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jagibee · 1 year

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Call Me Luna

(Stray Kids x Reader)

Chapter 5

5,842 words

A/N: So so so very sorry for the delay! I’ve had like 3 major life changes since I’ve last posted so please forgive me😭

…

Sent

bangfuckingchan

Hi :]

Oh my god he even uses that face in his texts.

By this time, it was around half an hour before the company car was picking you up again. You had all your stuff ready and were just waiting, and you decided to text Chan because you had his goddamn number and what stupid idiot would not text him?

Sent

I was just wondering… are there any Korean-specific subgender-based cultural norms that I should know about?

bangfuckingchan

None that I can think of. Felix might hug you at some point and the others probably won’t but that’s more of their personalities than any cultural things. And we won’t blame you for not knowing everything about Korea! Felix went through the same thing when he moved here (and so did I many many centuries ago) so we all understand that it can be a lot and we want to help in any way we can!

After squealing into your pillow for a bit, you got the notification that the car was here. Before you rushed down, you remembered to respond to him.

Sent

You’re literally too nice! See you in a bit!

bangfuckingchan

Hey, let me know when you arrive at the building! I can walk you in!

How were you supposed to survive today?

When the car arrived at the company, you made sure to tell Chan.

bangfuckingchan

Great! See you down there ;)

What the hell was the winky face for? Was he trying to give you a heart attack?

You turned to watch the car drive away while you waited and then shifted your gaze to a nice omega couple who were laughing and holding hands as they walked. Smiling to yourself, you turned back to the company building just in time to see Chan jog out.

Stopping in front of you, he grinned and held out a large iced coffee.

You smiled back while cocking your head in confusion. “Hi?”

He shook the drink which made the ice rattle. “I got you a coffee.”

“Oh my- you didn’t have to do that!” Your heart warmed as your gaze flickered between the drink and his face.

He shrugged in response. “I had to buy coffee for all the kids anyway, and I should really pay you back for the food last night.” He rattled the drink again.

Taking it, you raised your eyebrows at him. “Again, the company paid for that. It wasn’t my money.”

Chan looked to the side. “Yeah, well, the company pays me and I bought that with money they paid me so if you think about it, the company paid for that, too. Ah!” He looked back at you. “If you don’t like coffee or iced Americanos, you don’t have to drink it! I wanted to surprise you and most of the kids drink iced Americanos, but next time I’ll ask!”

You shook your head at him. “Next time? You anticipate buying me coffee often?”

He smiled even wider at you. “Well, we can’t have our star caretaker falling asleep on the job, can we?”

You giggled at that. “Star caretaker? You’ve known me for less than 24 hours and I haven’t even met the rest of your pack, I don’t think you can really judge my caretaking abilities based on that.”

Chan’s smile morphed into a smirk. “Yeah, but you bought me food, so that tells me enough.”

You rolled your eyes at him playfully. “You are ridiculous.”

His jaw dropped. “Hey, I will take that coffee back! I’m sure one of my members will enjoy the extra caffeine!”

Hugging the coffee to your chest, you hissed at him jokingly. “Stay away from my coffee!”

You turned away and saw Jisu step out of the building, holding a few papers and a pen. “Ah, Y/N!” She narrowed her eyes at the sight of you and Chan but seemed to ignore it as she turned to you and handed you one of her papers. “Here is your schedule for today, each of the caretakers will meet one-on-one with a member from the caretaking department, and you are actually assigned to me. There’s just a couple more things sign pertaining to what you can and can’t say on camera or in public, and then you should be done with all that. Then you will meet with your band’s leaders, or,” she paused, glancing at Chan who had been standing silently behind you the whole time, “in your case, you’ll be meeting a few of the other members. That will be in time for lunch, which you can get from the cafeteria and after you eat with the members, Bang Chan can dictate what you do with the rest of your day and if you will spend more time with the band or not.”

You turned slightly to see Chan smile at you softly. “Nah,” he said, tilting his head, “I think I’ll probably kick her out of the company by then.”

You resisted the urge to kick him and settled for a flick on the shoulder.

He cupped his hand over where you flicked him and stumbled backwards dramatically, causing you to roll your eyes in response. Yeah, like he can even feel it through those damn arm muscles.

Turning back to Jisu, you saw she had a calculating look on her face, cat-eyes squinted and eyebrows furrowed. You straightened up and adjusted your outfit in order to appear more professional. She blinked a couple times before fidgeting with the pen in her hands. “Shall we get going, then?”

You nodded and followed her into the building and up the elevator, staying silent the whole time.

Yesterday, Jisu had been professional, but today she seemed colder. You got through a presentation and a couple contracts without her saying a single word other than what she had to, and when she did speak, there was no emotion in her voice at all.

Oh, god, is she jealous of me? Does she have a thing for Chan?

You thought back to your interaction earlier.

She didn’t really say a single word to him, did she? She just looked at him when she talked about him. But he didn’t really say anything to her either, which seems a bit unlike him.

Your phone buzzed, bringing you away from your thoughts. You glanced up at Jisu and saw her turning away from you. Checking your phone subtly under the table, you couldn’t help smiling.

bangfuckingchan

Link -> The Top Ten Best Mini Fridges For Sale

bangfuckingchan

Should I get the one that plays elevator music? I’m sure that won’t get irritating fast

Seeing Jisu concentrated on looking over the last contract, you texted Chan back.

Sent

How do you know it’s elevator music?

bangfuckingchan

Actually the review says it plays Happy Birthday. My bad!

You muffled a giggle at that.

Sent

But that’s even better! Now, when it’s one of your members’ birthdays, instead of sitting awkwardly while 7 other dudes sing happy birthday, they can sit awkwardly while the fridge sings happy birthday!

bangfuckingchan

Yeah but it doesn’t actually have the lyrics, just the music :’(

Sent

Ooh so the fridge can play music while 7 other dudes sing Happy Birthday! Maximum Awkwardness!

You saw Jisu straighten up out of the corner of your eye and you put your phone away.

She smiled politely at you, looking just a bit less playful than the way she smiled yesterday. “Alright, Y/N, it seems like you’re finally done with the contracts and presentations. I’ll be taking you to meet Chan and the others now.”

On the way to wherever it was that Jisu was leading you, she walked briskly and you had to basically jog to keep up. You pondered asking her what was wrong but you figured that after only two days, you weren’t exactly bestie-level friends.

She stopped in front of a door and knocked. Quicker than you expected, a curly-haired, beanie-covered head poked out of the room and smiled at you.

“Y/N! Hi!” Chan exclaimed, like he hadn’t just texted you a couple minutes ago.

Jisu cleared her throat. “Alright, I will be in Conference Room 6B if anyone needs me.” With that, she walked off seemingly even faster than she walked here.

Unfazed, Chan turned to you. “Are you ready to meet the others?”

You took a deep breath and tried to shake your nerves out. “Ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s do this.”

Your heart pounded as you stepped through the doorway.

The first thing you noticed was the smell. After working all day with just you and Jisu, each wearing heavy duty scent blockers, you had gotten used to the relatively scentless air of the company building, but when you walked into the room, there were several sweet scents overlapping to fill the space.

It looked to be a dance studio, but a bit smaller than the ones that idols usually had in their dance practice videos, and there was a circle of wooden crates in the very center of the room, some of which were occupied by-

Holy shit.

Holy motherfucking shit.

You were in a room with over half of Stray Kids.

And they were staring at you. Fuck, do something cool, you told yourself. Before you could do something that would have been completely awkward and embarrassing and unforgettable, your hours of Jisu’s and Kwang-sun’s etiquette classes kicked in and you bowed and greeted them formally.

The members on the crates glanced at each other briefly. Felix was curled up against I.N on one of the larger boxes and had their legs splayed out on another. Hyunjin had shoved a few crates together to lay down all the way with his head in Lee Know’s lap, his neck in some sort of headlock/neck hug from the older boy.

Chan appeared beside you after shutting the door, resting his hand on your back.

“Hey, guys, this is Y/N.” He turned to smile at you. “Our new caretaker.”

His warm voice and soft eyes made you feel like you were in your own nest back home with a nice hot drink and your favorite book. Before you spent too long staring at Chan, you turned your head to the shuffling coming from the other boys.

Felix had untangled himself from I.N and made his way over, beaming at you. He grasped both of your hands in his and met your gaze. “Hello, Y/N! It’s nice to meet you!”

You had to quit. You had to. You could not handle Lee fucking Felix saying your name in that perfect voice or his flawless hands gently holding yours. This was going to kill you.

Taking a deep breath, you squeezed his hands. “It’s nice to meet you, too. I look forward to working with you.”

You felt something bump your hip and turned to see Chan grinning mischievously. “There’s no need to be so formal, Y/N. None of us are that serious.”

Your jaw dropped in mock offense. “I’m just trying to make a good impression!”

Chan rolled his eyes at you sarcastically before smiling and showing off his dimples. “The company has already hired you and made you sign a thousand contracts, you would have to make a pretty bad impression for us to get rid of you. Plus, you gave me food, so I already like you. Speaking of which,” he added, looking back at the others, “we should get some lunch. Any suggestions?”

Hyunjin suddenly started wriggling around violently in Minho’s grasp. “I suggest that hyung lets go of me so I can talk to Y/N properly!”

Minho, who had been staring at you analytically, turned his gaze to the boy in his lap who was still squirming frantically. Then he looked up at Chan. “Hyunjin wants tissues for lunch. Think we can arrange that?”

Felix giggled and squeezed your hands again while Chan shut his eyes and sighed. “I thought we agreed to be on our best behavior.”

Minho’s eyebrows raised at his pack alpha. “When did I agree to that, hyung? You just said we should be on our best behavior and assumed, incorrectly, that we would agree. I think she should see us at our worst. That way, we can only get better.”

You smiled at him. “I think that if feeding each other tissues is really your worst, I don’t have too much to worry about.”

After you said that, Minho’s eyes narrowed at you appraisingly and his mouth twitched like he wanted to say something more.

Suddenly, Jeongin spoke. “Trust me, hyung, that is definitely not your worst. Hopefully, for her sake, she will never have to see that. And hopefully, for my sake, I never have to see it again.”

Minho turned to the youngest. “What do you think is the worst?”

Chan cleared his throat. “Any edible suggestions for lunch?”

“Pfft. You can eat paper.”

Chan fixed Minho with a glare until the younger rolled his eyes. “Fine. There’s that place a couple streets down that we ate from when we got back from Bangkok.”

“Sounds good!” Chan clapped his hands together. “Anyone against it?”

The younger members shook their heads and stayed relatively silent while Chan called to order, only to start up again when I.N asked Minho if he ate paper a lot as a child.

When Minho had launched himself across the crate circle at the youngest, Hyunjin was finally released. He sat up and dashed over to you and Felix, smiling shyly at you.

“Hello, Y/N.”

“Hello, Hyunjin.” Looking over the two beside you, you felt a quiver of excitement. “So this is it,” you told them, “you’re my omegas.”

They enchanged glances and turned to smile at you even wider. “Yeah,” Felix said, “I guess so!” He took one of his hands from your little tangle and offered it to Hyunjin, who took it, and in turn, offered you his own. You placed your hand in Hyunjin’s, completing the circle.

“I hope I do well,” you murmured, “I can’t believe I get to work with some of the prettiest and most talented omegas on the planet.”

Two pairs of ears had turned red when Chan walked over, finishing his call to the restaurant. “Okay,” he announced, “the food should be here in about 45 minutes. In the meantime-”

A shriek was heard from the other side of the room, where Minho and Jeongin had been wrestling. Currently, Minho was sitting on top of the other boy and a spare pair of sweatpants had seemingly materialized out of nowhere and been wrapped around I.N’s head.

Chan sighed and went over to help settle things.

You looked at Felix and Hyunjin and frowned. “Should I help?”

Hyunjin shook his head at you. “Ah, no. It’s better to just leave them to sort it out.” He rolled his eyes playfully. “Alphas.”

Sure enough, Chan was walking back to your small circle with Minho thrown over his shoulder. Jeongin trailed behind, his hair going in all different directions, but with a satisfied smirk on his face.

“As I was saying,” Chan stated casually, like he wasn’t carrying a grown man over his shoulder, “the food will be here soon, so I figured that we could use this time to ask Y/N things in order to get to know her. What do you think?”

You realized his last question was addressing you. “Oh! That sounds perfect. Ask whatever you want.”

Chan smiled at you, showing off his dimples. “Great! Shall we have a seat?”

You and the boys maneuvered the crates until you each got comfortable. Minho had sat down on one and immediately pulled Felix into his lap, without much protest from the younger boy. Hyunjin was on the floor leaning back against a crate and had Jeongin resting between his legs. Chan had opted to sit closer to you with both of you sitting on the long crate.

“Y/N!” Chan turned to you. “Are there any questions you want to ask us?”

You tilted your head to the side, thinking. “Hmm. I guess, what do you want me to call each of you? Do you want me to call you by your stage names or any nicknames or anything?”

Chan looked around at the others. “I think most of us don’t really care about what you call us. Our fans call us by every nickname we have so as long as you aren’t insulting us or anything, anything should be fine. Everyone agree?”

Minho raised his hand slightly from where it had been resting around Felix’s waist. “I actually don’t care off-camera, but I would prefer if you called me ‘Lee Know’ on camera.”

You nodded at him. “I can do that for sure. Anything else?”

He shrugged back at you. “That’s it.”

“Okay.” You smiled at everyone. “I don’t actually have any more questions, so you guys can ask me questions now.”

Felix squirmed in Minho’s lap. “Can we- no, nevermind.”

Chan frowned. “No, Felix, what were you going to say?”

“You can ask me anything,” you told him. “If I’m going to be your caretaker, we should be comfortable with each other.”

Felix hesitated for a second before speaking again. “Is it alright if- you can totally say no- but…” He paused and laced his fingers through Minho’s, continuing to stare down at them. “Could you… take your scent blockers off? I just want to get used to your scent if we’re going to be around each other a lot.”

You sat up a bit straighter. “Of course! Can I- am I allowed to take my scent blockers off here?”

Turning to Chan, you saw him furrow his eyebrows together. “Yeah,” he responded, “the eight of us usually like to hang out without them, so if it’s just us without any managers or other staff, we don’t usually wear blockers. All of the other employees know to knock to give us time to reapply them before they come in, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

“Alright,” you murmured, “if everyone is comfortable with it.” You glanced around the circle but no one protested.

Slowly, you reached a hand to pull off your scent blocker.

Your floral-earthy scent washed over the others and they took a moment to take it in.

You glanced at each of them to observe their reactions. Having smelled it before, Chan just smiled softly. I.N slumped more from in between Hyunjin’s legs and Hyunjin blinked rapidly. Minho’s hands tightened around Felix’s waist before relaxing again, and Felix closed his eyes and leaned back against him.

With the blocker off, your own sense of smell was heightened and the scents of the others became stronger. With all five of them, it was hard to differentiate the different smells, but you sort of liked the chaotic mix that belonged to them.

A pinging sound broke you and the others out of your trance and Chan fished his phone out of his pocket. “Ah,” he muttered, “the food’s here.”

“I’ll get it,” Minho said, standing up suddenly and picking up Felix from his place on his lap. A small whine escaped the younger boy in surprise as he was yanked up, but he quieted when Minho deposited him in Chan’s lap.

Chan’s only reaction was to rest his hands on Felix’s hips. You got the feeling that them passing each other around like stuffed animals wasn’t anything new.

While Minho put on a fresh scent blocker and got himself together to go down and get the food, Felix peeked at you from his place against Chan’s neck.

“Wait.” Something suddenly occurred to you and you turned to Chan. “I thought we were supposed to eat the cafeteria food. Why did you order something?”

He rested his head on top of Felix’s and squinted at you. “The cafeteria food is good, but you deserve something better for your first day with us. Plus,” he added, eyes glinting, “I owe you for last night.”

You pouted at him. “I told you that you don’t have to pay me back. That was the company’s money, and you already got me a coffee!”

