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#which is why. i think he would make his vessels agree to the possession before it happens.
watchingthefog · 1 year
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I don't think Elias has the ability to Compel people like the Archivist can. I don't think he can make anyone answer him truthfully. But that doesn't matter, because that's not what he wants. It's quite easy to lie to him. He doesn't need to hear the words to Know.
Words are faulty. Ideas, concepts, experiences are too hard to translate perfectly, completely into words. There is always information lost between the speaker and the listener, details that aren't conveyed between what one is trying to say and what the other interprets their words to mean. And when Jonah read centuries old tomes, he mourned that he could not know the full, lived experience of the writer's life from the few words that were inked onto the parchment. He mourned the knowledge that was lost between the words.
So while his collection grew into an archive focused on written and narrated accounts, his powers focused elsewhere.
His interview with og!Elias demonstrated quite beautifully! You can lie to him, quite easily in fact. You can try to hide behind a mask, but Eyes are the windows to the soul. Meet his gaze, and he can See quite easily what you're trying to hide. And when he Sees, he sees as they saw.
Their fear, their firsthand experience becomes his experience. He longs to live, and he will live uncountable lifetimes through the lives of others. Through the eyes of others.
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jellieland · 1 year
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In hindsight, he probably should’ve expected something like this.
He did, after all, agree to go into the sinister magical fog of unknown origin with nothing but an axe, a dream, and what is turning out to maybe, possibly, be an unwarranted level of self-confidence.
If he’s being a hundred percent honest with himself, (Which, well. Most of the time, why would you be?) he was mostly hoping to kill some stuff with the big cool axe. And while the fog is cloyingly, impossibly dense, trailing around his wrists and ankles like barely tightening rope, it is not yet quite dense enough for him to actually slice it away.
If things continue like this, though, he’s not going to rule that out as an eventual possibility. Keep your options open, you know?
He keeps moving forward, because he’s nothing if not deeply stubborn and unwilling to drop a bad idea before it kills him. Also he doesn’t really know which way he's going anymore.
Although… he really doesn’t want to admit this, even to himself, but at this point if he knew a way out he would probably take it. He can feel his heart beating faster, and his hands trying to tremble on the haft of the axe. Not that he’s gonna let them, obviously. But it's something he hasn’t felt in… a while.
It’s probably some kind of magical effect from whatever it is that’s haunting this place. Yeah. Yeah, that’s what it is, he decides. No need to consider any other possibilities.
The mud makes walking hard, dragging him back with every step. Or maybe that’s the fog. It’s hard to tell. He can’t really see the ground at this point, or the axe he’s holding up in front of himself defensively, or the tree roots trying to trip him up.
The sensation of something watching him, waiting for him, only grows, and finally he falters, freezes in place. With no-one there to see it whose opinion matters to him, he listens to his own breathing, shaky and shallow.
Closing his eyes doesn’t change how much he can see, but it does increase the feeling of something inches away and hungry for something more than flesh.
He knows hunger like that.
He opens his eyes.
He tries to tighten his grip on the axe, but his hands are numb. He can’t tell whether he’s still holding it. He can’t move. He can’t see anything.
A deep voice, one he hasn’t heard before, hums in the back of his mind.
“A new vessel, delivered to me? A sacrifice, to appease me?” It purrs.
“…Nah, sorry.” His voice shakes very little. Now this, this is something he knows. This is something he can do. “Think you’ve got the wrong guy.”
“A sacrifice that knows not its purpose, then? No matter. You will be ours whether you are willing or no.” Its tone darkens.
“Ehhh, I don’t know about that. I mean, I’m pretty sure you’ll get more use outta me if I come willingly, right? That’s usually how it works.”
There is a brief, heavy silence before it speaks again.
“You think you have the power to bargain.” It’s not quite a snarl. But there’s clear malice there. He makes a note of it. “The witch who sent you here. You mean nothing to her. She chose you as someone she is not afraid to loose.”
That stings a little, but he gets looking after your own first. And it’s not as though he didn’t suspect it. “Yeah, I figured that was obvious. I was still kinda curious, though, so. What difference does it make?”
A sliver of anger enters its voice. “Your friends will not save you.”
“I mean, sure. They never have before.” He shrugs, or at least he thinks he does. “But I’ve always come up with a way to deal with it by myself, in the end. So it works out, y’know?”
If whatever this is has eyes, somewhere, he thinks they’re probably narrowing. “…You have done this before.”
“Weeeeell, not this exactly. But close enough. Close enough.”
“You know, then, that you are weak.” It says, measured and deliberate.
“Hey now, that feels a little harsh. I prefer extremely possessable, just not a drama queen about it.”
“Your mind is easily molded by the lightest of touches.” And now disdain has entered its voice. Condescension. He hates it. “We could take you in a moment. In a thought.”
It’s never pleasant being reminded of that – a weakness he has no way of hiding from anyone with the ability to look for it.
That just means he has to make up for it in other ways.
“Let’s see.” He says thoughtfully. “There’s the convex, obviously, that probably goes without saying. Grian’s “subtle” suggestion magic in demise – don’t think anyone was even supposed to notice that, but he really did want people to die and then kill, you know? Scar’s magic crystals, can’t forget those, that was pretty wild.”
“What is the purpose of this?” It asks coldly.
“Sure, you can take me.” He lets just the faintest hint of steel enter his voice. “But you won’t keep me. Nothing ever has. No-one ever will.”
“You sound very sure of yourself for one so afraid.”
“Hey, I have a track record, I’m just taking note of trends here, honestly. I did get called in to do some science, after all.” He hesitates for a moment. “I mean, I’m not opposed to making a deal with you. Not opposed at all. Just think we should both know where we stand.”
“Very well.” It hisses. “You shall give yourself to us, body, mind, and soul.”
“I- yeah, I mean, sure, but then what?”
“We shall sow the seeds of an old world born anew. There shall be death, and fear, and chaos. The shadows of that which was once life shall spread across the land, and the light of the surface shall reach deeper than it has for many, many years.”
“Huh, is that all?” That’s not so bad. “I’ve done worse than that when I wasn’t possessed.”
“You care not for the others of this land? For those you travel with?”
“Course I do! You’re not gonna hurt any of them with that, though. Not in any way that matters.” He laughs. “Might be fun, actually.”
“So. You accept?” It seems unfazed by his casual dismissal. Good. The best alliances, in his experience, and the ones where both parties think they’re playing the other. Keeps things interesting. Probably doesn’t hurt that so far, he’s always managed to come out on top.
“Sure.” He says. “Why not?”
“You are proud, little vex.” He hadn’t thought it possible, but the fog pulls around him tighter, pressing against him, curling around his neck. “Magician of misdirection and dedication.”
He lets it happen. If it wants to have its moment, sure. It can have one. He is reminded, momentarily, of Ren’s kingly speeches.
“You think that we have miscalculated. You are wrong. Or maybe, maybe you are not. But one day, you will be.” The voice grows louder. He’s no longer quite sure whether the fog he can see is in his eyes or his mind. “You will always solve it alone, until one day, you do not. And on that day, it will long have been too late to find another who would save you. To you, though, this will matter little.”
He feels suddenly, unexpectedly warm, the chill of the evening gone all at once. He can feel the presence pressing against his thoughts.
“You will be happy. This, we will grant you. This, we promise.”
It’s all talk. He’ll be fine. Definitely.
Probably.
The fog swells one last time.
Something gives.
---
As he makes his way back out of the forest, he has a spring in his step. He can’t quite remember what happened in there, but he feels great, if a little sad to leave the comforting warmth of the fog behind.
Nearing the witch’s place, he finds that the lights around here are a lot brighter than he remembers. Has she added more since he left?
That won’t do.
That won’t do at all.
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rainbow-neko-artblog · 11 months
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What is the full lore\story for fnf executed souls I need to know
Giving you the full lore is a lot??? Since thats literally 7 weeks worth of dialog and shit but i'll give you the best summary i can??? god it's still so much even looking at it- sorry in advance.
Fnf ex souls is an au where Keith (Bf) is a vessel for all 3 of Gabby's (Gf's) previous relationship partners (Senpai, Garcello, and Tabi) who died at the hands of Daddy Dearest. The concept that DD kills those he doesnt deem worthy of his daughter is not new- but in Ex-Souls the consequences are treated a lot more serious- He kills them in horrific ways regardless of if they pass his musical trials or not and the result of their seemingly out-of-nowhere disappearances causes Gabby to think they left because of HER, impairing her self image a lot more then canon Gf (This is why She wears a sweater and is a lot more modest then canon).
When she starts dating Keith, they find out that DD killed Senpai, and are told by Garcello and Tabi directly that DD cursed them before their deaths in their weeks (which happens one after another after another because Senpai's warning causes them to try and look into her ex's disappearances more). Feeling awful and with the support of Keith, she makes a vow with them to perform a special witch assisted Demon and Ghost ritual that allows the ghosts to live in her body with her- so that they can still have time to live until they're officially ready to go and she can be relieved her guilt.
The problem is that the ritual can only be done at midnight on Friday the 13th- and when DD and MM learn of Gabby's plans they race to catch her and Keith before they can complete the ritual. Gabby is caught in the chase- with only minutes to spare she tells Keith to leave but he knows this is important to her and chooses instead to use HIMSELF to complete the vessel part of the ritual. Evne though the ritual works and the souls are in Keith- he's a human and cannot withstand their abilities at full force or it will cause his body to erode (this is known as overdrive mode as ive called it). He's so stressed out by the situation that they learn of his inability to deal with the powere immediatly- the tutorial week literally would have been GF calming BF down from this overdrive in the graveyard where the ritual was held, with DD and MM in the background looking shocked and scared.
The ritual being fucked up and Keith's sacrifice for her causes Gabby to lash out for the first time and disown her parents- running away into the city with Keith and the souls (Their original plan was to use the souls power to teleport out of the city with no hassle, but Keith can't do that without breaking his body so they're stuck on foot.) This causes the rest of the weeks to play out- Bf and Gf hiding out with the spooky kids they babysat to lay low for a bit until skids newest dad and lila's boyfriend the lemon monster basically chases them out of there. Pico hunts them for a little bit, having been manipulated by DD into thinking the Ex (Keith) he still cared about was being forcefully possessed by ghosts under Gf being a brat and not wanting to let her old partners go- but he stops chasing once he's convinced that Bf is still himself. They have an encounter with MM who apologizes and says she doesnt agree with DD, getting them a personal bus to take them outta town. Captain (tankman) is in charge of the bus- and they have to rap him once more as DD calls him up and tries to convince him to kill BF or DD will kill his husband Steve. In the end GF ends up distracting her dad enough for Steve to get away and for them to make it out of the city.
The Au from then on is a normal cottage life between Gf and Bf in the countryside. Spending time taking care of the Spirits issues until they pass on naturally and Gf and Bf live in happiness without them.
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I have yet another Fic idea that’s been bouncing around in my funny lil noggin for months! Yay! I call it my Stuck in the Middle AU (working title).
 Premise: Master of Death Harry unsatisfied with the role forced on him in the afterlife, endeavors to recruit an disembodied soul from a Universe where the entirety of HARRY POTTER is nothing more than a fictional story for children to help him destroy the 3 Hallows before they could ever come into his hands. He finds such a soul through happenstance & makes a deal, to allow that soul to return to their life they just left if they help him destroy the Hallows to which they agree.
The catch: Because Harry’s only enjoyment in the afterlife is messing with one Tom Marvolo Riddle, the vessel he chooses to house this soul is none other than the recently deceased Myrtle Warren, killed by none other TMR himself.
This entire fic is told from the soul’s pov as they struggle with being stuck in the middle of the most bizarre form of purgatory.
Snippet #1:
Abraxas Malfoy (outta breath & rushing into the Slytherin common room): SHE’S ALIVE!!!
TMR: Who’s alive?
Abraxas: WARREN!
TMR: What?!
Snippet #2:
Albus Dumbledore: Do you remember what happened to you, Myrtle?
Not Myrtle: Who the fuck is Myrtle?
Prof. Dumbledore: You are.
Not Myrtle: No I’m—(pauses suddenly seeing MOD Harry shaking his head)—Where am I?
Prof. Dumbledore: Hogwarts.
Not Myrtle (laughing): Oh sure…What’s next you’re gonna tell me you’re Albus Dumbledore?
Prof. Dumbledore: …I am.
*MOD Harry face palming*
Snippet # 3:
Not Myrtle (to themself): This a post 2020 world, yeah this might as well just happen…
Snippet # 4:
Cygnus Black (talking about Myrtle): Word is she has amnesia. Doesn’t remember who or what attacked her.
Tom: Good. Let’s ensure we keep it that way.
Cygnus: Though I’ve heard she’s been a bit off.
Tom: How so?
Cygnus: She’s been talking to herself incoherently.
Tom: Incoherently?
Cygnus: Just what Hornby tells me. They think she’s made up her own language or something. Sounds like she’s gone mad. Even if she did remember, I doubt anyone would believe her.
Tom: Prof. Dumbledore would.
Snippet #5:
MOD Harry: You do realize, you’re the only one who can see me? Everyone else thinks you’ve gone mad babbling to yourself.
Not Myrtle: What?! And you only tell me this now?! I’ve been here for days!
MOD Harry: I thought it was obvious. Do you see anyone else addressing me? And I’ll also inform you that when you speak to me, you don’t speak in English…
Not Myrtle: Then what the hell am I speaking?!
MOD Harry: The language of the dead.
Not Myrtle: Is that why people keep looking at me like I’m crazy?!
MOD Harry: Oh definitely. Most of them think you’re possessed.
Not Myrtle: …isn’t that technically true?
MOD Harry: Sort of. You’re the possessor, not the possessee.
Snippet #6:
Not Myrtle (to MOD Harry): Look I didn’t ask to be put in the middle of whatever dick measuring contest you have going on with a teenage boy!
And I think that’s all the dialogue snippets I have for now. But if I think of more I’ll post ‘em.
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staunr · 9 months
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Daughter of Bone and Ice: Cats, Rats, and Monkeys
(When a city called Megapolis shows up, the outside world is very intrigued. However the government of Megapolis isn’t very willing to simply let anyone in, so they make a deal. No one can simply waltz in. But what happens if a certain Japanese school wants to see what would happen if a child from Megapolis joined UA?)
Mk was rushing to Wukong’s mountain, why? Well let’s just say that someone had messaged him,
-Hello, this is the principal of UA Academy. I am Nezu, we wish to have someone deemed strong by the only hero in Megapolis to join our school. If you have the time, please meet me at Huá Huā Café. If you can not make it please inform me.
To this message Mk responded saying that while he couldn’t make it, his teacher could. So Wukong’s mountain was his next stop.
—————————
“MONKEY KIIINGGG!!” The boy shouted on the top of his lungs,
“WHAT? IS PENG BACK?” The king shouted as a reply, Mk was hunched over heaving trying to catch his breath.
“I have… a meeting that… you.. need to attend for me.” He finally finished, the king seemed dumbfounded.
“Is.. is that all?” He asked, to which the boy nodded. Mk took out his phone and handed it to the king to show the message.
“Ooooh, I see. Yeah sure I can handle it.”
“THANK YOU SO MUCH MONKEY KING,” the boy replied, “uh, I have to go now!” And with that he sped out of there. And soon after Wukong panicked.
*How the fuck am I supposed to find someone old enough to join a random school?
As Wukong was stuck in thought, his shadow grew and a head landed on the kings shoulder.
“Heya King! Watcha’ doin’?” The shadow monkey joked, the king scoffed and lightly pushed him away.
“Thinking is all. Why? It’s not every day you visits me.”
“Oh, well I heard that a Japanese school wants a student to join their most current year. And I have someone in mind..” he chuckled
“Oh? And who may that be?”
“Bai He.” The king was dumbfounded at this, “I know that you must be confused, but she does fit all the criteria! If you want, we could go to this meeting with you, Bai He will be directly with you while I’ll be watching from the shadows. You know, like usual.” He said cheerily, Wukong, a little caught off guard, agreed to this. While the King hadn’t spent much time with the child, it didn’t take long for the immortal to sense the amount of left over power that built up in one of her ‘vessels’.
—————————
In the crowded streets, Wukong kept his hood and form up. He looked like a regular everyday human, with curly cinnamon hair and weirdly bright amber eyes. Bai He trailed behind him, her cat Sage in her arms like a baby. She explained to him that her old cat, Basil, hadn’t wanted to be anywhere near her for a while because it was there when she got possessed, so she decided that it would be best to not drag the poor thing anywhere. But she did find a black and white cat that stuck to her like it knew her. So she kept the poor thing. It was enjoying itself in its owners arms, letting out a low purr in content. While Wukong listened to Bai He talk on and on about anything and everything, they made it to Huá Huā Café.
“Kiddo, sorry to interrupt, but we’re here.” He said gently, as to not scare her. While he didn’t look like himself, he still sounded the same. And poor Bai He had every single memory of what happened while she was possessed. So there’s no doubt she could remember how Wukong was so willing to kill a child. Her. She looked up at the sign and made a remark about how’d she never been here before, and, “do you think they have hot chocolate?” To which the disguised king laughed and patted the kids head and laughed a little louder when she pouted. When they walked in, it was pretty low service for a new Café on the block. The Café itself only had a few people, all spread out and speaking Japanese. When walking up to the counter they were met with a young woman, around her mid 20s, with tied up black hair and a busy look on her face. She only looked up when Wukong cleared his throat, she looked absolutely defeated,
“I’m so sorry, but if you don’t have a reservation you can’t just waltz in here. And the place has been booked entirely by than man over there, unless your the people he’s waiting for you have to leave.” She said apologetically, the man in question was a small rat dressed in a fancy suit, he was sipping on what looked to be tea.
“Is his name Nezu?” Wukong asked, the woman looked surprised but relieved,
“Yes that is him,” she nodded, Wukong thanked her and approached the man.
“Can we sit here?” The King asked, the man scanned the two and smiled and he simply nodded as he placed his tea cup down on its saucer,
“Are you teacher of the famous Monkey Kid?” He asked jokingly,
“Indeed I am, is the kid really that famous he’d reach the outside world?” The faux sage returned the joke, to which the rat man laughed, and nodded
“Yes, yes he is! Especially among the hero society and politics, one young hero protecting this city all on his own? Quite marvelous, what’s your name? I am Nezu. The principal of UA Academy.”
“Sun Wukong, pleasure to meet you, this little one here Bai He. If I am correct, you wanted to meet about getting someone from Aolai into UA?” Nezu nodded at all of this,
“Correct, and Bai He here is the suggested candidate?” The two turned to Bai He,
“Huh, oh, yeah!” She said excitedly,
“Alright, all you have to do is fill out this paper work, and Mr Sun, are the guardian of little Bai He?” Wukong was caught a little off guard by the question,
“No, no,” he laughed a little, “I’m merely a friend of her current guardian.” Nezu made a humming sound at this.
“Do you think I’ll be able to meet her guardian?” He asked
“Perhaps, depends if he want to show himself.” Nezu lifted a brow at this, but didn’t question it aloud.
“Very well, as long as Bai He and her legal guardian fill out this paperwork, she is free to take part in next years class.” Wukong nodded, asked and answered a few more questions, and left. Bai He was silent the whole time, and around a block after the Cafe, Macaque emerged from his shadows.
“So, that’s all?” He inquired, and the King nodded. Macaque hummed and bid farewell with Bai He to the King. Would this really be a good idea?
—————————
Erasure was the first to approach Nezu after the meeting, Nezu sipped on his tea a little before turning his attention to the scraggly man.
“Yes Erasure?” He questioned,
“I want to know if this is a good idea,” Erasure said uneasily, many rumors surrounded the mysterious city and its only hero.
“I think it is, do you have doubts you wish to speak with me about?” Erasure was silent at this for only a few questions, before simply shaking his head. While Erasure could have his doubts, whether he made an air tight point at a problem, Nezu would always find a way to calm his nerves. For he had done this several times within his years of teaching, Erasure not being the only one.
If Nezu thought this was a good idea, surely it would be.
What could possibly go wrong?
He jinxed himself didn’t he?
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michaelmilligan · 2 years
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Midam week day seven: YES
“I do,” Adam said softly, watching with a soaring heart as Michael's smile got impossibly bigger.
“Then I hereby pronounce you spouses in the eyes of Heaven – and also the state of Alabama, which lets me officiate weddings with only the online application and no registration with a government office,” Gabriel declared, shutting the book in his hands.
Adam knew that it wasn't the bible or any official paperwork. Actually, he was pretty sure that it was The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, which Gabriel was apparently re-reading after getting nostalgic about J.R.R. Tolkien.
Not that it mattered. Even if Gabriel only took this half serious, and even if Raphael had stressed about the decorations the last few hours before the wedding, and even if Adam's mom was still not so sure about him marrying an archangel... This was still one of the happiest days of Adam's life.
“You can snog now or whatever,” Gabriel said, gesturing between them, and Michael stepped closer to kiss him.
They took their time. It was their first kiss as a married couple, so they were going to make it count.
Besides, it wasn't like either of them needed to breathe. Not up here in Heaven. And probably not down on Earth, either, as long as Michael was still possessing him.
At some point, though, they heard whistling – Gabriel was apparently over the whole 'gagging when they kissed' thing and was now firmly in wolf-whistling territory.
Well. It was a step forward, Adam supposed.
The far weirder thing was that Adam's mom was giggling and whispering with Gabriel. For some reason, while she was still a bit wary about Michael, she and Gabriel had hit it off really well.
