#but gem has not yet seen the tag thing when I received this so | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

spaghettificationandpretzels · 1 year

Note

Ugh! This may have been the hardest decision I've had to make this week, I feel like this is its own delicious form of torture. You're an absolute gem.

🪅🎊🪅🎊🪅🎊🪅

So after a few rounds of consideration I think it's time to front up to the register and request ...

🍭 Happy Lowman

🍫 competency kink (your choice)

🧁 praise kink

🍬 manhandling

🍩 hand on neck (no choking)

🎊🪅🎊🪅🎊🪅🎊

Pretty, pretty please and thank you. 🥺

And in terms of payment will the promise of my undying praise & adoration of your creation be enough? 😍🥳❤

Masterlist

Can be read as a standalone or as part 3 of Give Me Shelter

Fixer Upper

Contains: Fluff, Dom Happy Lowman/sub Reader, competency kink, praise kink, manhandling, hand on neck no choking, oral sex (M receiving) fingering, P in V, aftercare.

1.6K words

Comment if you want to be tagged/removed or follow #sp's kinkfest pick and mix

You help Happy at work

"I can't believe they left you here with all of this."

Happy smiled, "it's alright little girl, I've got you to help me."

You smiled, "yep, as much as I have no idea what I'm going, I think you'll be a good teacher."

He smiled, "can you hand me that part?" He pointed over to the table at what looked like those fans you find in a warehouse.

"This bit?"

He smiled as you passed it to him, "yep."

He looked it over with an unimpressed look on his face, "what's wrong my love?"

He frowned, "the customer had this made and the person has done a shit job, I've got to redrill half these holes."

You tilted your head, "how can you know that but just looking at it?"

He came over to you and put the part in front of your face, pointing to the holes, "see how these are rough?"

You nodded, "they're meant to be smooth and I can tell by the way the metal looks that the drill wasn't the right one so if I don't redo them, they'll loosen over time."

Happy took the part over to the drill and you followed him, "can I watch?"

He smiled and handed you a pair of safety glasses off the shelf, "sure but safety first." You put the glasses on and Happy pressed a kiss to the tip of your nose, "very cute."

He started the drill and you watched the concentration come over his face, Happy seemed to be watching you just as much as the power tool because his smile grew, as he finished, he put the part down on the table and met your eyes, "you having fun?"

You nodded, "of course I am."

"You wanna tell me why?"

You smiled at him, big and wide, "sure, but lunch first."

Happy hadn't stopped smiling since the garage, his face a wide grin as you put his lunch in front of him, "what's gotten into you?" I don't think anyone has seen you smile this much."

He shrugged, "I just like having you with me." It was said so casually and yet you believed every word.

"I like being with you too."

He reached across the table and took your hand in his, "I thought working on cars with me would be the last thing you would want to do on your day off?"

You shook your head, "no way, I love watching you fix cars."

He smiled, "why?"

His thumb rubbed the back of your palm, "because you're good at it and I can tell you enjoy it. It's no different from watching a painter or a dancer."

"So you don't want a wall street banker?"

You snorted, "I'd rather not crawl into bed with a soulless monster every night thank you very much."

He laughed, "so you're alright with the fact that we'll never be rich? You work in an animal shelter, it's not like you make bank."

You squeezed his hand, "if I've got you, I don't need money."

"I'm a lucky man."

You huffed, "yeah, well we've got the whole day to ourselves and I'm going to be stuck to you like an orphaned kitten, you might not think that when I've asked you the same question twenty times."

Happy chuckled, "I can't wait."

****

Happy didn't lie, he answered all your questions with a smile on his face. The sun was about to set by the time he had gotten through all the work for that day. "When are the guys back?"

Happy washed the oil off his hands, "we still got a while."

You walked up to him and took his head in your hands, "I had so much fun today."

"So did I." He kissed you, his lips soft and affectionate against yours.

"You've been so good for me today, would you like a reward?"

You rubbed his nose with yours, "I'd like that very much." He kissed you again, more forceful this time and then he was walking you towards the bench and throwing you onto it.

"How's that?"

You smiled, "well, if that's it then that's not much of a reward."

He buried his face in your neck and nibbled your skin, "that's not it little girl." His hands moved to your top as he buttoned it, his hands stroking your skin as it was exposed to his gaze. "My good girl, you're so good for me." His lips went soft again as he removed your pants, the late day sunlight coming in for the thin slit under the closed garage door making your skin glow.

You put a hand on his chest and he paused, "is something wrong?"

You shook your head, "no, I just wanted to thank you too." You pushed him a little harder and he stepped back then you dropped to your knees, Happy's hands going to stoke your cheek as you opened his pants.

"You're so good for me."

You smiled up and him and pulled his jeans down with his boxers, his hard cock popping free and hitting his stomach, "may I?"

Happy snorted, "may I? You don't need to ask my polite girl." You took his cock in your hand and held the base while your tongue circled the head, Happy gasping and you sucked the head into your mouth.

"That's it, you're so good at that." Your moan at his praise had him gripping your shoulder with force, just enough to bruise but not enough to hurt. Praised poured out of his mouth as you worked him up but before you could take him past the edge, he was yanking you to your feet, "we ain't done yet little girl."

He tossed you back on the bench and tore your jeans off then ripped your panties down the middle and threw them over his shoulder, "someone is going to need to pick that up."

He shrugged, "I'll get the prospect to do it." You giggled, "you want the prospect to see my ripped panties?"

His eyebrows wrinkled, "on second thought, I'll pick them up when we're done here."

He lifted one of your legs and put it on the bench, opening you up so he had full access then his fingers were drifting down your body to your core. He looked to you for consent and you smiled, "please."

He smiled back and ran his fingers through your centre, smiling when he found you wet, "my good girl, I love you so much."

He nuzzled his cheek to yours as, "I love you too Hap."

He kissed you as he slid two fingers inside you and placed his thumb on your clit, "there you go, that feel good?" You whimpered as he crooked his fingers and rubbed your G-spot.

"Hap, please."

He other hand came up to hold you face, "I'll give you what you need, don't worry." He wasn't lying, his thumb sped up and he poured every one of love into a kiss on your lips and you came around his fingers.

"Good girl." You smiled as he stepped back, "you want this?"

You nodded, "tell me what you'll say if you want me to stop."

His face was soft was he waited for your answer, "stop, I don't like this, I want to do something different."

Happy nodded, "good girl, and if your mouth is occupied?" You tapped the table twice then reached out and tapped his arm. "That's right, my smart girl, always so good at telling me what you need."

He kissed you one last time before spinning your around, shoving your chest to the bench and tapping your calf with his foot so you spread them open. He stepped forward and garbed his cock, rubbing it up and down your slit before sliding inside you with a grunt, "fuck, you're so fucking tight and wet." You moaned as his hand came around your body to rub your clit, his hips thrusting in a focused roll.

"Fuck you feel so good." Happy shifted, tapping your hand and placing it on his forearm before placing his hand over your neck as his hips sped up, "tap if you need me to let go." You nodded as best you could with his huge hands around your neck, "good girl." You felt so trapped but so safe, you don't think there was a person alive who wouldn't second guess having Happy's hand around their neck and yet you felt so held.

"Please, I need more."

Happy smirked against your shoulder, "I can do that." His hips slammed into yours as his lips pressed to your back, "come on, be a good girl and cum for me." You gasped as he put all his weight into a thrust, the hand on your neck keeping you grounded as you came. Happy followed soon after grunting like an animal as he coated your walls. His hand left your neck and squeezed your shoulder gently, rubbing the tension out from holding you at a strange angle.

"You good little girl?" You sighed and spun around, resting your head on his bicep as it caged you.

"I'm good, are you?"

He smiled, "I'm great." He stood up and took your hand, pulling you into his arms and holding you against him while your legs regained their strength.

"We should go for a shower."

You kissed his neck, "yeah, we're both all gross and you're still wearing your shirt."

He chuckled, "yeah. We better hurry up before the others get back."

He handed you his hoodie as you weren't totally naked, "I'll get you a change of clothes out of your car, you start the shower."

"Thanks Hap. I love you."

He kissed you again, his hand lingering on your face, "love you too little girl."

Fin

#sp's kinkfest pick and mix #happy lowman fanfiction #happy lowman #happy lowman x reader #happy lowman imagine #david labrava #sons of anarchy #sons of anarchy fluff #sons of anarchy fanfiction #sons of anarchy imagine #samcro #soa #happy lowman x you

76 notes · View notes

kelp-my-beloved · 2 years

Text

More Empires fic recs

It's me again. This are a few of my favourite empires fics in ao3, this time multichaptered edition. This are all completed, both from s1 and s2, and in no particular order. Fics under the readmore, enjoy!

Four Reasons Why I'm Broken (And Why That's Okay), by Useless_Bisexual123: "False is paranoid. False has memory problems. False doubts herself. False gets nightmares. But maybe, just maybe, that's alright."

Rating: T Archive Warnings: GDV Chapters: 3/3 Words: 7384

This was one of the first fics I read about Empires!False, and Im absolutely in love with her characterisation in here. She's tired, stressed, and I love her for this. The writting is so good too, and before I realised I had read the entire thing in one sitting. Also, Lizzie is here, and every paragraph she's in had me either dying in laughter or was just too cute. Just. I love this.

Shifting Perspective, by @scribbling-dragon: "Shapeshifters are shunned, pushed away from the light they helped to diminish. Their God retreated as they were outcast, disappearing into shadows that had only just appeared. Yet, they whisper that He is still present in the crackling of lightning and rumbling of thunder. His luck never seemed to hold firm, he's rather certain that Luck themselves holds a grudge against him at this point. And, as Luck would have it, he's been cursed with the gift, and truly, who could have been more suited to it than the Ruler of Rivendell? (Literally anyone else, is the answer you're looking for.)"

Rating: T Archive Warnings: GDV Chapters: 25/25 Words: 112658

So, this one is I think the most popular in the list, and it's probably you've seen it around if you spend at least half as much time as I do in the ao3 fandom tag, but oh my god. It deserves every good thing. I know this is a long read but it's absolutely worth it. I read it while the last chapters were still coming out, A While ago, and it still lives in my head rent free. I wish it a lot of extra kudos.

fill your lungs, by rabbit_with_a_sword: "When Sausage collapses, finally unable to hide the side affects from being resurrected, Gem and fWhip have to scramble to prevent him from being drawn back into the Spirit Realm and face the consequences of his escape. But there's more to Sausage than he likes to show, and he didn't escape intact…"

Rating: T Archive Warnings: CCNTU Chapters: 12/12 Words: 18504

This fic somehow manages to be so hilarious and made me have so many feelings at the same time. A chapter would update and I would spend the rest of the week worrying about my poor blorbo. But also, the lore behind it is top noch, there are so many details that made want to point at them and shout my thoughts. I may or may not have gone a little bit crazy over them, but keeping my sanity was never an option.

Tabula rasa, by @capriciouswriter207: "tabula rasa: the mind in its hypothetical primary blank or empty state before receiving outside impressions -- Sausage wakes up in bed. It’s pleasant. He stares at the ceiling. He doesn’t move. He doesn’t think. He doesn’t do anything. He just exists. (or: the fight with a certain wizard saves him from the corruption, but it leaves him in an extremely vulnerable state)"

Rating: T Archive Warnings: CCNTU Chapters: 27/27 Words:31097

This one was finished recently, and I was not ready to let it go. If I'm forced to say only one thing about it, is how much I enjoyed the way it was written, specially going back to the beggining after reading the end. This made me feel A Lot Of Feelings, and I really couldn't recomend it enough.

Obligatory Notes:

I did my best to tag the writers, but there are a few that I couldn't find, if they have a tumblr. If you know one I've missed, please let me know!

Also, feel free to add your own recs! I want to read them!

More recs but this ones are one-shots

10 notes · View notes

eatyourchancletas · 3 years

Text

SUMMARY | y/n l/n; the trauma surgeon who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and is taken hostage by the terrifying mafia known as ateez. despite their situations, love arises between the doctor and san; but when an enemy comes in between the group, breaking trust and belief between the members, what will san choose to save; his newfound love or his brothers?

PAIRING | choi san x male reader

INFO/CATEGORY | mafia au, fluff, light angst

WARNINGS | violence, weapon usage/mention, foul language, lower case writing

[chapter index] [playlist] [previous chapter]

AUTHOR’S NOTE | we’re back! sorry for the long break, hopefully we can get into the flow of things! monnie’s already started chapter 5 off amazingly too :p written by both of us this time (mainly edited by monnie)! please leave feedback, like, reblog, whatever you can to let us know whether you enjoyed it or not! (re-edited because dongwoo and changsik were switched up)

WORD COUNT | 2.4k

TAG LIST :; @jonghoshoe if you’d like to be added to the list please say so in our inbox/ask box!

y/n was usually called outstanding, hard-working, smart. but in reality, he was an idiot when he was outside the workforce.

being a workaholic meant showing your skills, growing them, improving them, and practicing them constantly. sometimes it seemed to be all he knew— it’s what all the people around him saw.

yet again, outside of it he’s quite a gullible man; which brings him to his current situation…

“looking for something?”

he looked away from the bandages he was previously examining to come face to face with a man that looked around his age. “not really, just restocking my clinic. or—trying to find things to restock it with.” the man nods, glancing around suspiciously, although y/n didn’t didn’t seem to take notice of this particular action.

“this pharmacy is pretty small, but it has lots of good supplies… lots of hidden gems. want me to show you where i get my tools?”

“oh,” y/n blinked in surprise, “you’re in the medical field?”

the man made eye contact with him, managing a convincing smile. “yeah, there’s a clinic down the road from here, about fifteen minutes by foot, this is the nearest pharmacy, so we stock up from here most of the time. i work there as an assistant.”

y/n nodded, amusement sparkling in his eyes. “wow, then please! show me what you suggest.”

at the approval, the man nodded, “name’s changsik, by the way. what do you work as? i’m assuming you’re also in the medical field.”

they walked along the aisle of the cough syrups, ointments, and the few other medicines to turn and make their way to the exit door. y/n furrowed his brows, about to ask why they were exiting until changsik made another turn, walking towards the staff room.

“your assumption is correct, i’m a surgeon…” he replied belatedly, trailing off as he stepped foot inside the room. his eyes trailed on the shelves full of unopened boxes, more prescription pills, and—bingo! the supplies he’d written down on his list.

for a split second, the memory of san handing it to him flashes across his mind, blinking it away as he turned to changsik. “wait, how are you able to access this?”

“i’m a regular.” he glanced across at him, looking past the window. “and also the perks of having a pharmaceutical license,” a hefty laugh left his mouth, “took some convincing though.”

“huh,” y/n squatted down, inspecting a box that was on the floor, “i guess that makes sense.”

“just put what you need in a box and take it out. i’ll just say you’re helping me take it back.” changsik smiled, watching y/n nod and do so.

after a few minutes, y/n finished and announced he was ready to check out. changsik’s eyes met one of the cctv cameras before settling on y/n.

“alright, let’s go check out.”

as they walked toward the front, they reached the hallway that led to the exit. just as y/n was going to walk past, toward the checkout counter, a hand forcefully grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back. he looked behind him, in a startled manner, thinking changsik had just forgotten something. however, a deeper fear struck when changsik’s hand moved to clench at the back of his collar.

“don’t make a sound.”

the second the cold blade touched the skin of y/n’s neck, the surgeon knew to stay quiet. there was a burning in his throat as he struggled to swallow, scared to trigger any abrupt movement. his frantic mind jumbled about, words of scolding placed toward himself and the situation while trying to get a grip. he thought of using the in-ear to alert jongho, but it would risk exposure of the communication device: in any case… he’d be dead by then.

“what is taking him so long?” jongho grunted, tapping his foot in impatience. it’d already been about 10 minutes since y/n entered the store—it shouldn’t take that long for a surgieron to find equipment that’s of medicinal standard!

tapping his in-ear and calling out the doctor’s name, he got no response. placing his face mask on, he rushed into the store, beckoning the cashier. “have you seen a man, about 6’3” with h/c hair?”

the cashier stared at him with a shocked look, “yes, but he went back toward the restrooms. is he dangerous?”

jongho shook his head before running toward the back of the store. he shoved against the restroom door, shouting out the older’s name as he threw open each stall door. finally admitting the fact that the older had disappeared, he tapped his in-ear once more, calling out for anyone.

“jongho, what’s going on?” hongjoong had intercepted the connection, hearing jongho’s worried voice.

the bodyguard had no time to register the primal fear that would settle itself in his bones once faced with the leader, “it’s y/n, hyung. he ran away.”

jongho returned to the headquarters after scoping out the area once more and had just entered through the front door when he was met with the sight of the whole group.

hongjoong was staring at him with his jaw clenched and an almost empty whiskey glass settled in his lax hand. jongho had never seen a look so severe in hongjoong’s eyes—he’d never messed up this bad. and apparently, the leader wasn’t the only one emotionally affected by his mistake, because before hongjoong could even physically express his own anger, san had snatched the glass from his hand and launched it at jongho, missing his head by less than an inch.

everyone was shocked at his silent outburst, san even going as far to ignore the immense pain in his abdomen and on his shoulder, but hongjoong simply sent the younger a look, causing him to cower back in the slightest. jongho, however, was enraged at what had just happened. what gave san, who had no superiority over him, the right to do that?

“what the fuck was that?” he had stormed over to the boy, grabbing his shirt with both fists. san didn’t back down, sticking his jaw out toward the youngest.

“how could you lose y/n?”

“i was told no matter what to avoid cameras, so i stayed outside! i didn’t exactly think the fucker would have the balls to run away!”

everyone watched the two, eyeing when to step in and pull them apart. but hongjoong let them run their mouths. the longer someone talks, the more something is revealed. what he was looking to be revealed, he didn’t know; but something would come up.

san pushed back against jongho, “y/n hyung wouldn’t run away. he’d never do that!”