“Oh,” Hyunjin piped up. “So that’s why you got an extra coffee this morning. I knew you weren’t ‘just trying something new,’ you liar.”

Chan gaped at him. “Uh, technically, I’ve never given coffee to Y/N before, so I was trying something new, and I wasn’t lying.”

“Hyung, oh my god,” I.N groaned. “No one cares about your coffee and whether or not you were lying.” His head slumped in your direction. “Noona, just let him buy food for you. It makes him happy. Part of his whole ‘head alpha leader’ thing.”

You giggled at that. “Fine. But it’s literally in my job description for me to take care of you guys, so let me buy you food every once in a while, okay?”

Chan opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted by Minho entering the room.

“Yah, come and get it, you gremlins!”

The younger members swarmed the takeout bags while you and Chan followed more slowly. Soon, they had the food all laid out on the floor and you crouched down beside it. I.N scooted over to sit between you and Minho on your right, Felix sat on your left, leaning against Hyunjin on his other side, and Chan took his place directly across from you.

While the others were sorting the food, Chan handed out water bottles to everyone. “Does our maknae want to say anything?”

Jeongin unscrewed the cap and lifted the bottle in a toast. “Y/N-noona, welcome and good luck. Hyungs, don’t embarrass me or yourselves too much.”

You and the others laughed and they rolled their eyes while you each drank.

The group started eating in relative silence, occasionally one of them would ask what you liked and would pass you something to try, but they seemed to be pretty concentrated on eating.

Then, Minho broke the silence. “So Y/N, what exactly is your interaction with us supposed to be like on camera?”

Putting your bowl down, you considered his question. “Well, for now, they don’t want me going on lives or doing anything super public because I guess I haven’t built that trust yet. I’ll travel with you through the airport, go to your concerts, and be with you whenever all eight of you are together, but if you all have individual schedules, I’ll just go where I’m needed. That will probably be worked out between Chan, your managers, and I.”

You paused for a second, swirling your spoon in your bowl thoughtfully. “They also want me to be sort of known? I’ll be on camera more than your managers and they want to make it clear to the public that you guys and the other groups have caretakers, but they don’t really want to put a spotlight on me as a person. They want someone with a caretaker title and maybe a face to that title, but they don’t want people to be super interested in me.”

Minho’s eyebrows furrowed. “That’s going to backfire.”

Your head tilted in confusion. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “The more mysterious you are, the more people will be interested in you. Or they’ll just make things up in order to give you a personality and suddenly there are rumors all over the place.”

You took another bite of food before responding. “I’ll just continue doing what the company tells me. If it backfires, it’s on them and not me. Plus, I don’t really care about rumors. I know who I am and no matter what random people on the Internet have to say, I’ll still be the same person.”

Hyunjin laughed at that. “So much backbone! Binnie-hyung is going to love you!”

You smirked at him. “And you? Do you love me?”

Hyunjin blinked in surprise but before he responded, Felix piped up from between the two of you. “Hey, noona, you said you’re going to be with us when it’s all eight of us, but what about the dorms? Are you staying at one of them or going back and forth?”

You couldn’t help but smile at Felix when he shoveled a few too many noodles into his mouth. “I’ll actually be getting my own place,” you explained. “The company agreed because it means that you guys won’t be suffocated by me right away and if you ever need a mental break away from cameras or the other members, my apartment will be sort of a neutral zone for you to just chill. Actually,” you added, checking the date on your phone, “I’m supposed to look at apartments this weekend.”

“Really?” Chan looked up from his own food. “I’ll go with you.”

You choked on the bite you had just taken. After clearing your throat, you shook your head at him. “You don’t have to do that! You’re probably busy anyway.”

He shrugged. “I was just planning on working in the studio but I’ve been spending too much time in there anyway. Plus, I could help you find a space that’s good for all of us.”

You hummed. “That does make sense, but you really don’t have to if you don’t want to!”

Chan waved his chopsticks at you. “No no no no, I want to go with you!”

“Alright,” you huffed. “You can come with me, if you really want to.”

“Can I come, too?”

You turned to Jeongin and tilted your head. “You want to come?”

He nodded shyly and turned to Chan. “I don’t have any schedules in the morning.”

Chan shrugged back at him. “It’s fine with me if it’s alright with Y/N.”

You smiled at both of them. “Sure. I’m supposed to meet the real estate person at 9. I’ll text you the address.”

Hyunjin sighed loudly and flopped backwards. “Why do I have to have a vocal lesson? I want to go apartment shopping!”

Felix giggled and laid back until his head rested on Hyunjin’s stomach. “Hey, at least the rest of us can’t go either. We can all suffer together.”

Minho groaned and stood up. “If everyone is done eating, we should start practicing soon. I gave us an extra long break already.”

You all helped to clean up and shove the crates to the corner of the room. Chan told you that this was all they had for the day so you could just sit back and watch them.

“But this is brand new choreography,” he added playfully, “don’t take a video and spoil our moves on Twitter!”

You laughed at that. “I think that would violate around seven of my contracts.”

He smiled and took his place.

You watched them dance for a while, time seemed to slow down and pass faster at the same time.

Their moves were hypnotizing and there was one point where you audibly gasped and Minho turned back to smirk at you.

Your phone screen told you that a little over an hour had passed before the boys finally took a break. Each of them collapsed on the spot except for Minho, who made his way over to you.

With four other sweaty men in the room, you couldn’t exactly pinpoint his scent, and you didn’t remember what his file had said, but you could tell that he smelled sweet, which was a bit surprising. You had expected an alpha like him to have a harsher scent. A scent that deodorant companies would bottle up and name something like “CLIFF JUMP” or “CAR CRASH”. Maybe Minho would be “TIGER FANGS” if he had a scent like you had expected.

But he didn’t.

He sat next to you, wrapping a washcloth around his neck and draining his water bottle. “So.” He turned to face you. “What do you think?”

You raised your eyebrows at him jokingly. “I think your fans would appreciate more twerking.”

Hyunjin burst into a cackle and turned over so he was laying on his belly, then pressed his forehead into the floor. The others still seemed too exhausted to laugh, let alone move.

You smiled at them and made your way over to their water bottles, trying your best to remember which one belonged to which member.

You passed them out, receiving grateful smiles in exchange. When you got to Chan, instead of drinking from his bottle like the rest of the boys were and like any normal person would do after an hour of intense dancing, he just hugged his water bottle to his chest and grinned at you lazily.

“Thanks, Y/N. You didn’t have to do that.”

You narrowed your eyes at him. “It’s literally in my job description to take care of you all. When are you going to get that through your head, Bang Chan?” You huffed, kicking his feet.

“Don’t even try with him, noona,” I.N wheezed, finally able to speak. “Hyung is allergic to being cared for.”

“Yeah,” you mused, “I got the feeling.”

They danced for a few more hours, using the last half to practice their older songs and keep them fresh.

At one point, you were caught unconsciously moving your arms and legs like the dance called for. Your face went hot when the boys started imitating you and calling you cute.

One of these days, you were going to die of a heart attack.

At least you would die happy.

At the end of dance practice, Felix sank into the seat next to you and laid his head on your shoulder. You were a bit surprised at the affection but you welcomed it happily, lifting your hand to run through his hair.

Chan came to stand in front of you, the other members packing up their water bottles in their bags.

“So,” he huffed, still not fully recovered from the workout, “do you want to quit yet or do you still think you can handle eight of us?”

You smiled at him teasingly. “Are you that desperate for me to quit? You could just fire me, at least I would get a good compensation package.”

Before Chan could respond, you felt a tug at your wrist and turned to see Felix sniffing along it. When he caught your curious gaze, his eyes widened and he dropped your wrist like it burned him.

“Sorry!” He licked his lips and your thoughts evaporated momentarily. “I didn’t- you just smell so good, noona.” He scooted away from you and looked guiltily at Chan.

Choosing to analyze that later, you moved back into Felix’s space. “Hey, it’s alright! Here,” you grasped his wrist in your hands, mirroring his previous position, “I’ll smell you and that way we’re even. If that’s okay with you.”

He smiled softly and nodded at you, so you lifted his wrist to your nose and- oh fuck.

Felix’s scent flooded your senses. It smelled mostly like lemon but with a hint of something sweet as well. Maybe lemon pie or lemon cake? Definitely something lemon flavored with frosting. You felt like you could have started floating like a cartoon character when they smell something tasty. It wasn’t fair that he could smell like this after hours of intense dancing.

“Shit.”

You looked up at the word and were honestly surprised to see the other boys there. It really just felt like you and Felix floating on a lemony cloud. Even Chan’s presence had faded away.

Hyunjin was staring at you with his mouth parted, his hands paused where they had been rifling through his bag.

You froze. What the hell did he mean by that? Were you going to be fired for smelling Felix? And right after you had joked about getting fired? What kind of sick irony was that?

Before you could spiral any further, Hyunjin turned to Chan with his lips pouted. “Hyung,” he whined, “they’re too sexy for people who are already cute! Tell them they can’t be cute and sexy!”

You snorted at that. “Well, then you’re breaking your own rule, Hwang Hyunjin.”

His mouth parted in surprise before his lips moved into a shy smile as he looked away and zipped up his bag.

Chan made sure everyone’s scent patches were on and they had their things before exiting the dance studio. You walked down to the cars, listening as the boys decided to just take one car and have Hyunjin spend the night at the other dorm. Chan told them he was staying at the studio, which surprised no one, but the announcement was still met with groans.

“Hey, you can’t just blame me this time,” he said defensively, “Changbin and Hannie are joining me there!”

The groans of the others continued. “That doesn’t make it better,” I.N muttered.

Chan rolled his eyes as you made your way outside and shoved them towards one of the waiting vans. Minho started corralling them while Chan waited with you for the next van to pull up. Felix suddenly shot forward and wrapped his arms around you, tucking his head into your neck like he was trying his best to smell you despite the scent blockers you wore. You hugged him back before Minho patted Felix’s butt in a little “let’s go” gesture. The two of them along with Jeongin and Hyunjin waved at you as they finally got into the van.

“Bye, noona!” “See you, noona!” “It was nice to meet you, noona!”

You smiled and waved back at the younger members. Minho, the last one to get in, turned to you. “I hope you manage to survive meeting the others,” he smirked.

As they drove off, Chan edged closer to you and bumped your shoulder with his. “That went well, I think.”

You grinned at him. “Yeah, just be sure to let me know if any of them secretly hate me.”

He rolled his eyes playfully. “They like you more than they like me, but sure.”

“Just wait until I have them kick you out and elect me to be the new leader of Stray Kids.”

The van pulled up next to the two of you. Chan sighed. “Well, I guess this is it. I’ll see you tomorrow, Y/N. Or should I say leader-nim?”

His eyes glimmered at you in a way that made you want to take a picture and keep it in your wallet.

In order to keep what was left of your sanity, you turned to the van and opened the door. “Call me what you want,” you told him over your shoulder, “but can I call you mine?”

You took a seat in the van and watched his jaw drop before he started giggling. You closed the door and watched him as you drove away. He was still smiling and had brought his hands up to half-cup half-hide his face.

I could get used to a view like this.

…

Taglist:

(Bold means I can’t tag you, sorry for the inconvenience!)

@eastleighsblog

@detectivedoodle

@niaalove

@scarletrosesposts

@royal-shinigami

@peachbokkie

@yuhjoeyuh

@im-sinking-in-mud

@lex-black

@amara-mars

@usercaiskz

@plutoneu

@queenmea604

@emithecharmer

@wrrmnrr

@anxious-fruity-basket

@thatgirlangelb

@haikyuuisposts

@midnightvictorysword

@sirenthalia

@kaheizz

@jinniespuppy

@im-a-slut-for-this-man2

@freakinthesheets-excelexcel

@julciaqwerty

@linoboop

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godbirdart · 9 months

Note

You don’t have to answer this question as it’s probably dumb to ask…but do you know what platform(s) would be a good starting point? Particularly for original content rather then fanart? I heard deviantart is a good place where alot of ppl got there start on but there’s lots of art thrives and such.

don't even worry, it's not dumb at all! it's hard to gauge where to Begin in the vast hellscape that is the online world. i do get this question [and some adjacent questions] often so please allow me to use your ask as an excuse to post a few of my site rankings for various art things!!

for reference, these are the sites I'll be addressing because i have used them at some point within the last year. please note: my information on Cohost and Itaku specifically may be out of date as I haven't used them in a long while. naturally, this is all solely my perspective. i run both a furry/original content account and an anime/fanart account on most of these sites and run them reasonably independently from one another. these rankings are based on how well each account fares on each site.

I will be talking about Patreon and Ko-Fi as if people will only be posting paywalled content there. you Can publicly post on both sites, but for the sake of this post i'm only going to treat them as paywalled sites since well, that's kind of their purpose.

POSTING ART IN GENERAL

the A-tier list sites here are the ones that are most practical, with a decent member presence and little to no algorithms impairing your reach. the only sites here with any sort of algorithm are tumblr and deviantart, but i feel they don't ruin your reach that much.

B-tier list is mostly centered around popularity. there are massive audiences on both masto and twitter. twitter can be really good if you're posting certain content. mastodon has countless instances [read: servers / subdomains, however you want to call them] that can help narrow down an audience and like-minded people. for example, i use mastodon.art whereas many furries may use meow.social. you Can be discovered by people on other servers than yours.

C-tier has been sorted in accordance to audience. this is solely in my experience, but not a lot of new people are flocking to cohost and itaku. we also just hate facebook in this house and i will never give a facebook products a high rating.

F-tier: if you are a new or growing artist, putting your art behind a paywall or making it a chat platform exclusive thing can really hinder your growth. you can still do this of course, but you won't get as many eyes on your work as you would on a public gallery. threads is there solely due to privacy issues that Cannot be overlooked. i will not recommend it.

POSTING ORIGINAL CONTENT / CHARACTERS / NON-FANWORKS

here's how i'd grade these sites for posting Original content, characters, stories, etc. your best sites will likely be furaffinity, deviantart, and tumblr. i've put these three here for their tag use, discoverability, and audience presence. tumblr can be a little glitchy with its tags, but they DO function.

A-tier is entirely centered around audience presence. these sites are great for showing off your work, but they don't have the same population as the S-tier. mastodon can be good as the quieter instances give you more discoverability. bluesky has been THRIVING when it comes to the furry community as of late [i'm personally on there daily] - the only reason i don't put it as S-tier is because it's invite-only AND you need to rely on your work being found through the Feeds feature if you aren't an already established artist.

B-tier: useful, but population may hinder your growth. toyhouse is GREAT for posting your original characters and stories, but it is invite-only and not necessarily gallery-focused [it can be USED for a gallery, but it's not the main purpose]. you can also post stories and lore to toyhouse. discord and telegram are Good, but again it can be hard to gain an audience through sites that require invites.

C-tier: it is DIFFICULT to grow on paywalled sites with original content. cohost [to my knowledge] has been stagnating with the release of bluesky.

F-tier: threads sucks, the end.

POSTING FANWORK, FANFIC, FANDOM CONTENT IN GENERAL

S-tier here is sorted because of audience presence. while twitter does suck, i'm finding a LOT of success there with fanart. tumblr is The fandom site of course. furaffinity is great for a surprising range of fanart that isn't exclusive to furry, and deviantart's Groups feature is still going strong which can give you that extra exposure.

A-tier is: fans Go here, but the population or algorithm can make things tricky. instagram is good for fanwork but the algorithm and the speed that things are posted there can make discoverability an uphill battle. patreon; if you make comics or art with fan characters [especially 18+ content lmao] you can grow pretty rapidly there. patreon, like any other paywalled site, should be a secondary site and not your Primary posting location. artfol and pillowfort are still growing. pillowfort has a Communities feature - sort of like deviantart groups - that you can submit your art to which gives you that extra exposure. artfol is just a nice gallery site and the tagging system is,, decent enough. a little confusing because the tag system looks up keywords in posts and titles First, you have to tab over to hashtag searching specifically.

