He was just preparing to stare and lose himself in the terrors of his mind.
"Armin, what happened? Ar you alright?" stupid questions. Obviously he wasn’t alright, it was reflected in his empty and dark eyes, but my mind couldn’t process correctly.
It was in automatic mode, only thinking about survival, not the correct questions for each of those who were spread out on two rooftops. Of the many who had graduated, we were reduced to two dozen, maybe a little more without counting those who were in that huge building with the gas parts. Others may have taken refuge in a house, waiting for the right moment to move and reach us. But there was little hope, even if I didn’t say it out loud, unconsciously I knew there wasn’t much to do with the people who were not among us, because after all that was exactly what was happening ... they were not with us, they weren’t in the land of the living.
How pessimistic my thinking, right? I wasn’t wrong at all.
"Armin, where is Eren?" want to know the worst?, I already knew the answer before Armin could lift his head and scream the terrible news with his lungs.
In the end, the boy who so wanted to fight the world, succumbed to the terrors of him.
But what had impacted the most was that, minutes after hearing that news, minutes after arriving at the building for gas supplements and saving the comrades who had barricaded themselves, minutes after being saved by that fighting titan, we saw the same Eren, the same brunet with bright green eyes, appear. Alive.
The surprise we all get when we see him emerge from the nape of that eccentric titan. He was fine, his skin pink and hot from the smoke of the decaying body from his titan. His titan? There was no time to understand the situation. If that, how to understand it? We saw him resurface, like a phoenix, among the ashes of a dying body, fully alive. He had all of his limbs, even the ones that had been eaten; I could see the limits of his pants and the sleeve of his shirt torn, with perfect and huge bite marks.
I stood to the side watching the scene, Armin and Mikasa crying uncontrollably when they saw his heart beat. Scientifically and medically that was impossible. Technically speaking, nothing we were witnessing was possible; And yet there was the suicidal bastard, breathing normally. His eyes closed, his lashes drooping over his lids and his hands being held by his childhood friends.
Jean couldn't believe the scene before his eyes, even the other trio was hesitant to say anything, with serious faces and completely stiff eyes at Eren. Each and every one of the reactions present entered what would be a normal reaction, missing one who wanted to kill him immediately.
And I think I rushed a couple of minutes.
***
Days after the expedition to the giant tree forest.
With Annie crystallized and guarded underground, a bit of tranquility arose within the walls; a calm that only attributed to the survey corps. Citizens panicked, not understanding, not comprehending even ten percent of what the latest information was being advertised in newspapers and billboards. The general did everything possible to give us time to resupply and rest from such a hard fight. The patrol had been divided in two, and I had remained as Jean's auxiliary escort, the poor man wanted to vomit all the trip when he had to suffer the terrible order of disguising himself as Eren.
And when the time for action came, we were both prepared to assist Eren in his titan form. I wasn’t still used to seeing him at a height of more than 15 meters, but his characteristics were still there: eyes, now huge, green and shiny, as if that shine never went away, no matter how violent or dark the situation turned upside down, and his dark haired, he looked silkier and smoother in this way that the originally he modeled.
Now we where here, Armin, Mikasa, Jean and I watching him and examining his vital signs. He had fallen into a coma for the second time. I couldn't blame him, I guess controlling a titan of that caliber used up a lot of physical energy, let alone the psychological, but to be honest… mental health had already leaked out the window.Each of us were standing in a corner of the room, sometimes Armin wandered between the door and the window, sitting close to his friend on the bed when he couldn't take it anymore from the anguish. Mikasa always sat next to him, holding his hand at all times, faithfully waiting for him to open his eyes. For my part, I was watching the sun set outside the window, as the sunset gave us its warm rays and prepared us for the cold night.
Every once in a while, whenever I heard a snort or movement coming from the bed, I would turn my head and come closer to feel his breathing. He was stable, and showed no signs of any disturbance. He was completely healthy, except that he was absolutely tired. Like all of us.
There was a couple of knocks on the door, pulling all of us out of trance. Jean and Armin were being needed to give testimony in front a small assembly, before the leaders continued speaking with Commander Erwin.
Silence reigned in the room. Mikasa was still willing to maintain her position in the chair, even if the sleep weakened her with each passing minute. I could see how her eyes were closing and her head fell from fatigue, it was obvious that she needed some rest. I put my hand on her shoulder, pulling the scarf out of her hands and trying to lift her up at the same time.
"Come on, you're very tired, you must get some sleep" I led her to a sofa that was doubtfully placed on the other side of the room. Normally our rooms were only furnished with a couple of beds, a desk and a closet, ah... and a paltry window. We couldn't bother with expensive decorations or furniture like a sofa. Above all, when we didn’t receive a decent salary.
"But Eren ..." I laid her on the few cushions, not very comfortable, brown and beige, that matched the small room. When her head touched the doubtful softness of the pillows her eyes closed completely and her breathing became calm, it was a matter of seconds before she fell completely asleep.
"I'm going to take care of him, you rest" I adjusted her hair before noticing she had entered the realm of dreams. Apparently my words were enough to give her that peace of mind to go to sleep.
I knelt to remove her boots and set her feet on the lap of the sofa. Notice her legs stained with dirt, I'd bet she'd have a couple of bruises around her knees and ankles, maybe even her feet. My body was moving heavily as I searched for a blanket among the few scraps of cloth lying in the closet. In the end, I ended up finding one a bit small for her body, but it perfectly covered her torso and stomach, that way she wouldn't take cold while she was in her defenseless state.
I wanted to look out the window again, but there was nothing to observe that I hadn’t seen before, a sad and dull orange sky. I settled into the chair, feeling that I was usurping Mikasa's place for some strange reason, and I kept analyzing the young man lying on the bed. His hair was matted and a bit dirty, a shower every now and then wouldn't hurt, although he smelled conveniently well, like freshly cut wood or dry grass. A scent that, while I was destined to smell more than necessary thanks to the expeditions, I felt no discomfort smelling it on Eren. It fit him very well indeed. I might even get used to being around him if it meant smelling such a sweet scent.
Seconds that seemed like minutes, and minutes that seemed like hours. Time seemed to play against me and I felt like my body began to weigh me more and more, and more, until I fell forward and lay my face on the hard mattress and the soft fabric of the sheet. Second-rate cotton, if you would let me say so, but it did the job. It was comfortable, too comfortable, enough to let me rest for a moment and close my eyes, making time flow more quickly.
I felt a hand gently rest on my head, moving and caressing me with a tenderness I hadn't felt in years. I opened my eyes immediately expecting to find my father in front of my eyes, but instead, I spotted a still asleep Eren, scratching himself and trying to wipe the sleep out of his eyes.
I pulled his hand out of my head quickly, but without being rude, and laid them on the bed. I rubbed my eyes and gave him a half smile "Good morning sleeping beauty"
It took a few seconds for his eyes to get used to the little light that filtered through the window and when they opened they surveyed the entire room, still drowsy.
"Where is Mikasa? Armin? " he coughed after feeling a little hawking in his throat.
I stretched out on the chair, accommodating the bones of my back and immediately moved to the side, letting him see a sleeping Mikasa, comfortable and warm under a blanket. Eren inspected her, perhaps trying to find any signs of injury or complaints, but finding none he turned his gaze from her to me.
"Mikasa is asleep" I settled back on the chair, this time stretching forward a bit and resting my elbows on the bed, holding my head on my hands "Armin and Jean had to go to give their testimony for the paperwork"
Ere didn't say anything, he just nodded and gave me a brief "hmm" before looking out the window. "How do you feel?" was the last thing I said before the room fell silent again and neither he nor I deigned to say anything else.
Years of hating each other weren't going to go away, just like that. It was going to be a long road now that we were in a much worse mess than when we were 13 years old. But at least, we could talk to each other without the need to jump on each other's jugular, that's progress, right?
***
Why couldn't this bastard have a little sense of preserving of his life? Why wasn't he a little more careful, and since we are, a little more common sense? Why couldn't he stay calm for a few seconds, analyze the situation and act according to his surroundings?
Now we had to do a search party to find the damned "last hope of mankind". Galloping as fast as the horses would allow us, avoiding on all sides dozens of titans, even when one fell, five more came out. It was an order that had become more and more dangerous. And to make matters worse, having to be behind two of the most dangerous titans we could have encountered was a suicide mission and most of us knew it. We were giving it our all for an idiot, who I don't think he knew the value of the lives that were being lost in battle.
Sighted in the distance, ranks breaking and each one trying to survive while we tried to have enough time to rescue him from the armored titan, large numbers of soldiers were being eaten or crushed. You know the terror I had in my eyes to see Captain Erwin being bitten on the arm and dragged towards God knows where? If a great man like him could be defeated so easily in the blink of an eye, what was in store for us? What was in store for me?
I kept galloping, begging Phillip to keep going as fast as he could, that he never stop and be careful of everything in his path. I was so scared that I didn't know exactly to who I was saying it, the horse or myself. For sure, I knew the horse wouldn’t understand me perfectly, but he was the only thing that I could grab to at that moment, the only one that could save me.
Both left and right, titans ran everywhere, the boys had managed to reach the battleship while the others did what they could to give them time, seeing Ymir was also a sight worthy of admiration if it wasn’t because I was givind my life at this moment. And surely she was helping the blonde of "girlfriend" instead of us.
In that sway between giant bodies and tiny soldiers, the ground rumbled, the earth fell away, even trees fell at our feet. When trying to reach Mikasa before she fell, a titan came out of nowhere in front of me, trying to dodge it would be a feat, especially when he had his immense mouth pointing almost completely in my direction. I will never be able to thank the soldier who cut his neck, for seconds later to be grabbed by another titan and break his spine in such a grip. With the body decomposing and the other titan out of focus, I was able to move on, circling the smoking mass, ready to support Mikasa when another mass fell very close to me, causing the horse to jump from the force of the impact. In that second of distraction I turned my head to look at what had fallen, the ground began to crack under Phillip's legs and it only took a footfall from the armor titan to completely break apart and pieces of earth and stone came out, shotting everywhere.
As I turned my head back forward, I saw clearly how a stone flew directly towards my head. Call it reflections, call it having a guardian angel on my shoulders, but I was able to move my head in time, causing the stone to impact the gap between my shoulder and neck. I shot backward, hitting my head against the hard ground. I felt my shoulder dislocate and I noticed how by leaps and bounds the shirt, previously white, was staining with blood, as well as the jacket and the floor. My head was probably bleeding from the back as well, but the pain in my shoulder kept me from focusing on anything else. It was impossible to move it, I tried to scream for help, but my words stuck in my throat, and even if I had been able to scream, it would have been overshadowed by the hundreds more screams that were begging for help. The grass around me felt a bit comforting, like a cold hug in the last minutes of life. Body pain prevented me from reacting to the sight of a five-meter titan approaching where I was lying. Tears began to flow, falling down my cheeks; I wanted to scream, say my last goodbye, but I was so petrified that I just closed my eyes.
If I was going to die, I would rather die without seeing the horrible face of that damned titan. I preferred to have the image of my family in mind one last time.
The ground began to rumble, I thought more titans were going to come for me, that I was going to be smashed into pieces, but the longer it took to feel the huge hand or a pair of teeth, I opened my eyes, finding myself, not a pack of hungry titans, but with the clear evening sky.
I raised my head and to my surprise, a bizarre surprise, all the titans that were chasing us at the time, were now going towards one of the highest. I couldn't understand what was happening, I looked around trying to find someone, to see if someone else was seeing the same thing as me. In the distance I found Armin holding a figure, I couldn't quite see who, trying to breathe normally and stand up. I tried calling out to him, but my vision started to blur and it made me dizzy from trying to lift my head even higher. I brought my hand to my head and confirmed the blood that flowed behind it, I was completely soaked in my own blood and at any moment I would end up fainting if I didn't treat my wounds.
The grinding of a horse brought me back to a state of consciousness, Phillip was back next to me and he lowered his head towards my good shoulder, pushing it up and lifting me little by little. Standing back on both feet, I leaned on his stomach and in an attempt to walk towards Armin I heard Eren's terrified scream in the distance.
Both he and Mikasa were looking at the scene without understanding anything at all, and what bothered me the most was that those stupid were still sitting on the ground, without any intention of moving. As I could, I got on the horse's lap, lying on my stomach, both arms hanging at the side, and I told him to run as fast as possible towards the two figures in the most dangerous area that could be at that moment.
"Stop looking and start moving!" I yelled at them a few feet away. They both turned their heads in my direction, wanting to say something, but only managed to gasp a few times before I arrived.
I grabbed the collar of Eren's shirt and with what little strength I had left, I lifted him off the ground "NO TIME TO TALK, LET'S GO"
Seeing Mikasa being picked up by Eren and placed on his back, I indicated to Phillip to leave the area, to try to get to safety, along with the other soldiers. At our side ran the couple of stupid who almost devoured, wondering what had happened. Their words sounded more and more distant and the ride put me in a calm trance until I was unconscious.
***
Year 851, a beautiful summer day to go horseback riding without the hassle of a titan in the area. At the same time, a beautiful day to visit the forgotten and destroyed towns.
We took our time, observing the landscape. Trees that had fallen and left their tracks on the ground and on the trunk were beginning to show traces of vegetation in their wood. The grass crushed by large feet was beginning to heal and new shoots were coming to the surface, some flower buds could also be seen. The few stone paths were smashed, small cobblestones were smashed, and there was no possibility of repair unless they were remade. Today was the day; the day it was my village's turn to be toured. We leave early to the northwest, guiding us along the river, me in the lead. The night before I hadn’t been able to sleep, to close an eye, I was nervous, very nervous, I couldn’t even eat anything for breakfast. After four years, I returned to my home, or what was left of it.
Endless nights I dreamed of returning to my small village, touring the oldest houses and greeting its inhabitants, seeing the children run, now older, and helping them take an apple from the market. I dreamed of reassembling one of our horses, of stroking and caressing them, earning me one, perhaps two licks to the face. But what I most dreamed of was to see my father's face again, to see his eyes full of dark circles and sadness at having lost his wife, the woman he loved the most in the whole world; I wanted to hold hid hands again, see them splintered after carving a piece of wood and turning it into a beautiful work of art. I wanted to lie down by the communal fire, hear stories from the elderly, shameful stories, and love stories. I wanted to be able to repeat my childhood years, to see my mother one last time, to be able to say goodbye properly.
I wished my village had been intact, but at the entrance my heart shattered. There were no standing houses in sight, all had sagging roofs, broken windows, and dried blood marks from years painting the walls.
I got off the horse looking at the damage and I was leading him forward by the mooring. Slowly, being careful not to trip over any stone, I entered the town more and more, seeing the withered flowers and their dried petals lying on the floor. Children's cloth toys, a odd wooden horse broken in half. Some walls were burned, others full of holes, the clothes hanging outside the houses torn into pieces, the stable reduced to nothing. The center, where the market normally took place, full of rubble and garbage, on the left a path of dried blood, on the right as well. I approached a stall that had not been completed, a fruit and vegetable stall, now reduced to nothingness itself. I picked up the chunk of splintered wood and found underneath what scared me the most. An arm.
I didn't know who it was exactly, the clothes were almost the same for everyone, but I assumed it was a man's; It was in the process of decomposition, pieces of meat were half detached. Beside him, a porcelain doll broken on its head, its brown curls discarded, and only dirt and fiber remained. I picked it up with both hands and kept walking in the direction… in which direction? I couldn’t tell. Only my body was on autopilot looking around me for a sign, the slightest hope that someone had survived. But one look at the stables from the beginning was the only thing that put my hopes in the trash: there were pieces of horses lying all over the ground. Not even our pride had survived. My feet stopped walking, dragging on the ground, and stopped in front of the house that saddened me the most. Mine.
Of all, this was the one in the best condition, part of the roof had fallen to the side, not on the house, and a hole led directly to the living room. The walls were completely burned, not from the destruction of a horde of titans, no. Those burns were from years before, produced by the military police. Seeing that wreck brought me the vile memory of the day of her execution. The people were scared, they implored not to kill her, but those brutes turned a deaf ear and executed her without mercy. My mother was a very dear woman to everyone and no one denied her dreams of leaving the walls, my father loved her more than anyone ... but that love of his was not enough to save her.
"(Y / N)?" I heard Eren's voice behind me.
His voice echoed in my ears, but I couldn't fully register it, I was just looking straight ahead, towards the hole in my house, looking from the outside for fear of entering. "These were the borders of my life"
I took a step forward, then another, and then another, until I collided with the first stones of the house. From that place I could see how the fire from a small oil lamp had fallen on the floor and burned part of my father's favorite armchair. I took another step, fully entering what was left of my old home. I ran my hand over the dry, scratchy fabric, dust had collected over the weeks, maybe years. Given how advanced the bloodstains were, I couldn't exactly calculate the time that had elapsed. In front of the chair was still a small desk full of sheets, most of them ruined by rubble, but some survived. Some of these had broken tips, other were left with black spots, and others were flawless, as if they had been made yesterday. Beautiful drawings of people, others of nature, others of birds or city buildings.
I kept looking for more sheets, running those that were hopelessly damaged, and under my foot I came across a paper somewhat harder and thicker than the others, even framed. The glass was broken but it revealed perfectly a small family, a man, his wife and their child. "In this dusty and destroy little house, where an artist love his wife"
I took the drawing with me, holding it tight with both hands, until I reached the only standing door in the house. The door leading to the master bedroom. I stood there for a couple of seconds, wondering if it was right for my sanity, if it was right for my conscience to open it up and find whatever was on the other side. I inhaled and exhaled a couple of times before sliding the door open. Next to the bed, on the side where my mother used to sleep, was my father's top.
I wasn't brave enough to turn around and see his face. I closed my eyes when I saw the scene and left what was left of the facade with my head lowered. "The house of my childhood is gone"
***
A couple of days after hitting the ocean.
We had settled next to the shore. Jean, Sasha and Connie were playing with the small waves that were breaking in the sand, Armin was inspecting small seashells and Mikasa was dedicated to dipping her feet in the cold water. We had made a small fire to cover ourselves from the cold of the coming night. Eren and I were in front of that same fire. He watched as the small sparks flew over the small sea of flames until they exploded and died in the blink of an eye. Some fell into the sand before exploding, others continued to rise until they rose higher and became part of the beginning of the starry sky.
My feet were barefoot in the sand, letting the little grains get between my toes and tickle every time I twisted them. I dropped my head on Eren's shoulder, giving me the chance to close my eyes and reopen them after a few seconds, admiring the sea towards the horizon.
After so many calamities, after so many deaths and losses, a moment of quiet was more than necessary. Maybe being this close to the bright green-eyed brunette wasn't so bad after all.
I could get used to this.
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Hi! Could you write an Arthur Morgan x reader where one of the gang gets lost in a snowstorm and the reader knows how to deal with this weather so she offers to go look? ☺️
A/N: I am so sorry this sort of strayed away from the prompt! Reader and Arthur are the ones who actually ended up getting lost and this takes place just before Colter.... If you don’t like this babe, I have no problem doing another! Also, I’m sorry this took quite a bit! My weekend did not go to plan. I hope you like it! And I’m sorry my hand slipped.... It’s 3.4k words...
***
Arthur cast a glance over his shoulder at you, wanting to make sure you weren’t lagging behind.
Your horse, a golden palomino you promptly named Butternut, was having some difficulty traversing the deep snow, but with your little words of encouragement and pats on the shoulder and neck, she seemed to be pushing through.
“You alright back there?” He called over his shoulder.
“Just dandy.” You looked up at him, taking your eyes off of Butternut’s mane. Her hair was frozen and collecting snow but you were trying to wipe it away in an attempt to keep her as warm as possible.
“Hopefully we’ll find somethin’ soon.”
“That map Hosea gave us said we should’ve found something nearly thirty minutes ago.” You tucked your hands into the pockets of your coat. “You sure you’re reading it right, Morgan?”
“I know how to read a map.” He grumbled, pulling the map out of his bag to take another look at it.
The two of you had been traveling for well over two hours through the snow in a desperate attempt to find shelter for the gang. They were holed up somewhere just east of Lake Isabella, but you were traveling north along the Spider Gorge.
“This wind is getting too cold, Mr. Morgan. Put your mask up to cover your face.” You pulled the black and white plaid bandana from around your neck up over your nose. You almost sighed in relief at the warmth provided by the thick material.
“M’fine.” He grumbled, his deep baritone almost drowned out by the heavy wind.
“I don’t care if you’re fine right now, Arthur. Within the hour, your nose and lips will suffer from frostbite.”
He said nothing in response to you, blue eyes flickering over the map as his horse continued along the trail.
“Mr. Morgan, don’t make me ask you again. I won’t be so kind.”
“This cold weather sure does make you mean, Ms. Y/L/N.” Arthur pulled his mask up over his nose, glancing over to you as you moved your horse up beside his.