‘oh,’ hongjoong perked in interest.

the younger scoffed, “what makes you so sure?”

san’s next words came as a bit of a shock, leaving the others with silent questions, “he promised he’d come back.”

bingo!

an awkward silence filled the room as they all stared, speechless at how hopelessly fond their brother had become for their hostage. as much as some of them hated to admit it, y/n was only a hostage to them at the end of the day. and for san to fall into a reversal stockholm syndrome of sorts was nothing short of a disappointment. however, that couldn’t be the main focus, y/n was missing and they didn’t know how strong his resolve would be in the event of torturing.

“run us back on what happened, will you?” hongjoong told jongho, trying to get a clear picture on what went down because the first thing they needed to know was why y/n was taken, much less, who took him. was it by the same person who’d been running their mouths in the streets?

and right in the middle of his explanation, an alarm went off on yeosang’s phone; it was a message. the others kept talking, figuring yeosang could handle whatever message he’d received.

it was when he promptly stood up that all attention had been placed on him.

“it’s him! it’s dongwoo!”

a soft whimper sounded as y/n was thrown to the ground, hands bound and eyes blinded by some piece of cloth.

“boss,” y/n’s kidnapper spoke in a submissive wave, causing y/n to assume the guy had straightened his spine and was saluting him in some way.

a moment later, a gruff voice broke through the eerie silence in the room, “and who is this?” his voice wasn’t angered or bewildered at all, and that’s what scared y/n. he sounded intrigued; like even he wasn’t expecting to be a part of this situation.

“someone with connections to ateez— saw that bodyguard walking around with him.”

the other man hummed, “the bodyguard didn’t follow you, did he?”

“no, no. i found them by the pharmacy; i know the area pretty well because i do the runs for sowon— i knew the camera blindspots!” his abductor seemed to be a bit on the simpler side when it came to this “boss” of his, y/n concluded. this was a completely different personality than when he was being abducted at the scene…

“good job. and you know what, changsik-ah,” his voice seemed to be getting more intrigued, y/n’s heart beating even faster in response, “since you bought in such a valuable hostage, i’ll let you have the honors of obtaining information from him.”

y/n felt the air beside him shift, changsik bowing a full 90 degrees at his boss’s blessing, “thank you!”

a sickeningly hearty laugh resonated and the creaking of a chair sounded before the boss’s next words seemed to be the final straw for y/n’s pounding heart.

“i want him alive.”

“he better be alive,” san growled at jongho.

“we might get to him alive if you two would quit bickering. we’re wasting time because of you two, so shut it and sit down!” hongjoong had had enough of the two. he knew it was a sensitive time for san and jongho, different reasons for both, of course, but they would only get nowhere if they weren’t level-headed.

the two boys bowed their heads at their leader, san still sending a side-eyed glare at the younger before sitting down in his chair.

it’d been two days since y/n was kidnapped and they still hadn’t been able to come up with a plan to get y/n back.

wooyoung tried to trace where the text message came from within the first minute it was received, but surprise, surprise! it was a burner phone— so back to square one; checking all of the cctv footage in the area and trying to spot a suspect that wasn’t even visible from the first frame.

the cameras in the pharmacy showed only y/n, the pharmacist, clerk, and four other customers. of those four, only one person never entered through the front door. and within those 48 hours, he’d managed to single out a vehicle that had arrived in the frame of one of the street cams showing the alleyway behind the pharmacy, and left the same way not even 5 minutes later. it was a suspicious vehicle too; white van, no windows in the back, and paper license plates. the paper plates hinted that they were most likely changed recently or are changed frequently.

and so after hours of having to witness his best friend be so uncharacteristically frantic and down, wooyoung, unfortunately, decided to do what he thought was smartest—save y/n himself to make his best friend happy again.

his intentions may have been well, but in stories like these, doesn’t something always go wrong?

“help me set the table guys,” seonghwa cleared his throat, hand on his hip as he stirred the soup on the stove. the steam from the boiling liquid sent another cloud to his tired face, a sheen of sweat and condensation forming.

“i really don’t understand why we are acting like we have the time to set a table and eat home cooked meals when we don’t!” san exasperated, pacing around the dining room.

mingi gave a sympathetic smile, patting him on the back before going to help seonghwa.

while mingi was more on the understanding side of san’s worries, jongho disagreed, “how exactly do you expect us to find him if we don’t take care of ourselves?”

“all i’m saying is food and sleep shouldn’t be this consistently on your minds when we’re all in this situation!”

jongho scoffed, finding the utmost absurdities in san’s words, “why are you acting like he’s so important? he doesn’t know anything about us or our weaknesses— for fuck’s sake, it’s not like we can’t just get another doc—”

a fist had flown toward jongho’s cheek, cutting off his words, before san’s thrashing body was being pulled back by mingi and yeosang.

“go to hell choi jongho!” san screamed, trying to force his way through the barrier the two had made with their bodies. the boy could feel his stitches tearing as he fought, but he didn’t care. jongho had been a bitch since the very first moment y/n was around, and for what reason?

“cut it out, san!” yeosang hollered, voice brute as he pushed against the boy.

“no, let me at him. he wants to keep being a little shit, i’ll show him shitty!”

“stop it! you haven’t even noticed, have you?”

san didn’t stop trying to break the barrier, focusing on getting to jongho and the other’s words, “notice what?”

“wooyoung’s missing,” yeosang began, san whipping his head toward him and trying to disagree, but yeosang was having none of it, “and you haven’t done anything but antagonize everyone here for not doing their jobs at your pace!”

“oh, excuse me for trying to be as quick as possible in finding him!”

“yeah, and who ever said quick was the efficient route to go? we’re dealing with people we know nothing about, but they seem to know a little too much about us, no? so stop getting on everyone’s asses and—”

“shut the hell up! please!” seonghwa had slammed his hands down on the table, screaming at the top of his lungs. every person in the room had immediately gone silent, words left on the tips of their tongues in a desperate attempt to fly about.

“you’re all going to shut it, sit down, and eat this meal like the civilized people we are and come up with a plan to get y/n back as safely as possible,” he gave a quick glare at everyone, blowing a puff of air at the lock of hair that had settled over his eyelids.

“am i clear?”

"yes, sir."

#t.k chapter #tinted kisses #kpop x male reader #x male reader #choi san x male reader #san x male reader #choi san #san ateez #ateez fic #ateez series #series #top male reader #ateez #ateez x male reader #kpop imagines #kpop series #kpop fics #ateez fics

178 notes · View notes

everyhowlmarksthedead · 3 years

Text

satan's little blessing.

MICHAEL ‘RIZ’ ARIZA. (x Taza Romero's daughter)

MAYANS MC ┃ USEFUL LINKS

❝ words: about 1.4k.

❝ warnings: nsfw, oral sex (male receiving), language, mention of bodily fluids.

❝ a / n: a beautiful dream i had last night 😌 as always, don’t forget to comment and reblog if you liked it!

Your intentions of preparing Riz a good breakfast and bringing it to bed are ruined when two arms are wrapped around you and a nose is sunk in your neck. You can't help but close your eyes gasping, turning around under his embrace, not needing much time to notice the lump beneath his black boxers. A week has passed since he left Santo Padre for a quick run, and two days since he came back but you had to attend your father. Today, he's all yours and you're all his. Your tongues find each other's out of your mouth, pushing yours to your cavity as you moan against his.

Riz's hands roam up your sides, raising the gems of the t-shirt you have stolen him too damn slowly, dragging his fingertips over your exposed skin as his caresses give you goosebumps. Your secret boyfriend loves to torture you after you've been teasing him with your hot messages during the whole trip. His lips don't have any rush either, tasting yours meticulously, while his fingers reach your hard nipples under the soft fabric. Riz pinches them shameless, drinking the moan you can't hold back, as he purrs in your mouth.

The bubble of heat you two are inside of is broken when his phone starts to ring somewhere around the living room. And you know he must reply to the call. He grunts resting his forehead on yours before placing a pissed kiss to leave you there, breathless and needed. It only takes him a couple of seconds to answer and come back to the kitchen. His face is priceless and by his gesture, you know who is at the other side of the line.

“What's up, brother?”

Brother. If only your father knew what his brother is doing (...). You lick your bottom lip mischievously, walking towards your boyfriend dangerously as he frowns confused because of your grimace.

“No, no, I just woke up, no worries”.

He goes backward until his body finds the nearest wall. He is scared. He can read your intentions on the feigned innocence appearing on your eyes. And you don't give him time to stop you, being already kneeled in front of him and pulling his boxers down.

“Yeah, no… I'm gonna stay at home today”.

Riz is sweating, bowing down his head to find your lustful orbs over his hard dick raised majestically to his abdomen. He tries to push you away with his free hand, gripping his wrist with your fingers to pin it to the wall by the side of his hips. Using the tip of your tongue you lick all his length —from the base to the reddened tip—, sucking only his head between your lips. You can see him closing his eyes, gulping a loud pleased moan as he tries to follow the conversation.

“(Y/N)...? No, I hav— haven't seen he— fuck”.

You don't let him finish his sentence, bobbing down your head until his glans is forcing your throat to beyond his limits.

“Yeah, ye— yeah, I just… hit my toe with the door frame”.

The gag he produces you gives him enough strength to free his hand and tangle it on your hair to push you back, begging in silence for you to stop. But you're not going to. God, you have missed him so much and you don't care who he is talking to or what he has to do. Rocking your head, you twirl your tongue around his hardness making some more pressure with your lips, while Riz is starting to have some struggles to breathe.

“Her bike…? Next to my house? Where ar— are you?”

You guess your father is at Vicky's like every Sunday morning. Your boyfriend's eyes widen open, having to bite his bottom lip when you slam his dick against the walls of your throat again. Your nose is pressed to his pelvis, your crystal eyes are on his scared ones and you're about to choke if it wasn't because you can notice the force he's doing to not moan again.

“Lemme… check if she's here. You know tha— that she hates to sleep alone in the ranch… and sometimes she co— comes here”.

Yeah, you sometimes come there. Freeing his cock but gripping it gently with your fingers to jerk him off, your mouth goes straight to his balls. You suck them and pull them back with no mercy, whilst the dance of your hand around his length becomes hasty. Riz is enduring like a champion, pretending he's walking through his house to try to find you.

“I don— don't know, Taza… I was too drunk when I… came home. I fell asleep on the so— sofa. Maybe she's in my bed”. Your boyfriend needs to pause briefly because of how good you look with his balls within your mouth, tasting him in all his splendor, running him out of words. “I'm… okay… I just have a fuckin' headache… Yeah, it's called hangover… thanks for your wisdom, brother”.

“Go check on her, idiot”.

You can feel his heated cock starting to twitch under your grip and you know he's really close. This is a new record. He isn't going to last not even a minute. The risk, the need, your warm mouth swallowing him and sucking his life out of his body is too much to handle at the same time.

“Okay, I'm… I'm… coming”. Riz gasp inappreciable for your father, but not for you.

“You don't have to tell me you're coming to your room. The fuck is wrong with you today?” You can hear your dad laughing at the other side of the phone, making you giggle because your boyfriend is really stupid sometimes.

As soon as your lips are blowing his dick down, increasing the pace of the swing of your head, the Mexican helps you to go a little faster to finish this torture you have put him into. But, God, he's not going to lie. He's enjoying it more than ever in his life. He can't put his eyes off from you, putting the speaker on to leave it over the dinner table to free his other hand —the one that lands by the side of the other. In silence, arching his back, Riz fucks your mouth. He fucks your mouth rough, quick, clumsily, abusing your lips and your throat now that he can go deeper.

Your saliva mixed with his pre-cum spills itself through the corner of your lips, trying to breathe by your nostrils while your crystal eyes continue glued to his darkest orb, letting him use you at his will.

“Is she there or not? Your house isn't that big”.

“Yeah, wa— wait. I was checking the guests' room”. Riz lies, not holding his orgasm for any longer.

He closes his eyelids strongly, opening his mouth as much as he can because of the pleasure of exploding inside of your mouth, pressing your face against his pelvis as much as he can. Gladly choking you on his bittersweet cum to punish you for playing with him like that.

“Satan's little blessing is here”. Your boyfriend pants unconsciously, resting his head against the wall gulping a new silent grunt.

“Send me a picture”.

Riz looks at you almost panicking. That petition has turned him off completely, letting you go. Your cheeks are burning because of the effort. Your chin, your neck, your shirt (...), wherever he looks at your boyfriend can see part of his cum and your saliva. The less you have couldn't swallow. But you're not worried at all, collecting it with your fingers to suck them clean under his attentive horrified glance.

“Okay, you, ah… lemme hang up and I wil—”.

“You don't need to hang up to send me a picture”.

“I'm a man! I can't do two thiNGS AT ONCE”.

“Fucking relax, brother. You're gonna wake her up”.

Because you aren't enough awake yet.

“Forget it. You're dumb as fuck, Ariza, I swear it. Can't understand the hell has seen my daughter on you”.

“You said what?”

Standing up as you clean your mouth on your shirt, you raise both eyebrows about to break in laughs. Is that pretty obvious? Does he really know what happens between the two of you?

“I know my kid better than she knows herself. And you… you… you're dumb as fuck, man”. Taza repeats trying to not chuckle. “You fuckin' drool wherever she walks by”.

“I don't kn—”.

“Prepare her breakfast. Satan's little blessing needs coffee when she wakes up”.

Riz can't reply. Your father hangs up laughing, as he watches you cross your arms over your chest.

“Do you… refer to me like Satan's little blessing all the time?”

“You're not a fucking angel, mi amor”. He scoffs putting on his boxers, squinting at you.

GENERAL TAG LIST: @mayans-sauce @peoniarose @destynelseclipsa @band-psycho @myakai13 @petlaufeyson @-im-fantastic- @horsesandwolvesaremyanimals @rocketqueen @rosieposie0624 @ellyseveronica @Jessprins13 @diaryofkali @ravenmoore14 @starrynite7114 @kenbechillin @miahelen @monkeyluver4546 @sheeshgivemeabreak @jadesamhart @rawrlittlepanda-95 @megapeacelovemusic-blog @katsav17 @skits90s @wildsould1221 @littlekittymeow

MAYANS MC: @multiyfandomgirl40 @countryash345 @skyofficialxx @lovebennycolonmiguelgalindo @bellisperennis0 @chibsytelford @trulysuccubus @purrrrfect @witching-hour @leathercladmenfics @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead @queenbeered @sesamepancakes @gemini0410 @pinguinstudiert @oscars-wifeyyy @meteora-fc @lozaa94 @arveeee @joupym @hanster1998 @missswritings @arana-alpha @lucillewinchester @theocatkov @telfordlowmans @fanofalltheficsx @aurelie-celine

#mayans mc x reader #mayans mc imagine #mayans x reader #michael riz ariza x reader #riz ariza x reader #riz ariza #michael riz ariza #i love you rizzy ❤

267 notes · View notes

erosofthepen · 3 years

Text

Letters From Amad part. 1

Hehe, I started writing this and was going to originally end it at 3,500 words, but then I realized that the plot was super boring and dry and changed some things... I’m at 6,000 words overall so far so I split it into two parts. I hope you enjoy it.

Words: 3713

Paring: Fili x reader

Warnings: none

Tags: (these are people who just said they’d be interested i guess): @grunid, @elvish-sky, @amelia307, @moony-artnstuff, @sassyscribbler, @fizzyxcustard

The battle was won, the mountain kept safe, and the gold preserved.

Not that anyone was too worried about the gold anymore. No, Thorin had recovered well from the sickness, given the Lake-men what had been promised, and had returned the white gems of starlight to King Thranduil. Yes indeed, everything had turned out fine in the end.

More than fine for you.

The second the orcs had fled the battlefield, Fili, that beautiful lion of a dwarf took your hand, pressed a kiss to each knuckle, and asked for you to marry him. The answer couldn’t have been anything but yes.

So there you were, five months after the Battle, eating dinner with the line of Durin and talking of the wedding ceremony to come. Thorin was especially particular and picky about all the odds and ends of the event, especially since it would be the first royal wedding in Erebor in centuries. So, as he rambled on about the colors of gems and fabrics, Fili held your hand in his. At the beginning of dinner, both you and he knew that Thorin would keep you for an hour at least, talking about preparations.

It’s not as if you didn’t enjoy talking and planning your future wedding, it’s just that the actual ceremony was an entire year and a half away. Dwarrow are notorious for their long engagement period. With the event so far off, you’d just rather devote your time to being with Fili, for once not worrying about wargs or orcs or goblins or evil. Fortunately, you were saved from the conversation by Balin.

“Letters from the Blue Mountains, Thorin!” he said cheerfully, entering the room with a jolly bounce. He placed the letters in front of the mountain king before stealing a biscuit and leaving. Thorin nodded thanks, and examined the seals, a broad grin splitting his face.

“From your Amad, Lads.” Kili, who had been playing with the food on his plate, snapped into attention with wide, excited eyes.

“From Amad?!”

“Aye, here’s yours,” Thorin handed an envelope with a dark blue seal to Kili, and the young prince tore it open rapidly, reading it hungrily. Thorin then handed a letter with a matching seal to Fili, and your husband-to-be released his grip on your hand, opening his letter with the same urgency his brother had.

It was just slightly awkward for you, with each dwarrow at the table reading their respective letters, but you occupied yourself with your stew, occasionally glancing up to watch Fili’s eyes as he read. His beautiful blue eyes displayed excitement, then delight, and towards the end, longing. You had always known Fili was a mama’s boy (Or amad’s boy, in this case), and you also knew that he missed her dearly.

“She’s supposed to be leaving to come here in May!” Kili exclaimed, finishing his letter before his brother and uncle.

“Aye, next month,” Fili agreed, a smile lighting up his features. “How long do you reckon it will take for her arrival?”