B-tier: invite only and audience reach. again, bluesky relies on your art to be picked up in Feeds, as there's currently no tag search. inkblot is growing but has a decent audience. ko-fi isn't as known as patreon for exclusive content but it's still a good site. mastodon has tagging that makes discoverability easier, but mastodon and its many servers can make things confusing for some people. itaku's not as commonly used so it may be harder to gain new eyes there once you establish yourself.

C-tier: posting fanart to these sites Can Work. toyhouse focuses on posting and sorting original characters, so treating it as a gallery site won't get your far fast. it isn't impossible to grow as an artist there, but the site isn't intended for fanart posting. i cannot say much on cohost here. telegram and discord, again, it's harder for people to discover you out of the blue unless you mention your server / channel on another site.

F-tier: fuck threads.

lastly, to address thieves,

thieves are gonna be everywhere. i'm sorry to say, but there will always be shitty people. i recommend the following:

watermark your art. not in the corner, don't just sign in one spot, place a Huge translucent watermark over the WHOLE art. i recommend making it a colour gradient too instead of one solid colour or greyscale.

also: sign your goddamned art! put your username on there!

post a low resolution when sharing online. less than 1200px wide or tall. 72dpi. JPEG format. keep the high res privately for yourself.

add a subtle noise filter over your art. it doesn't have to be high opacity, and it'll make your art a little grainy, but it's good for fucking with AI bots and ruining any print quality potential.

i hope this offers some insight! if you have a different experience on these sites, please feel free to add your testimonial in the replies or reblogs! not every artist is going to have the same experience and growth rate.

#long post #art website posting #art sites

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serpentandlily · 8 months

Text

Untouchable IV ➻❥ Preview

Azriel x Reader

a/n: omfg guys I really meant to have this chapter ready to go today but I’m last minute going to some oddities show tonight and still need to finish the end of the chapter. I don’t want to leave you guys thirsty so here’s a lil preview of what’s to come ✨

─── ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ───

“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” Eris purred, holding out his hand to you. His eyes roamed down the length of your body before they met yours.

You placed your hand in his, blushing slightly as he leaned down to press a kiss to the back of your hand. “Would you allow me the honor of being your first dance tonight, Princess?”

Azriel growled in warning from behind you but you ignored him, instead looking towards your brother. He gave you a slight dip of the head as permission to leave your post, so you let Eris help you down the dais steps.

Eris escorted you to the dance floor just as a new song began. You let Eris begin to lead you through the dance, one hand in his and the other one on his shoulder, as his free arm looped around your waist.

“It is a surprise to see Rhysand finally letting his coveted little bird out of her cage,” Eris whispered into your ear as he twirled you around the dance floor, a devilish smirk on his face.

“He can be persuaded,” you whispered back with a feline smile of your own.

“Does that have anything to do with a shadowsinger who looks like he wants to kill me more than usual?”

As he spun you around, you couldn’t help but glance at Azriel. He had moved from his post closer to the dance floor, to keep you and Eris in his line of sight.

His eyes were narrowed, his shadows spiraling around him like snakes ready to attack, as he watched you dance with Eris. You wanted to roll your eyes at his behavior. He didn’t get to be a complete asshole to you and then act all protective.

“It has nothing to do with the shadowsinger,” you answered, gasping as Eris yanked you closer just in time to get out of the way of another couple drunkenly dancing. “It was all my negotiating that got me my new title. So I suppose I’ll be seeing a lot more of you now?”

“It seems so, my Lady,” Eris crooned.

His amber eyes flashed to something over your shoulder and based on the smirk that spread on his face, that something was probably a certain fuming shadowsinger.

─── ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ───

#acotar #azriel #acotar fanfiction #acotar x reader #azriel x reader #azriel x you #untouchable #azriel shadowsinger #rhysand sister

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gliphyartfan · 6 months

Text

@yanderelinkeduniverse @stars-for-thought @imprisioned-in-the-hole @screaming-until-god-hears-me @crestfallenmermaidan @ice-cream-writes-stuff @linked-heroes @eternadreebliss

Hey hey folks! yes yes i know what you're thinking.

'But Gliphy! it's only been a few days since your last post! Is the world ending?'

And I agree! Buuuut I decided to throw something out there, a change of pace so to speak!

I present: TTAU Side stories! Or Side Stories in general.

The chain are still my main cast for stories. Most things will be written around them.

But, due to certain inquiries, a few characters were requested to be written~ Will that automatically mean I'll start posting a barrage of stuff for the side stories? Eh, probably only when inspiration hits me.

But I decided to have fun with dropping in characters from time to time.

For now, it's gonna be one character that a few people has asked for.

Will I do them justice? Dunno! I'll leave that to you lovely folk~

Anywho~

---

-----

---

The stench of blood was very potent here, enough to make his nose crinkle the moment he stepped into the area.

The soldier guiding Link gave his report as he led him through the mountain pass.

"This is the place." He said, gesturing to the entrance of an easily overlooked cave, his helmet tilted back to show his face. "We managed to lead him through here. Once he went through, the others distracted him while I sealed off the opening as best as I could."

The soldier stopped before the cave opening leading inside. There were crates and broken carriages turned on their side blocking the entrance.

Link eyed everything. "Impressive for one man. Though if what you said was true, blocking the path like this wouldn't have slowed him down."

The soldier sighed. "He seemed too focused attacking the nearest soldiers, I did what I could to escape and seal it off."

Warriors' eyes narrowed but said nothing of the soldier's careless admission.

"Very well, you and I will enter to confront him." Link folded his arms over his chest and gave the soldier a look when he opened his mouth.

"In the event that a battle occurs, I'll need you to be near so you can bring a detailed report back to base." The soldier thought it over and nodded.

"...Right then."

Without further ado, Link and the Soldier pushed as much of the crates out of the way and made their way in.

The cave was dark, darkening further since dusk approached. Even after stepping several feet inside there wasn't much light, it took a several minutes for his eyes to adjust.

They made their way carefully down the narrow tunnel.

...Warriors was uncertain about this situation.

While his memories of his past battles were convenient, he would be a fool to believe them to be absolute.

War was ever changing, no battle was fought with the exact method or gained the same result twice.

But this...he definitely would have recalled a situation like this. This was a new turn of events and he had to keep his wits about him.

After making it about twenty minutes in, a sudden loud bang echoed down the corridor. "I know you're there!" A male voice bellowed. The voice sounded angered. deranged.

"That's him sir!" The soldier whispered to him.

The Soldier and Link both stood still, not wanting to give away their position.

"Come out! Come out and tell me where she is!" The male's voice cracked, as if he had been screaming for some time. His breathing was loud, sped up.

His voice...frantic...angered.

With his weapon drawn, both soldiers cautiously crept to the end of the cave passage where faint light poured from a hidden opening off to the side.

An open space, the light coming from burning crates off to the side, otherwise empty, save for the scattered corpses of soldiers throughout the space.

From the state they appeared in, they had been hit a large blunt object.

There was blood everywhere.

It was splattered from the ceiling and walls onto the floor, pooled beneath the bodies of soldiers whose faces were crushed flat within their helmets.

"Goddess above." the soldier breathed, his hand clutching at his weapon tightly in terror.

Link looked on dispassionately. "I have never seen such madness." he murmured, his voice devoid of emotion.

A flash of purple caught the corner of his eye as he scanned the room.

He made his way towards it, ignoring the soldier's hushed protests.

When he got closer, his eyes widened and he froze. Blue eyes lined with gold stared back at him. Reaching down, he grabbed it brought it close.

He recognized it despite it's ragged appearance. Only one person dressed in such a fashion.

Suddenly the sound of something heavy being dragged across the floor caught his ear. Then there was a low groan of pain before it grew into a scream of anger.

The soldier looked at Link, anxiety written clear on his face as he raised his sword but Warriors, dropped the item and shook his head.

They slowly moved into the open area, eyes and ears peeled for any signs of movement.

As they advanced, the noises grew. Heavy footfall and heavy breathing.

An occasional whimper or whine as things were dragged around. The sounds came more and more frequently until, finally, a single figure came into view, slowly stumbling forward.

His hair was disheveled. Green eyes wild. Blood seeping from wounds hidden behind purple robes, dripping onto the ground.

Robes soaked in blood that was both his and not his. A large bloodied hammer being dragged behind him. His missing hood left his face uncovered.

The Hero of Warriors felt his heart jumped.

The face that stared back at him was one he knew.

But how?

It didn't make sense. What could possibly bring about this scenario? Why the hell was Ravio here of all places, alone?

He shouldn't be here, he was supposed to have joined up with them several missions prior.

(But Time had taken a different path as well...)

"Where..." came the raspy whisper.

"Where...Where is she?" His eyes were frantic and desperate, darting around.

Not once had he looked at Warriors, as if he hadn't been there at all. He looked right at the soldier, his eyes piercing into the soldier's.

"Tell me where...is she..." He growled louder, stepping closer even as the soldier took several steps back.

He looked around frantically, trying to find something in the darkness, find someone.

But why? Who was he looking for...

(...Could he...)

"I told you, I don't know what you're talking about!" The soldier shouted, his voice shaking as he pointed his sword at the unhinged man.

"LIAR!" He roared, storming closer, hammer being raised with one arm.

"You killed my comrades!"

"You all took her from me! Took me from her!" His voice raged, his path to the soldier blocked as Warriors stepped in front of him.

His eyes settled on Warriors, and his gaze became fixated upon him.

Suddenly Ravio let out a loud scream, and without a moment's notice, he swung the hammer at him.

Instinctively, Warrior raised his blade and blocked it as best as he could, even as his arms shook from the force of the attack.

"Tell me what's wrong!" Warriors cried, desperately trying to hold the sword steady as the merchant pressed his hammer against his sword.

Ravio was screaming.

"It's all wrong! IT'S ALL WRONG!!" He was screaming and fighting against Warriors, but it was useless. "I'm not supposed to be HERE! You took her!! She was supposed to be SAFE!"

Warriors' ears picked up movement behind him and he shoved Ravio away just as the soldier swung his sword at the unstable man.

"Who are you talking about?" The soldier snapped as he was pulled back by Warriors while he put distance between them and Ravio.

"She was supposed to be with safe! I'm not suppose to be here!" Ravio cried out, as if he hadn't heard what was being asked at him.

"I was there! I was waiting for her at the house! I SHOULDN'T BE HERE!" Dropping the hammer, Ravio grabbed the side of his head with both hands, shaking his head violently.

"(y/n)..." He groaned in pain, eyes squeezing shut.

Warriors felt like he had been dumped in cold water.

"What did you say..?" He whispered.

Ravio's head shot up, a wild look on his face that Warriors couldn't quite recognize.

He...remembered?

---

She was brave...

That's what Ravio's first thought of her was, when Mr. Hero explained her situation to him.

A world without magic. A world nothing like theirs.

At least there was a way for him to return to Lorule. But for her...?

But she didn't let that get her down. In her eyes, if there was a way to land in Hyrule, there must be a chance to return home.

He liked that about her, liked her more when he got to properly know her.

Her bravery, her determination.

The determination to keep going even when she had no clue how to go about things.

But that determination to return home didn't stop her curiosity.

Ravio wouldn't deny how pleased he felt when she asked detailed questions about his items. Even more so when it turned into a conversation about Lorule.

Which became a routine whenever the group came by.

The culture, the history, the economy, there was always something new she wanted to ask him about his homeland.

He was a bit embarrassed to say he didn't know too much about most things she asked at first. But she never made him feel dumb about it.

Instead, she listened attentively as he tried to explain the differences between Hyrule and Lorule. Happily speaking of her world, describing the vast differences between here and there.

They would chat about those differences for hours on end. Which turned to a talk about the people back home, which would lead to a talk about each other's hobbies and opinions on things.

Anything they both wanted to talk about really.

It was only when Link interrupted them to announce dinner or something else that Ravio would realize how much time had passed.

All those questions that made him smile brightly, and it always made her laugh. Her laugh was wonderful and her smile was bright and contagious.

It made him crave to have the answers to the questions he couldn't give her. He'd return to Lorule just to gather books on those topics and study them.

He dared to say he knew more about his own home's history and of Hyrule's thanks to her curiosity.

When she returned, he was eager to show her what he managed to find.

Though he knew she wouldn't understand everything he said, it was simply a matter of her asking enough questions to make sense of it

Her enthusiasm was contagious when she spoke, especially since she never seemed disappointed or confused.

Sometimes he wondered whether that trait wasn't what attracted him to her at first.

He hadn't realized it at the time, but (Y/n)'s arrival had changed things. Everything about Ravio had changed. Every aspect of his life seemed to shift the longer he got to know her.

And it seemed he wasn't the only one who felt the same.

Watching the way Link and his companions began to behave around her.

Their gazes turning softer, smiles forming on their lips when she approached. They would sit closer to her whenever they had a chance and listen attentively to every story and ramble she shared.

How they each wanted to spend time with her. How the group seemed so much alive with her there.

How they felt like they needed to protect her because she was important to them.

How happy he saw them being when with her.

Not that he didn't understand. Being with her made him forget about everything that troubled him.

Everything simply felt better when with her.

He wasn't some strange fellow who people looked at oddly. He wasn't a coward that many people would mock.

He was simply Ravio to her.

...He liked being simply Ravio.

And being simply Ravio meant he was more perceptive than most others. (How else had he seen through Yuga's shoddy acting when he was manipulating Hilda.)

So it was almost immediate that he noticed the way the others became...attached to her.

How they started to focus more attention to her whenever she entered the room. How they began to follow her wherever she went. Even when she wished for a moment of solitude.

How they seemed to care for her a lot more now than before.

And while it was true that they were still worried over her safety but that wasn't exactly uncommon for them either.

But the way they treated her...

They were becoming...possessive. And protective. It was almost frightening actually.

Especially when they acted that way towards one another, especially around (Y/n).

How they glared at one another with venom one moment, only to look at her with absolute adoration the next.

How they looked at her as if she were the sun itself.

As if she were the entire world itself.

...Not that he blamed them. (Could he blame them?)

She was simply...perfect.

Not to say she was a flawless person that never made a mistake. No no.

But that's what made her perfect, she was human. She was herself.

She was real and real was beautiful.

He adored the times when Link would ask him to be her company, when they had business she couldn't join them in. (Business that had them strictly tell him what areas to not take her to, business that had them returning with a faint scent of blood.)

He spoke to her, let her speak whatever was on her mind. He joined her whenever she wanted to head to town or wander the area.

And with some made up excuses and a promise that she wouldn't go to certain places and to return at a certain time, he even let her wander off on her own.

He had been nervous about doing so. Because (he didn't what to consider the possibility that she would walk into danger if he wasn't there.) Link had told him to always be by her side.

But how could he listen to him when she would ask him with a nervous smile how she wanted some time to herself.

...She shouldn't smile like that. It should be happier, more carefree.

He could listen to Link about many things. (He had done so much for him and his homeland, it was the least he could do.)

But...what was the harm of letting her have a moment to herself? (Even if it felt like he was being torn to two whenever she had to leave.)

Yet when he gave her his conditions and told her he'd keep quiet...

That strained, nervous smile would relax into one more fitting. One full of joy and excitement.

He'd watch her wave at him as she wandered off, Sheerow fluttering around him.

Her journal under her arm and a bounce in her step. Only returning to the house when she vanished from his sight.

He'd spent the whole time she was gone debating what excuse or lie he would have to give to Link.

But she returned, always. With that beautiful wide smile, the tension gone from her shoulders.

His heart was melting and he wasn't sure how long it take for him to recover from such a beautiful sight. But he never wanted his heart to recover. (Not when it was caused by her.)

It was love. That's what he, what the heroes, felt.

What other emotion would make him feel as if his heart was filled with an endless warmth. As if his chest was going to explode with affection, with happiness, with love?

He loved (Y/n), and he knew everyone else did, too.

