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liahswriting · 21 hours

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Once Upon a Dream

Relationship(s): Bucky Barnes/Original Female Character

Words: 5,677

Warnings: None

Summary: Sort of a soulmate-AU in which soulmates dream of each other before meeting. Bucky is convinced she's not real, but dreams of her anyway no matter how many times Hydra tries to wipe her from his mind.

Bucky's first memory of her feels like forever ago. He can't remember how old he was exactly, he just knows he had been going through puberty because it was then he started liking girls. There was one girl he went to school with who he thought was really pretty. And after puberty, he started dating. He had asked this girl out and she happily said yes. Of course, being the age that they were, there wasn't much they could actually do. He had taken her to a nearby fair and they had a good time. He remembers being limited on money so he resorted to sneaking and charming his way into some free food and games. This may or may not have gotten him into some trouble, but either way the night ended with a blast and he was already promising this girl a second date.

He walked her home like the young gentleman he was. Then he made his way back to his home. It was late. Only his mother had stayed awake, waiting for his arrival -his father already fast asleep for an early morning job. Once Bucky was safe and sound at home, the family had bid a goodnight and Bucky was off to bed. Then he had his first dream of her.

She was another pretty girl. Around his age. A perfect match to his energy. In his dream, the two of them had snuck and charmed their way through town as they found numerous ways of entertaining themselves. In his dream, they seemed to be the perfect pair. Just two kids being kids, never having to guess what the other was thinking. They finished each other's sentences, understood each other's jokes, had a love for the same things.

Bucky woke the next morning still thinking about her. A smile had been on his face for most of the day, and everyone questioned what had him so happy. He never figured out what to respond with, so he always just said 'it's nothing'. At first, he didn't assume much from the dream. He had heard the wives tale of soulmates dreaming of each other, seeing the world through each other's eyes and watching them live their life until they were destined to meet, but this wasn't the first time he's dreamed of someone. He can count on both hands the amount of times an unknown person appeared in his dream. And he hadn't dreamed of that girl after that either. So he completely forgot about it and carried on with life, until he dreamed of her again for the first time in years.

He remembered her face. She looked the exact same, only a few years older. Bucky was eighteen this time. He knows that because he had graduated high school and was getting ready for college. He dreamed of her as she also took the next step in life. Women back then had the opportunity to achieve higher education, and many women took that opportunity having received a degree and entering the work force, but it was not as common an occurrence. Women more often than not were housewives. Instead of going to college, they married and had children. But she was one of few that put off that natural cycle of motherhood. He dreamed of her in his class, taking the same tests as him, having the same friends as him. He dreamed of her studying hard after class, working twice as hard to get the same grades as her male classmates because women were not taken seriously. He offered to help her study, telling her that he knew she was where she belonged and he wanted to help her get the respect she deserved. Hey, Bucky Barnes was nothing if not progressive.

When he awoke from his dream, something inside him had snapped. He began to wonder if that wives tale had any truth to it. Many people believed in the myth, claiming they dreamed of their husband or wife for years before meeting. Yet, at the same time, many claimed that they married a person they never dreamed about but still loved with their entire being. Bucky's parents hadn't dreamed of each other before marrying, and Steve's parents hadn't either, but he's heard the stories of his other friends claiming their parents had dreamed of each other and married the moment they met. Was Bucky one of the lucky ones to know of his soulmate before meeting her? He spent many weeks from then on looking for her face in his college crowd. He looked for her in all of his classes. He looked for her as he walked to and from the school. He looked for her in his neighborhood, wondering if she lived close by. But he never found her. He didn't even know her name to ask if anyone had heard of her. She was just a ghost, a figment of his imagination, and it drove him crazy not knowing if she even existed. He was dreaming of a woman he didn't know, yet he wanted desperately to know her.

Many more years pass until he dreams of her again. The world is in turmoil now as America is thrown into another war. Pearl Harbor had been bombed, and men from all over the country had been involuntarily selected to join the fight. Bucky being one of them. Fear ate away at him as he was prepped for war to the best of the Army's ability. He tests high on the AGCT, earning him a Grade I achievement and a Sergeant Officer title. He is assigned to the 107th Infantry and immediately thrown on the battlefield. He sees more death in the trenches than he ever thought possible. It's hell on Earth as the men beside him drop like flies. He grows tired and weary as he goes days without sleep, fear eating at him and keeping his adrenaline up so high that it's impossible to sleep. But he eventually manages. His body is so exhausted that he physically can't stay awake any longer. The officers switch out and Bucky finally falls asleep. His first dream is of her.

She is just as tired and weary as him as she works tirelessly in a factory, making bullets for the military. She works long hours, from sun up 'til sun down. Bags had formed under her eyes and her cheeks grow hollow, but she works diligently still. She packs each bullet with love and a wish for the soldier using it to come home. She tells him to come home. His name is hard to hear when she says it. It sounds mumbled, like she says it underwater. He's not sure if it's because he's just imagining her saying it, or if it's because she's not actually real and all of this is pretend. But he doesn't question it. He wants to know that someone is praying for him. He wants to know that someone would miss him if he were to die. It's what keeps him going.

And when he wakes, he feels refreshed and rejuvenated for another battle. He fights hard to win, to return home, to find her. He has hope that the enemy will surrender, and everyone can return to their loved ones.

But then he gets captured. The German forces take him as a POW, and he is used as an experiment for the science division -Hydra. But he still holds out hope that this isn't the end. He still holds out hope that he will be found. No matter how many times they beat him, no matter how many times they inject him with unknown substances, no matter how many times they electrocute him, he hopes and he prays. He thinks of her every single time to keep him distracted from the pain. He compartmentalizes himself to hide. It's there he imagines her and what would happen when he comes home..... If he comes home.

He imagines finding her waiting for him. The Army finds him and takes him home. She is the first person he sees once he has been treated for his injuries. She is standing outside the hospital, bouncing on her toes and shaking with anticipation when he walks through the doors. She runs to him and throws herself in his arms. And they kiss for the first time. She takes him home like the hero he is. They marry, have children, their children have children. They grow old together, happy and carefree. It's the perfect life.

But then they take him back and they zap him again. They inject him with more stuff. The pain gets more intense. And her image slowly starts to fade from his memory. But he fights hard to keep her there.

She's waiting for him to come home. She's outside the hospital, eager to see him walk out. They kiss when they see each other. Shortly after, they get married. They have kids. Many kids.

And then he's zapped again.

She's waiting for him. She's outside the hospital -no, she's outside the Army base. They kiss. They marry. They have a kid.

Zap.

She's waiting. She's the one that finds him. They kiss.

Zap.

She's waiting. Blurry and unrecognizable.

Zap.

He sees an empty building. No one inside. He walks out. No one outside. He is alone. There is an emptiness in his chest as he looks around and sees no one. He feels like something is missing, but can't place his finger on it. It hurts.

Hydra becomes his new family. He is their pet, obediently doing everything they say. They train him in the art of death. He learns how to kill with his new toy -a metal limb replacing what was his arm. They teach him how to be a weapon, working exactly how they intended. Once his training is complete, they tell him he will be stored away until needed. And he's put into some sort of chamber, sealed off from everything and everyone, and then it grows cold. Ice instantly forms inside this tube. His blood freezes in a snap. His body becomes stiff. And he falls asleep.

In his sleep, a mysterious woman approaches him. She walks oddly, almost like she just teleports to him instead of taking steps. Her movements are jittery and erratic. Her face twists and morphs like an electrical shock. But it's clear as day what her intent is when a jittery hand reaches up to touch the outside of his chamber. She places it gently against the glass. Her static-y face looks up at him and a sense of longing fills his bones. The chill of the chamber is nothing compared to the chill of desperation as he somehow finds the strength to reach up and place his hand against hers on the other side. He looks down to see that it's the metal hand. His gut churns. He looks back up to her just in time to see a tear roll down her cheek.

"Bucky." she says. It's garbled and stuttered. Like when the radio glitches out just before dying.

Her voice sounds both foreign, but familiar. He can't place where he's heard it before. It's on the tip of his tongue, but nothing comes to mind. He knows her. He knows he does. But he can't think of a name or a place. He tries, though. His brain kicks into overdrive as he scans through every thought he has. She called him Bucky. Was that his name? It had to be. Where was he from? A place comes to mind: New York. That must be where he is from. Did he know her there? Was she a neighbor perhaps? No, that doesn't sit right with him. Family? No, not that either.

Before his train of thought could come to a complete stop, she fades from his view. She disappears in a cloudy mirage. And then the cold follows suit. The glass of his chamber lifts, and in the place where she stood is a group of men with weapons drawn at the ready. The barrels of the guns are pointed directly at his head.

One man stands in the center of the group, making direct eye contact with him. As he falls to the ground on his knees, slowly regaining control of his still-icy limbs, the unknown man speaks.

"Soldat." the man says, and the word sounds foreign in his ears. But a painful shock zaps his brain, and a response forms in his mind, quickly traveling to his tongue.

"Ya gotov otvechat." he responds with. He doesn't know what it means, but he says it anyway. The answer satisfies the man.

The man approaches, getting to his eye level from the ground, and tells him of an assignment. He is told he needs to kill a diplomat. An enemy diplomat. That Hydra -his owners and handlers- are shaping the world. He is told that he will be prepped for the mission and be sent on his way later on.

"Where is she?" he finds himself asking as he looks around to the men still aiming their weapons at him. All men. Not a single woman. Not her.

"Who?" the man questions with concern.

"The woman. She called me Bucky. I know her." he says, and he finds out just too late that it was the wrong thing to say.

They take him back to the chair. The chair he remembers clearly, and his body goes into fight or flight mode, but he is wrestled into the contraption and forced to endure the torturous zaps to his brain. The memory of this woman is gone once more. All he knows is his mission, which he completes to his handler's satisfaction, and then he is once again back in the icy chamber. The world grows dark as he falls into a cold sleep.

He doesn't know how much time passes while he sleeps. Is it a day? Several days? Months? Years? He doesn't know. He is left alone in complete darkness. Darkness and silence. It drives him to insanity being alone, not knowing if he was dead or alive, but well aware that he does, in fact, exist.

In the dark void, he imagines someone. A stranger. A friend. Just someone to keep him company as time passes by at an unknown pace. She's beautiful. A beautiful, kind, and caring soul that makes him feel less alone. She smiles at him constantly, bringing him a comfort he hadn't felt in awhile. Her touch is soft when she reaches out to him. She takes his hands in hers -both flesh and metal- and guides him through the darkness until a light opens up and he is transported somewhere familiar. Somewhere safe.

She wraps herself in his embrace and places a sweet kiss against his lips. He's filled with warmth. It reaches out to her, enveloping them both in a blanket of peace.

"Marry me, Bucky." she says to him in a sweet lilt. It's a stark contrast to the rough, grating voices of the men he answers to. It brings a smile to his face hearing it.

He can't help but be enamored with her. He wants to marry her. He wants to spend the rest of his life with her. He wants to stay in this moment of happiness forever. But he's once again ripped away from her as she melts into a puddle of nothingness, and her figure is replaced by the group of armed men.

"Soldat." he hears one of them say.

"Ya gotov otvechat." he responds with.

It's automatic the way he behaves. Instantly obeying commands despite being filled with dread as he does so. Like he has no control over his own body. He's a puppet being pulled by strings he can't see. But something inside him knows better than to try and fight it. It's a voice inside his head that sounds familiar. It's feminine. 'Just do what they say' it tells him. And an image of a woman flashes before his eyes, before quickly disappearing.

He knows her.

He remembers her.

The men send him on a mission. The world around him feels strangely different, but he doesn't know why. As he studies the layout of the land, he feels like a stranger in a strange land. But he does his best to carry out his mission like he's designed to do. All the while, images of the woman keep popping up in his mind.

He knows her.

His mission is a success. A world leader is assassinated, the country is plunged into turmoil, and Hydra swoops in to clean up. They establish a stronghold in the area, spreading Hydra's influence. He is told he did a job well done when he is taken back to headquarters. His handlers reward him. Well, he guesses it's a reward. They give him some time to just exist before they put him back in the chamber. But he takes it as a reward anyway. He sits off by himself, watching the agents around him. He studies every single one of their faces. Why? He doesn't know. He just has the urge to look. There's a thought inside his head telling him he needs to find a specific person, but he doesn't know who.

Once again, he is put into the chamber, and he is again forced into an icy world of blackness. But she's still there. She's waiting for him, bouncing on her toes and eager to see him. Once he sets his eyes on her, she runs to him and throws herself into his embrace. She kisses him deeply with a wide smile on her face.

"Welcome home!" she tells him when she pulls back. He can't help but smile back at her. With her, he feels..... happy.

Time with her is an illusion. He doesn't even know how long he has with her before she disappears again, so he learns to cherish every moment they have together. He doesn't know how he remembers her, or why she keeps showing up, but she's the only thing he longs to see. This woman fills him with a sense of hope that there is still good in the world. He has hope that one day he will be free from the torture of Hydra. Her presence is a promise that she will be there for him when that time comes.

When he is ripped away from her, the first thing he does is search for her in the crowd of Hydra agents. He's wild as he desperately pushes past his handlers in search of her. But his actions cause a stir of panic among everyone as they rush to subdue him. He is chained and held down like a rabid animal. Still, he looks for her. Then they drag him back to the chair and strap him in. Even still, he looks for her. He wants her. He needs to see her. But she's not there. And then he's zapped, and he forgets her for the time being.

When he sees her again in his imagination, he comes to the conclusion that this is all she is -a part of him that has hidden away and only comes out to comfort him. He has convinced himself that she's not real. He hasn't seen her out there in the real world. She is not one of his handlers, she is not one of his targets, she is not a passerby on the street as he blends in with the locals during his stakeouts. She is nothing more than a ruse confined to his dreams.

But he dreams of her nonetheless. He dreams of a life with her. He dreams of a house with a white picket fence and a yard full of kids. There is no worry here, no pain, no despair. Here, he is normal with a normal arm and a normal brain. He no longer falls to his knees in submission when he is given an order. He's finally happy.

It's a cycle he comes to memorize: he wakes from his frozen world to a group of armed men, is given a mission, carries it out, wiped from it all when it's said and done, put back into his chamber, and then meets her again. He loses track of how many times it happens. All he knows is that each time he wakes, many years have passed since the last, and the only thing he ever looks forward to is the completion of his mission so he can return to his sleep and dream of her. His girl.

Hydra tries their best to wipe her from his memory. They zap him over and over again every time he shows so much as an ounce of humanity. If he looks too hard in the crowd for her, they put him in the chair. If he mentions the name 'Bucky' that she calls him, they zap him harder. If he asks about a woman, they beat him. So he's learned to keep it to himself. He keeps her locked away to keep both her and him safe. Hydra can't wipe her from him if they don't know he still remembers her.

He has built a life with her in his dreams over the years. The children that they had all grew up. Their first born is now married with a child on the way, their youngest is starting college, and the two of them sold their empty nest and downgraded to a little cabin perfect for just the two of them. They spend all their free time traveling the world, making memories in new languages, sharing their life story with anyone willing to hear.

At this point, they've grown old. They sport grey hairs atop their head, a few extra wrinkles on their face, slower in their movements as their weary bones require rest. But she is still the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. She still fills him with a warmth that comforts him. With her, it's like nothing else matters. It's the perfect life.

Just as he kisses her goodnight, he is once again robbed and brought to the real world.

The agents around him have come and gone over the years, but he still knows that they have the upper hand. His main superior -Alexander Pierce, he remembers- has aged quite a bit, letting him know that yet another several years have gone by.

"Status report." Pierce orders.

"Ya gotov otvechat." he replies.

"We've got another mission for you. It'll shape the world as we know it. Project Insight." he is told and he knows what he needs to do.

His prep is quick. He is given all as-needed information that pertains to Project Insight. He is given a team to work with, told what his role is, and what the desired outcome will be. He is told when he will depart and who his targets are once he gets there.

He prepares himself on the journey. It's New York. The place sounds familiar to him, but he has no time to think on it because they arrive and he begins his work. Project Insight will be overtaken from the inside out. Eliminate the leaders and gain control of security. He is tasked with the first part. He knows a name and a face: Nick Fury. He is the first target. Eliminate him.

He acts on impulse. His body moves as it is designed to do. It kills. It causes damage. It leaves a trail of destruction in its wake. He is nothing more than a machine with his buttons being pushed by others. His mind tells him that he is just as much a victim as the civilians around him, but deep down he knows that is not true. A victim doesn't harm others like this.

The innocent people on the road are the victims as he and his team engage in a reckless high-speed chase against Nick Fury. The people in the buildings around them that are impacted by exploding vehicles are the victims. Even Nick Fury is a victim as he fires a rocket at the man's car and sends it flying across the freeway, trapping him inside the vehicle. Part of him is thankful that Nick Fury hadn't died from the crash. He is relieved when he checks the pile of burning metal and finds it empty. But he knows that letting the man live will only cause harm to him. His mission is not complete.

He is sent to follow Nick Fury's trail. First to an apartment, and then to a hospital to end it once and for all. Later, when the Hydra agents on the inside are ready to take over Project Insight for good, he is sent to finish his job. Only one stands in his way: Captain America. He is the enemy's strongest contender. It's SHIELD, he remembers. SHIELD made Captain America their golden boy. As long as Captain America lives, Hydra will never have complete control.

He ambushes the man on the highway. His team crashes the car the man tries to escape in. From there, a gun fight breaks out. Innocent civilians are caught in the cross fire yet again. Many try to flee, but some don't make it. He feels dread seep into his bones at seeing the bodies just fall to the ground, but he has no choice but to ignore them and keep eyes on his target.

He fires a rocket at Captain America, who dodges it effortlessly, and the rocket explodes into a bus behind him. People inside rush to escape it before being burned alive. Captain America's body isn't seen, making him think the man is somewhere buried beneath the destruction. He can't mark his mission as complete until he has confirmation that the man is dead, so he closes in, weapons drawn at the ready, and approaches the bus as more escape. A woman crawls through a broken window, crying out as she gets cut up from the glass.

Once there, he pushes through the broken metal pieces, looking for a blond body. So far, all he sees is fire, glass, burnt belongings, blood, and the woman crawling across the pavement. Leave no witnesses. He gets up and scrambles toward her before she can get away. She senses his movement and looks back at him in fear. He hears her cry out and watches as her face contorts with despair.

He feels something tug at his heart strings as he watches her seemingly give up the closer he gets. She practically lays there and accepts defeat once he gets right on top of her. He knows what he's doing is wrong. He knows how he looks to others. He knows he is the machine of terror. But he can't stop. He can't will his body to back away and leave her be. He must finish the job. At the very least, he tells himself it's better to put her out of her misery, but it's not something that comforts him because he knows she wouldn't be in pain like this if it weren't for him.

He gets over top of her, dropping to his knees to keep her trapped to the hot pavement. He rolls her over and gets a good look at her for the first time. The first thing he sees is her face covered in cuts and blood. It stains her skin red, only broken up by streaks of her tears as she cries. Once more, his heart constricts on itself. There's a pain in his chest, telling him to not do it. Just walk away. You can do it.

The weapon in his metal hand is drawn, ready to fire. Her eyes glance over to it real quick before looking back to him. She doesn't fight him. Doesn't try to shield herself. She just lays there beneath him and accepts her fate. But, with a choked out sob, she speaks.

"Bucky.... please...."

Bucky..... He knows that name. He's heard it before. Somewhere, deep in his mind, he can picture the last time he heard it. He knows her voice too. It rings a bell somewhere in his mind too. Electric shocks zap his brain, forcing his eyes to shut in pain. The pain of the chair is on the forefront of his mind. They zap him every time he remembers. He's not allowed to remember. He's not allowed to remember her, because he's not allowed to be human. He's a machine. He's a weapon. But there's that one part of him he's kept hidden away that screams out to him. The one part of him he's saved just for her. It's the part of him that has built a life inside his mind. He remembers the woman in his dreams, calling out his name with a smile just before she kisses him.

She's waiting for him, outside the hospital he's being treated in for his war injuries. She's bouncing on her toes, eager to see him. When he meets her at the door, she is quick to run into his embrace and press a sweet kiss to his lips. They go home together to build their life. They marry, have kids, then grandkids.

"Bucky?" he hears her voice again.

He looks down at the woman still bleeding. She's watching him intently. Something inside him breaks down. The part of him that he's had hidden away finally comes forth. For the first time, he moves of his own will. His free hand reaches down to touch her, softly, carefully, and wipes away the blood on her cheeks. At first, she flinches at his touch, but allows him to swipe his fingers over her skin when she realizes he isn't harming her.

Her skin is soft beneath his fingers. His flesh fingers can feel her body heat scorching from the adrenaline. With her face cleaned as best as he can get it, it finally clicks. The woman. His dreams.

"I know you." he murmurs out. "You were in my dreams...... I remember."

He can see her visibly relax. More tears trickle out from her eyes, but this time they are accompanied not by screams but by a choked laugh. She nods at him hopefully. She attempts to smile up at him, but the smile is mixed with pain.

"Yes! Yes, it's me!" she cries. "Please, Bucky, don't do this."

"I.... I can't..... I don't know how to stop." he admits in despair, because he knows it's true. He has no control over himself anymore. He belongs to Hydra.

"I can help you. I promise." she rushes out. It almost sounds like she's just trying to convince him to let her up. After all, who wouldn't say whatever they could in order to get out of a situation like this? But..... he believed her.

He slowly gets off of her and holds a hand out to her. She is hesitant to take his hand. She looks at it for a moment, and he can see the gears in her head turning. But eventually she gives in. Her small, bloody hand sends a spark of electricity through him. This time, it's a good spark. It feels good. He pulls her to her feet and she wobbles against him. A pained cry erupts from her lips and he is reminded that she is injured. Injured because of him. He injured his soulmate.

"You need help. You have to leave." he tells her.

"Then come with me." she says.

He is about to answer her, telling her he can't because he is property of Hydra, but before he can say a single word there are more explosions around them. He covers her with his body, shielding her from the flying debris. Around them, the fire fight rages on. Captain America and his team are fighting the Hydra agents. Bombs, bullets, and rockets go flying around them. The bus then finally explodes into a million pieces and he can feel the heat burning through his clothes. He hears her cry once more as the heat burns her skin.

She can't stay here. It's too dangerous. Hydra will kill her.

He hoists her to her feet again and drags her out of harms way. He puts her behind cover and reluctantly lets her go.

"Go." he orders. She is confused.

"Come with me!" she repeats.

"I can't. They won't let me."

"Bucky......"

"Go!" he says more forcefully. Another bomb goes off and she has no choice but to back away.

A final look exchanged between them and she runs off, disappearing from him for the millionth time. It hurts more this time, because this time it's not his imagination. She's been ripped away from him for real. And when Hydra pulls back from the fight, taking him with them, he knows this will be the last time he ever sees her in real life ever again.

They put him back in the chair, and they wipe him once more, and her memory is once again gone.

#marvel #mcu #bucky barnes #original female character #ofc #fanfiction #oneshot #imagine

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thesoulspulse · 2 years

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Regarding The Ancients (Part 2)

I think this screenshot says it all. In the last post I talked about the Ancients in general and there are a lot of great candidates for who they were in the Danny Phantom cast. After all, villains could count among them too because all Skulker said was that “...a group of powerful ancient ghosts banded together in a last ditch effort to defeat the King” which when you think about it doesn’t necessarily mean they were all ‘good’ ghosts. They probably had no choice but to become allies to take down someone who threatened the balance of both worlds...

Part 1: https://thesoulspulse.tumblr.com/post/698786699553177600/regarding-the-ancients-part-1

Still, I like to think of most of them as the good guys so we’ll start with them.