“I’ve seen what this cold weather can do to stubborn fools.”
“I’ve heard that one before.” He muttered, passing you the map. You brought your horse to a stop, so he did the same. “Think we got side tracked from that little establishment Hosea mentioned. If my thoughts and judgement are correct, I’d say we’re about here.” He pointed to the area between the home of a poor woman the gang had just taken in named Sadie Adler and Colter, the abandoned settlement the gang was aiming to lay low in for a short time.
“You think we passed Colter?” You looked over to Arthur.
“Had to have. There ain’t no way we didn’t. We should’ve found it by now.”
“I don’t think it’s that easy to miss a whole town, Arthur.” You looked back at the map, your eyes following Spider Gorge. You’d followed that very creek nearly the entire way north. There was no way you’d missed Colter.
“Hard to tell with these mountains and all this damned snow. Can’t see shit with the wind blowin’ in our faces either.” He grumbled, carefully snapping the reins to make his horse move.
You folded the map up and followed alongside him.
“That’s ‘cause ole Arthur Morgan is used to warm weather. He isn’t used to the beauty of the Grizzlies.”
“And you are?” He cocked a brow at you.
Beneath your mask, you wore a small but proud smile.
“I grew up around Tempest Rim. This weather ain’t new to me, cowboy.”
Your romantic relationship with Arthur was fairly new, so he had yet to learn every detail about your past. He took mentally took note of this detail, reminding himself that he’d have to jot it down in his journal at a later time.
You let out a sigh, pulling him from his thoughts. Your eyes were focused on the mountains to the west where the sun was setting.
“Sun’s goin’ down. We’re loosing daylight. Means it’ll only get colder from here.”
“Can’t turn around now.” Arthur shook his head. “Too long of a trip back to the gang. It would take most of the night.”
“I wasn’t suggesting we give up. But we need shelter of some sort. Somewhere a little warm to rest. And the horses need a break.”
“Well if we keep goin’ this way, all we’re gonna find is Mrs. Adler’s burned down house.” Arthur gestured in the direction you had been going.
“Burned down? What happened to it? I thought you said O’Driscolls just got a hold of her.”
“Micah happened.”
You sighed.
“She did have a barn or two on her property.” Arthur thought out loud. “They shouldn’t have gotten burnt down with the house.”
“You think it’s worth a look?”
“We can go see about that, or we can go back and try to find Colter.”
You didn’t think that you had passed Colter just yet, but you didn’t want to argue with him. Arguing and fighting in such extreme conditions wasn’t ideal, nor did it seem necessary.
“Let’s try Mrs. Adler’s place.”
Arthur nodded, clicking his tongue twice to get his horse moving.
***
The sun had gone down and snow began to fall from the sky.
Arthur was sure that you should’ve reached Sadie Adler’s ranch by now, but he wasn’t sure why it was taking so long.
“Arthur, maybe we should stop and make camp.” Your voice was quiet and uneasy. You didn’t like the idea of making camp out in the open. It was dangerous. Not only were you open to the bitter elements, but to the chance O’Driscolls finding you too.
“We can’t stop yet, pumpkin.” He turned his head to look at you.
You were visibly shivering but you were trying your best to remain strong for him. He needed you to be strong.
“What happened to you bein’ my strong mountain woman?” He teased, slowing his horse down a bit so he could move alongside you. “Don’t tell me this Grizzly weather is gettin’ to you.”
A little smile tugged at your slightly chapped lips.
“Course not. Just-Just worried about Butternut. She ain’t used to this. Blackwater is so much nicer and warmer than up here, and that’s all she’s used to.”
Arthur let go of the reins to his horse with one hand, reaching over to pat your thigh.
“We’ll find somewhere warm for Butternut to stay.”
Your eyes were focused ahead of you so instead of watching Arthur, you were focused on what was waiting for you on the path ahead. The faint outline of what looked like a building made you jolt.
“Arthur, look!”
He looked in the direction you point.
“That don’t look like Mrs. Adler’s barn.”
“It has to be Colter.” You nudged your horse to make her move faster. You were all too eager to get her out of the elements.
“Y/N, hold on a second!” Arthur called after you, but you were already gone. “Damn it, woman.”
You made it into the abandoned town first, eyes flickering around to make sure you were alone. At first glance, you were alone. The place was vacant.
A sudden burst of wind made your horses uneasy and made you grasp the hood on your head, fearing it would fall off.
Arthur came up beside you, carefully inspecting the main street of Colter. He pulled the mask down from his nose.
“I’m gonna put the horses in this old barn.” He gestured to your right. “Just hope it don’t cave in on them in the middle of the night.”
“Arthur.” You scolded him. He grinned, knowing he was only teasing you.
“After that, I’ll make sure we’re the only ones here. You wanna get what we need and go into that building right behind you?”
You nodded and got down from your horse. You got as much as you could from your horse and from Arthur’s, taking what you needed as far as bedding and food, and made your way to the building Arthur talked about.
Unsurprisingly, the house was empty. It consisted of one main room with a large fireplace in the center and three rooms off of the main room.
You put the things in your hands down on the floor near the fireplace. Slipping the knife out of its holster on your hip, you moved to the room to your right.
The floorboards creaked beneath your boots. It was evident no one had been there in a long time. There were cobwebs everywhere. The glass to the windows were broken, but they were boarded up too so that stopped some of the bitter cold air from coming inside.
The room to your right contained a grinding wheel and a workbench. Seeing that nothing would be useful there, you continued to the next room. This room seemed to be a living space of some sort. There was a bed, a dresser, and an end table inside the room.
After searching the dresser and the end table, you went to the final room. It was set up similarly to the other bedroom, except this one had a large bed that was clearly meant for two people.
In the corner of the room closest to the doorway was a small stack of firewood. You immediately became excited over the sight of the wood. Maybe you could start a fire in the fireplace. The very idea of heat almost brought tears to your eyes.
***
Arthur slipped into the house, closing the door behind himself. He looked around, surveying the room.
You were knelt down by the fireplace, trying to start a fire with a matchbook.
“What’re you doin’?” He asked.
“Trying to get us some sorta heat.” You struck the match and put it into the fireplace. “We need some sorta kindling. The wood ain’t gonna light by itself.”
“Where’d you find that wood?”
“In one of the back rooms.” You stood up, passing him the matchbook. “I have a few newspaper articles from a few weeks ago when we were in New Austin. They’re in one of my saddle bags.”
“But ain’t those for your collection?” Arthur watched you as you started for the door.
“Yeah.”
“Pumpkin, you don’t gotta use those newspapers.”
You stopped at the door, your hand on the knob.
“We need the heat, Arthur.”
“I got paper in my journal.” He started to pull his journal out but you were quick to stop him.
“No!” You rushed to his side, stopping him from pulling the journal out of his satchel. “Don’t you dare ruin that new journal, Arthur Morgan. I just bought it for you.”
“I know, but I don’t want you to destroy your newspapers. I know you like to collect all the ones with strange news reportings and those ones from New Austin talk about a bunch of weird things.”
“I’m sure I can find more later on, Arthur.” You kept your hand on his that rested on his satchel. “Do not ruin that journal. Do not tear any papers out. I am using my newspapers so we can have a fire tonight.”
Arthur frowned, shaking his head softly.
“Pumpkin-,”
“Don’t pumpkin me, cowboy.” You cut him off, leaning up on your toes to give his slightly chapped lips a gentle kiss. “If you so much as rip one paper from that journal, you’ll be relying on only the fire’s warmth tonight.”
He sighed, watching you move across the room and slip out of the house.
***
A few minutes later, you return with the newspapers. They’re folded neatly under your arm. In one hand, you hold a bottle of gin and in the other is a bottle of whiskey.
“I figured we could do with a little to drink tonight.” You explained as you set the two bottles of liquor down on the mantle above the fireplace.
“That’s a bit more than a little to drink.” Arthur commented.
“I didn’t know which one you’d want.”
He nodded, standing up from the chair he had been sitting in. He picked the chair up and moved towards the front door. He propped the chair beneath the doorknob and wedged it there so that no one would be able to come in.
You watched him and when he turned around to face you, your eyes met.
“Just wanna make sure we’re safe tonight.”
You nodded.
You knelt down in front of the fire, placing the small stack of newspapers in front of you on the floor.
“If we rip the paper in half and twist it up, it’ll burn better.” You explained, taking the top piece of paper and ripping it in half. It hurt to see the newspaper go, but you knew it wasn’t as important as your life or as Arthur’s. The temperatures were too low to go without a fire through the night.
Arthur knelt down beside you, assisting you with the process of ripping the newspaper up and twisting it. Then the twisted pieces were placed into the fire below and around the pieces of firewood.
You picked up the matchbook from the floor and struck a match. You watched the flame for a few moments, then threw it into the fireplace. The paper caught on fire almost immediately. This would give the wood a chance to heat up and catch flame too.
Arthur’s eyes flickered to you. You were staring into the heat, a little smile adorning your lips. He could see the sadness in your eyes. You really did like collecting newspapers. It was the one thing you enjoyed doing. Everyone at camp knew you liked it too, and sometimes they’d bring you back clippings and papers if they thought you’d enjoy the piece on it.
Arthur took off one of his gloves and slipped his hand around the back of your neck, drawing you in to him. He pressed a kiss to your forehead.
“Your hands are freezin’, Morgan.” You giggled.
He chuckled, letting you go and putting his hands closer to the fire.
“Sorry, pumpkin.”
“I’ll start gettin’ our beds set up.”
“Beds?” He repeated, emphasizing on the s. Arthur looked over his shoulder to watch you go to the bedrolls that were not to far away from him. “We ain’t sharin’?”
“I never said that.”
“You said beds. Our beds.”
“My apologies, Mr. Morgan.” You grinned, looking over to him. “I’ll get our bed set up.”
“Much better, pumpkin. Apology accepted.” He winked at you.
You stood up straight, placing your hands on your hips. Arthur stood up and stepped back from the fire, putting himself a foot or so away from you.
“If we’re gonna share a sleeping area, how should we go about this? One bedroom ain’t gonna fit us both.”
“It will if you squeeze. I’ll suck it in.”
“Suck what in?”
“My gut.” He patted his stomach, a grin playing on his lips. You giggled, rolling your eyes.
“That ain’t the problem. The problem is no matter how much suckin’ in either of us do, we’re too much for one of the bed rolls.”
Arthur looked at the bedrolls then to the fire.
“Well, we can make it work. You get in both ours and I’ll lay on the floor by you holdin’ you. We’ll be by the fire. I don’t need nothin’ but you.”
“Arthur, I’m not doin’ that.” You shook your head.
“What if I want you to?” He tilted his head to the side. “You know how overheated I get sometimes when I’m sleepin. I don’t need a blanket with all these layers I have on right now plus sleepin’ so close to the fire. But you, Miss Y/L/N, I can’t have you gettin’ cold tonight.”
“Oh, I know you wouldn’t let me get cold, Mr. Morgan.” You smiled. “But I can’t take both bedrolls.”
“I beg to differ, pumpkin.” He picked up his bed roll and put it down far enough from the fire that it wasn’t a safety hazard but close enough that you could still feel the heat. Arthur took your bedroll and tucked it into his own, giving you double the bedding.
“Arthur, I don’t like it.”
“Well tough shit. I already told you how I’m sleepin’ tonight. I wanna be able to wrap my arms around you and hold you close.”
You frowned as you looked down at the bedrolls. This would mean that not only would you be the only one with a blanket of some sort tonight, but you’d also be the only one not sleeping directly on the hard and freezing cold floor.
“Arthur, can’t we just try somethin’ else? M’not gonna sleep good knowin’ you’re on the hard floor. And these floorboards are far too creaky and drafty for you to be sleepin’ on them without anything.”
He let out a sigh, glancing around the room.
“Well, we got another option.” His eyes landed on one of the bedrooms. “We could pull a mattress out here and throw the bedrolls over it. That way we ain’t sleepin’ directly on the floor or the old mattress.”
You thought about the idea for a few moments, shifting your weight from one foot to the other.
Any other day, you’d pass and sleep on the floor. But it was too cold and you could feel a draft coming from between the floorboards. A mattress could stop that.
“Okay.”
As Arthur left the main room to retrieve a mattress, you moved the bedrolls out of the way. He came back in a few moments later with the smaller of the two mattresses in the house.
He placed it in front of the fire and allowed you to fix the makeshift bed to your liking.
You laid out both bedrolls to cover the mattress and provide protection between you and the old mattress. Then you shed your thick coat knowing you could use it better as a blanket.
“You think we can both squeeze on to that mattress?” Arthur asked, gesturing to the mattress on the floor.
“We’ll find out in the mornin’ when we see if one of us have fallen off.” You grinned a little, settling down on the mattress. It wasn’t luxurious by any means, but it beat riding on horseback all night in the snow. “Make sure you grab those drinks before you get down here, Mr. Morgan.”
He retrieved the gin and whiskey from the mantle, placing them down on the floor by the mattress, then he got down on the mattress behind you. You were sitting facing the fire. This put your back to Arthur, but he didn’t mind.
You took the gin, opened it up, and took a swig. The piney liquor was exactly what you needed. It seemed to fit in well with the atmosphere as you looked at the fire.
“How do you reckon we got lost?” You looked over your shoulder to him, offering him the gin. He took it and drunk from it before answering.
“Think we must’ve gotten off the road at some point. Made it feel like we’d traveled longer or something like that.”
You nodded, looking back to the fire.
“What happened at Blackwater, Arthur?” Your voice lowered and a solemn tone took over.
Arthur didn’t answer you immediately as he leaned back on his elbow. His eyes studied the side of your face, brows drawn together just slightly.
“I don’t know, pumpkin. Wish I did know, but I didn’t have time to ask Dutch or anyone who was there.” He tapped the gin bottle against the side of your arm. You looked down and took it from him.
“You think they’ll be okay when we get back to them?”
“Course they’ll be okay, Y/N.”
“Well, we were gone longer than we were supposed to be. The weather was bad down there by Lake Isabella. Just hope they were able to stay warm.”
Arthur sat up and moved a little closer to you, kissing the side of your cheek once he could reach you.
“They’ll be just fine, pumpkin. They got Dutch and Hosea lookin’ after them. And Javier and Charles are plenty able to make sure everyone’s okay too.”
“What about John?”
“Well…. John’s a different story.” Arthur sighed. “But m’sure John’s okay too. He’s got dumb luck.”
You nodded, knowing Arthur was right.
“We need to sleep.” He reminded you, laying down on the mattress.
You put the bottle of gin down and shifted down to lay next to Arthur.
“You got any more space over there, pumpkin? M’nearly rollin’ off the edge.” He grunted a little, moving around a bit. The springs squeak under his weight. “I can only suck it in so much, Miss Y/L/N.”
You giggled, thankful that he had the ability to lighten the mood.
“Good night, Arthur.”
“Good night, pumpkin.”
Taglist: @doggone-cowgirl @winterwolf @lauramb7 @caraqas @bluscryn @krenee1drful @zodiacaldust @nonodino @gabstaroc @cal-lifornication @thefirelordm @sargeantsea
if your name is in italics, it wouldn’t let me tag you :(
#Arthur Morgan x reader#Arthur Morgan x reader fluff#Arthur Morgan fluff#Arthur Morgan#Arthur Morgan asks#Arthur Morgan ask#rdr2 Arthur Morgan#rdr2#red dead redemption 2#kacey answers#rdr2 one shot
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AU: Jon Snow Meets Alayne Stone
“Remember my sweet, he cannot recognise you.”
“Of course, father, for we have never met.”
Petyr smirked at her as the pair approached the party of Northerners. Sansa gripped her reins and held her breath. She had always thought of how sweet it would be to see Jon Snow again. Yet the notion of this reunion taking place among so many people, particularly Littlefinger, simply filled her with dread. Lord Baelish had laid such a careful collection of plots. He intended to have her win the heart of Harry the Heir, along with the whole of the Eyrie and most importantly Winterfell. Home. It was a delicate and treacherous game, as it always was with him. They could not have her half brother reveal her true name before its time. Otherwise more things may be lost than a game.
But all she had to do was remind herself that Sansa was not here. It was only Alayne. And all Alayne had heard of Jon Snow was the whispers from the other lords and ladies of the Vale. And as she drew her horse to a halt, there he stood before her. The awkward boy who sparred with Robb and Theon had gone. Now in his place was a stranger. A man, with hair as black as the midnight sky and eyes that shone like dragonglass. He wore the furs of a lord that reminded her so much of her father. Her heart twinged. Winterfell was so far from here.
“Lord Snow,” Petyr Baelish declared as he dismounted, “I trust your journey was a safe one.” Lord Jon bowed his head before replying that it was, although the bitter winds indicated that winter truly was coming.
“It may be coming sooner than any man can tell.” Baelish continued. When he and Jon were face to face, he gave the lad a smile that barely spread past his cheeks. Lord Snow couldn’t seem to return the expression and his mouth twitched briefly instead.
He never was confident in courtesies, Sansa thought fondly. Then she prayed to the gods that she’d look as much a stranger to him as he did to her, before she slid from her saddle and joined her father.
“My lord may I introduce you to my daughter. Although her name is not all that dissimilar to your own.”
In that moment she knew she had to speak. But what if Jon recognised her voice? Sansa willed herself to meet his gaze and it was then that she was almost certain he knew. His hands had dropped by his sides and his lips were softly parted. It was as if her real name danced upon those very lips and longed to slip free. But she couldn’t allow it. She wouldn’t allow it! Sansa’s Tully eyes fluttered into a stonier stare. Her mouth curled into a smirk her Lord Father would be proud of. Her false one at least...
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Snow. My name is Alayne Stone.”
She curtsied. (Not as gracefully as Sansa would have.)
“Stone?” he said, piecing it together. His voice was lower and gruffer than she remembered. The longer she lingered on his face she realised just how many scars he bore. Sansa’s scars never reached her face. Each mark sparked a new question in her mind. It had been so long since he left. There was so much she wanted to know. What had he seen? What had he survived? In a way he was the only person of her past that remained to her. A part of her was desperate to know how big Ghost had gotten, but Alayne would have to firstly learn that Jon Snow even had a direwolf before finding that out. Yet all these thoughts vanished when she realised he was smiling at her. Smiling, truly. She knew it was true because his eyes shone brighter while the skin around them creased. He used to smile that way with Arya and her brothers.
“Alayne Stone. That’s a pretty name.”
What? Did she hear him correctly? Sansa had told him to say that. In another life when she was small and full of songs. She told him to give that exact praise to the ladies he’d meet. He remembered! After all this time he remembered! Half her head told her it was a foolish coincidence, but the other half screamed that Jon Snow remembered her lesson even after all this time! It was practically nothing and yet it felt like everything.She wanted so much to throw herself into his arms and weep and laugh and never let him go. Don’t be silly. Be Alayne. Instead she clasped her gloved hands together and tilted her head cooly.
“You are too kind, my lord. Perhaps once my father has shown you and your men to your rooms, you might tell me some tales of your time in the North. I hear it can be quite beautiful”
Jon’s expression darkened a little.
“It is, my lady. But sadly it is now in great danger. We all are. That is what’s brought us to you.”
The bluntness threw her a bit, but Alayne was not so swayed. She glanced at Petyr who was looking at her with what some might see to be pride or admiration, but she knew him better than that. He loved to watch her play.
“The world is indeed a dangerous place. But there is no need for such formalities with me. You may call me Alayne. Everyone does.”
“Thank you. You can call me Jon.”
“Jon.” It felt so nice to say his name. She wanted to say it again. But she really shouldn’t have.
First he blinked. As if he had misheard her. Then he opened his mouth as if to speak but nothing came out. It was a silence that felt longer than it likely was, and suddenly Sansa was all too aware of the Northern men and knights of the Vale that had been watching the three of them this whole time. What a stupid thing to do. She had no different voice. Saying his name must have done something. A wrong move on her part. If Sansa gave him enough time she was sure he’d find her in the woman before him. He made her feel like her brunette wash was fading from her hair with every second. Her cheeks burned. The little girl in her wanted Littlefinger to say something. To intervene. Surely he could see this unravelling like she did?
I must not be a Stark. Not now. Not yet.
What would Sansa Stark not do in this moment? Because whatever that was, Alayne Stone had to do it, and quickly. Then it came to her.
“Jon...Jon, Jon.” She played with his name before licking her lips and raising an eyebrow. This was confusing him. Good. Throw him off the scent. “I think not.”
With that she sauntered back to her horse and climbed up. She prayed nobody could see how her legs were shaking. Once she was mounted Alayne smiled triumphantly.��“If it please my lord, I should like to call you Snow. I know so many Jons you see, but no Snows.”
“A-aye. You can call me that.” He tried to hide his fidgeting finger beneath his cloak. That red-haired girl from his childhood was falling out of his thoughts now. Let her disappear.