He didn't think his heart could beat this much when he thought of her. Not this fast, not this violently.

It almost hurt. It was almost too much.

But it was never enough. He wanted more.

When she smiled at him, his heart was ready to burst. When she held him, he wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let her pull away. Never wanted to feel that cruel coldness that always came when she let go.

When she wrapped a loose arm over his shoulders when they sat together, when she drifted off to sleep and slumped against him.

When her eyes brightened when she saw him when she and the others next returned to the area.

It was him that made her have that look. Not the others, certainly not Link. (Perhaps not for a long while.)

He wanted to keep being the reason that she was happy and relaxed. (LookAtHimLookAtHimLookAtHim)

Ravio hated when she left, the world felt quieter, colors more muted.

But he waited patiently, because each parting meant she would return soon enough.

She always seemed tired when she returned, but Ravio tried his best to offer her a quiet space for herself. Her expression of gratitude made going behind Link's back all the more worth it.

Each parting meant a return.

When he last waved her goodbye. She seemed more quiet. She still looked at him warmly. Yet much more tired. Even as the others seemed oblivious to it.

But Ravio saw.

It lingered within his mind some time after. But he tried to argue with himself over what could have happened.

When he could think of nothing, he decided that the best course of action was to ask her in person. He wanted to help her, he wanted to ease her burdens, even a little.

So he waited for her return. Waited so he could ask her what he needed to do in order to take the weight that had been pressing down on her.

Waited so she could finally let herself have that moment of peace that had been so long coming.

...

.....

But she never came back....

No one did.

He waited and waited, waiting for her to return. Waiting for him to see the light in her eyes again.

He wanted to see her smile again. To hear that musical laugh.

Yet he waited. He waited as long as he could for her to come back but...she never did.

One month became two.

And neither she, nor Link and his companions returned.

'They...They're just delayed.' He rationalized in his head. From what Mr. Hero explained, they didn't get to choose where they went. So obviously they must have found a trail and went after that shadow.

Yes...it..it was a delay...they'll...she'll return...

Two months became three.

But no one came.

'What happened?' Ravio paced in the house, wringing his hands.

'Where did she go?'

He received no answer.

He got no response.

Only silence.

Silence that drove Ravio mad. A silence that only brought more questions.

Questions he could find no answers for.

(Why did they not return? Why were they delaying? What could possibly have happened?)

The silence was deafening and he loathed it.

"I...I just have to wait..." He whispered to himself, biting the tip of his thumb.

"I mustn't leave. She could return any day now." He shook his head, forcing his legs to start moving once more.

(He ignored the nagging feeling in his stomach that told him something horrible happened.)

He forced himself to stay still for a few moments. Breathing slowly. Slowly and deeply. Just...just until she returns. Just until she returns.

Just until she arrives, safe and sound, with a smile on her face and her eyes shining brightly like they had once before.

But the third month eventually led to four.

What happened? Why haven't they returned?

Had it been enemy? Had they've become trapped somewhere?

Had the heroes done something to her..?

Ravio's breathed hitched at the thought.

Why...why would he think that? He's seen how they act around her. Treating her like she created the stars in the sky.

They would never, never, do something that would lead harm to her.

(...But she's been so stressed lately.)

No. They wouldn't. They wouldn't do something like that. He knew that.

The heroes would never do something that could cause trouble between them and (y/n). They'd kill themselves before doing something that would harm her.

(But why did she only feel relaxed when away from them?)

He sighed, running a shaky hand through his hair, trying to calm the worry that plagued him.

They would be fine. (She'll be fine.)

He just has to believe that. They have to be fine.

'If anything happens, she knows she can always send a letter to me...right?.' he thought, had he ever told her that? Had he ever told her that even when traveling, she could always reach out to him?

Tears springing in his eyes as he buried his head in his palms.

What could have happened, what kept her away?

It wasn't his fault. He would never wish to cause her harm. He wanted her happy. (But he wasn't there with her all the time. The others though...)

The others...if they...if...he clenched his hands, taking deep breaths to keep himself from falling apart.

They...they wouldn't hurt her.

They may have become possessive, may have monitored her whereabouts...but they were...simply watching out for her...

...

...Right?

(But what if they crossed the line?)

A shudder ran through his body, his breathing becoming uneven again, panic starting to grip him. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop his thoughts from spiraling out of control.

No...there was no way they could hurt her. (They knew better than that.)

But...what (did they do) happened...

There was no way they wouldn't be connected to it.

What...(did they do) happened?

(It's going to alright. Any day now. Any day.)

Four led into five.

What (did they do) happened?

And on the sixth month, he's unable to bear the quiet anymore.

He sits at the table, head in his hands. He long since closed up the shop. Unable to think.

Sheerow resting on his shoulder, trying to comfort him even if the little bird knew it was useless.

He needs to know why. Where is she? Is she alright? Who took her? How did they get her?

The questions ate at his heart and tore open everything he thought he had been keeping locked away.

What did they do?

Where were they? Where was she?

(What did they do? It's all wrong.)

"What did they do..." He said to himself, voice breaking. "Where...where are they?"

There was no door opening behind him.

No one to come and greet him, to apologize for taking so long.

No warm smile that would have easily soothed away the pain that had settled in his heart, placed months ago.

He doesn't notice the tears that began dripping silently onto the table.

No one was coming. But he didn't want to leave and be proven wrong.

So he stayed there, staring at the table, letting the pain overtake him. Tears streaming from his eyes and the fear and pain in his heart only growing.

His knuckles turned white as he gripped his hair tightly, staring blankly at nothing.

Everything was hurting him but he just wanted them to come back.

His heart was hurting him but all he wanted was for her to come back.

What did they do....

What did they do to her. (He wanted to find her but he had to stay. He had to be ready for her return.)

What did they do. (He wanted to go but he had to wait for her to return.)

What did they do. (He had to wait for her to return.)

He couldn't leave. (He had to wait.)

(He couldn't leave. He had to wait.)

(He couldn't leave.)

And all the while, his world was crumbling apart.

What did they do...

---

His eyes were greeted to open skies and the sounds of battle.

..He was nowhere near where he should be.

(He shouldn't be here. She could be back and she would think he forgot about her)

He was in a daze as he walked. He didn't know how long he did.

(Why was it so hard to breathe? Why did his heart heart so much? What was happening? He shouldn't be here.)

He stumbled and hit the ground hard, shaking.

"Hey! You shouldn't be here!" He heard footsteps approach. Several.

"A civilian? Here?" "Where did he come from?"

".. need to go home.." He whispered. "I... shouldn't be here."

"Well you're right about that." One said as he stood before him, Ravio could see his boots.

Slowly, he looked up at the soldier who stared down at him.

"You seem lost little man." The soldier said, a mockingly kind smile on his lips.

"Maybe you should come with us to make sure we don't bring you any more danger."

Before he could reply another spoke up. "He's weird. Look at the state of him."

"Probably is sick." Another said. "In the head I mean"

Laughter rang out among their group.

The words didn't register in Ravio's brain and he blinked, looking at the other men who surrounded him. His mind felt fuzzy and confused, he could barely hear the words that fell from their mouths.

"you think we should-"

" don't wanna escort this guy-"

"-we don'-"

"Where...is she..." he asked quietly, trembling. (He shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be here.)

"Where is...she..?" The soldiers looked at eachother, then at him.

The one in front of him, their leader, chuckled.

"Aw, missing someone?" The soldier asked sarcastically.

(How could they joke about this. About her. She could be in danger.)

Ravio swallowed hard, the lump forming in his throat making it harder to breathe.

The man crouched down, smirking.

"You know we could help you find her." He offered. "For a price."

The group chortled.

"Where is she..." He repeated, his voice crackling. "Where..is she?"

He choked as he spoke.

The soldier leaned closer, staring straight into Ravio's brown eyes with an expression Ravio couldn't quite place. "You know, maybe this place has a bunch of dangerous monsters ." The man purred, a sinister glint in his eyes.

(Monsters? no no, she shouldn't be near monsters. She could get hurt...she could get hurt.)

"Who knows? Maybe she ran off, maybe she got cornered." Ravio let out a low whine at his comment, which made the group laugh again.

"That or she's dead."

'No. No.' He didn't want her dead. She had to be safe. She couldn't be dead. "No. Please, please...No." He whimpered.

The soldiers kept laughing. "Ohh. So sad. You must miss her, don't you?" He cooed.

"Please, don't say that-"

"Sorry. but that's war for you.." Their leader said. "There are a lot of casualties. She isn't special."

Ravio's breathing quickened, his body trembling violently.

(Her gone. Dead. Gone. Gone. She's not coming back.)

"What are we going to do with him..." Another soldier asked. "We have to finish patrols."

(She can't be gone. She can't. She can't be. She had to be safe.)

Their leader shrugged as he stood up.

"Where is she?" he repeated, hand reaching out to the soldier, only for him to kick it away, but Ravio didn't care about that. "Where is she?"

"Leave him. Seems deranged. Not our business." They continued walking past him, leaving Ravio in the dust.

(She's not gone. she's not. She's not.)

Ravio stood up, his breath quickening.

"Where is she.." He kept asking, His eyes widened, tears welling once again.

(Please...please, don't tell me she's gone.)

"already told you. Probably dead. Just accept it." Another soldier replied, walking past him to follow his friend. (Please...please.)

He gripped his head, shaking it.

(Nonononononononononono)

(She's not gone.)

He didn't feel himself letting go of his head. Didn't feel himself reach into his expandable pouch, the one he always carried because she told him it was always good to be ready for any situation.

Feel as he pulled out a weapon and turn to face the walking group.

(She's not deadShe's not deadThey know where she isThey are hiding herThey are trying to hurt her.)

He felt something inside him snap and suddenly, he shot out like a bullet towards the group.

The group hadn't realized what was happening, not until he was upon them, not until he grabbed the shoulder of the one who spoke to him and forced him to face him.

(What did you do.)

"Where is she." He rasped out. raising the hammer over his head with one arm.

"Where is she."

And He swung right at the soldier's head.

---

...What did you do Hero?

---

"What. Did. You. Do..." Ravio rasped out at Warriors. Frowning, staring right at the pale faced hero.

"You...remember...?" Warriors breathed.

(How was this possible? How could he remember? The probability of his sword brothers remembering was high, but the merchant?)

"Where is she?" Ravio took a step forward, never once taking his eyes off Warriors.

Warriors simply stared back, unable to properly register this situation.

"Where is she...? What did you do? Tell me, Hero. What did you do to her?!" Ravio demanded, slowly reaching down and grabbing the hammer's handle.

"..I-"

"Sir!" The soldier tried to step forward as Ravio grabbed his weapon but Warriors kept his arm up.

"You..." Ravio's voice trembled, "You were all supposed to come back. She was supposed to come back."

Warriors was quiet, trembling.

"I waited. But no one came." The Lorule merchant's lips twitched into a crooked smile.

"No one CAME! No one! Not you! Not her!" He laughed hysterically, pointing a trembling finger towards Warriors, "You were supposed to come back! You were supposed to keep her safe and happy!"

He let out a scream. His entire body shaking.

"Why didn't you come? You should have come back! I shouldn't be here!" He screamed.

"Ravio-" "Where is she!?" Warriors could only shake his head slowly at him.

"We...we-"

"WHERE IS SHE?!" He screamed louder.

"Ravio, please-"

"You promised!! You all promised to keep her safe! And you FAILED!!" Ravio screamed, he grabbed his hammer with both hands and he lunged towards Warriors.

"Get back!" Warriors shouted at the soldier behind him, dodging out to the way by jumping to the side.

"WHERE IS SHE!" He yelled, his head followed Warriors even as the hammer hit the ground, the impact breaking the surface swiftly.

"Please, listen to me!" Warriors shouted.

"I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!!"

Warriors continued to dodge as the hammer flew straight towards him. The force of the hammer hitting the wall where his head has been was felt even without touching it. A few stone shards flying across flying and onto the floor.

"Where is she? WHAT DID YOU DO!?"

Another slam. Another broken surface.

"Please! You have to listen to me!" Warrior pleaded looking back towards the other man.

"Sir this man is clearly insane-" The soldier was cut off by another slam, and another crack.

"Ravio, please." Warriors begged.

"SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SAFE!!!" Ravio screamed. He continued to attack Warriors.

"I'm sorry." Was all Warriors could say.

Ravio sobbed, "I waited and waited." Ravio whispered, "But no one came."

"Ravio..."

"She could be back, and I'm HERE!" He screamed.

"She isn't..." Was all he could say to the merchant.

"I waited," Ravio cried, "She could have been in danger while I waited. I have to get rid of any danger. I have to find her."

"So you choose to kill our comrades?!" The soldier exclaimed, clamping his mouth shut as Warriors gave him a sharp look.

Ravio shook his head wildly again, groaning in pain.

"I have to get rid of the danger. I have to. She's not safe here."

"The soldiers...were a danger..." Warriors said, his words calm.

"Traitors..." Ravio groaned, "So many, I have to get rid of them. I have to kill them. She wouldn't be safe here. She doesn't KNOW."

"She's not here. But this place is not a threat anymore." Warrior stated, "You got rid of the enemies."

"Sir! You can't just-" Warriors gave the foolish soldier such a fierce glare, the man stumbled back.

Turning back to Ravio. He continued to speak calmly.

"You did well to get rid of the traitors," He continued, "Less enemies to harm her."

"I waited..." Ravio whimpered. "I waited so long."

"I'm sorry you did." He spoke softly, slowly stepping forward, not removing his eyes from the merchant's. "But I can explain what's happening, I can tell you how we can find her again."

Ravio looked at him.

"Find her again.." He mumbled back.

"Yes. We can find her again." He said gently, reaching out with one hand to touch Ravio's shoulder. Ravio flinched before relaxing slightly.

"You don't care about the rest of the world. Neither do I. Only She matters, right?" Ravio slowly nodded at him.

"We have to get rid of any traitors here." Warriors continued, "Get rid of any possible danger to her. We have to make sure this place is safe for her, right?"

"They...said they didn't know where she was..." Ravio said, still hesitant but less aggressive than before.

"They said they didn't know...but I knew they were lying..." He shook his head, blinking repeatedly, as if to clear his vision. "I knew better. Traitors always lie. I was going to force them to tell me, but they were stubborn, liars..."

"So you killed them." Warriors finished, nodding his head.

Ravio nodded his head again. "I...She's not here...w-where is she?" He repeated, his whole body trembling violently.

"...She's gone." Warriors replied.

Ravio stared at Warriors with wide eyes. "Gone...?"

"She...had to go somewhere.." Warriors said calmly, "We all did...it's why you're here too..."

"...Why I'm here..."

"Think about it, why would you be here?" Warriors asked Ravio, who continued to stand still. "You've been waiting patiently for her return. Why would you be here when she hasn't returned yet?"

"I..."

"It's alright. Just think. Why are you here. You remember this place don't you? Do you remember me? How we first met?"

"..War...Cia..." Ravio mumbled, his breathing heavy. Warriors nodded.

"The sorceress, the war she began. We are currently fighting her. Tell me Hero of Lorule," Warriors felt Ravio flinch under his hand, "How can you be here, how can we be fighting her if you were waiting for (y/n) back home?"

Silence filled the room for several moments, as Ravio stood there and processed everything that was said.

His gaze lowered to the ground, his eyes watering. His lip quivering.

Finally, he managed to look up at Warrior, fear in his eyes.

"She's...not.." He whispered, trailing off, but Warriors knew what he was asking.

"...She isn't..." Warriors replied, eyes softening as he thought of her, "But she is not here. You remember when you met her, right?"

Ravio nodded.

"But if you think about it, that point in time hasn't happened yet." Warriors reasoned, "So if you're here, and the point of time when you met her is farther down the line, what do you think that means..?"

"That she's still alive." Ravio answered quietly.

"Precisely."

"She's not dead." He said slowly. "She's...She's okay?"