“Six months, I would guess,” Thorin replied, mentally re-accounting your own journey, “Seven maybe. She’ll be with a caravan, remember. It’ll take some time for a group that size to get ore’ the Misty Mountains.”

Kili sighed, his shoulders slumping. “That’s much too long to wait.” Fili nodded in agreement at his brother's words.

“It’ll have been twenty months since we’ve seen her. A year and two-thirds.”

“Don’t worry lads, you’ll see her soon enough,” Thorin said, looking over his letter once more. “But in the meantime, I suggest you write back.” Kili scooted out of his chair, rushing out of the room with his letter clutched tightly in hand. Fili got up to follow, but then doubled back, pressing a kiss to your cheek.

“I’ll come to wish you good night,” He promised.

“I’ll expect you,” You replied. He grinned and headed out after his brother.

“So (Y/N),” Thorin began, with a tone that made you inwardly groan, “What type of cut do you think the gems on your marriage robes should have?” You suspected that you might not be back in your room in time for Fili to wish you good night.

Three months had passed since the letters had come from Lady Dís, and the mountain was busy with preparations for the arrival of a hundred and fifty or so dwarrow. It would be the first caravan of many to come.

With the attention of the kingdom now focused on the arrival of the caravan, it proved to be quite the relief to you and Fili. More of Thorin’s focus was on planning for the newcomers, and not combing over details of your wedding ceremony, which meant more time for you and Fili to enjoy yourselves. It also brought on some tasks in which Fili and Kili accomplished together.

The brothers had prepared a room for their mother in the royal wing, and had furnished and decorated it to perfection. All the furniture was made of dark walnut wood, and the rugs and drapings were dark blue in color, made from the finest fabrics that could be found. They had also set about commissioning dressmakers and robemakers to complete a new wardrobe for Dís, even though Fili knew that Dís would prefer to sew her own clothes. Still, the act showed the brother’s devotion to their Amad.

When Fili was occupied with preparing these sorts of things, or otherwise completing his royal duties, you would more often than not find yourself in the library. There were several libraries in Erebor, with the mountain being so huge, and only one of the libraries was cleaned and in use. This particular library was known as the Grand Library, and only twenty or so dwarrow were ever in it at once, so it was lovely and quiet. It was probably your favorite spot in the mountain, especially when it grew chill, as it held an incredibly large fireplace with an assortment of couches and cushions in front of it.

This was exactly where you could be found that day, and it was quite curious to see Fili rushing towards you, a smile on his face and a letter in his hand.

“Amad wrote back, and she sent a letter for you as well!” he said, sitting beside you and handing you an envelope with the dark blue seal of Dís.

“She sent one for me?”

“Aye.”

“Why? She doesn’t even know me,” you replied, staring at the slightly crinkled parchment. Fili cleared his throat,

“...I may or may not have written a lengthy description of you in my letter to her.” Well, his statement shouldn’t have surprised you. Of course Fili would have told his mother about the person he planned to marry. But for some reason, the fact that Dís knew about you made you nervous. Fili interrupted your thoughts. “Well, are you going to open it?”

You gave him a small smile before carefully breaking the seal and lifting the letter out of its envelope. As your eyes scanned the page, you noticed that while Dís’s hand was rough, it was still tidy. The letter read:

“(Y/N),

I am not exactly sure how I should feel about you. My son left me without any desire of ever forming a relationship, yet he wrote to me that he has found his One. He speaks incredibly highly of you, and his description was indeed full of love.

However, do not think I am convinced of your relationship. My sons are precious to me beyond any riches, and I will not tolerate or allow anyone whom I do not approve of to wed either of them. If you truly love Fili, you must prove your love to me. Otherwise, I suggest you abandon any thought of a future with him and leave Erebor immediately.

~Lady Dís, Thrainsdottir.”

If you had been nervous about Dís before, now you were a bit terrified. You realized that, if she was not satisfied with you, Dís could very easily break off your engagement and ensure that you never saw Fili again. The thought was enough to scare you even more than running straight into a battalion of orcs. The dwarf prince himself had been reading over your shoulder, and once you had finished reading, he took your hand in his and squeezed it tight.

“She’s… Well Amad’s just a bit overprotective. She’ll love you once you meet, I know it. Don’t worry yourself over it ghivashel.”

But you did worry over it. You worried over it throughout the rest of your time in the library, all throughout dinner, and when you eventually slipped into bed. After a few hours of uneasily trying to fall asleep, you came to terms that you could at least address your worries if you wrote back.

“Lady Dís,

I was surprised to receive your letter, as I hadn’t thought that Fili would have written of me. I understand that you don’t yet approve of me, and I think that, if our places were swapped, I probably wouldn’t approve of me either. But I do love Fili, with every single part of my being. He is my world now. It’s actually fairly remarkable to acknowledge that, since before the quest, I hadn’t even known of his existence. But I truly do love him, and would do anything to ensure his happiness and well-being.

I hope you can grow to like me, or tolerate me at least.

Sincerely,

(Y/N)”

In the months following that letter, the worry inside of you didn’t subside. Fili could tell that it was on your mind, and he tried his best to sooth your nervousness, but it didn’t help very much. Much of your time was spent in the comfort of the Grand Library, which seemed to become more in use by the common folk with every passing day. You were seriously considering trying to start cleaning out one of the smaller libraries, just so it would be a bit quieter. Apparently, the rules of a silent library did not apply to dwarrows.

One day, you were sitting in the least used corner of the Grand Library, reading a book about dwarrow folklore, when you were interrupted by an exasperated sigh.

“Good Mahal, I finally found you! Why the hell were you all the way over here? You do know there’s plenty of space near the entrance, right?”

“Yes, but it’s not nice and quiet there. In normal libraries, there’s rules set in place for silence.” You replied, rolling your eyes at the young prince Kili.

“Sounds boring.” He said, plopping down next to you. “Anyways, my Amad sent another letter for you.” He brought out an envelope and you took it and set it aside. “You’re not going to open it?” He asked.

“I am, just not right now.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

“I think you should open it.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

You and Kili held some sort of bizarre staring contest, until you decided that Kili would at least be off your back if you opened it now. The letter read:

“(Y/N),

It brought me a small comfort to have read of your love for Fili, but it did not satisfy my doubts. Fili has told me much of your history and past, and you indeed seem like quite the character. However, I know my son would have put you on a pedestal to try and convince me of you, so I decided to rely on information about you from a much more honest source. That being my son Kili and my brother Thorin.

Thorin believes you to be an honest lass, with loyalty to match, and he told me he is very sure that you and Fili are the perfect match. My brother is not one to sugar-coat anything, and he is probably the most thickheaded dwarrow in the world when it comes to recognizing romantic love, so his assurances lessened my doubts. Kili on the other hand, told quite a different story.

Kili has told me that you are irritable, witty, incredibly thoughtful, and usually annoyed with him a vast majority of the time. He wrote about a few events during the journey that made me laugh quite a lot. I wholeheartedly support you and his decision to put a toad in Thorin's boot. That was brilliant. However, do not mistake this for approval of you, but know that my initial opinion on you has changed towards the better. My distrust of you has eased.

From,

Lady Dís”

When you finished reading, you turned to face Kili. A boyish grin had split his face.

“I can’t believe you told her about the toad incident.” You said.

“Oh, I told her about plenty more of our mischief as well. I already read her reply to me, she especially liked the one where we put a snakeskin in Fili’s sleeping role.” You couldn’t help but laugh as you remembered that night. That was probably the only time you had really seen Fili freak out. He had thrown the snakeskin as far away from him as possible, before taking his boot axes and chucking them at it. The snakeskin had been shredded, and you and Kili laughed for a good long while.

“I nearly forgot about that one, what fun that was!”

“Aye. I mentioned it to Fili today and he turned as red as a tomato, it was fucking hilarious!”

You and Kili spent the rest of the afternoon recounting your wrongdoings and pranks from the journey, only leaving when you grew hungry. After dinner, you wrote Dís back.

“Lady Dís,

I’m glad you approved of the Toad Incident, honestly one of my finer moments. Thorin had his head in his arse all day, and Kili and I were tired of it. He completely ignored Gandalf’s advice for the third time in a row. I mean, he’s a terrific leader and has the support of all who follow him, but… sometimes I think someone else should have been making the decisions, as most of his decisions ended up with us being in trouble. But that’s all in the past, I suppose. He’s leading Erebor to prosperity once more.

As for what Kili told you of me, I can’t say that he’s wrong. I do get annoyed with him much of the time. And very irritated at him. But he’s one of my closest friends, so I guess it balances out. He was reading your letter over my shoulder, and we ended up discussing all our tricks on the company afterwards. We both agree that we shall have to continue them now that we live in Erebor. We were thinking that putting cumin instead of cinnamon in a cinnamon bun would be a lovely surprise for someone.

I’m very glad that your opinion has changed on me. It’s a bit of a relief, though I know that you do not approve of me yet. I hope your journey is going well, and that you are alright.

Sincerely,

(Y/N)”

In the weeks that followed, you were much more relaxed. The day that the caravan would arrive seemed much less daunting now that Dís appeared less cold towards you. Preparations for the day were in full swing, and about a hundred new rooms and halls had been cleared out and cleaned, as well as the start of cleaning out another library. It was called the Silver Library, and when you first saw it, you were amazed. Even in its abandoned state, it was breathtaking. The marble walls were a lovely rich blue, a nice change from green, and the shelves and tables were inlaid with silver. It was a long walk towards the north side of the mountain, but ever so worth it. Your days were now focused on clearing out the dust, alongside with a handful of scholars and writers.

The work was long and hard, but at least it was a great deal smaller than the Grand Library. The writers told you that this would be the best library to find peace, as the books here were all about history. The Grand Library hosted books from metal-working to children’s tales, hence why every sort of dwarrow could be found there. The Silver Library was a place for dedicated learners who appreciated the quiet now and again. Perfect.

Four weeks after the work had begun, it was looking nearly finished. You had spent the entire afternoon scrubbing a row of shelves, and unfortunately getting dust all in your system. A bath and bed were most welcome when night came ‘round.

After washing up, you found another letter had been placed upon your pillow, along with a note. The note was from Fili.

‘I missed you today, amrâlimê. My Amad sent another letter for you. Rest well.

-Fili’

The letter read:

“(Y/N),

We can both agree that Thorin is not the best decision maker. But there’s only so much one can do when he’s the first-born. And now I know not to trust your cooking. Or, at least I will force my brother to try it first, just to make sure it is safe for eating. I almost pity him now, that he had to put up with trouble from Fili, Kili, and yourself during the journey. But then again, he’s had it coming for a while.

The road to Erebor is long and rough, but nothing that I cannot handle. I’ve done it before, as a child no less, and I can sure as hell do it again. Hopefully though, it shall be the last one I shall have to do. We are almost half-way around Mirkwood now, another month and a half and I will be able to see you in person. I look forward to meeting you.

-Dís.”

Before retiring to sleep, you picked up your quill to write to Dís for the third time.

“Lady Dís,

I am happy your journey is going well, and that you are nearly here. I am really excited to meet you. Fili hasn’t stopped talking about you for the past week. He says that you’ll be here in four weeks or so. The weather is getting much colder, and the Lake-men in Dale say that the winds aren’t promising. Keep safe and warm, and I wish you the best for the rest of your travels!

Sincerely,

-(Y/N)”

No more than two weeks later, you received her reply.

“(Y/N),

I should think this will be my last letter before meeting you in person. I have been able to see the mountain for the last few weeks and it makes my heart warm to know I am close. I am not worried about the cold, the elders agree that the snow will not fall hard for sometime.

We plan to arrive on November the Nineteenth.

From,

Dís”

Every dwarrow in the mountain was bustling with energy now that the caravan was only a week away. Fili and Kili were beyond excited, dragging you to the secret door to see if you could spot the caravan in the distance. It was just visible, a tiny spot by the forest that had many ant-sized dwarrow moving about.

For the next five days, Fili and Kili would find time to come up the platform with you in tow, seeing how much closer the caravan got. On the sixth day, the dwarrow had stopped roughly in between Laketown and Dale.

“I don’t like the look of those clouds,” Fili commented, his blue eyes turned grey to reflect the sky.

“Mean neither. But they’ll clear tham in time,” Kili replied, hands fidgeting with his talisman.

“Hopefully.”

The next morning, you woke to find a note on your dresser.

‘(Y/N),

Kili and I went to the caravan, our patience to see our Amad has worn thin. Don’t worry, we’ll be back by tonight.

All my love,

Fili.’

Well, you hoped they were having a good time. It wasn’t until you had made your way out of your chambers, bundled up warm, that you heard the news.

“Did ye hear? More than a meter deep!”

“Oh aye, fresh powder, as far as the eyes can see, and still falling!”

“One has to wonder how the caravan will fare. There’s wee ones traveling.”

“And old ones.”

With every word the dwarrow spoke, you felt your heart sink even further. Your pace picked up and soon you were running to the dining hall.

Thorin, Dwalin, and Balin were all discussing the caravan when you entered the hall.

“We’ll have to send out help to hurry them along,” the King said, “We’ll wait for a break in the snow and send out a group.”

“We should probably have ponies ready for the children and elders, they won’t be up for trekking through the snow.” Balin said.

Thorin nodded before noticing you hurrying towards them.

“Ah, (Y/N). Where are the Lads?”

“I was just coming to see you about that, Fili left a note this morning.”

Thorin raised an eyebrow.

“Well?”

“They went to the caravan.”

Thorin groaned and pinched his nose. Dwalin spoke up.

“The night watch said that two dwarrow in hoods went out last night. About three hours before the snow started up.”

“Mahal damn them!” Thorin cursed, “The two should know better!”

“I’m sure they’re fine Thorin,” Balin replied, “They can travel quickly.”

“Not quickly enough to make it halfway to Laketown during a blizzard!”

“We can send out a search party,” Dwalin said.

“No, we can’t risk any more dwarrow getting stuck out there. When the snow breaks we’ll go out and look for them. And send help to the caravan.”

You were ready to shout at them. If Fili and Kili were out in the blizzard, they could need help. Even if dwarrow’s blood ran hot, it didn’t run hot enough to keep warm in a blizzard for hours on end. Balin seemed to notice your anguish and smiled in your direction.

“Fili will be alright lass, we’ll find him as soon as the storm breaks.”

You blinked and shot a glare at Thorin before turning away and leaving.

“What did I do?” You heard him ask before exiting.

“Only Mahal knows.” Dwalin replied.

#fili x reader #fili fanfic #the hobbit #the hobbit x reader #the hobbit fanfic #thorin #fili #kili #Dís #balin #dwalin #fili/reader #durin boys

224 notes · View notes

anjuschiffer · 3 years

Text

Magical Date

I wasn’t going to write anything for Daminette December, and yet! Here I am! While thinking of a concept for Day 5, I then remembered that there were people who wanted a follow up for Spellbound, so I combined the two!

Enjoy!

For @daminette-december2019-2020‘s Day 5: Sweater

Tag: @theatreandcomicfreak @damianette-is-life @toodaloo-kangaroo @elijahcrevan @vixen-uchiha @nathleigh

AO3 | Wattpad

Marinette stood by the Leyline Terminal, muttering to herself as she did a mental checklist.

ID? Check.

Purse? Check.

Phone? Check.

Sketchbook and pencils? Check.

Wand? Check.

Extra batteries? Check.

Hat?....

“How did I forget my hat?” Marinette whined, scanning her room for it but knew there was no use in looking for it when she couldn’t find it.

It was almost time to meet with Damian, so if she wanted to meet him in time, she’d just have to go without it.

Grabbing her purse, Marinette took off.

She yelled and apologized to friends she almost bumped into, ignoring their questions of ‘where are you heading?’ She slowed down and speed walked when she saw teachers and the headmistress, flashing an awkward smile as she waved at her.

Running past the campus’ quad, Marinette managed to get to the Leyline Terminal on time, wanting to collapse to the floor as soon as she got there.

“Worried you were going to be late for our date?” Damian teased.

“Well, I wouldn’t- Damian!” Marinette squeaked, feeling the tips of her ears glow with heat. “Ha-how long have you been-”

“Not long.” Damian replied, standing in front of her. “Are you ready to head out?” Grinning, Marinette nodded.

“Yup!”

She followed Damian, confused when he suddenly stopped. “What’s wrong?” She asked, peering over his shoulder, wondering why he was hesitant to walk into the empty-

Empty?

“The car that dropped me off...is gone.” Damian huffed, not believing that Dick actually meant what he said earlier. He really did mean it when he said that Damian should use his own efforts to make their outing a success.

“Gone? So, they-”

“Left? Yes.” Damian sighed, taking out his phone to text his father only for Marinette to place her hand over his. He looked up. “What’s wrong?”

“We can still get to the other side without your car.”

“How?” Damian asked, wondering how exactly did she think they would get to the other side of the magical barrier without-

He watched as she whipped out her wand, a broad smile across her face. “Right. Magic.”

“Make sure to not move around too much. We might fall and get lost in the Leyline if you do.” Marinette warned, looking at her wand and then at him. “Would you like to try casting the spell?”

Damian looked at the wand she was offering him and received it. “How does the spell go?”

Smiling, Marinette placed her hands over his, adjusting his posture before letting go.

“First, you have to close your eyes.” He did. “Now, repeat after me. Tia Freye!”

“Tia Freye!” Damian recited, opening his eyes when he felt himself being lifted off the floor, watching as a magic circle lifted them to the ceiling above them, watching as it bursted open, green speckles of stardust falling past them.

Awestruck, Damian watched as they made their way into the Leyline, not being able to take his eyes off the minty scenery around them.

“Do you have a place of mind? Or would you like to go to the default station in England?”

Damian looked at Marinette, her hair- were in a pair of twin braids...it suited her just like her pigtails.

“The Leyline can take us anywhere?” Damian asked. She nodded. “Anywhere? Even if I haven’t been there in a while?” Marinette nodded again.