In a friendly sort of way. Not in a weird way. Kate was now Michael's mother-in-law, and she would not simultaneously become his sister-in-law.
Which would then also make her Adam's sister-in-law...
Time to stop thinking.
“We should move on to refreshments,” Raphael said, still looking regal in the suit they were wearing on their vessel, but with a slight twitch to their wings.
It happened when they were stressed, Michael had told Adam quite some time ago. So while they seemed calm and collected, they were probably mentally doing the equivalent of pulling out a comically large pocket watch and lamenting that no one kept to the schedule.
“We should,” Adam agreed, which prompted Gabriel to conjure up said refreshments – champagne and an assortment of other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
There wasn't really a way to get drunk in Heaven, not that archangels would even feel the effect of a few glasses, but it was nice that they still adhered to tradition.
“To the grooms,” Kate said once all their glasses were filled, and her smile was only a little crooked.
Despite her reservations, she knew that this marriage made Adam very happy, as purely symbolic as it was. So she played along, always eager to make up for lost time. (Lost in the cage, lost with both of their deaths, lost even in his childhood, when she'd barely been home. Adam had never begrudged her for working the graveyard shift, and she wasn't at fault for any of the other points, but it was nice that she now had time whenever he wanted to see her. As morbid as that was.)
Chasing all other thoughts away, Adam looked and Michael and toasted his glass at him. “To us.”
“To us,” Michael echoed softly, toasting back.
His expression was so fond, his eyes so soft, that of course Adam had to make a joke: “Guess we're a match made in Heaven now.”
Michael raised an eyebrow at him. “Technically a match made in Hell.” He hummed. “Though I guess Heaven does sound better.”
“Well, you're certainly a match,” Gabriel commented. “Right down to the identical faces!”
Kate's smile wavered a little, while Raphael sighed. It was a silly joke – Michael didn't look anything like Adam, really. Sure, his projection looked the same as him, but not his true form.
Michael just shook his head at Gabriel. “Well, why wouldn't I use my favourite face in the world?”
Gabriel rolled his eyes dramatically and mimed hanging himself, while Kate looked torn between being touched and doing the same.
“How about we cut the cake?” Raphael asked, probably thinking about the timetable again.
Adam just smiled and let them and Gabriel fuss over the cake. He would cut it together with Michael once they were done, but everything being perfect or traditional to a t was far less important to him than just being here with the ones he loved.
That alone already made this day perfect.
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adoringhaikyuu · 3 years
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when their teammate has a crush on you
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characters: kageyama, kenma, oikawa, tanaka
warnings: nothing, just some pouty boys and possessiveness
notes: i stumbled upon @kageyuji​‘s take on this while i was writing! so i thought i might as well give them a shoutout! 
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kageyama:
you already know this boy speaks up with no shame
and he will glare at anyone who gets in his way or on his nerves, especially when they do anything to you
so when hinata doesn’t even try to hide that he likes you, saying boldly “well why should i lie?” 
you could only imagine the rage that kageyama is feeling
he doesn’t even want you in the same room as hinata sjkdfghsdj
he will pick either you or hinata up and take you away, depending on the situation
or he’ll take hinata’s face in his hand and just throw him away
but the boy always bounces right back, somehow unharmed and you’re grateful for that 
but anyway it’s not that hinata is necessarily trying to break the two of you up, it’s more that he’s genuinely confused as to why you’re with kageyama
“how could you possibly like this bully? is there something wrong with you?” 
he got chased by kageyama immediately after saying that––
your eyes widened as you saw a flash of orange jump in front of you as you walked towards the gym, ready to meet kageyama to go home. “y/n! y/n! could you please throw some balls for us?! yachi had to go home but we really wanna practice some more!” 
you stepped back and your boyfriend came out of nowhere, practically smacking the other boy out of the air, leaving him to crouch on the ground, clutching the top of his head as he scowled at the dark-haired boy. “calm down you idiot! y/n doesn’t have to if they don’t want to! they’re probably tired anyway and just wanna go home.” he turned to you and gave you a small smile. “you wanna go?” 
you looked between the two. “i mean...i can help you guys practice for a little bit.”
the other boy sprung up again. “oh! thank you! thank you!” 
your boyfriend bowed his head quickly. “thank you.”
you smiled up at him and he felt his cheeks redden. “of course, tobio.” a smile spread on his face as well but it was short-lived as hinata spoke up, suddenly inches away from the two of you. 
“what’s up with your face? why do you look like that?” 
kageyama scowled down at him. “nothing’s wrong with my face! what’s wrong with your face?!” 
“why are you yelling at me?!” hinata turned to you, “he’s so mean! how are you with him?” he looked down and mumbled to himself, “i wouldn’t treat you like this...”
kageyama’s eyes widened with rage. “what was that?!” 
“n––nothing!” the smaller boy backed up, eyes wide with fear. 
“you know what? we’re leaving.” kageyama stormed into the gym and quickly got his things, ignoring hinata’s pleas.
“aw what? why?! come on kageyama!” he turned to you, “y/n please––”
suddenly you were facing your boyfriend’s back as he stood in front of you to glare at the other boy. “don’t even think about it. we’re done for today.” he turned to you and grabbed your hand, tightening his hold when you waved goodbye to a pouting hinata. 
when you were almost off the premises you looked up at kageyama. “you know you’re kinda hot when you’re jealous,” you smirked up at him and he stuttered in shock.
“what–i–you––”
you laughed and kissed the back of his hand softly, immediately giving him a nosebleed. you handed him a tissue which he gratefully took, glaring at you weakly. 
“you know i’m yours, right?” 
he swallowed and blinked a couple times before nodding once. 
“then you have nothing to worry about, okay?”
he started muttering to himself, the only words you could make out being “idiot” and “dumbass”. you placed your hands on his cheeks and he stopped and looked down at you, eyes wide. 
“okay, tobio?”
he nodded. “okay.” he paused. “but that doesn’t mean i’m going to be nicer to that idiot––”
you laughed. “yeah baby, i know.” 
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kenma:
let’s say you’d been dating kenma for a while now, a little lowkey 
and everything is fine, everything is going really well
kenma likes it when you hang around the team, the team likes you
you’re like a part of the squad
and kenma’s feeling great about it 
until lev comes along––
kenma already doesn’t like this boy, he doesn’t even know how to hit a ball properly––
but when kenma notices the way the tall boy blatantly stares at you during practice, the way he always tries to butt into your conversations and show off to you...
kenma’s practically radiating angry chihuahua energy, the air around him red and he looks like he’s two seconds away from biting––
if lev interrupts your convo w him sometimes he’d just stare at the boy deadpanned and go back to his conversation with you, “anyway–”
or he’d take your hand and lead you away
or he’d literally just say “go away, lev.” and the poor boy would just pout and whine, “aww what? why?” 
one time lev tried to tag along on one of your dates and you had to step in front of kenma so he wouldn’t kick the boy in the shins or something
lev really wasn’t trying to do any harm, he was just a big lanky puppy who had a little crush on you
but still, kenma wasn’t having any of that
kuroo leaned on the wall next to where kenma was leaning against it, sipping his water during their ten minute break. he smirked down at his friend teasingly, “so what are you gonna do about your new competition?”
kenma wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, putting the bottle on the floor as he practically snarled. “shut up.”
“woah,” kuroo smiled, raising his hands up in mock surrender. “put your claws away, man. i’m just asking.” 
kenma simply grumbled in response, making his friend laugh.
“well you should think fast cause it looks like he’s getting real close to y/n right now––”
kenma’s head snapped up immediately and his jaw clenched when he took in the sight across the gym. lev was lying on the bench, practically half his body folded, his legs bent on the ground, his head on your lap, his eyes closed. 
kenma huffed and stomped over to you two, some of his other teammates jumping out of his way when they felt the almost deadly aura around him. he stopped right in front of you and you looked up at him.
he blinked. “why is lev on you?”
you shrugged, “he said his head was hurting and then just plopped his head in my lap.”
said boy finally opened his eyes and perked up, “oh hi kenma! my head’s been hurting from all this hard practice so i thought i’d rest a bit.”
your boyfriend’s eye twitched. “on y/n?” 
“yeah!” the boy smiled, somehow completely oblivious to the setter’s rage. “they’re real soft, you know––”
“yes.” kenma interrupted, blunt as ever. “i know.” 
noticing the increasing tension, you spoke up. “hey lev?” he looked at you happily. “your head’s feeling better now, right?” 
“well i guess so...”
“maybe you should go get some water and some fresh air then, yeah?”
he pouted, “but maybe i should stay for just a little longer–” kenma was about to pop a blood vessel. 
“trust me,” you guided him up gently. “this is what’s best for your health.”
as soon as he agreed and walked away from you, you looked up at your boyfriend with a smile on your face and pat your thighs. he eagerly took lev’s place and looked up at you with a furrow in his brows that you were quick to smooth out with your thumb, smiling when he visibly melted at your touch. you ran your fingers through his scalp to calm him down and he purred, leaning into your hands. 
“stupid lev...” he mumbled to himself and you laughed, leaning down to kiss his forehead, making him blush immediately.
“you have nothing to worry about, okay? i’m yours.”
he blinked, trying to calm his heartbeat, a small smile on his face. “good.” 
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oikawa:
alright let’s switch things up a lil bit and mention someone i’ve personally like never seen mentioned in this scenario
let’s say mad dog likes you
oh boy
so at first oikawa thinks he’s seeing things
but once he notices how kyoutani opens the door for you, the way his eyes linger on you a little more when you come to practices or to the games, the way he gives you a small smile every now and then––
kyoutani doesn’t smile for anybody!!––
oikawa’s eyes narrow and he gets a bad feeling in his gut 
otherwise known as jealousy
now he knows you’d never leave him or anything like that, but the fact that you start getting closer to the walking time bomb and you become the only other person that he listens to besides iwaizumi––
oikawa doesn’t like that at all
he’d get all pouty and would literally drag you away from your conversations with the younger boy, almost whimpering when he glares and practically growls at him
“where is y/n-chan??” oikawa asked to no one in particular, his hands on his hips. 
kindaichi stopped and picked up one of the stray balls on the floor, “oh i saw y/n outside with kyoutani.”
“what?!” oikawa pracitcally shrieked, making the younger boy jump. he mumbled to himself, “i swear we need to get mad dog a collar with bells on it––” he stomped over to where the two of you were, a strained smile on his face as he noticed you laughing, kyoutani’s cheeks slightly pink.
“well what do we have here?” he said forceful but cheerful. 
you looked to your boyfriend with a smile and kyoutani simply glared at him, but then again, that was just his face. “oh we were just getting some fresh air. are you done practicing your serves?”
“i sure am.” he smiled, pulling you close to him by your waist and pressing an obnoxiously loud and wet kiss to your cheek which you immediately wiped off with a grimace, which he did not appreciate. “y/n-chan!” he whined, “that’s not very nice!” 
“well don’t make it so wet next time,” you rolled your eyes. 
noticing the other boy still hadn’t made a move to leave, your boyfriend spoke up. “shouldn’t you be leaving now, mad dog?”
you smacked his chest and he yelped. “don’t be so rude, tooru. he was keeping me company while you did your extra practice, you know.”  
he pouted and looked to the ground.
“i should be getting home, anyway.” the blond spoke up gruffly. his eyes softened almost imperceptibly as he looked at you. “see you, y/n.”
you smiled, “bye kyou.” 
“bye mad-dog!” your boyfriend practically sang, as he looked over his shoulder at the boy leaving. he turned back to you and you pursed your lips at his behavior, making his shoulders droop in shame. 
“you’re such a big baby, you know that?” although you insulted him, your voice was soft and he couldn’t help but smile at the way you cooed at him, your hands holding his cheeks. “but you’re my baby, okay? stop worrying so much about kyoutani.” 
he nodded. “okay...” his eyes widened hopefully, “can i get a kiss please?”
you smiled and shook your head, before leaning in. he really was a baby sometimes.  
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tanaka:
you already know this boy is loud
and he likes to show off what’s his because he’s just so proud that you’re his and he loves to fawn over you
so he’ll always have a hand on you, an arm around you and he’ll always shower you in compliments whenever he sees you
a total simp
and that’s just in general
so when his friend likes you ??? bruh
let’s just say nishinoya thinks you’re kinda cute,,, okay really cute and his crush only (unwillingly) grew for you after you started dating tanaka and hanging out with them all the time
he’d be really excited whenever you were around, a pink tint covering his cheeks, a smile glued to his face
he’d try to show off during practice and games, looking to you after he lands a successful rolling thunder
and tanaka would be growling in the corner sdfghj
he’d literally try to one up his friend immediately and would scream to you in the stands “I LOVE YOU BABY THIS ONE IS FOR YOU!!”
after they win he’d pull you into a crushing hug and give you loud kisses all over your face 
he’d do the most and then he’d smile all smug making sure everyone including nishinoya saw 
you laughed as noya jumped several feet in the air to high five you after winning their game, a bright smile on his face. “did you see that last receive i did y/n? did you?” 
you nodded, laughing. “yes i did noya, it was really impressive.” 
his cheeks turned pink and he ducked his head, scratching the back of his head nervously as he waved you off. “ah it wasn’t all that...it was pretty good though, huh?” 
before you could respond, you saw a flash of movement in front of you before you were suddenly being hoisted into the air. you gasped and wrapped your arms and legs around your boyfriend, “ryu!––” 
“hey baby!” he practically yelled, smiling up at you and not so subtly walking away from his best friend with you in his arms. “did you see me hit that last spike? your man looked pretty good out there, huh? better than everyone else right?” 
daichi who was walking by the two of you quickly hit the back of tanaka’s head in warning, hearing his words. “watch it––”
tanaka turned his head, “uh i mean you looked great too captain! couldn’t have done this without you––”
“yeah yeah,” he walked away, rolling his eyes and you laughed yet again, grabbing your boyfriend’s attention. 
he looked up at you with wide eyes, squeezing his arms around you tighter and you smiled, putting your hand on his cheek. he nuzzled into your touch softly and you pressed a kiss to his lips, making him blush immediately. “of course i was watching you, and yes you looked very very good out there. i’m so proud of you.” 
he smiled wide but tried to act oblivious when you went on, “you know you kinda interrupted my conversation earlier with––”
“well anyway! i think we should get going now--” he spoke far too loud, walking faster from the gym, making you shake your head at his adorably possessive behavior. 
you leaned your head on his shoulder fondly, “you know you can be ridiculous sometimes ryu...”
he huffed quietly, “well you still love me right?”
you smiled. “always.” 
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amaranthineoceans · 3 years
Text
Everything Weird About Deltarune!
Spoiler Warning for Undertale and Both Chapters of Deltarune! Really! I Literally Go Through Everything I Can Remember About Them!
This is a long post so get comfortable. Also note that my brain doesn't process thoughts into words very well so some of these might not be worded in the best way. :)
Deltarune. The first teaser chapter was released on October 31, 2018, and it came out of nowhere. We've all gone through this, but I'll try and go through every single painstaking detail I can remember. Feel free to reblog and add/correct things.
The weirdness begins right off the bat. The title is an anagram of UNDERTALE. We all know Toby likes to use anagrams when he wants to indirectly tell us when things are related, so it's no surprise that when you go to download DELTARUNE, it warns you that the game is designed for people who have played UNDERTALE. You think, "Cool, so it's a sequel? Or maybe a prequel? A different perspective of UNDERTALE perhaps?" You were wrong; so terribly, terribly wrong! I'll elaborate on this later.
Before you download the application, the terms of service that you must agree to beforehand reads simply and plainly, "You accept everything that will happen from now on." This detail was kinda brushed off in the beginning, because, hey, it's Toby Fox. He does weird stuff all the time. But even in the first chapter, it's apparent that the concept of choice, or more accurately, the lack of it, is a very present theme in the game. I would like to remind you that Toby has announced that there will be one ending in the game. One. I'll elaborate on this later.
The program (as in, what the game is called in your files) is named SURVEY PROGRAM. Why not just call it Deltarune like it is when you download chapter two?
The game launches you, without a title screen, without any setting adjustment options, straight into a reference to the theme of the entire franchise: the lack of choice. A strange formless voice guides you through "making a vessel", with what we know now as a fountain in the background. You have the option to make some very disturbing choices in this character creator, such as making its favorite flavor "pain" or expressing your feelings about it with options such as "fear" and "disgust." You name your "creation," tell the formless voice your name (which is different from your vessel's name) and watch as said formless voice muses over your name at an agonizing pace. It thanks you for your time and tells you that your wonderful creation, (cue music cutout and background removal) will now be discarded. "No one can choose who they are in this world." The screen slowly turns white as the voice says, "Your... name... is..."
It gets weirder. The next scene appears from the whiteness and showcases Toriel calling "Kris" out of bed. Kris' area of the room is very bare in contrast to the other side, which we later discover is Asriel's.
It's Toriel. Why is Toriel here?
Kris is kind of an anagram of Frisk (the protagonist of UNDERTALE) but without the F. I highly doubt this is a coincidence.
Speaking with Noelle is the only reason you can proceed (see what i did there?) while finding a partner in the classroom. This means you can't go through the 1st chapter without knowing who she is. Is it because of the Snowgrave route?
Ralsei is just suspicious to me. There's no way he was just waiting in that castle his whole life alone without some mental toil. So either he's insane or he wasn't alone the whole time. What happened? Is it related to how he can close his eyes and see what Susie is going through when she's apart from the party? Was he just watching everything? Is he related to the formless voice?
Susie's icon is the only one without color in the Dark World.
Jevil's fight is more difficult than Sans'.
Your actions have little consequence in the first chapter. If you choose to go genocide, the only difference in the ending is being run out of the kingdom, and this doesn't carry over to the next chapter. Again, lack of choice, people.
If at the end of chapter one, you walk around town, it's mentioned (notably by Noelle) that you're usually not this talkative. If you go to the hospital and speak with the receptionist, they mention that you used to play the piano in the corner. If you decide to attempt to play the said piano, an out-of-key bash can be heard and the receptionist comments on how you used to play beautifully. If you try this in chapter two, the result is the same. All this is confirmation that Kris is acting noticeably weird.
When you leave the Dark World and walk around town, you can find Sans. He "pretends" to recognize you, and if you tell him you recognize him, he tells you it's funny, considering that you two have never met before. He winks. I'm pretty sure he knows that the player is there.
The mention of Papyrus in both games, but the purposeful lack of him. Like he's avoiding you.
If you go upstairs while inside Asgore's flower shop, there are flowers in glass cases resembling his SOUL collection in UNDERTALE. There's a red flower.
You can't enter the church.
The clock in the storage closet shows a different time than all the others in the school.
If you go all the way south in town and into the woods, the music stops and you come across a rusty, double door is in a hill covered in crass. It's locked. If you go this way in chapter two, however, you watch a cutscene where you and susie happen to find Monster Kid from UNDERTALE (or someone resembling them) and an owl kid in front of the door. The owl kid is pressuring Monster Kid to (presumably) break inside, telling them that they don't want to be a wimp like Kris. Does this imply that Kris is connected to this strange door somehow?
The ending. You know what I'm talking about.
Did Kris actually rip out the SOUL (I say "the" because I'm not entirely sure it's Kris') and knife because they wanted to eat the pie? Did they only eat the pie because Toriel caught them?
Why did they look at the player? Are they sick of being controlled? Is that why they freaked out after the Spamton fight? (later)
Anyway, now we're at chapter two.
DELTARUNE Chapter Two was released on September 17th, 2021. 17. Entry Number 17. Sound familiar?
Asriel's part of the room is different from the last chapter. I don't think this means anything sinister, but I think it means Kris notices different things about the room as the story progresses. My theory is that it will become more sinister in each chapter.
Ralsei getting super excited to see Susie and Kris after a day. As in he has separation anxiety and it breaks my heart. not anything suspicious but it makes me sad so it's on the list.
Kris and Susie's rooms. Ralsei REALLY doesn't want them to leave. Seriously get this boy a therapist. Or a stuffed animal. SOMETHING.
Kris having to gather everything from the storage closet so that people appear in the Dark World????? Why??????????????? They had to do the same thing for the computer lab too.
The golden door. I don't trust it.
How/why the heck did Noelle and Berdley go into the Computer Lab Dark World? I don't see either of them just walking into pulsing void doors without Susie.
Apparently the knight has been gone for a bit and can corrupt people's minds? The king in the first chapter doesn't seem like he can be redeemed but Queen just seems,,, not bad, but a little crazy. I wonder what happened.
Then again, name ONE person in this franchise without trauma.
Spamton.
Horror doesn't bother me. Spamton? Spamton bothers me.
SPAMTON. ENOUGH SAID.
A Kromer is a type of hat invented in the '70s. Nobody named Mike is associated with it, that I can find.
SPAMPTON. HOW DO I EVEN DESCRIBE IT.
HIS SONG IS THE ONLY ONE WITH WORDS.
The way he asks Kris is they want to be a heart on a chain their whole life. Like, dude, no wonder they were screaming after the fight.
WHERE DID THE YELLOW HEART COME FROM. YELLOW MEANS JUSTICE. WHY DOES JUSTICE APPLY.
Kris screaming after the fight and the player not being able to hear it. Don't you dare tell me that's just how the game is designed. There are sound effects characters make throughout the game. None that I can think of apply to Kris, apart from when they rip their soul out.