"Right." Warriors smiled weakly.

"...Is she really alive?"

"She's not dead. That woman is very strong."

"Strong..." Ravio nodded, thinking of her. "She is very strong." He raised his head.

"What...what do we do?" He asked, wringing his bloodied hands, the fierce aggression that had been behind those eyes now settling, replaced with exhaustion and nervousness. "W-What should we do now?"

"..First we needed to meet up with the others, it's better to be around those you trust when feeling like this." Warriors explained, "Then we can decide on what to do next."

Ravio stared up at him, slowly nodding before looking around.

"...The...bodies..." Warriors looked at the corpses around them, eyes empty of any emotion.

"What about them?" He asked,

"Traitors..." Ravio muttered.

"We'll destroy the entrance to this cave..." He answered, "Lie and say an ambush took them out. They were never meant to live beyond the war anyways."

Ravio nodded, appeased by his response.

He shrugged, "Traitors don't live past their usefulness."

"How could you say that?!?" Warriors looked over his shoulder at the sudden outburst.

The soldier had his sword pointed at him. "These people risked their lives! And you decide to leave them here and take that...that monster with us?!??"

Warriors raised an eyebrow, "I don't see how you care, you abandoned them to save yourself."

"That...is not true!" The soldier shouted back, "I went to get help!!"

"You all saw Ravio here, decided to be drunk on power and harass a clearly out of sorts man." Warriors stated, turning to face the soldier, "And when he took out several of your 'comrades', despite your clear advantage in numbers, you decided escape was the better option."

The soldier, who's stance became slightly shaky, stepped backwards slightly, "Th...those are not...true."

Warrior chuckled, it was not a pleasant sound. "Oh...you didn't think I knew about your little group's power trips when left alone with any refugees?"

He looked at the soldier, "No. Of course I knew about that, I knew about the bribes you took to lie about reports, how you tried to lord your status as a soldier to get what you wanted out of civilians." Warriors tsk'd.

" What Ravio did to your comrades ...that wasn't part of your plan, was it? You wanted to use you authority to take advantage of a clearly unstable man and when it turned out to be a bad move, you abandoned your fellow men to save yourself."

He chuckled lightly, "A shame though; I might've gotten something of use out of them before I took them out myself."

"No...they-I....!" He exclaimed, sounding desperate. "I did this because I was forced to!"

"Always with an excuse." Warrior stated, looking at the soldier steadily, "But no matter, I had no plans to keep you alive the moment I realized who you cornered."

"You...You can't!"

"Traitors," He scoffed, "No matter how many of you are taken out, sooner or later, someone else will always step in to take your place."

He stared down the soldier, "So killing you really won't make much of a difference. But I suppose extermination of insects never is."

The soldier trembled violently.

"You're a monster!" He shouted at him, "You are nothing but a traitorous monster!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Warrior replied, "How very hurtful...and predictable, you all always say the same thing when you face judgement."

"Y...You'll pay for this!" He growled, lunging forward at the Hero.

"DIE!!!" The soldier shouted, raising his sword once more.

Warriors stood there calmly as the man charged forward.

But his attack never landed.

The soldier could only let out a gurgle noise as a blade pierced his neck from behind.

"One lesson I learned when dealing with traitors," Warriors said simply, as the soldier collapsed to the floor, "Always bring backup."

The soldier let out a choking gurgle, a hand trying to stem the blood escaping his neck.

Warriors slowly walked over to the dying man, staring at him.

"Hm...I just realized." Warriors commented, crouching down.

"But what was your name again?"

The soldier's eyes widened, a flash of rage passing through his eyes, but just as quickly as it appeared, it faded.

Along with the life that those eyes once held.

Warriors stared at the dead man for a moment before looking up.

"Thank you for the assistance, Time."

"You enjoy making me deal with your messes." Ravio jumped at the young voice that came out of nowhere.

He blinked, and suddenly, a young boy was standing next to Warriors and the corpse, a grey, stone like mask in his hand.

The boy was familiar...

"...The...old man..." Ravio uttered, still blinking in confusion.

The deceivingly young hero looked up at him and nodded.

"I'd say it's good to see you again merchant, but I doubt you wanted to wake up here in the first place." He said as he reached over and pulled out his sword from the corpse.

Ravio twitched but nodded all the same.

Warriors stood up, dusting his pants, "Where's Sailor?"

"Getting the bombs ready to seal up this place." Time answered, flicking the blood off his sword.

Warriors nodded in acknowledgement before turning back to face Ravio.

"We're heading out now."

"Also, here." Time reached into his pouch and pulled out something large.

Ravio blinked. Oh, his hood.

The child hero tossed the hood over to the merchant who caught it.

"Alright then, follow me." Warriors began walking away, Time following.

"Will we...see her soon?" Ravio asked quietly, Warriors didn't pause.

"We will, eventually...but for now, we need to wait just a bit longer."

Ravio shifted in place.

He...didn't want to wait anymore. He was tired of waiting.

...But this time he wasn't the only one waiting, was he?

"If she isn't at the end..." Ravio said after a moment, "...then I'll kill you"

"...And I'd let you." Warriors answered as he kept walking. Time silently following, but the glance he gave the Lorule merchant said the same thing.

Ravio was free to kill them if she wasn't there.

Absorbing that answer, Ravio silently followed them.

---

Ravio silently stared at the letter and his bracelet on the table.

The captain hadn't informed him of what were the contents within, but he said it would help his counterpart greatly.

Tomorrow he would head into Hyrule to find Link.

The war had helped him get his mind settled straight.

Guided by the three heroes, he was able to learn control over his emotions, able to have a plan to focus on. It helped, when he returned to a desolate Lorule, one without it's Triforce. One where Hilda was manipulated by Yuga.

But not that he had a problem hiding his thoughts.

Who would expect cowardly ol' Ravio?

Ravio stared at the bracelet and letter. Thinking about everything that would happen, what could happen.

Just a little longer and he'll see her again.

He just had to wait a little longer. He wasn't the only one who prayed she was at the end.

He wondered how Link was handling this. A part of him worried for his Hyrulian counterpart. (Understandable really, to be away from her was utter pain.)

He hoped she was there.

Because Ravio, he didn't want to kill them.

Because killing them meant she wasn't there.

So he hoped, hoped that he didn't have to kill them.

He didn't want to even consider the idea that she wasn't there.

So he wasn't going to kill them. Because she was going to be there. He just had to wait a bit longer.

Whatever punishment he could come up with was nothing compared to what they must all be feeling. So he will meet his counterpart with an open mind. (Only when she was back, safe and sound, would he speak to him about it.)

He sighed, setting the two items in his desk and headed towards his bed.

He fell asleep early that night, he wanted tomorrow to come soon.

Because then he's one step closer being with her again.

...

(His heart still hurt. The world was still so cold.)

#side stories #TTAU: Side Stories #linked universe #yandere linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu #loz #lu ravio #Lu warriors #lu time #(y/n)#linked universe x y/n

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heartoreadallthequeerthingz · 1 year

Text

Little Omega and Their Big Pack

Summary:

Reader is an Omega AND a Little. Natasha finds them when the Team raids an enemy base.

Avengers Pack + Maria Hill, Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics, Littles are Known, Omegas have rights

Chapter 2: Cuddle time

Note: Sorry this is formatted like this, I got annoyed and just decided to post it.

Wanda POV

Yelena was practically vibrating in her seat when I lowered us onto the Jet. The only thing keeping her from sprinting over to us was Nat’s quiet rumble.

It was so soft it sounded like almost like a purr but it got the message across. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was trying to cover up her purr, big softy.

Y/n had burrowed into her shoulder, their paci gently brushing Nat’s neck as it bobbed slowly in their mouth.

She did go and sit down next to her on the couch though. The omega scooted as close as possible to the pair. I chuckled and made my way to Nat’s other side. Yelena set her laptop down and angled it so I could see Rizzoli and Isles too.

“Why aren’t the doctor and the cop dating?”

“They don’t want the gays to be happy.”

“Ah.”

I noticed Nat taking long blinks as she leaned back getting comfy. Yelena and I made eye contact before I smirked. Yelena grabbed Nat’s shoulders and I grabbed her legs. She grumbled slightly and Yelena let out a displeased chuff that quietened her. We gently maneuvered Nat so her head was resting in her sister’s lap and her legs were on mine. We then both started to purr softly.

“I know what you’re doing” Nat said with a sleepy glare.

Yelena just continued to purr and started to run her hands through Nat’s hair gently as the Widow pouted. Despite her resistance soon enough she was napping with our Little.

Yelena's POV

They’re sooooo cute! I wanna wake them up but lil omega’s probably exhausted, also Nat would kill me. I'm not scared of her but Wanda is very scary when she's mad. We have a Little!!! Aaaaand they’re an omega! I’m not the only one in the tower anymore! Peter is here sometimes but he usually stays with Tony and Pepper, it’s not the same. I wonder if they’d want to make a nest!

————Time Skip to Landing———————

Wanda’s POV

“Wake up Gorgeous we gotta make cookies!” I said quietly as I gently squeezed Nat’s leg and released my scent softly.

Nat grumbled and nuzzled her face against the top of y/n’s, eyes still closed. My heaaaaaart. I continued to nudge Nat in the leg as the rest of the team except Yelena left the Jet.

“It’s my turn to hold them” Yelena huffed and carefully went to grab y/n while releasing her own calming scent.

I held my breath as Nat shifted and green eyes flickered open. Sleepy eyes narrowed at Yelena’s hands and I stifled a giggle.

“Come on you have to make cookies, I can take them” Yelena said whining quietly.

Nat just stared for a minute, eyes flickering between y/n and Yelena. She huffed quietly,

“Fine. But don’t wake them up and take them to our floor please.” The spy said grumpily.

Yelena grinned and carefully lifted the younger omega into her arms. Y/n shifted slightly, seeming to take in Yelena’s forest scent before relaxing with their nose pressed close to her neck. Nat was just laying there and pouting. Yelena began to purr happily as she swayed gently while hugging y/n close. The older Widow’s lip quirked.

Yelena’s POV

My baby omega. They smell like pie! I love pie, they’re so sweet-I’m never putting them down. I nodded at Wanda and Nat before adjusting y/n in my grip and carefully getting off the Jet.

I made my way up to Wanda, Nat, and I’s floor, which I’m assuming y/n will join as well. I paused for a second before letting my omega instincts pull me to the nesting room on our floor. I gently kneeled down and lay y/n in the middle of the California King, on top of some pillows and a super soft blanket.

I then began to carefully gather pillows and blankets from around the bed. All of a sudden I smelled a small spike of nervousness from the Little Omega. My head shot up to see y/n sleepily rubbing their eyes and peeking at me through their hands.

“Hey hey, it’s alright. I’m Yelena Nat’s sister but you can call me Yeezy if you want. Nat and Wanda are downstairs making you cookies like they promised. I’m sure they’ll be done soon.” I saw their eyes brighten at the mention of cookies, same dog saaaaame.

Y/n seemed to perk up when I mentioned Nat and they moved their hands out of their face. I continued to quietly arrange the nest, not wanting to scare them. I smiled slightly as I felt them shuffle a little closer. I could see them leaning towards me with their thumb in their mouth.

“Whatcha doin?” I heard a quiet voice mumble shyly.

“I’m making a nest,” I replied, the Little was eyeing the blankets curiously.

“Would you like to help me?” I asked softly. They nodded and took their thumb out of their mouth.

I held out a soft pillow to them and they grasped it hesitantly. I continued to shift things slowly as to not spook them. After a minute of them still not moving I paused and turned to face them, crossing my legs.

“Have you made a nest before?” I asked quietly.

“N-no I s-sowwy” they said fiddling with the pillow and looking down.

“It’s okay little pie! I’ll show you! Omegas like to nest when they have the materials available. You can put the blankies and pillows wherever you want! We’re just trying to make it as cozy as we can.” Y/n continued to watch me quietly before shifting to set the pillow I gave them down.

I smiled and set more blankets and pillows between us, continuing to work. I watched y/n in my perepheral as they became more comfortable with placing things. I started to let out a quiet purr, slowly increasing in volume. I could see the rest of the tension leave y/n’s body. They began to place things more enthusiastically.

“What’s your favorite kind of cookie?”

“Ch-choc Chip!!!!!”

“A classic. I like snickerdoodles!”

“Sn-sni ka oodles?”

“Snickerdoodles!”

“Oodles!!!”

“Sure oodles it is!”

“Yee?” awww they’re trying to use my nickname!

“Yes munchkin?"

“Milk too?”

“Yes little pie I’m sure they’ll bring milk too that’s a necessity.”

We finished the nest and sat back to look at our work.

“Well what do you think Baby Yeezy? Is our nest ready?” I asked my baby omega.

Y/n got up, using my shoulder to steady themself, and slowly walked around the nest with their hands on their hips. Their brows were furrowed in focus, and I tried not to coo as y/n popped their thumb in their mouth (we definitely gotta get them some pacifiers). They circled slowly before taking their thumb out of their mouth and looking at me seriously.

“Is good!”

“Wonderful, how do some cartoons sound?” I asked, grabbing the remote when they nodded eagerly.

We sat next to each other in the nest with some space between us. I could tell y/n wanted to cuddle but was too nervous by the way they kept inching closer and glancing at me.

Fuck it. I scooped them up quickly and rocked them slightly before setting them down in between my legs. They were giggling softly through the interaction and let out a full belly laugh when I gently tickled their tummy.

The room flooded with her pie scent, smelling like it was freshly baked. Joy, I hope.

#caregiver natasha #caregiver wanda #little! reader #little reader #omega reader #alpha natasha romanoff #alpha wanda maximoff #omega yelena belova #mama natasha romanoff #mommy wanda maximoff

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dice-wizard · 1 year

Text

Hello everyone looking for a new fantasy tabletop game!

As it nears backer release, there's never been a better time to pre-order Exalted: Essence

Pre-ordering gets you access to the beta document and the early release backer pdf.

What's Exalted you ask?

Exalted is an epic fantasy TTRPG where players play the titular Exalted - humans elevated to superhuman/demigod status - in a wild and unique setting that draws inspiration from the ancient world rather than medieval Europe. Creation (the setting) draws key inspirations from the entire world. If you're used to having to make yourself visible on your own in other fantasy, there's probably some representation in Exalted.

It has explicit queer and trans themes about finding your people, creating your own identity, and having the power to punch back at the people who hate you. This isn't incidental. The writing staff is queer as hell. You can hear me break this down more here.

Curious to learn all you can? Well you can get a detailed overview of the entire game on the podcast Systematic Understanding of Everything hosted by myself, @presidentofbirds and @phillycuriosity

If I'm used to D&D 5e why should I pick this up?

Well, I presume if you're reading this post you're already interested in trying something new, so:

The entire game in one book. Exalted: Essence is self contained, character types, equipment, enemies and all!

An exciting style of fantasy that's different than classic D&D but like, textually gay, and very easy to have scenes like ballroom fights, epic galas, and touching homoerotic healing scenes - no house rules required.

But also, tactical depth and combat you can really sink your teeth into if fighting monsters and villains is your bag.

An excuse to use all your d10s at once

Character building and advancement mechanics designed to be familiar to a 5e audience. Characters "level up" based on story beats, and have Advantages, which are functionally similar to class and race features.

A world welcoming to most heroic archetypes, so it's easy to convert your favorite OC.

Extremely kissable dragons, demons, gods, elementals, ghosts, faeries, and unnamed ancient horrors

I'm a fan of a previous edition, what's Essence got for me?

Design focused on alleviating some of the previous versions' missteps

Virtues are back, baby

2e fans will find it an improvement from second edition's mechanical strengths - it's pretty easy to convert all your favorite 2e Charms to XS.

Streamlined versions of familiar rules to make it painless to introduce new friends to the game we love.

The Cliff's notes on Ex3's new Exalt types.

Did I mention it's all of Exalted in one book?