“Well then, dear father. Perhaps we should all head back to the Eyrie now. As you said yourself winter is approaching and these winds grow less forgiving.”
Petyr was beaming at her. Sansa couldn’t tell if it was that or the breeze that was causing the gooseflesh around her neck. Had there not been so many spectators, Lord Baelish might have tried to steal a fatherly kiss had his bastard daughter not retreated to her steed.
“Very wise, my sweet.” He turned to Jon. “You must forgive my girl. Her manners are not always what they ought.”
“It’s alright. We bastards are not known for our courtesies.” Littlefinger allowed himself a small chuckle. He’d never looked slimier to Sansa than now.
“Indeed. We shall show you and your men to your rooms. Then we may discuss the matters you conveyed to me in your raven. I am most keen to be of service in any way I can.”
Jon Snow thanked him with a nod and they both got onto their horses. Sansa watched him. He moved with such strength. He must be a magnificent fighter now. Petyr never told her why he invited Jon all this way or how he might fit into his plans. Perhaps he didn’t. There was danger in that.
“You did well.” He whispered, ensuring no-one else was listening to them. “When we return I will explain why he’s here, and of what value he may be to us.”
You will not make a pawn of him. Not if I can help it.
“Do you know what Jon meant, when he talked of us being in danger?”
“Yes, but do not fret my love. You and I both thrive in perils. Others may fall but we keep on climbing.” With that, Littlefinger galloped ahead, probably expecting her to follow like a good little bird.
But what does a mockingbird know of the winter? Be it wolves or bastards, Jon and I are a pack. If winter is coming, then I will protect him.
Sansa turned to look back at Jon Snow. They were the last of the Starks. She allowed herself to give him a small smile. Alayne Stone would be his friend. She would protect him in any way she could. And when the time came, she would tell Jon Snow the truth.
#jonsa#sansa stark#jon snow#alayne stone#got au#game of thrones#my writing#one shot#gotsansastark#jon x sansa#jon x alayne
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Destiny Calling
"ow." "Hold still." "Ow!" "Aragorn I swear to—" "I apologize but it stings!" "Maybe if you didn't get caught in a solo battle with goblins on your way here, MAYBE it wouldn't hurt!" You huffed. He winced as the cloth touched the wound. "Ow- Y/n I love you but that is killing me here!" He sighed. You put down the cloth, crossing your arms. "If you don't stop with the theatrics I'm going to give you a new pain from my foot kicking your ass!" You huffed. He sighed, picking his shirt off the counter and putting it in his lap. You sighed, turning back to the bowl of water, him wrapping his arms around you and kissing your cheek from behind.
"Thank you for taking care of me, Mime mel." He said. You sighed. "You need to be more careful and that's coming from someone who's usually reckless." You said. He pressed a kiss to the back of your neck and you turned around. "Promise your safe out there when your alone?" You asked. "I promise." he said. You kissed him and he smiled. "We're going to be in Bree tomorrow ." He said. "is there something in particular you need to do?" You asked. Aragorn nodded. "... Gandalf needs our assistance. That's the reason I've been absent as of late. Why I was near Mirkwood." He admitted. "What were you doing?" You asked. He put his hand on the back of his neck. "...Do you remember Gandalf speaking of a creature by the name of Gollum?" He asked. You frowned. "I do." You nodded. "I had to deliver him to Mirkwood." He admitted. "Are you insane!?" You gaped. "Y/n-" "You could have gotten yourself killed!" You said, clearly panicked. "I am fine! Truly I am!" He assured. "Your chest wounds say otherwise!" You huffed. "My conscious state says I'm alright." He assured. You sighed. "Aragorn. Normally I love hearing of your adventures. But by valor, would it kill you to be SAFE!?" You huffed. He pressed a kiss to your forehead. "I'm sorry I was reckless." He said. "You're past reckless, bordering suicidal." You muttered.
Nearly fourty years had passed and you two were still together, stronger than most thought you would be. Aragorn, while only taking you away once a month, now spent a lot of his free time in Rivendell with you, though he went on a quest that lasted a long while. You were so in love, it pleased Arwen to see you this happy. Elrond however, was not exactly thrilled with his daughter being infatuated with a human. He knew it was coming though and didn't bother to stop it, he just gave very passive aggressive responses.
"I'm beginning to worry you might not live to see Gondor again." You murmured in his arms. He rested his chin on your head. "I don't have a particular need to go back to Gondor. I have a home and it lies with you." He said softly. You looked up at him and sighed. "Aragorn you do realize I want you to take the throne one day." You said. He nodded. "You've reminded me. But you have to understand that I do not feel prepared to do so. I may have proven a strong heart to you but I haven't proved it to myself." He said. You sighed. "I admire your carefulness but often wonder if it's more stalling than actual caution." You said. "It is a mixture of both" he replied. You sighed again, looking at his face. "you're tired." You said. "indeed." He yawned.
You walked into your room, Aragorn already laying down. You laid next to him, tracing circles on his hand. "Tell me... What is Gondor actually like?" You asked. He let out a chuckle. "It is a vast, large kingdom." He said, his voice tired but his hands playing with your hair. "The walls are white... It's beautiful just to look at but the lands... Gods, the lands are beautiful." He said, you smiling. "One day we will see it. When I'm ready... To..." He seemed to dose off in his sentence.
You smiled, watching your lover sleep comfortably next to you as you put your head on his chest. You drifted into a deep sleep, something oddly rare for an elf unless they were having a vision. "There is impending danger... Get to Bree before they do." A voice said in a low whisper. "What is in Bree? What's going on?" you felt yourself ask. All valid questions for a mysterious voice telling you to go to Bree. "It is time." was the only response before you heard that noise.
That horrible noise. Shrieking that made you snap up and gasp, Aragorn leaning up with you. "What's wrong?" he asked, putting a soothing hand on your back. "I need to find my father, you need to pack and be ready to leave, do not leave this room unarmed." you said, him giving you a confused look. "Y/n, what's going on?" he asked. You clutched your necklace, seeming rattled by whatever dream you had. Arwen knocked and you opened the door. "You had the vision?" She asked. "More like rumblings of one, do you know how close they are?" you asked, walking with her. Aragorn quickly packed his things before rushing off to the horses. "I'm not sure how close they are, but judging by the tension in the air, they're close. Y/n, that vision you had... Fourty years ago—" "I know." you said softly. "Does father know?" you asked. "I do." Elrond said, standing in front of you. "The voice told me to go to Bree, that's where I'm going. Is there anything you know that can help?" you asked. "Stay off the roads, Gandalf is going to be looking for you and Aragorn, stay safe and guarded. Do. Not. Separate. Unless. You. Absolutely. Have. To." He said. You nodded and Aragorn walked over, handing you the reins to your horse. "Who's leading?" Aragorn asked. "We can't take the roads, I will have to." you said, mounting your horse. Elrond grabbed Aragorn's hand. "Keep her safe." he said. Aragorn honestly had no idea what was happening but he found himself nodding anyway.
You didn't even speak as you rode through the woods. "Y/n, what is going on?" Aragorn asked. You swallowed hard. "You know the story of the twenty rings?" you asked. "Yes, there was one to rule them all, one that ended up with my heir, of course I know it." Aragorn said. "Gandalf told me a very long time ago what Gollum had in that cave. A ring. At first he thought that it was a regular ring, perhaps one of the ones issued to the men but then..." You shook your head. "I had visions. Suspecting otherwise. And then Gollum ended up with the orcs, meaning that they were looking for what he had." You explained. Aragorn looked at you. "You aren't saying.." "I'm saying that this is it Aragorn... It's the ring." You admitted.
You looked at him with a terrified glance and he frowned. "...No." he breathed. Aragorn clenched the reins of his horse, his heart filling with dread as he rode. The sun was slowly rising on the horizon, you finally leaving the woods and rushing as fast as you could through the lands. You entered through the gates of Bree, practically falling off your horse as you ran into the inn. Gandalf sat at a table, looking up.
You sat down at the table, looking at him. "My dear girl, you are very fast to be at this table." Gandalf said. "The ring, tell me that you know." you said. "If the ring is truly the one ring, Frodo will be here in days time." Gandalf said. "How many?" you asked, Aragorn sitting next to you. "I'd estimate two months." He said. "Where will you be?" you asked. "I should be here to greet them. Though we need you with us to keep us alert and safe." He said, motioning to the both of you. You sighed, running your fingers through your hair. "This is it Gandalf. I can feel it." you warned. "With Saruman's help, we can fix this quickly." he assured. You sighed. "And you're sure that you have this under control?" You asked. "For the time being." He said. "...Then I trust you." you said. Aragorn looked at you, seeing the anxiety in your eyes. He put his hand on your back, assuring you silently that he was there. You put your hand over his, closing your eyes. "None of us will be ready for what's to come." you repeated words that Galadriel told you in the Fade. "What's the name again?" you asked finally. "Frodo. Frodo Baggins." Gandalf said.
Three days later, Aragorn brought you back to Rivendell. You pressed a kiss to his lips, looking at him. "If anything happens..." you let out a shaking breath. "Y/n, I will be fine... If I need you I will find you, I promise." he said. "Next month?" You asked. "I promise you, hell on earth would not stop me." he assured. You nodded, hugging him tightly. He hated this, absolutely hated this. He wanted to be able to have you with him. Not leave without you.
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What the fuck is up with Triss and Geralt (in the books)
Hello! and in today’s wtf post, here is a summary of the relationship (or lack thereof, sorry Triss) of her and Geralt’s relationship in the books.
TLDR: At the end of the day, Triss and Geralt have a clearly described mutual attraction to each other through all the books. However, Geralt’s attraction to Triss does not compare to his love for Yennefer and as such, despite Triss and Geralt sleeping together once, they set boundaries and relegate each other to friends. Geralt never fully stops being slightly drawn to and sympathetic towards Triss and Triss never fully falls out of love with Geralt.
CW for minority graphic depictions of violence (standard for the books)
More under the cut:
So, let’s start out with their backstory. Here’s a snippet describing their hook-up from Blood of Elves.
Then Geralt of Rivia appeared. A witcher leading a stormy life, and tied to her good friend Yennefer in a strange, turbulent and almost violent relationship.
Triss had watched them both and was jealous even though it seemed there was little to be jealous of. Their relationship quite obviously made them both unhappy, had led straight to destruction, pain and yet, against all logic… it had lasted. Triss couldn’t understand it. And it had fascinated her. It had fascinated her to such an extent that she had seduced the witcher – with the help of a little magic.
She had hit on a propitious moment, a moment when he and Yennefer had scratched at each other’s eyes yet again and had abruptly parted. Geralt had needed warmth, and had wanted to forget.
No, Triss had not desired to take him away from Yennefer. As a matter of fact, her friend was more important to her than he was. But her brief relationship with the witcher had not disappointed. She had found what she was looking for – emotions in the form of guilt, anxiety and pain. His pain.
She had experienced his emotions, it had excited her and, when they parted, she had been unable to forget it. And she had only recently understood what pain is. The moment when she had overwhelmingly wanted to be with him again. For a short while – just for a moment – to be with him.
So Geralt and Triss had sex once, and it is important to note that while CDPR took the interpretation that this meant Triss had assaulted Geralt and used that in their games, this is not explicitly said in canon. The single line “she had seduced the witcher – with the help of a little magic.” is also likely to be referring to how mages use transformation magic in order to alter their appearance to be more beautiful. This is mentioned by Fringilla in Baptism of Fire:
She herself had regularly ridiculed the crude image painted by gossip and propaganda of the typical sorceress from the North: artificially beautiful, arrogant, vain and spoiled to the limits of perversion, and often beyond them.
Even then, Geralt has a pattern (similar to Yennefer as well with Istredd) of sleeping with other people such as Fringilla herself in Lady of the Lake when him and Yennefer are on a break. So it’s important to note for their relationship in the books, that there is nothing in the text that says that Triss assaulted Geralt and that is simply another literary interpretation of the relationship and not directly canon.
Sometime after their hook-up Triss is presumed dead at the Battle of Sodden but goes to Kaer Morhen in order to teach Ciri magic. Here is Geralt and Triss’s reunion in Blood of Elves.
“I’ll take your horse,” offered Geralt, reaching for the reins. Triss surreptitiously shifted her hand and their palms joined. So did their eyes.
“I’ll come with you,” she said naturally. “There are a few little things in the saddle-bags which I’ll need.”
“You gave me a very disagreeable experience not so long ago,” he muttered as soon as they had entered the stable. “I studied your impressive tombstone with my own eyes. The obelisk in memory of your heroic death at the battle of Sodden. The news that it was a mistake only reached me recently. I can’t understand how anyone could mistake anyone else for you, Triss.”
“It’s a long story,” she answered. “I’ll tell you some time. And please forgive me for the disagreeable moment.”
“There’s nothing to forgive. I’ve not had many reasons to be happy of late and the feelings I experienced on hearing that you lived cannot compare to any other. Except perhaps what I feel now when I look at you.”
Triss felt something explode inside her. Her fear of meeting the white-haired witcher, which had accompanied her throughout her journey, had struggled within her with her hope of having such a meeting. Followed by the sight of that tired, jaded face, those sick eyes which saw everything, cold and calculating, which were unnaturally calm but yet so infused with emotion…
She threw her arms around his neck, instantly, without thinking. She caught hold of his hand, abruptly placed it on the nape of her neck, under her hair. A tingling ran down her back, penetrated her with such rapture she almost cried out. In order to muffle and restrain the cry her lips found his lips and stuck to them. She trembled, pressing hard against him, her excitement building and increasing, forgetting herself more and more.
Geralt did not forget himself.
“Triss…Please.”
“Oh, Geralt… So much…”
“Triss.” He moved her away delicately. “We’re not alone… They’re coming.”
So they have a (bit) of a spicy post-death reunion where Geralt says some very nice and heartfelt things things that make Triss especially horny. Triss almost orgasms from a hug and kisses Geralt to avoid moaning (can you tell this series was written by a man yet?)
Then later, Geralt and Triss have a conversation about Geralt needing to reach out to Yennefer because Ciri’s trances and magic are becoming overwhelming. In fact, in this scene, Triss is pretty shaken up because she was just in a joint-trance with Ciri. So, post-trance in Blood of Elves Geralt brings up their past hook-up:
“You have to get help from another magician. A more gifted one. More experienced. You know who I’m talking about.”
“I do.” He turned his head away, clenched his lips.
“Don’t resist. Don’t defend yourself. I can guess why you turned to me rather than her. Overcome your pride, crush your rancour and obstinacy. There is no point to it, you’ll torture yourself to death. And you are risking Ciri’s health and life in the process. Another trance is liable to be more dangerous to her than the Trial of Grasses. Ask Yennefer for help, Geralt.”
“And you, Triss?”
“What about me?” She swallowed with difficulty. “I’m not important. I let you down. I let you down… in everything. I was… I was your mistake. Nothing more.”
“Mistakes,” he said with effort, “are also important to me. I don’t cross them out of my life, or memory. And I never blame others for them. You are important to me, Triss, and always will be. You never let me down. Never. Believe me.”
She remained silent a long while.
“I will stay until spring,” she said finally, struggling against her shaking voice. “I will stay with Ciri… I will watch over her. Day and night. I will be with her day and night. And when spring is here… when spring is here we will take her to Melitele’s Temple in Ellander. The thing that wants to possess her might not be able to reach her in the temple. And then you will ask Yennefer for help.”
“All right, Triss. Thank you.”
“Geralt?”
“Yes.”
“Ciri said something else, didn’t she? Something only you heard. Tell me what it was.”
“No,” he protested and his voice quivered. “No, Triss.”
“Please.”
“She wasn’t speaking to me.”
“I know. She was speaking to me. Tell me, please.”
“After coming to… When I picked her up… She whispered: ‘Forget about him. Don’t torture him.’”
“I won’t,” she said quietly. “But I can’t forget. Forgive me.”
“I am the one who ought to be asking for forgiveness. And not only asking you.”
“You love her that much,” she stated, not asking.
“That much,” he admitted in a whisper after a long moment of silence.
“Geralt.”
“Yes, Triss?”
“Stay with me tonight.”
“Triss…”
“Only stay.”
“All right.”
Okay this scene makes me feel a lot of emotions because Triss knows she has to let go of Geralt and she genuinely wants to because she values her friendship with Yennefer more. But like she said, she can’t forget. And it’s also important that in the same way Triss asks forgiveness, Geralt is asking forgiveness too. He knows that he slept with Triss while still in love with Yennefer and while, like he says, he doesn’t think his mistake is unimportant, he is not going to pursue a romantic relationship with Triss.
This scene is so important because it sets the boundaries for the two of them. Especially at the end with Triss asking Geralt to stay the night with her platonically, it’s them trying to re-gain their friendship without the romantic aspect. Triss is a pretty insecure character in the books. In fact, in an interview when asked what immediately came to mind when her name was mentioned, Andrzej Sapkowski said: insecure and red-headed. So her setting these boundaries for herself is important and Geralt setting these boundaries is important as well.
After this, Geralt stays as as close friend of Triss, even comforting her when she recounts the Battle of Sodden (which btw is one of my favorite book Triss moments in the series, it’s so powerful).
Then, Triss is traveling with Ciri and Geralt and gets very bad food poisoning and basically has to be nursed back to health by the two of them and Geralt has to literally hold her as she shits herself in the woods. So it’s nice that he’s being a supportive friends but also it’s a gross situation.
On the road, when asked by Yarpen who Triss is to Geralt (Triss is currently very sick and asleep) he replies in Blood of Elves:
“Who is this Triss to you?”
“What difference does it make in this situation?”
“In this situation – none. I asked out of an inappropriate curiosity born of the desire to start new rumours going around the inns. But be that as it may, you’re mighty attracted to this enchantress, Geralt.”
The witcher smiled sadly.
You can tell that there is a still a lingering sense of attraction. But it’s not love and it pales in comparison to what Geralt feels for Yennefer. So it’s important Geralt keeps up the boundaries he set earlier. But it’s not just Geralt who has trouble letting go. When Triss is in the worst part of her fever she says this to Geralt:
“Oh, Geralt,” she sobbed. “I so regret… I so regret that what was between us”
“Triss, please.”
“…it should have happened… now. When I’m better… It would be entirely different… I could… I could even—”
“Triss.”
“I envy Yennefer… I envy her you—”
“Ciri, step out.”
“But—”
“Go, please.”
It’s hard for the both of them, in my opinion Triss far more than Geralt but they both struggle.
It’s important to note that at the end of Blood of Elves, Yennefer also finds out the whole story about Triss and Geralt from Ciri:
There was a subject which the girl [Ciri] instinctively and carefully avoided. But one day, she got carried away and spoke out. About Triss Merigold. Yennefer, as if casually, as if indifferently, asking as if banal, sparing questions, dragged the rest from her. Her eyes were hard and impenetrable.
Now, the next time Geralt and Triss meet, Geralt and Yennefer were invited along by Philippa to attend a mages’ meeting on the island Thanedd. Here is their meeting from Time of Contempt:
They went over to Triss, who was shimmering in shades of blue and pale green. On seeing them, Triss broke off her conversation with two sorcerers, smiled radiantly and hugged Yennefer; the ritual of kissing the air near each other’s ears was repeated. Geralt took the proffered hand, but decided to act contrary to the rules of etiquette; he embraced the chestnut-haired enchantress and kissed her on her soft cheek, as downy as a peach. Triss blushed faintly.
So, Yennefer knows that they slept together but they all seem to be able to co-exist together which is good. Yennefer and Triss even have a sem-nice conversation about Ciri together moments later:
“They’re on excellent terms,’ Yennefer warned her gravely. ‘Be careful, Triss. Don’t breathe a word to him about–about you know who.’
‘I know. I’ll be careful. And by the way…’ Triss lowered her voice. ‘How’s she doing? Will I be able to see her?’
‘If you finally decide to run classes at Aretuza,’ smiled Yennefer, ‘you’ll be able to see her very often.’
‘Ah,’ said Triss, opening her eyes widely. ‘I see. Is Ciri…?’
‘Be quiet, Triss. We’ll talk about it later. Tomorrow. After the Council.”
“Tomorrow?’ said Triss, smiling strangely. Yennefer frowned, but before she had time to ask a question, a slight commotion suddenly broke out in the hall.”
This is an important conversation, because Philippa set up the Thanned meeting as a way to arrest Nilfgaardian mages such as Vilgefortz and Francesca and Triss was in on this planned coup while Yennefer was not. However, I don’t want to get too off-track, so back to Geralt and Triss’ relationship!
Triss in Time of Contempt, mentions to Geralt that Yennefer is member of the mage’s council and asks Yennefer why she hadn’t told Geralt yet and this is Yennefer’s reply:
“No, darling,’ said the enchantress, looking her friend straight in the eyes. ‘For one thing, I don’t like to boast. For another, there’s been no time. I haven’t seen Geralt for ages, and we have a lot of catching up to do. There’s already a long list. We’re going through it point by point.’