Clockwork is obviously the most logical choice because not only is he already wearing a purple cloak that’s extremely similar to the Ancients in the flashback, but he also has statues of the Grim Reaper, aka Death, all over his tower along with lots of scythes. But it makes sense given how he’s probably old enough to have known Death personally. Bonus points if they were brothers since time and death go hand in hand.

Sorjourn is another mysterious figure we know very little about but it would make sense for him to be one of the Ancients too, perhaps even their leader. In fact, before they defeated Pariah he probably had to make himself scarce since he didn’t want his vast knowledge of the Ghost Zone to be abused. Especially since he’s the only ghost rumored to have found a path to the Elsewhereness, aka their version of paradise or heaven. My personal headcanon is that he CREATED the Infimap and then entrusted it to Frostbite who we’ll get to in a second.

Frostbite is definitely up there too just like @ecto-stone pointed out since he’s implied to be old enough to have been around with his tribe during Pariah Dark’s original reign of terror. His cloak may be tattered, but he’s wearing one too which is a good sign in my book.

Nocturne is definitely another prime candidate and ironically, I wrote in one of my fanfics that he DID help trap Pariah Dark in an eternal but dreamless sleep so he couldn’t plot anything while imprisoned. Obviously he’s not wearing a cloak but since Nocturne is literally shrouded in shadows its pretty much the same thing. I like to think he didn’t used to be all that evil, he just got tired of having to live off of the ‘scraps’ of human dreams and later on decided to take matters into his own hands and put them to sleep by force to harvest a lot more energy at once.

As much as I like Undergrowth, personally I can’t see him as an Ancient only because from what I can tell he’s been dormant on Earth for a long time and even Frostbite is wary of him when he mentioned him to Danny, implying that he’s never met him but knows how dangerous an enemy he is. I can’t see him working with anyone since his priorities seem to lie with protecting plant life from foolish humans which are mostly found on Earth anyway so I doubt the political affairs of the Ghost Zone back then concerned him much.

That, or as a plot twist maybe he could have been one of Pariah’s allies.

“I have heard tell of this Undergrowth. A powerful ghost he is. Capable of regenerating himself and producing numerous killer offspring. Nearly impossible to defeat.”

~ Frostbite, Danny Phantom Season 3, Urban Jungle.

In exchange for Undergrowth, I think Pandora is a great fit since she already created Pandora’s Box to contain the greatest evil so wouldn’t it stand to reason she could use her skills to build the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep too? Plus, there’s more skeleton symbolism at the altar her box is kept. Greeks had Sarcophagus’s too, but theirs were literally more like ornate coffins or ironically boxes.

Then again, the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep looks more Egyptian than Greek. So maybe an unknown Egyptian ghost was one of the Ancients instead?

The Observants obviously care a lot about maintaining balance but they even say all they can do is watch so I kinda doubt they had an active role in defeating Pariah apart from giving council. Honestly, that’s probably why Clockwork detests them so much because they're all talk while HE and the other Ancients actually did something proactive to stop Pariah.

So anyways, long story short I think Clockwork, Sorjourn, Frostbite, and Nocturne are pretty much locked in as Ancients in my eyes which only leaves the remaining three. Pandora might be one along with an Egyptian spirit like Anubis which I would absolutely love since he’s a god of the dead. I only say A god because I think a lot of different religious figures are real in the world of Danny Phantom and are more likely to be ancient god-like spirits.

Lastly, to go along with Anubis, it’s possible that Death takes on many different forms so they could be the same entity or entirely separate ones. If it’s the latter, then it makes perfect sense that the classic Grim Reaper would be one of the Ancients.

And that makes seven.

In the end though, these are just my personal thoughts and there is no right answer since there’s just not enough information to go off of. It’s all pure guess work which is both a blessing and a curse in the phandom. Still, I hope you enjoyed hearing my thoughts and I’d love to hear more of yours too!

Ah, and before I forget, here’s a bonus idea. I have a personal headcanon that some of Aragon and Dora’s ancestors fought against Pariah and lost, hence why he has skeleton dragons in his army.

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she-who-the-river-could-not-hold · 1 year

Text

unnamed Hellcheer AU snippet

vaguely modern au // eventually will include: a dash of diners, Americana, teenage rebellion, and cryptids

I definitely want to turn this into at least a long oneshot, but for now it’s at a “vibes only” stage. It’s also a bit of an exercise to just letting myself writing casually so fuck it, I’m sharing it on here for now where it has a place to live while I figure out where it’s headed!

Chrissy hadn’t been able to stop watching him since he’d come into the diner.

Tall, wiry, a head full of curly hair that was currently pulled back in a low ponytail. She’d never even seen a guy wear a ponytail before but there was something attractive in the way he did it. Very off-duty rockstar vibes, especially with the leather jacket he’d thrown on the booth seat across from him and the numerous chains and jewelry he was wearing. Another thing she wasn’t used to guys wearing.

He was on his third cup of coffee and halfway through a horrendously giant Rueben sandwich—not that she’s keeping track.

Because watching strange guys isn’t something Chrissy Cunningham does.

She’s a good girl, who works waitressing jobs twice a week to add to her weekly allowance, has an above average GPA as a student athlete, and had been dating the same guy since she was in eighth grade. It all fits perfectly into her pink ribbon, cheerleading, peppy box that she lives in. She even still goes to church every Sunday with her family.

Ogling at strange guys, who look potentially older than her and definitely are more hardcore than anyone else she’s met, was not an option.

“You know you can just go talk to him.”

Chrissy squeaked as she jumped at the sound of the voice behind her. Whirling around, nearly jamming her thumb in the cash register, she was greeted by the unimpressed stare of one of the other waitresses.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Chrissy whispered fiercely.

Trish arched an eyebrow and stayed silent.

Which was all Chrissy’s anxiety needed to bloom and have her run her mouth.

“I didn’t mean to, he’s just been here for a while. I’m making sure he’s not… loitering,” she finished lamely. She had to fight the urge to not turn around and glance at him again.

For her trouble, Trish simply snorted and moved on. Leaving Chrissy to pick at her cuticles and the rest of her shift not looking over at the guy.

Because the problem is this:

Chrissy and her boyfriend from eighth grade have been on the fritz ever since he left for college and she decided she didn’t know what she wanted to do. So she still lives at home and thinks about all of the ways he’s probably cheating on her and he laments on their weekly calls about how she’s ruining their life plans. Being at home also means that her mom is still controlling her life, even though she’s nineteen. She’s not even sure she believes in God anymore either, so she usually spends Sundays daydreaming the sermon away on a hard wooden bench.

All of the reasons she’s not supposed to stare at could-be rockstars are built on a house of matchsticks and she can feel the flames drawing nearer.

So when Melinda, the old chain smoking waitress that likes to clock out early moves to refill the guy’s coffee, Chrissy steps in. It doesn’t take much to convince her to head out early and that Chrissy doesn’t mind covering her last couple tables.

She approaches his table, nervous for reasons she can’t even name. It’ll be a miracle if she doesn’t spill coffee all over his lap and mess this whole unknown thing up.

But when he looks up at her and she becomes locked into his smile and big brown eyes, she knows she’s opened a Pandora’s Box.

#hellcheer #hellcheer fanfic #eddie x chrissy #chrissy cunningham #stranger things #stranger things au #kathryn writes #kathryn writes: stranger things #eddie munson #fic: hellcheer americana #temporary fic tag while I figure this thing out!

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coramatus · 2 years

Text

Under the City Streets (part 6)

Akari and Rei have more of their own misadventures directly leading to Emmet’s second encounter with his brother in the Unknown

For more gijinka nonsense, read part 5

As Emmet’s adventure continues, so too does Akari and Rei’s. Their main mission is to find Professor Laventon and go home. They’ve had their equivalent of ‘Schooltime Follies’ and possibly played out a version of ‘Hard Times At The Huskin’ Bee’ and/or ‘Mad Love’.

In any case, they’ve been through some real hot nonsense.

As the two kids trudge on, Akari complains about the absurdity of the Unknown. It feels like something crazy is always just around the corner, just lying in wait for them.

As if to spite her, they turn a corner and immediately come across a Zebstrika hanging out in the woods. It silently regards them in confusion before it moves on. Akari is about ready to pull out her hair. But Rei’s too busy furiously scribbling notes in his Pokédex as he moves to follow it.

However, Akari holds him back out of wariness. She’s pretty sure this is a Unovan Pokémon. What’s one doing here in weirdo Hisui?

Rei shrugs. He figures the more unusual the Pokémon, the more Professor Laventon would appreciate any observations they make. This results in Akari doing an impression of Laventon’s excited reactions and the two get distracted doing increasingly silly impressions of the professor.

Unfortunately, the two are being far too obvious and the Zebstrika clearly doesn’t appreciate being stalked as it speeds up to a trot. The kids realize they’re being left behind and scramble to catch up.

As they crest a ridge, they’re faced with a sight that takes their breath away.

They’re not prepared to find the brightly lit vista of a startlingly large city spread out before them. They’ve never seen anything like it before: lights everywhere that burn brighter than any torch, numerous buildings multiple storeys tall, carriages that move without any obvious Pokémon influence, so many strange things they could never have imagined.

The two exchange glances, give each other a sharp nod, and start taking notes.

Professor Laventon is going to flip out.

Rei’s surprised Hisui was apparently hiding an advanced civilization but Akari is quick to correct him that this place seems to be an Unknown special. They discuss where exactly they think Hisui ends and the Unknown begins and what that means for their research into this place.

As they trail after the Zebstrika at a more reasonable distance, they make a lot of the same observations about the City’s people as Emmet: Pokémon patterned clothing, acting distinctly uncomfortable in their own skin, staring at the obvious outsiders with suspicion, etc.

Then they spot the Zebstrika ducking down an alleyway and the two follow… only to find it happily munching away on trash can pizza. Not that they know what pizza is but it seems to really like the stuff considering how it's going to town on it. Akari picks up on the fact that these are the dumpsters to a dining establishment that advertises Unovan food. Deciding they might as well ask the restaurant that produced the discarded dough disk what it’s called, they step into the diner.

At this point, Akari and Rei get their version of ‘Songs of the Dark Lantern’ where they meet Emmet and Ingo’s gijinka-ed Unovan Pokémon. They’re a little less friendly to these strange kids but stay politely distant. Akari and Rei also get subjected to song and dance numbers including a performance from the Highwayman, all of which leave them so, so confused.

On the plus side, at least they now know what pizza is.

At some point, Akari notices that the Zebstrika has disappeared on them. She points this out to Rei who finds himself torn on whether to explore the City more or look for the displaced Pokémon. Akari solves this for him by volunteering to look for it and hopefully catch it for their research. They part, with Rei hoping to ask the diner patrons more about the City and Akari eager to get another entry on her Pokédex.

Akari’s first instinct is to go back into the woods. Because a wild Pokémon like that wouldn’t be comfortable in a random city, right? As she hunts for the Zebstrika’s tracks something else catches her attention. A strange light moving through the trees…

Meanwhile, Rei is getting his ear talked off by the Reporter after asking a simple question. He’s too anxious to do anything to make him stop, so when the Hostess shoos off the Reporter for being a pest, he’s relieved. When the Hostess asks Rei where his friend went, he’s honest and says she went out to go look for a weird Pokémon.

The Hostess’s reaction is grim. Rei gets treated to a rendition of ‘The Beast is Out There’, warning of the Beast and why to never venture into the woods. Rei is immediately reminded of the Woodsman’s situation and a sinking feeling forms in the pit of his stomach. The Woodsman had a lantern… did that make him the Beast? He brings this up to the diner, arguing that the Woodsman was a nice person who only tried to help them. But the dread from the patrons only deepens; did the Woodsman actually help or did he only get them even more lost? It’s like they told that Conductor fellow: only the Beast carries the Lantern.

Realizing that Akari might be running straight into trouble, Rei hurriedly leaves, hoping to find some sign of Akari. But he can’t find anything. Just as he’s about to freak out, he runs smack into the Zebstrika again.

With few options, Rei pleads with the unfamiliar Pokémon to help him find his friend. He has a bad feeling that she’s in danger and he’s afraid for her. The Zebstrika considers this before obliging, helpfully lowering itself to let Rei climb onto its back more easily. Once Rei is steady, they’re off like a lightning bolt, hooves thundering into the forest as they race to find Akari.

Meanwhile, Akari follows the weird light in the woods. It doesn’t look like any ghost-type Pokémon she’s ever seen before. Stories about beguiling lights tickle the back of her mind but she’s experienced, she knows what she’s doing. At least, she thinks so…

Just as she’s about to see what’s causing the light, it vanishes… leading her straight to an Edelwood tree. One that bears the signs of fresh, oozing axe-marks…

And there sits the Woodsman’s lantern, sitting by a pile of his things. She goes to pick it up when—

“GET AWAY FROM THAT!”

Rei and the Zebstrika are still searching the woods when Akari’s scream rips through the night air. They charge into a clearing in time to find the Woodsman holding up Akari by the front of her robes. He looks terrifying, backlit in shadows with an enraged snarl on his face. Akari is holding up the lantern and looks terrified but also pissed. (“DROP IT!!” “NO!!”) When Rei and the Zebstrika come charging in, Rei accuses the Woodsman of being the Beast. The Woodsman gets offended at this and it distracts the man enough for Akari to clock him in the head with the lantern. He stumbles, releasing her, but in the process the lantern takes a tumble and spills flaming oil onto the Edelwood the Woodsman had been chopping. The Woodsman regains his composure only to freak out over the lantern, giving the kids an opening as they escape on the Zebstrika’s back.

As they escape into the forest, Rei introduces Akari to Elesa the Zebstrika, who reveals that she can both talk and is very Happiny to meet them. The two kids groan as Elesa nickers at her own pun.

(Back in Nimbasa, Gym Leader Elesa is having a very weird lucid dream about being a cart Pokémon that got stolen by the Highwayman. Unlike Fred, Elesa did something about it and broke loose. Once free, she wandered around having fun being a Zebstrika until Rei found her. And then she got to save a kid from a creepy guy! Man, she ought to lucid dream a lot more!)

With the kids gone, the Woodsman desperately tries to maintain the lantern’s flame. He’s freaking out so badly that he completely ignores the growing tree fire and a developing migraine.

“Ingo?“

And that’s when The Woodsman realizes that Emmet has stumbled upon him once again.

Indeed, Emmet only found the Woodsman because he spotted the burning Edelwood from the City.

Why is it on fire? He doesn’t know or care.

He’s more interested in why his brother is freaking out over his stupid lantern’s condition. He can’t possibly be the Beast… can he?

The second meeting of the brothers doesn’t go well either. The Woodsman clearly is less than pleased to see Emmet again. Emmet tries to reassure the Woodsman that he knows he has memory loss, it’s ok he can help! They manage to share a soft moment where Emmet talks about Lady Sneasler and how she gave him the rundown. For once, the Woodsman’s anger fizzles out. He grows sad and quietly asks how his former noble is. Emmet happily informs him that she is doing well… and that she misses him. The Woodsman gets teary at this and Emmet excitedly suggests that he should go see her. But the Woodsman insists that he can’t. He’s betrayed her trust, his clan’s trust. This is what he deserves. Emmet insists that it doesn’t matter, he can go back and apologize, they’ll forgive him, people still care about him. He tries to appeal to his brother that he doesn’t have to do this Woodsman nonsense, it’s clearly making him miserable. But the Woodsman is resigned to his fate. He has a new responsibility. Emmet demands to know what sort of responsibility the Woodsman seems to have chained himself to. But his brother’s rage returns as he gets defensive.

So Emmet rattles off a few shared experiences to jog his memory, but that just spikes the Woodsman’s migraine. He yells at Emmet to shut up. He’s still suffering from the concussion the oily alpha Garchomp gave him, so Emmet trying to trigger his memories only hurts him. Emmet realizes his brother is injured and tries to offer his help but the Woodsman still doesn’t fully trust or believe him.

Any progress comes to a screeching halt when the burning tree crashes down between them, sending up a shower of embers and flaming oil. The Woodsman uses the distraction to escape. Emmet tries to call out for his brother when a falling blob of flaming Edelwood oil lands on his exposed right arm, badly burning him. As Emmet cries out in pain, clutching his arm, he is left to contend with a rapidly spreading forest fire. Realizing there’s nothing he can do, he runs.

A panicking Volo manages to catch up to Emmet since he was investigating the commotion. Volo attempts to guide Emmet out of the inferno, but they get turned around and the fire starts closing in. Suffocating on smoke, Emmet figures that this is how it ends for him. Between coughing fits, he tells Volo that he’s glad he doesn’t have to die alone. Volo freaks out and says they are not dying! He just has to-! Has to… Oh shit, he has no idea what to do. Emmet hugs Volo close.

“Volo…” Emmet wheezes between hacking coughs, his hold on the Starly tightening. “‘m glad… glad y’r here…” He takes another pained wheezing breath as his words slur together, “d-don’t wanna die alone…”

Just as they’re about to be burned alive, a thunderstorm starts up and the fire is hit with a torrential downpour. As the flames die down with almost supernatural speed, Emmet thinks he sees a pale figure in black, red eyes lit up with electric power staring straight at him. When he blinks, they’re gone.

(Zekrom decided to do Reshiram a solid by helping their Favored)

Now thoroughly soaked but safe from burning to death, Emmet and Volo have to stop as the smoke inhalation did a lot of damage, their breathing labored and full of coughing. Emmet is faced with another vision of a broken concrete tunnel as his breathing becomes painfully labored. They pretty much just straight up pass out in the mud where they are. Emmet manages to hang on just long enough to see a set of boots walking up to them before he feels himself getting picked up and carried away.

Part 7

#pokemon #pokemon legends arceus #pokemon black and white #pokemon black 2 and white 2 #over the garden wall #under the city streets au #akari #rei #submas #subway boss emmet #subway boss ingo #warden ingo #woodsman ingo #volo #starly #coramatus’s writing

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dont-doubt-dopple · 2 years

Text

What Lies Below

A/N: If you judge me for my lack of boating knowledge I WILL turn this fic around (/j). But this is for Anon from @pinchhitsfromthevoid Season 1. I took the more spoopy route for your Mermaid prompt so I hope you enjoy!!

Word Count: 1055

~~~~~~

Joel doesn’t remember whose idea it was to go sailing. Probably Jimmy’s. Even if it was his idea, which realistically it probably was, he was still going to blame Jimmy. He never seemed to check the forecast despite the numerous times it has rained on them. But this wasn’t just rain; this was a storm. Thunder echoed above their heads and lightning streaked across the horizon, crackling down way too close to comfort. Joel was currently trying his best to steer them back to land, wherever that was. The fog seemed so think that anything more that the waves and rocks and terrifying weather more than 100 yards ahead of him was completely obscured. He could barely steer in clear weather; this was next to impossible. But he definitely wasn’t going to let Jimmy drive the boat.

“How much further?!” Jimmy yelled as he struggled against the tarp he was using to cover something and the wind.

“Do you see land!?” Joel yelled back as another wave rocked then dangerous to one side.

“No?!”

“Well, Neither do I! So I have no idea!” Jimmy shot a glare at Joel, but he didn’t care. It was hard to take him seriously when everything was normal; even less so now that he looked like a baby golden retriever who was upset that he was thrown in the pool. “Idiot thinking I know how far land is in this weather.” He muttered.

There was a tense silence as the waves rocked them in all directions. Water spill across the deck but it didn’t matter when everything was beyond soaked. At this point, it probably be safer to simply drop anchor and let the storm pass. Knowing his luck, he was probably sailing into the storm and prolonging this torture.

“Joel, I think there’s something in the water!” Jimmy called out. “Something big!”

“It’s the ocean, Jimmy. There’s lots of big things.” He shot back. “I’m dropping anchor. We’re better off trying to brace this below decks.”

Joel slid his way to the anchor. He started to drop it down when something grabbed the side of the boat, knocking him down. It looked like fingers, with long shimmering white nails that broke the boards of the boat. The fingers themselves together took up about half the boat and were blue and webbed. It was definitely not something he’d seen before.

“WHAT IS THAT?!” Jimmy screamed, before the thing that the fingers belonged to pulled them both into the water.

When Joel opened his eyes, he saw a mermaid. She was huge, at least 2 times taller than he was. Her tail was a brilliant violet that faded into her blue skin and scales. He assumed it was a she from the long flowing pink hair and sparkling eyes. She smiled, flashing rows of sharp teeth at Joel. He couldn’t stop looking at her for some reason, whether it was pure curiosity or simply a fascination with this unknown person.

But he was also drowning and he’d like to think of that as a priority.

Joel shook his head and swam up as fast as he could. He gasped for breath as soon as he surfaced, looking around. The boat looks to be mostly intact, though mostly the wrong side up. Bits of board floated around in the water as the storm raged on, oblivious to the perils that had befallen the two of them. Jimmy was nowhere to be seen. Joel looked down, seeing if he could find Jimmy’s body to help pull him up.

Instead, he saw his friend swimming down.

Joel immediately dived down. He was always a stronger swimmer than Jimmy, but that was a low bar since he was generally handsomer and bigger and stronger and sexier and better at everything than Jimmy. Regardless, he caught up to the other fairly quickly. He wasn’t thinking; he just needed to get them both of them up to air. So he grabbed Jimmy’s wrist and started swimming. But he saw the mermaid’s hand move to block him at the same time Jimmy pulled away.

“I belong here.” Jimmy said as Joel turned to shoot him a look. He wished he could ask about when Jimmy began to grow tan scales or when his ears became fins. He was only human, unlike Jimmy apparently. “She’s family.”

Joel couldn’t argue. He also couldn’t speak underwater and rushed up to resurface once more. When he looked back down, Jimmy and the mermaid were gone.

~~~~~~~~

It was the 5th day of looking when it began to rain. Not as bad as the night he last saw Jimmy, but steady enough that he really should seek some kind of cover. But he didn’t. He continued to look out towards the waters, in the hope maybe it would give him the answers he wanted.

His silence was interrupted by a female voice. “What are you doing out here? You’ve been sitting out here in the rain for 45 minutes!”

“Really? Didn’t notice.” Joel didn’t turn around to see his new companion, but did silently thank her when he suddenly stop feeling the rain sending ripples in the water in front of him. “What are you doing out here?”

“Seeing what you were doing out on the docks for the 3rd day in a row.”

“That obvious?”

“A little.” He felt the boards underneath him creek a little as the woman sat down, close enough so they could both share the dryness of the umbrella. “A friend of mine died, I think. Out at sea during that bad storm a few days ago. I know it’s fruitless but … I was hoping to maybe find his body one day in the rocks nearby.”

“I could help, if you want.” Joel finally turned to look at the person who joined him in the rain. She had pink shoulder length hair and bright blue eyes. She smiled as she held out perfectly manicured white nails. “I’m Lizzie.”

“Joel. And thank you. I accept her help.”

There was something about her that captivated Joel. Maybe it was that love at first sight bullshit thing, but there was something drawing him to her. Part of him was screaming at him that this was a bad idea but he didn’t care.

He’d question about her pointed teeth later.

#empires smp #mermaid AU #fanfic #jimmy solidarity #joel smallishbeans #lizzie ldshadowlady #pinch hits from the void #Dopple work

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kakyoinscheryblush · 2 years

Text

Once upon an lost island [Joseph Joestar x reader]

Summary: Y/n was an archaeologist at the Speedwagon Archeology Centre. After being paired up with a famous adventurer Joseph Joestar to an upcoming expedition, she will have to overcome her many fears in order to prove to her agency that she is fit to be one of their best researchers they have.