How does it play?

d10 dice pool looking for 7,8,9 as successes. 10s count as two successes, which can lead to explosive, heroic outcomes

Combat system designed to keep all players engaged the entire time - even characters who aren't focused on fighting at all.

Combat also narrows the gap between experienced and new players and players who want to win at RPGs and players who just wanna vibe so GMs aren't tearing their hair out trying to balance encounters.

Social system designed to resolve in a single roll so you can be immersed in role play and not interrupt it with constant rolling - without sacrificing a variety of social approaches

"Ventures" system for characters working on long term projects from traveling across the world to crafting magical wonders to building communities without forcing this to be "downtime" activity

Characters have access to Charms - exception-based special powers that make them extremely good at whatever they focus on.

It's easily my favorite game (and the project I developed that I'm the proudest of), so I'm excited for everyone to try it out.

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luckykittysshowerthoughts · 13 days

Note

I made a similar ask a while ago but i don't know if tumblr ate it or some other predicament (if you just didn't want to answer it that's fine too)

Do you think Michael had a childhood? And if he did, how do you think it was?

Omg I'm so sorry 😭 I was going to say I think Tumblr ate it, but I just looked back in my inbox and found it.

Probably what happened was this was sent during a bit of a semi-hiatus of mine. I got into a bit of a mental health funk and lost interest in Michael, so I probably just wasn't feeling it then forgot to circle back to this when I actually got back into the headspace to do so.

Anyway... enough explanations and into the actual question.

I'm tempted to say no, that he didn't have a childhood. This is based on some of my theories/headcanons regarding him and Barbatos (I still need to get around to writing that post @_@), and iirc Barbatos canonically never had a childhood.

However... that's boring. So, I'm going to go into some kid!Michael headcanons!

I imagine Michael's childhood having been relatively quiet and uneventful. The realms had only just been created, after all- there weren't very many beings around to cause problems, and things were only just starting to go into motion. Things started to get rowdy in his teen years, as the Devildom and Celestial Realm began to clash and he found himself leading legions of angels onto the battlefield, but his earliest years were quite unremarkable.

Michael was the first and only angel, for a while. But it didn't take long for him to get his first brother: Lucifer. The two essentially grew up together- Michael was a little older, but they experienced their childhood together.

Though it was just him and Lucifer for a while, Michael couldn't stop thinking about his siblings soon to be. Michael can see time, and got little glimpses of the future of his family. He'd offhandedly tell Lucifer the vague little tidbits that he somehow seemed to just know, excitedly rambling about their siblings-to-be.

"The next one's name is going to be... Simon? Or was it Simeon? Anyway. He's going to be even-tempered with the kindest smile, and he's going to love flowers!"

And Lucifer wouldn't quite believe him- only Father could know such things. But he'd chuckle a little and say, "Alright, Michael."

When the angels were just a small few, Michael would get lonely often. He tended to cling to Lucifer as his best friend, his first playmate. Whenever he got bored, he'd go talk Lucifer's ears off about something or other. It... was a little much for Lucifer at times. Eventually, Lucifer suggested Michael start writing down his thoughts instead of constantly subjecting him to them. As such, Michael got his diary, and has been religiously filling it out ever since. Nowadays, having that place to empty his thoughts makes him miss Lucifer a little less, and a little more.

Back then, Lucifer was the one on the straight and narrow. Michael was all over the place. He was the one who'd sneak down to the human world, to see rumored wonders like "stars" and "sunsets". He'd put off his duties like a little kid who didn't want to do their homework, refuse to sleep alone and regularly crawl into Lucifer's bed when Father stopped cuddling him to sleep. He took a lot longer to "grow up". Sometimes, he's convinced he still hasn't. Even if he's too ashamed to ever admit it.

#this turned into quite the writing exercise phew #so much for a bullet point list of headcanons lmaooo #at least it maybe makes up for the wait...?#one of Michael's biggest problems is that he loves too much. too hard.#hes very codependent #obey me michael #obey me lucifer #obey me simeon #obey me celestial realm #obey me angels #obey me headcanons

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octagoncalibrator · 3 months

Text

Nebula devblob Feb '24

This is a crosspost from cohost.

Thinking I'm going to start doing a weekly or fortnightly summary of changes on Nebula in a given week. Probably not going to be the most super thorough or well structured post, as I am a bit scatterbrained at the best of times, but heigh ho.

Nebula SS13 is an open source project based on the Baystation 12 version of Space Station 13. SS13 is a topdown multiplayer simulation game where you play the crew of a ship, station, colony, etc. depending on your fork and map, with the Nebula and Bay forks having a focus on roleplaying and simulation interactions.

Notable changes

Traitors (sort of like mafiosos in Mafia, secretly assigned antagonists) were getting tasked with assassinating their own informants among the crew. That has been fixed.

Quite a bit of work has been going into the fluid simulation. The current sim is a bit haphazard and allows you to use crewmembers or monkeys as sponges to soak up any flooding, since the water goes into their touching reagent holder and vanishes into thin air.

Lots of optimization work being done by Penny, mostly around initialization time, event registration/deregistration, and various smaller fixes and streamlining from her downstream project Lighthouse.

Outstanding bugs of note

There's a fun issue with the dev branch currently where, due to some changes to how atoms handle temperature changes, if you put a human in a 100C environment, all their blood will instantly coagulate into one giant clot. This has absolutely no negative impact on the human.

A serious client crash issue has been narrowed down to specifically trying to cut the tail off a humanoid mob with one. As soon as you dismember the tail, everyone within viewing distance will experience a hard client crash to desktop. This may simply be God's punishment; investigation continues.

Using an elevator to descend a level can drop you into a small patch of vacuum for unclear reasons. If you're very unlucky, that one tick of total pressure loss can explode your lungs. Use the stairs for now, it's better for you.

Current priorities

We have a few PRs waiting for merge into the 5th staging period, where we shake as many bugs as we can out of the dev branch before marking it an official release and pushing it to the stable branch. When those go in, we'll start r5 staging. Exciting stuff.

I'm working on some changes around enhancing the cooking system and the general experience of interacting with food. So far I've rewritten utensils to work a bit better - previously they liked to just teleport a chunk of food from your meal into your guts, bypassing all checking of petty things like 'can I actually fit this food in my stomach' and 'am I physiologically capable of eating this mint without exploding'. Next up: Soup(tm).

I kinda wanna add fishing? But I don't just want to use Polaris fishing where you click a rod on some water and wait for 300 years. Pondering how responsive a Stardew Valley fishing minigame would be in BYOND...

#ss13 #gamedev #nebulass13 dev

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ltleflrt · 4 months

Note

just send the op an ask?

I'm assuming this is in response to my request for gender tags on Tav and Durge posts for bg3 fandom? I hope it came across polite, I am not trying to make waves, I truly think it would be a good idea for the fandom.

You can't see it on this blog, but on my dedicated Astarion side blog I reblog at least 20 things a day, it has a full queue of 1000 plus a few hundred more in the drafts waiting to be queued. I'd probably get flagged for spam if I sent as many asks every day as posts that I'm seeing with unclear Tav/Durge genders lol

And besides! It's not always about stuff I want to reblog! Some days I want to just see the boys! Sometimes just the girls! Maybe I'm feeling trans or enby love, but how the heck am I going to FIND them if people aren't tagging them? The bg3 fandom is booming, and there's no way I could get through all of the thousands of posts to find the niche thing I'm looking for that day if I can't narrow down my search a little bit. Right now I do that by character or pairing, but since there's very little to no gender tagging, that's as far down as I can whittle it.

That's what tagging is for! It's for filtering stuff out, yeah, but the original reason tags were used on tumblr was to FIND STUFF!

Help me find your stuff! Especially since m/f stuff is a lot more prevalent, and I want to find my alphabet soup squaddies in the fandom too!

There are no traditional gender markers that I can trust in a fandom based on a game where you can mix and match the dangly bits, ya know? I can't always use the character name, because it's a fantasy setting, and many names are non-traditional. And not everyone is using pronouns when gushing about their baby in the post captions.

I have mistagged some things I've reblogged because I tried following traditional gender markers. A few of the OPs have messaged me and asked me to fix it, and I am very happy to do so. I love and respect your child and will correct myself.

Buuuuut, if you'd tagged them in the first place, it wouldn't be an issue 😁

Is it really so bad to ask for folks to add a gender tag? Let's get it started now, so that future fandom babies can go on tumblr deep dives and not get lost in the dark depths of general tags.

(To those of you who are already using some kind of tag, thank you, I see you, and I hope you find a pretty rock to decorate your desk with.)

#bg3 #bg3 tav #bg3 durge #astarion #gale dekarios #wyll ravengard #lae'zel #shadowheart #karlach #ltleramblings #reply #anonymous

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3d-wifey · 6 months

Note

can i get a list of your favorite lines you've written for And they'd find us in a week?" (posted or otherwise)

You added in my dms that you meant my fav lines in each chapter and sure!!!! but it's gonna be longggg and it'll only get longer. I'll stick to posted chapters so I can avoid spoiling anything and add to this post as I post more chapters! Feel free to send in your own fav lines, I'd love to know!!!!

Chapter 1

A few of these flowers are shipped to the Capitol to be used aesthetically, you’re sure. Such an odd thought knowing the rest are used here only for funerals.

Something neither of you had any real hope of happening, but you understood the gesture for what it was. He wanted you to bring him back to his family. So you protected it with your life, literally. And now he’s home.

A breeze comes through, shaking the leaves in the tree and cooling you from the humid heat. You like to think that it’s Cane’s way of thanking you for not forgetting him.

They mock your voice, clapping like you’re a dog that did a trick. You smile around the embarrassment. Maybe for your next act, you’ll play dead.

You remind yourself to make a conscious effort to bury the accent, sound a little more like them. The old you wouldn’t give a damn about how a Capitol perceives you, but the old you didn’t get pawed at nearly as much as you have tonight.

As a warning, you swung your scythe in wide arches, but he ran at you and the blade slit his stomach open. You think he did it on purpose, knowing how it would end for him. You put him out of his misery with his own knife.

“Have you been having fun?” He picks, certainly nonexistent, lint off the shoulder of your dress. Is your eye twitching? It has to be. You want to place a hand on it to tamp down the spasms, but, instead, your nails dig into his shoulder through his suit jacket.

“What? Are you not enjoying your time in our great nation's capitol?” He deadpans. Your mouth tries to twitch into a smirk and you smother it down.

You suppose no amount of muscle can combat an axe to the back of the spine.

“Touché.” He concedes with a nod, his smile still in place. Or at least you think he does. You aren’t entirely sure what touché means.

"So, you do know who I am." His lips shift into a shit-eating grin, preening as if he caught you in a lie. He’s probably used to people fawning over him, and that’s something you’d never do. Be that as it may, you can acknowledge that there might be something worth fawning over.

He tilts his head with contemplatively narrowed eyes. You narrow your eyes right back simply based on the fact that he did it first.

This, being with Finnick, is a breath of fresh air in comparison. He may not be Eleven or from any other district that’s similar to yours, but he is District. That’s gotta be worth something—some kind of kinship.

Chapter 2

You had tried to listen closely when he first started talking, but—well, okay, that’s a lie. Everything these Capitols say goes in one ear and out the other. Actually, it doesn’t even make it as far as the first ear.

“Finn!” Thank god. “I’ve been looking all over for you.” You exclaim in the most sickeningly saccharine Capitol voice you can muster. He stares with wide blue-green eyes, bemusedly mouthing ‘Finn?’ at you.

You only have a few seconds to wonder what the hell an eel is before Finnick takes your glass out of your hand and hands it over to the sputtering man.

That is a good question. One with an answer Finnick doesn’t want to look too closely at, though it might—scratch that, it definitely has something to do with your big watery eyes staring up at him ingenuously.

So maybe, he lets himself think, maybe you’re safe.

There's a small, prideful grin on your face that he doubts you even know is there. But he does. He is very aware of it.

You tilt your head, smiling up at him and his ears go warm. This is probably the fifth time he's talked to you and you've never smiled at him like that before.

You pout up at him and it’s the most unfair shit Finnick’s ever seen. Made even worse by the fact that you’re defending him. To himself.

Someone unburdened with the fact that Snow was right, they are more similar than he'd like to admit. Because Seeder may have a family that relies on her, but Finnick can't find it in himself to care. He'd put her in the arena himself if it meant your safety.

Chapter 3

As you sit in front of President Snow, you can't help but be reminded of that coyote.

There are dozens of white roses around you, tucked inside vases on any available surface. Almost innocent if not for their cloying scent. It gives you a headache. You’ve never seen so many roses outside of a funeral.

“I want to explain something to you, my dear, in a way you’ll understand. Imagine a wolf wanders onto your farm—you know what a wolf is, yes? This wolf hasn’t killed any of your cattle, but it has the potential to. Now, you could always get rid of the wolf, kill it, but that’s only a temporary solution. There will always be other wolves.” He scolds you as if you were the one to suggest it and not him. “Why go through the effort of killing it, when you can tame it—give the wolf a bone, so to speak. You earn its loyalty and it protects the cattle from other predators.” You aren’t sure you really follow what he’s trying to say. Are you the wolf? The cattle? You certainly don’t own the farm.

“I am in the business of making wolves happy. And something that'll make them very happy is you.”

You’d rather take your chances with the predators in the woods than the ones in the Capitol.

“Wolf, meet bone."

He's going to whore you out to the highest bidder. No, he's giving your body away like a party favor.

But they're just objects. The only thing that can hurt you here is Snow.

What more does he want from you? He’s practically squeezing a stone, expecting blood, but can’t he see you have nothing left for him to take? But there’s something Snow knows that you haven’t considered. If you squeeze a rock hard enough, you get diamonds.

"What's got you pouting, beautiful?" He teases, approaching you with a good-natured smile.

You’re so far from your natural habitat and there’s safety in numbers. Though, you guess you’ve never really left the forest, have you? The same rules apply in the Capitol as they do in the wilderness: blend into your surroundings and if a predator spots you, pray to God they lose interest.

You want to confide in him more than anything, but you need to be sure that Finnick won't trade your secret for another.

You've talked to Finnick a handful of times and only had two meaningful conversations that didn't involve either of you flirting. By all means, you shouldn't trust him. But you do. You really do.

There are too many ears out there and the only people that walk down this hall are Avoxes. And it's not like they can tell anyone what they hear.

“Snow…” You trail off, losing steam fast. Finnick stiffens, his grip on your shoulder as tight as a corpse’s.

“What did Snow do?”

"Finnick, are you...?" Your voice peters out lamely, unable to put words to what Snow is making you do, what you suspect he's been making Finnick do.

"Only a select few in Snow's private circle could indulge in my services at first. But once I hit sixteen," he shrugs with a mean smile, "I was fair game." Of course. You had thought Finnick was handsome when he first won, in that passing way thirteen-year-olds often thought of others. Obviously, it was a shared consensus.

"Who else is he forcing to do this?" … "You, me, and any other attractive victor with something to lose."

You reach forward, using your thumb to pull his lip away from his teeth. He looks between your eyes for a second and you drop your hand. "Hoped what, Finnick?"

He clenches and unclenches his jaw. "I hoped you were safe."

“Advice,” he laughs, short and brittle, “Yeah. Just…breathe and endure. It’s all any of us can really do.” His voice is angry, but his eyes are mournful. That’s definitely not the kind of advice you wanted to hear and you can tell it’s obviously not the kind he wants to give. But what were you expecting, some kind of miracle cure? That’s not the way this works.

It's different now. He's older and wiser, and he does still hate her, but no more than he hates every other Capitol. He tunes her out and tries to remember if he's had sex with her.

Finnick is a good actor. Maybe not the best, but he's certainly up there. Not many people could see through his veneer. It's fragile, cracks and instability on display to anyone who truly knows him—and even then, that's only three people.

It's an odd dichotomy to see something you love on something you hate.

Your mother lets out a shrill, throat-shredding scream, her voice only elevated by the silence surrounding it. This will be the last thing you hear from her.