Ralsei brushing off the Spamton fight. Either that's his coping mechanism or he was trying to shut Susie and Kris up to protect them from... something. I'll touch on that in a minute.
According to Queen, DETERMINATION is a key factor in creating a fountain.
Also according to Queen, Kris, Noelle, and Susie all have DETERMINATION SOULS.
Ralsei freaking out about Berdley making a fountain implies that he may also have DETERMINATION. Why I'm bringing all this up will make sense soon.
How was Noelle able to cast Snowgrave... a spell that she, according to her, didn't know?
The Snowgrave route is so twisted.
You manipulate Noelle into killing Berdley and then, when you get back to the computer lab and investigate his corpse, the text box says that he doesn't seem to be awake. As if you're in denial?
Burgerpants recognizes you. Not Kris. As in the player.
The ending. I don't think I need to describe it. Kris is very methodical without the SOUL. (I say "the" because, again, I'm not 100% convinced it's theirs.) I'm saying this about how they left clues that someone broke into the This proves that they are NOT a mindless, vengeful husk.
HOW DID THEY MAKE THE FOUNTAIN WITHOUT THE SOUL INSIDE OF THEM. DID THEY FEED THE SOUL TO IT AFTERWARDS? IS THAT WHAT THAT WAS?
Another point I would like to make is my theory that Ralsei knows much more than he would have us believe. I might put this into a different post because I have yet to gather my points into a coherent bullet point list, so keep an eye out for that.
Anyway apart from Toriel and Susie being VERY heavy sleepers, I think I've gone through everything. I have a few theories.
1. Kris is possessed by the player and figured out that they could make a fountain from Queen and related to Spamton freaking out about freedom. They then decided to make a fountain going by the logic that "this would tick the player off." This is one of my top theories that assumes that the SOUL is theirs.
And 2. Kris is possessed by both the player and the knight. I think the formless voice at the very beginning of the game is the knight, and they somehow needed the player to possess someone with DETERMINATION. If so, then why Kris? We know from Queen that Noelle and Susie, and maybe even Berdley also have DETERMINATION. The most plausible thing I can think of is the fact that human souls are stronger than monster ones.
I do think that the popular theory (about the one that suggests that the Dark Word is nothing but a figment of a child's imagination, and the events that occur in said Dark World are simply children playing with toys) has been thoroughly dashed due to Berdley's murder in the genocide route of the second chapter. Unless he's not dead. Regardless, how the events (or lack thereof) that occur in the second chapter play through the next will be interesting, especially considering Toby's announcement about how there will be one ending to the game. So either Berdley isn't dead, or he will be.
Aaaand I think that's it! Sorry for the long post; let me know your thoughts and if I missed anything!
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itsthestutterforme · 2 years
Text
Ancestral Plane (Geralt x Witcher!reader)
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Summary: Once the demon leaves Ciri's body, it enters yours and none of the witchers have the heart to kill you all over again. Yennefer helps Geralt seek Y/N soul.
Notes: reader is Black, GIF is not mine, all mistakes are my own, fluff
--
You started to show up in his dreams. Though the seem more like memories than actual dreams. It could be something as simple as you smiling at him and it would make his heart warm.
This time, you're laying down beside him in a meadow. The grass felt like feathers under him and moved with the occasion soft stroke of wind. You wore a brown, silk dress and your natural hair was braided into a cornrose.
Geralt laid on the inner part of his elbow as he took all of you in. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" You ask. "Look what?" "Like if you blink, you think I'll disappear." You say. "Just had a bad dream that you were gone."
"That's all it was. A dream. I'm right here." You reach out and touched his cheek. His eyes fluttered closed at your soft touch. Even your touch feels real. Geralt thinks to himself. "That's because I am real." "How did you.." you shush him and straddle his waist.
You held his face in your hands and pressed a warm kiss to his lips. Tears pricked his eyes and he deepens the kiss as his hands found your waist. You pull away a little to wrap your arms around his neck. "I love you," he says, pulling you closer if that was even possible.
You wiped away his tears. "I love you too," "Geralt?" He jolts awake in a cold sweat. Vesemir stands above him with a frown tugging on his lips. "How long have you been down here?" He asks. Geralt looks around to see that he was still in the moritorium with your dead body on the tray.
"I'm not sure," Geralt states, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "I had to make sure you didn't cut into her." He adds. "We agreed that none of us would. She deserves a proper funeral. She was a good soldier." Vesemir states, glancing over his shoulder at you.
You fought with the rest of the Witchers against the creatures Ciri set free when she was possessed. A creature went after Geralt from behind and you jumped in between. You stabbed the creature straight through the heart but not before it impaled you with it's tail.
"She was," "I'm truly sorry, son." Geralt stands and said, "I'll bury her." "Alone? I don't think that's the best idea," he sits back down and chewed at his bottom lip anxiously. "I see her everywhere. I've never experienced anything like this before."
"She was the love of your life. It's going to hurt like hell the first couple months." "Then I'll get over it?" Geralt asks. "No, then the pain becomes barable. You'll never truly get over it. She was your first." The squeak of rats caught their attention and Geralt killed the rat with a dagger.
"We best bury her now before more rats come."
**
"What vessel do you think the demon took?" Jaskier asked. "No idea." "Tassisa should be able to help us figure that out." Yennefer explains. They all take two horses to the temple. It would take them three days to get there.
Meanwhile the demon possessed your body. It didn't have much to choose from, considering that its vessels have to be strong enough to hold such an ancient spirit. Those made from elven blood are the only ones capable.
Besides, the demon saw how broken everyone was when you died. Which only ensures that they couldn't hurt you if they wanted to. They cared for you too much.
You ripped through the fabric your body was wrapped in and dug your way to the surface, desperate from fresh air. You take as much air in as possible once you're free and pull yourself completely from the ground.
The demon scowls once it sees the gash in your solar plexus and repeated a healing incantation to close of up. "Well this is going to be interesting," the demon says.
**
The demon followed the others to the temple, making sure that Ciri never left it's sight. It waited until nearly everyone was asleep before opening another portal for more creatures to escape from. The power only grew from Geralt's pain and countless other mages whose dreams for crushed.
Geralt's heard sank when he saw you pull down you cloak hood. "Impossible. I buried you." He says. "She seems like the perfect vessel. Powerful. Of elven blood. And she tugs of your heart strings like a guitar." Geralt's jaw clenched.
"You let her go, now." He threatens. "Or what? Hm? You're going to kill me. I'd love to see you try." You approached him and exposed your neck to him. "Go on, kill me then." You add. Instead he reaches out and touches your face. "Y/N, listen to me."
"She's gone and she's happy." "I don't believe you." The demon uses her power to send him flying across the room.
**
"What do you mean she doesn't want to come back?" Geralt says when Yennefer comes back from the ancestral plane to talk to you. "The demon was right. Y/N told me that she was happy where she was." "Is she under her spell?" "No, she's not under anyone's spell. She wants to ascend."
"No, she can't do that.. let me talk to her." "Geralt," "I'm the only one who remotely has a chance to keep her from ascending and getting her spirit back in her body." "I love her. Please." he adds when he notices her resistance. "I can only buy you an hour tops."
"That's all I need," he sits in the circle of salt and herbs with candles lining the circle. Yennefer joins him and placed her hands on his shoulder as he says an incantation.
Geralt opens his eyes when he hears your grunts. He followed the sound to a person carved out of wood and secured by a platform from above.
You practiced your sword techniques when you saw something move in the corner of your eye. Your lips parted when you saw Geralt.
Shaking your head no, you take a step back. "I told Yennefer I didn't want to see you- I couldn't." Geralt slowly approaches you without saying a word.
"I have no other purpose out there besides hunting creatures for coin. And I've been doing it for nearly a hundred years. No one will ever accept me for me- not besides you and the others. But I want more for myself than that." He still doesn't say anything and you grew angry.
You closed the gap between you and grabbed at his shirt. "What the hell is wrong with you? Say something. Yell. Grunt. Anything!" You snap. Your breathing grew deep and he reached out to touch your face. The way he looks at you sends chills down your spine.
You looked away from his gaze and stared down at your Witcher's coin he had around his neck. Your cheeks burned under his touch and you took the coin into your hand. Smoothing your thumb over the grooves, you smiled at it.
He lifted your chin so you were looking straight up into his eyes. "Say something," you repeat. He slammed his lips onto yours, his tongue massaging yours.
You hummed against him and stepped closer to him as your fingers found his hair. "Whatever you choose. I will love you either way." He says when he pulls away from your lips.
Your eyes dart from side to side in confusion. Dying was out of your control. You have a chance to come back and you refused. You said you didn't want to see him, and he still came to find you. Only to tell you that he'll love you even if you leave him.
He caresses the apple of your cheek with the pad of his thumb. "You're making it really hard to argue with you." "That's the point," you met his gaze and you both smile at each other.
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fandom-puff · 4 years
Text
Mating
Pairing: Remus Lupin X Reader
Requested by: anon
Summary: you’ve done a good enough job of covering up your attraction to your new colleague... that is until the moon cycle heightens his senses...
AN: I’m getting there with these requests! I’ve been going through them at my own pace- sorry if I’ve rejected your request though- id rather not write it if I don’t have the inspiration to do so 💖💖💖
Also I went to TOWN on this one, so feedback is greatly appreciated !!
Gif creds to owner as usual x
Warnings: rough, possessive sex, swearing, breeding kink , werewolf tricks (scents, mating, knotting)
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Drawing your robe tighter around yourself, silently cursing Severus for putting people in detention. You had agreed to take over his patrols for the night, when in reality, you wanted nothing more than to go to bed. Sighing, you held your lit wand out in front of you, walking up the corridor, occasionally nodding at a passing ghost, telling Peeves to bugger off, greeting snoozing portraits...
The silence of the dark corridors allowed you to mull over your thoughts, figure out some lesson plans, what you would get people for christmas the next time you visited Hogsmeade, but as usual, your train of thought wandered, soon landing on a particular Professor. Smiling dumbly to yourself, you pictures him in your mind, from his grey-flecked hair to his shabby, patched robes; his kind, tired eyes to his light stubble and moustache; his trim chest to his long, elegant fingers...
Shuddering slightly, you tugged your lip between your teeth. What that man could do with his fingers, you mused, remembering at dinner earlier that evening, watching as he wrapped his hands around his goblet- you came to the conclusion that those fingers would look much better wrapped around your throat...
You were so lost in your thoughts that you bumped headlong into the object of your desires. How did you know it was him? Was it his gentle hands grasping your arms to stop you falling backwards? Was it the gentle words he uttered asking if you were okay? No. It was his scent, of all things, which lingered on his comfy knitted jumper- tea and books and... the forbidden forest... you couldn’t help but inhale a few gulps before mumbling your apology, making to move past him. Those hands grabbed your arm again, stopping you dead in your tracks.
“Why not walk with me, YN? Your patrol won’t be as lonely,” he said kindly, smiling down at you. You could see a slight glint of his white teeth in the wandlight as you nodded. Together and in relative silence, you strolled the corridors, occasionally murmuring to one another- yes the weather had been a bit rubbish lately, that book is excellent, no I didn’t know it’s the full moon in three days...
You knew about remus’s condition, as everyone on the staff did. Why was he bringing it up? Did he think you were scared? Did he think you would run away once it clicked? You didn’t care that he was a werewolf, of course you didn’t. If anything, it often made you wonder what he was like in bed before the Full moon. He seemed tired all the time, but you had read about mating- would mild-mannered Remus Lupin evolve into a primal beast? Would he dig his nails into your skin as he got carried away? Would he fuck you from behind like an animal? Did he have a deep-rooted urge to fill you with his seed and watch you swell with his pups...?
“YN? You aren’t listening to a word I’m saying, are you?” Remus’s voice shook you from your depraved thoughts.
“Hmm?” You asked, letting out a shaky breath. Your knees were wobbly and you could feel heat and wetness pooling in your knickers. You would most certainly be fucking yourself tonight thinking of him.
“I said we’re at my rooms. You’re very welcome to come in for a cup of tea if you like? Might have something stronger in a cupboard somewhere for a nightcap,” he said, smirking slightly. Were your eyes deceiving you or did he just lick his lips?
“I... Er... yes please?” You said, nibbling your lip. Your midnight masturbation would have to wait tonight it seemed. You took a seat on one of Lupin’s armchairs as he pottered about the kitchenette, fixing tea for you both. He soon carried it over and sat opposite you as you sipped at your drinks, once again silent. Remus inhaled deeply through his nose and leg out a soft sigh, before fixing you with a stare, his eyes flashing amber- or was that just the firelight playing tricks?
“God, I wish I was a legilimens,” he hummed. You frowned, cocking up your eye brow and setting your teacup down.
“Why’s that?” You asked, leaning forward, your lips slightly parted.
“Because I’d be able to figure out what’s got you so aroused,” he murmured. You gulped, biting your lip hard as you stared at one another before your lips were smashed together in a messy, desperate kiss. Your teeth clashed and you were both grabbing handfuls of the other’s hair as Remus pulled you into his lap, moaning lowly. “I guess that answers that question,” he grunted as you tipped your head back and sighed.
“H-how did you know?” You gasped as his teeth scraped right over your pulse point.
“Your eyes glaze over when you daydream,” he grinned, nibbling your earlobe. “And do you want to know a lesser-known fact about werewolves?” You nodded eagerly, your nails scraping over his scalp. “Around and on the full moon, our senses peak. Touch, hearing, sight, taste... smell... I could smell your arousal before we were even on the same corridor, YN... now tell me... was that all for me?”
You shuddered as his growl vibrates through your throat. “Yes!” You whimpered, trying to grind on him, but there were too many layers between you both and you whined out dejectedly. “A-all for you, Remus, f-for ages now!” Remus grunted and licked at the blood vessel at the side of your neck, you pulse throbbing against his tongue.
“I know, darling. Moony knows...” you sighed softly, eyes rolling back as you felt gentle hands on your waist, stilling your movements. “If we carry on, YN... Moony will take over. He will claim you as his mate, eternally. If that is what you want, I am more than happy to oblige, but if you are even a shred unsure, please leave my chambers. We can discuss this after the moon when it is safe-”
You pressed a tender kiss to his lips, pulling away and resting your forehead against his. “I want this. I’ve wanted this for ages... please, remus, I’m yours. I’ve felt... drawn to you since we met. It makes sense,”
He smiled weakly. “You understand what you are getting yourself into, this close to the moon? Our first coupling together will not be tender. Passionate, most certainly, but by no means gentle,” you could feel his hands trembling from the effort of keeping control.
“I’m yours, remus,” you whispered, bringing one of his hands down to cup your soaked, clothed heat, biting your lip hard. “I want this. Please, remus, mate with me,”
It was as if something snapped inside him. Without the aid of your hand, he pressed his hand into your heat, feeling how slick you were even through your knickers, attacking your neck with feverish kisses as you rutted against his hand, the heel of his palm mashing into your clit in the most deliciously searing way. Reluctantly, remus pulled his hand away, kissing away your whimpers of protest as he carried you to his bedroom, flinging you down on the bed and hovering over you, his thumb and forefinger tracing the hem of your shirt. “Take it off, remus,” you begged, and he was all too happy to oblige, soon stripping you to your underwear. Gulping, he looked you in the eye as he trailed one finger up your navel, grinning as you shivered and arched your back. “Need to feel you, Remus, please!” You pleaded. Normally, remus would be unwilling to undress fully, ashamed of his scars, but this close to the Moon, he had only one thing on his mind. Almost comically quickly, he tugged his jumper, shirt and trousers off, kicking them aside, practically pouncing on you to kiss you again. You pouted at not being quite able to see his erection straining at his boxers, but were quickly consoled when you felt it pressing hard against your thighs.
“Remus!” You moaned, trailing your hands up his strong back, your fingertips dancing over the silvery ridges of his scars, clutching onto him as though your life depended on it. You could feel the heat radiating off him, hear his pulse quickening just like your own, hear him panting above you. You were so close to him, yet so far, your underwear providing an unbearably wide wall between you both as you longed to feel him against your most sensitive parts. As if reading your mind, remus briefly pulled away and with a flick of his wand, you were both completely bare. Mouth ajar, you eyed up his cock, feeling your cunt clench around nothing at just the thought of accommodating his throbbing length and girth. Sensing your worry, remus nuzzled his face into your neck and kissed your pulse point gently. “I won’t hurt you, darling,” he whispered. “Nor will Moony,” nodding, you spread your legs. Remus groaned as he inhaled, already getting drunk off the scent of your soaked nether region. “Another time, my dear, I am going to drink from your cunt until you can’t come any more,”
You shivered and nodded, biting your lip. “That had best be a promise,” you moaned out, pushing his hair out of his face, breathy gasps and moans escaping you as you felt the bulbous head of his cock tapping against your throbbing clit. “Please, remus,” you begged, your legs moving instinctively to wrap around him.
Your begging was all he needed. He pushed his thick cock into you, stretching you out, grasping your hips to stop your wiggling as he revelled in the soaking heat of your clenching channel, soon moving his hands to grasp your thighs and hold them further apart. “I am going to mate with you, yn,” he growled. “I am going to claim you as mine, and I will be yours. I will fill you with my seed until your swollen with my pups. And when I come, you will feel my cock swell inside you to make sure my seed takes root,”
The filth spewing from his lips had your head reeling, and you bucked your hips up eagerly, begging him to do all of those things as he began fucking you relentlessly, the sounds of skin slapping and the wet noises of your coupling filling the small room as you gripped onto eachother. Remus’s lips found yours and you moaned loudly into his mouth as his tongue collided with yours before he sucked on it gently, sending jolts of pleasure sizzling through your every nerve. You had never felt more alive, more full, more worshiped than you did in that moment, your nails dug into remus’s arms as his thrusting became sloppy as he neared his end. “P-please don’t stop, Remus! Don’t pull out, please! Need to feel you fill me up properly!” You cried, your head resting on his shoulder. Remus grunted and nodded, his hips snapping hard against yours as he neared his peak.
“Bite my neck, YN, love!” He grunted. “Mark me as your mate while I do the same to- Ah! Fuck! Good girl!” You sunk your teeth into his pulse point, sucking harshly. Instinctively, you knew just where to bite, and you gently licked over the wound, moaning lowly as you felt the base of his cock begin to swell as he stilled inside you, the first spurt of cum painting your walls as his groaned out lowly. He basked in his orgasm for a brief moment, before leaning down to suck and bite your neck the same way you had.
You screamed.
The bite to your neck caused a white-hot surge of pleasure to rip through you as you felt your trembling body come undone, your stretched walls clenching tight around Remus’s swollen cock, milking every last drop out of him as you panted, tears streaming down your cheeks as you sobbed from the overwhelming pleasure and the rush of hormones your mating had caused.
Cooing gently, remus lowered you carefully onto your side, facing him, his cock still swollen inside you for the time being. The slight movement had you whimpering and Reaching up to kiss him messily. “I love you,” you moaned, hiding your face in his neck as your body relaxed.
Remus smiled gently and kissed your head and face over and over, pushing your hair out of your eyes. “I’m sorry it was so intense, darling. It’s not always like that, I promise,” he whispered.
“N-no... I loved that. The connection, both emotional and... physical,” you reached up and stroked the tender bite at your throat, shuddering as it twinged. “I am yours,” you murmured, reaching to kiss him gently.
“And I am yours,” he responded, stroking your hair. “My beautiful, beautiful mate, I love you,”
Soon, his cock softened enough to slip out of you, and you groaned softly, already very achey from your coupling. Remus smiled apologetically and spelled away the remnants of your pleasure, tugging the covers up around you. Instinctively, you massaged your lower belly, although you knew it was unlikely that he had knocked you up so soon, especially as you were on wizarding contraceptives. You frowned slightly, a sad twinge rattling your innermost instincts. Remus laughed gently.
“Soon, sweetheart. Soon you will swell with my pups. Just not quite yet,” he said gently, knowing that your mating would have unlocked something deep rooted in your instincts, something rather maternal. You pouted a little but nodded, curling into his side. He was right. There would be plenty of time for breeding later. Before then, you and your mate had some catching up to do before the full moon...
Tags: @a-hopeless-fan @lotsoffandomrecs @justanotherwildstar @rai-strangebr @zodiyack @haphazardhufflepuff @dumbfuckinslytherin @severuslovebot @darkthought15 @rabeccablake @sambucky8 @eleven-times-lively @talksoprettyjjx @extra-trash77 @rangerelik @dracosbbygorl
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animeyanderelover · 3 years
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💕Can I request all the senjus,orochimaru,shisui and itachi with a s/o who managed to make themselves immortal with out consequences and they did it without experimenting but they can make other people immortal but people keep trying to kidnap them for it,also they don’t age anymore?💕
This is what pretty much Orochimaru’s dream is.
Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, possessiveness, obsessiveness, delusions, kidnapping, manipulation, clinginess
Immortal s/o
Hashirama Senju
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🌳He is quite the more supporting and encouraging person. But in this situation even he finds himself a bit unsure how to feel. Your jutsu is quite amazing and something marvelous, but Hashirama is someone who wants to spend his whole life with his darling and die later on when both of them are grey and old together, that is his dream. But with you who stopped aging long ago and will never die, this is something impossible. The clan has definitely a huge interest in you, even though they are aware that your ability will end up being terrifying if it goes into the wrong hands which is why the Leaf guards you very observingly, not wanting to risk that a rival village gets their hands on you. If their strongest shinobi would be made immortal, that would end in a catastrophe. Hashirama himself makes sure that even in his own village no one plans on abusing your powers.