‘I see,’ said Triss hesitantly. ‘Hmm… After such a long time I understand. You must have lots to talk about…’
‘Talking,’ smiled Yennefer suggestively, giving the Witcher another smouldering glance, ‘is way down the list. Right at the very bottom, Triss.’
The chestnut-haired enchantress was clearly discomfited and blushed faintly.
‘I see,’ she said, playing in embarrassment with her lapis-lazuli heart.
‘I’m so glad you do. Geralt, bring us some wine. No, not from that page. From that one, over there.”
Then, Geralt asks Yennefer once he and her are alone and says:
“Sure you didn’t go a bit too far?’ he asked coldly. Yennefer’s eyes flared violet.”
“Don’t try to make a fool out of me. Did you think I don’t know about you and her?’
‘If that’s what you—’
‘That’s precisely what,’ she said, cutting him off. ‘Don’t make stupid faces, and refrain from comments. And above all, don’t try to lie to me. I’ve known Triss longer than I’ve known you. We like each other. We understand each other wonderfully and will always do so, irrespective of various minor… incidents. Just then it seemed to me she had some doubts. So I put her right, and that’s that. Let’s not discuss it any further.”
So underneath this exterior, there’s definitely some tension and we see Yennefer’s possessive side come out. Needless to say, Triss isn’t going anywhere near Geralt romantically while Yennefer is in the picture. However, it is important to note that Yennefer still highly values Triss’ friendship, going so far as to daydream about her being in their lives if Yennefer and Geralt were to ever retire.
Then, during the coup on Thanned, Geralt’s leg is horribly injured and Triss is the one who saves him (although she did help cause the coup in the first place). From Time of Contempt:
Now Geralt could see nothing and hear nothing. He was sinking, submerging into something warm. He thought Vilgefortz had gone. He was astonished, then, when a fierce blow from the iron staff struck his thigh, smashing the shaft of his femur.
If anything occurred after that, he did not remember it.
‘Hang in there, Geralt. Don’t give up,’ repeated Triss Merigold endlessly. ‘Hang in there. Don’t die… Please don’t die…’
‘Ciri…’
‘Don’t talk. I’ll soon get you out of here. Hold on… Damn I’m too weak, by the gods…’
‘Yennefer… I have to—’
‘You don’t have to do anything! You can’t do anything! Hang in there. Don’t give up… Don’t faint… Don’t die, please…’
She dragged him across the floor, which was littered with bodies. He saw his chest and belly covered in blood, which was streaming from his nose. He saw his leg. It was twisted at a strange angle and seemed much shorter than the intact one. He didn’t feel any pain. He felt cold. His entire body was cold, numb and foreign. He wanted to puke.
‘Hold on, Geralt. Help is coming from Aretuza. It’ll soon be here…’
Triss basically drags Geralt to Tissaia and begs for help. Tissaia reluctantly gives help and Triss teleports Geralt from Thanned to Brokilon to be healed by the dryads and tells only Dandelion where he is and keeps Geralt’s location a secret. Both Yennefer and Ciri are missing after the coup.
However, once Triss fully commits herself to the Lodge of Sorceresses, she puts their well-being above all her previous connections. In The Tower of Swallows, she is even willing to let Geralt die as he didn’t serve the purposes of the Lodge:
“The information,” Yennefer said dully, “for his life. Save him, Philippa.”
“No, Yennefer.”
“Because it's not in the interest of the Lodge.” A purple fire kindled in the sorceress’ eyes. “Did you hear that Triss? There, you have your Lodge. You see their true colors, their true interests. And what do you think of them? You were a mentor to the girl, almost – as you put it – a big sister. And Geralt…”
“Do not attack Triss’ relationships, Yennefer.” Philippa retaliated with her own fire in her eyes. “We will find and rescue the girl without your help. And if you succeed, that's fine, a thousand thanks, because you will have saved us the trouble. You tear the girl out of the hands of Vilgefortz and we will be happy. And Geralt? Who cares about Geralt?”
“Did you hear that, Triss?”
“Forgive me,” said Triss Merigold dully. “Forgive me, Yennefer.”
“Oh, no, Triss. Never.”
While Triss takes many steps to try and find and save Ciri, she does nothing of the sort for Geralt and it appears that she has abandoned much of their friendship (and Yennefer’s) in favor of The Lodge. Despite this, Triss still showcases jealously whenever someone else mentions being involved with Geralt.
For example, in Lady of the Lake, Fringilla is summarizing her seduction of Geralt and his responses and says:
“December came,” she continued. “Then Yule, then the New Year. The witcher calmed down to the point where Ciri’s name no longer showed up in every conversation. The monster hunting expeditions, which he regularly undertook, seemed to completely avail him. Well, maybe not completely…”
She trailed off. She thought she had seen Triss Merigold’s blue eyes flash with hatred. But perhaps it had just been a reflection of the flickering candle flames.
Seeing The Lodge like this is a turning point for Triss and she regrets joining The Lodge and her actions in The Tower of Swallows and says as much to Nenneke in Lady of the Lake:
“I cannot go madly hurrying after Ciri to help her, I cannot run like crazy to save Geralt and Yennefer. Not only that, there is a war, which you have sent your girls… A war, that Jarre fled to and I am refused the possibility to even stand on a hill. To once again stand on a hill. Knowing this time, I’d made the right decision.”
“Everyone has their decisions and everyone has their hills, Triss,” the priestess said quietly. “Everyone. You cannot escape your own.”
This arc of jealously, betrayal, and love comes to a head when Triss accompanies Ciri and Yennefer to Rivia to try and rescue Geralt from an uprising. Yennefer rounds on Triss and the two of them have an absolutely vitriolic fight. From Lady of the Lake:
Triss averted her face, determined not to give Yennefer any excuse. She did not expect it to work. For a long time she had been sensing Yennefer’s anger and aggression growing stronger as they approached Rivia.
“You, Triss,” Yennefer mischievously insisted, “do not blush, do not sigh, do not drool or wiggle around in your saddle. Or is it that you think because I agreed to your request that I want to have you with us? That I was interested in seeing you spend a meeting with an old love? Ciri, I asked you to go on ahead. The two of us need to talk!”
“It is not a discussion, it is a lecture.” Ciri dared to argue, but under the threatening glare from violet eyes, she immediately recoiled, clucked and galloped off on Kelpie on the road ahead.
“You’re not going to meet a loved one, Triss,” Yennefer continued. “I am not so noble or stupid enough to give you the opportunity, or him the temptation. But just for today. I could not deny myself the sweet satisfaction. He will know what role you play as a member of the Lodge. He will thank you for that with his famous look. And I’ll be looking at your quivering lips and trembling hands, I will listen to your lame apologies and excuses. And you know what, Triss? I will faint with delight.”
“I knew,” Triss grunted. “That you would not forget, that you would take your revenge. I agreed to this, because I was actually at fault. But one thing I must tell you, Yennefer. Do not count too much on fainting. He knows how to forgive.
“He knows what was done to him, of course,” Yennefer narrowed her eyes. “But he will never forgive you for what was done to Ciri. And me.”
“It is possible,” Triss swallowed. “He may not forgive. Especially if you insist. But he won’t fly into a rage. He won’t lower himself like that.”
“Yennefer flicked her horse with her whip in anger. The animal whinnied and leapt and the sorceress swayed in her saddle.
“Enough talk,” she snapped. “More humility, you smug viper! He is my man, mine and only mine! Do you understand? You have to stop talking about him, to stop thinking about him, you have to stop admiring his noble character… As of right now, right now! Oh I want to grab you by your matted red hair…
“Try it!” Screamed Triss. “Just try it, you vindictive bitch and I’ll scratch out your eyes! I…”
The both fell silent when they saw the cloud of dust as Ciri galloped back towards them.
That fight was particularly ugly and it’s built out of a lot of repressed feelings and betrayal over the course of the story that these two refused to properly address. However, the two of them put this aside in order to work together and fight together in the end of Lady of the Lake, but this post is not for analyzing Yennefer and Triss’ relationship so I won’t link the quote.
TLDR: At the end of the day, Triss and Geralt have a clearly described mutual attraction to each other through all the books. However, Geralt’s attraction to Triss does not compare to his love for Yennefer and as such, despite Triss and Geralt sleeping together once, they set boundaries and relegate each other to friends. Geralt never fully stops being slightly drawn to and sympathetic towards Triss and Triss never fully falls out of love with Geralt.
#holy shit this post turned out ridiculously long#so kudos to anyone who makes it through the end#also now I want to do analyses for all the characters' various relationships like Yennefer and Triss#the witcher#meta#triss Merigold#geralt#triss#the witcher books#Andrzej Sapkowski#the time of contempt#the tower of swallows#baptism of fire#blood of elves#the lady of the lake#myposts#wtf series
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As Strong As Whiskey. (A Levi x Reader Oneshot)
A stallion who was troubled after battle comes into your care. This was originally called The Untamed but that title sucked.
———————————————————————
Many people had died today, which made you sick to your stomach. Even some from your squad had died, but you couldn’t mourn. Not yet. So, after everything was done, everyone started heading back. Stray horses whose riders had died also came back. They were innocent lives and didn’t deserve to be left alone out there. When you all had entered the stables to put the horses you heard a lot of screaming. You turn to the commotion to see people trying to hold a horse down.
“Guys, hold him! Don’t let go of his reins!!” Someone shouts. You were about to do something but Hange ran to the horse and injected him with a tranquilizer that made him pass out. You walked up to them and tapped Hange’s shoulder. “Hey. What’s happening?” Hange dusts herself and sighs. “This horse was the most powerful and most disturbed one of the lot. Cadet Mark was the only one here who could tame him a bit. But since he died today, this horse is back to square one. I might have to put him down.” You widen your eyes. “No. Don’t. Let me help him.” You say and Hange and many other people laugh. “Y/n, are you sure? He’s a handful.”
“Yes. Yes I can.” You say. You were determined to help this horse.
~~~~
As determined you were, this horse wasn’t as determined to befriend anyone like you. He was so damn stubborn but who could blame him? He had just lost everyone and everything and was now forced into battle. It took a while for him to even look at you but you wanted him to be safe and to trust you. But when you spoke to him, in a calm and loving voice, he looked at you and nudged your face then went back to his stable. Progress.
~~~~
A week had past and Levi noticed that you were hardly at base. He never saw you eat dinner or whenever everyone was on break, he didn’t see you at your usual spot on the grounds with your book. Yeah, he liked you. But he couldn’t tell you, at least not yet. He was still trying to cope with the fact that he actually cared for someone this way. As he was walking to his office, someone bumped into him from the back. “Oi, watch it brat.” He says and the cadet quickly salutes. “Sorry, Captain Levi.” He says and quickly runs off with his friend. “Hey. Wait!” He calls out and they turn to face him. “What’s the rush?” He asks them. They share a look and turn to him again. “Squad Leader L/n is with that disturbed horse,sir. And we want to see how she’s doing.” Levi’s eyes widened and pushed past them. Fuck. He knew that that horse was trouble and if you didn’t play your cards right, that horse could injure you. Or worse.
You were kind and shy. You were also tough, you could hold your own but Levi was still slightly overprotective of you. He saw the crowd overlooking the stables and everyone was “ooh”ing and “aah”ing. Levi was made way for by them and he looked to see what you was doing.
You were with your book, sitting down with the stallion’s head on your lap. Your lips were moving so that meant that you were reading to him. The whole scene made Levi’s heart burst. He didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable so he chased everyone away. His loud voice made the horse’s head pick up and you looked at him. “What’s wrong,Whiskey? What is it?” You turn to where he was looking to see Levi walk towards you. Whiskey quickly woke up and stood in front of you, protecting you. Levi stood back and Whiskey went on his hind legs, neighing telling Levi to piss off.
You quickly woke up and stood in between them, facing Whiskey “Baby, it’s alright. He’s a friend. This is Levi. I told you about him.” You say calmly and walk towards the horse putting your hand on his face. Levi was shocked for the first time in his life. You...spoke to him about him? Also how you handled this horse was beautiful.
“Y/n.” Levi calls to you and you look at him, smiling. “Hi. Sorry we couldn’t hang lately. Whiskey needed me.” You say while Whiskey nuzzles your head messing up your hair. You giggled at that and Levi smiled a bit. “Whiskey? That’s an odd name for a horse.” He says and you chuckle. “Yeah. I named him that because he’s so strong but dangerous. Like whiskey.” Levi smirks at the comparison. “May I..?” He takes a step forward reaching his hand out to you. You look at him then Whiskey. “Let him pet you. He means no harm.” You tell him. You move to Levi and Whiskey follows you. He stops and looks at Levi. Whiskey had a problem with new people. Mark was the only one who could touch him, but he felt a special connection to you after you placed your hand on his face and said all those kind words.
Levi waited patiently. He was shit scared but he didn’t let that overtake trying to bond with your horse. Whiskey stared at him, and Levi stared back. You could laugh at how they eyed each other. To make Whiskey trust Levi more, you wrap an arm around Levi’s and lay your head on his shoulder while looking at Whiskey. Levi was shocked at your actions but it kinda worked. Whiskey trotted to you two and bumped Levi’s hand and moved back. That was the best he could do. He didn’t trust him enough yet.
“Ohh yay! See? I told you he meant no harm.” You say to Whiskey and Levi watched you interact with the horse. He might have fallen in love with you right now. “Y/n?” He calls out and he look at him. Levi takes your hand and brings you closer to him. “You’re very brave, do you know that?” He tells you and you smile, putting your hand on his chest. “Thank you.” You say and look into his eyes. Just when you two were about to kiss, Whiskey puts his head in between you and breaks the both of apart. “Whiskey!” You laugh out and Levi scoffs. “Maybe we should try that again, somewhere where we won’t get disturbed.” You say, shyly while brushing Whiskeys hair. Levi smirks.
“My office. 9 o’clock. Don’t be late.”
——————————————————————
“Having nothing to look forward to is really a bitch.”
🖤🤍Thanks for reading🤍🖤
-Caddy.
#levi ackerman x reader#levi ackerman#captain levi#shingeki no kyojin#snk#attack on titan#aot#aot fanfiction#levi aot#aot x reader#snk levi#snk fanfiction#levi x reader#levi heichou#snk x reader#captain levi fanfiction#levi fanfiction#shingeki no kyojin x reader#levi ackerman fanfiction#shingeki no kyojin fanfiction#attack on titan x reader#attack on titan fanfiction#levi one shot
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Yours, Truly - Hux x F!Reader
A/N: This is a super sappy chapter and I love it so much :3
Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Tagged: @revolution-starter, @trash-queen-af, @b0nnyzz
Chapter 5
The next day you were allowed to spend the day with the General which excited you very much. An entire day … unchaperoned? That was unheard of. But your father trusted that Hux would not be out of turn or put you in any kind of danger.
You stepped out of your house to meet with Armitage on the street, and you saw an open carriage waiting for you. He smiled as he brought his hand out, “My Lady,”
“Well, what is this?” you giggled as you took his hand, stepping into the carriage to sit beside him.
“I plan to take you to one of my favorite places, one where we may not be disturbed,” he smiled as he brought your hand to his lips, planting a soft kiss on the back.
The kiss brought a chill throughout your body, bringing up feelings that you weren’t familiar with yet. You didn’t know what to make of it, but you didn’t mind it either. Bringing a smile, you felt the jolt of the carriage as Armitage signaled the horses to start moving on the road.
Armitage kept his eyes on the road as the carriage continued on, feeling your head rest on his shoulder. A small smile crept on his lips; the movement of the carriage probably lulled you to sleep. Once he caught sight of the destination he pulled on the reins to stop the horses. He looked down at your sleeping form and planted a soft kiss in your hair before bringing a hand to caress your cheek and lightly wake you.
Your eyes fluttered opened as you took in the new surroundings, seeing the lush trees and the green rolling hills in the distance. “My....this place is gorgeous,” you smiled.
Hux smiled as he disembarked the carriage and helped you out, “Yes, I like to go here when I want to be away from the bustle of town. Where I can think without distraction,”
A blanket was placed underneath the willow tree with a basket of food and drinks for just the two of them. “You’ve just about thought about everything, General,” you smiled as you sat down on the blanket.
He chuckled as he sat down, “I think we’ve gone well past formalities now...you’re welcome to call me Armitage,” he smiled.
A blush formed on your cheeks, smiling, “Of course, Armitage.” You gave him your name, making him smile more, “A beautiful name for such a beautiful woman,”
Covering your cheeks you giggled, “You flatter me,”
He reached over to take one of your hands off of your cheek, chuckling, “It is only the truth, my dear,”
--~-~--
The afternoon was spent sharing stories growing up and how it was like growing up with siblings. Laughs were exchanged in addition to taking in the delicious food that had been brought along on the little excursion. The sweet cakes were unlike anything you had tasted before, and the wine was delicious and good at keeping you warm as the light breeze started to set in.
Armitage took note of your light shiver, taking off his coat to wrap your shoulders. You thanked him, holding tight and taking in the scent of his cologne. He smiled as he brought a hand to your face, stroking your cheek with his thumb. “I must confess...I didn’t expect to fall for you as hard as I did. The night I saw you at the ball, you were the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I wasn’t drawn to you because of your status...it was because of your smile. Your laugh. All the little things about you.” he said softly.
Your cheeks felt hot, his confession bringing butterflies in your stomach. “Oh Armitage. I’ve never felt this way about anyone,” you smiled, leaning in closer to him, “You make me so happy.”
“Then...I believe it is only best that I ask you this question…” Armitage smiled as he shifted himself to kneel on one knee, “Miss Spencer...the light of my life. Would you do me the honor of being my wife?”
You couldn’t stop smiling as you wiped the tears that started to fall down your cheeks, “Yes...yes, I will marry you General,”
#general hux#General Armitage Hux#armitage hux#general hux x reader#general hux x you#general armitage hux x reader#general armitage hux x you#armitage hux x reader#armitage hux x you#regency au#bridgerton au#bridgerton#star wars#Star Wars Fic#Star Wars fanfic#star wars fanfiction#star wars fan fiction#Star Wars Fics#fanfiction#general hux au#fanfic
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Fire Keeper: Chapter 19
Douxie x fem reader
Masterlist in Bio!
Series Summary: You are Jim’s older sister who is taking a break from college and has moved back home to Arcadia. You end up joining Jim and his friends on their adventures.
Chapter 19 summary: The past gets messy. It's got a very fluffy ending.
A/n: It’s finally here and it's 7,547 words, yay!!!
“Death to all trolls!” Called Arthur as he rode towards the forest.
“Death to all trolls!” His knights repeated.
“Let's get out there, boys, and rip their faces off!” Galahad cheered and you wrinkled your nose at the violence.
“Medieval Bessie, go! Ho-ho! Cow-ho!” Steve prompted his cow forwards and you decided to do the same with your horse. Past Douxie was supposed to be helping you ride, but he was overly excited to be going on a mission.
You tried to steer the horse in the right direction, but he just went towards the left. You huffed in frustration when he wouldn’t move. You knew it wasn’t the horse's fault, but that didn’t stop you from getting a little irritated.
“Would you mind helping me?” You asked Past Douxie, but he was in his own world.
“What a beautiful day for a ride. It just makes you want to-“ he stopped talking and suddenly you noticed that he wasn’t on the horse anymore.
“Huh?” Steve asked. You looked to see your Douxie moving past Douxie back inside the gate.
He came over to you. “Would you like to help me?” You asked as he got onto the horse.
“Gladly,” he responded, taking the reins.
“You do know that repeated sleep spells can cause memory loss permanently,” Archie informed, soaring past you.
Douxie shrugged. “Huh, don't remember that. No matter. Let's go! The king needs us!”
You held onto Douxie as he sped up the horse. It was both exhilarating and terrifying to be on one, but it calmed you to know that you could catch yourself with magic.
~~~~
Eventually you had to abandon the horses and while you had enjoyed riding him, you were glad to be on your own two feet again.
You went to walk with Merlin so you could distract him from Douxie’s plan. You silently followed the old wizard, doing your best not to irritate him, while also trying to keep him away from Claire and Douxie.
Your job was going well, Merlin seemed to be content with ignoring Douxie and just focusing on protecting the king. He occasionally talked to you, inquiring after your name and whether you had magic or not. He seemed satisfied with your answers, but he warned you about using your magic.
“Arthur has never been fond of magic and he also doesn’t like strangers. You’ll need a good excuse if he notices you,” Merlin was saying.
“I was just going to say I was hoping to be your new apprentice,” you said and Merlin considered it.
“That should be fine,” Merlin eventually responded.
You looked over to Douxie as you and Merlin settled into vigilant silence again. He looked tired and you frowned. He was putting too much pressure on himself. He had been stressed before you had gone into the past, but now you didn’t know how he was able to function.