“You just have to concentrate on the place in mind while we exit the Leyline. With the place in mind, the Leyline will lead you to the closest terminal in that country.”

“I see.” Damian said, concentrating on the place he had in mind. “Hope you don’t mind some cave exploring.”

They ended up in New Zealand, Marinette taken back by the time difference. It was already late at night, but that didn’t deter Damian from taking her out as he had promised her.

After a few minutes, Damian had managed to buy some food and a blanket before guiding Marinette to their next destination...which happened to be at the other side of a dark forest.

“Trust me,” was all Damian said once they stepped foot, Marinette following him,

Marinette could feel herself shiver as the two wandered through the dark greenery, Marinette having to double check each step she took, envying Damian.

Aside from having a cozy sweater to keep him warm, he walked through the forest with such confidence, he didn’t have to look where to step. He just walked.

“Damian, where exactly are we?”

“If I tell you know, it will ruin the surprise.” He blatantly said. “Be careful around here. There are some rather steep-“

Just as he said that, he jinxed her.

Marinette let out a yelp as she was about to fall to the lower level of the hill when Damian grabbed her just in time.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” He lifted her up, glad to see no visible injuries. “Are you alright?”

“If anything, just shocked.”

“I should’ve been guiding you more properly than just telling you to follow me.” Damian offered his hand, Marinette taking it. “If only we had more-“

“Light!” Marinette exclaimed, causing Damian to jump a bit. “We can use my wand to-“

“I thought using magic outside of Luna Nova was against the rules.” Damian watched as Marinette nervously laughed, putting back her wand into her purse.

“Well, using our wands outside of campus is against the rules. They never said anything about communicating with the sprites already there.”

Damian watched Marinette grin as she crouched to the ground.

“What are you-“

Marinette held a finger to her lips before she began to sing.

As she continued to sing, Damian became mesmerized by the glowing bud that sprouted out from the ground, opening up to show a tiny forest sprite that hummed in sync with Marinette’s lovely singing.

When the sprite stopped humming, so did Marinette.

“Hello. My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I was wondering if you would be so generous as to help light up the forest a bit while we get to our destination. Of course, I would reward you with these.”

Damian watched as the tiny forest sprite eagerly twirled around when Marinette showed it some crystal daisies in her hands.

The sprite eagerly accepted the gift, giving Marinette a smile before disappearing and reappearing with more of its kind. “Thank you very much!” Marinette dropped some more crystal flowers for the sprites before getting up and joining Damian’s side.

“How-“

“I learned how to speak and invoke sprites when I was three. My grandmother taught me during her summer stays. It’s the only form of magic that came naturally to me.”

Damian hummed. “So, shall we continue our exploration?”

At those words, Damian nodded, once more offering his hand to her, which she accepted.

With the help of the forest sprites, Damian was finally able to reach the cave entrance he had been wanting to show Marinette.

“Marinette, do they only like those crystal flowers you gave them?” Damian asked as he turned to see the second to last sprite disappear.

“Hmmm. They like the crystal daisies because it’s actually crystallized mana that they can consume. Once consumed, the mana allows them to produce more of their magic. However, they do like gemstones as well. It’s like some type of currency within the sprite world.”

Marinette watched Damian hum, retrieving something in his pocket and crouched to the last forest spirit’s level.

She watched with wide eyes as he handed a ruby to the spirit, who also gasped at the gift.

“Thank you for your help. We really appreciate it.”

Damian watched as the spirit hugged his hand before disappearing, a smile on their face as it snuggled closely to the newly acquired gem.

“That was kind of you.” Marinette said with a smile, giving Damian’s hand a squeeze.

“It was the correct thing to do.” Damian said, gesturing to Marinette to follow him.

The two kept walking into the dark cave when Marinette began to see tiny glowing blue lights start to appear more and more above them.

Soon, they found themselves surrounded by these sparkling blue stars, Marinette taken away by the scenery. It was like looking at a clear starry night.

As they kept going further into the cave, Marinette didn’t realize Damian had casted another “tia freye” causing the two to drift through the rest of the cave.

Marinette stretches out her hand to try and reach for them, but she was pleased to know she couldn’t.

“It’s beautiful.” She found herself softly whispering.

“And so are you.” Damian replies, Marinette thanking the tiny stars that their light was dim enough to hide her blush.

But even though her blush was hidden, she knew her feelings were still there for him to see.

“To think something this beautiful is being hidden from the world.”

“My mother brought me here once. When I was very young.” Damian told her. “Waitomo Caves. Home to the bioluminescent creature, Arachnocampa Luminosa.”

“Bioluminescent glow worms.” Marinette said back, watching as they were nearing the end of the cave.

“But that’s not why I brought you here.” Damian confessed, Marinette wondering what exactly could best the fantasy world they were just in. “Close your eyes.”

She did.

She felt as the two were now on dry land, or rather, grass.

She felt as a nice breeze blew across her face, her body trembling. She guessed Damian must have seen it as she felt him drape something over her, his scent on the sweater causing her to blush.

“Are we almost there?”

“Almost.” Damian told her, Marinette continuing to follow him.

She felt as he let go of her hand and walked around her, Marinette hearing what seemed to be rocks moving and a curse here and there, causing her to giggle.

When he slipped his hand back into hers, Marinette followed his lead. “Open your eyes.”

Marinette felt out of breath when she opened them, wishing to forever remain in that ethereal moment. For time to stop so that she could take in the beauty that was in front of her.

“Mon Dieu. It’s gorgeous.” Marinette, taking slow steps as she kept adoring the night sky above them. “I never thought I would ever be able to see the Milky Way in anything other than a textbook, tapestries or the holographic form we use in astronomy class.

They look so- oh! Damian! Look over there! That’s Crux!” Marinette squealed, taking out her phone and taking a picture of it. She then took out her sketchbook and quickly began to draw it, a few notes being taken at the side.

“Crux?” Damian asked, taking a seat on the makeshift picnic area he made for the two of them. He watched as Marinette kept staring at the stars above them, the Milky Way perfectly reflected against her bluebell eyes.

“Crux, often called the Southern Cross. Because Crux hasn’t been able to go over the horizon since 400 BC, northern countries like England, aren’t able to see it anymore.” Marinette pulled Damian’s sweater closer to her body. “To think I’m seeing it for the first time like this…” She turned to Damian, a shooting star passing behind her. “Thank you.

Thank you for bringing me here.”

“Seems like we’re here.” Marinette said, Damian picking up on the tint of sadness underlaid in her words.

By the time Damian and Marinette got back to Luna Nova, it had become evening, 17:00 to be exact.

During their flight back, Damian watched as Marinette longed to remain under those stars, staring at the sky above them the entire trip, as if hoping it would’ve followed her back.

Waitomo Caves and the scenery of the Milky Way on that mountain could never be replicated here at Luna Nova. Even if it was recently rejuvenated with the plethora of magic, no magic could do nature’s lovely masterpieces’ true justice.

“You seem...down.” Damian obviously pointed out, not expecting Marinette to laugh at his observation.

“I guess...I kinda wished we could’ve stayed there for a bit longer.” Marinette confessed, playing with the ends of her braids, only then realizing she still had on his sweater.

She completely forgot she had it on thanks to how soft it was despite being a bit big and long it was on her. “Oh! Here! Thank you for lend-”

“Keep it.” Damian said, stopping her from taking it off, gently holding her wrist in his hand.

“But-”

“Keep it.”

“Damian, it’s y-”

“I could simply buy another one just like it.” Damian fought back, watching Marinette pout, causing him to chuckle. “Keep it. I don’t mind you being its new owner.”

He watched as Marinette huffed in defeat, pulling the sweater closer to her small frame.

Would she look just as good in anything that was his?

“I know I said this before, but thank you,” Marinette said, placing her hand on his shoulder, using it to lift herself off the ground to place a chaste kiss on his cheek. “For everything.”

Damian remained still as he watched her wave goodbye, walking into the dorm that was her home at Luna Nova.

Covering the smile that arose to his face, Damian could feel the glee swelling inside him as he made his way back home.

Marinette couldn’t believe it. She actually kissed him! Sure, it was on the check, but it was still something.

Not being able to contain it any longer, she let out a squeal, now dancing towards her room.

With a hum, Marinette opened up her room and slipped inside, letting out a giggle as she pulled Damian’s sweater close to her face.

“Seems like someone’s date was a success.” A voice spoke, causing Marinette to yelp, feeling her entire face burn in embarrassment.

Turning to her left, oh how she wanted to transform into a mouse to escape the hunter in front of her. Sadly, she used up all her extra batteries on the date.

“A-Alya. Shouldn’t you be-”

“-in detention? Well, let’s just say the added detention is going to be sooo worth it. So come on! Tell me! How’d your date go? And don’t tell me it wasn’t one when he clearly gave you that bracelet on your wrist. We’ve been living together for quite a while -even go shopping with you- and I’ve never seen that bracelet until now.”

Marinette snapped her attention to the newly acquired bracelet, a double black leather bracelet with a single ladybug at its center.

When did he slip it onto her? “So? Spill!”

“Well,” Marinette started. “It was magical!”

#maribat #daminette #Daminette December 2020 #anju writes

130 notes · View notes

ravs6709 · 3 years

Text

Marry Me (There's Free Desserts)- Keefex

I saw a post from @steppingonshatteredglass and immediately decided that I needed to write this. (Also, the tags from this post were fantastic)

So yeah, anyways, human au where Keefe and Dex keep proposing to each other for free desserts. Didn't quite come out as expected, but I still like it

Warnings: Food, swearing.

Enjoy!

•~•~•~•~•~•

"So," Keefe began, his eyes gleaming. Dex already knew that he had some idea, and needed Dex's help to go through with it. "You know how we booked that reservation to that fancy restaurant, right?"

Dex nodded. "And..?"

"How do you feel about getting free desserts?"

There was no way that it was as easy as that. "And how do we do that?"

Keefe clapped his hands together. "Did you know that when a proposal happens in a restaurant, the people doing the proposing get free dessert?"

Dex just looked at him. "You want to propose to me for free desserts?"

Keefe just waved a hand. "Don't be ridiculous. If you want to do the proposing, I'm cool with it!"

"You do know that we're not dating, right?"

If Keefe had made such an offer to him a few years ago, Dex probably would have panicked, would have stuttered and blushed. He still had a crush on Keefe, but their friendship had grown, and he worried less about the possibility of being rejected (though he still had no plans on actually confessing).

Keefe shrugged. "Just a thought, y'know?

Dex rested an arm on his shoulder. "For the record, I didn't say no."

He grinned. "Great!"

•~•~•~•~•~•

"Dex, what are you doing?"

Dex paused and turned towards Keefe, who was standing at his room doorway. "I'm looking for the ring?"

"I feel like if we're gonna be convincing, we'll need a fancy ring. And dude, most of the jewelry you own are stuff that you made, which are kinda plain."

He crossed his arms. "I'm taking the minecraft bee earrings back," he deadpanned.

"No!" Keefe shrieked, taking a step back and cupping his ears dramatically. "These are like the best things I've ever owned, and you gifted them to me. No take backsies!"

He turned back towards his dresser. "And I have two things to say to that. First off, back off, my stuff is cool. Using stuff that we made could be sentimental, and I doubt a waiter actually cares."

"Okay, that's fair. I shall not insult your jewelry again."

"Thank you. Secondly, I'm looking for a very specific ring that I didn't make, actually."

He sorted through a few more things, until he came across a small black case. He opened it, just to confirm what was inside- a silver ring with a gem that gleamed various shades of blue.

"Ooh, that's shiny, how come I've never seen that before?" Keefe asked, suddenly standing right next to him. "I've lived with you for what, six years now?"

"I only received it kinda recently, it was the ring dad proposed to me with, and she give it to me a few months ago for future use."

"Ooh, do you have any crushes? Actually- whatever, you don't need to say. I just wanna know if it fits me."

He picked up the ring and slipped it onto his ring finger. Dex noticed that it happened to fit perfectly.

"Give me your hand, I think we have the same ring size, but I wanna see!"

Before Dex could say anything, Keefe had picked up his left hand, and slid the finger on him. That, combined with the soft expression on Keefe's face, made the moment feel more romantic.

"Oh- looks like it fits." Dex had to actively make sure his voice didn't sound like a squeak. Come on, I can't go blushing like this!

"Yeah, it does. Does that mean we have everything prepared? Who's doing the proposing, me or you?"

"You can do it, probably. Should we practice the speech?"

"Nah, I think it'd be better if it was a surprise."

"Okay, got it."

•~•~•~•~•~•

They were sitting on the couch, watching some romantic drama Dex couldn't remember the name of. It was a pretty standard one- love at first sight, they grow closer, something dramatic would drive them apart (in this case, it was miscommunication and the guy's obsessive ex).

After the couple eventually got back together, there was the proposal scene.

"Better take notes, Keefe," he joked.

They continued watching, as the proposal happened, and after the "Yes!" was squealed, there was a long and passionate kiss.

Both men turned to each other, knowing that there was a problem.

"So... guess who forgot that kisses are super frequent in proposals..?" Dex asked, wincing when his voice cracked.

Seriously, what is happening right now?

"I wouldn't mind," Keefe murmured, the words so light that Dex wasn't sure if he heard it right.

"What did you say?"

Did he just say..?

"I..." He looked nervous, eyes darting everywhere except towards him. "I- I wouldn't mind if you kissed me."

There were so many things that Dex wanted to say, but he had no idea how to say it. So instead, he mustered the courage and leaned forward, planting a quick kiss. He hoped that all the words he wanted to say, all the emotions that he'd been feeling were conveyed.

Keefe smiled, then took his hand. "I'm so glad we got that figured out before we did the fake proposals."

"Oh, yeah. That would have been really confusing."

If there was anything else that needed to be said, they could discuss it later.

•~•~•~•~•~•

"Go pretend to use the washroom," Keefe whispered. "I'll tell the waiter that I plan to propose."

Dex went to the washroom, and after a few minutes, he washed his hands (better be safe) and returned. They ate their dinner and chatted. Once they were nearly done, Keefe took his hand.

"Hey, Dex?"

"Yeah?"

"I really love you, you know that, right? We've known each other for twelve years, and we did kinda get off on the wrong foot because of how Wonderboy had acted at first. But I'm so glad that things changed and that I became friends with you. You're also my pranking partner, most of my best pranks only managed to happen because you were right there with me."

Keefe moved from his seat to in front of him, then began to kneel down.

"Living with you has led the some of the best memories in my life, you've shown me the love that I've always wanted. And I want to keep living with you, I want to keep loving forever, and what I'm asking is, will you marry me, and allow me to become Keefe Dizznee?"

Dex looked at him, and for a brief moment, he forgot all about the fact that this was fake and also only their first date. The words that he'd said were beautiful, and combined with the earnest expression on Keefe's face, it was absolutely awe-inspiring. If this had been a real proposal, he definitely would have accepted without any hesitation.

"Yes," he breathed, smiling with giddiness. "Yes, I'll marry you."

The kiss they shared was more of them smiling against each other than anything else, wrapped in each other's embraces.

It was only after he had pulled away that he realized that the other people in the restaurant were clapping.

The dessert that eventually came their way was sweet, and definitely worth everything it took to get to it.

•~•~•~•~•~•

"So," Keefe began, flopping onto his bed and pulling Dex down beside him. "That was fun, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was fun," Dex agreed. "Are you saying that we should do it again?"

He nodded. "That's exactly what I was planning to say. You can propose next time, I'm totally ready for you to astound me."

Dex knew he wasn't great with words, but he was definitely going to make sure that his engagement speech was perfect.

•~•~•~•~•~•

"So, a friend told me that you proposed to Dex," Fitz's voice said through Keefe's phone (which was left on speaker). "I mean, I wasn't even aware that you two finally got together."

"I'm still calling bullsh*t on that one!" Sophie yelled, her voice somewhat distant.

"It technically did happen though. And we are in fact together," Keefe replied.

"Since when? And why didn't you tell us?" Fitz asked.

Dex was trying to suppress his laughter, but ended up failing. "Uh, we got together a few days ago," he finally said. "I can't believe it's only been a day since the proposal and you've already managed to figure it out."

Fitz sputtered. "What kind of proposal happens on the first date?"

"The kind where we scam everyone and get free desserts," Keefe answered. "It's one of my more brilliant ideas."

"Hey Fitz, can we go scam people for free food too?" Sophie asked, this time sounding a lot closer to the phone than before.

"Back off Foster, that's our idea, you're not allowed to steal it."

Fitz only sighed. "Look Sophie, even if we tried, it wouldn't work because my family is everywhere, and after the first time, nobody's gonna buy it."

Both Dex and Keefe laughed at Sophie's whine.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Dex had offered to buy a different engagement for Keefe, but he insisted that he used the same ring that was used the last time. (He was starting to have suspicions of something, but he wasn't quite sure if he was right yet).

Keefe had left for the restaurant washroom (a different restaurant, neither of them were stupid enough to try it again in the same place), and when the waiter came over to ask questions, Dex told them his plan.

The waiter congratulated him, then asked about what dessert they would want. After that, it was just like last time, where it felt like a normal outing, until it was time to propose.

"Hey Keefe?" Dex asked, reaching for his hand, just like Keefe had done the last time.

"Yeah?"

"I've known you for twelve years, back when I had had really bad self-esteem. After we became friends, I still haf myself convinced that everyone didn't actually like me, but like a bright light, you guided me. You helped me come out of my shell, and together, we shared some of my favourite memories."

He was up by then, moving in front of Keefe.

"I've had many doubts about my life, but loving you? I've never had any doubts, because loving you has always felt natural, and I can't ever see myself wanting to choose someone who isn't you. We've been partners for so long, and now I'm asking if you can be my partner in marriage. So Keefe, will you marry me and become Keefe Dizznee?"