🌳I do not think that Hashirama would force you to either make him immortal nor to somehow tell you that you should try to stop your powers and start aging again. Not like he won't try to convince you to eventually consider finding a way to stop being immortal and instead settle down and live with him. Given the fact that are immortal, you might lived longer than he did and for that have knowledge he and his clan do not possess which is why you're treated from the Senju and the whole village really respectfully, if they need advice they will go and ask you. Hashirama can also only do this much and so he grows more clingy since he knows that he will die whilst you will live. And so he wants to be able to have a place in your heart for all the time to come and alongside with his brother and future generations, he trusts you to protect the Leaf Village once he dies. Even if his darling is immortal, he still wants to marry them since he is traditional.
Tobirama Senju
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🌊Despite him being the harsher and much more intimidating and blackmailing guy from all the Senju, he has a rather simple dream as well. He wants to marry his darling and live with them together and one day die. And his dream is messed up with all of this as well and he is quite irritated by the knowledge that you made yourself immortal. On the one hand Tobirama is eager to invent new jutsu himself so from that perspective this is beyond fascinating, a wish many people before him had and tried to work on. But in a way this is honestly way too mocking for him as well because even if his darling might have to endure harsher lessons with him, they might honestly have the relieving thought that he will die one day anyways and then they're free. It is angering because it is true and depending on how old they are, they might nag him because of his behavior and he won't be able to say much against it since he knows they have more experience than him in life.
🌊This might be an advantage you have against him next to the whole being immortal thing. He will start being more respectful once he finds out how old you really are. He literally can not help it and that is why he sometimes, under the risk of his pride, asks you for some advice. He doesn't really want to be immortal either, even though he is more curious about it than his brother is. But what he has to do is always guaranteeing that you are under high protection because he know what terrible things your powers can do when being wrongly used. He might actually try to create a jutsu similar to yours because in a way you have been inspiring him. He also will end up marrying his darling. For starters he is a pretty traditional guy so marriage has a high meaning for him as well. Additionally he is not willing to let you that easily get away with your long life, he is possessive. He just kind of wants to set a mark on you for as long as you're part of the Leaf.
Orochimaru
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🐍You have literally achieved what he has been trying to complete his whole life time without even having to experiment on anything and it is thrilling for him. No wonder he is after you as soon as he has heard the rumors, being in his way fervent about it and his obsession starts before he has even met you in person. And oh, he will hunt his darling down, no matter where he has to go and who he has to kill. He wants that jutsu and that talent who created it and no one will stop him. Not going to lie, at the beginning he is a bit salty, mostly because he feels like he has been beaten since you didn't even have to use anyone, you just had pure skill. But whilst he might have lost this, he still can owe the person who had the skills and intelligence and since he will totally force you to teach him that power and make him immortal as well, you might be stuck with him forever if you do so. And the bad part here is that if you don't, he will have no problems torturing you or using you as his next vessel.
🐍You're immortal, so it's not like you will die and he takes advantage of that if you refuse to lend him a hand. If you do help him, he will show his gratitude in a rather odd way, but it's better than his sadstic side. He simply keeps you, that much has to be said already. He can't effort to lose a talent like you, the experience not even to mention. His darling becomes his very special treasure who helped him earning immortality and in return he offers them a place to stay and protection. He knows that everyone wants to have that sort of abilities and he gets rid of all of them all to gladly, he won't let anyone dare to take his special underling away from him. He just always has you tagging along with him. Sasuke gets kind of interested as well since you are indeed powerful and you might as well get close to him since he is together with Kabuto and Orochimaru the only person you will see for a long time. Depending on how long you are already alive, Orochimaru also wants to know pretty much all jutsu and other knowledge you might have.
Tsunade Senju
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🐌She looks quite young for her age which comes from the fact that she uses a jutsu that makes her appear young, but she is just like everyone else. She ages and is bound to die one day. And Tsunade handles this maybe a bit worse than some others do. You gotta understand, she just thought that she finally found the one person she can manage to live together with the rest of her life only to discover that they will continue living forever. And to know that she might be only one of many to come and that she might be forgotten one day is truly not very pretty, it makes her a bit more desperate. At first she was probably scared that you used to do the same things Orochimaru did to reach your goal so she was definitely more at ease when hearing that you succeeded without having to go with such drastic methods. For that reason she refuses to let her old teammate find out about you, knowing that he will be after you if he hears that you're in the Leaf which would only give him more reasons to attack.
🐌Tsuna might find herself tempted by the thought to be made immortal from you and live for all eternity together with you, simply because she is possessive as well and wants to be finally happy with the person she loves after all her beloved people dying on her. She's not completely sure, she knows that being immortal can be as much of a curse as it can be a blessing. The the council from Konoha is quite possessive as well, knowing how valuable you are and so they might want to use your powers for more selfish reasons from time to time. This leads to arguments between Tsunade and them because she is often against such decisions, seeing that they plan on making use of you. But one thing they do agree on is keeping you save from all other forces who want you in their grip. Funnily you might be a part of the eldest yourself if you lived long enough which gives Tsunade an advantage since you are on her side and not that narrow-viewed like the other eldest are.
Shisui Uchiha
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🍂At this point in his timeline his darling might as well be already part of the village or at the very least known everywhere in the hidden villages for their special jutsu which is why everyone is on some sort of hunt for them. Shisui himself honestly probably never really saw himself falling for someone who constantly dominates the spotlight like you do, maybe also because he thought, despite the fact that you look young, the age difference would make him view you more as a admirable sensei because being able to make yourself and others immortal without having to do experiments on humans needs skill and wisdom. Shisui also just knows that even if you like him as well, this is a completely impossible love since not only might the superiors forbid it, but he does not desire to be made immortal. He already knows that everyone dies sooner or later and given his job being ready to die is a must since he is constantly exposed to danger.
🍂It would only break your heart in the end which is why he kind of feels like it might be best if he stays silent about his feelings at first. He just focuses on protecting you from potential enemies who plan on kidnapping you and tries to be someone who can leighten your mood up a bit since he sympathizes that life for you must be quite tricky. If he does confesses to you because he feels like you really like him as well or you tell him you like him first, he might hesitate and voice his doubts, but can be more easily manipulated since he loves you. Shisui kind of knows that he might not be the last since he doesn't want to be made immortal and you might find after his death a new person you love. And he accepts that, he doesn't want his darling to be alone only because they can't die. But he can make sure that he leaves some sort of impression on you so you will remember him. He wants at the very least a special place in your heart.
Itachi Uchiha
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🍡He did not kidnap his darling so he could have their jutsu for himself, he definitely didn't. He did it because he lost control over his emotions and given the fact that you are constantly being chased by other power-hungry persons, he got triggered too much because he knows that some will hurt you to get what they want since you can not die. And afterwards Itachi just has to be really careful so that no one will find out because you are no ordinary person. You are famous and a living legend for your achievement and it'll cause a huge motion if he is being sighted with you because everyone will know afterwards, including the Akatsuki and he can expect that Pain will definitely want you to be a part of his organization since you not only have a very gifted ability, but might also possess knowledge and forgotten jutsu from long time ago. And Itachi doesn't want to force you to live the same life as him, even if you can't be killed on such missions.
🍡Itachi knows that he doesn't have long to live anyways and he already accepted that fact, he has his plans in mind for this. So he knows he won't be there for too long to protect you from all the greedy and selfish people which is why he might plan on making Sasuke look after you once he dies and he tells you about this as well, even though he knows you can handle yourself very well on your own as well. He respects people who are older than him and for that reason he might be far more respectful to the s/o than he would be already and he isn't embarrassed about it. Similar to Shisui he also knows that after his death his darling might find someone else and he won't be angry with them for it. They shouldn't spend their whole life grieving over him since he wants them to be happy. The only person he might ever tell willingly about his darling is Kisame since he is next to his younger brother the only person he really trusts with his darling.
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chasingpj · 3 years
Text
𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞
“Don’t be snarky with me, little girl.”
pairing: percy jackson x child of hecate!reader
words: 12,757
warnings: same old brujeria, mentions of potential death, uh, I think that's it
timeline: post sea of monsters
if you want to be tagged every time I update this story, click here
a/n: hi hi! this chapter was way overdue! I decided to just post it now because if i continue to edit this, you guys won't get it until the weekend. i hope you guys like it and that the length makes up for the month-long hiatus!
Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight Part Nine
A sharp gasp leaves your lips as you jolt up into a seated position. Your eyes scan your surroundings as they adjust to the darkness. Echoes of water dripping in the distance fill in the stillness of the giant cavern ahead of you. You notice the high ceilings and the wall behind you, giving you the only option but to go forward. Gravel digs into your palms as you move to stand, stumbling as your weak legs find the strength to hold you up.
"What? How-?"
"Hello.” A gravelly voice calls with the appearance of a tall, thin figure near the many curved entrances around you. Your pulse thumps loud in your ears, your senses heightening with your adrenaline. What was in front of you vaguely reminded you of Jack Skellington, a black suit and all but with features that attempted to appear human but are uncanny. Its face is long and slim with wide beady bulging eyes. A smile, where the ends of its mouth hike up too high on its cheek, is plastered, quite literally across its face. As its head tilts to the side with a creaky motion, you don’t notice your mouth hanging open, unable to find the words.
This could be no one else but Insammon. Perhaps, his description in the spellbook was empty because he was too creepy to draw, or you consider that no one made it out alive to be able to.
“Why, don’t look so surprised.”
You tense up at the sound of its voice, vaguely masculine, but its gruffness leaves no room for warmth, sends a spike of chills up your spine, and you force yourself to look away from him.
“I just wanted to talk. Perhaps, we can strike a deal.”
You furrow your eyebrows, a deal? A pit in your stomach forms, having a bad feeling about this. Whatever this deal was, you were well aware that you won’t have much say in it. You open your mouth to ask what he wanted, but you’re interrupted.
“You’re probably wondering what I want from you.” The wicked, wide grin remains on his face as if it was stuck while he begins to pace back and forth from the ends of the entrance. “I will be straightforward with you since I’m quite eager to get what I want. Would you like to know what that is?”
You gawk, too distracted at the clunky way he walks to say anything. With a slow nod of your head, he halts, arms crossed over his chest, and he stands taller than before. “I want you to make me a vessel.” Your face scrunches in confusion; your mind too overwhelmed at the situation at hand. “Like a ship?” You ask, that being the first thing that came to mind. Why the hades does he need a ship?
“No, you imbecile!” He hisses, and you jump, his loud voice bouncing off the stone walls and through the empty hallways. “A body! A suit to host my spirit. I’m sick of hiding in the shadows,” he scoffs, shaking his head as his eyes look miles away. “It’s boring.” The sudden softening of his tone took you aback. Was this demon pouting? You didn’t think you’d ever see that. “Boring?” You ask cautiously, his wide grin flipped into a long frown. “Yes, boring! It makes my attack strategy so… limited!” He scoffs and rolls his eyes, which looked more like googly eyes, one eye turning in the opposite direction of the other. “I want slow-burn torture. I want to be perceived as a human, gaining the trust of you naive creatures before I attack,” he sighs, with a dreamy expression on his face.
You shake your head, his suggestion absurd. “I’m not making you a body. I-I’ve never done that before.” “Oh, but you can,” he says confidently, and he steps closer in your direction, your legs instinctively stepping back to maintain the distance. “And you will.” He declares, his eyebrow bone raising, seemingly amused at your retreat.
“You see, you and your siblings weakened me for days after casting that pathetic protection spell. And then you put those awful little sigils all over the place. I couldn’t get in anywhere! I had to stay in that forest and recollect my powers,” he proclaims like a damsel in distress. “You’re more than powerful enough to make me that body, and if you refuse, I will simply take over yours.” “But-” “Though I do prefer more of a masculine appearance,” he sighs, eyes returning to bore into yours. “I could take over your brother’s body, that is, if he survives my presence.” “What do you mean if he survives?” You ask, your heart sinking to your chest. The last thing you wanted was Atticus in trouble. If he were in this situation, you’d be freaking out for sure. You were much too protective of him, and though this situation sucks, you’d rather it be you than him. “If he survives like you are right now,” he clarifies, his eyes looking you up and down with suspicion. “It’s quite impressive. I didn’t expect your fragile human body to be able to host me, but I figured it was worth a shot if I can get what I want.” The crease between your eyebrows deepens as he continues to speak. You consider that you could have easily died if he had overtaken you, but why hadn’t you? You shake your head, pushing the thoughts to the back of your mind. You had more things to worry about right now.
“For something you deem as fragile, you seem quite determined to receive it,” you say through a clenched jaw, trying to remain unphased as he leans forward, his upper body extending like taffy. He halts once his face is inches away from yours, giving you no choice but to look into his bulging eyes as they study you.
He was trying to scare you so that the emotion could fuel his strength. You didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of scaring you, maintain your emotionless face but the pounding pulse from your neck gave you away.
“Don’t be snarky with me, little girl. Agree to make me a vessel, or I stay in yours. I’m willing to give up a masculine appearance if I can keep your sturdy body.” You take a deep breath, your eyes faltering away from his face as you turn to look to the side. From this close, you notice his ghastly pale skin is like leather pulled tight over the structure of his features and how his grin reveals an empty mouth. “I-” you open your mouth, but you close it. You didn’t want to give in, but what choice did you have? To overpower something like this on your own would be impossible. Besides, it’ll be even more work for Lou and Atticus. You knew if he officially took over your body, you may not survive the process of them casting him out.
Anyway, it was just a body…
You wipe your fidgeting hands on your shorts, your thoughts jumping around, trying to find a way out of this. One-half of you didn’t want to agree. How could you aid an entity like this to allow him to wreak more havoc on his victims? And then another part of you figured it wouldn’t matter to you because if you give in, he’ll leave the camp. “It’s just a body,” Insammon whispers, fueling one side of the argument. He circles you, a bitter cold nipping at your skin as he remains close. Your arms wrap around your frame, and you swallow hard. “Fine,” you utter through a clenched jaw.
“Good choice-” “BUT,” you shout, your posture straightening as you find the courage to face him. If he wants it so bad, perhaps, you could get more out of this deal than him not possessing you. “Only on the promise that you will leave camp and never bother me, my family, or any half-blood ever again.”
A chuckle leaves his lips, standing up tall as if he was mimicking you. “Whatever,” he waves his hand as he begins to pace in front of you. “After I’m human, my pool of people to torture will broaden. I’ll take your silly terms.” “Swear on the River Styx.” “Oh. I guess you’re not as dense as I thought you were. The little girl knows how to make a deal,” he mocks, throwing his head back as he lets out a laugh, the sound so fabricated to sound human to the point where it sounded robotic.
“Swear on it.” Your fist clenches on your side, annoyed at his mocking. “You have to swear to make my body first.” “I have more to lose if I don’t make you the body, so you should go first,” you remark.
The way he lowers his glare and how his eyes manically brighten told you that he was well aware of the dilemma he has put you in. “Fair enough.” He clears his throat. “I swear on the River Styx that I will leave you, your family, and any half-blood at this camp,” he whines obnoxiously in an attempt to mimic your voice, his hands thrown upon his side dramatically. “if you make me my body,” he adds quickly in his normal tone. “Your turn.”
You weren’t sure where the exit to the outside was, but you were still able to hear a roaring of thunder, binding him to his words officially. You swallow hard, a bunch of worries filling your head. You’ve never sworn on the River Styx before. What if you weren’t powerful enough to do the spell? Will you be punished for your lack of ability to fulfill the promise?
Insammon waits for you to speak your promise, his hands making a motion as if to hurry up.
“I swear on the River Styx that I will make you a body,” you mutter, cringing as the thunder rolls again. Now, failing to keep your promise is not an option for you anymore. You may be motivated by false confidence, but you decide that you can and will do the spell. You have to. Faintly, the distant chanting of Atticus and Lou Ellen rings in your head, and you groan, simultaneously crouching forward as Insammon growls.
“That stupid spell,” he snarls, his long fingers rolling into a fist. You blink erratically, your vision suddenly going blurry and your head becoming too heavy on your shoulder. As he approaches you slowly, you whimper, dropping to your hands and knees as the world feels like it's spinning
“When I leave your body, you stop them. Do you understand? If you don’t, I will repossess you,” he articulates carefully, and you can only lift your head just enough to see the fronts of his dress shoes.
The ringing drowned out his voice in your ears, and you felt nauseous as the pressure in your head felt like someone was squeezing your skull.
“DO YOU UNDERSTAND?” You whine, startled at the booming of his voice that sounds over the ringing in your ears with ease. “Yes,” you whisper, your arms giving out on you, and you lay on your back, eyes straight up at the blurry cave ceiling before Insammon hovers over you. The haze of your surroundings turns white, casting a halo around his face and he gives you one last empty mouthed grin. “Good. Now brace yourself, little girl. This is going to hurt.” A cackle leaves his lips before the white overtakes his face, and the ringing in your ears grows incredibly loud.
☆’.・.・:★:・.・.’☆
Percy watches Atticus and Lou Ellen draw a pentagram in the middle of the cabin with salt. Their movements are hasty, words sparse as they eagerly prepare the spell to get this thing out of you. He bites on the skin of his bottom lip; the longer you remain unconscious, the tenser he and your siblings become. Percy had asked if he could help with anything, but Lou and Atticus shook their heads and insisted that he remained at your side, which didn’t make him feel partially useful. But he complied, considering it was best to stay out of the way, and though they didn’t ask him to, his shaky fingers rested gently on the side of your wrist, making sure that your pulse continued to thump against his fingertips.
A grumble from Ambrose catches his attention, and he finds himself looking back at your face. You hadn’t moved at all in the last hour or so, and you started to pale; your shallow breaths and faint pulse are the only sign of life you gave off.
“Okay, we’re ready,” Atticus gulps as he holds a spellbook open in his hand. Lou Ellen exchanges a look with Atticus, the two nodding at each other before she looks over at Percy,
“You should probably stand with us. I don’t know what its choice of departure will be.”
Percy furrowed his eyebrows, unsure what that meant, but he figured he’d find out regardless. He nods, focusing on your pulse one last time. Though shallow, your pulse remained steady. He was no doctor, but he considered that a good sign. After establishing that you were still alive, he stands up, stepping over your body and walking over to Lou and Atticus, who quickly move to stand in front of him.
“Ready?” Atticus croaks with a shaky voice, his eyes glancing over the words of the spell as Lou Ellen stands tall and nods, “Ready.”
It was quiet for a moment, Percy shifting on his feet as Atticus raised one finger at a time until he reached his third. After a deep breath, they chanted, “Exorcizamus te, immundus spiritus, malignus potestas, incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica…”
As they got through the first stanza of the spell, Percy could hear the gradual loss of confidence in both Lou Ellen and Atticus’s voices. He could tell from the way her violet aura and Atticus’s blue one had flickered as it shrunk into their bodies.
He wasn’t sure how an actual exorcism worked, but if it was like the movies, he was bracing himself for some floating, a scary voice that isn’t yours to come from your mouth, and some thrashing. But none of that happened as your siblings recited the spell further; you just remained still.
Dread fills Percy’s core, and he frowns, “Come on, y/n,” he mutters to himself, eyes searching for some movement before he found it.
Your eyes flung open, wide and alert, and with a sharp gasp, your back arched as the black vapor escaped from where it had penetrated you in the chest like a thick control stream of smoke. Percy winces as a strained cry of agony leaves your lips, your eyes watering as they’re fixed right at the ceiling.
Atticus’s voice becomes strained, hand flying up to clutch his chest as his heart feels like it’s being wrung out like a towel. The pain is so intense that he can’t even imagine how much you feel, but he persists, keeping his focus on the spell.
Soon, the vapor finally leaves your body, forming the familiar figure in the corner of the room.
You sob, the burning in the chest so potent that your vision still blurred white. You turn to your side, barely able to lift your head from Ambrose's body, let alone your body.
“Stop,” you command weakly, your tears dripping on the floor as you attempt to lift your upper body. The chanting of Atticus and Lou drowns out your voice, the two more focused on casting Insammon away.
Your eyes meet Percy’s as he peers over Lou Ellen’s shoulder to look at you. He couldn’t hear what came out of your mouth, but he could tell you needed to stay something. “Guys,” he calls softly, afraid to interrupt them as the look on your face grows more panicked. He wasn’t sure if they had heard him, but if they did, they didn’t pay any mind.
You needed to get them to stop, Insammon growling even louder, and you try not to sob at the idea of doing this possession thing again. Your pulse thumped erratically in your ears, and you let out a weak breath, gathering the last bit of energy you had left. “STOP!”
Your voice bellowed louder than you had expected, effectively silencing your siblings. You had to blink a few times before you were able to stop seeing six instead of three.
“What do you mean stop?” Atticus snaps, eyebrows furrowed in confusion along with Lou. Your eyes flicker to Insammon standing in the corner of the room before returning to your siblings and Percy. “We…” your shaky arm manages to pull yourself up despite the world still fuzzy around you. “we’ve made a deal,” you croak, moving to stand up from the floor a little too fast.
As you stumble onto your feet, still pale and disoriented, Percy rushes over and grabs your arm, catching you before you tipped over. You groan as you lean your side against him, your eyes closing in hopes that when you open them, everything will be back to normal. “What?” Lou Ellen asks, quickly pulling the chair away from Percy’s desk and placing it behind your knees before you plop down into it. “What deal?” Atticus urges, refusing to sit even though his legs felt weak. You take a second to compose yourself, trying to figure out how you can explain it to them without sounding insane. Just by looking at Lou Ellen’s eager expression, you were expecting her to protest.