When he saw you staring at him he gave you a small smile and a wave. You waved back, focusing on a knight as you felt your face heat up.
“No sign of them, sire. Trail's gone cold,” the knight announced. You looked past him and saw the trees swaying gently. You would have expected a place called the wild wood to be more creepy, but it seemed like a nice place.
Douxie began to walk over to Arthur who was looking into the woods. “Say, my liege, didn't you used to spend time in this wood?”
Arthur sighed wistfully. “Yes. As a boy. Much time was lost in this accursed forest. I often fled to these woods to escape from my growing responsibilities.”
Douxie gave you a bright smile, full of hope before waving his hands discreetly. Bright Blue magic bloomed around you, bringing to life three children. You smiled as they laughed, remember it when you and Jim were carefree and could just play together. Now he was somewhere in these woods and you were supposed to be hunting him, not that you’d ever harm your little brother.
“On your guard, men! We've been bewitched!” A knight called and you rolled your eyes, they were so scared of magic.
“What's happening? It's coming for me!” Another painicked. “It's dark magic!”
Merlin scoffed. “Stand down. We're not in danger. Uh, my lord...”
You turned your attention to Arthur, who seemed to actually be bewitched. “Gwen,” the king breathed. “My betrothed. My beloved. She was the heart of me.”
Morgana came over. “Mm, we loved these woods. The freedom they offered. The wood showed us kindness for our courage. Gwen and I were never scared. Arthur, however...”
You smiled as a creature that looked like Nari offered the two girls a gift. However, your smile faded when a much younger Arthur pulled a dagger on her.
Arthur scowled. “I knew what danger lurked in the darkness.”
“Gwen! Away from her, demon!” Young Arthuer yelled, scaring Nari away.
“As we grew older, and duty kept me inside, Morgana encouraged Gwen, brought her out when she should have stayed safe within Camelot,” Arthur explained.
“Arthur always blamed me for our moonlight trips. But that night, it was Gwen pulling me out of the door. We'd stumbled into a Stalkling nest,” Morgana said sadly.
“Gwen!” Past Morgana yelled as a Stalkling growled.
“It was afraid,” Morgana said and you looked away as you heard the illusion scream. You recalled that a Stalkling had hungered your brother on his birthday, it was scary to think of what could have happened to him.
“That night, Gwen went into the woods and never returned.” Arthur sighed. “You, sister, should have known better.
Morgana looked away. “You never forgave me. And when my own gifts blossomed, you saw yet another abomination. Ordered Merlin to teach me to control that part of me... though Gwen loved magic as I did.”
“Yes. Yes, she did. I... I miss her terribly,” Arther whispered.
“As do I... brother,” Morgana whispered back. You felt a tear slip down your face. It was so sad what had happened to Gwen. Having lost friends, you knew how hard it was to come back from it. You couldn’t imagine losing Jim or Douxie or anyone.
You hadn’t known Douxie for as long as Arthur knew Gwen, but just thinking of losing him made the tears fall faster.
Lancelot snapped you out of your thoughts. “Troll! We found one!”
Arthur growled. “I will lose no one else to those creatures. To arms!”
Douxie sighed. “No, no, no, no, no! Not now!”
Claire looked over to you. “Oh, no! Jim!”
“Steady, men! Remember your training. Kill the beast!” Lancelot ordered.
“Wait, kill? I thought this was catch-and-release!” Steve yelled as he ran off.
“Using magic? On the king? Are you mad? Come, we must protect Arthur,” Merlin hissed at Douxie and you followed him silently.
Douxie fell into steps beside you. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying.”
“Oh...their story really got to me,” you mumbled.
“It’s gonna be okay Y/n, Jim will be safe.”
“I hope so,” you replied. You ran over to another clearing where you saw the knights take down a gumm-gumm. You couldn’t say you were too heartbroken over it, but Morgana didn’t seem too happy.
“Take the beast down!” Arthur ordered.
“Arthur, no!” Morgana cried out.
Lancelot threw his sword to Steve. “Squire Steve, will you do the honors?” Steve hesitated and the gumm-gumm tried to attack him. You got ready to use your magic, but Arthur stepped up.
“Careful, young squire. Show these beasts no sympathy.” Arthur killed the gumm-gumm and the knights cheered.
You watched them, but when a scream sounded behind you, you whirled around to see Bular by Steve. Protective sister mode kicked in and your hands glowed orange as you got ready to fight the gumm-gumm prince to protect Steve.
Bular grabbed Steve by his collar and threw him aside. You ran over to the poor boy and caught him with magic. You were honestly grateful that you didn’t have to take the beast on. You had seen how hard it had been for your brother to kill him.
“Thanks, Y/n,” Steve rasped. You helped him to his feet and went over to help deal with Bular. He couldn’t die or the future would be changed drastically for you and your brother, but you also couldn’t let him hurt anyone here.
“The Gumm-Gumm prince himself!” Galahad laughed “Oh... Come on, let's see what you are-“
Bular threw Galahad to the side and with that Arthur charged. “For Camelot!”
“I'll drink your blood out of a goblet made of your skull! I'll carve you open, let your guts spill out!” Bular snarled. You ran over to the knights with bows and got ready to redirect any arrows as Douxie and Merlin went to help Arthur.
“My king!” Galahad cried.
“Arthur!” Lancelot ran over to help. Bular raised his hand for the finishing blow, but Douxie stopped him.
“There's no spilling anything today!” Douxie grunted as he did his best to keep Bular from killing Arthur. Merlin used his own magic to create a seal on the floor and when Douxie dragged him to it, a bright green net of magic trapped Bular.
Arthur stood and walked over to the troll. “Finish it, then, fleshbag!” Bular taunted.
“The spawn of Gunmar. I won't dull Excalibur's edge with you,” Arthur snarled. “Drag this monster back to Camelot! I have plans for him. The rest, with me! My blade hungers.”
“As you wish, milord. Onward!” Lancelot called.
“Who's the monster here?” Morgana asked.
None of you knew how to answer, so when you continued walking you went back to your respective posts. Merlin walked by Morgana, so you got the chance to talk to the sorceress. It was pretty interesting getting to know this side of Morgana.
Once you told her you had magic she gave you tricks, asking if you could do shadow magic. When you said ‘no’ she was understanding and told you about this tea recipe should you ever need it. Douxie already had the recipe, but it was kind of Morgana to think of it.
As you talked you began to wonder how Morgana could have possibly turned evil. Of course you had never met her back in your time, but you had heard horrible stories about her.
You heard Arthur shouting ahead and you all ran over to the clearing.
“Wait!” Douxie yelled.
“My king, it's not safe!” Merlin tried, but Arthur ignored them.
“Oh, no,” Claire muttered and you nodded your head in agreement.
Morgana waved at you and Claire to follow her. “Come, handmaiden. Not a moment to lose.”
“What are you gonna do if we catch them?” Claire asked.
“Whatever I have to.”
With that the three of you ran over to another clearing.
“This way!” You whispered, trying to guide Morgana away from Jim’s aura. But suddenly you heard a clatter and panting. Morgana ignored your advice and went the other way. You had no choice but to follow her and help Jim.
“There you are,” Morgana shouted, jumping off a ledge. You followed her, ready to use your magic.
“Morgana?” Jim asked.
“Jim! Jim!” Claire called. She hadn’t made it to the clearing yet, but you would do your best to battle Morgana. You went to stand between Jim and the sorceress, ready to protect your little brother at any cost.
“You will not hurt him!” You growled, your hands already lighting up, ready to fight.
However, Morgana surprised you. “Don't be afraid. I won't hurt him,” she promised, kneeling next to Jim.
“Jim! Don't kill him! You said-“ Claire cried, not yet in the clearing and seeing what was happening.
“I'm sorry you were ever in a cage,” Morgana apologized.
A knight shouted in the near distance, “Down in the clearing!”
“Go. I will draw away the others. Go!” Morgana ordered, helping Jim up.
“I'll find you,” Jim promised. He gave you one last look before going to run. You got ready to face the knights when you heard Jim cry out behind you. Now it was Arthur about to kill him.
“Arthur!” Morgana yelled.
You didn’t care about being inconspicuous anymore, you had to keep Jim safe. You raced over to him, ready to fight King Arthur himself if it meant saving your brother.
Claire followed you. “Jim!”
“So, sister. Your true loyalties stand revealed at last. I warned you not to return with a clean sword,” Arthur growled. He brought the sword down, but yours materialized and was right there to meet it. Unfortunately, Arthur was stronger and you began to struggle.
“Can’t. We. Talk. This. Out?” You gasped. Suddenly, when you were sure your arms were about to give out, Morgana took your place, using the staff to keep Arthur’s sword off Jim.
“What? What are you doing?” Arthur asked, addressing his sister, completely ignoring you.
“What I should have done years ago,” Morgana retorted.
“You dare raise arms against your king?” Arthur asked, shocked.
“Run, Jim!” Claire cried, helping you get him to his feet.
“Get back here, you gravel-eater!” Lancelot yelled, shooting an arrow at you. Both of your hands were holding Jim, but thankfully Claire took care of it, blasting the arrow aside with her purple magic.
“No!” Claire screamed.
Lancelot stared in shock. “What the...? She's a wit-oh!”
Steve hit him on the head with a rock. “Oh-ho, man! That troll-that came out of nowhere! Right, guys?”
Lancelot got up again and Steve hit him. You winced and turned back to Jim.
“Go!” Both you and Claire ordered. He gave you and Claire a quick hug each before running off. You watched sadly as he faded into the forest. You hated letting him leave. You were so very worried about him. It just wasn’t fair that you couldn’t be there to protect him.
Eventually, you turned and ran back over to the clearing. You heard the clanging of swords and raced over to Merlin.
The old wizard gasped. “Morgana? She takes Arthur's life?”
“No, no! No, wait, wait! We don't have to figh-“ Douxie ran to stop them, but Merlin blasted him to the side. You went to help him up.
“Are you alright?” You asked.
“Yeah, I just don’t get why they won’t listen to us. They’re supposed to be the adults, but all they do is fight.”
“We’ll figure it out,” you promised.
“Defend the king at all costs!” Merlin ordered.
Morgana glared at him. “You, too, old man?”
“I do what I must for the greater good!” Merlin yelled.
“Traitors!” Morgana yelled, flying into the air. “You throw us in chains, fearing what you cannot control, but we of magic are not lesser creatures, we are more!”
That was when you realized that maybe Morgana wasn’t right. You believed that everyone should get along, it wasn’t right that one species was better or something. They should be equal. Morgana and Arthur were on opposite sides of the spectrum; he believed that humans were better while she believed that magical creatures were better. History was on Arthur’s side when it came to people and trolls finding peace, so you would have to side with him if you couldn’t reason with Morgana.
“Stop! We found another way!” Claire yelled, coming into the clearing.
“We did, this doesn’t have to get any worse!” You cried.
“We can do this peacefully!” Douxie added.
Morgana sighed. “The time for peace ended long ago.”
Morgana continued to attack Arthur and you and Claire went to stop her. “Morgana, he's not the enemy,” Claire yelled.
Morgana scoffed. “I trusted you! Now you side with my brother over your own kind? You're one of them. You're all against me, but I am more powerful than you know. Ortum obumbratio!”
Gold and black shadows of Morgana rose from the ground and you screamed. You looked to your own shadow and you saw it rise to fight you.
“Oh, buckets,” Douxie cursed and you backed over to him. The shadows chased you all out of the forest to a cliff.
Had you been there in any other situation, you would have stopped to admire the beauty; the sun was setting and the ocean was magnificent, but now you had to fight for your life. Once Morgana had deemed you a traitor to her cause, she was ready to end your life.
“Your cruelty towards magic-kind knows no bounds! You have taken and taken, and now we take back!” Morgana cried.
“Protect the king!” Merlin ordered again. You blasted your shadow in the stomach and went to help Arthur. However, his shadow sent him tumbling to the edge of the cliff. You raced to use your magic to help him up, but he ignored the offer. He climbed up on his own and stood his ground.
“Enough!” Arthur yelled, raising Excalibur to the sky. The clouds parted and a beam of light came down, enchanting the sword. Arthur brought it to the ground and a ball of magic exploded from it, knocking you to the ground. You flew away from the king, hitting the ground hard.
The air was knocked out of you and you struggled to get up.
Morgana cackled at him. “You outlaw magic, but fight with an enchanted sword! You snuff out any power that isn't yours, but I won't go so quietly.”
“I denied your true nature for so long because you are my sister. But when I look at you now, all I see is a demon! A witch!” Arthur roared and he and Morgana continued to fight. You watched in horror as the time map showed the timeline deteriorate. It flashed red and blue, but red seemed to be winning.
“And all I see is a little boy driven mad by hatred and prejudice! Goodbye, brother.” Morgana cried. She waved her arm to do a spell, but Arthur got to her first, cutting off her hand. Morgana gasped.
“Morgana! No! No, no, no!” You and Douxie yelled.
Arthur hesitated. “No...”
“Brother?” Morgana whispered, she took a step back, underestimating the distance between her and the edge of the cliff. You watched in horror as she disappeared.
“Morgana!” Douxie yelled.
“No!” The rest of you echoed. You watched as Arthur took a step away from the cliff. He eyed his sword and smashed it against the ground. Pieces flew everywhere and you created a shield as a piece of shrapnel almost hit you.
You let your shield down and looked over to Douxie. He looked absolutely beaten and hopeless. You didn’t know how you were gonna fix this.
~~~~
After a while Merlin convinced Arthur to leave and you walked home in silent defeat.
“Now magic has truly taken everything from me,” Arthur muttered angrily.
Claire looked over to you. “She's gone. We failed.”
You opened your mouth to say something soothing and optimistic, but nothing came out. Instead Douxie spoke, “No, I failed. Master I-I'm so sorry.”
“This is why you don't meddle with time,” Merlin said.
“But I tried. I tried to fix it,” Douxie argued.
Merlin sighed sadly. “Don't you see, boy? There is no 'fixing' anything. Every change has consequence. Knowing the future is a responsibility to bear with caution, lest you cause worse things to happen.”
Douxie sank to the ground, staring at the flashing time map. “Morgana's dead, Excalibur's broken. That never happened.”
You and Archie went to go and comfort him. “We are in uncharted territory.”
~~~~
You couldn’t believe it was only a day ago that Merlin was vowing to save the king. He had accomplished his goal of course, however, he had failed to save Morgana. After you had spent time with her in the wild woods you felt awful about her death, but there was also the fact that she wasn’t in her right mind. It was all very complicated.
Now you were about to go with Merlin to help fix Excalibur. You huddled up in a jacket that Douxie had found for you. It was freezing and the fog wasn’t helping.
Archie sat by you on the rail of the boat, gazing at the sea. “I try to avoid water.”
Steve came over to the two of you. “Personally, I always pack my swimsuit. Extra-personally, it's actually my birthday suit.”
You rolled your eyes at him then looked at Merlin. “When are we going to get there?”
“We’ll get there when we get there,” Merlin stated harshly.
“I was asking if I had time to check on my brother,” you responded, giving him a dead look. You had the patience to wait, you had taken a trip to the moon that had lasted forever without complaining after all.
“Ah, yes,” Merlin said and that was all the confirmation you needed before closing your eyes. You felt the shift and focused on what you remembered Jim���s aura to be like. When you opened your eyes you were no longer on a boat, but in a room.
You looked around and saw Jim, his friend, and...Blinky.
“Clearly he’s delusional,” Blinky was saying to Dictatious. He suddenly raised his hand and slapped Jim. “Snap out of it!”
“Ow!” Jim yelped as Blinky continued to slap him. “Blinky, it’s me, Jim!”
“‘Blinky’? For the last time, that’s Blinky’s Gakadrigal to you, outsider.”
“And my nightmare’s real,” Jim muttered.
“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Dictatious said, shaking Jims hand. “Forgive my brother. Your traveling companion was a little more hostile upon waking up.”
“I startle easy. That’s on you,” the other troll said.
Blinky began to rant and you snuck over to Jim. “Are you okay?” You whispered.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. How are you?” He whispered back.
“I’m alright, I’ll try to check in daily okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll see you then. Stay safe.”
“You too.” You gave a small smile before returning back to your body and to the freezing cold boat.
“How is he?” Claire asked.
“He’s fine.” You chuckled. “He just met a very irritated Blinky.”
Claire smiled. “Good, I’m glad he’s safe.”
You were cut off from saying anything more when the boat turned the corner. You walked over to the edge of the boat by Douxie and saw a bunch of wrecked ships.
“Whoa, it's a ship graveyard,” Steve marveled.
“We've arrived,” Merlin announced.
“Huh. The Lady of the Lake is real! I thought she was just a myth,” Claire said.
Douxie smiled. “Oh, no, the Lady's very much real. Though, only Merlin's allowed to meet with her... until now.”
“Because her power is beyond your comprehension. It was from her mystic waters I helped Arthur first retrieve Excalibur and unite the kingdom. Hisirdoux, the sword please,” Merlin requested.
“Yeah! Quest, quest, quest, quest!” Steve chanted.
Merlin hopped off the ship and began to walk towards two face carvings. “Watch the ship. I shall return shortly.
“What? We have to wait in the car?” Steve whined.
“But I thought we were doing this together,” Douxie protested.
Merlin sighed. “You should be thanking me. I got you out of Camelot. Arthur's unstable and the people are afraid. And not only that, Y/n practically committed treason, so the less Arthur sees her the better.”
You smiled sheepishly as Douxie tried to go after Merlin. “I thought you trusted me. I won't just sit here without making things right!”
“And I will not lose another apprentice!” Merlin shouted and it echoed throughout the cave. Douxie took a step back and you grabbed onto his hand in silent comfort.
“Who dares to disturb my slumb-“ the door on the right asked suddenly asked and you jumped. Douxie chuckled at you and you gently elbowed him.
Merlin cut the door off. “It's me, Merlin. Open up, you idiots.”
“Oh, it is you! All right, walk in,” the other door said, sliding apart so Merlin could enter.
Douxie ran after him, but the doors slammed shut before he could get through.
“Lake's closed!” Righty said.
“None but the master wizard shall pass. No amateurs. That's you,” Lefty taunted.
Douxie stood back. “Causa crepitoose!” He yelled and a blue blast hit the doors, doing nothing
Righty laughed. “Is that all you got, punk?”
“Come on, get close so I can bite your legs off!” Lefty howled with laughter and you rolled your eyes.
“Come on, ignore them,” you said, leading Douxie over to Claire and Steve.
“Ugh! Merlin's magic is so annoying!” Claire groaned.
Douxie sighed. “The talking door is right. This sorcery's uncrackable.”
“Well, at least we don't have to see Steve's birthday suit,” Archie said optimistically.
“Too late! Whoo!” Steve yelled and you were glad he was by the water where you couldn’t see him.
“Oh, no! My eyes!”
“Oh, I can't unsee that now!”
The four of you minus Steve walked over to a grassy area and Archie helped you collect sticks. Once you assembled them he set them on fire.
“Thanks, Archie,” Douxie said, giving a small smile.
“Jeez, how long is Coach Wizard gonna take? It's been forever!” Steve whined, walking back to you.
“What if the old man needs our help?” Archie asked, curling up onto your lap. Even with the fire and your jacket you were still shivering.
You watched as Steve stood and charged at the doors, trying to scare them open. You weren’t surprised when it didn’t work.
“Uh, Open Sesame! Abracadabra! I'm begging you, man!” Steve tried after violence failed. “Hey, door dorks, open up!”
“Why don't you open up?” One of the doors mocked.
Steve huffed. “Maybe I will! So, I'm-I'm really scared that I won't be a good knight.”
“Well, you won't be, but don't be scared about it. You know, then you worry about, like, what is your purpose on this planet?” Lefty said.
You turned away from Steve to face the fire again. Douxie scooted close to you and wrapped his arm around you.
“Thanks,” you mumbled, trying to hide your blush.
“You seemed cold, so...yeah,” Douxie explained.
You faded into silence, the only noise in the cavern was Steve’s therapy session with the doors.
Claire opened up her book on shadow magic and Douxie stood up excitedly. “Merlin doesn't know shadow magic. Claire! You could make a shadow portal and slip us right through!”
Claire hesitated. “I don't know, Douxie. I don't have my staff.”
“I've seen you do magic without it,” Douxie said.
“But Merlin said-“ Claire started.
“Merlin's not here,” Douxie countered and you noticed Claire’s aura twist with fear and anger.
You were about to tell Douxie to drop it when Claire yelled, “I don't wanna become her!”
She went to sit on the log by the fire. “What if the darkness takes over, like Morgana?” She asked. You walked over to her and gave her a hug.
“Claire, you are nothing like Morgana, you are way better,” you reassured her.
Douxie sighed, coming over. “Claire, look, I know you're scared, but you're not her. You can make the magic your own. I never had the gift for shadowmancy, but you do. You can do great and wondrous things. I've seen it.”