He took great delight in Keefe's wide eyes, his parted lips and the flush on his face.

"I wouldn't want anything more than to marry you," Keefe said with a smile.

Dex had a feeling that they would be doing this quite often, but he had no problems with that.

•~•~•~•~•~•

They continued to do their fake proposals. Even after they did it over a dozen times, they still didn't get caught.

"Hey Keefe?" Dex asked, during the middle of one of their cuddling sessions.

"What is it?" Keefe asked, rolling around to face him.

"So when it comes to an actual proposal, do you want me to be the one proposing to you?"

He had his suspicions- Keefe had an attachment to the engagement ring (he remembered Keefe's eagerness to wear it when he first saw it), how Keefe was going to become a Dizznee, and each time Dex proposed to him, he always looked awestruck.

"You do it," Keefe replied, confirming what Dex had thought. "Also, don't tell me beforehand, I want it to be a surprise."

"But-"

"It'll feel even more real, because now I won't know which one's the fake one. You can always tell me afterward if it was meant to be the real one. Okay?"

"Okay."

•~•~•~•~•~•

For the most part, their engagement speeches for each of the proposals had been mostly similar. They were never the same, but the general idea had been the same. So if Dex wanted to actually propose, he wanted to make sure that this time, it was something special.

He paced back and forth in his room, hoping that his footsteps weren't loud enough for Keefe to hear.

I've done this so many times, I don't need to be this nervous!

At this point, it was going to be obvious that it was real.

Deep breaths. Think about how casual your relationship has been. It'll be fine.

In the past, he might not have been as willing to believe his words as he was now. He trusted Keefe, and he trusted himself to make sure that everything went right.

Something special... something special doesn't always mean something fancy...

That thought calmed him down even more. They then went to the restaurant and ate, just like always.

The waiter looked confused, eyes darting between the two of them on multiple occasions. Before Dex could ask about it, the waiter asked to take their orders, and then he forgot all about it.

It began to feel just like their usual routine again, where they ate and just spoke about whatever they felt like doing.

"Y'know, sometimes," Dex began. "I think a lot about how we've come together. We became friends over teasing Sophie and Fitz, along with pranking. We just came together, and it was natural, and my feelings came just as casually.

"Even us getting together, it just happened. Sure, it took something that got us to actually say something, but neither of us actually worried about it. All these dinner dates, it's just like how we've always been. We've come so far together, and I'd like to ask if you'd continue this path with me. Will you marry me?" Then, he dropped his voice to a low whisper. "There's free desserts."

Just like always, there was a soft smile on Keefe's face, his eyes wide and face flushed, always glad to be able to hear that.

"Of course," Keefe replied. "I've chosen to be with you this far, and that's the way it'll continue." Then he grinned, before whispering, "Though the free desserts definitely help a lot."

Dex laughed as he put the ring on Keefe's finger, and Dex wasn't sure if it was just the lighting, but the ring seemed to he shining more than usual.

•~•~•~•~•~•

"That's the actual proposal, right?" Keefe asked during one of their cuddling sessions. "It felt a little different."

"Yeah, it was."

He took a hold of Keefe's left hand, relishing its warmth as light thumps of Keefe's heartbeat lulled him to sleep.

•~•~•~•~•~•

It probably would have been assumed that after they got married, they would have stopped with their fake proposals- but they didn't do that. They continued on and on, until they began to run out of places to go without the risk of repeating restaurants (they actually did manage to get exposed once, somehow, so they had no intention of doing that again).

Dex smiled as he fed Keefe a piece of the dessert, feeling glad that everything turned out that way.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Kotlc taglist- @keefeinnit @impostertamsong @my-swan-song @subrosasteath

Want to be added/removed from the taglist? Just let me know!

#dex dizznee #keefe sencen #keefex #kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #kotlc fanfiction #fanfiction #ravi writes a thing

25 notes · View notes

bnhayyy · 3 years

Text

The Call (9)

Chapter Title: Betrayal

Wordcount: 5.4k

Fic Tag: Click

Ao3 Link: Click

Chapter Summary: Mikasa receives an alarming phone call.

Notes: My final upload for @mikannieweek ! Day eight was a free prompt, and I went with... well. You'll be able to see what I went with.Thanks Celadon for the beta!

Mikasa woke up with a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. It spread out through her body and into her limbs. It did not make the world seem softer or kinder - she had seen too much for such a thing to be possible. But it did make her feel that much more capable of facing the day ahead. It made her exhaustion a little weaker and her will to fight a little stronger. Maybe, just maybe, that was because it was suddenly so much easier to remember that she had a reason to fight.

What she was feeling wasn't love. Mikasa had never experienced romantic love, but she knew enough to know that this wasn't it. It was too new. Too fresh. There was too much that she didn't know about Annie, too many feelings that came up when she thought about her that she hadn't yet identified. This was something vague and tentative and mysterious. Yet it was also undeniably nice. Refreshing. It was the knowledge that she wasn't alone anymore. That there was someone who understood her, and an attraction that drew them closer together. It was...

...If she allowed herself to hope, she would go as far as to say that it was something with potential.

Mikasa hadn't allowed herself to hope in a long time. She wasn't entirely sure if she was ready to do so now. So instead, beyond a moment of consideration early in the morning, she didn't allow herself to think too heavily on the feelings. She would simply settle for being happy that they were there.

Her day panned out to be a simple one. Annie was busy, but Mikasa didn't have any plans other than trigonometry class in the evening and patrolling after it. That was fine with her. She used the opportunity to get caught up on her admittedly daunting pile of late trigonometry work. Assignments from that class piled up quickly, and even with Annie taking some of the weight off her shoulders, she hadn't managed to get fully caught up.

It took several hours to work through her to-do pile, but she didn't mind. There was something nice about being able to block the problems of the rest of the world out and focus on numbers and equations.

Then, an hour before she had to get going to trigonometry class, her phone rang.

Mikasa ignored it at first. However, not even a minute after it stopped, it began to ring again. With a frown, Mikasa pulled it out of her pocket and checked the ID.

Unknown number.

She let the caller go to the answering machine without picking up.

They called again.

And again.

She broke down and answered on the fourth call. As a rule, she tended not to answer her phone for unknown answers. However, if something was urgent enough for someone to call her four times in a row, then she supposed she could give them the time of day, however irritating it may be.

"Hello?" Mikasa answered.

"Ackerman," replied a familiar, unwelcome voice. "It's Ymir."

Mikasa's good mood died instantaneously. She reflexively tightened her grip on her phone, the device straining beneath the pressure. "How did you get this number?" she hissed.

"Doesn't matter," Ymir said.

"Was it Krista?" Mikasa pressed.

Ymir scoffed. "You really think Krista is going around sharing her classmate's numbers?" She barreled on without giving Mikasa a chance to respond. "It really doesn't matter. I have something important to tell you."

Mikasa grit her teeth. "There's nothing I want to hear from-"

"Bertolt and Reiner are vampires."

The air around Mikasa seemed to freeze. "Excuse me?" she breathed, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"Bertolt and Reiner," Ymir repeated. "Annie's friends? They're vampires."

"No," Mikasa said, not a hint of hesitation in her tone. "That's impossible."

"Why?" Ymir questioned. "Because you've seen Reiner in the sunlight?"

Mikasa pursed her lips. "For a start."

It was impossible because Bertolt and Reiner were Annie's friends. Reiner was warm and kind. She may not have seen soft-spoken Bertolt as often, but he was supportive and treated the people around him nicely. They were her allies. At this point, she might even go as far as to say that they were her friends as well.

They weren't soulless monsters.

However, Ymir seemed set on a different story. "Ever noticed that ring Reiner wears?" she asked. "Gold with a big green stone?"

There was no reason for Mikasa to hesitate. There was absolutely no point in her entertaining a single word that this vampire had to say. Yet something in Ymir's voice, the confidence and condemnation, sent a shiver running up her skin. That made her pause for a moment.

Ymir seemed to take that pause as an invitation to continue. "It's called the Gem of Amara. You can ask your watcher about it. When a vampire wears it, it grants them complete invulnerability. Can't be staked, can't be beheaded, and holy water, crosses, and sunlight all have no effect; but they're still a vampire."

Mikasa stayed silent for another moment, trying to wrap her mind around the ridiculous story that Ymir was trying to spin. It was a mistake. Ymir paused for just a second, and when Mikasa failed to cut her off, she added in a forceful, demanding tone, "you've been all buddy-buddy with Reiner. Tell me, have you ever touched him? He's awfully cold, isn't he."

"Reiner isn't a vampire," Mikasa snapped. "He's a good person, not a murderer."

"Then how come Krista and I found him tossing a body in the river last night?" Ymir snapped right back. "He was going to kill her for walking in on him. Want proof that he isn't human? We can meet up; I have a broken leg from our little fight."

A faint, cold feeling began to sink in Mikasa's stomach. She ignored it.

"You're lying," she said.

"I'm not," Ymir replied. "But okay, you won't believe me about Reiner. What about Bertolt? Tell me, Ackerman, have you ever seen him out in the sunlight?"

This was a dangerous game. She didn't want to give Ymir any information that she could use. At the same time, she couldn't just stand there and let those accusations slide. So slowly, cautiously, but as cold as the winter's frost, she said, "it's his schedule. He works all day and takes classes online."

"Have you checked?" Ymir asked.

Mikasa faltered. "What?"

"Have you checked," Ymir repeated. "Because if you look for a roster of the college's online students, I guarantee that he won't be on it. Hell, do you have any proof that he actually has a job? Ackerman. Is there even one shred of evidence to support those claims?"

Mikasa didn't allow herself to be moved. "Annie's a slayer. That's evidence enough."

"Yes," Ymir said, her voice deepening with enough gravity to make a lump form in Mikasa's throat. "She is. And that's why you need to understand that you are in serious danger."

The coldness in Mikasa's chest began to spread. She ignored it. "Why would you care if I was in danger?" she asked.

"I don't," was Ymir's immediate response. "But I care about Krista, and Reiner was going to kill her last night."

"You're a vampire," Mikasa said, not even acknowledging the other lie.

"And that means I can't have anyone I care about?" Ymir retorted.

Mikasa took in a long breath and slowly let it out. "I don't have time for this," she said.

Ymir snorted."Good, because I didn't call you to talk about philosophy. Bertolt and Reiner are vampires, and Reiner's going to be damn hard to kill, but they're also just pawns working for something much longer. Ask your watcher about the Tybur Group."

A moment of silence. Mikasa wanted to protest, defend Annie. Find the flaws in Ymir's argument and point them out, because there had to be so, so, so many. What Ymir was saying couldn't be the truth. She shouldn't even be entertaining the thought. Yet the faintest whispers of doubt had begun to sprout on her mind, and they were enough to freeze her solid.

The moment was shattered by Ymir's low but urgent hiss. "Think about it, Ackerman. What could pose a bigger threat to a slayer than another slayer? Leonhardt and hers didn't come here to help you, they came here to get you out of the way. "

It was a lie. It had to be. Annie was all about teamwork (it got her close to her) and had found her because she didn't want to be the only slayer anymore (she'd said so little about herself). Bertolt and Reiner were kind, friendly people (element of surprise). Meeting Annie in the graveyard that night might have been the best thing that had happened to her in years (good things didn't just happen).

Mikasa should have said something.

She didn't, and so Ymir pressed on. "You care about the well-being of the world, right? Well, if they kill you, Tybur will have the one and only slayer in their pocket. And once that happens, the world will start looking a lot different."

Her words shocked Mikasa out of her stupor. "That's ridiculous," she said, because it was. It had to be. The big, devastating picture Ymir was hinting at was a betrayal of Annie's very nature as a slayer. Mikasa's stomach twisted with guilt at even entertaining the thought. (Yet the coldness of suspicion continued to spread through her veins.) Besides... "Annie saved my life when we met."

"And Reiner's been doing a good job of worming his way in with your friends, by the sound of it." Ymir paused for a heartbeat. When she resumed speaking, her voice had grown fractionally softer. Sympathetic. "It's a cruel game, Ackerman. That doesn't mean they aren't playing."

Mikasa felt sick. She reminded herself that that was probably Ymir's aim. The vampire had probably called her to knock her off balance and make her doubt her allies. Mikasa opened her mouth to say as much, but before she could get a word out, Ymir was talking again.

"Don't trust me. Then talk to Leonhardt. But not right away. Take your time, think it through, and get ready to fight for your life first, because she is not the person you want her to be." Ymir paused and Mikasa heard a faint huff and the sound of shuffling papers. "I have other idiots to warn, but. Good luck. Try not to die."

The line went dead.

Mikasa pulled the phone away from her ear, and for a moment, all she could do was stare.

Then she started to plan.

***

Erwin would want to know about the phone call. However, Mikasa dismissed the thought of going to him as soon as it had occurred to her. This was between her and Annie, and she could handle it without his interference.

So she blocked all thoughts of her watcher from her mind and focused on the facts.

Mikasa liked Annie, more than she had expected to, maybe even more than she should. She trusted her. Over the past handful of weeks, she had even come to depend on her to a degree.

She did not know her well. She did not know Reiner well. She was only somewhat familiar with Bertolt. As much as it hurt to acknowledge those facts, to let that whisper of suspicion in, she would be a fool to not acknowledge it at all.

Ymir was right about one thing. This whole thing could be settled by a conversation. Odds were, the vampire was hoping that Annie would be hurt and offended that she even considered Ymir's accusations. She wanted the weight of the accusation to tear them apart. However, Mikasa trusted that Annie was more logical than that. She had to be aware of how little she had told Mikasa about her own past. She would understand that Mikasa couldn't just brush Ymir's story off without looking into it at all. The distrust may sting a bit, but it would not tear them apart completely. They may even come out stronger for having had the conversation.

Once that was over with, Ymir would be well and truly dead. Neither of them would tolerate a vampire messing with them like that, especially one who already killed scores of innocent people. They would double down on their hunt and Ymir would be dead within the week.

It was a headache, but it was straightforward and simple.

Except it wasn't. Mikasa also had to consider the elephant in the room, the entire reason why she couldn't just ignore Ymir's call.

The possibility that she was telling the truth.

That possibility made Mikasa text Annie to tell her that she wouldn't be in trigonometry class today and request that they meet in the graveyard. It was the reason why she readied her crossbow, one of her knives, and a sword, but didn't bother with a stake.

A stake was far from the most efficient weapon when dealing with a slayer.

It probably wouldn't come to that. Mikasa knew (hoped) that it wouldn't come to that. However, there were parts of Ymir's warning that just wouldn't be shaken off. So, on the tiny, improbable, impossible chance that the vampire was telling the truth and her fellow slayer was the enemy...

She got ready to fight for her life.

***

The sun had long set by the time Annie appeared in the graveyard. It wasn't an accident. Mikasa had asked her to show up later than usual, just to be safe. If there was going to be a fight...

There wasn't going to be a fight. Ymir was messing with her, Annie and her friends were allies, and they would have all of this cleared up and sorted out before the night was over. Mikasa was taking precautions even though she knew there was no real reason for them. However, if, theoretically, two slayers were going to fight, she would want to minimize the odds of them being spotted.

Annie only had her sword with her. That was good. Mikasa glanced down at her own weapon, clasped tightly in her hand, before turning her attention back to the other slayer.

Annie wore a somewhat puzzled expression, but otherwise looked like she wasn't going to comment on her fellow slayer's odd behavior. That changed when she drew a little closer. A slight frown fell across her lips as she took in Mikasa's expression, followed by a furrowing of her brow. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Ymir got my phone number," Mikasa said.

"Ymir," Annie repeated, surprise flickering across her face.

"Yeah," Mikasa said. "She... told me a story, about you, Bertolt, and Reiner."

For a second, the surprise lingered on Annie's face. Then it began to fade away into an expression that wasn't quite stony. It should have been, but there was something under it, feverish, wild, and fighting to get out.

No.

"Oh?" Annie asked, lips quivering.

Prove her wrong, Mikasa thought.

"She said that Bertolt and Reiner are vampires, and that you're here to kill me."

Please. Prove her wrong.

Annie stared.

Then she began to laugh.

No.

Mikasa took a step back, but the laughter continued. Annie's face began to flush bright red as she tilted her head back and placed a hand over her stomach.

Moving thoughtlessly, like nothing more than a puppet powered by the knowledge of what she was supposed to do when faced with an enemy, Mikasa extended her sword.

"I told- I told Reiner this was a bad idea," Annie wheezed.

"Is that a confession?" Mikasa asked, voice colder than she'd heard in months.

Annie straightened her head to give Mikasa a wild, joyless grin. It was nothing like she had seen on her before. Or more it was more true to her than anything she'd seen yet. Looking at it, Mikasa suddenly realized that she wouldn't know the difference.

"Mikasa," Annie said. "It's been fun."

And then the other slayer drew her sword and lunged for her throat.

Mikasa ducked and raised her sword. The clash of steel against steel was as much of an anchor as it was a shock, a reminder that this really was happening, that she couldn't allow herself to think or feel yet. She pushed back against the force bearing down on her. When she felt Annie's sword begin to slip, she lunged to the side and sprang upright.

Annie swept her leg out to try to knock Mikasa's feet out from under her. Mikasa jumped and swept her sword out at Annie's still-moving leg. The side of it grazed her thigh, drawing a line of blood to the surface but earning no outward reaction from the other slayer.

A flash of Annie's free hand told Mikasa that she was going for her dagger. Mikasa lashed at her with her sword, but Annie ducked down and somersaulted forward, springing up only inches away from her face.

Annie thrust her dagger forward.

Mikasa dropped her sword and grabbed her wrist before the blade could plunge more than a centimeter into her stomach.

Mikasa wanted to gasp. She wanted to gasp from the pain of the knife in her gut. She wanted to gasp because this was actually happening. She wanted to gasp because she had been foolish enough to end up in this situation in the first place.