“He took my subconscious somewhere, and we spoke…” you say cautiously, focusing on your fiddling hands. “And?”
“He said he’d leave us alone on the agreement that I…” your voice falters, “on the agreement that I build him a body.” “WHAT?” You jump as Atticus and Lou Ellen shout at the same time. “Are you insane?” You just might be.
You snap your gaze, eyes switching between Lou and Atticus. “I had no choice! If I disagreed, he was just going to stay in mine, and… and you know what the chances of surviving an exorcism are,” you point out. Lou Ellen and Atticus freeze, their faces darkening as they run the situation at hand through their heads. Insammon hisses in the corner as if he was laughing, and you roll your eyes, glaring at him, “I’m glad you find this funny.”
“We’ve never made a body before, Y/n and… how are we going to hide that?!” Atticus points over to the amused shadow in the corner, and you frown, noticing his messy hair from running his fingers through it so much as he looks at you with wide eyes, filled with concern. “He’ll lay low in the meantime. He can’t get into any of the cabins because of the sigils. We’ll cleanse Perce’s cabin and put up the sigils on his door, so he’ll have nowhere to go but the forest,” you explain. A knot formed in your throat, neither of them looking convinced.
“In Alabaster’s black magic book, there’s a spell to make a body out of wax…” you turn around, grabbing the book from the desk. Your fingers hastily flip through your pages before landing on the instructions of the spell. You lift it, opening it wide in their direction so that they can see it for themselves. “With all of our powers together, we can do it.” Lou Ellen furrows her eyebrows, her eyes scanning over the Latin quickly. You were sure you had her convinced before she pulls away, tsking softly. “We need a body of water to host it.”
You bite your lip, turning the book to read it for yourself. “We…” your voice falters. Schist. You didn’t think that far. Where are you even going to host the body? It's not like you can grow it in the lake.
After some silence, you grow nervous under the expectant stares of your siblings, your leg bouncing as you rack your mind for possibilities. Maybe you could host it in a tub in the forest. No, that would take too long, and not only would you need the help of a Hephaestus camper, but a monster might also destroy it, or even worse, the nymphs might see it. Too many people involved. In the showers? No. Obviously not.
“The bathtub in the big house,” Percy blurts out, and you snap your gaze over to him. “That… that could work,” your face brightens, feeling a little relieved. Your excitement falters as you glance at Lou Ellen and Atticus’s knitted eyebrows and frowns. Even a groan comes from Ambrose, making you feel even more discouraged. Even your familiar is having doubts. Great.
“That could not work! It’s right in the big house! One person uses that bathroom, and we’re dead!” Lou argues, and you throw your head back and groan. You didn’t think it would be this complicated. “No one uses the bathroom upstairs,” Percy mentions, and you shift, perking up again. At least Percy seemed to be on your side. “Exactly! Everyone only uses the bathroom downstairs. Chiron doesn’t sleep in the big house, and he’s definitely not using the bathroom there, and Mr. D doesn’t use the bathroom at all. He’s a god!” “It’s in plain sight,” Atticus emphasizes, and your shoulders hunch forward, looking for a solution.
“Lou can use the mist,” you propose after some time, half expecting another argument, but as Lou Ellen halts with a half-opened mouth, you know you’ve succeeded. She shifts on her feet, looking down at the floor. “You’ve been practicing, right?” You ask though you already know the answer. She’s been reading about the mist and practicing since the beginning of the summer. Alabaster was teaching her how to hide items, starting small and gradually building her way up. The other day, as a prank to cheer you up, she hid all of Connor’s shoes, sending him into a frantic search for his shoes all morning. It was hilarious watching Connor accusing all of his siblings of taking his sneakers, resulting in them bickering back and forth about how they didn’t have his shoes. All this arguing and almost tearing half of the cabin apart looking for his shoes, just for Lou Ellen to make them reappear as if they were never tampered with. “Yeah, I mean, I can try?” Lou looks down at her feet, her tone unconfident, but you nod, having fate that she’d be able to do it. “Great!” You hop up on your feet, a little too fast for your weakened state. Atticus gives you a disapproving look, holding your arm to keep you standing. You look around at their nervous faces, but you don’t let that discourage you.
Behind Atticus, you notice the yellow hue of the sunrise beginning to seep through Percy’s blue curtains. “Lou, you have to sneak back into the cabin before anyone wakes up. Atticus and I will cleanse Percy’s cabin and put sigils on the doors. We’ll make sure he-” you point over at the expecting figure in the corner, listening attentively to your conversation. “goes into the forest. At breakfast, we’ll tell Chiron we succeeded. We can sneak into the big house after lunch. After doing the spell, Lou Ellen will use the mist to hide the body, and… everything should go smoothly,” you declare, chin high with confidence.
You give them a wide smile, satisfied even if Percy is the only one to return the smile, though it was hesitant and weak. Lou and Atticus exchange a look before Lou scoffs and shakes her head, “This is insane,” she grumbles, and you refrain from frowning. You don’t say anything, helping them gather their materials before Lou Ellen leaves. As you cleanse the cabin while Atticus carves the sigils on the doorframe outside, you look over at Percy sweeping up the salt from the floor. Your eyes unexpectedly meet his as he averts his gaze from the floor, and he frowns, “You really think everything is gonna work out?” He asks the question genuinely. He didn’t know all the ins and outs of what you had to do, and he decides that your opinion is worth more than everything he’s learned from just observing. You bite the inside of your cheek. Things should go as planned. At this point, you weren’t even worried if you three were powerful enough to cast a spell that will hold. It was getting caught that you were the most nervous about.
“Yeah, I think everything will be fine,” you smile softly, concealing the anxiety that’s festering in your core.
☆’.・.・:★:・.・.’☆
The bathroom floor tile is cool under your bare thighs, contrasting the wax that is almost too warm in your hands as you carefully sculpt the figure. The upstairs bathroom of the big house is tidy and untouched, though a little dusty, which proved Percy’s claim of the bathroom being vacant.
“Broad shoulders and tall, he demanded of me,” you roll your eyes, making Atticus and Lou snicker under their breaths.
“Is he serious?” Lou asks as she kneels next to the bathtub, throwing the necessary herbs for the spell into the water. “Yeah, completely serious. He has a list of preferences, as you can see,” you point at the piece of paper laid in front of you filled with the features that he desired to have. “Tall, broad, and blonde,” you recite. “Is Johnny Bravo his inspiration?” Atticus jokes, and you giggle, shaking your head. “I don’t know, but I might make his body proportions the same," you play along, making the two of them laugh as you continue to form his legs.
“Did he ask for a…” Atticus trails off, and you look up, knowing what he had hesitated to say, and you cringe, “Ew. He didn’t, but even if he did, I’m not sculpting that.” The sounds of Lou Ellen and Atticus’ laughter make you crack a smile. It was nice that you guys can joke, easily looking past the mutual anxiety you guys held for the situation. “So he’s going to be flat like a barbie?” Lou sits on the edge of the bath, and you press your lips together and nod, “Yup.”
Atticus snorts, shaking his head as he lays out the spell books in front of you, and you pull away from the wax sculpture you’ve been working on for almost an hour now. You nod, eyes scanning to make sure you didn’t leave out the essentials. Eyes, mouth, ears, and nose? Check. Eyebrows? Check. Two arms and legs and 20 fingers in total? Check. You furrow your eyebrows and hum, “Should I give him… nipples? A belly button?” “Might as well if you aren’t giving him a, you know,” Atticus says as he flips through the book in front of him, and you giggle as Lou cringes. “Might as well,” you agree, grabbing more wax and your sculpting tools to do the last finishing touches. You sigh, your eyes scanning over it one last time before deciding you were satisfied with it, and you hope he’ll be satisfied too. You agreed to make him a body; you never said it would be a perfect one. “Okay, let’s get this thing started. The game could end any minute now."
You get up on your feet, looking over at the window on your left. You peeked through the blinds, double-checking that the camp courtyard was still empty to confirm that everyone was still in the forest playing capture the flag.
You were worried that you wouldn't be excused from the game since you've had a lot of passes this summer, but all it took was a short complaint about being tired from staying up all night and over-exhausting your powers, and you were excused. It wasn’t a complete lie, though. You were still queasy from Insammon leaving your body, and Atticus was still recovering from feeling it as well. Lou Ellen just escaped from the game to join you guys. The Hermes cabin was playing on the same side as the Ares cabin, so it’s not like she was given an important role anyway. They wouldn’t even notice she had left.
You pull away from the window, walking over to the tub, and gently placing the wax figure in the water. The three of you grab each other’s hands, exchanging looks before chanting the spell.
I invoke the power of the elements
I beg, accept our sediment
Air, Fire, Water, Earth
Bring us a great storm of mirth
Our origins; the pillars of vitality
Conjure a suit of mortality
Gift me a figure as alive as the land and sea
So mote it be
Your auras mingle around your intertwined hands, yours and Atticus’s making a cyan color as yours forms a dark brown with Lou Ellen’s. Closing your eyes, the three of you set your intentions on the spell as you chant it in unison three times. You feel that familiar tug in your gut as you channel your energy while repeating it one last time. You open your eyes the same time as Lou and Atticus, and the three of you gawk at the murky crimson of the water that was once clear. “Its blood,” you shift, letting go of their hands. “... at least we know it worked?” Atticus nods slowly, too enthralled at the water to look away. “I think it caught well,” Lou says, rubbing her sweaty palms on her jean shorts. “Everything should thicken and come together in a week, right?”
You nod, “It said it could be earlier if the spell caught on well. We might get lucky and get this over with by the weekend.” You sigh softly, hoping that you guys will get lucky this time. The burden of this promise was starting to weigh heavy on your shoulders.
The shouting of victory from campers as they return to their cabins catches your attention, and you curse under your breath. “Let’s clean up, hide this thing with the mist and go before we get caught,” you instruct, already reaching to collect your materials.
☆’.・.・:★:・.・.’☆
“Do you think we should stay?”
Your eyes flutter open, your hand coming up to shield them from the bright sun hovering overhead. A sigh leaves your lips, turning your head toward Atticus, who’s laid beside you on the sand, and you notice his hopeful expression begins to falter. Last summer, he had mentioned staying all year round, but the both of you had decided otherwise.
“After everything that’s happened this summer. I just want to go home,” you admit, and Atticus frowns, considering your point. This summer was way too eventful for you, and you had found yourself missing your neighborhood and the comfort of your home and your father. The communal showers and sleeping arrangements were things you couldn’t see yourself deal with any longer than you had to.
“Yeah…” Atticus sighs, and you scan his face, feeling the disappointment radiating off of him. You mimic his sad facial expression, reaching over to push his hair out of his eyes. As much as Atticus wants to stay all year round, he wouldn’t stay if you weren’t with him. “Don’t you miss dad? You know how he’ll feel if we stayed all year,” you point out. In the many letters and care packages your father had sent you too, it was clear that he was counting down the days of your return. Without you guys, the house was empty, just him and whatever activity he chose to occupy himself with. “I do miss him! It’s just- I really don’t want to go back to school,” he groans dramatically, and you laugh, nudging the other’s shoulder. “Yeah, because our father, the professor with two Ph.D. 's, is going to let you drop out of school.” Your tone is sarcastic, and you scoff. “You’re right. There’s no point in staying. He would be bang on the borders to get us,” Atticus grunts. “He’s probably bored out of his mind. What do you think he's doing right now?" You shift on your side to face your brother, Atticus smiling as he does the same. His eyes falter to the side as he thinks about the question. After a while, he shrugs,
"Probably, reading?" You laugh, assuming the same thing before Atticus has said so. "Maybe writing another textbook? I don't know. He must be bored out of his mind."
"He for sure is. That's kinda what happens when two 13-year-olds are your only friends," you joke, and Atticus shake his head,
“Dude, Dad needs a girlfriend. He shouldn’t have to depend on us as his main source of entertainment.” A giggle bubbles in your chest, and you agree.
Your father’s life has revolved around you guys and his work for so long. He had a few fellow scholars that he went to dinner with once and a while, and he went to conventions for his specialty often, but that was the extent of his social life. You didn’t think much of it until you noticed your grandmother constantly bickering with him about finding a wife and getting married. Sometimes you wonder if he got lonely.
"We should pray to Aphrodite about that," you suggest, and Atticus gives you a wide grin.
"Good idea. We can make some offerings for her when we get home.” You nod, already devising a plan for it in your head. You don’t get to dwell on it as Atticus speaks again. “Do you think the last time he dated was when he was with mom?"
"Probably. He was in love with her.” Your smile turns sad at the reminder of your mother. She’s so fondly spoken of by your father, and it made you want to meet her even more. Their time was short, about five months, but your father had a lot of stories about her. "It's been 13 years, though; I think it's time to move on."
"Yeah…” Atticus says sadly, and you furrow your eyebrows in concern. “I would like dad to find someone. Sometimes, I-I get worried."
"Why?"
"Because what if something bad happens to us? What would he do?" Your heart sinks in your chest at his question. The possibility of you living long enough to make it past being a teenager was low, and you were well aware of that. But you refrained from thinking about what would happen to your father. You couldn’t imagine the grief he’d go through. A few times, you’ve thought about the reversed situation, and you couldn’t conceptualize how you would be able to handle that much pain.
"I don't know,” you whisper, your brother's expression filled with sorrow. “But I'm sure he's thought about it.”
When you were younger, you didn’t quite understand why your father was always so anxious. You remember the panic in his voice when you wandered to play with the neighbor’s dog down the street instead of being in the front yard where he could see you. Or the time you lost Atticus for a few seconds at the giant Toys R Us in Times Square, only to find him gawking at the massive wall of action figures at the end of the aisle.
“You guys are my gifts.” That’s what he always says with a fond smile. “And when you have a gift so precious like the two of you, you want to protect it.” You could practically feel your father’s fingers patting the top of your head affectionately and the kiss he’d press on you and Atticus’s forehead when he would tuck you guys in bed as young children.
Sometimes you wished you could go back in time and be six again. When the only thing you knew was your father's tender adoration for you and Atticus and none of this goldy parent stuff.
"It's okay, though,” you chime in as you let the memory escape you. “Everything is fine right now, so let's not worry about that, alright?" You give Atticus a soft smile, hoping to lift the mood. Atticus nods, but his expression is still sad.
“Anyways…” You clear your throat, wanting to change the topic. It wasn’t worth dwelling on the future when things were okay now. Well, kind of okay, if you excuse the promise with a demon thing and the betrayal of your siblings. You shake your head as if it would shake those thoughts away too.
“Who are you asking to the party this weekend?”
Atticus sighs, quiet for a moment as if he was debating what to say. "I want to ask Annabeth, but she's probably going to say no.”
You jerk your head back, not expecting him to want to ask her. They barely talked, at least from what you’ve seen. "Annabeth? You like her?"
"... I didn't say I like her. I just said I wanted to ask her to the party,” Atticus stammers a bit, and you squint your eyes. Now it was time for you to call him out using the advantage of feeling his emotions.
"Well, you're asking her because you like her, right?"
"Wrong," Atticus says bluntly, and you press your lips together, amused that he was trying to deny it. Even without feeling his emotions, you were sure you would be able to tell. His crush didn’t surprise you that much.
"Atticus, there's no point in hiding how you feel about her. She's so your type," you turn on your back, feeling Atticus stare at the side of your face.
"As if you know my type," he scoffs and moves to sit up, leaning back on his hands.
"I do."
"Oh, really? what is it?"
"Hermoine Granger," you answer, looking up to see his reaction. You couldn’t see his reaction as he looked out at the lake.
"What?"
"I remember very clearly you saying that if you ever met a girl or guy like Hermoine Granger, you'd want to marry them.” You move to sit up beside him, noticing how his face remains expressionless.
“You cannot tell me, Annabeth isn't exactly like her, besides the magic and the British accent.” The silence that falls between the two of you makes you smile, knowing that you left him without words.
"It doesn't matter! Either way, she's gonna say no," he says, suddenly defensive, and you laugh at his frown.
"You could try?"
"No point. I asked my pendulum if she'd go with me, and it said no. I don't need to be Apollo to know that she's definitely going to reject me," he grumbles, and you sigh, shifting as you fold your legs to cross them.
"Well… we can just hang out together?" You offer, upset that Atticus had felt discouraged. You hadn't thought about the party. It didn’t occur to you that anyone would ask you to go with them either, so you had planned just to drop by and leave early.
Atticus side-eyes you, “just because I'm not asking Annabeth doesn't mean I'm going alone.” His tone was mocking, and your jaw dropped. You can’t believe you just got rejected by your own brother.
"Wow, okay. I'll just go with Lou Ellen then," you stick your tongue out at him, and Atticus smirks,
"Can't. Cecil asked her this morning."
You slouch at the news, and a grunt leaves your lips. You had planned to go alone anyway, so you shrug. "Well then, I'll just go alone.”
"I'm sure someone will ask you. I mean, you're not ugly," Atticus says, not too convincingly, putting his arms up when you narrow your gaze at him. “Wow, thanks.” “Guys!” You glance over at the direction of the call, Lou Ellen holding her sneakers in her hands as she rushes over to you. “You wanted to check on the body today, right? We should go now. Mr. D is at the strawberry fields with Pollux and Castor, and I saw Chiron in the stables,” She whispers once she’s close enough. Right. You momentarily forgot about your last obstacle.
“Yeah, let’s go.” Your tone filled with dread as you stand up, patting the sand off your legs.
☆’.・.・:★:・.・.’☆
“Gross,” Lou Ellen mutters as you close the door slowly behind you. You scrunch your face at the sight before you. The figure has fully grown, but its flesh and hair were missing in chunks.
“I mean, it’s growing…” you point out, looking off at the blue-tiled wall beside you. “Faster than we thought, too,” Atticus adds, gawking at the tub, and he walks over, grimacing at how the red water turned black and thick. “You know, I thought this wasn’t going to work, but we’re actually pulling this off,” he says proudly, and you giggle,
“Don’t speak too soon.”
It was as if the universe had heard your self-praise and decided to pull a joke on you because the moment you finished your sentence, you almost jump out of your skin as the bathroom door swings open, revealing a familiar blonde. You gasp, the three of you lunging from three different corners of the room and huddle close together to block the view of the tub.
Annabeth’s eyes fix on the three of you, not sure what she just saw in the bathtub before you three jump to stand in front of you.
“Hey,” you greet weakly, waving at her, and Annabeth furrows her eyebrows, a look of suspicion taking over her features.
“What is that?” She asks, leaning to the side to try and look past you. You lean to continue blocking her view, along with Atticus and Lou Ellen beside you.
“Nothing! We were just uh, gonna give Harvey a bath!” Atticus says, the ferret squealing on his shoulder as if he was vouching for him. Annabeth doesn’t look convinced, though, your body language telling her that you three were up to something, and she was determined to find out. She steps forward, forcibly cutting through you and Atticus, and you close your eyes in anticipation as you hear her breath get caught at the back of her throat. “What…” she trails off, not exactly sure what she was looking at. She backs away, her vision shifting from the three of you, and she shakes her head, eyes glazed over in disbelief, “CHIR-”
“SHUSH!” You leap over, covering her mouth, Annabeth’s eyes wide before they cloud over. Before she could strike you, Lou Ellen grabs her arms behind her back, binding her wrists and feet with magic while Atticus flicks his fingers to shut the door and locks it with his telekinesis. “I’m so sorry,” you apologize hastily, your hand effectively muffling her string of curses. “Incantare: Labia Sigillum,” you recite as she flails her body, trying to get out of the binds with no success.
☆’.・.・:★:・.・.’☆
“We just need you to listen, okay?” You ask Annabeth as she sits on the toilet lid, glaring at you with stormy eyes. You hope she calms down after you explain everything to her. You actually liked Annabeth; she showed you around camp when you had arrived and helped you pick out your dagger. The last thing you needed was to get on her bad side. Because if you did, you knew she wouldn’t go easy on you like Percy when it came to sword fighting.
Lou paces behind you, biting on her fingernails, “We’re so dead. She’s going to tell Chiron!” Atticus shakes his head, “No, she won’t. Right?” He asks Annabeth. Her persistent glare doesn't make you feel too confident in his assumption. You did not doubt in your mind that Annabeth would go to Chiron if you didn’t have her hostage in the bathroom right now.
“Look, you remember the demon thing we had to cast out of Percy’s cabin… the demon we told Chiron that’s already gone?”
You wait for a response, but you only receive a rolling of her eyes. You take that as a yes, so you continue, “when we tried to cast it away, it possessed me and made me make a deal with him. The deal is if I make him a body, he’ll leave all of us alone; which explains that.” You point to the half wax, half-human sitting up in the tub
Annabeth hesitantly looks over at it before returning her gaze to you. A series of grunts and groans leave her throat as if she’s trying to tell you something. “If I take the spell off of you, do you promise not to call Chiron?” You ask nervously, and though Annabeth nods, you didn’t quite believe her, but you decide to undo it anyway. Maybe, being the child of the wisdom goddess, she could help you out. Perhaps, give some words of advice. “Incantare: Contrarium,” you say softly, pointing at her lips. Her dark stare remains as her lips return to normal, the three of you still as you wait for her to speak. “All of you are idiots,” she snaps after some silence. So much for wise words.