Claire sighed and nodded. “Okay, Douxie, I'll try. But I need you to walk me through the spell book, Teach. I don't speak Wizard-ese.”
Douxie shook his head and backed away. “You want me to teach? I'm not even a good student.”
“You've got that right.
“The worst!”
You glared at the doors. “Back off!”
“Quit it!” Claire snapped.
“Who asked you, knobhead?” Archie growled and you smiled a bit at how you all defended Douxie.
“Why are we yelling?” Steve cried.
You turned to Douxie. “Some of my favorite spells are the ones you taught me in Bulgaria, you’ll be a great teacher.”
Douxie laughed. “Right. Put your hands out like this. Beyond there is your destination, your emotional anchor.” He put his hands out and Claire mimicked him while you levitated the book in front of them.
“Got it,” Claire said.
Douxie nodded. “Then pull the magic around you. It will be your door to the Shadow Realm. That's it, that's it. Steady. Focus. Eyes on point, mind on anchor. You got this.”
“I'm scared,” Claire cried as the portal began to form. You saw how her aura twist and you began to sing a lullaby.
“Magic is emotion. Don't let fear control you. Use it! Stay true to yourself. That will protect you from the shadows,” Douxie encouraged and you saw Claire’s aura slowly start to go back to normal.
“Uh, Doux?” Claire asked, her aura suddenly twisting again.
“Don't be afraid, Claire. This is your magic. You can control it,” Douxie reassured. “Keep your eyes on point.”
Claire started panting and you tried to sing louder, but suddenly the portal rushed at her, taking her.
“Claire!” All of you screamed in unison.
“Doux, how do we bring her back?” Archie asked as Douxie flipped through the spell book.
“Hold on. I can figure this out. It's gonna be fine,” Douxie said, sounding anything but fine.
“Fine? Shadows just ate her alive, man! What are we gonna do?” Steve asked.
“We will figure something out,” you promised, already trying to hold your hands out like Claire had done. You may have not had the tolerance for shadow magic, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t perform it.
“Whoa, whoa, Y/n, stop,” Douxie said, rushing to stand in front of you. “You can’t do this, you’ll get sick again! There’s got to be another way!”
“I’m going to get her back,” you said. Your heart was racing with panic and you tried to take that fear and use it to bring Claire home. You focused and just when you felt the portal expand in front of you, Claire made her own. She dropped back into reality, right on Douxie and Steve.
“Are you hurt?” Archie asked Claire.
“Claire! Claire, are you all right?” Douxie asked, rushing to get up and help her.
“Give her some space,” Archie ordered.
“I saw her-a vision of Morgana!” Claire exclaimed.
“Oh, hot dang,” Steve whispered.
“Was it really her? Or was it guilt, or fear, or...“ Claire started.
“The Shadow Realm is a place of mystery. We understand if you don't want to go back in,” Douxie said.
“Yeah, shadow magic is nasty stuff,” you mumbled, swaying on your feet before crashing into Douxie.
“Y/n? Are you alright? Talk to me, Y/n,” Douxie begged.
You let out a string of coughs as Douxie helped you sit down by the fire. “I’ll be fine,” you promised.
“What happened?” Claire asked.
“Y/n used shadow magic again,” Douxie said and you could hear the disappointment in his voice.
“I’m sorry,” you apologized. “I wasn’t gonna let Claire get stuck in the shadow realm. I knew what I was doing and I will be fine with a little rest and tea.”
“Mhmm,” Douxie mumbled, but he still seemed upset with you.
You sighed before turning to face Claire. “How do you feel about getting us past those doors? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“No. It's okay. I'll be all right. Thanks for talking me through it, Teach,” Claire said. “And thank you, Y/n, for trying to go in after me.”
You coughed. “Of course.”
Claire stood up and got ready to open a portal.
“No way this works, witchey!” Righty taunted.
“True.”
“Not your fault your teacher's a dunce.”
Douxie ignored them and you glared at them even though you were sure you just looked like an angry puppy with your watery eyes and runny nose wrapped in a large jacket.
“There is your anchor,” Douxie said, using magic to send a glowing blue orb towards the doors and past them.
“Let go of the fear,” Claire mumbled.
“No, no, don't do that,” Lefty said.
“Uh, no, no, no! Not good! Bad, bad idea!” Righty cried as a large shadow portal formed.
“Yes, yes, yes! Claire, you did it!” Douxie cheered.
“Yes! That's what I'm talking about! Shadow magic!” Claire celebrated.
“Whoo-hoo!” Steve shouted.
“Nice job Claire!” You smiled before coughing again.
“Wow, she picked that up fast.” Douxie grinned.
“She had a stellar teacher,” Archie praised.
Douxie smiled even wider. “What are we standing 'round for? That magical sword won't repair itself. Let's go! To the Lady!”
“Gentlemen, after you,” Claire said, gesturing for them to go into the portal. You went to walk into the portal, but Douxie stuck his hand out, blocking you.
“What are you doing?” You asked.
“Are you sure you should be traveling through a shadow portal right now?” Douxie asked.
“I’m fine and I’m not letting you go alone,” you argued.
Douxie opened his mouth to counter, “You’re sick and I’m plenty capable o-”
“I never said you weren’t capable, I’m just saying it doesn’t hurt to have back up. If you guys don’t come out later it will be a suiside mission for me to go in alone, but if I go in now we have each other's backs.”
Douxie slowly removed his arm and you felt bad about arguing with him. You walked through the portal and shivered, Douxie was right, it did make you feel worse and so, when you were out on the other side, you threw up. Thankfully Douxie didn’t see and so he didn’t force Claire to send you back.
“We made it!” Claire exclaimed as she walked through.
“Thanks to you.” Douxie smiled at her, creating a magic light.
Steve sniffed. “Ugh! This lake stinks like butt thunder!”
Douxie frowned. “I'd say we've arrived.”
“Yeah, but where's Merlin?” Claire asked.
“Gah!” Steve yelped as you heard wood creak near you. Douxie shined his light on a boat. It would have been already scary for an old piece of wood to be floating in the creepy lake, but this one had to have Excalibur on it, putting it on a whole other level.
“Uh, he can handle himself. L-Let's just stick to the plan and find the Lady. And everything will be fine,” Douxie reassured, not sounding at all confident. You walked over to him and he helped you onto the boat. You shivered and coughed and Douxie put his arm around you. You looked up at him, but he was looking ahead.
You knew you had worried him when you made the portal. You felt really bad that he seemed to be upset with you.
“What the...?” Steve screamed as lanterns on the boat posts lit up and you began to move. You huddled closer to Douxie who thankfully didn’t protest.
“Come on, Steve. Get it together. Knights don't scare,” he whispered to himself. You watched as the water in front of you began to glow and up rose a turquoise lady in an odd veil.
“It's... It's her!” Claire marveled.
“I am the Lady, Nimue, Eldest of Oracles. Why do you seek me?” She asked in a clear voice.
“Okay, everyone, just be nice to the goddess. I'll sort this,” Douxie cleared his throat. “Oh, mighty Lake Lady... we are here to request your aid.”
“And we're missing an old wizard, if you've seen one,” Archie added.
“I can give you what you seek,” Niue said.
Douxie took this as a sign and continued. “Only you can help us on our quest to fix Excalibur and save Camelot.”
“That is not which you truly desire.” She gestured to Douxie. “You seek redemption from a scorned mentor.” She moved to Claire. “Escape from guilt.” She went to Steve. “Validation of knighthood.” Finally she moved to you. “Safety for you and your friends.”
You sighed in relief when she didn’t say ‘Douxie’ or something embarrassing. You had half expected her to say Mao, though, you really missed the kitten.
She moved on to Archie next, but she seemed to hesitate with him. “And you seek...roasted salmon?”
“Guilty,” Archie admitted.
“What? Come on, Arch!” Douxie glared at his familiar, but turned his attention back to Nimue as the boat rocked.
Nimue moved away from the boat. “You are not the first to try and deceive me. You are not worthy!”
“Uh, guys…” Claire panicked as the water around you began to bubble.
“Uh, Mr. Magic Man?” Steve asked.
“That is no lady!” Douxie yelped as tentacles came out of the water.
“You seek, you take, and all receive their final reward,” Nimue rasped in a gravelly voice.
“Time to prove my knightly skills. I'll protect thou-thee. Uh, huzzah! Huh?” Steve screamed as Nimue picked him up and dropped him in her mouth.
“Steve!” You all cried.
“Now, onto your rewards,” Nimue threatened.
“Y/n, get out of here now, you’re not fit to fight,” Douxie said, trying to persuade you.
“Not without you,” you responded, shielding all of you as one of her tentacles whapped the boat.
“Such puny creatures make tasty meals,” Nimue laughed, a tentacle wrapped around Douxie and you yelped, doing your best to blast it without hurting him. Douxie reacted though, cutting her with what was left of Excalibur.
“I hate to say it, but perhaps we should've stayed in the ship!” Archie called as he flew around breathing fire on Nimue.
“We need to subdue her so she'll fix Excalibur!” Douxie said. Once Archie was back on the boat you and Douxie worked together to send the boat backwards, rocketing away from Nimue. Archie helped by sending fire.
“We need to get Steve out of this seaside freak show!” Claire countered.
“Oh, fuzz buckets.” Douxie cursed as the Lake Lady rose up infront of your boat again. Douxie sent a blast at her. She retaliated by ripping a piece of the ceiling off and hurtling it towards the boat. Thankfully you and Douxie reacted fast. The chuck of ceiling glowed orange and blue and
“You've been a very bad Lake Lady!” Douxie yelled as you rammed the pillar at her stomach.
You watched as Merlin and Steve fell out and you did your best to cast a spell that would slow their fall.
“Oh! Hey, I-- I did it. I'm a hero,” Steve slurred before collapsing.
“My revenge tasted so sweet,” Nimue groaned.
Douxie scoffed. “Wait, revenge? What revenge?”
“You attacked us, lady!” Claire yelled.
You opened your mouth to add your own retort, but you stopped when you noticed symbols around the cavern. They were written in green magic, Merlin’s green magic.
“Long ago, I gave him the blade, but he imprisoned me here in this cave without hope,” Nimue explained.
“Wait, Merlin trapped you here?” Douxie asked, shocked. You went to grab his hand.
Nimue roared. “Now my prison will be your tomb!”
“Take her down, man, or we're all gonna get dead!” Steve cried.
“But who'll repair Excalibur, Douxie?” Archie asked.
“Well, she's not going to! What do we do, Douxie?” Claire asked and you sensed Douxie begin to have a panic attack. You smiled at him and squeezed his hand and he smiled back.
His decision was made and you watched as he raised the broken Excalibur and blue lightning coursed up it. “Tenebris exilium!” Douxie shouted, throwing the sword at the wall. It shattered, creating a way for Nimue to leave.
“Wait, you let that tentacle lady bounce?” Steve asked, you looked back to him, he was clutching a tooth next to an unconscious Merlin.
“And destroyed Excalibur?” Archie stated.
Douxie looked away. “What are you waiting for? Just go! I may not know how to fix this...” he sighed, “but I do know that you shouldn't be stuck in here.”
Nimue hesitated. “You are... different. You are kind. This gift must be repaid. The sword was meant for those worthy. Do good with it.”
The way the lady phrased that made you pause. Nimue never said he should give it to Arthur, she told Douxie to ‘do good with it.’ You put that thought aside and focused on what was happening.
“I shall return it to its rightful place. Thank you, Scary Monster Lake Lady,” Douxie said.
Steve waved goodbye as Nimue left. “Good-bye! Sorry I almost slayed you, Monster Lady!”
Merlin coughed. “Hisirdoux, what have you done? Uh... oh. Is that Excalibur?”
Douxie smiled proudly. “Indeed. I've resecured Camelot's stability, just as you'd planned.”
Merlin looked around, getting his bearings. “Ah. We must return to Camelot, where we will discuss your blunders later.”
Claire nudged Douxie. “Nice work, Teach.”
“And I got a monster trophy! Whoo! Quest!” Steve whooped.
~~~~
It was a day later when Arthur threw a ball. The next day there was to be a tournament. It was supposed to be a ball of mourning and everyone was dressed up.
When you had gotten back from your quest Douxie had given you some tea and you were feeling much better, though you knew you and your friends were still in trouble. One of the many things troubling you was how Douxie seemed upset with you. It was hard to tell, but you could sense some sort of underlying anger or something at you. But it could just be all in your head. After all, He had found the gorgeous black dress you were wearing.
It was stunning, with silver embroidery along the skirt and over deep black silk. You felt absolutely amazing, you just wished the dress wasn’t for a funeral. It was your first ball and it was one of mourning.
You looked at the crowd at the courtiers. Many of them didn’t look to be in mourning. You had stopped reading their auras long ago, but those you had read didn’t seem too upset by the death of Morgana. They were only excited about the return of Excalibur and what that meant to them.
You were only at the ball because Arthur wasn’t going to be there. Merlin was still concerned that you’d get in trouble if Arthur saw you.
Many people tried to talk to you. It was the court gossip that Merlin had taken a new apprentice, and people wanted to know everything about you. It was kinda funny watching people fawn over your lies.
You looked around for Douxie, maybe less people would ask you to dance if you could find him. Steve was off doing knight stuff and you didn’t know where Claire was.
You made your way through the room, eventually realizing that Douxie wasn’t there. It made sense, even though he was proud of himself for getting Excalibur, he was upset that he hadn’t saved Morgana.
Once you were out of the ballroom, you began reading auras again. It would be easier to find Douxie that way.
It was like deja vu searching for him through the castle just like you had done on your first day in Camelot. It felt like forever since then, so much had changed.
You finally found him in the gardens, an area of the palace that you had never been to. “Hey,” you called, walking over to him. You could hear the music from the ballroom and you realized that you were right below it.
“Y/n,” Douxie said and you took a step back, he still seemed to be kind of upset with you.
“Douxie, I know you’re not happy with me,” you started, “but I made the choice to use shadow magic. I knew what I was doing.”
“I’m sorry if I came across as upset. I was just scared and it’s terrifying to see you so sick, it’s like I could lose you any second.”
You gave an understanding smile. “I’m sorry about that, but you know what, you need to relax. You have so much on your shoulders, you should have some fun tonight. This is my first ball and I want to enjoy it.” You grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. Grabbing his other hand you began to dance. The song that was playing was clearing one that you would waltz to and you were glad you knew how.
“I’m so sorry I pulled you into this,” Douxie said, twirling you.
You shook your head. “You do know I had magic long before I met you and that my brother was fated to be the Trollhunter, right?”
“Well, yeah, but I got you stuck in the past.” He lifted you in an arch and you smiled brightly.
“No...a piece of ice from the Arcane order did that. You need to stop blaming yourself for everything Douxie. I know things are bad, but we will find a way to fix them.”
Douxie looked ready to argue with you, but instead he leaned forward, it was a good second before you realized what he was doing and you moved to close the gap.
It was definitely something to be kissing Hisirdoux Casperan, something wonderful. It was so full of love and you smiled into it. It was a sweet little kiss, filled with the promise of more. And it was all too soon though when you broke apart.
“So, uh, that happened,” Douxie stuttered.
“I’m glad something happened,” you heard Archie mumble and you twirled around to see the familiar sitting on the bench, you hadn’t known he was there. “It’s been painfully obvious that you two like each other from the moment I met you.”
You laughed a little. “Huh, that obvious?”
“Very.”
****
Tada! I really hope y’all liked it and are excited for more. I have no clue when more is gonna happen, but it will happen soon. I have a fun idea for chapter 19.5! Anyways, thank you all so much for all the kind comments and I hope you have a fantastically safe and wonderful day!!
P.S. if you want to be on the taglist feel free to ask. I hope it works and please message me if it doesn’t.
#douxie x reader#douxie imagine#hisirdoux casperan x reader#hisirdoux x reader#wizards imagine#trollhunters imagine#toa imagine#tales of arcadia imagine#douxie#toa douxie#wizards douxie#hisirdoux casperan#trollhunters#trollhunters douxie#toa#tales of arcadia#tales of arcadia douxie#wizards#fire keeper
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Thank the Vanir | [ Ivar x Reader ]
❛ pairing | Ivar x Reader
❛ prompt | It was bananas with Ivar, but I changed it to Apples. Written for my patron @alicedopey
❛ summary | None of your friends know the truth; you rather they stay that way. Ivar celebrates a new beginning.
❛ warnings | impotency implied, functional family dynamic (no brothers bitching at each other as in the show), pregnancy mention, soft!ivar, squabbling OCs, pure f l u f f
❛ sy’s notes | here is the first of my squares filled for my Summer Patreon Party event! Best to start off with my favourites: pregnancy. I don’t have other preggo fics this event so, cheers! Another fic will hitcha tomorrow.
Ivar hates it when you don’t listen to his suggestions. They are simple enough; Don’t stress yourself with the birds. But you have this awful habit of not listening to what he asks. He breaches the doorway of his Great Hall after a long day in the soft sun.
“--he was this big,” says your blonde headed friend Alva, whose hands were like a man’s, plump and strong. Ivar wonders what magic she has. It has to be something to bring in the sort of men that she did. Maybe it was her mouth.
“Big or small?” prompts your lifelong friend, Revna. Her hand weaves your hair into divine memorized patterns. Under and under, they both weave patterns into your hair. Revna mouths around a pin, easing it into place on your head. “Are you so sure?”
Though you’re tired, exhausted even-- the women sit on the ledge of his throne, braiding your hair into something new and pretty. He glances off from his place at the mouth of the his Great Hall, listening to your friend’s incessant chittering between his men eating their dinners at the many tables.
“Big! I told you, big!”
“Little Hvitserk isn’t that big. He is more like…. This,” Revna clasps her hands over Alva’s hands, leaning them in, then barks in her haughty laughter looking toward you. “Isn’t he, isn’t he?”
“Ah! What would she know!?” Alva pouts, looping ties around your pre-existing braids.
“Perhaps it is genetic!”
“There finished. There, look how pre-- Wait,” she leans in, her black eyes prodding you for an answer. You hide behind your bowl of berries. It’s not time yet for your favourite fruit-- apples-- to be in season. So you’re stuck with the tart berries, shaking your head in disapproval as she spoke. “You’ve never slept with Hvitserk, have you? Wait. They shared that slave. What was her name, what was her name…”
“Margrethe.”
At last you speak. It’s something soft and gentle, something that prompts him to limp closer to save you. His calibers shift in place and his body follows suit with them. His back straightens and pulls up, each jab pierces the wooden plates under his hovering. You sit up, swatting the girls to hush, suddenly animated.
“No, of course she’s never fucked Hvitserk. She only has eyes for Ivaaaar. And why would she? Hvitserk looks like a misshapen woman. What are you thinking?”
“He does not!”
“Revna stop. He’s coming, he’s coming.” you swat her, tugging your finished braids over your shoulder, standing up with a hand on your swollen stomach. “Girls,” Ivar’s hand flicks out, then back in again, taking its place over your belly. “You won’t mind if I take my wife?”
But they argue like birds in a tree over a chunk of bread. They’ve already forgotten about you with their eyes square on his body-- he can feel them looking at him, debating his brother’s size based on his size, and there they go again. Ivar is grateful that he wasn’t challenged in getting erections, only keeping them. Revna doesn’t care for Hvitserk, not as much as her other half. His beard is patchy and he looks like a bitch! You did not! Look at Ivar!
“Hurry, they argue,” you rush toward the doors of Kattegat, imploring him to walk through his people gathered there. Ivar stops just outside of the grand double doors of his hall, turning his head toward the chariot waiting there.
“They may be annoying,” he mutters, but his hands wander, and find your beautifully braided hair underneath a finely set crown. “But they do beautiful braids. You look perfect.”
“You should let them do yours.”
“You expect me to sit with them?” You could see if now. How they would argue over the stupidest things-- like whose cock was bigger-- or ask how big Ragnar was. Even though, as word had it based on the women in the outskirts of town, he was a sight in his youth.
“I rather you do it. Come, get on first.” Ivar adds. You pluck up your skirts, mounting his chariot with ease.
“Where are we going?”
“On a ride,” Ivar gestures. “Have you told them?” he ponders. You hand off an empty bowl of berries to a thrall there, pulling the long train of your dress up preemptively. You rather not trip after all. You wait until Ivar has mounted before responding to his question-- only when he’d snapped his reins. Cool air whizzes through your hair as he rushes through town.
You glance between the rushing buildings where Hvitserk’s hut was. Thora’s home with Hvitserk billowed smoke. There was no point to telling them private secrets; They would always tell them. Most of Kattegat did. “Tell them what?”
“That I didn’t--” you cut him off.
“I don’t know what you mean, Ivar. Sigtryggr is your son.”
He snaps the reins a little harder, flying through the gate of the home and into the open well ridden roads. “He is.”