However, neither Joseph nor Y/n were prepared for what the mysterious island had in store for them…

This work is originally posted on Ao3 on my profile @Tena_HH

Masterlist << Next chapter

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Chapter one, Somewhat a celebrity

Dear grandpa,

New York is livelier than ever, even after many letters we have exchanged over the years. My job is still the same and I swear the rats are getting bigger and bigger. And the Speedwagon Archeology Centre is thriving as usual!

You know how every time I write to you I say there aren't any major discoveries? Well, this time I have a surprise for you!

One of our satellites discovered a medium island in the Pacific ocean two months ago! But I wouldn’t be writing to you so urgently if it wasn’t a major discovery.

The satellite caught a picture of a temple in the middle of an island. Though, it is surrounded by probably kilometres of rainforest.

Today there will be a huge conference with all the famous archeologists you could think of, and the commission will be choosing the candidates for the expedition to the newfound island!

Since the Speedwagon Archeology Centre discovered the island with our satellites, we have to recommend who we will be sending to the expedition.

And I sincerely hope it isn't me. You know I’ve never been good at such things, I’m better off brainstorming in my lab rather than getting eaten by a huge beast or something.

The news reporters are going to be swarming within minutes the conference is done and there will be numerous articles and theories about the island. Even though we ourselves don’t know much about it.

But, I’ll be updating you in the next letter. Until then keep safe and don’t forget to lock Roger in his cage at night!

Your dearest granddaughter, N/n

The h/c haired woman sighed as she put down the pen next to the letter. “I’ll send it off tomorrow…” she murmured as she folded it up and put it aside.

This was the biggest discovery that the Speedwagon Archeology Centre ever had! It felt as if it was just yesterday when everything happened.

And today, there will be a conference where her agency will have to recommend two people to go on the expedition.

It would probably be Jessica and Christoper… The duo was an ace when it came to going on expeditions to unknown places.

Which made Y/n extremely happy since she didn’t have to really go anywhere. Most of the time it was her assistant, Penny Adamas, who brought her the news or a cup of (favourite drink).

Y/n greatly appreciated her and she showed that by sometimes giving Penny gift cards for some clothing stores.

“Ms. L/n! Ms. L/n! We must get you dressed! NOW! ” a short woman with her hands full of clothes slammed the wooden doors open, making the vases around the huge office shake.

“Oh God, Penny! Don’t scare me like that!” Y/n exclaimed as she placed her hand on her heart.

Penny laughed and dropped the pile of clothes on Y/n’s opened books, “No can do in this kind of emergency, Ms. L/n. Also, I picked out this outfit for you! Now go change quickly!”. Without observing the clothes Y/n picked them up and rushed out of her huge office and went into a nearby toalet.

There were five of her other coworkers inside touching up their hair and make up.

“Hello, Y/n!” one of them greeted as she pulled out a red lipstick out of her small handbag.

"Hello to you too, Nicole!” Y/n greeted as she rushed into the bathroom stall and locked the doors.

“Let’s see what Penny has brought me…” she whispered as she unfolded the freshly ironed clothes.

It was a white blouse with a knee length black skirt, black blazer and black heels. https://imgur.com/a/SV7GEcR (look reference)

“Hm, looks promising…” Y/n muttered as she took off her previous clothes and put on the ones that Penny gave her. After she dressed up she neatly folded her clothes and grabbed her shoes.

She opened the bathroom stall doors and walked out, while trying to quietly stepp in her heels.

The other five women left and now it was only Y/n in the bathroom. “Thank God I washed my hair yesterday…” the h/c haired woman mumbled as she brushed down her hair, keeping her (type of hairstyle) intact.

Y/n walked out and entered her office, and spotted Penny observing the artefacts in one of the tall showcases. “What do you think, Penny?” Y/n asked as she placed the clothes onto her chair.

The brown haired assistant whirled her head around and gasped.

“Ms. L/n! You look absolutely stunning!” Penny’s hazel eyes glimmered in happiness. “Of course I do… After all, you’re the one that chose my outfit.” Y/n smiled at her assistant.

Penny laughed and clapped her hands, “Now… Time for some perfume!” she exclaimed as she pulled out a glass bottle with translucent pink substance in it.

Y/n’s eyes widened in alarm, “No- Penny, put that thing down!” she shouted as she hid behind her office chair.

“I’m sorry Ms. L/n, but this has to be done!” Penny shouted as she ran to Y/n and sprayed her multiple times with the pink perfume.

“Gah-” Y/n choked and squeezed her eyes shut. Penny rolled her eyes, “Ms. L/n… Really?”. Y/n fixed her posture and sucked in a deep breath. “Yes, really …” she mumbled as she shook her head.

After a few moments Penny chuckled as she sweated a bit, “Ms. L/n… I may have forgotten to tell you a tiny detail about the press conference…”. Y/n raised an eyebrow at Penny, “What is it?”.

“Joseph Joestar is attending the press-”

“WHO IS WHAT -” Y/n screamed as she grabbed her chair, preventing her from falling on the wooden floor.

Penny grimaced a little, “Mr. Speedwagon invited Mr. Joestar to attend the press… Hehehe… Apologies for not telling you sooner…”. Y/n’s throat went dry as she shook her head.

“O-Oh God… I think I’m about to faint…” she mumbled out as she paced her palm on her forehead.

Penny panicked and rushed to her, “Oh, come on Ms. L/n! Don’t be like that! Isn’t he the person who you always considered an icon in the archeology world?”.

Y/n shakily nodded as her cheeks flared up in embarrassment, “That’s the thing Penny! I will fumble with my words and make an absolute idiot out of myself! I can’t even have a normal conversation with anybody and now I’ll have to talk to the Joseph Joestar!?”

Penny patted her shoulder, “There, there, Ms. L/n… Maybe you can ask him for an autograph when the press finishes?” she suggested.

Y/n sighed and shrugged her shoulders, “Yeah, but which one?” she muttered as she bent over a bit and opened one of the desk drawers, revealing up to 10 magazine covers with Joseph on them.

“Wow, Ms. L/n… I didn’t know you admired him that much…” she teased the taller woman. Y/n rolled her eyes as her cheeks flushed, “Don’t even start, please …” whined as she placed her face in her palms.

“Alright, alright I wont…” she chuckled as she looked at her silver wrist watch. “Oh shit! Your ride is waiting outside the facility!” Penny shouted out as she pushed out Y/n out of her office.

“W-Wait- You’re not going with me?!” Y/n exclaimed and Penny rushed to the table, picked something up and ran to Y/n.

“No, I’m not. I have too much paperwork to finish. Now take this and go!” Penny slammed one of her magazine covers into her chest and closed the doors in front of her.

Y/n stared at the doors for a few moments until she shook her head, folded up her poster and hurried to the elevator and pushed a button.

Once she entered the elevator she pressed the button for the first floor and the metal doors closed automatically.

The elevator opened and Y/n walked out into the huge reception floor. Many people were also in a hurry, many of them wearing lab coats while some were wearing suits and dresses.

“Excuse me- Sorry-” Y/n apologised as she bumped into a few coworkers.

Once she got out she spotted a man dressed in an all balck suit holding a paper with ‘Y/n L/n’ on it. “Sir! That’s me!” Y/n exclaimed as she waved at the driver.

“Took you long enough, princess…” the older driver grumbled as he opened the doors of the back of the limo for her. “I’m sorry sir, it was a real struggle to get out of the building…” Y/n apologised to him.

“Eh, it doesn’t matter, I just wanna get paid…” he muttered as he entered the limo and looked at the back of the paper. “The Sci-Dispatch Press facility…?” he mumbled to himself as he started the car.

Y/n stayed quiet as she swiftly stuffed the magazine cover into the pocket of her black blazer.

The driver started driving and noticed Y/n fidgeting a bit, “You ok over there, champ?” he asked as he looked at her through the rearview mirror.

She looked up into his eyes in the mirror and bit her lip anxiously, “Not really… There is a big press conference that I have to attend and I’m starting to think that I won’t be able to do it…” she admitted in defeat.

“The Sci-Dispatch Press doesn’t like weaklings like you, buster. Let me tell you that… I hear a lot of nasty shit that they do behind the scenes…” He muttered as he opened a piece of bubble gum and popped it into his mouth.

“Want some?” he asked as he outstretched his hand and offered her a pack of pink bubble gum. “No thank you sir…” Y/n replied politely.

“More for me… By the way, the name’s Tony Castellano…” Tony introduced himself.

“I’m Y/n L/n, nice to meet you sir.” Y/n said to the older man. “If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of ‘nasty shit’ did you hear that the Sci-Dispatch Press does?” Y/n peered over to the limo driver who loudly chewed the pink bubble gum.

Tony laughed snarky, “Cara mia, you sure ask a lot of questions… But alright… I overheard that the Sci-Dispatch Press is helping with multiple artefact smuggling from all across the world. Not sure if it’s true, but you didn’t hear this from me, capish?” Tony warned the e/c colored woman and her eyes widened in shock.

‘This is where we will have our press conference about our newest discovery!’ Y/n thought as many alarms balred inside her mind.

Tony laughed as he speeded up a bit, “Keep that capo of yours focused and don’t answer any of the questions you find suspicious.” Tony said as he lightly shrugged his shoulders.

“Thank you for the advice, Mr. Castellano…” Y/n thanked the limo driver who only popped the pink bubble, “Eh, it’s no problem kid. Now go get em’ tiger…” he chuckled as he stopped at the gigantic building.

“Goodbye sir!” Y/n exclaimed as she opened the doors and closed them. Tony laughed a little and dove off.

Now it was time to face her biggest fear…

The press conference in the Sci-Dispatch Press

She sighed as she walked on the stone path that had small pine trees and flower bushes lined up on the side.

There were dozens of news channel vans parked by the building, the reporters scrambling to set up their equipment the quickest.

As Y/n was about to open the doors, a loud screech acoed around. She turned around and saw a white limo that stopped by the building.

For a few moments everything quieted down until the driver walked out and opened the doors.

“It’s Joseph Joestar!” one of the reporters shouted as he and his camera crew rushed to him.

Y/n’s heart stopped functioning and she stopped breathing, ‘He… HE IS HERE!’ she panicked as she saw him flash his signature smile at every camera he looked at.

As he moved, the paparazzi and the news reporters moved with him, attacking him with numerous questions.

“Mr. Joestar! Is it true that you almost died on your last expedition!?” “Will you be attending this year’s gala?” “Are the rumours about you crushing a million dollar plane from your last expedition true?”

And so many noncoherent questions that Joseph tried to answer. “Thank you so much for all the questions, I know my fans are worried…” Joseph said as he flashed his smile at one of the cameras.

Y/n saw that they were nearing her and she quickly opened the doors and rushed in. She breathed out as she observed the scene outside.

Joseph stopped by the doors and answered the questions that the reporters were bombarding him with.

Joseph looked inside and made eye contact with Y/n. He smiled and slammed open the doors.

“Oh, look! My private assistant is already waiting for me! I’m sorry, but I have to get going!” Joseph exclaimed as he smiled one last time and closed the doors.

“Somebody better lock the them or they will break in…” he mumbled as he dusted off his black suit.

Joseph’s bright green eyes fell upon the frozen Y/n. “My dear, you really saved me from the paparazzi over there…” Joseph laughed as he smiled at her. Y/n opened and closed her mouth but nothing came out.

“Dear, are you alright?” Joseph asked the unmoving woman as he approached her. “Uhuh- Yeah- I’m fine-” Y/n mumbled as she fumbled with her hands.

Joseph laughed, “Oh, alright! You’re also here for the press conference, right?” he asked the h/c haired woman.

Y/n nodded shakily, “Y-Yeah… I am… I’m here under the Speedwagon Archeology Centre-” “Oh! Speedwagon! Man, I can’t wait to see him!” Joseph exclaimed in happiness.

Y/n laughed awkwardly, her throat going dry.

“You two! You’re going to be late for the conference!” rushed out a ginger woman with a clipboard and a pen.

“The seats are full so you’re going backstage-” She instructed as she led them to metal doors.

“The curtains haven’t risen so you can go and prepare yourselves.” The woman said as she opened the doors, pushed them in and locked them again.

Joseph and Y/n looked at each other and exhaled.

“Ladies first…” Joseph smirked as he walked to the beginning of ten stairs and stretched his hand. “Urm- Thank you-” Y/n squeaked out as she lightly placed her hand in his bigger one.

“No problem dear, now let’s see who else is behind the curtains…” Joseph muttered as they both reached the end of the stairs.

“Joseph! You finally arrived!” Whisper shouted Speedwagon as he rushed to the duo. “Speedwagon! Hello!” Jotaro quietly exclaimed as he hugged the older man.

“I see you have already met Y/n.” Speedwagon noted as he broke off the hug.

Joseph chuckled as he pulled Y/n closer to him by wrapping his arm around her shoulder, “And I’m glad I did! She saved me from the paparazzi outside…” The brown haired adventurer smiled at Speedwagon.

Y/n’s face erupted in fiery red colour as she felt his strong arm around her. ‘This must be a fever dream! This can’t be true!’ she slightly fawned at the scenario that was happening.

“Nice to see you two getting along, but I must go back to my seat. I, along with some of my associates, are sitting in the first row. Unfortunately we don’t have enough seats for some reporters over there so I don’t think that there would be any free seats for you two.” said Speedwagon as he scratched his head.

He led the duo deeper into the backstage and as they passed they saw six older men clad in navy blue suits and red ties, quietly discussing something.

“That’s the commission of the World Archeology Organisation… Be nice and be quiet, because one wrong move around them, and you can say goodbye to your career…” Speedwagon mumbled quietly.

“You’re saying that as if we’re children…” Joseph huffed, removed the arm that was around Y/n’s shoulder, and crossed his arms.

“Yes, and the child in question is you, Joseph…” Speedwagon muttered as he sighed.

Y/n surprised her laugh with her hand as she averted her gaze from Speedwagon and Joseph.

Speedwagon rolled his eyes, “Alright, you two, stay here unless somebody calls for you…” he said as he quietly walked away.

“I thought this would be much more interesting…” Joseph rolled his eyes, but as he glanced at Y/n, his frown changed to a smirk.

“At least you’re here with me.” he flashed her his signature smirk and Y/n swore she wouldn fall unconscious.

The chattering from the other side of the curtain suddenly quieted down and the dark red satin curtains rose, revealing the commission to the press.

“Hello everyone! I thank you for showing up in such a big number in the name of the World Archeology Organisation!” exclaimed the man in the middle of the table.

Everyone clapped and so did the other five members by the table.

Joseph and Y/n were still covered by the curtain, making the commission the only thing they could see.

The man in the middle rose from his chairs and cleared his throat. Flashes of cameras could be heard from the edge of the podium.

“Today, we all gathered around to hear out our esteemed member of our organisation, Robert Edward O. Speedwagon about the break-through discovery of his agency!” Exclaimed the man as a roar of applause echoed around the conference room.

Speedwagon rose from his seat and humbly smiled, “Thank you, Dr. Jenkins for having us over… This discovery has shaken up our whole laboratory from the minute we noticed the satellite footage on the big screen.” Speedwagon started his speech.

“You recieved photos and a brief explanation in your mail, so I’m going to keep it short. Dr. Jenkins has said that I have to decide two people who will be the two lead researchers on this expedition. And I’m proud to say that, Y/n L/n and Joseph Joestar have been chosen!”

Wait

DID HE JUST SAY HER AND JOSEPH’S NAME!?

“Y/n L/n and Joseph Joestar, please walk to the podium!” exclaimed Dr. Jenkins.

Joseph cheered and without thinking he picked up Y/n and spun her around, “I can’t believe this! This is a dream come true!” Joseph exclaimed as he gently put her down.

Y/n stood petrified on the floor. “I’m just going to touch up you a bit before we go-” Joseph mumbled out as he smoothed out her hair and laughed.

“Let’s go!” he exclaimed as he grabbed Y/n’s hand and dragged her over to the podium.

Roars of camera clicking and applauding almost blinded both of them, but Joseph, an expert when it came to such things, only smirked and waved. But Y/n… she was lost, completely lost.

“Just hold my hand and everything’s going to be alright…” Joseph whispered to her and Y/n shakily nodded.

The whole commission turned to them and Dr. Jenkins humed, “... Interesting choice, Mr. Speedwagon… I know why you chose Mr. Joestar. But what about the girl?” he questioned.

Speedwagon smiled warmly, “It may not look like it, but Dr. L/n has proven to be a great researcher over the course of time she has worked under me. And I think it’s time for her to prove herself to be worthy of working under my agency.”

Dr. Jenkins, and the rest of the commission, nodded in thought. “We confide in your choice for this, Mr. Speedwagon.” he said as he sat down.

“Now, does anybody have anything to add?” questioned another commissioner next to Dr. Jenkins.

The conference room went dead quiet, Y/n was ready to sigh in relief but a sudden male voice echoed through the room.

“Mr. Jenkins, as much as I agree with all of what was said… Don’t you think that having just two lead researchers is a bit… too little for such an important expedition? I mean, there haven't been any discoveries as big as this one for hundreds of years…” the man explained, earning a few gasps and glares.

Y/n’s eyes widened in shock while Joseph released her hand and clenched his fist.

She took a closer look at the suit clad man and observed him. He was visibly taller from most people in the room.

He had longer purple hair and striking red eyes with violet eyeshadow covering his eyelids.

It was none other than Kars

He was the top dog of the archeology world. He was smart and didn’t shy away from newly discovered ruins or such.

Kars was mostly known for doing everything in his power to reach his goal, even if that meant hurting somebody on the way.

“What exactly are you initiating Mr. Kars?” Dr. Jenkins said as his wrinkly face scrunched up in confusion.

Kars smirked as he glanced at Joseph who was clenching his fists and glaring at the wooden podium floor.

“What I’m trying to say is that I would like to join the expedition to the island.” Kars said firmly, leaving no space for disagreement. “He does have a point…!" mumbled out Dr. Jenkins as the other five members whispered together.

The room fell into a big tension as Kars was waiting for the response.

Dr. Jenkins rose from his seat and cleared his throat, “Mr. Kars, you will also be a part of the expedition team, along with Ms. L/n and Mr. Joestar.” he said as he nodded in Kars’ direction.

The cameras flashed in an instant speed, the reporters now piling over Kars and asking him too many questions.

While he was busy, Joseph and Y/n looked at Speedwagon who was sitting in his chair with widened eyes and gaping mouth. “I can’t believe this…!” Joseph sneered as he tried to keep a neutral face.

He wanted to pounce on Kras and tear his skull apart, but he held himself back. If he did what he wanted to Kars, not only would he lose his spot on the expedition but he would also end up in jail.

Y/n wasnt any different from Joseph, only without the whole ‘I’ll murder him’ part. Of course she was afraid of Kars… At this point who wasn’t? Even the commission was afraid to decline his proposition.

Once the crowd of reporters calmed down, everybody sat once again.

“The expedition will start in one week, so I advise you to start preparing now. For any other information, we will send them to you via mail.” one of the commissioners said as all of them rose.

Each one of them walked towards Y/n and Joseph and shook their hands with a thigh smile.

Once everyone left, Speedwagon went up to Kars, “Mr. Kars, you’ve met Joseph a few times, right?” he asked politely.

Kars laughed as he swept a few of his purple hair strands off his shoulder.

“Why, yes I have. But I haven’t met you, dear.” Kars smiled as he turned to stiffened Y/n. “I’m Y/n L/n, and it’s a pleasure to work with you, Mr. Kars.” Y/n said to the taller man.

“I have read a few of your works in the past, so I think that it would be a pleasure to work with you… Would you like to come to my place so you can explain more about this mysterious island, dear?” Kars purred and Joseph placed his arm around Y/n shoulder in an instant.

“I’m sorry but she’s already booked with me.” Joseph retorted and Kars’ smug expression fell as he looked at the brown haired adventurer.

“I don’t remember asking you anything, Mr. Joestar …” Kars scoffed in Joseph’s direction.

Speedwagon and Y/n felt the tension rising and looked at each other with worried expressions.

“Alright, alright… Joseph and Y/n you’re free to go. I have few other things to discuss with Mr. Kars over here.” Speedwagon said as he motioned to them to walk out.

“No problem, Speedwagon! Let’s go, dear…” Joseph gently tugged Y/n with him as they both walked out of the conference room and into the huge marble floored lobby.

“Do you want to get some ice cream?” Joseph asked as a smile climbed up to his face while unwrapping his arm from her shoulder.

Y/n stopped in her tracks and looked at him shakily, “U-Uh- Sure- Why not…” She squeaked out.

Joseph laughed, “Great! I know a secret place where I go when I’m free…”. But soon they stopped as they noticed a pile of reporters from earlier waiting outside with their cameras and microphones ready.

“We can leave from the back exit-” “No need, dear! Now let’s go!” Joseph exclaimed Y/n’s hand and ran to the glass doors.

The cameras flashed as the duo ran to Joseph’s limousine and quickly entered it. “Henry, our next destination is Vincenzo’s Gelato!” Joseph exclaimed and his driver nodded his head and speeded away.

The clicks of the camera became more quiet as they drove in the distance and Y/n sighed in relief.

“Vincenzo has one of the best ice creams in the whole New York! Ever since I was a kid, I always went there for ice cream…” Joseph spoke as his eyes sparkled with joy.

Y/n nodded her head and hummed, she didn’t really know what to say without stuttering, so she kept quiet.

After a few minutes, they arrived at a more secluded street that was partially empty.

"Thank you Henry- Now let’s go!” Joseph opened the doors of the limo and exited. Y/n sighed as she exited the limo, trying to calm herself.

It was a rather small ice cream shop on the corner of the street with pastel green and pink palette decorations.

“Vincenzo!” Joseph exclaimed as he walked the glass ice cream display. An older man, similar to Speedwagon’s age, walked out with a pink apron and white dress shirt.

“Joseph! Long time no see! I see that you brought some company with you…” Vincenzo laughed as he prepared his ice cream grabbing tool.

“Vincezno, this is Y/n L/n, my partner on the upcoming expedition!” Joseph introduced Y/n who smiled politely and waved, “Hello sir.”.

The older man chuckled, “Nice to meet you too. Now, are you ready to order?” he asked and Joseph pointed to a caramel flavoured ice cream.

“Two scoops of caramel, please.” Joseph said and Vincezno scooped out the ice cream and put in a cone.

“And you, dolcezza?” Vincezno asked and Y/n pointed to a f/f ice cream, “One scoop of f/f!”. Vincenzo chuckled as he scooped out the ice cream, “Good choice…”. Once Joseph and Y/n had their ice creams, Joseph patted his suit for his wallet.

“How much is it?” Joseph asked and Vincenzo shook his head, “It’s on the house, Josephino.” . Joseph and Y/n looked at each other and smiled, “Thank you, Vincenzo/sir!” they both exclaimed at the same time.

They started to walk towards a small park that was nearby as they ate their ice creams. “You live somewhere around here, Mr. Joestar?” Y/n asked Joseph wno nodded.

“Yeah, I live in that huge building.” Joseph pointed to a gigantic building that was down the street.

“That makes more sense…” Y/n chuckled as they both sat on a nearby bench. Joseph looked at her and shook his head with a smile, “You can drop the formalities, just call me JoJo!”.

Y/n blushed, “I- Sir- I can’t… You’re my colleague!”. Joseph licked his ice cream and raised an eyebrow at her, “Don’t be ridiculous! Just call me JoJo!”. Y/n nodded hesitantly, “Alright… JoJo…”.

“See! It wasn’t that hard!” the green eyed adventurer laughed as he ate his ice cream.

As the sun was starting to set behind the horizont, it gave the park a soft orange and pink glow.

Both stayed in silence as they ate their ice cream, but Y/n glanced at Joseph a few times. It still felt like a fever dream.

She couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that Joseph Joestar was sitting next to her and eating ice cream.