Instead, she looked Annie in the face. Time seemed to freeze as their eyes met, Annie trying to force her dagger further into Mikasa’s stomach while the other slayer’s grip on her wrist held firm.

Annie’s eyes darted down, and time resumed. Mikasa brought her leg up and kicked Annie in the stomach. The force of it made her drop her dagger and sent her flying several feet.

Mikasa turned her mind away from the pain and forced herself to move quickly. She pulled the dagger out of her stomach - painful and risky, but necessary to keep fighting - and opened her bag to drop it in. Instead of picking her sword back up, she kept the bag open long enough to grab her crossbow, already primed and ready to shoot.

When Annie got to her feet, it was to find the crossbow aimed at her face. She glanced down at the sword in her hand, then at the weapon, then at Mikasa's face.

Their eyes met, and Mikasa did the worst possible thing.

She hesitated.

And Annie turned and ran. Mikasa adjusted her aim and pulled the trigger. A bolt flew forward and embedded itself in Annie's shoulder. The rogue slayer let out a sharp cry and stumbled, but did not stop running. Mikasa took off after her, but couldn't run as fast as she needed to with the sharp, persistent pain in her stomach.

The chase couldn't have lasted for longer than a few minutes. Soon Annie was gone, and Mikasa was left alone in the graveyard. The graveyard, where she absolutely could not afford to stay right now. Because if Ymir had been right about Annie...

A massive weight came crashing down upon Mikasa's shoulders. Everything that she had been naive enough to shuck since she met Annie, plus the reality of this new situation. More than the stab wound, it made every step feel like a marathon as she limped her way back to where she had dropped her sword.

The sword that Reiner had given her.

Mikasa stared blankly at the weapon as she picked it up. It wouldn't do to leave a weapon sitting around in the graveyard, but she was suddenly very certain that she wouldn't be using it much in the future.

***

Walking back to her apartment was grueling. The pain radiating from her stomach made her want to walk slowly, but she couldn't afford to. If someone caught her walking around with a stab wound, she'd have to make up a cover story and waste precious time with a hospital visit. If an enemy happened upon her in this state, she would be at a stark disadvantage.

And it seemed that she had more enemies than she had realized.

No. Not seemed. The blood smearing across her stomach was proof of how foolish she had been.

Mikasa closed her apartment door, then leaned heavily against it. The keys shook and slipped in her fingers as she locked it. When she finally heard that click, it didn't come with its usual sense of security. Instead, Mikasa just felt... numb. Empty. Foolish.

Alone.

She looked down at the sword still grasped in her hand - Reiner's sword - and let it go. It fell to the ground with a clatter. Next, she let her shoulders go slack and felt her weapon's bag slip off and onto the floor beside it. Her keys were pocketed, but for a moment, it felt like those would slip from her fingers as well. It was tempting to allow herself to drop to the ground as well, to slide down against the door and give in to the emptiness and despair inside her.

She didn't. Couldn't. She was the slayer, and that meant she had a duty to do. That duty wouldn't be aided by tears or emotions.

Mikasa had to take care of her wounds, get back into fighting condition, and then she would do her duty.

Blood dripped onto the carpeting as she walked into the apartment. She noticed it, distantly acknowledged that she would have to clean it up later, but it quickly disappeared into the depths of her mind. Everything did. The only thing she allowed herself to focus on was taking one step after the other.

She walked through the kitchen on her way to the bathroom. As she passed the kitchen table, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and set it down. Her fingertips left little smears of blood on the back of the casing.

Upon reaching the bathroom, she headed straight for the tub. She squatted down beside it in order to avoid jostling her stomach too much, put the stopper in, and turned the hot water on. Then she stood up and turned to the first aid kit sitting beside her sink.

A consequence of being the slayer was that a normal first aid kit wouldn't cut it. Mikasa's was larger than most people and contained, among other things, advil, rubbing alcohol, a suture needle, and sterilized suture thread. Those were the items that she fished out and carefully set on the toilet.

First, she swallowed a couple of advil dry. Then she began the painstaking process of taking off her blood-stained clothes. It was difficult to do without jostling her stomach too much, especially her shirt, but she managed.

She didn't know if doing this in the bathtub was a good idea, but at the moment, she didn't care. It was going to be painful, unpleasant, and difficult no matter how she went about it. The warm water might make it a little more tolerable, so she was going to take advantage of that.

Mikasa got in the water before getting started. She allowed her torso to sink beneath the water and winced at the fresh sting when water seeped into the wound. Her blood rose into the water in a cloud of pinkish-red. For a moment, she stayed still. Then she began to tenderly rub at the edges of the wound, washing off the bits of blood that had dried against her skin.

Her eyes began to water. She didn't allow herself to think about the reason why.

Once her skin was clean, she used her foot to turn the tub's faucet off, then pulled herself up so that the wound was out of the water. The movement sent a fresh burst of pain through her torso, to which she grit her teeth and reminded herself that the worst was yet to come.

Mikasa reached over the edge of the tub, toward the toilet, to grab the rubbing alcohol. She opened it and dropped a splash onto her wound, then gasped at the sting it elicited. Still not the worst part.

The needle and suture thread were in individual packages. She opened both and threaded the needle, then dipped the needle in the alcohol just to be safe.

Then came the miserable part.

Mikasa had to focus on what she was doing to make sure she handled the stitching correctly, but it was also easy enough that she didn't have to put much conscious thought into it. That was how she powered through. Although a good portion of her willpower was spent on staying still, she focused the rest of her mind on everything that was worse than having to suture her own stab wound.

Mikasa had tricked herself into believing that a second slayer meant that she wasn't alone while getting cozy with an enemy. Because that was what Annie was. A threat. A rogue slayer. An evil slayer, if she was cooperating with vampires. Because that was what Bertolt and Reiner were. Vampires.

None of them had truly wanted to work with her or be her friend. They had espoused the merits of teamwork to her because she would be easier to kill if she trusted them. She could see it now, how the manipulation worked, where she had been too quick to trust.

She had decided to trust someone for the first time in years, and this was where it had gotten her.

Annie wanted to kill her. It was her mission to kill her, from what Ymir had said.

Mikasa may not have known Annie half as well as she had let herself think she did, but she knew that she would not give up on a mission easily. Not a real one, one that she had truly dedicated herself to.

If Annie wanted to kill her, then Mikasa would have to kill her first.

Just like she would have to kill Bertolt, who was rarely seen not because he was shy and had a busy schedule, but because he couldn't step into the sunlight without bursting into flames.

Just like she would have to kill Reiner, who was a soulless murderer with a ring that granted him invulnerability.

None of them were her friends. And Mikasa had been foolish and weak to let herself think that they were.

The thoughts created a miasma of anger and guilt that didn't quite dull the pain, but redirected it enough for her to power through the operation. She clung to it until she had sewn the final suture, at which point she, blinked the tears out of her eyes, tied off the sutures, and broke off the needle and remaining thread with a sharp gasp.

Mikasa allowed her muscles to go law and slumped back against the bathtub. She didn't sink low enough to submerge her stitches, but it was a close thing. The edges of her vision flickered black as pain coursed through her. It was a sharp stabbing in her stomach, as if Annie were still digging the knife in, that faded into a throbbing ache as it radiated out into her limbs. She knew that the pain would begin to fade if she just gave it time.

She didn't have time to wait for the pain to fade. The most she could justify was waiting until it had dissipated enough for her to be able to move. Regardless of her personal feelings for Erwin, she could see where it would be foolish not to inform him of all that had happened. Plus she would have to warn everyone else about Annie, Reiner, and Bertolt.

They wouldn't take it well. Annie and Bertolt had kept some distance, but most of the group had grown attached to Reiner, blissfully unaware of the false pretenses their relationship was built upon. Perhaps it was a good thing that Annie had stabbed her. Physical proof would make it easier for her to get them to believe her. After that, she would only have their actual reactions to worry about.

Mikasa was overcome by a wave of exhaustion that had nothing to do with her injury. She leaned her head back and allowed her eyes to slide shut.

When she opened them a few seconds later, Eren was standing over the bathtub and staring down at her.

His eyes were glistening.

"Mikasa," he said. "I'm so sorry."

Mikasa glanced down at her stomach. Flecks of blood welled up around the crisscrossed black of the sutures. If she squinted, it almost looked like a mouth snarling up at her.

"It's fine," she murmured, voice dull and lifeless. "It'll heal."

"That's not what I meant," Eren said. There was no denying the pain in his voice, something caught between desperation and loss. Mikasa may have tried to analyze it at another time. Right now, with all her earlier feelings flowing out of her as exhaustion and pain took over, she just couldn't bring herself to make the effort. Instead, she watched as he knelt down beside her. He started to reach out a hand, but faltered and withdrew it when his fingertips were a few inches away from her arm. Or the illusion of them, at least.

"I'm sorry that I let this happen," Eren clarified. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about them."

Oh. So this was what was happening.

Mikasa tilted her head back and closed her eyes. "I should have figured it out," she said. "I let them trick me, and I only have myself to blame. I don't need you to remind me."

"That's not what I meant," Eren insisted, the strain in his voice building until it sounded like it might break. "I hoped that you could reach them, and maybe we wouldn't-"

"-Eren," Mikasa cut in before he could get any further, or the stinging in her eyes could get much worse. She'd already cried too much today. She didn't need to add any more tears to her mess. "I can't do this right now."

A moment of silence. Then, just before Mikasa was going to open her eyes, Eren whispered, "alright. Just remember that I'm sorry. I didn't... This wasn't my intention."

"I know," Mikasa said. "But when I open my eyes, I need you to be gone."

No response. She kept her eyes shut for several more moments, just to be safe. Then, slowly, she opened her eyes.

She was alone once again.

Mikasa allowed herself to linger in the bathtub for several more minutes. It could have been more, but the water was beginning to grow cold. The whisper of a chill dancing over her skin reminded her that the world wouldn't stop and wait for her to have a breakdown.

With gritted teeth, she began the painstaking process of extracting herself from the bathtub. Standing up made flashes of black cling to the edges of her vision once again. She braced a hand against the tub's wall and squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them, the pain hadn't faded, but her vision had refocused, which was enough for her to work with. She grabbed the fluffy white towel hanging from the shower rod and carefully wrapped it around herself. Pinkish droplets of blood-soaked water sank into the fabric, telling her that she would need to include it in her next load of laundry.

She made her way into her bedroom and pulled on a pair of pajamas. It felt like a defeat - the admittance that she wouldn't be doing anything else that night. She dealt with it by reminding herself that she shouldn't risk anything more. Tomorrow she would be healed enough to put actual clothes on. However, if she tried for too much tonight and tore her stitches, then her healing would be set that much further behind.

Once she was dressed, a deep, guilty part of her wanted nothing more than to lay down in bed and go to sleep.

Mikasa pushed it down and forced herself to walk into the kitchen. There, she sat down at the table and picked up her phone, which was now flecked with dried blood.

Three calls were waiting on her voice mail.

As she stared at the notification, her phone started ringing once more. She answered it immediately.

"Mikasa," came Erwin's voice, rushed and urgent. "You need to get to my house immediately."

Mikasa swallowed down the lump rising in her throat and asked, "why?"

"Marco Bodt has been murdered."

#mikannie #yumihisu #mikannie fic #snk fic #snk #attack on titan #my fic #my writing #the call

13 notes · View notes

sakuratragedy · 3 years

Text

Emperors Consort | Chapter 2

Fandom: Genshin Impact Pairing: Zhongli / Childe, #Zhongchi Tags: R18, A/B/O Dynamics, Royalty AU Summary: aka "Emperor's consort doesn't know the difference between being a concubine and being a consort" Tsaritsa wants her child to have a good life after serving her on the battlefield for so long, so she makes a deal with an old friend. In exchange for her military might, he will marry her son. Childe who has no formal omega training has to do his best to cover up the fact he has no idea what he's doing. Do your best to be a good omega Childe!

He remembers the familiar ache in his back and knot in his shoulders from the last time he travelled from the mother country to Liyue. The arrival at the harbour was busy per usual. The sounds of Liutian and foreigners alike moving around the harbour, the voices that speak of trades and exchange greetings merge together creating a mess of noise. His fellow Fatui agents unloading the luggage they brought (limited to a single case per person), dressed in their fatui garb ready to split ways after unloading and receiving orders from the youngest Harbinger.

Tartaglia dressed in his civilian clothing and did a quick scan of the harbour. It didn’t look like much had changed much over the years he had been away. He had been wearing his Harbinger uniform up until he could see the outline of the harbour from the ship, before remembering he was not there for a quick mission.

He was there to potentially get mated (and possibly married).

“I’m sure you know what to do.” Childe says without having to turn to look at his agents, but he knows they were listening. “Independent action until necessary, don’t cause any trouble that I can’t get you out of.” He glanced over his shoulder to watch his agents nod at him. Usually they would disappear by now, going their own separate directions but they stood there behind him. Childe raised his brow when he still felt their presence behind him and fully turned to them.

“Speak.”

“Sir, are you truly going to become the emperor’s omega?” He recalls her name, Ekaterina, who was there during his last stay in Liyue years ago.

“It’s part of Tsaritsa's deal with the emperor. Who am I to disobey her?”

“What about your position as a Harbinger, sir?” a skirmisher asks, timidly rubbing the back of his head for speaking so boldly to his superior. Childe gave a half-glare at the taller male before he rolled his eyes.

“I’m still a Harbinger. This ‘mating with the emperor’ shit isn’t solid.” He does air quotations with his fingers. “What is important right now is the mission. If you find out what the emperor's big dilemma is before I do, please relay it back to me.” His agents clung to every word he uttered as if he spoke the gospel, memorising it down to each syllable to avoid missing anything and honestly, he loved it.

Surely this ‘mating and marriage’ could turn optional if he finishes the mission earlier than intended. Childe starts running through various possibilities that could happen to him when he finally starts living at the palace to prepare himself from being caught off guard. If he revealed himself to be a Harbinger right away, the emperor would put him to work immediately. They would solve the problem faster than usual. -

‘Because I’m talented and strong, it would be done in no time.’ Childe thinks to himself.

And in the end the emperor would have to mate and marry him to uphold the Tsaritsa’s end of the bargain. But… if he pretended he was just a useless omega prince, would the emperor be more willing to let him go?

He smirks at the idea before turning to his agents.

“Do not tell anyone that I’m a Harbinger.” He watches them nod once at his command.

“Dismissed.” He smiles and they disappear in the blink of an eye.

‘This could be fun.’ he thinks, his smile stretching holding more mischief from his clever plan. ‘I’ll be back home in no time.’

“You’re the Tsaritsa’s son.” a voice snapped him out of his devious thoughts. He turned to his left, seeing no one. A little cough in the direction he was looking at made him glance down meeting eyes with a small girl, much shorter than himself that she had to tilt her head upwards to meet his eyes. Her mouth was curled into a distasteful pout, likely irritated at the obvious height difference.

Childe couldn’t hold back the smile that grew on his face. She was so tiny. The girl might have mistaken Childe’s smile as a mocking one and grew more irritated, her brows furrowing together.

‘She’s a fighter.’ he thinks as his eyes travel further down, intrigued by the sword attached at her hip decorated with extravagant carvings. The guard was shaped like a lion's head, beautiful listening gold in the afternoon light and the little eyes seemed to glow fiercely with amber gems. Analysing her figure, he realizes could probably beat her if they fought. He should be nice to her, since fighting weaker people did not bring any pleasure.

“I’m speaking to you.” She doesn’t mask the irritation in her voice when she glares at him. He continues to watch her with curious eyes, eyebrow raised as she moves her light purple hair behind her shoulder in one elegant toss of her hand before crossing her arms at her chest. Without having to look for too long, he knows this confident girl that came to pick him up at the harbour must be associated with the Liyue Qixing from the elegant air that she carries.

“Yes, I heard you.” Childe responds. The corner of his lip turns upward again when she rolls her eyes openly at him before turning her face away. Never in his life had he seen someone so openly irritated at him. This girl did not care the slightest that she was in the presence of one of Snezhnaya’s ruthless fighters, let alone foreign royalty.

“We’re leaving for the palace now. Follow me.” she says quickly before turning on her heels and walking away. She seemed to be in a rush to leave Childe behind, but her plan did not go about the way she planned as Childe has longer legs. He took a few big strides and caught up to her walking pace, which seemed to irritate her further. Either way, it was not hard to keep up with her.

He glanced down at his walking partner, seeing her bite her lip and her gloved hands are little balls at her sides as she walked made him chuckle.

“I hope you know I already don’t like you.” She says as she turns on her heel to open the door to the carriage. While different from Snezhnaya carriages that were fully covered and the cushioning surrounded by velvet to keep the warm, he found it cute how Liyue carriages were open, fancy carvings on the wood let air through the carriage. He traced the red wood, admiring it for a bit too long before the girl behind him made noise.

“Just get in already!” He laughed again when he climbed into the carriage, tears brimming his eyes from the way his stomach hurt.

“You’ve amused me like no other. What is your name, young lady?” Childe smiled bright and wide, feeling actual excitement of having someone openly hate him. He reached out to shake her hand, while his other hand wiped away the stray tear at the corner of his eye.

The girl huffed, her cheeks turning pink from either the humid air or his constant teasing. Her gloved hand grabbed his own.

“Keqing.”

“Good morning Taru…” He sat up from his canopy bed decorated with gorgeous red and gold silks stretching his arms over his head.

His room was heavily decorated in exquisite furnishings such as porcelain vases detailed in gold and little statues of long dragons with clouds surrounding them made of marble would decorate the tables. Soft and expensive furs and fabrics draped on his bed. A single round window made of wood with intricate circle and square motive carvings framed all four sides of the window placed just a little further from the door that led out onto his huge balcony beside his bedroom.