But—you don't have to win. No one expects you to win and that...that thought is relieving. You aren't planning on rolling over in the arena and letting someone get a free kill, but this is something Snow won't be able to work around. No matter how hard he tries, he can't manipulate the outcome of the games. And he'll have no one to blame but himself, no one to punish. It's cowardice, in a way, but you're tired. And you think you've been tired for a long time now. You'd be stupid not to take this ticket out.

Most eyes pity you. You're essentially volunteering yourself to put your head under the executioner's sword. However, some eyes envy you. You're leaving Eleven. For good. For many of the citizens, death is a small price to pay for freedom. But there’s something else, something everyone in the crowd shares. There’s anger, a righteous fury in every face you see.

Is this the view your dad had? Are these the faces he saw before he was lynched?

There'll be many victors facing the guillotine, many of your friends forced into a death march.

You look to the sky, a quick glance before you're ushered to the train. It's a sunny day with plump white clouds on a baby blue backdrop. It might be the last time you see the real sky as a free woman. Calm and beautiful despite the carnage happening under it.

Chapter 4

That Avox is taking a piece of you, red smeared on white, and it'll be washed away. Absently, as if through water, you hear the door shut and you're scared that you'll never be whole again.

Your first instinct is to find somewhere to curl up, but the bed is out of the question. Logically, you know it's clean, you saw it happen. But it feels like a crime scene, like something died there.

The door doesn't look much different from your own. You don't know what else you were expecting.

You don't know if you've ever made a choice that wasn't out of necessity and you find that you want Finnick to comfort you.

It slides open to reveal Finnick with his sweatpants hanging low on his waist, his hair a mess, and his face painted in exhaustion. You can't help but think he looks awfully soft. Softer than you ever thought you'd see him.

"I don't know why I thought you'd be awake. I guess I just assumed...," You shake your head, having no excuse other than wanting to be near him, "I don't know what I assumed. I should get back to my room. I'm really sorry for waking—" "Wait," he calls out as you start to back away, "You can come in, we can–I don't know, we can talk." He generously offers, sounding almost nervous. But what about you would ever make him nervous?

Sleeping in Finnick's bed after everything somehow feels worse than sleeping on your own. Because it may be a crime scene, but at least it's your crime. It feels almost disrespectful to sleep where something of Finnick's died too.

If you were a star, burning bright miles and miles away, nothing could touch you. Not the memories that haunt you, not Snow, not your clients. Nothing.

Your eyes widen and you don't know what to say. There's a certain level of repulsive irony with the person who guaranteed your survival being the first person to treat you as something less than human. If this is how you feel now, you can't even imagine how Finnick must have felt. Fourteen and alone. At least you have someone to lean on, someone who's going through the same thing you are. All he had was himself. But he has you now.

"Don't downplay what you've gone through, Finnick. You don't have to put yourself down for me," You face him head-on so he knows you mean it, "You shouldn't put yourself down for anyone." He looks up at you again, but this time he doesn't look away. There's no point in playing a game of 'who has it worse'. That's not what you came here for.

How can he be expected to save you when he never saved himself? You're sure he knows there's no magic fix to this. But that's an answer you know he won't accept. Because…because he cares about you, he said so himself. He wants to take your pain, but it’s not transactional. Besides, even if it was, you wouldn’t want him to take it all upon himself. This pain is not transferable, this pain is yours to share. You’ll keep a hand on his wound if he keeps a hand on yours.

Maybe you can staunch the bleeding together.

"I'm sorry...I know me saying that doesn't make much of a difference, but I am." He's wrong. He has nothing to be sorry for, but the apology softens you. You scoot closer to him and rest your head on his shoulder. "Me too," you whisper. He hesitates before laying his head on yours, "I'm sorry, too." You hear a sniff above you, but you don't comment on it. You just let go of his pinky and lace your fingers together instead. His palm is rough against your own and it grounds you. When you're down here, pressed against Finnick's side, you're okay with not being a star.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe someone about yay high," he raises his hand about an inch above his head. Then, flips his hair over his shoulder dramatically, "Blond, built like a Greek god."

He's what you imagine having an older, older brother might be like. As such, it feels more than a little awkward whining about your pitiful love life, or lack thereof, to him. "Me and Finnick," you say, and, like the gossip he is, he hangs on to your every word, "There is no me and Finnick." Anymore.

"I'd imagine it's the same reason Peeta volunteered for you." He exhales through his nose like he doesn't want a reminder of what happened only a handful of hours earlier.

You aren't surprised, in all honesty. Looking back on it now, it’s odd to think Snow was right when he said he did you a favor. Because you’ve gathered secrets of your own. Morsels of information that you've coveted like rubies, plucked from the mouths of your high society clientele.

That entire inner monologue in 4 where you think about Rue and Thresh. Honestly makes me tear up everytime AND I WROTE IT.

And maybe, just maybe, it would mean they didn’t die in vain. All of your kids that you watched march to their deaths—their deaths that would mean something. Leading you all to this very moment. "Alright." You decide, as if there was ever any other option for you. Insurgency is in your veins. Your father was a part of the Movement like his father before him and his father before him. It’s what got him killed. And it seems like it’ll do the same for you.��

Maybe you're a little dense, but you don't see how that proves that District Thirteen wasn't nuked to hell and back. Some of that skepticism must show on your face because he sighs and sets his glass back down.

You ask. You already have in mind who you hope will be on your side. You think of callused hands and soft green eyes and wonder if you could ever raise a weapon against him in the name of the rebellion.

Friends isn't the word you'd use, but it's hard not to form a sense of solidarity with the person you often get requested to have threesomes with.

"With love, huh." He whispers to himself and smiles.

And you gave them freely, even after Finnick ran out of ones to trade. It’s odd. You wanted nothing in return. Sometimes, he gets a little ahead of himself and wonders if it’s because you like him.

It isn’t too far-fetched to assume that, right? Right.

To just call you a friend feels like calling an ocean a pond. It's almost disrespectful to condense it into something so lacking. He can’t force you, and everything you make him feel—into such a small box, it would only overflow and drown him. You are much, much more than a pond.

Best friend, then? While true, it feels too juvenile. He considers it and he doesn't particularly like the idea of just being your friend anyway. He imagines you introducing him as such.

“Oh, and this is Finnick. My friend. Only my friend.”

No. No, he doesn’t like that at all.

"Do you think she'll like it?" He asks her. He wants to bite at his nails as she looks over what he made, but refrains.

'She'll love it. :)" She writes and he hopes she’s right.

He can't help but find joy in the fact that he still knows you well enough to predict what you'll do. And he'll get to see you again. Really see you. He shouldn't be happy about that under these circumstances, but Finnick is under no illusion of being a good person.

"Kid, I don't wanna say this is sad, but it's not, not sad." Finnick rolls his eyes at Haymitch's unwelcome opinion. Should he be embarrassed to be caught in this position? Maybe. Probably. Yeah, he definitely should be. But he gave up his shame a long time ago.

"You sure?" He leans his head on the hand that's propped up on the arm of the chair, "Not even a certain someone from Eleven? What was that nickname you gave her—Star, right?" He asks with that same tone he always used to take on when teasing Finnick about you.

When he started turning away his clients' money, they were desperate to pay him atonement so their consciences wouldn't be weighed down by their sins. You came up with the idea. Money wasn't worth its salt to a victor. But secrets? Secrets were cashed in gold.

"You can't have fire without air, right?" He asks rhetorically. "Well, we won't have Katniss without Peeta. She won't help us without him."

And just like that, whatever illusion of choice Finnick thought he had is stripped away with the mention of you. Every path he takes leads back to you. What a heartening thought.

Abruptly, he gets a faint whiff of your scent caught in his head like a flashback. Hovering in his nostrils as faint as a memory. It is a memory. But if he goes through with this, maybe it doesn't have to stay one.

Freedom looks like being by your side, loving you fearlessly. Finnick's never felt true freedom before—the closest he's ever gotten to it was when you touched him. He doubts it can feel much better than that.

Chapter 6

You squeeze his hand. He squeezes back.

You say nothing to him as you edge out of the crowd and he supposes you don’t owe him an explanation, but it leaves a pit in his stomach to watch you walk away.

“Oh. Hey?” It comes out as more of a question than a statement, the letters curling and drawing out at the end like he’s just discovered the human language.

“Ah, there’s the blushing bride!” Haymitch half shouts—half cackles, halfway into a bottle of expensive Capitol wine. He ignores them, which only makes them crack up harder. Finnick is nineteen years old, and as they laugh behind him, he actually feels his age for once.

You take a step back from him. He didn’t even notice when he got so close and gravitated to you, he never does.

“I don’t understand. Wh–what’s wrong?” Because there’s definitely something wrong. Your body language is closed off. You’re never closed off around him.

“Do you feel like you’re settling?” He asks, doing, in his opinion, a pretty good job of acting like his heart isn’t hinging on your answer.

“What?! What, of course not.” You look at him like he grew a second head. As if his question isn't completely reasonable given how you're behaving.

The big green chair is the backdrop behind you, and it really is an enormous chair.

There’s nothing quite like being paraded before crowds of adoring fans while dressed in a caricature of your district.

You joke, but you really wish you were at least given some kind of underwear. It’s not exactly warm in here and that draft is reaching places it shouldn’t.

If you make any sharp movements, you’ll be flashing your ass to all of Panem.

He makes to lean against the horse but thinks better of it when she scuffs one of her hooves on the ground rather threateningly.

Your and Katniss’s whole convo by the chariots

There’s a fishnet draped across his torso and knotted low around his hips similar to how your skirt is tied. It’s very thin, with very spacious holes.

Your tongue will always remember the shape of his name, but you’ve forgotten the taste of it. It’s bittersweet.

Chapter 7

He nods over your shoulder to Caesar, who’s looking especially orange today.

They have him in the closest thing to a suit that he’ll tolerate and his blond hair is artfully coiffed. You miss how it falls naturally, and you’re sure he feels the same. The makeup they put on you makes you feel like a mannequin. Stiff and shiny, just the way they like you.

You and Finnick smile and greet the masses like you were trained to. You wave your hand open and closed, and Finnick doesn’t wave at all, instead nodding to the crowd.

He doesn’t ask a question outright, but you understand what he wants you to answer. What a pitiful beast you are. What else about you can we feel sorry for?

“Very sad, very sad indeed,” the room fills with sympathetic murmurs that make your eye twitch. You don’t need their pity, pity won’t bring him back. Pity won’t stop it from happening to someone else. If they used that same pity to stop injustices before they happened, then maybe these people would actually be worth something, “Alright, let’s get into some games, huh? Yeah!”

A clock ticks ominously behind you, probably a new fixture. It bluntly cuts the silence. You would have noticed that before. You think.

“My colleagues speak very highly of you.” He pulls a white handkerchief up to his mouth and coughs into it. It’s a wet, violent cough that rocks him in his seat. It must hurt and you know without a doubt that the white of the fabric is blood red now. Good. Hopefully, he’ll cough up a lung soon enough. He dabs at his mouth before pulling it back to his lap, almost like he’s hiding it. “You should be proud of yourself. I certainly am.”

“Come now.” His smile stretches across his face like a coyote’s, though it’s twice as sharp. You bite at the skin of your peeling bottom lip. “You’re a smart girl. You should be able to infer what’s happening without my telling you.” You do. You had just hoped you misunderstood, that you were being overly paranoid. After all, you have an intimate relationship with hunger, and not just your own. You’ve seen that look before, more times than you can count. On the faces of particularly crooked Peacekeepers, handsy landowners, and ‘well-meaning’ teachers. And now you see it again on the face of your President.

They all have something in common: they thought they were above you and your savagery. They thought you were some animal, that you should feel lucky that they even looked your way.

So distinguished, so self-important, and, yet, they lust after an animal like you? And you’re supposed to be the savage one? You wish you could enjoy the irony.

There’s a smell emitting from him. A smell you’ve only smelt in rotting animals: decay. The rose in his pocket and the roses around the room can only cover so much. It’s the poison, it has to be. All the poison he drank while getting rid of his political rivals has finally come back to reap its judgment. He’s decomposing from the inside out. The consequence of having so much power, it seems.

It doesn’t matter how much makeup or what kind of dress you put on a pig. At the end of the day, it’s still a dirty, stinking pig. You just hope, when the day comes, you’ll be around to see this pig get gutted.

From this high up you can hardly hear yourself think, finally. But barely, just barely, you can make out Finnick’s voice. You’ll always be able to recognize that voice. The sound is almost as much of a part of you as it is of him.

You’re whole and solid in his grip. You’re safe. God, you’re safe.

Neither of you speaks. Which is fine. There’s no space for words between your bodies anyway.

You barely duck in time to avoid the staff from hitting your head and Finnick’s grip on the trident tightens.

For as long as Johanna has known him, she’s known him in conjunction with you. There’s no point in acting like that’s changed.

“Good luck.” She pats him on the back with far more force than necessary and walks off with an axe in hand. Probably on her way to traumatize a trainer.

“Besides, if they’re listening in on anyone, it’s Princess and the Baker over there.”

Dear Finn,

If you ever fear the weight of my absence—close your eyes, take a breath, and feel me beside you. I’m still here.

-Faithfully,

Your Star.

Chapter 8

Actually, just all of 8 and 9. From beginning to end.

Chapter 10

They make sure to teach all about it in school, making sure students know just how far their district fell. Once a powerhouse worthy of rubbing shoulders with the best of them stands one of the most ‘primitive’ and militarized districts in the nation.

You remember what it feels like to be hungry. To be forced into the orchards to harvest pears, apricots, and Mandarin oranges—some of the only crops that can weather the cold, small hands stiff and your stomach numb with pain as you endured the freezing winds. You had friends when you were younger, other children that worked alongside you. Very few of them survived through the winter.

You have a system in place. You’ve been doing these deliveries for a long time. You trust them to distribute the goods to those who need them the most. Everyone here looks out for each other. Even if the kids aren’t theirs, an adult won’t let them go hungry if they can help it. It truly takes a village. You would know. After all, you used to live here.

What use is a horse with a broken leg?

“And you,” you lean back as she wags her finger in your face, “inherited that mouth from your daddy. It’s gonna get you in trouble one day.”

“Just start looking out for yourself more, alright?” She asks and you agree with a scowl, you refuse to call it a pout though Finnick definitely would.

You try to picture a world where the two of you ended up together, running the bakery until you’re old and gray—maybe if you hadn’t been reaped. But you can’t imagine a universe where you aren’t in love with Finnick Odair.

Seeing him sitting behind your big mahogany desk is akin to seeing a fox in a chicken coop. It’s dangerous—foreboding. Nothing good can come from it. And for him to be so comfortable in the spot where you write your letters to Finnick makes your skin crawl. It’s wrong. He shouldn’t be here, in the one place that's truly yours.

Under the weight of his unrelenting stare, you eventually shake your head no and it feels like admitting defeat. Like you’re not smart enough to catch on to his train of thought and you both know it.

“Of course, you don’t.” He tsks, disappointed. You lower your gaze, embarrassed. He stands and takes poised, measured steps to where your feet are rooted to the floor. He towers over you, literally and figuratively.

"You have mail." He smiles again, sharp and cruel in its kindness. It's still sealed, held between his middle and pointer finger, but you're certain he knows what the letter says already.

I got the picture you sent me. I worry I’ll wear it thin with how often I touch it. In the absence of having you near me, I trace the slope of your nose, the curve of your lips, the slant of your eyes. I carry you everywhere I go.

My hands should be in yours, fingers laced together. Instead, I use them to write to you now.

He glances behind him and spots the biggest fishing boat in the district. The Cod Be Ever in Your Favor. He scoffs.

He’s crossing his fingers that the old relic capsizes one day. He’s not hoping anyone gets hurt or anything, but he will be celebrating the day that hunk of junk gets turned into scrap metal.

He pauses, taking a few steps back to see…President Snow sitting on his couch?