After they finished their ice creams, Y/n sighed in sadness. “I’m sorry Mr. Joestar- I mean, Jojo- But I have to get going now…” she said to Joseph.

“You’re leaving so soon already?” he asked as his expression partly fell.

“Unfortunately yes… I left my assistant all by herself with piles of my paperwork and I promised to help her after the conference…” Y/n said and Joseph laughed.

“Oh! I just left Caesar to fend for himself with my paperwork!” he sniggered as he slapped his knee.

Y/n shook her head, “That isn’t quite nice, Mr. Joestar…”. Joseph didn’t even hear her as he was laughing at his miserable assistant. Once he calmed down he whipped a stray tear coming from his eyes.

“If you must go, dear. My driver will drive you to Speedwagon’s agency.” Joseph said as he got up and dusted off his outfit and Y/n followed suit.

Once they arrived at the limo, Joseph opened the doors for Y/n and smiled, “Ladies first…”.

Y/n smiled and awkwardly chuckled, “Thank you…”. Joseph sat next to her and looked at his chauffeur, “Harper, can you drive us to the Speedwagon Archeology Centre?”.

Harper nodded his head, “Of course, sir.” he said as he started the engine and started to drive.

Once they arrived in front of the huge building, Y/n turned to Joseph and smiled, “Thank you Mr. Joestar, and see you next week…”.

Joseph smiled and grabbed her hand, “See you next week too…” he mumbled as he pressed his lips at the back of her hand.

He gently let her hand go and watched as Y/n’s face exploded in mad blush. “Uh- Yes- Goodbye!” she exclaimed as she opened the doors and rushed out. Joseph closed the doors and laughed, “Can you drop me off at my building?”.

His chauffeur nodded and they drove off.

Y/N stumbled into her office and she noticed Penny napping on one of the chairs. “Good grief…” Y/n mumbled as she saw Penny drooling over one of the papers.

“I guess I’ll have to print out a copy tomorrow…” the e/c eyed girl sighed as she sat on her office chair and held her face in her hands.

How will she survive this expedition? She is extremely afraid of bugs and snakes, and seeming that this was a secluded island that hasn’t been discovered yet, there was a huge chance of it being filled up with them.

“Time to do some paperwork…” Y/n mumbled out tiredly as she picked up her pen and started filling out numerous papers.

After a few minutes she turned on her desk lamp since it had gotten darker outside.

As she was filling out one of the papers, her vision became blurry and her eyelids started to close slowly.

“Maybe… I need to take… a little nap…” Y/n mumbled as she rested her head against the paper and breathed out loudly.

She would worry about the expedition tomorrow, but now, she needed to take a much deserved rest…

#jojo bizarre adventures #jjba x reader #joseph joestar #joseph joestar x reader #jojo pt2 #Kars #Adventure #Explorer AU #Joseph Joestar x y/n #Joseph Joestar x you #Romance #Advanturer!Joseph Joestar #speedwagon #robert e. o. speedwagon #archeology #Archeologist!reader

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avictimofthejazz · 1 year

Note

Theodore had been with Temple and Baracus at their lodgings for over a week now, and had slept very little in that time. He didn't leave the house, had nothing to occupy himself with, and was mired in a deep melancholia. After numerous sleepless nights in a row, he finally grabbed initiative and set to work.

Missus Porter didn't have a large number of tools around, but Baracus kept a few and Theodore made due with what was available. He began in the kitchen, since during the day all lodgers were banned and he didn't want to be in the way when it was needed. First, the door jams weren't flush so he set about straightening the frames and hinges.

There weren't many shelves in the kitchen, and he wasn't impressed with the few there were. Theodore straightened them as well and began crafting new ones from some wood planks he found in the garden. Over the next few nights and days while still unable to sleep the fae crafted beautiful new furniture for the kitchen, polishing and carving the chairs and table that were already there, upgrading the shelves and cabinets.

He didn't have the material to make all new work, but he thought that what was already there could certainly be made finer, it could have scroll-work added to the edging, the cracks repaired, the integrity improved. He was quite pleased with the handiwork when it was finished.

Though, perhaps Missus Porter was not too pleased to find, that after five days straight without sleep, he had eventually collapsed unconscious in a pile of sawdust next to the oven.

While Charity Porter was keenly aware that someone had been doing work in her kitchen at night, none of her lodgers would confess to the alternations—likely out of fear that they would lose their room if they did so. She had no intention of doing that, however. While somewhat annoyed that her space had been violated by an unknown force, they had clearly done no harm. In fact, the mysterious carpenter had only improved the space where she spent so much of her time, repairing damaged areas, adding in shelves, and had even built a lovely new table and chairs. While she was ready to meet her mysterious carpenter, she was less prepared to walk into her kitchen with the intent to start breakfast… only to find Theo passed out in a corner of the room, one of Mr. Baracus’s tools right near his hand. Also, now there was sawdust everywhere too. The first thing Templeton learned of this mystery under his own roof was Mrs. Porter determinedly shaking him awake. The church bells had just rung five times, followed by the smaller bell indicating the half-hour. Half-sitting up, he stared at his landlady through blurry eyes. “Fire?” He rasped, unable to think of another reason why Mrs. Porter would actually come into his rooms to wake him personally. Normally she just knocked until either Baracus or he answered. “No.” She had the decency to look thoroughly uncomfortable with this breech of etiquette. “Your friend? Mr. Becktel?” “Yes?” Wariness entered Templeton’s tone, keenly aware that Theo had been acting oddly lately. “He’s passed out in my kitchen.” “What?” Templeton straight up straighter, now thoroughly awake. Running a hand through tousled hair, he grimaced. “I’ll be downstairs in five minutes.” True to his word, a rarity in his life, Templeton half-dressed and roused Baracus in case he needed help. Both men tumbled into the kitchen almost exactly five minutes later to find Mrs. Porter standing next to their sleeping friend. Casting a long, worried glance at Baracus, Templeton stepped forward. Baracus had told him several times that Theo was not quite right in the head. Templeton had always dismissed those complaints at the time, telling his friend that he was being too sensitive, and that Theo was fine. Now though… maybe Baracus had been righter than he wanted to give his friend credit for. Crouching down next to Theo, he shook his friend’s shoulder lightly. “Theo? I can see your chest moving so you’re not dead. Come on and wake up—you passed out in Mrs. Porter’s way.”

#Muse: Templeton 'Face Man' Peck #Muse: BA Baracus #toodamnloyal #A-Team American Revolution Verse

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greycaelum · 2 years

Text

Jujutsu Kaisen: Gojo Satoru X Reader

(Kaleidoscope Series || What If Chapters ||)

[Actors AU, Podcast with Satoru and Y/n]

[Notes and warning: Crack, fluff, Y/n, and Satoru being TMI in certain areas (nothing too nasty, Satoru is already a warning himself.) No hands or nails have been harmed during the making of this podcast/content. Word count: 3.6k]

[Thank you for the 600 followers everyone, thank you for visiting and may you always enjoy your strolls in this small corner! I'm not completely out of my little burnout but I really hope I got this one through. Anyway, Enjoy! And a Happy Birthday to Satoru's Voice Actor!]

Nail Art

"What am I going to say?" You look at Satoru humming as he set up the equipment by the couch in your room.

"I dunno, but that makes it fun," Satoru made an 'ok' sign with his thumb and index with his bright blue eyes sparkling.

"I'm seriously nervous." you rolled your eyes and rub your hands, clenching and unclenching the coldness to soothe the biting fright. He arranged this for Ijichi, and the tired manager gave him a heads up. Satoru's agency prefers clearing things up in a 'smoother' way rather than going through numerous press conferences and the like.

"Hey, it's okay Bubs, we got this, and... we can also reschedule it." Satoru's voice trailed off. His bright blue eyes filled with concern staring at your figure sweating and on edge.

The tiny part of you looking forward to doing this new venture with Satoru is screaming and thrashing around to push you and just do the thing. Meanwhile, the other half of you is hesitant, afraid that things may greatly change once you step into the unknown realm where your lover is a magnificent figure... while you... The anxiety of disappointment and dragging him down has been scratching your spine from time to time.

"You have to pinch me if I'm being awkward," you murmured, cringing at the possibility of making a fool out of you later.

"Just be you," Satoru step forward enveloping you in his tight hands "The simple you made me love you hard, and that's more than enough. You don't have to change yourself to fit by my side. Got that pretty girl?"

Your tense shoulders relaxed, returning your lover's hug and nuzzling his neck, you breathed in his cool minty scent that sets your heart at a tranquil pace.

"Okay," you nod and felt Satoru drop a kiss on the crown of your head as his large hand runs on your back, calming you down.

"Welcome to the GoGo Podcastttttt~!" Satoru cheered as the live stream started, the number of viewers is starting to pile up and there's a live chat going on asking where you are and questions the like.

You and Satoru sat face to face with each other on the couch, pillows on your lap with the mic in that stand and headphones on your head.

"Are we seriously calling this GoGo Podcast?" You eyed the camera and adjusted the black mask you wore. Still fidgety about the "uniqueness" as Satoru would address it, about this podcast of yours.

"Why, what's wrong with it?" Satoru asks squinting at your unconvinced look.

"I dunno it sounds tacky." You shrug. Satoru made a YouTube channel last minute and is live streaming right now.

"Yeah," Satoru nodded. "I think it fits us perfectly. My name starts with 'Go' and soon your name will als—" leaning forward you covered his mouth to stop anything more from spilling his lips.

He glared at you and mouthed a 'stop it' which came out as "Smphm mph."

"Anyway, welcome guys to the very, very, very first episode of our podcast. I'm sure you guys know that I'm with my beloved lady, she's right here beside me so stop asking where she is," he huffed at the comments asking where you are after you remove your hands over his mouth. "What can you say Bubs?"

"Hi everyone. I'm Y/n..." Where's humor when you need one?! You sound like a plain textbook. "Today, Satoru and I decided to meet you guys, together... I hope you enjoy our company" You nervously laugh.

"Usually she's bubbly, but she's a little shy right now so take it easy with us guys," Satoru smirked. "So as we said, we'd do a podcast together! Thank you for allowing me to film with you," Satoru gazed at you with smiling eyes. "And I thought it'd be boring with just answering your questions, so we decided!"

"You decided, I was uninformed until the last minute," you punch his arm.

"Okay, I decided to surprise Bubs with a podcast and manicure corner! I enrolled in a short course yesterday before diving into this thing," Satoru pick up the pouch on the table, zipped it open, and one by one pulled out the newly purchased nail polishes and stuff.

"Were gonna answer questions while I do a manicure with Bub's fingers?" You frowned and look at the camera then back to Satoru.

"Yep, you can read the questions Bubs, I'm gonna be busy making your nails pretty." He rummaged through the pouch, pulling every color he thinks looks cute. "I'm gonna give you a nail art," Satoru made a chef kiss sign.

"You have to be gentle, got it 'Toru?" You worriedly eyed him who made grabby hands asking for your left hand.

"Trust me Bubs, I'm a pro," Satoru winked, scooting close to you and putting your hand above his knee. "I've always been gentle with you..." He whistled that you have to pinch his cheeks to stop him from spewing something else.

"Yeah? I trust you—" You deadpanned, shuddering at the sight of him holding the nail pusher. "—Anyways, I'll read the first question."

"Game!"

Ijichi sorted these questions yesterday and you trust the man's intelligence and capabilities. Scrolling through the list you read from the bottom-most question first.

"Hello, Gojo Satoru-san, and to your girlfriend. I'm genuinely curious how long have you been together?"

You cleared your throat and look at Satoru who brought your hand up and showed it to the camera. The comment is flooded with wanting to also book a reservation in Satoru's salon.

"I was going to do cuticle care but her hands are already pretty so I'll skip that part."

The heck?

"What kind of salon owner are you?"

"The kind that loves you the most." Satoru gave you a naughty look and Cheshire grin.

You resist kicking him from the cringe fuzzy butterflies he's trying to create in your tummy.

"Be serious. Like how long we've been in a relationship or how long we've known each other?" Confusion clouded you while subduing the urge to grab your hand back from your boyfriend applying the base gel.

"We've been officially together for..." Satoru looks up, counting mentally. "3 years... 2 months, and 3 weeks."

"Satoru and I met each other two years prior we became a couple. So we've known each other for more or less five years."

This is quite easy...

"What's that, a turtle?" You asked Satoru who's now painting your nails with a baby blue nail polish.

"Excuse me? This is art." Satoru scoffed at you and exposed your finger to the light.

"Is that a real gold leaf?" You asked leaning closer to scrutinize the shimmering details he's adding to your fingers.

"If that's gold I would've already showered your nails with it. Continue Bubs," Satoru shoo you away so he can continue his 'job'.

"Okay... Second question. What's your partners' most annoying habit." You laugh and adjust your mask. Ijichi intentionally included this.

"Do I have to answer this honestly?" You laughed when Satoru lookup with an offended look.

"Remember who's holding your hand right now Bubs."

You shake your head in laughter and replied to the question.

"I usually wake up around midnight to use the toilet and the toilet seat is ALWAYS raised. So I asked this guy here if he raises the toilet seat."

"No, I do not!" Satoru protested.

"But who would do that aside from you?"

"For your information, the reason I do not raise the toilet is that I sit down when I pee."

"Babe! My goodness," an image of Satoru sitting down on the toilet flash through your mind and it looks... Like an ostrich forced to crouch.

"Hey, here's my side to that," Satoru turned to the camera. "I sit down for you," he pointed at you. "Like, if I stand when I pee then everything gonna splash around and you're gonna sit down on that, huh?"

"Still, who's raising the toilet seat? It's just the two of us using this place. Unless you tell me our house is haunted."

Satoru shut his mouth, gave you stinky eyes, and ignored you, holding your thumb to continue his work. You turn to the camera and shrug.

"So yeah, Satoru's annoying habit is raising the toilet seat at night without putting it back. Babe, I think we need to private this video because of sensitive content."

"Nah, it's not like we said any nasty thing. Y/n's annoying habit is, she takes too much time taking a shower. Like I was dying to use the toilet to poop but I can't coz she's not even shampooing after 30 minutes of being inside."

"TMI. I swear this video is to be private. We have a toilet down the 1st floor." You rolled your eyes.

"Third question, why did you hide your relationship?"

You waited for Satoru to finish proudly showing off your thumb to the camera before answering. You don't have the heart to tell him his nail art looks like a butchered octopus with chopped golden tentacles

"We want privacy during the early stages of our relationship and I can say that it was the best decision we took as a couple," Satoru answered.

"Why are you doing it one by one?" You turn to the live chat who also agreed with you about Satoru doing the process like a snail.

"What's wrong with it?"

"Babe, nail artist first coat all the nails then the light, then the second coat then the light, then third coat then the light then the details then the last coating then the light."

Satoru stared at your nails with a confused puppy look like his whole life has been a lie. He then looks up to you and the camera.

"But the teacher taught me like this yesterday," he mumbled

"Ugh!" You slump your back and sighed in defeat. "Who taught you?"

"Suguru brought his girlfriend's manicure set and taught me."

Well, of course, it's the two dumbasses... You facepalmed and told him to continue.

"Fourth question, what's your first impression of each other?"

Satoru looks at you. You've never really mentioned what's your impression of him.

"I don't remember. I do not believe in the 'first impression lasts' because you can't classify a person just after seeing him or her acting all snobby or shy, there's always something beneath that it's up to you if you would like to know about that person. Like I remember Satoru being annoying and rambunctious when we hang out with our mutual friends and I honestly cannot handle high-tension people—" Satoru's shoulders deflated at your words. "—But Satoru is calm and patient, I remember I spilled the whole... What was it, Babe? Vodka? On your Brioni suit at the gala."

"It was tequila, and you were tipsy that time," Satoru added.

"I thought he'd go ballistic behind the curtains but he was like, 'okay come with me at the back'"

"Then I asked her. Are you lost baby girl?" Satoru deepened his voice.

"Then he even asked for water to sober me up. Satoru is very patient. It may not be my first impression of him when we met but it was the impression that stick to me at the earlier stages." You chuckled, adjusting the mask while smiling underneath.

"Hey don't ignore me!" Satoru bit his lips, as he add the third coat on your middle fingernail. "If I know that's the way you'd pay me the attention I should've bumped into you much earlier," Satoru mumbled making you flick his head. "I have a first impression of you Bubs. So when we first met Bubs was wearing this minimalist outfit of a checkered light blue blazer, with a white top and white pants and you have this tote bag while reading a romance book in the cafe. And my first thought was she's a beautiful snob. She ignored me, like 101% no hi or hello until Suguru and Shoko came and introduced us. Why did you ignore me Bubs?"

"I didn't even notice you sitting in front of me. By now I know that you know when I read I have this solitary bubble that ignores everything and everyone around me. And no way, do you remember all of that? I don't even remember what you wore that day."

"Yeah I remember, you were even wearing that promise ring your past boyfriend now your ex gave you because I'm your baby now." Satoru rolled his eyes. "She's very casual too, barely talked to me when we first met even when Suguru and Shoko left us and I ask her if I should walk her home. So my first impression of Bubs is that she's a drop-dead gorgeous snob."

"You put the drop-dead gorgeous to evade sleeping on the couch?"

"What? No way!"

"Anyway, fifth question: what's your reaction to Gojo's kissing scenes."

Ehhhhh... Internally you screeched and Satoru look at you batting his lashes with a grin.

"Have I reacted badly?" You asked Satoru who shrug. "Before Satoru and I became a couple, I already understood that it can't be avoided, that's part of his job. We have mutual friends who are also in the entertainment industry. I'd be a liar if I say I wasn't affected but the thing is if I keep dwelling on that it'd make me vain and cynical so instead of trying to keep it getting into me I talk it with Satoru." You look at your lover who stopped working on your nails and is fully giving you his attention. "There's this border that will always separate what he does in work and what we are together. Work is work. It doesn't affect me anymore as much as it used to. I learned to trust him and also learn to trust myself that I'm enough for him... Does that make sense?" You chuckled and Satoru bit his lips chuckling with you.

"Oh I just wanna add," Satoru interrupted grinning to the cam. "I have this action movie with Suguru, a few months ago but it's still not out in the cinemas. That one where I played demigod and warrior. Bubs were there with me! She played a minor role, right? Right?" Satoru giddily poked your belly.

"Ijichi-san's gonna stab you with his pen for revealing that." You pouted.

"She looks extremely gorgeous in her cute dress. Yadda, yadda!" Satoru squirmed almost toppling over the table and nail polishes.

"Yamete!" You growled clamping his mouth shut. "Babe it's not pretty anymore," you whined seeing the gold leaf askew from all his squirming.

"We almost kissed in that movie," Satoru winked at the camera making the live chat explode.

"Stop feeding them unnecessary details." You flick his head with gritted teeth.

"Next, sixth. If you wanted privacy why did you date a superstar?"

Satoru pouted at the question. You were quiet for a moment.

"Just because he's in the limelight I don't think I need to refrain myself from being with him. Satoru never made me feel less than I am. When I'm with him I don't feel our love story is necessarily something people would watch and dream about but when I see him, I see someone who would stay with me when I'm wrecked or happy. And I found someone with whom I can be unafraid to show both my frustrations and passionate side. Satoru and I aren't mysterious and privacy obsessed but we prefer staying chill and at the back because those moments are for the both of us and we want it the way it is."

"For me, I dated Bubs because she treats me with Kikufuku—" Satoru laughed at your rolling eyes. "—Kidding aside, I had a few rough roads while courting her one, the reason is she just got out of a break-up and wasn't interested in going in any relationship. So I had to lay low. I can't go all out surrounding her or else I might suffocate her because I know I can get annoyingly clingy when I get my hands on her and I don't want her to feel constricted. I don't have a problem being public with her but I agree that I also like our privacy, it's our little secrets."

That surprised you too, and the chat was filling in with how sweet you two are, or if you two are considering going public now that you're both officially recognized as a couple. But you ignored those, not wanting to be drowned with the flow of social media netizens.

"Seventh... Babe no!" You gasp when Satoru clips your nails and it bites too big for your liking. "Are you trying to give me claws?" You gaped at your imbalanced nail and turn at Satoru who look at you, eyes wide open, stunned by what he's done.

"Don't worry, I'll wash the dishes until it grows back," he swallowed nervously.

"That's not the point, and we have a dishwasher for that. Good grace," you grumbled. "You're dead after this."

"She bullies me!" Satoru whined.

"Seventh... My gosh Babe, no! Enough clipping nails put the nail cutter away." You warned him who hesitatingly put the nail cutter away and put base gel now on your left hand.

"What's your favorite movie?"

"Your movie or any movie?" You asked Satoru who shrug.

"My favorite movie was the loyal dog who waited for his master at the train station," Satoru answered.

"My favorite is about a quadriplegic and his caretaker who fell in love, though nothing was official he taught her how to live her life. Then in the end this man applied for service in Dignitas, and the caretaker was left with a sum of money and a letter from the man. And my favorite movie of Satoru is, Six Eyes Trilogy."

"Why?" Satoru hummed, smiling.

"I love how you projected the character of a teacher who strives to educate his students without sheltering them... Then the process of how your grey character lost hope after being betrayed by the higher-ups. I can't explain it with words but that was bone-chilling when you realize there's no salvation and then you became your own story's antagonist. I cried a lot when your character lost his eyes there because he may have lost his eyes, but he found his freedom. Yeah, the chills."

"Yeah, I knew you were head over heels for me," Satoru giggled and you pinch his nose.

"Eight. Is your girlfriend in the entertainment industry?"

You shake your head and Satoru held out his hand to adjust your mask so you could properly breathe.

"No, I am not. I work in a different industry. I have my own business."

"But Bubs, visit me in my sets. She sends me those white roses and brings me lunch when she's near the site. I post them on my Insta, her tamagoyaki is my fave."

"Second to the last, the ninth question. How do you make time for each other with busy schedules?"

Satoru finally finished your nails and brought them to the camera with a proud smile. You don't have the heart to tell him it looks like a kid's doodle.

"Bubs either visit me in my sets, or I go to her job place. She has lots of business trips so it can get a little hard to match our schedules but the last week of the month is our alone time together. When I have three days open, I usually follow her when she's overseas that's why I have many photos abroad, and she's the one who takes my photos too~ But wait a minute." Satoru grabs the camera and places it above your nails.

"I did good right? Rate me in stars Bubs."

You cannot hold back anymore and just laughed.

"I love you so much," you held his hand and squeeze it.

Satoru stared at you with a deadpan look and groaned.

"You did great baby, thank you. Next time you should also try learning massage and hairdressing."

"So you can turn me into your salon?" He raised a judging brow at you and returned the camera to its holder while tidying the stuff back to the pouch.

"You don't like that? That's another talent."

"Nope don't like," he pouted and sat back facing you.

"You should read the last question," you handed him his phone and he scroll down to read it.

"Ten, what's your message to your fans?" Satoru cleared his throat. "I hope you like our first podcast, I bribed Y/n with a large sum of ice cream to join me. We're happy to share our small corner with you guys and it was nice to answer your questions. It has been a pleasant night and have a good night's sleep everyone."

Wow, he smoothly wrapped that up...

"Good night everyone thank you for joining us!"

Behind the Scenes

You stare at your nails while having an internal battle about what your oh-so-awesome boyfriend has done. There's a leaf bundled together looking like a ladybug and another looking like a chopped turtle. How did Satoru manage to do that? You also don't know. He didn't apply the last coat too.

"I'm starting to rethink my decisions in life..."

"What? It's cute! You don't appreciate art Bubs." Satoru scoffed and grab your hands admiring them again.

You let him be when he took a picture and showed it off on his Instagram, his fans pointed out a few tips to Satoru on how to do it properly and he promised to give Suguru a beating for deceiving him at their nail art classes.