“Good morning Qiqi!” Childe smiled at his attendant. He holds his hand out, waiting for Qiqi to give him the item that she was holding. He felt his heart melt when the little girl approached him at his bed and shyly placed a small purple flower in his palm. Childe pauses to look at the delicate plant in his hands.

“What is this?” He asks curiously. The small flower looked a little rough around its edges, but he can tell from the way Qiqi protectively held it before passing it to him that she tried her very best to be gentle.

“Violetgrass…” She fiddles with the hem of her dress, swaying her body from left to right waiting for him to accept the present she had given him.

“I love it. Thank you Qiqi.” He gently sets the violetgrass by his side before he carefully moves out of bed. He kneels in front of her to hug the smaller girl, which she happily hugs back. He feels her little hands grab the back of his silk pajamas, not being able to fully circle around him just yet.

“Let’s start the day, shall we?” Childe pulls away gently from the hug. Qiqi nods in agreement before she leaves him to find the ladies that will prepare his clothing and accessories for the day. As several sets of hands roam his body, brushing his hair and tying robes onto his clothing, another lady reads aloud the schedule that has been fixed for him by Keqing. He shuts his eyes, feeling his head tilt in one direction as a maid brushes his untamable hair. He can feel her frustration as she brushes before deciding it would be best to place little decorative pins in the shape of beautiful flowers into his hair to compensate for the mess underneath. She clips small flowers into the curls of his hair, twisting as they were little branches for the acrylic flowers to sit upon.

The first three days of Childe’s life in the Liyue Palace were very similar, a blur . Qiqi’s presence was the only consistent thing that happened during his time at the palace. Every morning when Qiqi wakes him up, she would bring something small and interesting she thinks that he would like.

The Qixing (Keqing, specifically) had presented him with Qiqi as his personal attendant while he stayed in the palace. He had discovered through the smaller girl that she works part time for Baizhu, picking herbs for hours on end occasionally never coming back to the palace for three days. But since she now waits on the foreign prince, her herb picking hours have been reduced from twilight till the sun broke through the clouds the next morning.

“Don’t you need sleep?” He asks the first day he met her. She was such a small and young girl, how could anyone make her work her bones off from dusk till dawn. Keqing stands further back from them, letting them introduce themselves before she has to haul him elsewhere.

“Qiqi is okay. Adepti are okay.” Childe didn’t know what that meant and he believed her, but it didn’t stop him from feeling a little guilty. Small kids should be getting proper rest and not scaling the side of dangerous cliffs for herbs that the doctor was capable of getting for himself.

He didn’t think that he had to make a complete 180 change from the last time he was in Liyue. Ever since Childe stepped foot on that harbour three days ago, he hadn’t touched his belongings he brought with him from Snezhnaya. He hadn’t worn any of the clothes he brought, as the attendants would dress him in Liyue’s traditional clothes specifically made for Liutian omegas.

“Why do I have to wear a dress?” Childe asks as he looks himself in the mirror, the silks and cotton flowy against his skin. The light blue robes detailed in a darker shade of navy blue and gold stitching complimented his eye colour. Several attendants were surrounding him, taking his measurements not missing out a single inch of his body as Keqing stood before him. She monitored the way the ladies moved gracefully about him as if they were in a dance, fleeting touches not more than 2 seconds, a stretch of tape here and there, a little tug of his clothes once in a while before the touches leave him. He watches the redhead in the mirror through the floor to ceiling mirror, the one that looked like him but he could not recognise from the gorgeous silks and cottons that decorated his imposter.

“All omegas, especially those from noble lines wear hanfus.” Keqing explains as she pulls the skirt down. Golden accessories such as clips and small delicate chains started to decorate his hair, neck and ears, Keqing was presented with different silks by the same attendants. He doesn’t say anything when she holds it up against his face, before giving the fabric back and nodding in approval.

“Plus, it’s pretty. Alphas love pretty omegas.” A beautiful woman walks in wearing her own white and golden hanfu, carrying herself like she was a goddess walking amongst men. The way her skirt flowed as she walked towards the two, the slim and elegant smile on her lips as she walked over to them. She gave a little twirl, her gorgeous skirt flaring out like a dream of silk and cotton as she arrived before the foreign prince and blushing noble.

“Don’t you agree?” She asks, leaning a little towards Keqing. Keqing took a step back, face colouring as she looked away in embarrassment. Childe watched as the omega teased the purple haired alpha by inching closer as the other backed away. Gorgeous amber eyes gleaming with mirth, her smile hidden behind her paper fan as she basically teased the alpha. She carries a similar paper fan in her hand, wearing a similarly fashioned hanfu and yet, they couldn’t be any more different.

“Yes. You are very pretty.” her voice barely an audible gasp could be heard, but it was a sufficient response for the fair lady.

From the way her presence alone can suffocate a room, begging its attention to be turned to her and the way comfortably glides around the palace. It was safe to assume that this was the emperor's regina.

“I am Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing. It’s nice to meet you.” She gives a little bow of respect that Childe awkwardly returns back. Those titles that came after her name did not hold any meaning to Childe as he didn’t understand what that meant, it was possible he would forget after this meeting.

“You look pretty as well. I think this colour suits you wonderfully.” Ningguang says as she pulls lightly on the baby blue fabric the attendants had put around his arms not for any particular purpose other than decoration, but Childe being who he is naturally assumed he could turn it into a weapon and strangle someone with it if he was given the chance.

‘No, that’s a bad Ajax.’ He thought to himself. ‘No thinking about strangling.’ The voice in his head speaks in a firm tone as if he were speaking to a naughty child. His face sulks a little. When the attendants pulled away after what felt like hours, he was greeted with a sight he had never seen before. He was dressed in beautiful silks and cottons that could give him the illusion of being beautiful.

The style of hanfu was very similar to the long flowing one Ningguang wore, except the colours of his hanfu were softer in comparison to the dramatic whites, bright reds and golds the other omega wore. He didn’t catch himself in time, accidentally openly gawking at how well the attendants had dressed him. When he caught himself and shut his mouth, his eyes met with the Tianquan. She smiled at him, looking genuinely excited that he looked decent in those clothes. He can’t help but feel out of place. The attendants presented a variety of earrings carefully placed on a tray to Ningguang. She hums and carefully picks up one that she thinks would suit Childe best. A single red gem hanging from slim golden chains, smaller red flowers littering the chain in delicate placements.

“Why do you not wear your pheromones?” She asks as she assists Childe by putting on the earring. “You seem to have many scent blockers upon your neck.” She reaches for them, but with Childe’s fast reflexes, he’s immediately off the chair and covering the back of his neck with his hand. He leans against the vanity, trying not to look as uncomfortable as he feels and tries to steel his rapidly beating heart.

Ningguang blinked.

She didn’t even see him move.

“The Tsaritsa said not to take them off.” He says quickly followed by a forced laugh and smile, hoping that she would not press any further concerning the three scent blockers covering every inch of the scent glands on his neck, preventing any pheromones from accidentally leaking.

She was silent, hands still in the air from where she was holding Childe’s other earring.

“Alright.” Ningguang put the other earring down on the tray that the attendant held. “I suppose she would only want you to take them off during your heat.”

Childe nervously laughs and agrees with her.

Presented with portions more than Childe had ever seen, he had been eating a lot of food since he arrived at the palace compared to his home life in Snezhnaya. Childe had never been one to eat for pleasure, as he was the type of prince who found pleasure in pain and fighting, challenges and battle scars.

If Childe was to eat any more food, he felt as if his stomach would simply burst open and a flow of various ingredients would stream from it. But being the kind prince he is, he smiles and opens his mouth, consuming the food that was given to him.

It was an unusual sight for sure. He sat amongst the chefs at their designated dining table in the kitchen of the palace. Their sturdy wooden table plated at least three different kinds of chicken meals featuring different parts, cooked several different ways. He was seated on their wooden bench that could fit five people per side and ate from delicate porcelain wares and golden spoons and forks.

‘Why so spicy?’ Childe holds in the scream he wants to let out, his cheeks glowing a peachy red hue as he chews slowly, the burning sensation in his mouth moving further down his throat as he swallows. He can’t be anything less than regal as a foreign prince, carrying his image by sitting upright with his elbows off the table, but in that moment he feels helpless to the spice. His mouth opened slightly, pink lips huffing out hot air attempting to ventilate the scorching sensation.

“ He’s so thin. Xiangling is there anything else to eat?” A woman much older than him sat to his right, watching him as he steadily ate the steamed chicken dish in front of him cooked with chilies, thinly sliced gingers, and soft wolfberries. A man to his left took away his bowl of rice when he brought the spoon of chicken and rice to his mouth, filling the bowl with more soft fluffy rice before setting it back down before him.

“ I can make chicken feet with dark sauce! ” A young girl says as she rushes around the large kitchen holding a cleaver in her hand. The other chefs laugh fondly when ingredients start flying about the kitchen, some entering pots and nearly missing the pans. The cheery girl hums an upbeat tune while the cleaver cuts fast against the wooden board.

“ His face is red! ” One chef says to another.

“ Youths are so cute. ” The woman decides to fondly pinch his cheek, making him turn to her, rosy blush dusting his face. Childe couldn’t concentrate on the actions of the chefs in the kitchen, too busy blinking away the tears that stinged his eyes from the intensity of the chili.

“ Should eat more though. Get fatter and bear healthy kids.” The same woman wraps her hand around Childe’s slim wrist, seeing how she could easily wrap her thumb and index finger around it.

He exhaled a breath through his slightly parted mouth, the heat never leaving him. While his eyes were clenched closed, the young girl dropped a large bowl of soup beside the spicy chicken he had yet to clean off his plate.

“Eat up!” She says in a language he could understand since he had arrived in this kitchen an hour ago and beams a bright smile at him. He weakly smiles back with as much politeness he could muster in that moment, knowing he couldn’t get out of the situation he was currently in.

The end of Childe’s three busy days had been the most exhilarating despite the slow start. From the moment he woke up, the ladies had brushed his hair and dressed him per usual but this time under the watchful eye of the tiny purple haired Qixing. When he was dressed, she extended her hand towards him accompanied by her sharp glare. He didn’t think much of the gesture, placing his hand on top of hers before the alpha escorted the two of them through the maze of open aired hallways leading to the emperor’s palace in silence.

“Stand here and don’t move. Don’t go anywhere.” Keqing said when they had reached the altar, removing her hand from under his. He took a look at her and nodded in understanding. She nodded back, turning away to take a seat just behind him. From the sound of a drag of the chair against the floor, he can tell she pulled a seat closer to her own in that moment he wasn’t looking.

He had stood before the entire Liyue Qixing, seven heads of noble lines seated behind him as he stood what looked like an altar, listening to a man speaking in pure liyuan before him. From the dramatic gestures to his loud booming voice that echoed the hall, he could guess the man was a preacher of some sort. Occasionally he would jolt awake from the way the preacher’s voice would boom.

“ In the consort’s next heat, may the archons bless that an adepti child be born. ” Childe’s polite smile is beginning to fade into a more awkward and strained one. He feels like he had been standing there for ages from the way his back began to hurt from how straight he stood, combined with the heavy weight of the seven pairs of eyes staring holes into his back.

“ The emperor. ” The loud man gestured to the large double door he had entered through, but all Childe could do was stare in confusion. The man spoke such pure liyuan it was difficult for him (someone who only ever heard informal liyuan from his one year stay) it was as if he was trying to process the thick accent along with the pure pronunciations. He tried to interpret the preacher's words with the minimum amount of liyuan he learned during his one year post at Liyue Harbour when he was 21.

‘It’s too fluent.’ Childe furrows his brows in frustration. ‘I don’t understand.’ While he was trying to deconstruct the words the preacher was saying so he could get a hold of what he was on about, he failed to notice two pairs of footsteps that entered the room. One pair had stopped walking just behind him while the other walked up beside him.

“ Two worlds will collide in a united front, to unite two countries, two perspectives, two worlds. ” The preacher made a particularly big gesture before intertwining his fingers together and locking them.

‘Honestly, I should have thought about getting a tutor 3 years ago.’ He tried his best not to show such a confused expression, but failed when he heard a chuckle beside him.

“He said ‘two worlds colliding in a united front’.”

“Ah, thank you.” Childe turned his head to thank the figure beside him before looking away in fear of getting scolded by Keqing, and looking back because fuck getting scolded by Keqing.

‘This man is so handsome !’ Childe practically screamed in his mind, so loud that he was afraid the other man could hear him. He was scared the whole hallway could possibly hear him from how loud his thought was. He didn’t care that he was openly staring with eyes as large as dinner plates at this point.

The prince was suddenly very aware of the taller man standing beside him on the altar.

‘He’s taller than me. No one is ever taller than me.’ Childe snuck another sideways glance, trying to hold back the embarrassment from showing on his face. He clearly was embarrassed, he himself knew it and is accepting of the fact. He tried to steady his breathing when he felt his heart hammer at his chest. He did not prepare himself for the possibility of the emperor being (hot) his type.

‘His jawline is so sharp. He’s so tall. Is it because he’s an alpha? He’s got such pretty eyes.’ Childe’s mind was busy collecting as much information as he could get from simply looking at the emperor, he didn’t realise something slipped from his mouth.

“Pardon?” He turns his head to fully look at Childe, watching as the prince’s fair cheeks bloom a bright red when he realizes some thoughts may have slipped out as real words.

“My apologies, it’s nothing.”

Throughout the ceremony, Childe kept sneaking glances at him. Well, he couldn’t help himself no matter how disciplined he was. This man was so much eye candy he had to openly stare. When the other man noticed him staring and when he caught his eyes, Childe whipped his head to look away.

“Are you nervous?” he hears a soft voice beside him. He looks up to see him glancing with a gentle expression. Childe felt himself blush. The emperor is so handsome, you would never believe he was 40 years old.

“Yes, a little. I can’t really understand what he’s saying.” Childe admits truthfully before he felt him blush rise to his ears. Why did he admit that? Was his face really able to let down his guard?

The emperor chuckles a little before he smiles and looks forward at the officiater. “We’ll get you a tutor. It is an easy language to grasp once you figured out the basics.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s not a problem.” He smiled.

‘Fangs!’ Childe’s mind shouted in glee when he saw the sharp teeth but his face kept a calm appearance. He realises he’s been too jumpy during the ceremony and not concentrating at all. He takes a deep breath to calm himself down. ‘Of course the man has fangs, he’s an alpha.’ He nods, thinking logically and completely missing the side glance followed by a fleeting smirk the other man gave him.

The preacher hands Childe and the emperor a small cup each filled with fragrant rice wine.

‘Do I drink this?’ He looks at the clear liquid in the goblet before looking up at Zhongli, meeting his eyes for the first time in the hour they had been standing beside each other. Zhongli’s eyes never tear away from him as he slowly puts his own cup to his lips, waiting for him to do the same.

Luckily Childe catches on and drinks the wine, Zhongli doing the same.

“ Congratulations on getting married. ” Ningguang says in pure liyuan dialect, bowing at Childe and the emperor. Her voice carried a smoother tone when she spoke in liyuan compared to when she spoke to Childe a few days ago. He snuck another glance at Zhongli without fully turning his head, trying not to seem too interested in the man.

‘Well, if he hears my thoughts I’d be doomed.’ Childe fully regained his composure after being let go by the preacher, some of the Qixing nobles leaving the hall as soon as it was done with the exception of Ningguang and Keqing, who stood further back towards the door waiting for them to finish their conversation with the emperor. He stood beside the emperor, waiting for him to finish his exchange with his regina before introducing himself, but while that was happening he was running through his mind figuring out how to make a good first impression.

“ Be quiet. ” He says, but the smile that graced his face when he faced her was gentle, yet it held some mirth. The smiles they exchanged held deeper meaning, as if it holds years of bonding that could not be overwritten by the involvement of a second love. Childe feels envious somehow.

Zhongli fully turns to him, with that handsome smile still on his face and Childe finds himself being entranced. He could finally get a good look at the well dressed man who wore layers upon layers from his dress shirt to his vest and his outer coat, this man was covered from head to toe leaving not an inch of skin exposed for imagination to run wild.

“Childe, this is Zhongli.” Ningguang introduces them before Zhongli could open his mouth to speak. “Call him xiansheng.” Zhongli turned to her with disbelief on his face while she giggled mischievously behind her gloved hand.

“You don’t have to call me - “

“Xiansheng?” He feels shy when he attempts to copy Ningguang’s pronunciation. He was rewarded with a thumbs up from the fair lady, but he noticed Zhongli take a step back from him.

“That is good pronunciation, Childe.” Zhongli says.

“My real name is Ajax.” He blurts out, feeling his cheeks get hot from how well this man could play him without having to do anything. He hasn’t actually said his original name for years, not since he had been adopted by the Tsaritsa. He felt as if he could have gone a lifetime without hearing that name again.

“Ajax.” And yet, he wants to hear his name on this man's lips more, drink it up like it was wine and honey. The smile that comes after the syllables of his name were addictive. He feels high, overwhelmed even, as if he had not been breathing oxygen up until he hears his name uttered from this man's lips.

If he could look at that smile for the rest of his life.

“There’s plenty of time for you both to get to know each other,” Ningguang says, but the holes that Keqing had been staring into her head had increased in intensity since earlier. “But not right now.” She smiles, a little nervous about the purple haired noble that was clicking the heel of her shoe against the carpeted floor.

Unfortunately, Ningguang went unheard by the two males. Zhongli looks at Childe like he is the only person in the hall, and Childe looks at him like he was the only person in the universe as they spoke, low and quiet unwanting others to hear their meek conversation.

“Are you really 40 years old?”

“No, that might be an exaggeration.”

“I knew my siblings were joking - “ “I’m 57.”

Childe blinked, his hand moving away from his mouth, to look at the emperor with disbelief. He shook his head, feeling whiplash from the information. The corners of the emperor's lips quirk upwards, amused as he watches the ginger process the information.

“You’re older than the Tsaritsa.”