“Where are you taking me?” You ask, noting the flat fields that stretch on for miles. On the outskirts of town, the fields become rich forests, richer still with your favourite fruit: apples. You’d not realized that while the apples were not in harvest, their blooms were in full display now. In the trees were their soft, bouncy blooms that contrasted against the dull brown of Kattegat’s unkempt buildings. They had not been painted in some years and so the colours dulled some. There’s something intrinsically beautiful about the simplicity of nature. Ivar comes to a stop, stepping off to tie his horse off.
“I don’t remember there being so many wild apples in this area.”
“There weren’t,” Ivar hobbles over. “I imported them from York.”
The timing had been happenstance. When he came home from York to conquer Lagertha, he did not know that they would bloom in time for your pre-determined pregnancy. They could have not bloomed at all. He thanks Thor, his pendant beating on the exposed flesh of his chest, that it did. The god’s favor was his.
“A celebration for your conquest,” you tease, stopping above a tree that spoke to you in a particular way. “How sweet.”
He envelops you from behind, forgetting his crutch on the ground. It thunks among tall grass as his hands come around you. A small wind wafting through your hair, carrying wind to the fjord. You turn your head toward it-- toward him.
“A celebration of new life with my wife,” he cradles you in a warmth of security that is his arms. His term of celebration-- its better -- infinitely better than yours. You reach back and smooth your fingers over his coarse hair. A new crown, a new marriage, and above all-- a new life. There’s a lot of new this year, a lot of reasons to be happy and pray for a healthy delivery.
“Thank the Vanir.”
@tephi101 @alicedopey @supernaturalvikingwhore @tootie-fruity @titty-teetee @queen-see-ya-in-valhalla @ethereallysimple @deathbyarabbit @deathbyarabbit @readsalot73 @natalie-rdr @lol-haha-joke @lisinfleur @hissouthernprincess @marvelousse @dangerous-like-a-loaded-pistol @vikingsmania @wish-i-was-a-mermaid @lif3snotouttogetyou @gruffle1 @cris101071 @gold-dragon-slayer @babypink224221 @wonderwoman292 @naaladareia @beyond-the-ashes @generic-fangirl @chinduda @laketaj24, @peaceisadirtyword, @ly–canthrope @cris101071 @daughterofthenight117 @unassumingviking @ladyofsoa, @inforapound @winchesterwife27 @feyrearcheron44 @readsalot73 @squirrelacorngliterfarts @gold-dragon-slayer @medievalfangirl @sallydelys @bluearchersstuff @affectionrabbitt @whatamood13 @notyouraveragegirl17 @igetcarriedawaywithyou @unacceptabletatertots @ivarandersen @stra-vage @tgrrose @cookies186 @learninglemni-blog @theleeshanotlouise @soiproclaim @msmorganforever @beyond-the-ashes @supernaturalvikingwhore @mblaqgi @wuxiesalt @hopplessdreamer @therealcalicali @rekdreams-fandom @moondustmemories @athroatfullofglass @poisonedjoinery @strangunddurm @shookforyoojung @peachesnpisces @tierneygonzalez @hexqueensupreme @nohemi2500 @queenmissfit @alicedopey @dmv49 @sallylebecks @terrainhead @mybarnesmyhero @youurkryptonite @lif3snotouttogetyou @vikingsmania @looneytunes20033 @bat-fam-blob @oneofthelothbroks @lovelynerdytraveler @chinduda @whatamood13 @honeyofthegods @ilvebeenabad @queenbeeta @wonderlandofsu
#ivar x reader#ivar the boneless/reader#ivar the boneless x reader#ivar ragnarsson x reader#ivar ragnarsson/reader#vikings imagine#vikings imagines#vikings/reader#Vikings x Reader
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A Geraskier soulmate AU
Where people receive two soulmarks on each of their wrists - one soulmark for the person whose life you’ll change, one soulmark for the person who’ll change yours. Two people bound to you by Destiny forever.
I’m not actually sure if i’ll ever fully write this fic, but here’s an excerpt of what’s sitting in my drafts. Geraskier with a side of Jaskier & Yen friendship, because this has absolutely become my brand. Also a heavy dose of idiots in love, because i am a huge sucker for that trope. More below the line!
Jaskier is eight years old when his first soulmark appears.
It’s younger than most - usually, a person’s first soulmark appears closer to puberty, with the other one following closely after. Very rarely do they appear at the same time. No one knows why, only that this is what Destiny has commanded.
Two soulmarks. One bears the name of the person whose life you’ll change. The other, of the person who’ll change yours. It’s impossible to know which is which, unless you meet both. But the feat has become rarer and rarer across an increasingly dangerous Continent.
But Jaskier is eight years old, studying quietly in the library with his tutor watching over him, when something that feels like fire shoots up his wrist and he lets out a startled gasp, dropping his quill, eyes welling with tears. His fingers automatically come up to squeeze his left wrist in an attempt to lessen the pain.
“Something the matter, Master Julian?” The tutor asks, eyebrows knitting in faint concern.
“My - my wrist,” Jaskier gasps, still squeezing. The older man steps closer; gingerly unfurls the boy’s fingers from his wrist and sucks in a sharp, pleased breath.
“Not to worry, young Master. Your first soulmark has appeared - and at such a young age too! How exciting.”
Jaskier blinks up at him in surprise. “A soulmark? Already?”
“It seems that way, yes. Why don’t you read the name?”
He tilts his wrist up to the sun; pain momentarily forgotten when he indeed finds a name written in brilliant purple script on the inside. Jaskier is only eight years old, but is absurdly pleased as he takes in the elegant swoops and curves of the name.
“Yennefer,” he says slowly, sounding it out on his tongue. He looks up to meet the eyes of his tutor. “Do you think this is who I’m meant to fall in love with?”
“Hard to say, young Master. After all, it is very rare that a soulmark forges a romantic bond.”
“Really?”
“Why, yes. Destiny binds each of us to two souls that are meant to stay with us until the end of time. While sometimes soulmark are romantic, they usually denote a strong, affectionate, familial bond,” the tutor explains, and taps on Jaskier’s wrist. “This is a person whose life you will change, or who will change your life for the better. You’ll be bound to each other for eternity no matter what.”
Jaskier nods slowly. His eyes, unbidden, return to the newly nestled soulmark on his wrist. “But I won’t fall in love with her.”
“Perhaps you won’t. Or perhaps you will. Who knows, young Master? Maybe you’ll be fortunate enough to fall in love with your soulmate.”
His eyes don’t stray from his soulmark, expression becoming thoughtful. Family would be nice - Jaskier is only eight years old, but the noticeable absence of both his parents all the time is a heavy weight he already bears.
But love - romantic love -
Jaskier is only eight years old, but yearning so sharp and so sweet fills his chest all at once.
“I sure hope so,” he murmurs, before his tutor bids him to resume his studies once more.
***
Jaskier is fourteen years old when his other soulmark appears. He is less startled by the pain this time, although it is just as intense as he remembers.
Shooting up from his bed, brow dripping faintly with sweat, he peers over the inside of his right wrist; looks at the way the name Geralt is scrawled there in near-perfect cursive, the ink this time dark as midnight instead of the vibrant violet dotting his other wrist.
“Huh,” he says to himself, tilting his wrist back and forth, watching how the moonlight from his bedroom window catches the letters. A smile blossoms onto his face - both soulmarks at fourteen years old, when most at his age would be lucky enough to have one! He wonders what this means, and finds himself thinking that his soulmates must be incredible people indeed.
Jaskier is fourteen years old, and the yearning that’s been burning in his chest since he was eight intensifies. He wants to meet them. He desperately wants to meet them.
Family, he has come to understand, is a valuable currency, one that continually eludes him. He seldom sees his parents now, having been raised mostly by gaggles of maidservants, tutors, and cooks, before being shipped off to Oxenfurt to study. He still wants to fall in love. The kind of love that quickens breath, weakens knees, sends the heart racing. But he wants to change a life, and have his life changed - to be part of something bigger than he is, something bone-deep - more.
It won’t be long before he strikes out on his own. In just a handful of years, he’ll be able to leave this unbearably lonely estate and travel the Continent, trusty lute on his back, quill and notebook in his bag, and heart full of hope.
He falls back onto the bed, eyes already closing. The last thought he remembers before sleep overtakes him is this:
Soon. I will find you soon.
***
Jaskier is eighteen years old when he meets Geralt of Rivia.
His eyes find him across the tavern almost of their own volition, and his breath catches. He’s heard stories of the white-haired witcher but he’s never dared hope that it could be the Geralt tattooed on his wrist. But there he is, just several steps between the two of them.
Jaskier is moving before he’s realizing it, heart a wild, fluttering mess in his chest. Sits across from the witcher who wants to be left drinking alone in his corner, undeterred, asking for feedback on his song.
“I know who you are,” Jaskier says, his breath catching because his heart is in his throat, “you’re Geralt of Rivia.”
There’s a flash in those golden eyes, but nothing else.
“I’m Jaskier.”
“Hm.”
There is no recognition, no acknowledgement, and Jaskier is eighteen and momentarily flummoxed, rooted to his spot as the witcher gets up and leaves. It sends him scrambling to follow him outside, and he nearly trips over his own feet.
“Geralt. My name is Jaskier,” he repeats.
The Witcher pauses; raises an eyebrow. Jaskier can only describe his expression as deadpan. “So you’ve said.”
“I - really?” Jaskier is, for the first time in his eighteen years, struggling for words. Stumped. Stunned. Utterly bewildered. “It’s - it’s not ringing any bells?”
“No.”
Huh.
Jaskier continues to stare as the Witcher fixes up the harness on his beautiful, chestnut horse, wrapping her reins in one hand as he begins to lead her on the dusty, rubbled path. He’s feeling an odd mix of confusion and disappointment. Did he have the wrong Geralt? He’d been so sure -
He shakes his head. No matter. He still knows an opportunity when he sees one.
“Geralt. Wait - Geralt! Let me come with you,” he offers quickly. “Your reputation needs a little, shall we say - sprucing up a bit. And I need material for my songs. If you let me, I’ll compose a ballad so great, so magnificent, people will forget you were ever known as the Butcher of Blaviken.”
Geralt says nothing, but he doesn’t push Jaskier away either, so the bard takes that as a good sign. He has a feeling the Witcher isn’t one for many words anyways. So he tightens the strap of his lute more firmly across his shoulder, and falls into step beside Geralt and his horse.
He tries to ignore the way his right wrist is prickling with static, and starts humming a song to distract himself.
#geraskier#the witcher#the witcher fanfiction#jaskier#geralt of rivia#yennefer of vengerberg#this is absolutely#idiots in love#because that is also my brand#i cannot stress this enough#jaskier and geralt are very much idiots in this fic#hilarious miscommunication
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Chase Of Fascination
I have no idea why, but this one was a S.T.R.U.G.G.L.E to finish.
Centaur Hizashi Yamada x reader
Warnings of injuries and a bit of blood
Nerves still course through me as I approached the entrance gate. I’m still worried about possibly kicking a centaur too hard or something happens that makes them hate me. Of course, that has only happened to a handful of people, but it still could happen to me. The centaurs are free to leave whenever they wish, so it’s not like they’d be stuck with me again if they have to be.
There were multiple people and centaurs in the distance. One green-haired kid was having trouble getting on an oddly colored paint centaur. Another was a rather bratty child who kept yelling at the red and black one he was on, but it seemed to not mind his temper.
My mind drifted off from them as a man and woman came up to me. The male seemed rather uninterested in being here, and the woman cheerfully waved at me. “Welcome! We’re glad you chose to help ride horses safely by learning here!” She opened the rather fancy gray gate with horses on it. They lead me down a path with multiple other small pastures on both sides.
Many of them were with riders training. It made me feel a little better watching a blond fall off a Dapple Gray centaur with a rather purplish color. Despite his calm demeanor, it was easy to tell he was rather concerned for the blond. The blond quickly got back up and laughed it off, making the centaur look relieved.
“Pretty interesting huh? We’ve got a few free ones hanging around back there.” Looking to the ground, there are multiple hooves marked into the gravel. It was quiet between the three of us as we walked there. In a way, this felt rather awkward.
A rather beautiful looking centaur quickly approached as we entered the area. A Dun Palomino by the looks of him. The black-haired male next to me didn’t stick around and left as soon as he saw it approaching. “What’s up yo!”
“Hey, Hizashi! Aren’t you still supposed to be with that Kyoka kid or something?” Asked the woman next to me. He shook his head. His long bright blond hair slightly moving with his head. It was long enough to drape across the sides of the shoulders of his horse part. "Nah, she dug the style of another one and asked to be with them instead. No worries!" She smirked at him.
“Jeez, you seem to chase everyone off at some point!!”
“Do not! It was just that last one! Just gotta find the ones who dig my kind of style!”
“And what would that be? Noisy until they want someone quieter? You make quite a few of them go to poor Hitoshi or Momo instead.”
He shrugged. His attention was then drawn to me. “Why, hello dear new rider! Didn’t notice ya there for a minute! As ya heard, name’s Hizashi! What’s yours?” He asked, and even bows for a moment while keeping eye contact. I wave while saying my name.
He smiles and stands back up. “A great name for a great looking human! Now, why don’t ya… What do you humans call it with those loud metal things? Take me out for a spin?”
I couldn’t help but smile at his straightforward enthusiasm. How could someone not like him? The woman looks at me with a smirk on her face. “Well, would you like to tame the wild beast?”
Hizashi mocked a gasp. “I am no beast! If I am a beast, I’m a sexy beast!” She rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say. Now come on! Time to get the gear!” The three of us headed towards a large red barn farther in the distance. Hizashi suddenly slumps over. “Man, why the saddle? Bareback is so much better!” He looks at me with a wink. “And gets us all the closer!”
She rolled her eyes again. “You and I both know bareback is highly unsafe for beginners. We learned that early on, and it’s better not to make the same mistake again. Especially if they decide to sue like last time.”
He waves his right hand. “Yeah, yeah. So what? I just know to keep my hands on them this time.” She frowns. “No. That’s final.” He crosses his arms and pouts. Something about the furrow of his brows and the puff out of his lips made him look cute. I do slightly question why that type of facial hair though. We quickly reached the barn and she went over to the equipment that had blankets and saddles with oddly shaped binds that look like an odd form of bridles on the wall.
She grabbed a black blanket off the wall and went to put it on Hizashi’s back. He blocked her by moving his body away. “Shouldn’t our dear new little rider do it instead? They gotta learn after all!” She looks at me and smirks. I could already tell what she was going to do and held my arms out. She drops the blanket into my arms. It was heavier than I thought it would be and caught me by surprise.
“Let’s get you started, huh?” She questioned while Hizashi moved closer so his side was next to me. He twisted his human torso to pat his horse back. “C’mon, we ain’t got all day dear!”
I couldn’t help but feel heat rise in my face as I looked away from him. They both laughed at me. I decided to just go with it and throw it onto his back. “A little forceful eh? Or can’t handle lifting the bit of weight?”
I shook my head. Hizashi looks in thought mischievously. “Nemuri, should we give ‘em the old light saddle?”
She smirks at me and him. “If they had trouble with the blanket, probably!” She reaches over and grabs a smaller black saddle with a rather deep dip in it and hands it to me. It’s surprisingly not much heavier than the blanket. I was able to get it on easily enough. I then lean down to hook the bottom together and tighten it. Worry went through me that maybe I tightened it too much.
“It’s not too tight is it?” They both laugh. “Ha! Not at all little rider! I’d say for a beginner you’ve got it rather loose!” Knowing that was a relief. Nemuri then goes to the other side of the wall where the odd-looking bridle was and picked it up. “This one I’m going to help with, since as you can tell, it’s not a regular bridle.”
She then puts it over his shoulders. Its metal circles were perfectly set on his shoulders while another strap went across his lower neck in the front and a few connecting on his back. Nemuri hooks a few more of them together in the front connecting both sides on his human stomach. She then grabs reins and puts them through the metal holes on his shoulders. It looks rather uncomfortable though…
“Is it uncomfortable? Why do you allow this if it is then?” I ask. Hizashi raised a brow at me. “Yeah, not gonna lie, it’s a bit odd, but it’s because I don’t have fur for it! It’s adorable you’re so concerned though!”
Nemuri looks at a watch on her wrist, then hands me the reins. “Alright, have fun you two! I have to go help others.” She says, waves, and walks out of the place. Hizashi and I go over to an empty pasture. He stays close to the metal bars of the fence. It might be to make sure I don’t fall to the ground as easily or something.
I was able to climb up into the saddle easily enough. It was a little difficult getting my right leg over his side. He kept his hands close to my legs like he was making sure I didn’t fall. “Ya know how to use the reins right?” He asked, trying to look back. He could only turn enough to see one of his eyes. “I think so,” I replied, and lightly pulled the reign to make him turn right. He turns without any problems. “Yep, ya got that down already! Now, why don’t ya try to kick to get me goin’? I tried kicking his sides. My feet barely even touched him. Hizashi barks a laugh. “Hah! What was that little rider!? I couldn’t even feel it! Ya gotta give a little more power than that!” I tried kicking a little harder, but it had the same strength. “C’mon little rider! You’re still not quite getting it right. Don’t worry, I can handle it if ya go a little hard! It’s almost endearing ya care so much though!”
The third time must be the charm. I kick slightly harder. He stood silent for a second, and I started to worry maybe that was still too hard. He starts to walk. “Yes! There ya go!” I breathe a sigh of relief. “Now, let’s get runnin’!”
“W-wait! Isn’t it a little too soon for this!?”
He started to trot. “Nah, gotta learn eventually. Might as well be now! Hang on!
-------------------------------------------------
For the past two weeks, he’s been rushing into having me learn things, and it’s easy to tell he has a hard time staying still for long. Oddly enough he loves to jump hurdles. They’re not exactly hurdles though since that isn’t something that was supposed to be taught here. I think he likes I end up leaning closer to his back when he’s jumping. It was easy to tell with time how a lot of people didn’t like him too much. He was able to keep learning pretty fun though. Besides, not many others can say they’ve jumped hurdles on a centaur before. Even Nemuri and the other which I found out is named Shouta were surprised since he hasn’t allowed that with others. Same for him actually sticking around and us hanging out. Usually, he tends to speed off after a few hours of being here.
Like now, we’ve been taking a break and I was laying against his side in the shade of a tall tree in the same pasture I met him in. He decided to lay down for a bit. I know laying on his horse part could be dangerous, but he assured me it would be fine for a bit. It was a really hot day and drained our energy faster than usual. Fortunately, there was a rather strong breeze that helped cool things off. Many others canceled their training for today. There was a peaceful silence between us with the rustle of the leaves of the trees and the pretty freshly cut grass.
“You two seem pretty comfortable over there!” yelled the familiar and teasing voice of Nemuri. Could have sworn Hizashi almost let out a growl as he heard her yell. He quickly grew a large smile on his face again though as she approached and sat next to me. “Whew, pretty hot out here, huh you guys?”
I laugh. “You said it. It must be like a hundred degrees or something.”
She laughed as well. “You’re close! The gauge says it’s about that.”
“Yikes! Well, at least it’s not too humid.”
“Still doesn’t help the sweat everywhere though.”
“True,” She replies and looks towards Hizashi. “Hey, Hizashi, what do you usually do if it gets even hotter out?” He sits up and shrugs. “Usually stay deeper in the forest,” He points his right thumb at himself. “I never let the heat get to me though! If there’s something I want to do, a little heat isn’t gonna slow me down!”
“I don’t doubt it for a second, knowing you in the past two weeks,” I replied. He gave me a cheeky smile. “Aw! I’m touched ya know me so well already!” He hooked his left arm around me and messed with my hair. I tried to push him away. He stopped rubbing my hair, but didn’t let go of my shoulders. He still kept his arm slung around me as he stood up.
Nemuri didn’t stay long as she saw a message come up on her phone and ran off. Hizashi’s smile went into a smirk. “Hey, ya know what we should do for your last day?”
I blinked at him. There was something we haven’t- no, he’s not thinking of that is he? He laughs at my expression. “Yep! Why don’t we do it as a final treat? You’ve got enough experience by now for bareback!”
“Won’t Nemuri get angry about it?”
He shrugged. Well that’s reassuring. “Fine, but you better make sure I don’t fall.” His smile somehow grew bigger than I’ve ever seen it. “Wouldn’t dream of it, little rider!” He almost too enthusiastically dragged me by my arm over to the fence. I climbed up on it high enough to help get on his back.
Getting on, it felt weird. It was hard to keep my balance, and to better it, I tightly gripped his shoulders. I also had to be careful where I was sitting so as to not be on his hair. He started laughing. “Don’t be so worried! I got ya! If you’re so worried though, why not try this instead?” He asks and grabs my arms to wrap around his torso. He seemed to shiver at the touch. “Not close enough,” he mumbled. How is this not close enough? “Hey, why not try your legs too! It could be like…” He seemed to try remembering something for a moment. “Like what you call a piggyback ride!” He grabbed my legs and wrapped them around his lower stomach.