—GreyCaelum

PLAGIARISM IS A CRIME

Check out the Masterlist for more

All rights and credits of the Jujutsu Kaisen character(s) mentioned images(s) and songs(s) used belongs to their respective owner(s)

General/Kaleidoscope Series Taglist: @ice-icebaby @aeanya @gummy-dummy

#gojo satoru imagines #jujutsu kaisen imagines #gojo satoru #gojo satoru fanfic #jjk fluff #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen satoru #gojo satoru x reader #gojo x you #satoru gojo #greycaelum #jjk actors au #jjk celebrity au #gojo satoru kaleidoscope series

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heliads · 2 years

Note

Good night, Lisa! I would like to request a Zoya X fem!reader where reader is Nikolai's younger sister. She's quiet and timid and spends most of her time reading in her room, but she's very gentle with everyone, and she's adored by the Ravkan people, well known as a delicate sweet princess. Zoya is very protective of her and she doesn't even realize, saying it's just because it's her job as a general. If you could make Genya tease her about it, it would also be great. And jealous Zoya would be nice to see, considering how her character is built up, I would love to see how she would act if she was jealous of a girl she hasn't even admitted to like yet.

Well, I hope you like the request. Thanks anyways.

zoyaaa

masterlist

This is one of Zoya Nazyalensky’s favorite parts of her job. She supposes that she’s supposed to enjoy battle best, or favor every chance she gets to show off her mastery of the Small Science and look good while doing it. Zoya loves that too, no doubt about it, but some part of herself has always secretly enjoyed the quieter moments, such as this one.

For some reason unknown to just about everyone, Zoya has been tasked with being a personal guard to the youngest Lantsov, Princess Y/N. Typically, this would be a burden forced upon a lesser guard, but Zoya already spends so much of her time orbiting around the Lantsovs as the general of the Second Army that she scarcely even notices the change in schedule.

Besides, if she cares to think introspectively for longer than the second she usually allows herself, Zoya can admit that she does enjoy being around Y/N Lantsov. Truly. It’s hard to not appreciate her company in at least some respect. Zoya doesn’t think she’s ever met someone quite so, well, spontaneous, in her sheer joy for being alive.

Ravka is not a hospitable place for dreamers, nor princesses. Y/N’s faced more attempts on her life than most people can even imagine, yet she still remains a giddy optimist. It’s fascinating. Zoya has attempted to wear her down on numerous occasions, just to see what it would take to make Y/N’s smile slip, but it never quite works out. Even Zoya’s own barbed wit is nothing in comparison to the princess’ emotional shield, although that doesn’t mean Zoya’s toning herself down anytime soon. Not even royalty can convince her to lay down her favored weapons.

Still, straightening up from where she leans against the wall of the Grand Palace, Zoya can’t deny that she’s happy to be here, for once. In the past, visits to the Grand Palace have never boded well for whatever unlucky Grisha was forced to parade in front of the elder Lantsov king in the hopes of gaining some sort of funding for their projects.

That was then, though, during the reign of the Darkling’s manipulation tactics. Today, Nikolai wears the crown, and he’s more than happy to spend an afternoon locked in pleasant debates with Zoya on just about anything. She might be the first person he truly considered a friend, which says something about the sorry state of affairs Ravka’s king finds himself entrapped in now. If your best compatriot is someone who’d rather bare her teeth than grin, well, things clearly aren’t great for kings nor soldiers.

That’s how Nikolai differs from Y/N, though. Nikolai, despite his best efforts, still carries with him the shadows of being a king. He puts on a mask, one that could pretty much be his real face were it not for the near invisible seams at the edge, but it is, in the end, still a mask. If you look closely enough, you can see where it breaks, where the exhausted man inside does his best to peer out.

Y/N, though, bears her burden in a different way- through challenging it instead of bearing it admirably. Nikolai has accepted what he must be, but Y/N still has the hope to launch a counterattack against the injustice of it all. Zoya doesn’t know how; Y/N has been here fighting this never ending war alongside her brother for as long as Zoya can remember, yet she still keeps the faith that something good could come of it.

Maybe that’s why Zoya like spending time with her, after all: it reminds a stone hearted general such as herself that not all darkness has to last forever. Sometimes, better times are just over the horizon.

Speaking of which, Y/N has just appeared out of a wide set of double doors, casually pushing past the gold inlaid panels to step out into the bright morning. She bids farewell to a couple of advisors, then meets eyes with Zoya and beams. Zoya doesn’t think that anyone else has ever been so pleased to see her, but she can’t say that she minds.

Y/N crosses over to Zoya, still smiling just as happily. “There’s my favorite chaperone. Have you had a chance to crush someone’s dreams yet?”

“No, but it’s only morning.” Zoya responds, bemused.

Y/N grins, and for a moment Zoya can picture a world in which this young woman before her was Sturmhond, not her brother. She would make a fearsome privateer.

Then Y/N issues out another remark about the meetings she’s had and the meetings she will have, all with that same relentless optimism. The resemblance vanishes back out into the stretches of Zoya’s imagination, although she’s sure that she’ll attempt to peruse it later.

By the time the two of them reach their appointed destination (small chapel, reserved for royalty exclusively, something both Lantsovs have attempted to change to no success), Zoya’s spirits feel somehow buoyed. It is difficult to keep one’s patience from snapping when everything seems to be going wrong, but it’s hard to remember that with Y/N.

However, Zoya is late to a planning meeting with the Grisha Triumvirate, so she waits until the moment Y/N disappears into the glimmering recesses of the chapel for her morning lessons before quickly hurrying back towards the Little Palace.

When she finally makes it to the War Room, home of disaster response since the Darkling, she’s almost out of breath. Zoya takes a moment to get herself in order, then walks briskly into the room, hoping that her typical piercing glare will be enough to dissuade anyone from commenting on her tardiness.

It does not work. Genya Safin, bent over David’s shoulder to peruse a stack of his latest notebooks, regards Zoya’s arrival with a raised brow.

“You’re late,” the Tailor notes.

Zoya nods impassively. “I had to guard Y/N again. Her lessons were out of my way.”

Genya straightens up, clearly delighted. “Is that why you look so pleased with yourself? You’ve been spending time with the princess again?”

Zoya attempts to concentrate her glare, but it doesn’t remove the smirk on Genya’s face. “I’m not pleased with myself,” Zoya begins, but her friend interrupts before she can get anywhere.

“Of course you are. You’re actually smiling, which I don’t think I’ve witnessed in years.”

At Zoya’s noise of indignation, Genya gestures towards a mirror hung across the room. “See for yourself. It’s marvelous.”

To Zoya’s utter horror, it’s true. Her lips stubbornly refuse to tamp down into even a neutral expression, let alone a grimace.

“This means nothing,” Zoya offers, but Genya’s delight is unstoppable now.

“Of course it means something. It’s as if I’ve witnessed a miracle. Perhaps this is a sign of good times to come. Does this count as an omen for all of Ravka? Maybe we’ll get out of the war now.”

Zoya snorts. “All of that is absurd. Life isn’t a romance novel, Genya, despite your fondness for them.”

“No, it isn’t,” Genya laments. “If it was, we’d all have far better clothes. What a waste.”

Zoya rolls her eyes and pointedly asks David about his latest project in an effort to deflect away from the current topic. Even after both women are washed away in a flood of words and diagrams, Genya still keeps shooting gleeful looks Zoya’s way. It’s insufferable, especially because Zoya isn’t entirely sure that she’s wrong to suspect something.

Zoya just likes feeling free, that’s all, and she feels the most free when she’s with Y/N. Nothing has to come of that, and certainly no snooping Tailors should get involved in Zoya’s own business.

Still, when the meeting ends and Zoya finds herself headed briskly back to the chapel, she can’t help but think about the young woman awaiting her inside. The Triumvirate planning period actually ended up being faster than any of them expected, so Zoya’s here a couple of minutes early.

She lets herself in through the door of the chapel, careful not to make a sound so as to leave the inhabitants undisturbed. Y/N meets a variety of her advisors and tutors in here, something about a long-standing Lantsov tradition of respecting Ravkan history.

A long time ago, Ravkan noblewomen were only permitted to engage in politics through figurehead activities: posing in portraits, appearing at banquets, et cetera. Apparently, one of Y/N’s ancestors grew sick of the whole thing and spent three days and three nights praying to the Saints in this very chapel. When she came out at last, it was revealed that her husband had died in a sudden attack and she was pronounced ruler of Ravka. She was said to be one of the fiercest leaders the country ever had. Ever since, this chapel has been an important location to all Lantsov women.

Zoya isn’t one to scoff at warrior queens, but some cynical part of herself wonders if the whole thing is just an excuse to cloister up the women in this gilded coffin and keep them separate from the rest of the politics in the palace. Y/N would tell her to stop being such a pessimist, but it’s in too much of Zoya’s nature to ever give it a rest.

Zoya comes to a stop in the antechamber of the chapel, in the very back of the rows of wooden pews. The place is gorgeous, even she can admit it. Stained glass depictions of the Saints in all their glory line the walls, and there’s so much gold leaf that even the floor tiles could be sold for fortunes.

And there, across the room, Y/N kneels at the front of the chapel. Hands clasped, she’s the very picture of innocence. Light from the massive windows bathes her in pure brilliance. She could be a statue herself for all Zoya knows.

Zoya is hidden away in the shadows of the chapel, yet Y/N somehow still notices her. Her instructor is droning on about some text, lost in thought. Y/N flashes a proud wink Zoya’s way, and the contrast of it all nearly sets Zoya ablaze. This is Y/N, looking as close to a Saint in flesh as Zoya’s ever seen, yet smirking as if she’s a demon. This is religion, Zoya thinks. This is what it means to be loved.

Even after the period of study ends, and Y/N is permitted to bid her advisors farewell, Zoya still stays, tucked into her alcove like yet another tapestry. Y/N waits until everyone else has gone, then strides purposefully down the center aisle until she’s reached Zoya’s side.

“Well?” The princess asks. “Do I have my look of total innocence and concentration down or what?”

Zoya laughs, surprising herself. “You were doing fine until the wink. Anyone could have seen that.”

Y/N tilts her head to the side, considering this. “Perhaps. You’re the only one who did, though.”

“I’ve seen plenty of things, Y/N. Spies, traitors, poor business partners. I make it my job to notice things that no one else does.” Zoya states it quite placidly, yet Y/N’s eyes still spark as if she’s delivered the opinion of the century.

“Perhaps, but the same job could be said of any of my advisors. You’re the only one who truly notices anything. You’re the only one who truly notices me. Why?”

“You’re a Lantsov,” Zoya settles, but it’s the easy way out and Y/N knows it.

“No, I’m the sister of the more important Lantsov. I am only here as a contingency plan and everybody knows it. I can offer advice and help solidify my brother’s reign as best I can, but nothing more. Why do you look at me like I’m more than that?”

Zoya sighs, hating how it makes her sound so frustrated. Hating how she’s always frustrated, never kind. “Because you are.”

Y/N smiles again. It’s that same smile that keeps getting to Zoya. How can one person possibly be that bright? “You are too, you know. You’re not just the cold hearted soldier you like to pretend you are.”

Zoya cocks her head to the side. “How do you know that? What could possibly make me more than that?”

Y/N’s smile deepens. “Me.”

She says it simply enough, as if it isn’t an earth shattering truth alone that Y/N knows, then turns and leaves the chapel. Zoya allows herself a moment of quiet shock, then shakes her head and walks after Y/N. She may have a couple things to say about the future state of their affairs.

grishaverse tag list: @rogueanschel, @deadreaderssociety, @cameronsails, @mxltifxnd0m, @story-scribbler, @retvenkos, @thatfangirl42, @amortensie, @gods-fools-heroes

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kachuuyaa · 3 years

Text

— MAPLE LEAVES AND BLACKOUT DREAMS.

11072021 ; g.i oneshot , gn!reader , bsd!reader .. again

genre ; fluff

includes ; spoilers for the latest archon quest... ig... one mention of fyodor, gods and heavenly powers, INAZUMA ..a...a.... kazuha is intrigued by you go you go! subtle flirting probably

characters ; kazuha, beidou, paimon (platonic), aether (platonic)

synopsis ; Only one human could make another feel safe in this world of faux bliss. (In which you meet the wandering samurai from Inazuma.)

author's notes ; so sorry if you're tired of my bsd!reader content but it won't stopYaba dasabadaba yoobabababa (blow!) Moosay Abalaba dooba, cadoosay (cadoosay) Metamorphosis aporphis of morkle laborth laba gorbalib (laboratory)

It has not been long since the reunion between the twins, and Aether seemed melancholic throughout your journey back to Liyue. It was to be expected, really. You knew it all along, yet you didn’t bother to tell him. It was quite easy to figure out, actually, yet you do not want to add on to the suspicion brought upon you. You don’t bother to confront him after that, not wanting to make any mistakes during your conversation with him. Completely blocking Paimon and Aether’s discussions, your eyes fixated themselves on the sleeping Chuuya on your shoulder.

He has been sleeping a lot, you realized, wiggling a bit on your shoulder, he rested his small head on your neck. You smiled to yourself, he was quite cute. You did not want to venture into Liyue Harbor for multiple reasons, if you were on the watchlist of the Knights, there is no doubt you are on the watchlist of the Millelith. “Hey, [Name],” Paimon’s voice entered your ears, getting your attention. You turned your head carefully so as to not wake the sleeping Chuuya on your shoulder, bored eyes staring at Paimon. “Ah-” she stuttered, “do you… possibly know how to get to Inazuma?” she asked meekly, nervousness coating her features-- she was still afraid of you. Well, after the meeting between the twins, how could she not? You were certainly at the top of her “Do Not Piss Off” list.

Inazuma. A beautiful nation shrouded with darkness and all things far from heavenly. You have heard of the nation, never being able to step inside, so you resort to the wind; it gives you information on anything and everything. The rumors of you and the ballads of the ancient traverse through the winds you depend on for information, and it has not let you down. Chuuya would also eavesdrop on others for information, his short stature giving an advantage. He would keep the information for himself, for angry squeaks are the only thing that leaves his tiny mouth.

So, no, you do not know how to get there. You may hold the fate of the world in your hands, able to make even the strongest of archons bow at your feet by a simple wave of your hand. Veins pumping with the blood of another world, and another world is where you reign and have died. This world is merely but a fleeting one, you assumed, and while you may have unimaginable battle prowess and an equally indestructible and flawless ability, you simply do not care. Who are you to care about a world which has no meaning to you? You belong here, yet you don’t have an obligation to protect it. Even the archons-- the so-called “protectors” of Teyvat, had destroyed a nation made by mortal hands.

The gods here were as selfish as the ones you have read before you’ve ever come here. Your life was held in another, chained, captive in another's hands. And even though you were free by being released-- reincarnated in another world (you can’t say another life; you know it’s a continuation of your previous one, how stupid), you know you were bound to experience the selfishness of the gods, those replicating what you have seen in mortals. “No, I don’t.” You sighed, looking back at the sea. The sea has always been a peaceful place, an abyss with numerous undiscovered creatures residing in it. “There must be someone you know..” You trailed off, still focusing on the scenery before you. Unsurprisingly, Paimon snapped Aether out of his reverie and called out his name. “Oh. Let me try and think of someone…” Aether began to think, but Paimon interrupted his train of thought before he could form a name. “Paimon’s thought of someone already -- Atsuko, in Liyue Harbor! She’s from Inazuma!” Paimon exclaimed, waving her tiny arms in the air, ushering both you and Aether to Liyue Harbor, yet you were quick to decline her offer. Dismissing her invitation, you waved your hand, and said, “No, No. People wouldn’t want to see someone like me venturing with the bigshot of Teyvat.” You said, a slight tease coated in your tone.

The traveling duo had to think about your words, you were right-- in a sense, yet they did not want to leave you alone. (they were completely disregarding the existence of a Chuuya-fied wisp sleeping soundly on your shoulder.) “Aww!” Paimon whined, “Paimon wanted [Name] to come with us!” Aether simply laughed, and nodded his head, standing up. “Well, if we find a way to get there, you will join us, alright?” He asked you, but it didn’t seem like a question, it was a demand, really. Deadpanning, you nodded your head, assuring that you will, in fact, travel with them after consulting Atsuko.

You lowered your presence before venturing to the foot of Liyue, trying to conceal yourself from wandering eyes. Aether and Paimon were barely in your peripheral vision and trying to hear their conversation with the Inazuma citizen was even harder. As if on cue, Chuuya squeaked, trying to get your attention, and you faced the tiny wisp who twirled around the air, orange particles following suit. “Ah, you want to eavesdrop?” you questioned, trying to understand his body movements. A little nod with a squeak of approval was what you received in return, and you allowed him to do so. You may not understand his body movements most of the time-- but hey, you try. The wisp navigates its way to where Paimon and Aether were, making sure that he was unseen and unnoticed by the passerby. Thankfully, though, he was.

After a bit of eavesdropping, he returned back to you, and you ultimately did not get what he meant, until he gestured-- with his head-- the direction of Guyun Stone Forest. You could only assume that much. Shortly after, Paimon and Aether returned to you both, and you turned to face them, awaiting their statement. “Uh- alright,” Paimon started, unable to look you in the eye. You found her nervousness quite hilarious, your mouth forming a smirk in amusement. Despite being small, yet wasn’t hesitant to voice out anything on her mind, was afraid of a mere human like you. “Atsuko told us that we must meet with the .. Crux.” The Crux, you have heard tell of their captain and their victories. How could you not? The strange relationship between the Tianquan and the captain was being spread throughout Liyue, including their many stories in the sea. The reputation The Crux has gotten for their many bone-chilling and jaw-dropping experiences was enough to make you interested. “Continue,” You replied, eyes analytical, boring into poor Paimon’s eyes. She shrieked, and silently pleaded to Aether to continue where she left off.

Chuuya, on the other hand, was snickering mentally, not only because of Paimon’s cowardice but also because of Aether’s hesitance to respond. He opted to let out squeaks that resembled laughter. Paimon jerked her head to the wisp, comical steam escaping her ears. “Stop laughing, you orange dwarf!” She stomped her legs, and you had to hold back your laughter. Aether cleared his throat, and Paimon halted her actions. “We must find Captain Beidou, the leader of the Crux.” He said calmly, and you nodded your head. Chuuya was sulking on your shoulder, forming a little ball. How cute, you think, and stood up to follow Paimon and Aether to their destination.

Guyun Stone Forest. An infamous landmark created by the spears of the Lord of Geo, known to hold an ancient god, Osial, one you were most familiar with after the battle that forced him to retreat yet again. Guyun Stone Forest was known to house the Hypostasis that you severely resented, as well as other monsters of each variety. It was a place created by a god, and it houses an ancient one-- waiting to awaken yet again. Some say that if you come by at night, you would experience the bloodshed and the defeat of Osial vividly, memories of the god experiencing his demise would flash through your head like a slideshow.

Soon enough, you both were able to board the Crux without unnecessary mishaps, you trailing behind Aether and Paimon, your presence still unnoticed by the rest of the crew. Chuuya was settled atop your head, seldomly wiggling to find a place to relax. He was still awake, though, that was enough. Aether’s footsteps alerted Beidou, who was currently talking to an unknown stranger you have never seen before, and it seems like Aether was unfamiliar with him, too.

“Hmm? Who’ve we got here…” Beidou turned to face Aether, and you moved to the side, out of Beidou’s peripheral vision. A flash of realization took over the captain’s features, and said, “Wait, I know you. You’re that traveler, Aether, aren’t you?” She questioned, “The one who fought against the Fatui and Osial, right?” She added. Aether blinked, processing her words. Yeah, he did all those, and it should be a given that his achievements were recognized, but a look of confusion would tell you otherwise. “Have we met?” He asked in response. He was a busy man, accepting commissions from complete strangers in both nations without hesitation, and they might remember him, but do not expect this man to remember you-- at all. He chooses not to remember irrelevant people.

Their conversation was not yours to mind, instead, looking out to sea. It was far more interesting than what you’re hearing, all too familiar with what they’re talking about. Feeling a pair of eyes on you, you shrugged it off, too immersed in the beauty of the sea in front of you. Beidou’s loud voice boomed, entering your ears, which snapped you out of your thoughts. “Judging by the clothes on your back and this floating thing-- and you! Another companion, perhaps?” Before Paimon could talk back to the captain, her eyes followed Beidou’s finger, which was pointing to you.

You stared back at them, your eyes swirling with amusement and recognition. “Hi.” you greeted, you were not one for formal greetings. “[Name], traveling partner--” Beidou’s voice interrupted you before you could finish, “aren’t you the suspicious fellow the Millelith was to keep track of?” Ah. So she knows. Who wouldn’t, really? Your supposed title along with Aether’s name being spread throughout Teyvat, one outshining the other. You were feared, unlike Aether, who was respected throughout the continent, yet you were one who they would want to avoid-- to show you who you need to respect. Although that didn’t bother you, it certainly irritated Paimon and Aether.

“They’re my traveling companion-- my friend.” Aether emphasized the word ‘friend’, making you smile fondly at the boy. Paimon nodded vigorously, and Beidou let it slide, albeit hesitant in doing so. “I’ll let it slide, for now.” She monotonously said, eyeing you and Aether, “but if you do something sketchy, I won’t hesitate to do something to you.” She threatened, making Paimon yelp and hide behind Aether, while you smirked in amusement. “A deal’s a deal, captain.” You muttered, turning your back on her to face the scenery you were focusing on. “And by the way, Paimon’s not ‘floating thing,’ it’s Paimon!” She said, shouting each vowel of her name.

“Paimon… hmm..” Those words that belonged to a foreign voice caught everyone’s attention-- excluding Chuuya’s, who was too entertained by the floating particles around his body-- to turn to said man. “What a fascinating being. You two give off not only the essence of wind and earth,” He paused, “but also of… yes… the stars…” He concluded. You blinked, “Eh? The fragrance of what now?” Paimon questioned, confusion lacing her tone, “That’s the weirdest compliment Paimon’s ever heard.” She muttered, and the mysterious man turned to you. “But you… you give off the essence of the stars, and the aura of the divine.” He stated, while you turned to him, and said, “Is that an insult?” You voiced out, while he merely chuckled and shook his head. “Pay it no heed… I mean only to say I am certain… that it is by fate, not chance alone, that we should meet… and that gives our encounter meaning.”

You couldn’t bother to listen to their conversation, for you were not included. Yet you managed to catch his name, Kaedehara Kazuha. Upon studying his appearance more, you realized that he was not local. The frame around his vision confirmed your assumptions, and you could only wonder what that frame came from. Where he came from, exactly. There was an oddly calming and melancholic aura emanating from the man behind you, and it may look like he was aware of it, too. The group exchanged words relating to something about a Crux Clash, something you have never heard of before. Leaning forward to the railings, you let Chuuya sit on your shoulder while nuzzling his face on your neck. Sleepy, he was, all the time. Though that didn’t bother you, really.

“Does your friend over there have some experience in fighting?” I think they do, considering their unusually suspicious yet powerful aura, Beidou wanted to add, yet she refused those words to slip past her tongue. Aether knew you never wanted to be put in the spotlight, to be the center of attraction even for a few minutes, all of those things irked you. Even though you were the center of attraction back in your past life-- for all the right reasons, you don’t want it to happen again. Tranquility is what you desire. You were offered the curse of the gods and the blessing of death, yet tranquility is what truly made you feel human amidst everything else.