You shift on your feet, opening your mouth to say something, but she cuts you off, “Are you really going to let that thing out into the world?”
“I mean, it’s going to terrorize people regardless,” you trail off as Annabeth gives you a look, telling you you needed to consider everything you’ve been worried about. Of course, you didn’t want to let him loose with a body that opened new possibilities for him. You bite the inside of your cheek as you come to terms with your moral code that’s been bothering you for a few days now.
“I- I can’t back out now! I swore on the River Styx that I’d give him this body,” you tell Annabeth as she shakes her head, the daughter of Athena pondering for a second.
“What did you swear to exactly?”
“I swore that I’d make the body,” you say, and Annabeth squints at you.
“That’s it?”
“Yes...?” You shift under her gaze, her expression unamused and impatient.
“You didn’t promise not to destroy it,” Atticus chimes in, and Annabeth’s eyes flicker over to him.
“Oh, look. He has a brain.” Annabeth smiles sarcastically, and Atticus nods, smiling wide and proud,
“You bet, Goldilocks. I’m actually pretty smart.” The side of your mouth curls at the interaction between the two, finding it funny as Annabeth’s face drops straight.
“Mhm,” Annabeth hums slowly before returning her gaze to you. “Your brother has your solution. Destroy it.”
“But-” you halt, thinking for a second. You couldn’t destroy it now. He’s still in the borders. If he found out that you ruined his body, he’ll quickly take over your body with or without protection. “We’d have to trick him.”
Lou perks up, “we can let him take over the body when it’s ready. We’ll escort him out of camp, and the moment he walks across the border, we can attack him from the other side.”
You turn around, considering her plan, before nodding. “Yeah, yeah! Though it looks like flesh, in its core, it’s still wax. Together we could form a beam of energy hot enough to melt him.”
“And even though his body will be destroyed, he still has to keep his promise,” Atticus adds.
You exchange looks with Lou and Atticus as you smile widely. Though you still held the burden of hiding the body, you felt lighter. At least you didn’t have to keep the guilt of letting him roam free, disguised as a human.
“Congrats! Now, can you let me go?” Annabeth cuts in, and you turn around. “Oh right, but… you promise not to tell Chiron, right?”
“I won’t tell anyone about this; I promise,” Annabeth says sincerely, and you nod, not seeing any reason to make her swear on the River Styx. You undo the binding spell, Annabeth standing up the moment she was free. She sighs, looking at the three of you one last time before she opens the bathroom door.
“You know, I liked you more than your brother, but now you guys are on the same level,” she narrows her eyes at you, and you frown.
“Sorry," you giggle nervously, catching Atticus’s offended expression,
“Hey!” ☆’.・.・:★:・.・.’☆
You look around, making sure there weren’t any wood nymphs watching you. You had seen them at the farm and in the kitchens making dinner for tonight, but you had to double-check for your peace of mind. Insammon had found a small crevice under Zeus’ fist to hang around in the meantime, and he insisted that while he waited for his body, he needed to be fed. It was like having a pet you didn’t ask for. You just hoped that the wood nymphs don’t take inventory because you’ve been taking whole chickens to Insammon almost every day.
Carefully, you approach the back of the fist, dumping raw chicken out of the plastic supermarket bag right in front of the entrance.
“There,” you grimace before Insammon’s long pale fingers with black nails appear from under the rock and snatch the meat under the stones.
“What’s the status?” He whispers.
“It’s almost done. It’s fully grown, but its flesh hasn’t covered the wax completely. It’s in patches.” The sound of gummy chewing of raw meat suddenly stops before his long face sticks out from under the rocks.
“What do you mean it’s in patches,” he snarls. “You said it would be done in four days!” “I said it might be done in four days, but it’ll most likely take a week,” you emphasize, annoyed at his impatience. “You better not be playing games with me, little girl,” he narrows his eyes at you, and your fist clenches at your side.
“Look, I don’t know what to tell you. Spells like this take time. If I could make this process faster, trust me, I would,” you roll your eyes, looking away for a second. You do a double-take as you catch Connor walking in the distance. You bite your lip, throwing the last bits of raw meat you were carrying, along with the bag at Insammon. He hisses at you as a drumstick bounces off his head, but you disregard his reaction. “Look, I have to go,” you tell him hastily. “I’ll come back tomorrow.”
“Whatever,” Insammon growls, too hungry to argue with you, and he swiftly returns into his little cave to enjoy his lunch. You speed walk away from the rocks, not wanting Insammon to hear if Connor called your name. Once you get a good distance, you stroll through the forest as usual. Just as you expected, Connor notices you, and with a call of your name, he is already jogging in your direction.
“Hey Con,” you smile, shoving your hands in your pockets. You look down at the giant black plastic bags in his hands, and you squint. “You’re sneaking contraband into the camp?” You ask, shaking your head as if you disapproved.
“Hey, don’t look at me like that. May I remind you that some of these things are for you?” He teases, pulling out one of the snacks you paid him to get for you.
“Right, I forgot about that," you admit, and Connor chuckles as you take the bag of chips from his hands and open them up.
"You know, I was gonna go look for you," he says, and you tilt your head a little to the side as you munch on the chips in your mouth.
"I'm not pulling another prank with you." You didn't take Connor admitting to looking for you as a good thing. The last thing you wanted was to be a part of his schemes.
Connor laughs, and you’re still wary as he nudges you playfully. "That's not why I was going to look for you.” You squint at him, not too convinced, but as his expression left no traces of his usually mischievous grin, you consider that it was the truth. "I was looking for you because I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go to that party with me on Friday."
You freeze, surprised at his question. You didn't think you'd get asked, especially not from Connor, and you weren't exactly sure what this meant. Connor notices your confusion, and he clears his throat, feeling shy all of a sudden.
"As friends!" He suddenly adds, his hand rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I was going to ask someone else, but she had a date already, and Atticus mentioned you didn't have a date yet. So I thought I'd ask you…”
You nod slowly, feeling a little relieved that he had cleared that up. Connor was like a brother to you; you couldn’t see him any other way.
“But I don't want you to feel like a second choice!” He explains hastily, taking your lack of expression as if he offended you. “And you know, I don't see you like that, and we’re just friends. You're not my type… BUT that's not because you're not pretty. You're really pretty, and I'm surprised no one has asked you yet-"
"Connor, I'll go with you," you agree, amused at his rambling. You giggle at his wide eyes as he processes what you said for a moment. He huffs out shakily, cracking a smile at how nervous he suddenly was around you.
“Oh, great!” He perks up, and you reach over, pushing at his shoulder lightly.
"I know you weren't flirting, but if you got that nervous asking me to a party, you must be wreck around a girl you actually like," you tease, watching Connor’s mouth drop open at your assumption.
He scoffs, "I'm very good at flirting, but thanks for your concern.”
"If you say so," you say sarcastically, and you laugh as he jumps at the opportunity to defend himself.
☆’.・.・:★:・.・.’☆
You switch the sweaty solo cup from one hand to another, sitting on the stone steps of the amphitheater. Social events like these are fun, but after a while, you become drained and eventually need some time to regroup. Ambrose’s head rests on your knee, snorting as you scratch the back of his ear.
“Hm, should we take a walk?” You ask your familiar, placing the solo cup of soda beside you, and you stand up. His wagging tail told you that he didn’t mind a walk right now, so you begin making your way to the exit. Before you leave, you look over and find Connor laughing with his brothers, teasing Travis, who’s talking to Katie Gardner.
Con mentioned that Travis had a little crush on Katie, and you can imagine that he was talking to her now under the persuasion of Connor, of course. You giggle, watching the boys laugh for a moment before turning around and walking with Ambrose.
“Should we go to the docks?” You ask Ambrose, thinking perhaps you could hang out there before you decided to call it a night. The hound beside you barks, and you take that as yes as you change your direction to the water.
Your mind wanders off to what Atticus would say if he saw you ditch the party to sit on the docks. He’d probably tell you that you’re boring.
“Would you really rather stare at water than dance or talk to people?” You could hear his voice asking. To answer that question, yeah, sometimes you would prefer to stare at water than be at a party. Though, it wasn’t like you were miserable. For the first few hours, you were hanging amongst your friends, and you danced with Connor and a few other people, but you eventually went off to sit by yourself as Connor got swept up in the festivities.
When you arrive at the water, you take off your shoes, letting your feet sink in the sand. A cool breeze hits your skin, and you smile, closing your eyes as you take a moment to enjoy it.
You had thought you were alone until you walked along the sand, looking up at seeing Percy sitting at the edge of the dock, eyes fixed at the sky. Your eyes may have lingered at the sight for too long, admiring the way the moonlight illuminates off of Percy’s skin. His lips move as if he was talking to someone, and you assume that he’s praying. You didn’t intend to get his attention, deciding you’d probably sit on the sand for a little before calling it a night. That is until Ambrose barks and rushes over to Percy.
You were just as startled as he was, smiling nervously as his gaze snaps over. As Ambrose’s tail wags erratically, you shake your head amused. Though Ambrose was hostile to Percy at first, it didn’t take long for him to warm up to him, especially after staying over in his cabin. If Ambrose could touch him, he’d probably be all over him, especially as he jumps up only for his paws to go right through Percy’s body.
“Hey, buddy,” you hear Percy say as you walk over, his eyes meeting yours once you step on the dock.
“Fancy seeing you here,” you say playfully, and Percy smiles,
“I’m starting to think you’re following me,” he jokes. Amongst your first meeting, you’ve had a couple of other run-ins with him at night on the docks. There were always coincidences. But you did find yourself hoping that you would see him there on the nights you decided to hang out there.
You giggle and shake your head, sitting beside him at the end of the dock. “You’ve caught me,” you say sarcastically, making a soft chuckle come from Percy. Leaning back on your hands, you look out at the crescent moon in the sky.
“Sorry if Ambrose interrupted anything. He was excited to see you, obviously,” you giggle as Ambrose breathes heavily, his head in between your bodies as he looks at Percy with cheerful eyes.
“It’s okay.” Percy laughs at Ambrose, finding him to be cute after looking past him resembling a baby bear at times. His eyes scan over Ambrose’s features, and he hums, “I wish I could touch him, though.”
“I mean, I could make that happen,” you mention, and Percy perks up with interest. “I just need something from your body to offer it to his soul.”
“Like a shirt?”
“More like blood or hair,” you clarify, Percy’s expression flashing with shock, which sends your chest bubbling with laughter.
“Really?” He gawks at you, not sure if you were joking or not.
“Yeah, it’s a commitment, so you should probably think about it. You shouldn’t give your blood or hair to just anyone, especially not a witch,” you joke, and he scrunches his face.
“You’re scaring me,” he says with a slight smile on his face. “Will you hex me? Make a voodoo doll?”
“Only if you give me a good enough reason to. But in the meantime, I’d just put it on Ambrose’s little altar. After I do, he’ll be able to touch you like a normal dog. It's your choice.”
“I’ll think about it, but I think petting Ambrose would be worth it.” Percy nods, watching Ambrose as the hound lays his head on your shoulder.
“The slobber is a bonus. You’d be crazy to give it up.”
Percy’s eyes glint at your sarcasm. “You’re right. You might get a piece of my hair soon, firefly.”
You smile, head tilting a little to the left as you take notice of the nickname he had given you.
“Firefly?”
“Yeah, when you do magic, you glow. It’s cool,” Percy nudges you, and you scoff. “What? Do you not like it? Are you jealous that it’s more creative than water boy,” he teases.
Your jaw drops open, eyes bright as he insults your nickname for him. His nickname was better than yours, but you couldn’t admit that out loud. “Please, I could come up with a better nickname for you if I wanted to.”
“Oh really? Then what would it be?” He challenges. You’re still for a second as you try to think of another nickname for him. Percy’s amused stare is hard to ignore, his smile so bright you swore it glowed in the moonlight. The longer you’re silent, you press your lips, refusing to give in to how contagious his smile is.
“Puddles,” you blurt out, surprised when Percy bursts into laughter.
“Where did that even come from?” He chokes out, and you shift, suddenly feeling defensive.
“Anything that has to do with water seems like an appropriate nickname for you- why are you laughing?!” Percy’s face turns pink as his laughter echoes into the distance, and you couldn’t help but join him.
“No-nothing! It was just the last thing I’d expect you to say. I thought you were going to say something like Aquaman or Captain Saltwater.” The side of your lip curls into a smirk, and you shrug,
“I mean, I could call you Captain Saltwater.”
“Call me that, and I’ll call you the necromancer,” Percy threatens playfully, and you scrunch your nose, shaking your head at the nickname.
“Fair enough, puddles,” you say, trying not to focus on the butterflies in your stomach as he nods,
“Good choice, firefly.”
“I’m glad that you’re spending time flirting with your boyfriend instead of making my body,” a voice cuts in, and you gasp, turning around and seeing Insammon standing at the beginning of the pier.
“Woah,” Percy mutters, the hair on his arms sticking up as his mind can hardly process Insammon’s exaggerated human features. Ambrose growls, his body alert, and you quickly stand up, Percy doing the same. You move in front of him, annoyed that Insammon would dare to show himself out in the open like this.
“I told you already. Spells like this take time-”
“That was two days ago. I’m bored!” He complains, his bulging eyes roll, and your fist clenches, eyes averting to make sure no one else is around. To your relief, you three were alone.
“Too bad! I need at least another day or two!”
“Two?” Insammon asks with a chuckle, but it wasn’t from amusement. His legs clank as he begins to approach you, Ambrose’s growl grows louder and more threatening. “Listen, little girl.” His tone deepens as he narrows his gaze at you. “I am not a force to be reckoned with. I want that body now or else. Should I remind you what’s at stake?” He asks, not waiting for your answer as black vapor begins to swallow him whole. You feel goosebumps rise on your skin as he surrounds his body and shrinks into a ball as it did the night you tried to cast him away.
“Protego rotundus!” You shout, everything going in slow motion as Insammon contracts in a ball of vapor and shoots himself toward you. A sinking feeling fills your gut, worrying that you had cast the spell too late but the white translucent dome forms around you and Percy fast, deflecting Insammon as it sends him flying backward. The cloud of vapor crashes back where he stood before dispersing and revealing Insammon’s true form again.
A feral snarl leaves his mouth, his eyes bulging so much out of his head that you half expected it to pop out and roll on the floor. You gulp as a shrill laugh come from his lips,
“So quick-witted. I must admit I admire it, but I’m still impatient,” Insammon growls.
“I already told you! It’s not finished!” You argue, holding the dome for as long as you could.
“Fine! Then I’ll need to quench my boredom. Should I perhaps attack one of your friends in the Amphitheater? Most of them don’t have those fancy domes,” he points out before turning around, eyes looking in the direction of the Amphitheater. “... what do you think?”
“You can’t!”
“I can’t?”
“No, you’ll break your promise,” you say, and he furrowed his eyebrows,
“I said I would leave everyone you know alone on the agreement that I get a body from you,” he explains with a clenched jaw.
“No, it was on the agreement that I make a body for you. I’ve already started making it so you’ll be pushing the terms,” you protest, and he squints at you, thinking for a second.
“It’s not completely made yet.”
“It wasn’t specified that you’d keep your promise after it was completely made. But sure, would you like to challenge the terms? You’ll probably only get thrown into Tartarus for a few thousand years.” You cross your arms over your chest. “Who knows? I may have saved you by casting this spell.”
Insammon scoffs, shifting uncomfortably as he considers your point. “Tomorrow. That’s the longest I’m willing to wait.”
“Fine. If you want to walk amongst the mortals with half a face, then who am I to argue?” You watch as his face clouds wickedly, and he points a finger at you.
“You’re pushing it, little girl,” he warns as the vapor takes over his body again, and he disappears right before your eyes.
The white dome retracts, your eyes scanning the area to see if he had left for real. “You know…” You cut through the silence that fell after his departure. “Maybe the necromancer is a good nickname for me,” you comment, looking over at a pale Percy.
“Yeah,” he chuckles nervously, still shaken from what he had seen. “Seems like they like you.”
☆’.・.・:★:・.・.’☆
“I don’t like it.”
“What do you mean, you don’t like it?!” You shout, Insammon standing in front of the tub with his arms crossed and his face contorts into a pout.
“Dude, it has everything you asked for,” Atticus argues, pointing at the body in the tub.
“I just don’t like it!”
“Well, too bad! Get into it and get out. We don’t have time for this,” Lou Ellen whispers, opening the bathroom door and peeking into the hallway to see if the lights of the big house were still turned off. The three of you cut dinner to take Insammon to the big house while everyone was in the dining pavilion. You had hoped you could get back before anyone noticed you were gone.
“I’ll trap you again to make sure I get a new one,” Insammon proclaims, pointing a finger at you.
You roll your eyes, picking up the clothes you stole from Mr. D’s room off of the counter. “We’ll wait for you outside of the door. Rinse yourself off and put this on.”
“THIS?”
You and Atticus exchange a look before you shove the outfit into Insammon’s chest. “Yes, this!” Insammon makes a sound close to a gag as he holds the outfit away from him as if it were toxic.
“A Hawaiian shirt and… KHAKIS? I’m offended that you dare demand that I put this on!”
“Well, you can change into better clothes when you’re out of here.” You give him a fake smile before grabbing Atticus’s hand. “So hurry up,” you urge before the three of you funnel out of the bathroom and close the door behind you.
Lou Ellen paces in front of the bathroom, and you bite your lip, furrowing your eyebrows at how silent it became in the bathroom. For the past 10 minutes, you heard an array of noises; the water from the shower, some bumps, and bangs as Insammon clumsily washes himself off and figures out how to put his clothes on. You tap your foot, wondering why he was so quiet, and lift your arm to knock on the door before you hear a loud groan.
“Ugh! I look like an American tourist,” he proclaims dramatically, and you roll your eyes, realizing the reason why he was so quiet was because he was checking himself out in the mirror.
“Who knew demons cared so much about self-image,” Lou Ellen grumbles as finally, after what felt like forever, Insammon opens the door, revealing himself with his new body. You preferred this appearance better than his true form.
“You do look like an American tourist,” Atticus snorts, and both you and Lou Ellen send him a glare, making him put his arms up in defense. “He said it first!”
“Just get me out of here. The faster I leave, the sooner I get better clothes. If you can even call these clothes,” he rolls his eyes and pushes past you.
Atticus slaps his hand over his mouth, and you press your lips together as you watch the other walk. The clanky walking turned into a wide step with knees too bent and feet turned out. A whimper leaves Lou Ellen’s throat as she refrains from laughing, especially as he halts at the stairs.
“How do you walk on such a thing?” He asks, pointing at the stairs, and you exchange looks with your siblings, hoping that teaching him how to get down the stairs isn’t going to take too long.
Long story short, Insammon marked a significant milestone as a human: he took his first fall. As his body plummeted down the stairs after missing a step, you, Atticus, and Lou Ellen lost your breath in silent laughter. The three of you had tears in your eyes as you attempted to conceal your laughter as a groaning Insammon clumsily got back on his feet.
“You regret being a human now?” Atticus comments as he walks down the rest of the stairs, you and Lou Ellen following close behind him.
“Shut up,” Insammon snaps. “Get me out of this glorified daycare. I’m tired of being here.”
You roll your eyes, leaning him out of the back door of the big house and making your way straight into the forest. The commute was uncomfortably quiet, the three of you not wanting to be suspicious. Even though you had discussed your plan before he had arrived, you were still nervous about it.
“So, what are your plans once you get out there?” Atticus asks, attempting to make some small talk, and Insammon hums, contemplating his choices now that he was a human.
“I will find new clothing first,” he declares, still bothered at what he was wearing. “But after that, I will find my next target,” he smiles wickedly.
“Sounds like a good time,” Atticus says, and you make eye contact with the other, immediately sensing his anxiety as it added to your own. He smiles softly, though, silently communicating to you that everything will be fine, and you hesitantly return the smile as you eventually arrive at the camp entrance.
Insammon walks across and turns around, looking at the three of you. You, Lou Ellen, and Atticus make sure to remain within the camp borders just as planned. “Well, this is where we leave you. Just keep walking straight, and you’ll reach the road,” you explain while giving him a fake smile.
“I refuse to thank you for your service since you did a horrible job. I will not miss you, nor do I care about you, so I will simply say, hmm, goodbye,” he proclaims, and you press your lips together, nodding your head, “Uh... okay.”
He gives you a satisfied look before facing the rest of the forest. Your pulse thumped loud in your ears, and you grabbed Lou Ellen and Atticus’s hand. Together, you took a deep breath, your auras seeping out of your bodies and fusing into a giant orb right in front of you. You bite your lip, getting the sphere almost as big as Insammon’s body while the other mindlessly walks into the forest, too busy making sure he doesn’t trip over the tree roots and branches. But as the orb grew and the colors swirled wildly amongst themselves, the light illuminated further and further, catching Insammon’s attention right before it was done. “What is this? What are you-?!” “NOW!” You shout, releasing the tug in your core, and with your will, you send the beam right into Insammon. He fails to lunge out of the way in time, his reflexes slow as he’s still unadjusted to his new body. A scream of agony and anger, mostly anger, cuts through the stillness of the night as the heat of your orb engulfs him, melting right into the wax, and soon he topples over, his screams ceasing as the orb of light fades. It was quiet for a moment; the only sound you could hear was your pulse, and you opened your mouth to say something before Insammon suddenly appeared in his true form. “How dare you, you little brat!” He shouts, stomping right to you. “I will possess you again, not to take over your body but to KILL YOU!” You step back, flinching as Insammon collides with the borders of the camp. He growls in frustration, banging on the wall with his lanky arms, a blue ring forming around every hit.