It definitely wasn’t the most comfortable thing. A lot of pressure is being put on my lower back. I quickly unwrap my legs from his torso and try to figure out how to keep my balance better the other way. He huffs, but allows it. He does place his arms over mine though.
We practiced that for a few hours, and my back is KILLING me. Guess I still need to work on my form. As I expected, we got quite an earful from Nemuri. It was more in a teasing way though since everything turned out fine.
I was saying my goodbyes and thanks to them. It was now sunset, and it cooled off slightly already. I started to walk away from the entrance gate when Nemuri suddenly yelled for me. “What’s wrong?” She has a giant smirk on her face. “When you get home, there will be a gift from me for you. Just a heads up!” A gift? Why would she give me a gift? “Well, thanks for it!”
“No problem!” She replies as I turn around and continue on my way home. It didn’t take long for me to hear the sound of hooves coming towards me. I turn around and see Hizashi. I was curious as to why he was following. He’s never come this way before.
"Can’t leave ya alone now! Heard there’s been a pack of violent stray dogs around.” I don’t like the rather feral glare he had when he said that.
“So you’re walking me home? That’s fine. It gets pretty lonely anyways. Also, I’m not riding you there though. My back is still killing me from earlier.” He sulked a bit at that. “Alrighty then! How about ya give me your cute hand to keep you close instead then?”
“Sure?...” I give my hand to him, and he immediately interlocks them. He got into a walk that stayed level with mine rather quickly. It was peaceful between us until there was the snarling of dogs and yelling in the distance. Hizashi pulls me closer into his side as the noise of the dogs came closer towards us. In the distance, it was easy to tell they were ragged and scraggly. And definitely not friendly. They stared at us for a second, and started to charge. Hizashi had no trouble rearing up ready to hurt them.
One that had severe burns got the jump on us and bit into my leg. I was able to force it off after a few kicks with my other foot. Hizashi then kicked one of his front legs that crashed into the dog and sent it flying. He glared at the others who seem to be looking for an opening to attack as he lowered himself slightly for me to get on. Despite the pain in my leg and back, I knew the best thing to do is get on his back..
He decked the smaller blond one that went for his chest. After getting on his back, he got back up and landed a harsh kick to the same scarred one that tried to strike again. It didn’t take too long to get to my home in the woods. There was a rather large box in front of my house. It was a pretty big house, and he was able to enter the door by ducking his head. The ceiling was higher so he stood back up. “What are you doing!? You should put me down and wait outs-”
“No. My little rider is hurt so I need to help. I’ll help clean the floor or somethin’ after if that’s your concern. Now, you have those bandage things, right?”
“Yeah, in the bathroom to the right.” He had trouble squeezing between the couch and a chair, so he slightly moved the chair. Entering the bathroom, I leaned over the cupboard and grabbed the first aid kit. I then get off his back and stand on my toilet seat. I nearly fell with the pain in my calf, but Hizashi grabbed me before it happened. He makes me sit down on it and grabs the kit. He was rather confused as to how to open it. I reach over and open it to grab the small bottle of peroxide and bandages. I open the bottle and pour some on my wound. I’ll clean up the floor after.
Hizashi recoils from the peroxide. “What’s that?” The bubbles came up in the wound. “It looks like it’s hurting you more!” He goes to take the bottle. “Calm down! It’s used to help clean the wound from infection!” That eased him a bit. I then wrap the bandages around my leg. Blood seeped through, but it doesn’t seem to be deep enough to need stitches.
Something in him changed as he glared at the blood. “Ya can’t go anywhere without me now.”
“Why not? So We were attacked. You were with me when I was and I still got injured.” He hugged me tightly. “What if I WASN’T there?” He squeezed tighter. “You would have died! I… I can’t lose ya,”
He went quiet for a minute. “Everywhere you go, I’ll be with you now,” He suddenly perks up. “Besides, ya got a new fancy saddle from Nemuri!”
“Way to ruin the surprise.” He noticed what he said. “Oops… Well, gotta test it out tomorrow, huh, my dear little rider?”
I rolled my eyes.
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Idk what to think of this. I wanted the idea of yandere centaur Hizashi, but I don't think I did justice with it. After straining my mind for two weeks, I’m finally done! AKNKCJSHBHJDVb
#Yandere centaur Hizashi#yandere present mic#hizashi yamada x reader#x reader#oneshot#mha x reader#yandere mha x reader
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Echinacea Chapter 2
Now, as for the princess she had taken Wynn, a unicorn, from the stables, and was now outside Kratom, the kingdom of the Serpentes… Though, even for its title, strangely Kratom housed not only Serpentes but any kind if reptilian.
(Hm? Why did she take a unicorn? Well they’re simply the fastest horses, even faster than a Pegasus.)
In trying to remain inconspicuous she, perhaps, made herself more conspicuous. She donned standard riding boots, though perhaps a little too clean for the average person. A sash of deep green fabric tied around her waist and draped over one leg, making it glaringly obvious that she belonged to the human nobility. A white ruffled blouse, once again too clean for the average person and too ostentatious to be owned by a commoner. Not to mention her dark green cloak, embroidered with golden thread and fastened with a sparkling deep green emerald brooch. Like her mother, she was pale and had green eyes. The main point of distinction was her blonde hair. Now blonde hair was relatively rare among humans—at least rare enough to cause a scandal within the human royal family. Let us save such gossip for another time.
In fact, the only population with a significant blonde demographic were the Dwarves, and perhaps some avian races. Although avian hair color presents more sunshine-yellow than blonde, since it’s genetically tied to the color of their plumage.
Ah, but it seems I’m losing myself again—I have yet to even describe Kratom. Kratom is a large, walled city surrounded by forest. Its influence does not extend beyond this local; thus, the nation and municipality called Kratom are one and the same. Each wall encases a particular social class: The royal palace the center, then the upper class in the adjacent ring, and so on. The lowest class however, lives outside the walls, shunned by society. The citizens of Kratom pride themselves on their ability to blend in—rather, to camouflage themselves within any culture. Their city and architecture showing this well, from the stone, fortressed walls of Echinacea, to the ionic pillars of Verbena. The style mimicking is even shown in housing with the symmetry of the elven citadel Ginko and the Wooden siding of Velvet Leaf—the home of the forest elves. In short Kratoman architecture has elements of every culture in the continent of Evel. Though one thing relatively unique to the residents of Kratom is their love of gold—not just the coins, but jewelry and all manner of finery.
Jewelry tends to only be enjoyed by the elite, which brings us to Kratom social hierarchies. It’s rather… discriminatory by human standards—or any other culture’s, for that matter. For Serpentes and Reptilians, it’s a matter of their physical appearance, which manifests immediately when they hatch. The more animalistic their features, the higher their rank. As such, the queen nearly always resembles a giant snake with arms. Reptilians are limited to lower castes; a form that would merit queen-hood in a Serpentes would only allow a Reptilian to rise to knighthood, or maybe baronet, if they’re lucky perhaps even baron. The lowest class is the most human-looking: a face, arms, legs, torso… one could barely tell the difference, if not for the scales. As for clothing, Kratomans wear none, as they don’t have much need for it thanks to their anatomy.
Now that the sociology lesson is over, perhaps we can continue with the story.
“Wynn, wait here. I’ll be fine without you, this city’s not as dangerous as they say.” Noreen spoke more to herself than her companion
She patted the unicorn on the shoulder, pulled up the hood of her cloak and walked from the safe covering of the forest towards the large, foreboding walls of Kratom.
As she approached the city, the anxiety in her stomach grew. The looming walls did nothing to assuage her fears. A human in Kratom is surely to gain attention, something she did well. And yet she noticed none of it, too wrapped in her own mind and thoughts.
She was oblivious to her surroundings until she reached the middle ring. Kratom is traversed rather quickly, considering the entrance gates to each ring are lined up with the last. When the gates to the middle rig swung open, Noreen was blinded by the streets and ornaments of gold. The stone buildings were a tired, dull beige, easily ignored for the streets lined by day stars and paths of sunlight. She found herself distracted by the glitzy surroundings, her anxiety forgotten. She remained oblivious to the stares of the citizens. She paused by the fountain in the center of the circle. Like the walls and buildings, it too was made of stone, with flecks of gold spread throughout it and its water almost artificially blue. She stood there in awe until the unusual silence of the busy street was broken by the sound of falling coins. This was enough to break her out of her trance and refocus her on her mission… at least for now.
However, upon entering the upper ring her attention was once again stolen by her surroundings. Here, even the buildings were made of gold… or perhaps they were merely covered by gold plating. Even the people were covered in gold. The inhabitants of this ring looked quite different than the bipedal creatures Noreen had passed earlier: they had the lower bodies of their respective species, but with a human-esque torso and face (with the exception of the reptilians, who visibly earn their name). An obvious show to the racial inequality of Kratom. The thought of someone being lesser for their appearance was something foreign to most of Evel. With this thought in mind, Noreen made her way to the palace.
The palace of Kratom was the most beautiful part of the city and as such was always open to foreigners. The palace, instead of beige, was a cool grey to more bring out the warm gold that covered most of it. After entering the large gates of the palace instead of being captivated by the large ceilings painted blue, white, and gold, or perhaps the statues carved in marble of previous rulers. Noreen’s attention was instead captured by her target: Sistrine, the ruler of Kratom. She increased her pace. The guards, now on high alert, reached for their weapons. Before they could do anything, she closed the distance to her target and held a knife to the brown snake’s throat, pinning them in place. Her hood fell off and the snake’s hood flared out. The guards made to attack, but Sistrine stopped them by calmly lifting a hand.
“Child princess, you would not hurt your dear sweet mother, would you?”
However, Noreen simply gritted her teeth in rage and pushed the dagger further into their throat.
“Try me”
The snake’s glamour disappeared. “What stops me from alerting the guards or simply crushing you myself?”
“You’ll be dead before you can try. Besides, cobras don’t constrict.”
“All snakes can, my dear. But so be it. Why do you intrude? What do you wish of me?”
“Information. There’s something I desperately need to know.”
“I’m not a mind reader, darling”
Noreen tensed at the pet name.
“What was the role of demons in The Great War?”
Sistrine looked amused. “You of all people should know that… Considering who your mother is.”
Noreen growled and pushed her dagger ever further into the throat of the snake, tears coming to her eyes, before she came to her senses and bolted.
Upon leaving Kratom, Noreen had an eerie feeling she was being watched. It wasn’t until she reached Wynn that the culprit revealed themselves. They were a lower-class Kratoman—Serpentes? Reptilian? It is rather hard to tell with the lower classes. Either way, they were tall, with human-like facial features and green scales. Their manner in approaching Noreen was rather happy, maybe even excited.
“Human!”
Noreen audibly groaned at the delay.
“Yes? I’m rather busy”
“Oh, no worries. This will only take all of your time! Um… That was not a threat—“The reassurance did not do much to placate the princess’s unease as the stranger snatched at Wynn’s reins.
Noreen reached into her cloak to retrieve her dagger. “Speak fast”
“Right! Right! See, I overheard your conversation with the queen, and—“
“I thought your class wasn’t allowed to be in the throne room?”
“Oh, we aren’t. Anyway, it sound like you’re going to be doing a lot of traveling, and I want in.”
“It’s going to be dangerous, can you even protect yourself? Other than that how should I trust a stranger at my back? Let alone a Reptilian?”
“No. You’re going to have a lot of strangers. Also I’m a Serpentes, not a Reptilian. Which probably isn’t any better in your eyes, but I’m harmless, not a venomous species.”
“Right… Since I’m in a hurry and you have my unicorn’s reins, I’m assuming it’s easier to just let you come along, as long as you wear this.”
She handed over her cloak, then mounted the unicorn and slid back a little in an attempt to make room for the stranger.
“Of course! Thank you! But first, human, do you have a name?” The stranger did not move nor let go of the reins.
“Noreen”
“Okay, Nora! Well, I’m Sapa!” Sapa made a move to get on the unicorn.
“It’s Noreen, actually.”
“Nora?”
“Noreen.”
“Nora?”
“You know what? Fine.”
After this brief name exchange, Sapa was on the unicorn and Nora was adjusting them to sit side-saddle, with both of their legs over one side. The seating arrangement was rather uncomfortable, but with a unicorn it would be a rather short ride. Though a stray thought did make its way to Nora’s mind, that Sapa’s scales were surprisingly soft.
A few minutes into the ride, Sapa spoke up.
“So… Where are we going?”
“I’m taking Wynn back to the stables.”
“Then we can just finish your mission right then?”
“No, there’s still a lot of things I still don’t know and it would be a rather large risk I’m not willing to take. If I’m wrong I could end Echinacea.”
“But it takes weeks to get to Echinacea from here, on top of that you’re planning on traveling more?”
Nora leaned forward and grabbed onto Sapa as Wynn jumped a fallen tree, causing Sapa to let out a delighted giggle.
“On a unicorn it should only take a few hours.”
“A few hour!?” Sapa yelled in surprise
Nora gritted her teeth. “Yes, when we get there I want you to keep the cloak wrapped tight.”
“Hate to tell you, but I’m quite taller than you, and my feet look incredibly different. I am assuming, at least—I have not seen your feet, nor do I wish too”
“We’re not getting close to the castle, so it’s only if people see you from afar.”
“Even so, from a distance I’d be able to tell a human from a serpentes. After all, I noticed you among the townspeople earlier… Granted if you were Serpentes, you definitely were not supposed to be where you were.”
“Humor me,” Nora huffed
As stated, a few hours into the ride they saw the corral. Nora once more leaned forward and grabbed Sapa while Wynn jumped the fence and came to an abrupt stop. Nora gently nudged Sapa to dismount, then followed suit.
“What now?” Sapa inquired
“Since I had us Jump near the obstacle corral, first thing we do is move the tack there.” Nora started undoing the saddle buckles. “Preferably, you would take the saddle and I would take the blanket and bridle.”
“Why”
Nora stopped on the question for a while, trying to decipher what it meant. In the end she decided to answer both question she thought could be asked, and handed the saddle to Sapa, who took it.
“So they don’t notice I took Wynn, if they haven’t already. And because the saddle is heavy, and you’re likely stronger than me.”
Having finished taking off the tack, Nora started to walk towards the tack rack, motioning for Sapa to follow. Then Sapa turned to Nora.
“Now what?”
Nora sighed. “Now we jump the fence back into the woods and, since the corral is large, hope no one saw us.”
They started walking towards the outer fence.
“That’s it? No provisions? No nothing?”
“I have survival skills.”
“Have you ever had to use them?”
Nora ignored the question and pulled herself up and over the fence.
“I can tell you right now princess, survival isn’t fun.” Sapa scrambled over the fence to catch up.
“I’m not looking for fun.”
“Okay… Do you at least have an idea on where to go?”
“Ginko, Velvet Leaf, Hyssop, Tulsi, Burdock, and then Mallow.”
“Huh? Mallow’s the closest. Why aren’t we going there first?”
“It would be easier to go back to the other side of Evel and then come back, rather than starting closest, going furthest, and then returning.”
“I see… Next question: You’re human, but none of those are alliance countries. Why not? Would a human not seek aid from them first?”
“The problems I seek pertain to my mother. Should we go to alliance country, they would no doubt tell, which would put my life in danger.”
“Why would your life be in danger?”
“That’s a rather personal question, I’d rather not speak on it. Speaking of personal questions though, it’s rather hard to determine your… gender.”
“Ahaha—ah well, that’s incredibly personal, and not something Serpentes share freely… unless you’re trying to bed me?”
Nora cringed and cleared her throat.
“Back to the topic of alliance countries… They’re not really a country, but we might have luck with the elementals.”
“The elemental? No one has luck with them. I mean they don’t die and aren’t really involved in the world too much. I think the only reason the joined the alliance was to protect their forest, right? Not even for themselves, but for the animals they live beside.”
“Normally, you’d be correct. However, one of my dear friends is an elemental.”
“You’re friends with an elemental?!”
“Yes…” Nora said gritting her teeth.
“How does that happen?”
“They basically raised me. I do not know their intentions, though.”
“I’m not one to speak on parents, but that’s unusual for humans, yes? I mean being raised by someone other than a parent, much less an elemental.”
‘No, plenty of people have nannies or wet nurses.”
“What of the common people?”
“I do not know, they tend to have large families. I can’t imagine only two are parents. Could we perhaps travel in silence? At least until we get to the tavern?”
“Sure, after one more thing. Tavern?”
“There’s a tavern rather close to Echinacea run by ogres and wood sprites.”
“An interesting combination—oh, wait, I promised silence.”
They reached the tavern around sunset. The tavern itself was a basic wooden building, but huge. And as for the trip, it was mostly in the promised silence. Though not being able to expend energy on talking made Sapa restless. As they walked, they made sure Nora remained in sight. But, needing to occupy themself, they walked all over, looking at things, bouncing in place—then doing a little jog to catch up with Nora. That was how most of the trip went. For Nora, it was almost as bad as putting up with talking. For Sapa, it was torture.
When the two companions made it to the door, Nora turned to Sapa. The sound of her voice after so many hours of silence surprised the Serpentes.
“Just a tip—you’ll have better conversations with the ogres than the sprites.” She suggests in warning knowing Sapa’s over eagerness for conversation.
“Aren’t sprites supposed to be nicer than man-eating ogres?”
“Stereotypically, maybe.”
Sapa thought for a moment. “And yet your views on serpentes—“
“I’ve known many ogres and sprites. I’ve never known a good Serpentes.”
“Have you known any?”
She did not answer. Instead she pushed open the heavy door and walked inside. The tavern interior—much like the outside—was large, spacious. For perspective, the bar was so huge an average sized human could barely get their head over it. Luckily, Nora was rather tall, and the counter came up to her collarbones. Sapa, on the other hand, has no issues seeing over the counter as it only came up to their chest. The oversized furniture, however, fit the oversized proprietors of the tavern. The ogres—burly, and about three heads taller than Nora. The willow sprites—thin willowy, and even taller than the ogres.
“Noreen!” An ogre behind the counter yelled in greeting.
“Dimitrios!” Nora yelled back, flinging her arms out for a hug. The ogre jumped the bar, gaining glares from the sprites behind the bar, and lifted her into a cheerful hug.
“Um, Introductions… perhaps?” Sapa asked shifting their weight.
Nora waved her hand toward Dimitrios.
“This, as you’ve likely gathered, is Dimitrios. He introduced me to this place.’
He, in turn, put his hand on his hip and waved heartily, His clothes were a mismatch of leather, and he had a fish tattoo on his left shoulder. His skin was pale and sunburnt, his hair was long, thin, and dark. His eyes brown.
She then gestured to the two sprites behind the bar counter. Sprites are creatures made of wood and the magic of the earth. Their bodies made of vines of, in this case, willow wood. On their head grows leaves, once again in this case, willow leaves. Their eyes are, seemingly, balls of light. However, their eyes don’t glow.
“Beata and Dionysia—they got married last spring.” The willow sprites glanced at each other, then waved. Beata kept her leaves braided, and Dionysia had flowers in hers.
She jutted her thumb at the ogre and sprite in the corner. The ogre was sitting, rather reclining in a chair. The sprite was leaning over him, a knife stabbed into the table, seemingly threating the ogre.
“Sybilla and Yannis. Sybilla is Beata and Dionysia’s child. Yannis is Dimitrios’ life partner.”
Sybilla stood taller and glared, her leaves were a lavender color. Yannis looked over his shoulder and waved. Like Dimitrios, he wore a mismatched leather clothing and had sheaves of wheat tattooed on his right shoulder.
Dimitrios brings attention to himself by clapping.
“So, what brings you here? And with such company?”
“We wish to rent to room. I assume this should cover it.” She turned to Sapa and pried the green gem out of its clasp.
“I assume it shall,” called Beata from across the room.
“All rooms are available, here’s the keys to the closest. Rest up well, you look horrible.” Dionysia was all business, as usual.
“Thanks…” Nora walked up to the counter and grabbed the keys.
“Let’s go,” she said to Sapa.
They both walk up the stairs to a large hallway of doors.
“So, these are your so—called survival skills?” Sapa inquired.
“Not the ones I was referring to, but connections are a good survival skill, I think.”
They part at their separate doors.
“Are you going to be okay?” Sapa asked, genuinely worried for the naive princess.
“I’m fine.” She replies on a bit too heavy a breath, “There’s not much to be worried about, I do have a bit of a plan.”
Without elaborating, she walked into her room and lay on the stiff bed. The strength and complexity of her emotions could do all except bring tears to her eyes. The heart-wrenching sorrow, the searing anger, the confusion, and yet she could not cry… was she broken? Eventually, she drifted off, exhausted from travel and thought.
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