Everything passes, tranquility doesn’t. “They would probably decline if you asked them.” He said, it was the truth, really. “They’re not one for formal events,” He trailed off, running out of reasons for vouching for you. You were a mysterious individual, and while you have been their traveling companion for quite some time, you still left lingering questions on your trail. Curiosity swirling in his eyes whenever he manages to take a good look at you, wondering what you are-- who exactly you were. Perhaps being mysterious came with good looks. “Oh? Is that so?” She quirked an eyebrow and glanced at your figure before tearing her gaze back to the traveler. “Yeah, they're a tough one!” Paimon exclaimed, “They don’t fight unless necessary!” Paimon then added, recalling your previous statements to the pixie. You were ruthless and merciless in battle, cunning in strategy, resorting to being the brains between the duo. That doesn’t excuse your methodical and malicious way of swerving through the situation, however.

“I’m not interested.” Your sharp voice cuts through the conversation, dismissing every thought the wandering samurai and the captain may have had. Still facing the sea, elbows on the railings of the ship. “You, too, are not interested in the masterless vision?” Kazuha asked, and you nodded. “I am only interested in following Aether.” You uttered nonchalantly, and a blush rose to Aether’s cheeks, quickly faltering. “Well, it seems like the traveler will only be partaking in the event. Let’s get you signed up, yeah?” she questioned, “Head to the tournament arena in Guyun Stone Forest. Kazuha and I will be over soon.” She smiled, clasping her hands together. Before anyone could say anything else, you disappeared. (poof! You’re gone, and honestly, it’s a surprise that no one noticed Chuuya, at all.)

Beidou turned to look at you, yet you were gone. All that was left was a little wisp with orange particles surrounding its body. It seemed to be looking around frantically, beady eyes locking with ruby-colored ones. It blinked, and it disappeared as soon as they made eye contact. Was that [Name]? The captain blinked and shrugged her shoulders. It would be an understatement to say that both of them were confused, they genuinely thought that you turned into a wisp. Kazuha’s face remained neutral, yet there was a lingering swirl of amusement in those vermillion hues of his. “Well, well. It seems like it will only be a matter of time before the answer is revealed.” (AWOOOOAOAOAOAO WOOOF WOOF. anyway.)

You didn’t want to be noticed by the Liyue participants, having been popular on the list of suspicious individuals. You knew that if they saw you, even if it was just a glimpse, they would panic. So, what was the best option? Well-- hide, obviously. You were sat atop one of the spears, right above the reception area. The endless praises coming from the other competitors soon reached your ears, but that didn’t make you interested. They have only witnessed him in his power, but were they able to walk alongside him? You didn’t think so, besides, they’re but mere specks of dust in his house of memories. You crossed your legs, blocking out any sounds entering your ears. That is until a familiar squeak is what you heard. Looking to your left, you saw a visibly furious wisp. When you landed your eyes on him, he started smacking your head as if he was scolding you-- well, he was. In his tiny little head, he was cursing you out, and he had embarrassed himself in front of two complete strangers. You laughed, not quite loud, and gently encased your hands on his tiny body. He slept after that.

You only watched some of Aether’s matches before you appeared-- out of nowhere-- behind Beidou and Kazuha. The samurai noticed your peculiar presence the second you got there, really, you had a very, very unique scent. He would describe it as flowers-- laid out in a field, wilting ever so slowly. An enigma that presents itself as a gentle soul, malicious in movement and methodical if necessary. You had eyes that resembled that of a certain archon he grew to despise, yet he failed to sense any correlation between the two of you. If he had, though, he would be utterly speechless that you haven’t stolen him away, yet. You presented yourself as swift in movement and uninterested in talking, although he noticed a playful side that you only revealed to Aether. He now realized that you weren’t the wisp that disappeared after a few double takes, situated on your shoulder. Even that small wisp radiated the same aura that you did.

Just who were you? Kazuha couldn’t decipher you that much, he thinks he has only so little information about you, and he was right. You were a black and white canvas, one who presents themselves as plain, quiet, yet you were familiar with all emotions at once. The ability to be stoic and to have separate personalities were one of your most prominent features, being able to lure your target into a seemingly well-made trap. Your eyes were closed, listening to the waves meeting the sand, oh, how you missed that sound.

The waves crashing never failed to land a small smile on your face, unnoticed by many, tranquility was the only word you would describe the sounds the oceans make. Calming, it was. Beidou’s laugh entered your ears, “I knew I wouldn’t regret choosing you as the favourite!” You opened your eyes slightly, directing your sharp eyes to Aether and Paimon. “So what do you think, Kazuha? [Name]? He totally dominated that guy, and did it with style, too!” She said, visible pride laced within her words. To be fair, you were proud of Aether as well, but your pride was overshadowed by nonchalance. “Impressive,” Kazuha praised, “But I also observed our favorite exercise some restraint, as if to protect the opponent from harm.” He added, and paused, turning to look at you. “Ah,” you uttered, “Good work, Aether.” you were simple, Aether knew that, yet you never praised him verbally, resorting to ruffling his hair. It did not fail to make him smile, though. Paimon smiled brightly, for that was the first time she heard those words slip past your lips. You smiled gently, genuinely, and whispered, “I know you will win.”

Paimon was ready to cry then and there. Comical tears run down her face, hugging you from the neck, “Paimon didn’t know you could be so nice!” Her voice was shaky, yet you laughed in faux offense and Aether smiled, and whispered a ‘thank you', in response. Beidou laughed heartily, and Kazuha crossed his arms with a small smirk. So not only were you playful, you had a soft spot for Aether! Lovers, perhaps? Softly chuckling, you leaned back to the stone behind you, letting your eyelids rest. As the wind kissed your face you were vaguely reminded of the man beside you, yet you made no intent to look at him. You were only brought back to reality when Beidou told Aether that he would be put in the semi-finals, and you nodded in agreement. Aether smiled, his eyes forming crescents, and sent you a thumbs up in return.

After quite a long wait, it was time for the semi-finals. After some words from Kazuha and the announcement from Beidou, you patted Aether’s back gently and gave him a look that said ‘you can do this’. Well, needless to say, he was quite hyped after that exchange. Chuuya squeaked from beside you, and you let him start floating on your shoulder. This attracted Kazuha’s attention, “What’s that?” He asked, the words spilling out of his mouth before he could ever give it a thought. Chuuya and you side-eyed him, and said, “ah. This little guy?” You pointed to Chuuya, and it seemed angered at your comment. “This guy’s Nakahara. A… memoir of a... friend, in short.” Said wisp halted its actions, although it didn’t go unnoticed by both of you. “Hm, fascinating. You two carry the same aura.” You remained silent for the most part, yet a simple sigh escaped your lips. “Hm, do we?” You muttered, softly patting the wisp’s head with your pointer finger. It seemed delighted, unconsciously leaning to your touch. “Perhaps we do,” you whispered, knowing the truth behind this small wisp below your finger. “Do you… perhaps… have some history with this creature?” He asked, curiosity and attentiveness evident in his wine-colored eyes. You paused for a moment, thinking of your words. “Well, if you phrase it like that, then… sort of, yeah.” He nodded after your confirmation, yet your answers only made him insatiable; there were still so many questions he’d want to ask you, yet he knows you won’t provide for the insatiable. You never do.

After the match, you observed Aether ask other people for information about his final opponent. You weren’t bothered to watch the matches that didn’t involve him, however, entertaining Chuuya in the process whenever he wasn’t on the battlefield. But from the observations of Beidou and Kazuha, you were able to identify that seemingly suspicious man. Your intuition was never wrong, of course. He was described to be agile, swift, and seemingly formidable in battle. Well, you would be lying if he doesn’t remind you of someone you were previously acquainted with. “Wah! Paimon is starting to think that [Name] here is our final opponent!” You blinked, dismissing Paimon’s words. “Eh? No, no, no.” You shook your head, “what makes you think that?” you asked, and Paimon scratched her head, “eh… you are fast as well! Fast on your feet! Strong too! You and our opponent are far too similar!” Paimon complained, stomping her feet in the air like a child. “Now that’s just… insulting.” You muttered, and Kazuha chuckled. “Oh? How so?” He queried. You shook your head, “I would prefer to keep my prideful remarks to myself.” and Chuuya shook his head vigorously, denouncing your statement, squeaking in retaliation. Beidou’s voice cut through your conversation, stirring the topic into the final battle.

You, again, did not bother to listen, closing your eyes until someone catches your attention. Words were exchanged between the 3 elemental wielders, and the voice that snaps you out of your reverie was none other than Aether’s, “Can [Name] come too?” You snapped your eyes open, staring at Aether, waiting for him to continue. When he didn’t, you spoke up, “Where, exactly?” Paimon cut through the discussion, “With Kazuha!” and a flash of realization flooded her features, “Wait, Aether, why do you want them to come exactly?” Her voice was laced with a slight tease, and a sly smile formed on her lips, making Aether pinch her cheeks and stick his tongue out when he heard her whine. Beidou did not want to interrupt, but you know what kind of thoughts are forming on the captain’s mind. Something about “are they together?” Well, something like that. Kazuha, on the other hand, never once failed to show amusement during their exchanges, especially when the topic is about you. “Well, that’s settled, come with me. Some post-match entertainment is in order.”

What you didn’t expect is that he’d completely focus on Aether in the secluded place he led you both to. “Now that we’re alone, let me cut to the heart of the matter.” He began, he eyed Aether, then to your still, peaceful figure. Seemed like Chuuya was sleeping, once again. “Traveler, you are skilled in manipulating the elements.” He began, and that is when you snapped your eyes to Kazuha, fully invested in the conversation as if you weren’t resting your eyes ten seconds ago. Kazuha brushed off your intense gaze on him, and continued, “And not just a single element, but multiple, is that correct?” You weren’t shocked, no. You witnessed it firsthand, and all the subtle attempts to cover up Aether’s otherworldly ability were futile when it came to you. Besides, you were capable of revealing even the smallest details.

“Although I cannot make sure of [Name], while yours were not as subtle as you presume, they give me an unfamiliar aura. One I cannot discern,” He uttered, turning to face and making eye contact with you. “Now, then, may I be so bold to inquire just what power you hold?” Despite the soft tone he presented you with, you still denied it. “I do not have such power as you may think I do.” You shut down his question, “I may hold the aura of the gods, but I do not have any affiliation with them.” You said sternly, hoping that he would dismiss this subject, and swallow up your lies. If anyone knew about your ability and the status you had compared to the gods above, including Chuuya’s, everyone would be against you. The sheer power you hold in your body surpasses that of bygone gods and wandering travelers. You were an unstable yet powerful force, never truly revealing your plans, and never using the ability you were cursed to use again. You never used it to spite the gods who have cursed you in the world you know you will never fit in. You were anything but human in this world of selfish souls, well, you know who would agree with you. (you know Fyodor would have a field day if he was here.)

Although you remained composed and stoic, you silently wished Kazuha would let you slip past his questions. He was, obviously, completely oblivious to your thoughts. Kazuha wasn’t oblivious about your power, though, you knew he knew that you have one. After that exchange, you completely retracted yourself from the conversation, simply observing the two who discussed Aether’s powers and skills. You didn’t miss the slight concern that Paimon held towards you, though. You didn’t like talking; to strangers, especially. Save for your interrogation victims back in the day, in meetings, you usually butt in when necessary, or riling up the boss and Chuuya whenever you felt like doing so. The only relevant thing to come out of the conversation you listened to was everything relating to Inazuma. Ah, so that’s where he came from. No wonder the frame encasing his vision looked foreign to you. You briefly made eye contact with Kazuha, and you recognized that look in his eyes. As if he was still wary of you, and your motives.

Truth is, he was completely intrigued because of you. Still wary-- yet enamored. He knows you are observant, calculating, and seemingly notorious due to all of these traits, including your intimidating appearance. You carry yourself with utmost royalty, independent in all situations, and overpowering most of your enemies with ease. He could tell by your scent that you were one to be avoided, and one who is more powerful than most vision wielders-- scratch that, maybe all. Although that would be an overstatement to some, he just has this feeling that you are stronger than you present yourself as. That was true, obviously. What is a mysterious person without their secrets? He secretly hoped he did not give you a bad impression, for you were a mysterious one who attracts even the wisest of men. He’ll make sure to ask Aether about you, even if it’s just the simplest of information. He was certain that he hears all things in nature, yet you were one who grew in a field of foreign flowers. That, he cannot decipher.

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aubreyprc · 3 years

Text

voicemail

summary - emily gets in a plane crash. she leaves hotch a voicemail. season 7. after hit and run.

dialogue prompt given - ‘i was happier with you’ (this fic/idea was already in the works but i thought that line worked so well in it that i had to add it!)

word count - 4.4k

He watches the phone ring, her name flashing up brightly. There’s a twist in his gut, a tight pain in his chest as he chooses to ignore it, to hold Beth closer to him as he turns away from phone, can see in the corner of his eye as it stops ringing and he forces himself to relax. The voicemail signal pops up not three minutes later and he frowns, reaching for it, but then Beth holds her hand out, a smirk on her face as she reminds him off his promise of one more dance before it inevitably gets too late to keep Jack up and the voicemail is forgotten, his phone pinging with a second voicemail just as he walks off with another woman in his arms.

It’s the first and only time he’ll ever ignore a call from her again, not only because of the guilt that follows, but because she will never call again, he’ll never have the option to take her call, to hear her voice, they will never have that final conversation they both deserved because she is dead. The last thing remaining of her being the two voicemails on his phone, his only remaining emotions guilt, regret and complete devastation.

Emily Prentiss died, and he ignored her final call.

It’s not that she expected things to be the same when she returned from Paris, she knew she hurt him, all of them, but him… him she knew she hurt the most. Because it was him who she cut off, it was him who she cancelled dinner with on numerous occasions, a string of lame excuses she knew he would never believe and it was him who she had loved, it was him who had loved her and it was them that she knew would be the biggest obstacle in her return, it was him she would struggle the most to gain back any sort of relationship with and she knew this from the moment she stepped foot back in the BAU, back into her family, prepared herself for the cold shoulder or harsh words, ready for the arguments and she was willing to fight for them, to fight for what they were just eight months ago.

She didn’t expect things to be the same.

Bu what she also didn’t expect was for him to completely switch, the cold shoulder she was ready for feeling more like ice than a heavy breeze, his harsh words more brutal than everything she ever thought he would direct at her or anyone, and his reluctance to engage with her in any form leaving her hopes for a slow but steady return to what they had been building snapping in half, the arguments she was ready to have to fight for him seeming pointless as he continues to pull away from her and when she overhears his conversation with Dave about a certain brunette he had lunch with, her heart cracks in half and she curses herself for even thinking he would want her back, would want to fight for them, for her and any she realises any hopes she had for them died along side her in that cold hospital room in Bethesda… she thinks maybe things would have worked out better for all of them if she had.

She decides to leave the moment Clyde calls her. Takes the opportunity the second it’s handed to her and the feeling of relief that washes over her when the plane ticket is forwarded to her, is when she accepts that this is her new chapter, that coming back to DC and staying was a mistake, that what was broken when she took herself off to Boston to save them will never mend. It didn’t matter that she did it to keep them safe, the bond they all shared was severed and she never truly felt like she belonged.

She took it upon herself to decline team nights after never feeling a part of it and smiling to herself sadly when it was obvious they did, as she assumed, have a better time without her there, she accepted that her and Aaron were never going to be the same and knew that it had to be her that built that distance, accepting the burden that came with it. The pain in her chest that lingers when she watches him and Beth one that she lives with, one that she knows she has to get away from and as she watches the team at JJ’s wedding, each of them in their own little circle, their laughs echoing around the garden, their smiles bright, her absence unnoticed, she takes herself inside, and confirms her flight, wiping her tears as she reads Clyde’s message.

‘I will pick you up from the airport. Welcome home.’

It’s with a sick feeling that she discovers her home was with them, her home once again somewhere she felt unwelcome, unwanted and alone, and holds back her tears, preparing herself for once again needing to rebuild her life elsewhere because she had ruined the only home she ever had.

The goodbyes felt bittersweet, her need to be somewhere new clashing with her heartbreak over leaving.

She wipes Penelope’s tears as she wishes her good luck, makes promises to visit her as soon as she settles and Emily simply smiles, not allowing herself to believe them.

She holds JJ close as the blonde woman whispers words of love, wishing her the best before smiling, her own tears being held back as she says her goodbyes.

Derek holds her so tight she wonders for a moment if this is the right thing, that if leaving them is what she needs, but then he nods, a small smile on his face and she understands that he agrees with her, that this is good, for her and for them, and she swallows the lump in her throat before smiling back.

Dave kisses both of her cheeks and holds her face, telling her she will do great things and makes her promise to call him once a week, she agrees, all while wondering how long it would be before he simply stopped answering.

Reid cries, his head buried in her neck as he tells her he’ll miss her, that he’ll call her all the time and that he’ll send her books and movies he enjoys, wanting her to enjoy them to. She cups his face, wipes his tears and tells him she can’t wait, that he can call anytime, she knows he won’t.

Aaron simply stands, watching as she says her goodbyes and as she pulls away from Reid, their eyes meet over his shoulder and he looks away, making no attempt to say his farewells and she looks down, clearing her throat before she smiles, looking back at the team.

She can see them watching the car drive down the road, watches as they disburse, each of them moving on from her and she smiles, their family a unit once again.

She boards the plane with a heavy heart, a dull ache in her chest and a feeling in her gut that she tells herself is just nerves, just upset. Her gut tightens as she takes her seat and she has to force herself to breathe, has to close her eyes as fear and some unknown feeling washes over her and she almost stands, almost gets off the plane, but then the doors shut and the lights dim and she forces herself to relax, leaning her head back on the seat as she taps her phone on her leg, pushing down the unknown feeling she’s left with as the plane starts to roll forward on the path. She looks out of the window, watching as the plane speeds down the runaway and as the plane heads off, she closes the shutter, refusing to watch as she leaves D.C behind for the second and final time.

It nags at him for hours, how he didn't say goodbye to her, how he let her leave without so much as a small acknowledgement, how he allowed his love for her to be brought out with hate, with dismissiveness, with anger and betrayal and he hates even more that it didn't even work, that he is still as much in love with her now as he was last year, maybe more so, and that watching her leave again was far too painful, feeling that letting her go without a goodbye would save them the heartache and the inevitable argument they'd been avoiding since her return.

He regrets it the moment the car drives away from Dave's house, regrets it the moment she is gone, it's his regret that has him watch the phone as it rings, her name flashing up along with the picture he'd never had the heart to change, a picture of them just last year, one Jack had taken (albeit badly) of the two of them as they sat on the couch in his apartment, her smile so bright he remembers staring at it for day's, mesmerised by the sight of it, can still here their laughs as the picture was taken. Can still feel the touch of her hand in his and he hates it, hates how close they were to having everything, hates how quickly it was broken... he hates that he hates her almost as much as he loves her, hates that he blames her for ruining them... he hates himself too.

It's easier to ignore the call, than to hear her voice, knowing how heartbroken they both are, knowing that the conversation wont make them feel better, not over the phone. Its easier to hold Beth closer, a woman with no past, with no complications, someone easy and nice. Its easier to be led away by her than to listen to the voicemail, to hear just how hurt she is knowing its his fault, knowing that their goodbye will for now be unsaid, but knowing he will call her, he has to, he loves her, that can not be ignored.

It happens pretty quickly, but also not quick enough.

It's barley been two hours, can still see most of the views even from their height and they're not even out of America when the plane starts to jump. Turbulence, the pilot had said, but it does not relax her at all, not when the flight attendants look at each other with horror, not when the seatbelt sign pings on, and certainly not when the plane jolts so badly it drops almost two feet, and then the oxygen masks fall. It's not even five minuets later when the turbulence turns to complications, that its announced that the pilots can not control the plane, that they are dropping, that this is it, and she laughs, she has to, because of course it ends like this. Of course it does.

There's a woman behind her on the phone to her parents, another on the phone to their wife, one is telling his children he loves them and another is silently saying a prayer, gripping onto the seats for dear life hoping maybe, it will save her.

She stares at her phone in her hand, her contact list full of names, but no one who she thinks she could call right now, no one who she has to say goodbye to, no one who will answer, no one who will care.

His name is the first one that pops into her head, her need to tell him everything overwhelming when she accepts that she is going to die here. now. and she refuses to die with regrets again, refuses to die with the three words she wants him to know more than anything dying with her for the second time and she refuses to regret him, she can’t. she won’t.

The ring tone feels like its screaming down her ear, her stomach in knots as the plane continues to jolt violently, the shouts, screams and cries of those around her almost deafening and she knows he won’t answer, (all of her wishes he would).

Her first voice mail is made out of fear, her voice shaky and soft as she tries to block out the screams of the young girls behind her, the cries of the women who sob for their children.

She runs out of time, and she laughs at herself because, everything she just said was pointless, her heart still filled with regret as it’s not until the plane drops so violently that the sound of the wing falling off sounds like a siren, the he plane starting to drop quickly and sideways that she calls again, this time determined to tell him what she has been meaning to for months, even though she knows how unfair it is.

By the time the voicemail runs out of time, she’s crying, tears falling from her eyes, her last breath more of a whisper as she drops the phone to the ground, places her ID badge in her back pocket, knowing if by some miracle, their bodies are found, someone will find comfort in knowing it’s her. Maybe her mother, maybe her friends she left behind, someone will, she knows that.

A woman grabs her hand and she looks to her left.

“Two women alone, neither of us should die that way.” she says to her and Emily smiles, taking the woman’s hand in her own. “see you on the other side.” she whispers, and it’s the last thing she hears before she’s gone.

It happened pretty quickly. But not quickly enough.

A plane crash is big news on any day, a plane crash with the theory of insider terrorism is even bigger.

It’s reported eighteen minutes after it happened.

The FBI is called twenty two minutes after it happened.

The BAU and Counter Terrorism are brought in twenty eight minutes after it happened.

JJ’s phone rings thirty two minutes after it happens.

Her heart snaps in half thirty four minutes after it happens.

“What was Emily’s flight number?” she asks walking back into the garden, the entire team sat around the table frown at her.

“4403 to London, why?” Reid asks, the woman drops her head, sure she would have dropped to the floor is Will hadn’t been standing next to her.

“Her plane went down. No survivors. The theory is insider terrorism.” she explains sadly.

They find out Emily died thirty seven minutes after it happened.

Aarons heart breaks thirty eight minutes after it happens. His world stops spinning thirty nine minutes after it happened. He remembers her calling him forty minutes after it happened.

“We’re on the case?” Dave asks, already standing when JJ nods. The team following behind him.

“I’ll take Jack home, okay?” Beth says to him, bringing him out of his thoughts and he simply nods, standing, running on auto pilot.

He forgets about the voicemails as soon as he enters the building, fifty four minutes after it happened.

“These are the pictures of all passengers. One of them was in on it. We need to find out who. BAU you’re not here to investigate.. you’re here to rule out one of your own.” a man says as they enter the room, her picture flashes up on the screen and Aaron feels sick, his mind running back to Ian Doyle and Boston and that horrible hospital in Bethesda and … yet this time it’s real. This time she truly is gone.

“Emily Prentiss,” they say, “ex CIA, ex FBI, on her way to run a Interpol office in London.”

“She wasn’t in on this,” Reid says as he stares at her picture.

“That’s what you’re here to rule out.” they say, “Agent Hotchner,” the man looks up, once again snapped from this memories of her, of them. “We’ll talk to you first.”

They rule her out all but immediately, no sign of anything found on the devices of hers they had access to, and the team find themselves more involved with the case as they had thought, access to all files of the passengers, building profiles. Yet all Aaron can stare at is hers, her picture staring right back it him, her eyes so full of life, a picture taken just a year ago when they renewed their badges, there is a look of love in her eyes that he knows was meant for him and it has his stomach turning, with just how quickly everything changed, with so much regret for not fighting for her when he had the change, with so much pain that he once again lost the woman he loved, the woman he once saw forever with, and it was once again his fault.