“You’ll die trying,” you remind him. “But if you’re so keen on going to Tartarus, we could send you there ourselves.” You’re unphased at the strained face of anger that flashed over his features. The bulged eyes, the wide mouth, the way his pale skin has turned a tint of pink.
The adrenaline of your success kicks in as your siblings begin to chant the banishing spell, and you chant with them—Insammon, too eager to get to you, kicks and growls against the borders.
You knew he was too weak to shift into his shadow self. He hadn’t fed off anyone’s fears in a week, and possessing that body and yours took a lot of strength. You couldn’t help but smile as you approached the end of your chant, watching as he began to shrink, using his last bit of energy to bang on the borders and yell threats that he’d never be able to fulfill.
“Bye-bye,” you kneel in front of him, your smile genuine this time.
“Curse you,” he strains as your siblings yell the sentence that ends all of your spells.
“So mote it be,” you join, watching as he disperses into ash with one last scream, and you sigh in satisfaction before standing back up.
It was silent for a moment, and you turned to your siblings with a smile on your face. Atticus stretches out both of his arms, and hands clenched into fists, “Pound it!” He shouts, and you and Lou Ellen giggle, pounding your knuckles into his.
“Now that that’s over, let’s go see if Percy saved us food,” Lou giggles, and you nod,
“Gah, I hope so. I’m starving.” Atticus nods in agreement, and you circle your arms around both of them, pulling them close to your side.
“That was pretty awesome,” Atticus says, the three of you beaming now that that whole ordeal was solved.
“Ha! I know! I told you we’d get this sorted out!” Lou Ellen declares.
“Actually, Y/n said everything would work out. You were the pessimistic one,” Atticus points out, and Lou Ellen scoffs,
“I’m not pessimistic! I’m just cautious!”
“You weren’t very cautious when you almost singed my eyebrow hairs when we were practicing our beams earlier this summer!”
“You were in the way!”
“I was behind you! I couldn’t have been more out of your way!”
You giggle as you listen to the two bickers back and forth. While walking with them side by side back to camp, you find your mind faltering to all of your worries a few weeks ago and your grief towards losing your guides in your magic. As you take in Lou Ellen and Atticus, you realize that your fear of being lost had been foolish. The three of you were more than capable, working as one to cast spells that you’ve never done before with ease. And with the relief of getting rid of Insammon comes the comfort of you accepting that you, Lou, and Atticus will be just fine without your brothers.
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nctsworld · 4 years
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no filters (just you)
✩ johnny x reader | pining | fluff | photographer au | 1.7k 
→ summary: in which you finally steal a peek at your best friend’s camera gallery and are surprised to find countless photos of you throughout it all.   → warnings: some drinking, few swear words, kissing
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→ gif created by me, please don’t repost or share without credit!
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The bustling of the joyous occasion surrounds you. String lights glow under the summer night sky. They encompass the white linen tables topped with delicate flowers and ornaments, alongside all the dressed up people dancing, sitting, laughing, and overall having a great time. 
You’re one of the people sitting at a table, indulging yourself with a glass of champagne in one hand. However, you aren’t alone. Johnny, your best friend, is the photographer for the wedding and was allowed to bring a guest. Not much persuasion was needed when free food and drinks were involved. 
Taking a sip of your drink, you watch your towering friend finish taking a picture of people on the dance floor before he heads straight towards you. His camera sways lightly with his cool walk and when he finally reaches you, he feigns an exhausted sigh and sinks into the chair next to you.
“Man, photography just takes so much out of me,” he shakes his head while loosening his tie. 
“Does it really, though?” you cock an eyebrow, then flash him your signature smile. He reflects your expression, grabs your glass, and takes a sip. Actually, more than a sip, since he finishes all the bubbly without hesitation.
“I thought you don’t drink on the job.” 
Setting the thin vessel down, he shakes his head defensively, “I never said that. I said I don’t get drunk on the job. There’s a difference.” 
You snatch your empty glass back and begin to refill it as Johnny carefully removes the camera strap from his body prior to gently placing the camera on the table. He leaves a hand on it, giving him a sense of security over his prized possession (and because it’s the reason why he’s getting paid tonight). 
Johnny looks back and forth between the floor and the table when he says, “Sorry I couldn’t really be with you tonight.”
In the midst of a sip, you immediately refute his apology. “No, don’t apologize, Johnny. You’re working, and you know I can’t complain.” You gesture towards all the food and drinks. 
“But...” you play with the stem of the glass. “Can I at least see some of the pictures?” 
“No, you cannot,” he quickly answers, shutting you down like he usually does. You pout. 
“You know I couldn’t give two shits if you take pictures of naked girls in your spare time, right?” Sarcasm oozes from your accusation, but anyone walking by and hearing it wouldn’t know otherwise. 
“Oh, my God,” he runs a hand through his hair, shaking his head from your lack of shame. You notice his cheeks start to colour, but you’re unsure if that’s from the drink or embarrassment. 
“Firstly, all the pictures of the naked girls I take are on my other camera,” he begins to count on his fingers, responding against your banter. “And secondly, I’m working on a secret photography project. Once I’m done, then you can see it.” 
“You promise?” you hold your pinky out. 
He chuckles. “I promise.” 
His pinky finger curls around yours, then both of you angle your hand a bit upward to have your thumbs touch. After the promise is sealed, the two of you have some fun on the dance floor until midnight rolls around and guests trickle more and more away. Johnny deals with the last bit of his job before he begins to drive you home. 
You relax into the passenger seat, looking at all the things that pass by in the middle of the night. Johnny’s music softly plays in the background and almost lulls you to sleep until he mentions he has to stop for gas. 
“I’m gonna pick up some snacks. Do you want any?”
A few come to mind, so you list them for him to pick up on your behalf. He smiles, jokingly tells you not to go anywhere, and heads into the gas station’s convenience store as he’s done filling his tank. While you watch him make his way towards the store, a lightbulb goes off in your head. Without thinking, your hand reaches in the back seat of his car and grasps onto his camera; you couldn’t help but jump at the chance to rummage through his camera gallery. 
The camera’s screen glares at you in the darkness of the car. It’s a bit painful, but you persist and smile back at all the people enjoying themselves in the wedding photos. 
Whenever you see Johnny’s shots, they never fail to amaze you. He has the ability to capture a moment in its purest essence. If a picture is worth a thousand words, Johnny’s pictures were worth double.
Suddenly, you notice a photo of yourself sitting at the table, glancing off to one side. You think to yourself that Johnny caught you in such a picture-perfect moment, he probably couldn’t help himself. 
You scroll further through the wedding photos, but realization gradually dawns on you when you notice that there are more photos of you than there should be at an event that wasn’t even your own. 
Hastily, you go to the master gallery page to view several photos at once. The camera almost drops from your hands as your fingers fumble with the back button to view photos that date back from weeks and months ago at mutual friends’ gatherings. 
Earlier in the summer for Taeyong’s birthday, you see glimpses of you in various shots. Laughing, smiling, wincing. You didn’t even know you had such facial expressions. 
There’s shots of your back peering at a sunset, looking off the balcony of Taeil’s new apartment from his housewarming.
Before then, there’s shots of you at a dinner party celebrating Mark’s promotion at work. 
Johnny’s taken so many photos of you without you ever knowing. How did you not realize? 
You hold the camera’s screen close to your body for a second, wondering if you’re simply Johnny’s artistic muse for a mere project or if there is something actually more to all this. 
Did Johnny really see you as more than friends? 
Did he view you the way you silently yearn for him, or did he only like you through a camera lens?
Turning your head, you see Johnny strolling out of the store with snacks in his arms. Faster than the speed of light, you ensure the camera roll is back to the last wedding photo taken and almost throw it against the back seat. You seethe, knowing Johnny would kill you if he knew you did that, but you maintain composure. You pull your phone out, playing cool just in time as he opens the door. 
During the rest of the ride, you try your hardest to pretend nothing’s wrong. Even when silent, Johnny’s known you long enough to know something’s off. He doesn’t say anything until he pulls up in front of your place. When he does, the suited figure turns off the engine, but leaves the music playing still. 
“Hey,” he whispers your name in the night air. It’s tender, but worrisome. Not a common thing you hear from him. “You okay?” 
You lie, barely nodding, and glance down with a slight grip on the snacks he bought you. The crinkle of the bags are a loud intrusion to the background music and silent air. 
“I…” You’re searching for what to say, deciding if you should continue to lie or not. 
“I may have went through your camera.” The truth croaks out of you, and you’re shaking your head because on top of your confusion, you’re feeling waves of guilt from intruding your best friend’s privacy. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have.” 
From your peripheral vision, you catch Johnny’s hand grip a little tighter on the steering wheel, then his grip relaxes and he rubs his thumb delicately against it. 
“Can I just say,” he speaks after a few passing moments that feel like eternity, into the tension still present in the air. “I’m not a stalker or creeper, I swear.” 
A beat passes. 
You cut the thick tension with a small laugh. He follows and begins to laugh along with you.
“Thanks, Captain Obvious,” you sarcastically add and look over at him. 
“Hey, you know I need to cover my grounds. I don’t need my best friend suing my ass.” 
Hearing the term “best friend” lingers and sits with both of you strangely in the air.
“Do you…” you begin to ask the question that may hurt the most, so you elect to ask a less loaded question. “Are you actually doing a photography project using my pictures?” 
He nods with the dim street light shining on him. He’s tired, you can tell, and you feel more guilt for keeping him up any longer than you should. Despite his wariness, Johnny still looks gorgeous, especially with the perfect lighting. Sometimes, he jokes that life is a runway for him, but in this moment, you begin to understand and agree with him. 
“Yeah, it’s a project on something that I consider beautiful,” Johnny glances over to you as the last word rolls off his tongue, and you’re smiling softly at his compliment. “I’m supposed to present it later this week. I was going to figure out a way to break it to you afterwards.” 
Hearing Johnny call you beautiful has your heart fluttering. You just want to jump out of the car, squeal so much that the neighbours would wake up, then you would run into your home and call it a night.
Instead, your body takes control and courage courses through your veins when you reach for the end of his tie. You daintily roll the tip of it between your fingers and let the haunting question free, ready for whatever follows.   
“Do you like me? As more than a friend?” 
You’re suddenly conscious of how hard you’re breathing and your heart flutters become hard knocks against your chest. Johnny’s face is now a few inches away from yours. At this point, you’re unsure if you’re playing with his tie out of nervousness or desiring for something more, or perhaps both. Your eyes attempt to lock with his and you note how he’s breathing just as hard as you are. You don’t think you’ve ever seen Johnny this nervous before. 
“Yeah,” he exhales with a nod. You smell a small hint of the champagne scent against your face from his breath, along with the scent of his faded cologne. Johnny finally manages to match your gaze. “Do you?” 
Without a word, you answer his question by practically yanking his tie closer to you, meeting his lips with yours. 
The night ends with you two kissing breathlessly in the backseat until hues of orange and yellow begin to stain the horizon. 
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Tatiana, Belial, and their plans relating Jesse in the past
I’ve dabbled on this topic a few times but your comment really got me thinking. @delilahssbard
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This turned out long so I’ll put it beneath the line.
Like, ever since CoI I’ve been highkey thinking Tatiana intended for Jesse to be possessed, but the specific phrasing you used reminded me of a part of ChoG and suddenly everything fits even more now.
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- Chain of Gold
Back then, I honestly assumed Belial was talking about preference here, especially since he’s made it clear the reason he could possess James without destroying his body is they share blood, but that’s clearly different in Jesse’s case.
Considering how it’s repeatedly clarified that the anchor was placed on Jesse while he was a baby, that fact is probably significant. If anything, I’d dare say the anchor seems to be a workaround Belial’s destruction not just because he was literally anchored to Jesse’s soul, but by way of tolerance, especially since James also seems to have drawn a similar conclusion.
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- Chain of Iron
There it is. Belial would have the anchor and a body to possess, as Jesse grew older. The anchor was in him since almost day one, and Tatiana clearly knew about the anchor, but what’s to say she wasn’t involved? We know the only one who was reluctant to place the anchor on Jesse’s soul was Gast. At no point is Tatiana mentioned in this until Belial outright says that he owed her a favor.
Jesse is just Nephilim, unlike James and Lucie, so by all accounts, a normal possession by Belial would have destroyed him, but the anchor intervened in such a way that there didn’t seem to be any visible consequences at all to him being possessed repeatedly (unless we subscribe to the theory that Jesse’s ghost started fading faster near the end because of the possession, but as of right now we honestly have no way to be sure about that specific fact).
We know Jesse’s childhood sickness involved fevers, and perhaps weakness, the latter coming from the statements in which he’s specifically referred to as weak. We also now know that the real reason Jesse died was because the rune he was given reacted badly against Belial’s essence inside him. Jesse’s description of his own death is that he collapsed into bed after getting the rune, then woke up feverish and in agony. Honestly, that just sounds like a worse version of his alleged childhood symptoms.
Considering his death was basically the result of a rune’s angelic magic clashing with the demonic essence inside him, it wouldn’t be that much of a stretch to assume his sickness was just his nature as Nephilim having a bad reaction to Belial’s essence, even if he only died because of the rune. I find it frankly impossible to believe that the anchor wasn’t hurting him, because we know under normal circumstances Belial would destroy a body within hours.
And let’s be real, Tatiana knew this. The only question in relation to her is whether she intentionally let him die.
The following are all quotes from A Lightwood Christmas Carol.
“He is very delicate,” said Tatiana. “Nephilim like yourself wish to put Marks on him, because they are intent on killing my boy as they have killed everyone else I love. You sit on the Council, do you not? Then you are his enemy. You may not see him.”
“I would not force Marks on the boy,” protested Gideon. “He’s my nephew. Tatiana, if he is that ill, perhaps he should see the Silent Brothers? One of them is a close friend, and could come to Jesse at our house. And Jesse could know his cousins.”
Before CoI, lines like these could be shrugged off to Tatiana being paranoid about her son being hurt by marks because he’s sickly, but no, we know now that Tatiana is entirely correct.
And it makes perfect sense that she refused to even let the Silent Brothers examine Jesse. No doubt they’d have been able to notice what was wrong with him wasn’t a sickness. Tatiana made a show out of it to exacerbate her own hatred of Nephilim, but she isn’t unaware of things, she just likes to spin them in a way that can be used to blame her enemies for things.
“Father planned alliances for us, when we were children.” Tatiana shrugged. “How ashamed he would be of you. How is your grubby servant?”
Then there’s her attitude, of course. The implication that she thinks it’s perfectly normal to involve children in alliances and plans. We know she didn’t hesitate to have a dark power forced onto Grace, if anything, it’s implied she requested it. We know Tatiana only sees Jesse as something that is hers, not as his own person, so it’s completely within the realm of possibility that she involved him in her own plans for revenge, even if he was just a newborn with no choice in the matter (or perhaps because he had no choice in the matter, considering how badly she reacts to the fact that Jesse *gasp* has a different worldview than her).
“I don’t care!” Tatiana shouted. “My son is of the blood of two of the oldest of the Shadowhunter families. He is not weak like your son. Go back to your weakness, Gideon. Get out of my sight, get out of my house, and do not darken my door again. I have not missed your company, nor your brother’s, and I am relieved that my child will not grow up under the corrupting influence of either of you.” 
Now, this one isn’t so relevant as much as it’s interesting, because while it looks like Tatiana is just flexing and being mean to Gideon, that whole implication that Jesse isn’t weak does compare to how Belial views Nephilim in general.
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- Chain of Gold
Belial had the anchor placed on Jesse alongside his protections as a newborn. Humans never get such protections against possession, and Belial still chose one of the Nephilim as his alternate vessel. He was that plan of his as completely viable.
And much like Tatiana, Belial clearly sees Jesse as a tool, as a method to push his agenda.
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- Chain of Iron
And assuming Tatiana knew of the anchor from the start, that checks out. Belial wanted Jesse as a vessel to get closer to his goal. If he’s never seen him as an end-goal, then he’s always planned for Jesse to be a temporary vessel. Tatiana wants the Nephilim destroyed. Letting Belial possess Jesse probably sounds like a completely reasonable thing to her. It solidifies her alliance with Belial, makes things easier for Belial, and as Belial himself implied, Belial owed Tatiana a favor.
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- Chain of Iron
Seriously, I can say with reasonable confidence that Tatiana knew Belial would use Jesse, perhaps even agreed beforehand to the anchor itself being placed, because to the both of them, Jesse was basically a puppet. (I mean, even the clothes she had him dressed in within his coffin literally scream Belial)
Then of course, what I believe to be the nail in the coffin for Tatiana’s involvement is just what she tells Grace near the end.
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- Chain of Iron
She literally has the audacity to claim Jesse was to blame for his own death and basically defended Belial. You know, Belial, who was possessing and controlling her son. Belial, who placed an anchor in the soul of her newborn son and has basically robbed him of anything resembling a normal life or even afterlife. Tatiana is taking Belial’s side on that without any hesitation.
If anything, Tatiana might have let Jesse get runed just to be able to tell him off, like “ha, told you you were too weak to be Nephilim” or something like that, despite knowing damn well the reason runes would kill him was Belial. Tatiana had literal demons to do her bidding, I don’t doubt she could have physically prevented Jesse from following up on his threat to run to Alicante if she didn’t let him get runes, had she wanted to.
Belial probably can control the dead like Lucie can, most likely having far more experience at it. Tatiana surely knew that. Belial said Tatiana called him after Jesse died, and that he owed her a favor, hence the preservation of Jesse. Obviously, Belial benefited from this, but clearly Tatiana saw Jesse’s death as an opportunity to bend him to her will, because he never shared her beliefs during his life.
Now, this is actually where I believe Tatiana and Belial’s views of the situation diverge. Belial outright says raising Jesse as Tatiana wanted wouldn’t suit him. He had Jesse kept in that so-called twilight state that certainly proved useful to Belial, but I don’t think whether Jesse was alive or not mattered pre-Cortana. Not only does Belial clearly not care about consent, he also probably wouldn’t need it, because his anchor was already deep within Jesse’s soul. Jesse being dead or alive was likely irrelevant to the possession, since the one part of Tatiana’s statement that’s correct is that Belial probably wouldn’t have guessed Jesse would die as he did.
Tatiana wanted Jesse resurrected for herself, for her own desire to have her son follow her beliefs and intentions. Belial just cares for Jesse as his vessel. While they’re allies, I don’t think those two usages were as compatible as Tatiana thinks they were, which is probably why Belial outright says reviving Jesse wouldn’t have suited him, and honestly both of them seem pretty angry about losing control over Jesse.
(Belial’s clearly salty that Lucie exorcised him and Tatiana’s mad he’s “in the clutches of a Herondale”, but clearly both of them lost something they valued as an instrument, none of them are actually mad about their loss of access to Jesse as a person, because they’re honestly both terrible people, to say the least).
I know I called that other one the nail in the coffin, but in relation to Tatiana letting Jesse be runed even though that was practically bound to kill him, Belial outright says Tatiana killed him, even despite recognizing the rune was technically the cause.
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- Chain of Iron
TL;DR: Tatiana definitely knew about the anchor, Tatiana definitely knew Jesse would be possessed and used by Belial, and Tatiana also definitely let her son die just because it suited her.
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psychotakublabs · 3 years
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There have been theories going around that Philip Wittebane, a human who lived in the Demon Realm before Luz, could be Emperor Belos. The evidence seems to be his voice being similar to Belos, Belos’s knowledge of the portal, and his hair resembling Belos’s hair in one of Dana’s countdown art (there could be more evidence but these seem to be the main ones). However, there are a few reasons as to why Belos and Philip are not the same person. These are just my thoughts and theories and I am not 100% discrediting Belos is Philip theory.
Philip Wittebane
In “Keeping Up A-Fear-ances” we got information from Gwendolyn about Philip. He came to the Demon Realm from a substance called Titan’s Blood that is rare and powerful enough to cause leaks between realms. He was living in Bonesborough until he suddenly vanished but not before leaving something in the library. We find out that something was Philip’s diary in “Through the Looking Glass Ruins”. From Luz’s research, Philip seems to be from the 1600s which coincides with Gwendolyn’s great grandmother’s story. Philip could even be older than great grandma Clawthorne as the 1600s are over 400 years ago, meaning this was a tale passed through the ages. From the echo mouse’s screening of Philip’s journal, Philip donated the journal to the library for others to see. Although he states the Demon Realm as horrifying, he is fascinated by this world. He wants to create a portal to the Human Realm to go back home and for other humans to see the Demon Realm. He seems to have been living on the Boiling Isles for some time and may have created the portal. From the journal, we see drawings that have been partially ripped out from the echo mouse that look like a circle and bone, which could entail that he may have studied Glyph magic like Luz.
Emperor Belos
From “Young Blood, Old Souls”, Emperor Belos suddenly arrived over 50 years ago and was on a crusade as a messenger of the Titan. He deemed himself  the only being to speak to the Titan and that magic was used wrong and wild magic causes chaos. He ascended to the throne and has ruled since that time. Belos is the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles and created the current Coven and magic system. Rules over the Isles with fear and an iron fist. Belos uses technology as his source of “magic” and uses Palisman magic to revive/recharge himself. He stops any potential threats against his reign either by destroying it or attaining it. Emperor Belos wants his hands on the portal for something known as “The Day of Unity” and is creating something big. In Season 2, he is becoming more active but remains hidden from his true goal and identity.