“No, Sir, I don’t.” He lies, but he’s sure Snow will give him his own twisted, convoluted reason. Finnick is well aware that Snow enforces this rule because it keeps the citizens ignorant. Ensuring they only really know about their district means there can be no real unionizing.

Snow releases a raspy breath that might have been a laugh once upon a time and the water is getting hotter.

"Don't act daft, Mr. Odair. It doesn't suit you."

He's twenty-two years old—a grown man, but, suddenly, he’s fourteen again—sitting in that chair, backed against a wall as Snow forces him to sign his soul away. He’s still that scared kid. He’s never outgrown him, because he never got the chance to grow up. Not if Snow had any say in the matter.

“As I said, this can only end in pain. It’s up to you to decide who will end up bloody. The lives of thousands over the life of one. Surely, you understand that.” He doesn’t. Finnick doesn’t understand it at all. It doesn’t matter what the other option is, he’s picking you every time without fail. He can’t imagine doing otherwise, he doesn’t want to.

To love is to be human. To be human is to be flawed. And there’s no one more flawed than Finnick Odair.

“You’ve been around longer.” He shrugs as if it’s all so simple. “It only seems fair.” Fair. When the hell did he start caring about what’s fair? He didn’t even think that word was in Snow’s vocabulary, and, honestly, it still might not be because he isn’t using it right. There is nothing fair about this situation.

Snow uncrosses his legs and leans forward, a glint in his ghastly eyes. He looks worse every time he sees him and Finnick wishes he could get any satisfaction from it but he just feels as sick as Snow looks.

The words are out of his mouth before he can even comprehend them, mouth moving faster than his brain and by the time it catches up, it’s too late to snatch the words out of the air. They float between them and they are terrifying.

Snow nods at the idea and…and he realizes it’s over. It’s all over. It was over as soon as Finnick sat down across from him, maybe even before that.

“And Finnick?” He pulls away before Finnick can take it from him, playing with him even now. “Go easy on the poor girl. I imagine she’ll be quite torn up over this.” The water is boiling. The water is boiling and it’s too late to get out.

Chapter 11

I miss you, more than I was prepared to—and I was prepared to miss you considerably.

Tears are blurring his vision before he can read how you close the letter and he has to sit back as the full weight of what he’s about to do hits him all at once. Your words are like a balm to his soul, but they burn him just as much as they soothe him. A reminder of what he’s losing just as much as a reminder of what he’s fighting for. There was never a need to put a label on what you two had, what you were to each other, because it would never be replicated. It had always just been ‘yours’. Now, with a flick of his pen, it’ll be nothing.

Finnick’s letter

This doesn't make any sense. It doesn't line up with the Finnick you know.

You know what it feels like for your body to break. What it feels like to be drained down to your skin, nerves, muscles, and bones. You've come eerily close to knowing what it feels like to have your mind broken.

But this is new. This is what it feels like to have your heart broken. It's sudden, and it rips you apart on its way in. Not an arrow, but a knife. Quicker than you thought it'd be, but it hurts just the same.

You press your forehead into the desk, your body shaking with the sobs you’re holding back. It hurts so bad. Pain sitting rooted in your chest, sharp and rigid like a peach pit. Your heart doesn’t beat, it throbs. Throbs like a festering wound, irritated and infected.

You pull at your shirt and dig your nails into your chest. Maybe if you press hard enough through the skin and fascia and muscles you could pull out the problem.

But that’s impossible. There’s nothing there. It’s the absence that hurts, that gaping Finnick-shaped hole. You wanted to give him your heart, but not like this.

Here you sit in your study in your home that isn’t really yours, far away from any ocean, but you're drowning anyway.

You drown and you drown and you drown and you do it alone.

"My love, my star. My heart is yours. And…and if I had to pick a place to die, it would be in the warmth of your arms. Your smile, the last thing I see and your lips, the last thing I taste. Everything I have ever done, I have done for you.”

Caesar pouts at the audience as they coo at his love letter and he wishes they never heard it. He wishes he could have said it to you directly. Those words, they’re yours and they should have been for your ears only. And, yet, here he is, relaying his heart to you through a screen. Look how far we’ve fallen, Star.

You blow kisses to the crowd and they, understandably, go wild. You turn to Caesar with a smile and the overhead lights shine on you, painting your skin in soft lighting like a blanket. He takes a breath. And another, until he notices he’s breathing in sync with you.

"Oh, we all know just how shy you are." Caesar smiles, holding his laugh behind clenched teeth in that way of his that reminds Finnick of an overachieving beaver.

"Now, the last time we talked, you said you were composing a new piece." Caesar pulls a violin out from…somewhere behind him and presents it to you like a gift.

But every once in a while, you would compose a song for Finnick. And when it was just the two of you, you'd share it with him. He'd sit in front of you in awe as you played. He doesn't have a musical bone in his body, but he can hum every piece from memory.

He looks down, squeezing his eyes shut, nose scrunching as he fights back tears. Because as much as you may hate the instrument, you play it as if it's an extension of your body. And you've always been better at showing how you feel than saying it.

It sounds like a goodbye.

When you finish, it’s quiet before Caesar clears his throat and gives you a small smile that almost looks genuine.

Caesar pats your lower back and Finnick’s eyes narrow. “And you played beautifully.”

You hand the violin back with a watery smile and, fake or not, Finnick hates to see you cry.

Katniss spins and her wedding dress transforms in a flurry of fire before their eyes.

“Again with the fire.” He mutters under his breath.

The crowd is in awe as she spreads her wings, but he isn’t so easily cowed. Though, he might not be the target audience. Finnick’s never been particularly fond of birds, even if they are mockingjays.

He purses his lips around a growing smile, but he can’t hide it for long when the crowd starts shouting. That’s…that’s certainly one way to get the audience riled up. He catches the slight smirk on Peeta’s face as he watches the commotion he caused and Finnick’s a little jealous.

He hides the vindictive glee he feels at the riot breaking out in the name of the victors, but only barely. He would kill to see Snow's face right now.

How does it feel, he wonders, to see your people rebel in support of the savages you tried to paint us out to be?

“Stubborn.” He mutters as some of his fellow victors let him pass, glancing at him before continuing their conversations. But, as he’s said before, he’s just as stubborn as you. He racks his brain for something that’ll catch your attention before he loses what might be his last chance with you. “The message was for you!”

You pause at the entrance of the elevator at Finnick's shout. You're so close to getting away, so close. Your escape is a hair's breadth and a footstep away, but you remember how you felt sitting in your dressing room watching Finnick's interview. Was there a pang of jealousy over the possibility of the message being for someone else? God, it couldn't even be categorized as jealousy.

You look over your shoulder and his lungs stop constricting. He’s got you. Now, for the hardest part: keeping you.

Peeta dropped a baby bomb, and, somehow, this is the most dramatic thing to happen tonight.

“Finnick, this isn’t the time.” You glance between him and the floor, tracing the threading in his boots instead of the desperation in his eyes.

The entire elevator scene

Your dress flutters around your legs as you settle into a big green chair. That same giant green chair you sat in three years prior. You’ve both grown considerably since then. Just in two completely different directions. What a juxtaposition.

He nods, frantic and eager. He’s making headway. He honestly didn’t think you’d let him get this far. Your eyes widen when he drops down into a kneel before you smooth your face into a blank mask. “They’re all yours. And they’ll keep being yours even if you still hate me when I leave this room. Everything I’ve written since I met you has been for you.’’ He confesses, hands moving to grip the arms of your chair, but is it really a confession? The Capitols love his poetry because they adore the idea of Finnick Odair being devoted to them, longing for them and, for that, you’ve always been his inspiration.

“What did he want? What did he say to make you…” He watches you try to articulate your confusion. What led to this? What could have possibly been worth giving you up?

He doesn’t know what to do. Speechless doesn’t even cover it. His anger is there, and he doesn’t see that ever leaving him...but he’s been angry for so long and he’s been tired for even longer.

Of course. It all seems so fucking obvious now.

He shouldn’t be surprised by that. He shouldn’t be hurt by something he explicitly told you to do in his letter. Finnick shouldn’t be a lot of things that he is.

Your face twists like you’ve tasted something sour, something rotten.

And he's sorry, he's sorry, he's so sorry. He doesn't think there's enough air on the planet for him to tell you just how sorry he is.

I’d take that hurt from you if I could, he thinks. I’d grit my teeth through the pain and wear it proudly if it meant you’d have a moment of relief. He doesn’t say any of that. Instead, he says, "I'm sorry, Star." Because, really, what else is there to say? There’s no way to describe everything he’s sorry for.

“The song I played onstage. I wrote it after it all happened. Honestly, I couldn’t touch the violin without thinking of you, Finn. You were the only person I ever wanted to play for.” You whisper and it feels like he’s been punched in the stomach. Finnick’s taken by the sudden need to look in your eyes more than anything, to see and know you and be seen and known in return. He pulls back enough to look down at you.

#3d wifey talks #3d wifey answers #finnick odair #finnick odair x reader #hunger games catching fire #and they'd find us in a week #finnick odair fanfic #finnick fanfic #finnick #finnick x reader

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Text

'Black Wedding' Story Event: Chapter 1

William's Route

I do not own any of the Ikemen Series content being uploaded on this blog, everything belongs to CYBIRD. Please support them by playing their games and buying stories. Not 100% accurate, expect mistakes.

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On a peaceful early afternoon, long fingers danced across the black and white keys on the piano.

(... It sounds so beautiful. I love listening to Will play the piano.)

While I was captivated by the beautiful tune, my lover, the King of Self-Righteousness, spoke in a way that sounded like he was singing along to the tunes he played on the piano.

William: Kate, why don’t you marry me?

Kate: …

(Me and William. Married?)

The words that came from those shapely lips were so sudden that my words caught in my throat.

William: Oya, did I just get rejected?

Kate: T—

Kate: That’s not what I mean!

William: Hmm?

Kate: I was just surprised by how sudden it was…

(I think my heart nearly stopped beating…)

I placed my hand over my heart that was still going crazy, William looked at me and laughed.

William: Then we’ll wait till you’ve calmed down from the surprise.

(Getting married to William.)

I felt like I had been misled by those words that came out of his mouth…

(William loves freedom, I can’t believe he proposed the idea of marriage…)

Kate: Is there a reason for why you said that all of a sudden?

William: You’re as smart as ever.

William: While conducting investigations with Victor, we got some information on an organisation named “Amour”.

William: They’re based in a church, and claim to be able to “make love last for eternity”...

William: There have been several cases where the couples who approached that church in search of eternal love never returned.

Kate: … They never returned? Could it be…

William: It’s not that they never returned, but rather they can’t. They've probably been killed.

(What the…)

William: The killer is the head of the organisation, the Founder.

Kate: Why would he take those innocent lives…?

William: I wonder…?

(William definitely knows why.)

He shrugged his shoulders and didn't say a thing, the look in his eyes told me “if you want to know, find out for yourself”.

(Of course… that’s the plan.)

Will smiled in response to that implicit murmur and narrowed his eyes.

Kate: Whatever his reason may be, it’s Crown’s duty to condemn evil with evil, so that there won't be any more victims.

Kate: And as a fairytale writer… it’s my duty to write that down in the records.

William: Yes. That’s my lovely little robin.

His smile was so charming and uplifting.

(Whenever he looks at me like this, I feel like I can accomplish anything.)

He was the only person in this world who could make me feel that way.

Kate: So what does us getting married have to do with punishing Amour for their sins?

William: Amour holds weddings as the ceremony to grant couples eternal love.

William: And it appears that the Founder, who is the root of the problem, will only show himself then.

William: He’s so thorough in hiding, it’s clear that he has a guilty conscience.

Kate: So you're saying that we’ll infiltrate the organisation and have our “wedding”...

Kate: Then lure the Founder out?

William: That’s right. … Hearing the details might change your mind.

Kate: Huh…?

Will narrowed his eyes and twirled my hair around his finger.

William: The kiss of oath might turn into a bloodbath.

William: If having an upright wedding is your dream, it’s still not too late to turn back.

Will smiled while offering me an escape route.

(In the past, the message he’s trying to convey would’ve really been “you can do as you please”.)

(But now, perhaps…)

(He just wants to hear me tell him myself what I want.)

This selfish king with red eyes enjoyed loving my desires.

Kate: Of course I won’t turn back. I want to have that wedding ceremony with you.

Kate: Even if we get drenched in blood… that would be wonderful because it’d be a kiss of oath to never forget.

Will smiled happily and kissed the locks of hair he was fidgeting with.

William: … Then it’s decided.

…

While getting myself ready for our mission, I smiled as I thought back to what happened earlier.

(I never expected to ever hear Will ask me “will you marry me?”)

The thought of having a wedding ceremony was making me nervous, even though it was a pretend one.

And then it hit me.

(This… this is the first time I’ve been conscious about the possibility of marrying Will.)

I loved him so much that I was willing to give him my everything, both my body and soul.

(Maybe it’s because we’ve had many much more important things to be concerned about?)

He was destined to be destroyed one day.

As someone who loved him, I was bound to be consumed by that fate as long as I stayed by his side.

I was desperate to accept that reality, love each other, and remain by his side until the day I died.

(But what if we were to have a real wedding…?)

A wedding was a sacred ceremony for a couple to vow their love to each other.

For us, who have chosen to live in the darkness — who and what do we vow to?

…

Kate: … This church is beautiful…

The organisation was based in a church located outside of London.

The air of tranquillity made it feel as if it was a painting.

(I can’t believe people are being killed here…)

William: A dangerous organisation that reeks of blood, and having a pretend wedding with a villain…

William: … A rather pervasive situation you’re in. How are you feeling?

Kate: Honestly, I’m feeling nervous… but I’m also a little excited.

Kate: Of course, I’ll be careful not to put you in danger.

William: Fufu, my knight is still going strong today.

Kate: Kya…

He put his arm around my waist and pulled me to him like we were in a dance.

William: Like this, let’s show off to our hearts content.

Kate: Show off… show what off?

William: That we’re in love with each other.

William: Oh, I didn't tell you? Not everyone can hold their wedding here.

William: The followers of Amour have to acknowledge that we “truly love each other”.

William: We can’t just have a wedding.

Kate: So does that mean… our mission is a failure if we don't get acknowledged as lovers?

Will gave me an affirmative smile.

Kate: Then… we should flirt as much as we want… right?

(Flirting in front of others… that’s kind of embarrassing.)

(It’s to be able to spend time with Will while on a mission.)

William: Just do what you always do.

William: There won’t be any problems as long as you keep showing how adorable you are with your bright red whenever I hug you like this, Kate.

Kate: …!?

Will gave me a quick peck and let go of me.

William: Let’s go.

Kate: A-Alright…

(Will my heart… survive till the end of this mission?)

…

Cultist: Thank you very much for coming to our church.

Upon arriving at the chapel, we were greeted by several cultists dressed in white.

At first glance, they appeared good-hearted because of their calm smiles.

(But… all of their eyes aren't smiling. It looks as if their smiles are plastered onto their faces.)

According to Will, the main culprit who was doing the killings was the Founder.

Here, the Founder’s orders were absolute, and the cultists seemed to be blindly following them.

Cultist: So the two of you are looking to hold your wedding here.

William: Yes. I want to take her freedom away, so that my adorable lover can never fly away from me ever.

William winked.

My heart pounded hard upon hearing those words that William would never say, even if he really considered that.

(You're saying that sort of thing in this situation whereby there's no telling what’s true or false… that's not fair.)

Kate: I… I want to devote my entire life to him.

Kate: And… I want all of his “love”.

(What I just said is the truth, Will.)

William: …

As I spoke while looking into Will’s eyes, I saw his gaze grow passionate.

(Ah…)

It wasn’t an act, that gaze expressed his genuine love for me.

William: You should be more selfish, my bride.

#ikemen villains #ikemen series #cybird ikemen #cybird otome #otome #ikevil story event #niki translates

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