She was only on the plane because of him.

Only moving to London because of him.

She is only dead because of him.

Just like his mother. Just like Haley. Emily now victim number three of the curse of loving him, of being loved by him, of being hurt because of him.

“Hotch,” Dave says as he taps the man on the shoulder and he clears his throat.

“Yes?” he says, turning to face the older man and the look on his face makes him nauseous, the pain, the heartache, the pity

“We’re done here.” he tells him, “we need to go home. We need to grieve.”

“We need to—”

“Emily is dead, Aaron.” he tells him, “she’s dead.” he says again, finality in his tone, as if he is trying to make him understand. “They’re actively searching for bodies, no luck yet. She’s dead, and we need to go home and we need to accept that. We need to grieve.”

“She… I—”

“I know,” he says sadly, “go home.” the older man tells him and he nods, clearing his throat as he looks to the team, each one of them wiping their tears as they pack their bags, Reid held closely into Morgan’s arms, the genius once again grieving for his friend, his sister, the older man once again grieving his best friend, his partner. JJ takes hold of Garcia’s hand as they head out, the women a duo once again, a space in the middle of them where the love of his life used to stand.

The love of his life he realises sadly as he looks down, because that’s what she was, never a love like it before, never one since. He doesn’t see how their could be.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Agents” a man says as he looks at Aaron, a sad smile on his face before he walks away.

“Go,” Dave says, “I’ll drive.”

“No,” he declines, “I need to be alone.” he tells his oldest friend, and he nods, watching him walk out.

He stares at the nothing as he parks in front of his house, his mind playing moments with her over and over again. He can still hear her laugh, can see her smile, can feel her touch on his skin and he wonders just how long it will be until he forgets.

He never wants to forget.

He walks into his apartment aimlessly, throwing his suit jacket onto the couch as he sighs, his whole body heavy as he grieves for her, not allowing himself to cry, he has no right.. this is his fault.

He remembers how he’d treated her, how cold and hostile he’d been, how cruel… and he wants to be sick, wishes he could take it back, hold her in his arms one more time and tell her he loved her.

It hits him like a harsh slap, when he remembers that he’d not even said goodbye to her, had let her leave without so much as a smile in her direction, had let her go thinking he hated her and he knows that will follow him forever, knows he’ll regret a lot of things, but her, how he’d treated her, he knows is something he’ll never forgive himself for.

The sound of his phone grabs his attention and he sighs, pulling it from his pocket. Beth’s name popping up and he swallows, taking a deep breath before accepting the call.

“Hey,” her voice is soft, light… he wonders why he doesn’t find it soothing. “I took Jack back to my place. Thought you could use the time alone…”

“Thank you,” he tells her, his voice hoarse.

“Do you want to talk?” she asks delicately.

“Tomorrow…” he tells her, “Not now… I can’t right now.”

“Okay,” she says gently, “try and get some rest.”

“I will, bye.” he says and ends the call before she says anymore, unable to even hear the words fall from her mouth.

It’s as he stares at the four notifications on his phone that he remembers.

He remembers watching her name pop up, her picture behind it, he remembers ignoring it, holding another woman closer, he remembers the confusion when she left a voicemail, remembers going to grab it before he was whisked away by Beth.

He remembers she left him a voicemail four hours and eight minutes after it happened.

He listens to them four hours and ten minutes after it happened.

*Hey, its me.” she says, she sounds calm, he notes, and his heart hammers in his chest as he drops to the couch. “I erm..” she pauses, the sound of her taking a breath hitting his ear and he closes his eyes, clenching his jaw. “I… I don’t know why I’m calling…” she laughs and he rolls his lips, the sound of her laughter something he used to love… used to crave. “I guess I was hoping you would answer? I’m not sure what I even would have said if you did.” hatred for himself builds up as he remembers ignoring her call, knowing now why she wanted to talk to him. Knowing now it was his last chance. “I guess I just wanted to tell you that I get it. I understand why you hate me… I understand why you’re distant and I don’t blame you. If the roles were reversed, I don’t know.. maybe I would have acted the same way.” she tells him, but they both know she wouldn’t have. Her actions after Foyet proved that. There’s a loud crash down the phone and he jumps, her heavy breathing sending shivers down her spine and he’s overtaken by horror as he wonders if her death was painful, if she was hurt, he hopes it was instant. That she didn’t feel it. “Funny thing, turns out I got on the wrong plane,” she laughs, finding humour in her situation, and he laughs too, because she always did make him laugh, no mater what was happening. “I… guess I just wanted to talk to you .. but you’re not here so.. Yeah.” she pauses, “don’t let the team grief for too long, okay? Tell them I wouldn’t want that, because I don’t. They grieved for me once, they shouldn’t have to again.” she’s holding back tears now, he knows, can hear it in her voice and it has his chest tightening. “Aaron.. I—” she says, before there’s a loud scream, not from her, but from someone near her, and she gasps a breath, then it’s over, silence on the other end, her voice gone, and he pulls the phone from his ear.

There’s another one, he realises, and he swallows before he clicks it.

“I always thought we were it, you know?” she starts, and he swears his heart stops, his body lunging forward as his eyes widen. “That everything would work out and that we would be.. us, again.” She takes a breath, one of her last, “I understand why we couldn’t be, I understand why you acted the way you did, I do… but I can’t say that it didn’t hurt, it did. I told myself when I got back from Paris, that I would tell you, that I would lay it all on the table and let you decide and I would know, even if it wasn’t the answer I wanted, that you knew, that I told you and that I could get rid of that regret… but I didn’t. And I can’t.. I cant die with this on my chest again. It’s selfish, and it’s cruel and I know you’re with Beth and i know you're happy but,” she takes another breath and he closes his eyes, “I was happier with you.” she says, her voice cracking, “ And it’s not fair, I know, but…” she pauses, he can imagine her closing her eyes, can hear the breath she takes, “Aaron, I love you.” she tells him and he feels his heart crumble to pieces in his chest, can feel the world stop. “I have loved you for… years, I think,” she laughs. “It’s not fair that I’m telling you this now, I know. I get that you hate me and I understand and I’m sorry, I'm sorry that I'm telling you now and not before and I’m sorry I couldn’t be the person you deserve and I’m sorry for… for everything. But I’m not sorry for loving you, I’m not sorry for that year we had together, and I hope you’re not either. I hope that that’s what you remember about me, about us. I hope that’s what you carry with you. I was happier with you, happier than I’ve ever been.” she says, and she’s crying, he knows she is, he is too. “I love you. And I’m sorry.” she tells him once again, and then again, there’s nothing. It’s over.

No more voicemails.

No more her.

No more anything.

He throws his phone at the wall, anger coming out his veins as he shouts, shaking as he stands, grabbing his glass of whiskey, before he throws that too, overwhelmed as he hears her saying I love you again and again.

He drops to the floor with a sob, heartbroken, grief ridden.. broken.

If he’d of answered the phone, he’d of been able to tell her he loves her too. She’d of not died thinking he hated her, she would have died knowing she was loved, by him, by everyone.

If he had been honest with her from the start, she’d still be here, wrapped in his arms.

Emily Prentiss died, and he ignored her final call, and he will never be given the option to tell her that he loves her too.

#hotchniss fic #hotchniss #emily prentiss #aaron hotchner #criminal minds fic

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mggpleasedontlookhere · 4 years

Text

sinking

request: Helloo! 👋🏼 I really like your stories for Spencer Reid, they’re pretty detailed, creative and really interesting! So.. idk if you’ll see this but I was wondering if you’re willing to create a Reid x Reader where, the reader doesn’t know how to swim and so one day, an unsub who works around waters or something holds reader hostage and then shoves her into the ocean off the dock, in hopes to run away and no one knows she can’t swim besides Reid who jumps after her immediately? Sorry, thank u! :)

for: @tooweirdforyou

word count: 2,600 reading time aprox: 10 mins

masterlist

New York City, the land of naked cowgirls in the middle of Times Square, overpriced souvenirs, and home of Broadway shows. Unfortunately we didn’t have the privilege to be stationed in the heart of Manhattan, since our unsub had decided to execute his activities in the suburban neighborhoods of the city.

We were seated in a police station in Rockaway. The neighborhood we were in was low on the socioeconomic spectrum, which offered a clue to the profile we’ve built. Me, Spencer, and Morgan sat around in the conference of the station, discussing our frivolous adventures of life as we waited for the rest of the team to head back from their tasks.

“Wait so you’re telling me that you hate the ocean?” Morgan teased Reid, nudging him in the shoulder in a brotherly manner. “Why is that?” He continued, a smirk making its way onto his lips.

“Do you have any idea how many microbes are in the ocean” Spencer cringed, crunching up his nose in disgust. “In a single liter of seawater alone, there’s approximately a colony of one billion bacteria and ten billion virus-” He explained before getting cut off by Morgan.

“Oka-okay germ boy, enough of that before you ruin my image of a perfect vacation”

“Germ boy? That’s new” I interjected in amusement, laughing as Spencer squatted lower in his chair to hide the oncoming blush on his cheeks. “Oh come on Spence- hey everyone’s got some sort of phobia” I reassured, reaching over to ruffle his tangled hair.

“Well actually, a phobia is-”

“Don’t ruin it Spence” I joked, watching his lips curl up into an amused smile.

On cue, the rest of the BAU entered the building in a hurry. Hotch and JJ ran side by side into the office where we held Raymund Celter, a relative of the suspected unsub, for questioning. Me, Spencer, and Morgan looked at each other in confusion, until Emily walked up to us with an embittered expression.

“What’s up?” Morgan asked, directing the conversation to the suspenseful air that surrounded the four of us.

Emily sighed, rubbing her forehead in frustration. “Our unsub...isn’t who we thought it was” She admitted, letting her eyes cast over the interrogation room where Hotch and JJ were.

“Wait- but our profile still fits right?” Morgan insisted with his eyebrows furrowed and his forehead etched with lines.

“Yeah, but we’ve been looking at the wrong type of relationship” She sighed, her defeated expression indicating the exhaustion that all of us shared. “If the unsub isn’t a relative- and we ruled out employees since the victims aren’t necessarily affluent- who else has full invitation to the house, is comfortable enough with the family, and is particularly close to-” She paused mid sentence as all the cogs in our brains were turning until we all settled on the same idea.

We looked at each other in revelation and it seemed like JJ and Hotch shared a similar idealization as they rushed out of the interrogation room.

Emily was quick to get Garcia on the phone, witnessing the troubled looks she received from Hotch. “Garcia, can you see if there were any family friends or close neigh-” She requested, although she was abruptly cut off by Hotch informing her of the details that they’ve uncovered.

“No need for that. The man we’re looking for is Henry Bennett, he grew up next door to the Celter’s residence- Garcia can you look for the last known address” Hotch commanded, chewing the inside of his mouth in anticipation.

“Uh- we might have a problem, sir” Garcia sheepishly admitted. “Well I’ve looked at his DMV records and there are 4 possible locations where he can reside at” Garcia explained, sending the coordinates to our tablets.

“Um okay, we’re going to have to split up. JJ and Morgan, Emily’s with Rossi, Reid you’re with me- Y/N are you okay doing this by yourself?” Hotch asked, concerning wavering in his eyes. I nodded in affirmation, already strapping on my gun and heading to the armory for FBI bullet proof vests.

After everyone had situated themselves in the right attire, it was time to leave in separate cars. That’s when Spencer pulled me aside by the arm, clutching it with a tense hand. “Are you sure you’re fine going alone? I can tell Hot-” He rambled, his words laced with the same concern Hotch expressed previously.

“Don’t worry germ boy, I think I can handle myself pretty well” I jokingly reassured. Although the lines etched across his forehead didn’t seem to lessen as I tried to lighten up the air. “Listen Spence...I’m going to be okay- I promise I’ll be extra careful” I expressed in the hopes that his doleful expression would vanish.

He responded with a hesitant nod and a tight lipped smile, pulling me into a warm embrace. He smelled of pumpkin spice candles mixed in with a little sweat, which, oddly, made out to be a comforting aroma.

“Hey germ boy, If it makes you feel any better about before, I’m absolutely terrified about the ocean too- well all types of large bodies of water” I sheepishly admitted, ruffling the top of his head as I went to open the front door of the SUV.

“Wait what?” He replied, taken aback by my profession. “You are?” He continued with a smirk on his lips.

“Yeah, I don’t do well with the whole “deep water and the unknown thing” I expressed, staring at my twiddling thumbs. “I also, kinda, don’t know how to swim either” I blushed, climbing into the front seat of the vehicle, watching Spencer’s grin grow. Finally bidding a final adieu to all of my colleagues, I headed out to the coordinates I had been assigned to.

With my luck, I was sent to a docking area near Rockaway beach. The coordinates that Garcia had sent me were of an old fishing hut near the coastline. I was in constant contact with the rest of the team, communicating whether the unsub was to be found at our locations.

I surveyed the area with my gun close to my chest, pointed down to the floor. My eyes flickered to the water numerous times, feeling my anxiety rile up in my veins as I attempted to keep my focus on finding unsub. I was essentially on high alert, every creek and every sound triggering my flight or fight response.

It wasn't until I had gotten to the fishing hut that my anxiety rose to a new high. The small house was located at the end of the dock where the waves crashed against the wooden spokes below the thin bridge.

Suddenly, I had heard footsteps from the inside of the hut. I raised my gun into a more controlled position before taking a breath, tentatively opening the door to enter. “FBI” I yelled, feeling my arms shake as the sound of the water amplified, bouncing off the floorboards. “ Henry Bennett” I called out, surveying my surroundings. “ I'm from the FBI, I just want to talk” I peaked around the corner, seeing a slight shadow of a figure at the end of a hallway.

I radioed in my location, letting the rest of the team know that I had found the unsub. Hotch informed me that the rest of the team we're coming soon, although they might take longer than expected. With a brief goodbye, I finally made myself known, locking eyes with the unsub himself. “Henry Bennett-” I began but was ultimately cut off with his radical spiel.

“Ge-get away from m-me” He stuttered, a pistol in his right hand pointed directly at me. “Y-you don-don’t understand. NO ONE UNDERSTANDS!” He yelled, his behavior becoming more unstable by the minute.

“Hey, it's okay-it's okay, I'm here to help” I proceeded to attempt to calm him down as he started to hit his head with his other hand. Although he continued to inflict harm to himself, repeating the same mantra as before.

“NO ONE UNDERSTANDS! NO ONE UNDERSTANDS! NO ONE-”

In the midst of his words I cut him off abruptly, placing my gun in its holster to indicate peace. “Henry, look at- hey look at me Henry” I called his attention, halting his actions. “I'm here to help, my team is going to come very soon and they are going to help you” I reassured, creeping closer to disarm him.

“Ar-are you sure?” He whimpered, still clutching onto the gun with the tight grip. I placed my hand over his, letting him sink into my touch.

“Yes Henry, I promise” I softly guaranteed, feeling his grip loosen up as I rubbed his back to soothe him. Although as I proceeded to take away his gun, he tensed up again looking at me with doleful eyes.

“Do you really promise?” He asked in desperation, searching my eyes for the truth as I fished out for his weapon. I nodded, giving him an understanding smile as he finally let go of his weapon. I calmed him down, telling him everything was going to be okay, letting him kneel down into the position to apprehend him for his crimes.

Unfortunately, the team had picked this time to approach the area, the loud sirens engulfing the dock, triggering the unsub to expel in a violent outburst. Suddenly I was pinned to the ground with strong arms, while malicious screams were emitted from the unsub's mouth.

“You promised! YOU PROMISED!” The unsub repeated, reaching over to retain the gun he had. “You lied to me- JUST LIKE THE REST OF THEM!” He sobbed, pressing the cold metal against the back of my forehead. “Now you’re going to pay” He threatened, forcefully pulling me up to my feet and walking me out to the docks.

The team came into view as we walked out, although my vision was distorted due to the tears that began to appear in the corners of my eyes. “Henry Bennett, FBI, let her go and things will go smoothly” Spencer spoke, maintaining a calm composure. When he locked eyes with my terrified ones, I saw a chink in his armor.

Despite the small discovery, he had a firm grip on his gun, pointing it directly at the unsub as the rest of the team followed behind him.

“NO! SHE LIED TO ME!” Henry bellowed, digging the barrel right into the side of my head as he held me by the neck.

“Please Henry, nobody has to be hurt” Emily interjected, trying to extinguish the situation in a peaceful manner.

“But- but” Henry shook his head, letting his malevolent expression falter for a moment. The team crept closer to where we were positioned. Soon enough, Henry noticed this and for every step forward the team took, he would take a step back.

It was until we had reached the end of the dock that the team had realized. “Please Henry, we know what happened with Raymund- we know that his parents didn’t approve of your friendship with him-” Emily began, placing her gun in the holster, similar to the tactic performed before. “-or should I say relationship. It was wrong of them to-”

“THEY WERE WRONG! THEY LIED TO ME!” He screamed, the gun in his hand shaking as he loosened his grip. “I loved him and they t-told m-me I couldn’t” He cried, dropping his weapon.

The team took this as an opportunity to approach Henry, seeing that he was disoriented. But, they soon found out that they were wrong. Henry threw himself into the water with his arm still latched around me. I struggled against his grip, beating against his rib cage as he fought my resistance.

With a hard blow to the forehead, I was able to swim up to the surface. I glanced at my feet, seeing his unconscious body drift down into the dark abyss. Terrified thoughts raced inside my head, thinking of the possibility of drowning and never being found. I squirmed and kicked, taking in a breath of air as I broke into the surface.

Suddenly, I was scooped into a pair of arms as I continued to panic and writhe in their grasp. I took chaste breaths, my eyes still covered with water, so I was unable to see who had me. It was until Spencer’s soothing voice reached my ears, that I finally calmed down.

“Y/N! Y/N! I got you- hey I got you” He repeated, although the affirmation was more for his own state of mind.

My breathing was still rapid, but my brain had registered that I was going to be okay. I let tears mix in with the sea water on my cheeks as I sobbed in terror. The cold sensation of the water increased my adrenaline by ten fold. I gripped onto Spencer’s vest, similar to a child with their mother, letting his voice soothe me.

I placed my head in the crook of his neck as he pulled the both of us near a ladder. He pushed me up gently, encouraging me to climb up to the rest of the team. Once I was situated on land, I sat down and burrowed myself into my knees. I was embarrassed, yet grateful that Spencer had saved me, knowing that my severe fear of water was now known to the rest of the team.

Finally, Spencer knelt down to where I sat, wrapping his long arms around where I had enclosed myself. I let myself lean into his embrace, nuzzling my head into his neck once again as he helped me control my breathing.

A blanket was placed on the both of us as I refused to get up. Spencer gave a sideways glance to Hotch in the way of saying “give us a moment’. The team had refuted back to their cars in respect to Spencer’s request, leaving me and him on the dock.

“Than-thank you” I muttered, able to muster up the strength to express my gratitude.

“It’s nothing Y/N” He reassured, letting the sound of seagulls and the waves permeate the ambiance of the scene. “When...when you told me that you had a fear of the water- and that you can’t swim- seeing you getting pushed into the water nearly gave me a heart attack” He admitted, breathing into the top of my head.

“I don’t- I don’t know what to do to thank you Spence. I was so- so terrified- and you went to- I just- thank you” I praised, looking up into his worried expression.

I placed an apprehensive hand on his cheek, getting a better look at the beautiful features that graced his face. I smiled at him, observing how his eyes would flicker from my eyes to my lips. I blushed at the discovery, letting myself lean more into his embrace.

Slowly, our faces closed in on the distance, our breaths fanning over each other’s faces as we looked at each other for any indication of resistance. Finally our lips collided in a kiss, maintaining slow movements as we melted in each other.

His lips were supple and tasted like vanilla lip balm, although his movements were gentle and meaningful. He grazed my cheeks with both of his hands, cupping them in his palms as he pulled away. He proceeded to place chaste kisses on my forehead as I let my eyes close at the feeling.

“I think that was a pretty great way to thank me” He grinned.

“I guess I’ll just have to keep thanking you for all the times you’ve made my life better”

taglist: @rexorangecouny @howdycharlie

A/N

i hope this is okay, not my best work, but i hope it’s still enjoyable.

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ethereaiin · 3 years

Text

Reprieve | genshin impact

synopsis; you liked her. you really, really liked her. yet despite how you felt, no one else could say the same.

features; you, eula, and some mentions of amber.

[au]

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

There was something about Eula Lawrence that attracted attention no matter where she went. Maybe it was due to her outstanding work within the Knights of Favonius, or her undeniable beauty. You weren’t sure, all you knew was you were as taken with her as just about everyone else.

Except, they. . . didn’t exactly share the same thoughts about her as you did.

People were wary of her. You could tell from the way they whispered behind her back as she passed and how they refused to meet her gaze as if looking her in the eyes would curse their very being. They sneered in her direction, spewing words you would never dare to repeat and you’ve even seen vendors refuse her service. To the people of Mondstadt, she was never seen as a good person.

It was quite obvious what the reason for their behavior was. Being a native to Mondstadt yourself, you were privy to that knowledge, yet you didn’t really understand why those around you continued to be blinded by the past. Most were afraid the aristocracy would once again rise in power, yet you never saw that as justification for the terrible way they treated her. The Lawrence name had done well enough to paint her in the worst light from the day she was born. But to you, Eula resembled nothing of the old Lawrence clan or even her brazen uncle. She was different, you were sure of it.

You only wished everyone else could see her the way you did.

Amber was the one who first introduced her to you. While she was reserved and distant in the beginning, your persistence in sticking by her side through the years slowly opened her up to you. After sharing countless conversations with Eula, you could see how her words could be mistaken for mild threats and paired along with her cold tone; you could understand how she became a person to be feared. Still, you never thought of her any differently. There was hidden meaning in everything she said and while most people would have taken her words of having ‘vengeance’ at face value, you instead found it amusing. Your constant giggling caused you to become one of the many people who crossed her, yet she never asked you to stop nor did she seem as if she were seriously irritated. Instead, she brought you gifts and took you on outings as an odd way to prepare you for her coming revenge. Though you were never sure what said vengeance would entail. What you did know, however, was that she was unbelievably kind. Even if she would never admit it herself, you knew it for a fact.

Eula was a strong girl. Both physically and mentally, she was well fortified. You knew the things the people of Mondstadt said to her never once affected her nor did it crumble her resolve to prove them wrong. Their scorn and attempts to tear her down were met with a promise of revenge and an icy look that completely differed from the insincere threats she’d given you. She would do anything within her power to become the very thing her family hated and it was proven by how fast she was rising through the ranks within the knights. Seeing how dedicated she was made you want to support her and along with Amber, you did your best to improve her image within the city.

You wanted the world to know just how good Eula Lawrence was. Her every achievement was proudly spoken by you to anyone willing to listen and you did your best to convince others to give her a chance. Though you were not as well known as Amber, your family name carried a bit of weight among the people to at least make them reconsider their prejudices against Eula. You wanted nothing more than for the city she grew up in to finally feel like a place she could call home. It was your one wish and, among many things, something you felt you greatly owed her. The numerous gifts and friendly affection she'd shower you with were all too much to leave unpaid.

Your feelings towards her were far too vast to put into words. Nothing you could say or do would ever hope to convey all of them precisely. Even you didn’t know the exact emotion of what you felt towards her. You only knew of your desire to see her, to talk to her and be with her. It was all that mattered to you and for the longest, you were happy with just staying by her side.