Low Possibility of Philip and Belos Being the Same Person
Diary Entry
From the way Philip speaks in the diary, he seems more fascinated by the Demon Realm than afraid. He stated the Boiling Isles is so horrifying it’s fantastic and wants others to see the realm by finding a way to build the portal. From the shredded remains of the diary, we can see 2 drawings: a bone with a circle etched into it and a circle with another circle through it. This suggests Philip may have studied Glyphs like Luz. He does want to create a portal to go back home but also wants to make one so others can witness the wonderful world of the Demon Realm. From the way he presents himself, it seems he may have been a weirdo much like Luz, embracing the chaotic yet intriguing world of the Boiling Isles, and had good intentions of building a portal.
Day of Unity
Emperor Belos is about conformity, control, and fear when ruling the Boiling Isles. He rewrites history to fit his narrative, seizes or destroys any threats against him, separates magic using a coven system and his title, and punishes those who do not conform. However, he seems to have a sinister plan called “The Day of Unity”. It is not clear what this plan is. All we know is he needs the portal to access the Human Realm and is building an even larger portal gate for something big. Belos went to great lengths to attain it and is knowledgeable about it. The portal is not going to be used for invasion and there have been many theories circulating about what “The Day of Unity” is but we still have no idea what it is.
Both personalities and intentions of using the portal are different. Philip seems to enjoy the chaotic nature of the Boiling Isles and documents his findings/journey. He even donates his diary so others can witness his journey. Although it’s only the first entry and we will know more information in future episodes, it seems Philip was more of an eccentric researcher who wants to share the wonders of the Boiling Isles to others as well as go home. Belos wants control and conformity and despises wild magic despite it being a gift from the Titan. He imprisons anyone who does not follow his “laws” and wants the portal for some type of sinister plan. Belos is manipulative and secretive. He is a dictator who rules with an iron fist and fear. Both are somewhat opposite in terms of personality. In fact, I’d say Philip is like Luz. The only commonality they have is using the portal to access the Human Realm for some goal. There is a theory by Charles J. Thomas (“Emperor Belos is a Possessed Human”) states that Belos is a human possessed by another entity we don't know yet. It could be that Philip may have stumbled across this being and got taken over. So technically Belos is not Philip but is something inhabiting Philip and using him as a vessel.
Portal
From the journal, we can assume Philip made the portal. Eda did say it was very old when she found it and Philip described his journal as a guide on how to create one. Belos seems to be knowledgeable about the portal and wants to attain it. However, he did not know where the portal was before Eda found it. If he is a powerful witch, he could have easily gotten it from Eda by force, but waited for Luz to hand it over. Not only that but Philip donated his journal to the library where he could have made a portal himself but he didn’t. If Emperor Belos and Philip were the same person, Belos would have known where the portal was or know how to build a new one. There are two explanations as to why Belos doesn’t know and could still be Philip. 1) If Philip is possessed and becomes Belos, his memories could either be protected by Philip himself or deteriorated from the possession. 2) There was another party who took the portal and hid it from Belos which is why he didn’t know where it was. It could be both.
Age
Belos came into power around 50 years ago. Since witches and humans age the same, that would roughly make him roughly in his 70s. Philip was in the Boiling Isles in the 1600s, which is at least 400 years before Belos was even born. Although Dana did state that witches and demons can prolong their life, it is unclear if those tactics work on humans. There is also the factor that Philip suddenly vanished 400 years ago and Belos suddenly appeared over 50 years ago. It doesn’t add up. The possibility of prolonging his life over 400 years is magic, but if that were the case there would have been no need to search for the flower of eternal youth in “Sense and Insensitivity”. It is possible he is using Palisman magic to prolong his life. Another possibility is the possession or curse Philip is under ages him differently but at a cost of losing his human form from time to time. 
This doesn’t mean Belos and Philip are not related somehow or refutes the “Belos is a human” theory. Both of them seem to be inventors as Philip made the portal and Belos created his staff and uses technology rather than magic. Belos could still be human because he doesn’t use magic like everyone else and he is very cautious at hiding his identity and past. He could be a descendant of Philip which is why he knows so much about the portal. Belos could also be another human with non blood relation to Philip but came upon his findings. Philip did want to share his knowledge and adventures of the Demon Realm with other humans and it could be possible, he told others from the portal. The human may have had other intentions Philip or others did not agree with and was trapped in the Boiling Isles. This could be the reason for “Day of Unity”. There is also a possibility Belos is not human. There is that mural with King fighting a giant monster. The head of said monster is destroyed, so we have no idea what it looks like. This is suspicious because Belos hid the island’s existence and having the head missing from the mural indicates it is related to Belos somehow. Belos could be that mural monster hiding as a witch or possessing a human for it’s plan. Belos and Philip are still a mystery to us and we won’t know more until future episodes come out. What do you guys think? Do you think Philip and Belos are the same person or two different people? Is Belos a human? Does the mural monster have anything to do with “Day of Unity”? Please let me know what you guys think I love hearing any feedback on who these two could be!
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Out Of Time ~ 104
MASTERLIST
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< previous chapter
Word Count: 3,120ish
Summary: Y/N’s return to SHIELD is not what she wanted it to be.
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The “new” SHIELD’s border members, Gonzalez, Oliver, and Weaver were in the room, along with Bobbi and May. There was little time for chitchat, the meeting began right away. Y/N and Coulson started with the news footage, playing on stations around the world.
“Cards on the table,” Coulson said, throwing an access lanyard for the helicarrier onto the table.
“Obviously, you and Fury have been keeping busy,” Gonzalez commented.
“What can I say? I’m a company man. With the fall of SHIELD, Fury felt we needed a failsafe. Something completely off the books, a break in case of emergency type of thing.”
“Seems like you broke it wide open,” Weaver replied.
“And saved the day in the process,” Bobbi added. Y/N immediately noticed the look Weaver and Oliver shot Bobbi.
“Excuse me, but you weren’t there,” Y/N said, anger lacing her words. “If it weren’t for the helicarrier, hundreds of thousands of people would be dead. Breaking it wide open was the only option.
“What Agent Rogers is trying to say is that, what’s transpired over the last week is a lot to take in,” Coulson said. “We know. When I found out that this ship had survived HYDRA’s attack, and still had that classified cargo on board, that you placed spies on my base, that I couldn’t keep my own people safe…I felt like I’d failed as director. And the truth is, I did.” He laughed a bit, looking down. “A coup will make you think about things like that. I tried to do it all alone. That was a mistake. Even Fury had a world council watching over him, providing guidance.”
“What are you suggesting?” Gonzalez asked.
“One SHIELD, where I operate as director under your advisement.” Gonzalez shared a look with Bobbi, Weaver, and Oliver. “This way, we’ll have a cool underground base and a boat.”
“It’s hard to argue with a man who helped prevent Ultron from killing thousands of people. But there are plenty more battles to be won and one closer to home that I fear the helicarrier won’t solve.”
~~~
After the meeting, Y/N escaped to the medical wing for some medication for her leg. May had followed her there.
“You okay?” May asked, folding her arms as she watched Y/N.
“I’ll live,” Y/N responded with a wince. 
“Fury make you come here?”
“What do you think? He couldn’t stand the thought of Phil getting pushed out of the director’s seat. You still mad he kept Theta Protocol a secret?”
“I won’t be forgiving him that easily.”
“He did help save thousands of people.”
“So did you.” May silently observed Y/N as she rewrapped her injured leg. “Does Stark know you’re here?”
“I couldn’t disappear after a world ending fight without telling him.”
“Hmm,” May hummed with a nod. “Something’s different,” May thought. “Something happened.”
“Aren’t you intuitive,” Y/N laughed out loud.
“What?”
“You noticed something is different.”
“How did you—“
“What’s different is that I can now read minds.”
“What?” Coulson questioned from the door way.
“The Mind Stone in Loki’s scepter. I can also control minds. Came in handy when Steve and Tony started at each others throats.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me sooner?” Coulson stepped forward.
“Um… no. I did only get these abilities a few days ago and I was asked to come here, unwillingly, and was forced straight into a meeting. Sorry I was too busy saving the world and helping that group of people understand why we hid Theta Protocol.” Y/N groaned as she stood back on her feet. “You know what, I am done helping all of you. Don’t come in attacking me like that, when you don’t know what kind of hell I’ve been through this week. I’ve already gotten all this from my brother, I sure as hell won’t take it from you!”
“Y/N, I didn’t mean to—“
“I’ll be on the base, packing my things and saying my good byes to the team. I’m done being questioned for everything that happens.”
“Come on, Y/N,” May said, stepping closer as a portal formed behind Y/N. “He didn’t—”
“I don’t care.”
Y/N rushed through the portal, closing it before Coulson and May had a chance to do or say anything else. She looked around, letting out a sigh of relief when she realized she was in her bunker on the base. Leaving the room, she wasn’t surprised to find her teammates in the lab. 
“Guys,” Y/N called softly. 
Skye and Fitz-Simmons turned there attentions from what they were focused on to Y/N at the doorway. Her eyes quickly filled with tears.
“What happened?” Fitz rushed up to her. “Are you okay?”
All Y/N could do was shake her head as the sobs began. Fitz quickly brought her in for a hug. Simmons and Skye rubbed her back as Fitz tried to calm her. When they calmed her down, they helped her into a chair and then she told them about her new powers, the events of Sokovia, and what had happened on Gonzalez’ ship.
“I know it probably sounds like I’m over reacting,” she said. “But I’m so tired…. So tired of fighting and people questioning me…. Just so tired.”
“Understandably so,” Simmons said, rubbing Y/N’s leg.
“So that’s why I’m… I’ve decided to take a step away from the team.”
“What?!” They all exclaimed.
“You can’t do that,” Skye said, clearly hurt. “What if I need you?”
“Oh, Skye,” Y/N cooed, grabbing her hand. “You will always be welcomed at the Tower and I will always be a phone call away. I just… I need some time for myself. I really haven’t had any since I was found. I’ve always kept myself busy with missions and taking care of people. And… I need a break.”
Suddenly, Skye’s phone began ringing. She sighed upon seeing it was Coulson before answering it. He told her of the classified cargo in Gonzalez’ ship. A rectangular shaped stone with carvings on it, in a large glass box. It frequently turns into liquid, sloshing around a few times, before turning back into a stone. Coulson asked if Skye, Y/N, or Lincoln knew why Gordon and Raina would be after it.
“I have no idea,” Skye stated. Coulson and May showed up at the base about an hour after his call, pulling Y/N and Skye into Coulson’s office. “Seriously, Y/N and I have never heard of anything like that before and neither has Lincoln.”
“And you believe him?” Coulson asked.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“You barely know him.”
“I know enough. He and Jiaying helped me. They never tried to hurt me—“
“Though they did try to hurt me,” Y/N muttered. 
“—Th-they taught me to channel my power so I wasn’t hurting myself. These are good people, Coulson.”
“Are they? People, I mean.”
“What?” Y/N questioned.
“I mean, look Skye, I know you feel connected to this group, but you won’t tell us much about them, you’re keeping to yourself—“
“I’ve been taking care of Lincoln,” she argued.
“Okay, but from our perspective, we don’t even know what to call them.”
“Inhumans. Our ancient ancestors called themselves Inhumans, and we just want to be left alone.” 
“We?”
"If they want to be left alone, then why infiltrate a military vessel?” May asked.
“You’re assuming that this thing is a weapon. Well, it’s in SHIELD’s possession. Maybe they’re just afraid of it – afraid of what Gonzalez might do with it.”
“We’re not the enemy here,” Coulson stated, standing up from his desk.
“This man teleported onboard, Skye,” May defended. “He’s clearly very dangerous.”
“I portaled my way onto the ship as well,” Y/N said. “And have other abilities now too. You going to lock me up and question me? And you can be just as dangerous May.”
“I heard about what happened to that little girl in Bahrain,” Skye stated. “Jiaying told me the whole story. Did you know that she was Inhuman?” May looked at Skye, clearly shocked, as both Coulson and Y/N looked between the two women. “They both were. So you, of all people, should understand why they’d want to keep their location a secret…what they’re so afraid of.”
~~~
It was the morning and Y/N hadn’t gotten the courage to leave just yet. She was walking towards the lab when she saw Gonzalez and his crew. Lookin into Gonzalez’ mind, she learned that him and his crew were headed to Coulson’s office and that they had found the location of Afterlife. She portaled herself in Coulson’s office.
“Y/N, I’m about to have a meeting,” Coulson started, “is there something I can help you with?”
“Well, I’m still the assistant director, aren’t I?” She responded. “I should be in the meeting as well.”
“I don’t know—“
“Rogers, Coulson, May,” Gonzalez greeted upon entering, his crew behind him. “Am I interrupting something?”
“Not at all,” Coulson quickly replied. “Agent Rogers was just leaving.”
Throwing a glare at Coulson, Y/N looked at May for some help. She didn’t give any. With one more look at Coulson, she noticed him subtly pointing to his head.
“Leave and portal into the secret stairwell behind the monitor,” Coulson instructed. “You’ll be able to listen in from there.”
She quickly did as she was told. Gonzalez and his crew explained that they had found the location and put the map up on the large wall monitor.
“What’s our plan of attack?” Gonzalez asked.
“Who said anything about an attack?” Coulson fired back.
“These people are a threat.”
“We don’t know that,” Bobbi retorted.
“We don’t know anything about them.”
“They could teleport into this room right now and leave a bomb behind,” Oliver said.
“We’ve seen what Skye is capable of. Lincoln could short out our entire system,” Weaver stated. “And then there’s Y/N, who can now also teleport into places.”
“I understand your concerns, but the last thing we need is to start a war,” Coulson said. “We just finished one for God’s sake.”
“Action needs to be taken, Phil,” Gonzalez argued.
“Which is why I’m proposing a sit down with their leader, this woman Jiaying. We’ll call it a fact finding mission.”
“They’d need to agree to that first,” Weaver said.
“We could use Skye is a liaison,” Bobbi suggested. “She is a SHIELD agent.”
“Is that still true?” Gonzalez wondered.
“Of course it is,” Coulson replied.
“Now’s a good time to find out where Skye really stands,” May added, seemingly doubting Skye’s loyalties.”
~~~
Y/N made sure she was walking down the hallway with Skye when Coulson told her they were going to the Afterlife.
“No, you cannot go there,” Skye said. “Listen, secrecy is what they value most.”
“We can’t ignore their existence,” Coulson reasoned. “They’re not ignoring ours.”
“Please!” Skye hurried to stand in from of Coulson, stopping him from walking.
“Look, at the very least, we need to find out how many people we’re dealing with, assess their powers, place them on The Index. You know how this works. You’re a SHIELD agent.”
Skye took a second before answering. “I-I don’t know what I am anymore.” Coulson seemed taken back by this. “Okay, just…let Lincoln and I go first. They’re probably worried about us. Y/N can take us. I’ll talk to Jiaying, explain why you’re coming, that you just want to help. She’ll listen.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because she’s my mother.”
~~~
“I’m leaving after this,” Y/N said. It was just her and Coulson headed towards the lab. “I need a break.”
“No,” he answered.
“No? I’m sorry, what?”
“I can’t let you leave… I can’t lose you.”
“As in your agent or your friend?”
“Both.”
“Too bad. It’s time for me to slow down, figure some things out. Like you’ve suggested a few times.” Coulson sighed. “My heads falling out of the game, Phil. I need to leave it before it costs someone there life.”
“I understand. I’ll just…. I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too.” The two entered the lab.
“Time to go,” Coulson said.
Fitz-Simmons, Skye, and Lincoln turned to look at them. Skye closed her bag, zipping it, before sharing one last look with Fitz-Simmons and walking towards Coulson and Y/N. They exit the lab, Coulson and Y/N leading with Skye and Lincoln following, side by side.
“How’d it go?” Skye asked Lincoln.
“The Indexing?” Lincoln clarified. “They just asked a lot of questions. But I’m sure you guys already have my blood from when I was out, right?”
“It’s protocol,” Coulson reasoned.
“HYDRA said the same thing.”
They stopped walking. Coulson turned to face Lincoln.
“I know you’ve been through a lot, but you can trust us,” Coulson said. “You’ll see.” Lincoln just stared, saying nothing, so Coulson turned to Y/N. “You ready?”
“Always,” she replied with a nod.
“Okay.” Coulson looked between Y/N and Skye. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Skye replied.
“Okay.”
~~~
Y/N put them in the courtyard of Afterlife. Luckily, Jiaying was there. She immediately went up and hugged Skye.
“Are you alright?” Jiaying asked.
“Yeah,” Skye responded.
Jiaying looked at Lincoln. “What happened?”
“A lot,” Lincoln answered. “But I’m okay.”
“A doctor at SHIELD patched him up,” Skye said.
“SHIELD?” Jiaying repeated.
“We need to talk.”
“Go to the recovery room,” Jiaying instructed Lincoln. “Have one of ours take a look at you.” He nodded and walked away. “Come. Tell me everything.”
Jiaying lead Skye away. Skye casted a look over her shoulder to Y/N, who nods in okay. As the two women leave further, Y/N notices Gordon and Raina near by, looking grim. Curious, Y/N peeked into Raina’s mind.
“SHIELD is coming,” Raina thought to herself. “This is my chance to be the hero.”
With that, Y/N quickly left back to the base. She put herself outside of Coulson’s office, where himself, May, Bobbi, Gonzalez, Weaver, and Oliver were in a meeting. Coulson was briefing them.
“Agent Weaver, you’ll be with me on QJ36,” Coulson said. “We’ll land a good distance from their main buildings here.” He pointed to the map on the monitor. "Now, I’ll go in first, alone, unarmed.”
“You shouldn’t be the one going in,” Gonzalez stated.
“Care to elaborate?”
“You’re too close to this. Skye’s like a daughter to you and her mother is these people’s leader.”
“I’m banking on that personal connection to everyone through this safely.”
“You shouldn’t be. This is one of the greatest threats SHIELD’s ever faced.”
“I agree,” Weaver added. “A whole race of people with powers…”
“And you’ve proven time and again that you’re not objective when it comes to Skye.”
“That’s you opinion, not fact,” Bobbi retorted.
“Want to talk facts? Ultron was created because people were too close to Tony Stark. They were blinded by his charm. They trusted him. Never even thought to look at what he was working on. And The Avengers, they let one man do whatever he wanted, and the world was almost destroyed for it. We’re SHIELD We’re better than that. Or at least we should be.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Y/N growled, stepping into the office. Everyone’s head snapped towards her. “You weren’t there. We weren’t blinding by his charm. He didn’t tell us what he was working on because he thought he was protecting us. And Tony wasn’t alone, Dr. Banner was working on it with him as well. They thought they were creating something that would allow the Avengers and SHIELD to go home. To have families. For the fight to end.”
“You aren’t suppose to be here, Agent Rogers.”
“I can be anywhere. Have you forgotten that?”
“No, I haven’t. That is why I need to meet with these people. Coulson is not objective when it comes to you or Skye.”
“No one is objective when it comes to those on their team! At least if they’re an actual team.”
Gonzalez stood up from his chair, going toe-to-toe with Y/N. “Agent Rogers, it’s time for you to leave.”
“Make me.” Guns cocked around the room, all aiming at Y/N.
“Woah!” Bobbi called. “Oliver and Weaver, what are you doing?”
“She’s dangerous,” Oliver stated. “Even without powers, she’s dangerous.”
“Y/N, stand down,” Coulson said. “Y/N… please…”
Y/N peeked into Gonzalez’ mind. “All you want it war. And from the looks of it, you might get it. But I’m not going to be here when it happens. If SHIELD involves you, I don’t want any part of it.”
“Y/N—“
“No, Coulson, I’m done. Tell the team I’m sorry that I didn’t say a final goodbye.”
~~~
Tony was in his lab, getting the final plans ready for the new Avengers Facility he was going to build in upstate New York. The construction was going to start tomorrow, and they were to work all day and night until it was finished. Tony had decided that the team needed more space and privacy to train.
“Boss,” FRIDAY called, “Y/N Rogers has returned to the Tower.”
“Already?” Tony questioned. “It must have gone well. Where is she?”
“The training room. She’s already going at it will a punching bag.”
“Okay then,” Tony stood up and headed out of the room, “it clearly did not go well.”
Tony hurried down to the training rooms. He heard your punches before he even opened the door. As Tony drew near, he could see the tears rolling down your cheeks.
“Honey?” He carefully called, only to get no response. “I’m going to assume that the meeting didn’t go well.”
“It… wasn’t… the meeting…” Y/N said, in between punches. “It was… everything… else…”
Tony silently watched for a moment before completely going to Y/N’s side and grabbing her arm. “Okay, okay. I think it’s time for you to either talk about it or go to bed.”
“Fine,” she sighed.
Tony quietly led Y/N to their room. He guided her to sit on their bed before helping her unwrap her hands.
“I quit,” she whispered. “I’m done… I need a break.”
“How did Coulson take it?”
“Not very well.”
“And Skye?”
“Since there’s been no major earthquakes, then I think okay.”
“Well,” he pulled her hands up, placing kissed on them, “I think that was smart. I’ve been… I’ve been thinking about retirement too. No missions, just paying and designing everything.”
“Do you think we’ll be able to do it? To slow down?”
“I think that, together, we’ll be able to do anything.”
next chapter >
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