Yet there was something that was always bothering you. Over the years you were witness to the great accomplishments both Eula and Amber made. In both body and mind, they became people who were strong. Strong enough to fight for what they thought was right, but most of all, strong enough to fight for themselves. But you. . . you were unchanged. You were still the same demure, polite and weak girl you always were. Too afraid to speak up for yourself and too afraid of change. It made you feel utterly helpless and in comparison to them, you felt ashamed.

“Stop seeing that girl.”

Your father’s words felt more weighted than they should have been. Under that single demand, you felt crushed and it was enough to halt the beat of your heart for a second. You stopped what you were doing, the half embroidered handkerchief hung from one hand while the other held a string of white thread and needle. You were halfway finished with your newest present to Eula until he barged in your room looking as if he were about ready to snap something in half. You didn’t think he cared about you. He never seemed to have before. Yet all of the sudden he’s making demands of you as if he hadn’t ignored your very existence up until this moment. If it weren’t for your knowledge of how short-tempered your father was, you would have already retaliated with a snap of your own. Though that would have only ended with you earning yet another bruise to cover up. When you finally regained your composure, you glanced up at him after placing Eula’s unfinished gift atop the table before you.

“Who?” You blinked, your expression feigning ignorance. “Amber?”

You knew your acting could only get you so far, but you hoped it would be enough to fool him. Yet, despite your best efforts, you could see he was not at all convinced. The middle of his brow twitched, creasing deeply as his nerves were already beginning to give way. You could see his anger. It was apparent on his aged face which turned redder with each passing second. For some reason, unknown to you, he never did have an ounce of patience to spare you. Every remark that even sounded like a disagreement to what he asked of you was either met with a rough slap to the cheek or, if you were lucky, a day locked in your room without dinner. He was especially sensitive when it came to his work and this, you figured, must have had something to do with it. Your blatantly open support of Eula must have reached him by now and you could only guess that it was beginning to hinder the family business. The Lawrence's, after all, was a cursed family. The fallen remnants of what remained of the aristocracy that no one in Mondstadt wanted anything to do with.

As soon as the wrong girl’s name left your lips, you weren’t even given time to prepare yourself before you were sent hurdling out of your seat with a newly bruised cheek. From your place on the ground, you warily stared up at him with a hand cradling your hot and painfully throbbing face. You were somewhat used to this, yet no matter how many times you experienced his rage, you could never get used to the pain. Tears glossed over your eyes and gathered at the corners. You could feel them streaking down the apples of your cheeks and, on the side he hit, meeting with the tips of your fingers. He looked down at you with irritation as if the mere sight of your crying form was enough to set him off once more. You were well aware you were nothing but a nuisance to him. He voiced it often enough to you.

“Don’t act innocent,” He spits, eyes narrowing and jaw clenched. “I raised you better than that.” A bold lie that would have had you laughing if not for your immense pain. “The Lawrence’s are no good. If you go see that girl again, don’t bother coming home.”

He left just as quickly as he came. He spared you no further glance as he slammed the door of your room close before clicking it locked. You seemed to have hit the jackpot with getting both of his favorite punishments in one go. Not only had left you injured, but he’d also ensure you wouldn’t go running off behind his back. Your hand fell from your cheek as the painful throbbing died into a buzzing numbness. The silent tears that rolled down your cheeks had done little to truly encompass the pain you felt. At one point in your life, you wanted nothing more than that man’s affection. But that was long in the past and as the years rolled by, he'd done nothing for you other than present bruises for you to hide and humiliation you were meant to take without protest. He was a terrible man who saw you as nothing more than the reason for the death of his beloved person. Somewhere down the line, maybe even he had forgotten, that your mother was just as precious to you as she was to him.

Leaving this place wouldn’t be so hard for you as he may have thought. Even if he had merely said it as a threat and meant nothing by it, you took it to heart. This house was rarely ever a true home to you and you often felt more welcome outside among your friends than you ever did here. The choice he presented to you wasn’t difficult, nor did you find yourself doubting your decision. There was no way you would ever choose a man who’d never shown you kindness over Eula who undoubtedly cared for you, albeit in the most peculiar way unique only to her.

This was finally your chance to leave and you’d gladly take it without hesitation. Although you knew you could never truly escape your father within the walls of Mondstadt. You needed to get farther away from him. Liyue was the only other place you could go that could grant you that wish whilst allowing you to stay somewhat in contact with your friends. The trip would be long and arduous and most of all it required money. While you had a little from the various jobs you took on, you were almost positive you could gain the rest from selling the small amount of jewelry you possessed. They were precious things to you. The various jeweled necklaces, bracelets, and the single portrait being personal belongings of your mother that your father would have never let you near.

It was only by chance that you were able to snag them while he was away on business and since then you had them tucked away in a small velvet bag hidden under your mattress. You’d rarely ever taken them out, only glancing at them when you missed her the most. The portrait of her was old, the color almost fading completely, yet it was enough for you. Your father never kept pictures of her. All of them were stashed away somewhere deep within the house where you weren’t allowed to go. If it weren’t for you finding the small bag of jewelry and what could have been her last picture, you would have forgotten what she looked like. You were young when she died, barely the age of six, yet you could still loosely remember some things about her. Mainly it was her smile you could recall. You remembered it to be tender and filled with warmth. It was the by-product of her love for you and since her untimely passing, you've yearned to see it again.

Your mother, the kind person you hazily remembered her as wouldn’t have wanted you to continue living like this.

Packing was easy enough. You barely had any belongings to your name and most of everything was able to snugly fit into one bag. The last thing you needed was the jewelry, which you securely placed inside your coat, and you were ready to set off towards what you could only hope to be a better life. As you neared the window of your room, the tips of your fingers pressed against the pane, you glanced behind you at your room once more. While you possessed no good memories of this place, its image would never leave you. It was the room you grew up in and a place you could not so easily forget. You were really going to abandon everything, leaving behind everyone who ever cared for you without so much as a goodbye. The thought of doing so made you feel heavy with shame, but you knew you just didn’t have the time. At any moment your father could walk through your bedroom door and catch you mid-escape. If he did, you knew you’d never get a chance like this again.

Your gaze dropped, landing on the table in your room. The unfinished handkerchief you were making for Eula still lay on its surface and it served to remind you of just what you were giving up by running away. Your friends would undoubtedly be hurt from your sudden disappearance and maybe even Eula would come to hate you, thinking you were no different from those that openly mocked her. You never wished for her to think of you as such, but for now, it was alright. You could deal with that if it meant that she would forget about you faster. You never wanted to become a burden to her, nor did you want to hinder the great progress she made towards her goal. You just only wished there was something you could remember her by.

You stepped away from the window for a second, hastily grabbing the handkerchief and the spool of thread and needle that was attached to it before stuffing it into the pocket of your coat. Finishing it would be enough for you. Even if that meant you were never going to be able to give it to her like you wanted to.

Once you finally left your house, it was already past sunset. It was around this time that you knew Eula would be getting out of training for the day and you’d made sure to avoid the usual path she took towards her home. There were days you used to meet her at the central fountain for dinner or even at the doors of the knight’s headquarters. Today you were meant to do the latter. Never once had you not shown up for your promised outings with her and today would be your first and last offense. You just hoped she wouldn’t hold it too much against you.

The central marketplace wasn’t bustling with as many people as it had during midday. The crowds were thinning and some vendors were already packing up their stalls for the day. You were greeted by some of the people you knew, many of them blatantly staring at the large bandage on your cheek yet never asking what the cause of it was. They mainly bid you a good day and even sent you off with some gifts. As you bit into one of the apples given to you, you had a feeling they might have already known what kind of person your father was. Maybe you were not as good at hiding your injuries as you thought. Or was he just not good at hiding his hate for you?

Nighttime was close to falling upon you. The sky shifted from its orange hue into deep indigo and the stars were beginning to poke through to shine in all their glory. The main gate to Mondstadt stood in front of you, towering over you in height and your sudden smallness in comparison almost intimidated you. You really were leaving. That might have been your original goal, yet it hadn’t truly sunk in until the moment you were standing before the city's massive gates. You’ve been outside of Mondstadt on numerous occasions, but never with the intent of leaving forever. Your chest felt heavy with a mixture of various emotions and your eyes burned with unshed tears.

There was a part of you that wished to turn back and just bear with your father’s presence like you had for all these years. This part of you was scared. Fearful of what lies beyond the safety of the walls surrounding Mondstadt and afraid of taking the first step to true freedom. Here, you would never become anything more than a prisoner to the unjust guilt of your mother’s death. You would never gain the happiness you truly desired, nor would you ever become the person strong enough to stand by Eula’s side. You wanted nothing more than to be different and staying here would not allow you that freedom to grow.

You steeled yourself, hands clutching tightly at the strap of your bag as you continued on towards the main gates. You had no plans of stopping any longer, nor did you allow yourself even a second of hesitation. Now was the time to go. Now was your very last cha-

“[Name]?”

With widened eyes, your head whipped in the direction of the familiar voice. Standing just a few feet away from you was Eula. She looked at you with momentary confusion, her expression mellowing out as she eyed both the packed bag resting at your hip and the bandage on your face.

“E-Eula. . .” You muttered as she stepped closer towards you. One of your hands, unconsciously delving towards the flap of your bag as if to prevent her from seeing what was inside. “What are you doing here?”

“Is that what you’re going to say to me?” She asks with crossed arms and a stern expression. From the look of her face, you already knew what she was going to say. “You have a lot of nerve standing me up when you were the one who wanted to meet today. . .”

You weren’t really expecting her to show up at this moment, not when you initially thought she’d go home rather than look for you. Yet, here she stood. In front of you with a creased brow and a rather childish pout on her lips that would have normally made you laugh if not for the current circumstances.

“Sorry,” You apologized, your hands relaxing at your side now that the initial surprise dispersed. “I kinda got into it with my father. . .” You laughed a bit to ease your own nerves as one of your hands anxiously rubbed at the cloth bandage on your cheek. You knew your injury could never escape her. It was far too big for you to hide this time. “But don’t worry, I’m fine!”

You did your best to place the most assuring smile on your face as you looked back up to her. But she didn’t look all too convinced. Instead, her eyes conveyed something far different than what you were used to seeing from her. Her expression was soft. Far too soft for someone who was never forward with feelings that pertained to herself. She was worried for you.

“Where are you going?” Her tone too was so soft and gentle. As if she were afraid you were going to run away the moment she raised her voice. The crease in her brow returned and you realized she finally understood what your intentions were. You knew it would only be a matter of time until it all clicked into place for her, but you hoped you would have been out the city gates and halfway to Liyue by then.

She reached for your hand that hovered over your injured cheek, tenderly cradling it in her gloved one as she held onto you. This was her way of keeping you from going anywhere, you knew her touch might have meant nothing to her, but it made your heart feel as if it were going to burst. You felt trapped by her gaze and you attempted to formulate something to say or an excuse to give. Eula was not good for you right now. She made you hesitate. She made you want to stay.

But you couldn’t. Not anymore.

“Out.” You finally answered, stepping away from her and pulling your hand from her gentle hold. Your feigned smile returned to your lips. “But only for a bit, I’ll be back.”

It hurt to lie to someone who was always so honest with you. Even more so when that person was Eula herself. You never wanted to say your goodbye like this and if it were up to you, you wished to have just silently disappeared from her life like you were planning. You quickly turned away from her, the flash of hurt across her face from your obvious lie was crumbling your resolve. You no longer held hesitance in your steps as you strode out of the main gates and behind you, you could hear Eula rushing to follow. At this rate, the tears that were building up were about ready to burst. She wasn’t making this parting any easier than it could have been. You suppose you only had yourself to blame. If you hadn’t liked her as much as you did, maybe she wouldn’t be so adamant in trying to stop you now.

“Wait, [name]!” She grasped your arm, halting you to a complete stop. Her expression appeared more panicked than it was once before. It was only until you were in her hold that she regained some composure. Though her face was still wrought with worry. “Let me escort you to wherever you’re going. It’s dangerous out here, especially at night. You’ll let me do that at least, won’t you?”

Your lips parted, a refusal already at the tip of your tongue but before you could decline her offer, you were interrupted by the distant shouted calls of your name. Your father knows. Eula seemed to have noticed too as she looked briefly over her shoulder before looking back at you. If her suspicions weren’t already confirmed, then your fearful expression would have sealed the deal. You were running away. Now even she knew that.

“Eula, let go.” You attempted to pull yourself away from her but her grip was tight. “Please, I need to go.”

For several moments she looked conflicted and the feeling of dread only continued to increase with the nearing proximity of the shouted calls. If your father found you now, he’d never let you go. You pulled your arm again, this time with more desperation and this seemed to have brought her out of whatever thoughts she may have been engrossed in.

“Springvale.” She utters to you and you look at her with confusion. “I’ll meet you at Springvale. Wait for me.”

Her words border a demand and plead. While she was never one to beg, her tone was desperate enough to insinuate her words were a helpless request. Although she still looks troubled and hesitant, she lets you go. You waste no time in putting a bit of distance between yourself and the gates and it was only until you were nearing the bridge that you looked back at her. She stared after you and the difference from earlier was that she appeared to be more resolved than she was previously. You didn’t know what was going through her mind, but you hoped she had no plans of dragging you back to Mondstadt.

“Midnight. I’ll only wait for you until then!” You shout towards her and turn away before she’s given the chance to respond. You don’t know if she heard you but in the end, it wouldn’t matter. You weren’t planning on waiting past the time allotted. No matter what, you were leaving.

You had never ventured this far from Mondstadt. As a person who had no training in combat or in possession of a vision, you weren’t even allowed past the bridge without either Amber or Eula accompanying you. From a young age, it was drilled into your head that there were dangerous monsters roaming the plains outside of Mondstadt’s walls and so you were fully expecting your path from the city to Springvale to be anything but peaceful. You were surprised to find it was the complete opposite. It was quite relaxing. The scenery, despite it being nighttime, was still a sight to behold. Instead of monsters and other frightening things, you were instead accompanied with only the ambiance of the evening that included the dissonant melodies of crickets and the hoots of distant owls.

Springvale was easy to navigate even without the handy map you thankfully thought to have nabbed from your father’s study months ago. While you never planned to run away at that time, it was merely your curiosity of the outside world that drove you to take it for yourself. Your coincidental foresight thankfully saved you from getting lost and ungraciously becoming a monster’s next meal. It may have been proven useless for this small detour, it was sure to help you out in the nearing future. Especially if you were bound to make the trek all the way to Liyue by yourself.

The small village of Springvale was definitely more quaint than you imagined. You heard much about it from Sara as she once told you it was mainly occupied by hunters who provided quality meat to many of Mondstadt’s restaurants, including the one she worked at. It was peaceful here. The lull of the gentle breeze swaying the surrounding trees and the sound of nearby rushing waters. It was certainly peaceful and though you wished to explore further into the village, you didn’t wish to alarm anyone of your sudden presence. Especially so late at night. Instead, you opted to seat yourself on the ground at the village’s entrance with your back against the Springvale sign. You didn’t have a chance to discuss a meeting place with Eula, so you determined this would be the easiest place to spot her.

That was if she came.

Midnight was fast approaching and from your spot on the ground, you could see the stars glittering above you brighter than they had hours ago. Among the many thoughts in your head, you couldn’t help but wonder why Eula insisted you wait for her. The expressions she showed you during that split moment you were set to leave, was different from anything you’ve ever seen before. She was always a blunt person, straightforward in all of her words, and never was one who held a single doubt in any of her decisions. You liked that part about her. You thought her honesty was refreshing. To see her look so troubled, conflicted by something you did made you curious. You could remember her pursed lips, furrowed brows, and the disheartened look in her eyes as if the realization of you leaving deeply saddened her. Were you truly that precious of a person for her to make such an expression? Was her concern for you merely out of friendship or had it meant something more? In the end, did it even matter? You were leaving and there was little to no chance you’d ever see her again. In the future, she may forget you, which might have been something you were hoping for but the thought of it still saddened you. You never wanted to be forgotten by someone you cherished.

Your gaze dropped from the sky, glancing down at your lap where your now finished handkerchief lied. You eyed the small blue and white flower embroidered near the corner of the square cloth. It was a Glaze Lilly, a flower you’ve seen in a book and one that deeply reminded you of Eula herself. Your lips curved into a smile, the tip of your finger tracing over the light blue-colored thread. You thought it was a fitting gift and even if you weren’t so sure if you were going to give it to her now, it would be enough to serve as a reminder of your time together with her. It would be a keepsake that you’d never let go of.

Your ears perk at the sound of approaching footsteps and through the darkness of the night, you were able to see Eula perfectly. Slung across her chest was a bag filled with something you couldn’t quite see and poking over her shoulder was the handle of her weapon. She held a pensive expression on her face as she continued on the path towards Springvale and it was only when she spotted your seated form that she seemingly snapped out from whatever thoughts occupied her. You rose up to your feet to greet her, dusting off your pants before adjusting your bag to rest more comfortably against you. The handkerchief you finished embroidering was now tucked away in your pocket and you nervously glided your thumb against the soft cloth. You finally broke the silence the moment she stopped just in front of you.

“I didn’t think you’d come.” You admitted, your gaze holding her own for a few seconds before dropping towards the bag hanging at her side. You furrowed your brow, glancing back up at her with the question already at the tip of your tongue. “What’s that for?”

“Why wouldn’t I show up? A promise is a promise. . . even if I don’t quite understand what you’re doing.” She answers as she lies a hand on the bag on her hip. “And this? it's stuff I brought that would be useful for our trip.”

You blink at her words, silently processing them as she takes a look at your considerably lighter luggage. “It was a good thing I did because, from the looks of it, you didn’t bring much.”

“Wait- wait, what do you mean ‘our trip’? You’re coming with me?” Your tone was risen slightly, but not enough to attract attention. While you were taken off guard by her words, you were still mindful of the fact that it was quite late into the night.

Eula laughed through her nose, smiling down at you faintly as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Why do you think I kept you waiting? If it were up to me, I would have escorted you all the way over here, but you looked like you were in a rush.” When you appeared unsatisfied with her vague answer, she breathed a sigh. “I needed permission. Of course, I can’t stay with you forever, but at least I can safely take you where you want to go.”

For a moment there, you really thought that she was going to leave everything behind just to come with you. But that was a ridiculous thought. Eula was diligent in everything she did and that included her duties as a knight. She would never abandon them for selfish reasons and you could never ask her to. You smiled, your heart fluttering with the knowledge that she had already done so much for you without you even asking. She didn’t press you for answers and she didn’t ridicule you for your decision to leave. She merely wanted to help and right now, you needed that more than ever. The journey would be dangerous but with her as an escort, you were guaranteed a safe passage.

“Thank you,” You said as you turned towards the main path towards Liyue. You waited until she stepped to your side to continue. “I was in a rush so I didn’t have time to prepare much. I appreciate it a lot.”

Eula didn’t say anything for a few minutes, simply walking by your side until she finally spoke again. Her voice took on that gentle tone once more, the one you remembered briefly hearing back near Mondstadt’s gates. It always took you by surprise with how softspoken she could be.

“Can I ask why?” You knew exactly what she was referring to with that question. “Why do you want to leave Mondstadt?” You expected it and you felt you owed her at least an explanation.

“For a lot of reasons.” You smiled again, meeting her gaze for a moment before looking back at the dirt path before you. “But if I tell you them, you can’t tell Amber. They’d make her sad and Amber’s not the type of person to be sulking around.”

“I won’t.”

You glanced at her, your head tilted slightly, and your smile widened. “Promise?”

She audibly sighed, throwing you a mildly irritated look that you laughed off. “Fine, I promise.”

You looked up at the sky, clutching onto the strap of your bag for comfort. The silence of the night combined with the twinkling stars above made you feel at ease. Eula’s presence had also added to the comfort and for once your own feelings didn’t suffocate you. She, alone, brought that sense of security. “I felt like there was nothing really for me there.”

“Everyone was changing in their own ways, growing to become incredible people.” You glanced over at her, the tender smile never leaving your face. “Especially you and Amber. The two of you were getting closer toward your own goals and I. . .”

You looked away, finding the ground to be far more welcoming. Your honesty scared you, yet you didn’t dare stop telling her the truth. Eula wanted the real reason for you leaving, you couldn’t ignore it nor could you make up some excuse to give her. She deserved far better than that.

“I wasn’t changing at all.” You admitted, your smile turning bitter before fading completely. “I think I was growing too complacent with everything and after a while, I really started to hate myself.”

Eula suddenly grabbed your upper arm, halting you to a stop as she forcefully turned you towards her. While her grip on you wasn’t strong enough to be painful, you could tell it would be difficult to break away from her if you chose to do so. But you didn’t want to. She leaned into you, almost as if she were afraid losing sight of you now meant to lose you forever. You stared into her eyes, taking in the various expression of hurt, anger, and concern. Once again you found her worrying for you when she didn’t need to. Though, you could admit you did find this hidden side of her to be quite adorable.

“Why are you talking like that? If I had know-”

You stopped her by placing both of your hands on either side of her face and squishing her cheeks slightly as you grinned. You could have never imagined a time when you could touch her so freely, yet she didn’t look as if she minded nor did she avoid your touch. She merely looked at you, curious about what you were going to say. “Don’t worry so much, Eula, and let me finish. I wasn’t done explaining.”

You stepped away, hands leaving her visage, yet her grip on you never faltered. Her gloved hand slid down from your arm to join with your hand. It kept you from creating that distance you thought she might have wanted from you and the assuring squeeze you felt against your fingers told you that she too wanted you close.

You honestly felt so helpless when it came to this woman.

“I want to become someone strong.” You finally say, voicing your silent wish. It was a dream you thought impossible to attain at one point, but now that you were free from Mondstadt’s walls, you felt like anything was possible. “I want to be someone worthy to stand by both your’s and Amber’s side. But to do that, I needed to leave. It was only a coincidence that I decided to do it after fighting with my father.”

Her eyes fell to your bandaged cheek and then your joined hands before you felt her squeeze your fingers once more. “I’m sorry for letting it go on for so long. I should have done something. Anything.”

You couldn’t blame her for that. Really, you couldn’t blame anyone. Your father had his own problems to deal with, and while he remained ignorant to the hurt he caused you, there was no use in forcing him to realize his mistakes. He'd never learn. Not until he came to terms with it himself. Maybe one day you might hear an apology from him but for now, all you wanted was to forget and build yourself a new life.

“There’s no need for you to apologize. I just want to be free from the past and already, you’re helping me do that. So don’t ever, for a second, think I blame you.” You said. Then, with a cheeky smile, you added. “Besides, what kind of Lawrence seeks forgiveness from a commoner like me?”

She looked up at you, her eyes wide with surprise before a smile of her own broke out across her face. She looked as if something had dawned upon her; a realization she had yet to see until that very moment. You could never fathom what was going on in the mind of a woman as unique as her. What could have possibly caused her to make a smile a sweet as that?

You felt her fingers intertwine with your own and she pulled you closer to her, the both of your chests touching with the lack of distance. You could feel her breath against the bridge of your nose, brushing slightly against your lips. Your heart pounded heavily against your chest, so hard you thought she might have been able to feel it. You never realized just how captivating her gaze was. In her eyes, you felt as if you could get lost. From afar, you thought they were pretty but up close, they were beautiful.

“You’re right, how dare you make me bow my head.” She whispers as her face nears your own and you could feel her every word against your lips. She was slow enough in her movements to give you time to move away if you chose to, yet you didn't. You wanted to know how she felt towards you and with each passing second, you felt as if you were getting closer to that truth. Her eyes never break away from yours and you don’t move a muscle. This situation was totally new to you, yet you don’t find yourself hating it. Instead, your heart pounds even louder to the point you could hear it ringing in your ears. “For that, you must pay the ultimate price.” Along with the closing distance, your eyes fluttered shut.

Goodbyes never felt freer. Neither had they ever tasted so sweet.

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