“Indeed. I’ve known her for a very long time, we are good friends.”

“Ahem.” A loud noise was made, finally attracting the attention of the prince and the emperor. They turned to look at the smaller girl, her fist at her mouth before she crossed her arms. Ningguang stood a little behind her, averting her gaze. She did try to warn them, they couldn’t blame her for their scolding.

“Childe has to meet his tutor and Lady Ningguang and I have a meeting to tend to.” Keqing says bluntly. It seems her clear dislike was not hidden from anyone, not even with the exception of the emperor.

“Oh? I thought we were going on a date?” Ningguang piped up, making the purple haired girl go red in the face, but keeping her usual stoic demeanor. Keqing had her hands balled up in fists when the lady teased her, but couldn’t deny that it had embarrassed her in a good way. Zhongli raised a curious brow at his Qixing before nodding.

“I understand. You may go.” He says to Keqing and Ningguang. They both bow at their direction, before taking off. Childe was in the midst of turning away to follow them but was stopped by a gentle touch of a hand on his wrist. The touch was so gentle, it made his heart flutter. He looked at the gloved hand that caught him, before looking up at the emperor’s face.

“Xiansheng?” He says curiously. Zhongli hesitates, so the both of them were simply studying each other's faces. He looked like he had a lot to say to him, his mouth opening slightly before closing, and opening again and biting his lower lip.

“Till we meet again.” He finally says. Zhongli looked the way that Childe felt, shy. Childe couldn’t suppress the twinkle in his eyes and the smile that crept upon his face.

“Till next time, xiansheng.”

“In Liyue customs, an empress is bred from young, training from a youth until a young adult to be able to take the responsibilities that come with being the empress. Among these responsibilities are overseeing the imperial charity, funding for - '' The words blur and jumble into a ball of sounds as Childe stares at the pen and blank paper in front of him.

Why did he have to learn about the empress anyway? Couldn’t he skip to the parts that he didn’t need to learn since he was a meer concubine to the emperor? He twirls the fountain pen between his fingers, careful to not fling ink out and spray it all over the parchment.

“Childe, are you listening?” He looks up at his tutor. The blue haired boy much much younger than him is sitting at the end of his desk with a thick book placed on his lap.

“Yes, Xingqiu, I’m listening.”

“Good. How many years must an empress candidate undergo training before she can become the official regina?” He places his elbow on his knee, leaning his head on his hands as he watches the foreign prince in amusement. The prince clearly hadn’t been listening to him, instead choosing to spend his time concentrating on not spilling the ink from his pen as he twirled it between his fingers like a baton.

“Sixteen years.” Childe answers effortlessly, avoiding eye contact with his smug tutor. Xingqiu’s head lifted from his hand, a little shocked that the prince actually was paying attention to him.

“Good. We can move on to the inner workings of the emperors palace and its hierarchy.” He clasps the book shut with both hands, placing it onto the ever growing pile behind him before picking up another heavy volume with gold engravings on the spine. The red head looked at the book before his gaze trailed up to his teachers face. There is no way this boy was older than sixteen, and yet he’s sitting on the corner of his desk acting like his boss. According to Keqing who assigned Xingqiu as his tutor, the boy comes from a long line of nobles that had been famed to teach Liyue etiquette to both the descendants of emperors and empresses.

“A summary of the hierarchy would be Emperor Zhongli of course, followed by his son Xiao - “

“His son?” Childe asks, curiosity getting the best of him. ‘I didn’t know Zhongli was married.’ He put a finger to his chin and leaned back into his chair, hiding his troubled expression behind his hand.

“Yes, the sole prince of Liyue and only son of the emperor, Xiao. He is twenty this year, but isn’t taking the throne.” the blue haired boy shrugs as if the information was not anything special before flipping to another page of the thick book. Childe still lost in thought was thinking about the possibilities of Zhongli’s wife and himself having a child together, but still allowing the emperor to take a concubine for the sake of his country.

“He’s the current head of the Liutian army.” His tutor realises that he was no longer paying attention and raises a brow. He figures the prince must have some troubling thoughts to forgo listening to him altogether.

“He’s adopted.” Xingqiu says. He wants to burst out laughing when the information clearly did not reach Childe’s ears, but chooses to muffle his giggle behind his hand. He watches the prince's furrowed brows and smiles gently. Might as well continue reading from the book if the prince was not going to pay attention to his detailed explanations. “After the prince would be the eight heads of the Liyue Qixing starting with the Tianquan, who oversees the law and governance.” Xingqiu continues, the sun setting through the window behind him colouring the room in an orange hue.

- ‘The emperor has a son, which means he has a wife’ was the one thing Childe really took away from his first tutoring lesson with the young noble. He lies down on his bed staring at the ceiling above him, feeling the air gently blow through his open window surrounding him in comforting cold winds. It felt nowhere near as cold as Snezhnaya, but it would have to do for the night. The prince tended to do his thinking in the dead of night while the wind rustled through his fluffy hair.

‘The previous Tsar before mother had over eight omegas as concubines, but mother has never taken a husband.’ He thought, rolling onto his side and propping his head up onto his arm. Through his window, he could see the gorgeous garden filled with trees and white stone walls that sat between the emperor's palace and the palace he currently resides in. Deciding to get off his bed, he walked over to the window letting his long robes drag across the floor, tucking the long fabric under his legs while he situated himself on the bench beside the window.

‘Maybe mom is right? Would I actually have to work hard to impress the emperor?’ He furrows his brow in thought which he found himself doing very often since he had arrived at the palace. Childe thought himself to be the adaptable type, able to mold himself into any situation and conquer the harshest of conditions.

And yet, being treated like a soft and gentle omega was the strangest thing he had ever experienced in his lifetime.

‘Are soft and gentle someone Zhongli likes?’ Childe gets off his bench to walk over to the floor to ceiling mirror in the corner of his room. He looks at himself in the mirror with the robes wrapped tightly around his waist, and yet it was still loose enough to slip off slightly. He wasn’t very much the image of an ‘omega’, having more sharp angles than soft curves, and he is tall nearly the same height as the emperor. Overall in comparison to other omegas he had seen around the palace they had been the exact opposite of him.

Small, soft types with curves and usually very pretty with large doe eyes.

‘I’m more handsome than pretty.’ Childe thinks as he grabs his hip bones with both hands. ‘Sharp.’ He continues to pat his body, feeling the toned muscle and bone on him from years of working for the Tsaritsa. His hands trail to his toned stomach and rubs it in circles with the palm of his hand. He had always thought the best feature of his Harbinger uniform was that it had normally exposed his stomach, which was a part of him that he was proud of. It was sexy to say the least and it aided him agility wise on the battlefield, but now he wasn’t sure. Were omegas supposed to expose themselves like that?

‘I could make the effort. Zhongli is kinda handsome, I guess.’ He rolls his eyes, as if he had now been openly gawking the first time he met the emperor. ‘And helping the Tsaritsa is my priority.’

“Damn, I’ve never been this body conscious in my life.” He walks away from the mirror, but turns to look back at himself, eyes directly dropping to the shape of his ass in the mirror. He laughs a little pathetically before running a hand through his hair.

“This guy doesn’t know me, so it wouldn’t be too hard to hide the fact I was practically a tyrant back home!” With full confidence, he turned to face the mirror and crossed his arms, beaming at his prettier doppelganger in the mirror. He met his eyes, smile falling a little. Who was he kidding, he felt so out of place.

“Right?”

#zhongchi #genshin impact childe #genshin impact zhongli #childe is such a simp #childe #zhongli #tartaglia

30 notes · View notes

darkficsyouneveraskedfor · 4 years

Text

The Handmaiden🌹1

Warnings: eventual dark elements (tags to be added as fic continues)

This is dark!(king)Steve and explicit. 18+ only.

Summary: Princess Madeline has left her homeland to marry a king. On her journey, she has brought her most trusted handmaiden. Little do either of them know how perilous their new home will be.

Note: Alright, here’s another medieval AU ft. King Steve. His darkness will build as we go and we’re gonna ride those vibes, thots. I really hope you enjoy. 💋

<3 Let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply or an ask! Love ya!

Madeline was the fairest woman you’d ever seen. Her strawberry blonde waves flowed like water down her back and shoulders. Her jaw was etched by the gods themselves and her lips were soft to the eye and as you guessed, the touch. Her eyes were like gems and her figure was graceful and lithe. Her voice was a melody and her laugh like the pluck of a string.

How could she not be perfect? Porcelain and precious. She was a princess. The eldest of Eddor.

It would be unnatural not to envy her. Not to compare your ordinary features with her extraordinary ones. Not to measure your circumstance against hers. You had grown up in her shadow. Once a playmate, now a maid. You served as her closest companion and attendant. A mere servant, you were but another accessory among many.

Your jealousy was not spiteful. Many a peasant lived a life worse than yours. You did not complain or want. It was the order of things. The world as it was.

She was serene, often intimidatingly calm. That day, you could see the nervous tension in her cheek. Not many others would notice but you did. You didn’t blame her. She was to meet her betrothed at last. A man more than ten years here elder; of the few men grander than her in prestige; a widower and king.

You stood just a few steps away, hands folded and head slightly bowed in deference. If she needed you, she would call to you. You were glad for the camouflage of your low standing. Among the foreign court, on such a significant day, you were nothing; just another witness.

Your journey was long. A month at sea, a fortnight in a draughty northern castle, a week upon the road, and finally you were in the capital; Halder’s Arch. A night spent awaiting the first meeting and a further hour for the king’s appearance. The other servants were growing restless; Madeline’s ladies, too.

It would be a sad and heartless act to send a princess out upon her own. Sybil and Lucille were the only noblewoman to accompany Madeline. They were to remain at the foreign court and seek their own suitors. Her guards, her priest, and her physician were also among the party as well. Her retinue was finely outfitted.

Finally, the doors shifted and the armoured guards hit their staffs on the stone to announce the arrival. As the hall opened up, you held your breath as Madeline did the same. She raised her chin slightly and rose with the rest to receive her betrothed. A line of lords preceded their king, hidden by the group of men.

The Princess of Eddor was announced first. Her crest bearer spoke loudly for all the people to hear. Then it was the king’s turn. Steven, first of his name, son of Stewart, ruler of Anglhem and its territories. The lords broke and formed two rows as they stood at attention.

King Steven strode between them, as proud and stoic as the princess he would wed. You kept your chin down but watched him below your lashes. His dark blonde hair was thick above a trimmed beard. He wore a simple golden crown without stones, his jacket a turquoise brocade slashes with citrine. A chain of golden links hung from his shoulders with a single sapphire upon it.

It was simple but bespoke a man of intent; of standing. His simplicity said it all. You suspected he dressed for the occasion; a very deliberate impression for his future wife. The capital, the castle, the lords, did not suggest a ruler without extravagance.

The king stopped before Madeline and bowed to her; she curtsied to him in kind. He seemed pleased as he took her hand and kissed it. His eyes flicked all over as he considered his new wife; his second. The first had come to a tragic end during a summer plague not two years past.

“Princess,” He greeted. “It is a privilege and a pleasure to meet you at last. The painter did you an injustice for no canvas could capture such beauty.”

“And you, my king,” She said evenly. “I did hear of a handsome and noble king but the accounts do leave much untold.”

You were always rather amused by such empty courtesies. These words were rehearsed and recited without thought. It was what was expected. A princess could not come off as appalled by her suitor, even if she were, and a king could not be disappointed in a princess, even for a crooked nose or blotchy complexion. It was all an act. You did not envy the fallacy of status.

Your eyes wandered as the royals went about their performance. The audience was rapt and marvelled at the perfect pair; a stately king and a beautiful princess. You bit down to keep from grinning wryly. Your amusement was stifled completely as your eyes were caught by a pair most unexpected.

As Steven was offered a chair to sit with his queen, his gaze strayed from her. You withheld your surprise and assured yourself he was merely distracted by the portrait behind you or perhaps a nick in the stone. It couldn’t be you. Servants were like windows; transparent.

His brow twitched and he looked back to the princess. Her ladies were dazzled by the king’s stature, the lords were pleased by the princess’ grace. All seemed to be in a trance; all but those who held their attention.

Madeline held her veneer only because the cracks could not be noticed by strangers. Steven’s matched hers though you saw no flaw. You only saw a man sure of himself because he knew what to say. To him, it was a ritual, each step another closer to the end.

You straightened at the subtle signal from the princess. She wanted wine. You went to her and took the ewer from the table beside her. You filled the king’s goblet first and presented it to him with a bow. He took it and you repeated the steps for the princess. She thanked you and you didn’t miss the king’s eye. He was watching you. Why?

You resumed your vigil along the wall with the other servants. Your gown differed from no other. The blue-grey wool was plain enough that it could’ve been another stone in the wall. Your cap hid your hair and no ornament sparkled at throat or wrist. You lowered your head as the king turned his goblet in his hand and gazed over at the princess.

You wanted to laugh at yourself. It was preposterous. He hadn’t looked at you for any reason but what you offered; a cup of wine. How could one ignore a figure right before them? You did long for it to be over for the sake of your weary mind. Your travel had left you endlessly exhausted. It was clearly affecting your judgement.

Yet, you peeked up again and the king squinted over at you. You blinked as he grinned and leaned back. He drank from his goblet and returned his gaze to Madeline. She presented him the letter sealed with her father’s crest. He accepted it and she seemed not to notice his wandering eyes.

Maybe because they did not wander. Maybe because he had been thinking and they averted to follow his thoughts. Or he was listening and did consider her words as he considered the room.

You twined your hands together behind your back. You were trained, you were patient, you were attentive. You could bear yet another royal meeting. You could cling to your duty and see it through. You only had to resist the nagging fatigue that caused your mind to drift.

You needed to focus as the princess’ goblet was empty.

🌹

The wedding was already well-prepared. Both parties had settled their arrangements long before that fateful meeting. Steven and his advisers had the date, the feast, the ceremony, all plotted carefully for the next week. Madeline had her gown in her trunk and her virtue intact. Or so it was written in their betrothal.

The princess seemed pleased with her husband. That night she watched herself in the mirror as you brushed out her hair. She touched her long neck and her fingers trailed down to her collarbone. She let out a wearisome sigh.

“Do you think he was taken by me?” She asked. “He was cordial but a marriage cannot survive on cordial.”

“I’ve never known a man who wasn’t taken by you, your highness,” You dragged the bristles through her lush strands. “A king could not hope for a better princess.”

“Oh, so they say,” She preened. “I am told he sent his painter to at least a dozen courts to paint their princesses. Then he was presented with their likeness and he chose me himself.”

“And you were deemed the worthiest to share his crown then,” You said. “I see not how he could be disappointed.”

“And I cannot say I am,” She smiled and batted her lashes. “He is very handsome. I feared when they said he was older than me.”

“He doesn’t appear to suffer from it,” You assured her. “His step is as sure as any youth.”

She was silent as you finished brushing out her hair and you parted it. You began to braid her long tresses before she found her voice again. When she was thoughtful, she was often plotting.

“And the wedding night?” She ventured quietly. “Do you think he will be pleased with me then?”

“I… am certain he should be,” You said stiffly. “I see not how any man cannot be pleased with his wife in such a way.”

She giggled and played with the buttons of her sleeping gown. She eyed you and looked away guiltily. You tilted your head at her and tied up the end of her braid.

“What is it?” You asked.

“Oh, you know,” She stood and turned to you. “I was always told servants were more experienced in those matters, but you are always so modest.”

“As I have served you loyally, when should I have had time to take experience in such matters?”

She laughed and pulled a stray thread from your cap.

“Much too loyal,” She chided. “Let us retire for the night. This kingdom is still strange to me and I do wish to know it better before I am bound to it entirely.”

🌹

Madeline was not to see her betrothed again until the wedding day. Their separation was tradition and ensured the legitimacy of the marriage. Thus, the princess could only emerge from her chambers when she was assured the king was engaged and the corridors were clear.

On the first day after their introduction, she took to the gardens, dewy with the early spring dampness. The second she explored the wing within which her rooms were. On the third, she was warned to stay in as the king was to attend to the wedding’s final arrangements. She was irritated by her exile but not unhappy. It would end soon enough and this would be her castle to reign as she wished.

As you had since you were children, you slept beside her and woke before her. You touched her shoulder and advised her to wake but she stirred only a little. You dressed and left the lanterns unlit as the sun streamed in through the windows. You hid your hair beneath your cap and allowed yourself a moment of vanity as you adjusted your skirts in the mirror.

The best way to rouse the princess was food. You closed the heavy door behind you and greeted the guards who stood in the corridor. Lawrence and Hal were selected by Madeline’s own father and had served her since she was a girl. You knew them well and they were little disturbed by the mousy maid upon her duties.

You carefully counted the corners as you still found the castle unfamiliar and confounding. The day before, you’d become so lost, you had to ask another servant how to find your way back. You loathed a repeat but it was likely as you already felt entirely displaced.

You came upon the lower floors where the kitchens resided. You were confident that your destination was close but found yourself in a hall you’d never been before. A round door was open to the cool morning air and voices mingled with the scent of horses. You cursed under your breath and looked back over your shoulder. You must’ve turned the wrong way at the stairs.

You were kept from righting your course as the voices grew louder and a shadow appeared in the doorway. A lord, vaguely familiar from among those who had accompanied the king, strolled through as he laughed over his shoulder. You skirted against the wall and bowed your head in deference.

You peaked up through your lashes as he was followed by another. You recognised King Steven as he yawned behind his hand.

“You disturbed me so early for--” He complained but paused as his eyes fell upon you. “...nothing.” He finished slowly as he nodded at you.

He carried on as he caught stride with his companion who reprimanded him for his grumbles. They were bawdy and the king took no offence to the remonstrance. You kept your head down until you heard them turn the corner. You wondered little at the reason for the king’s visit to the stables; you only wanted to retreat before the stench lurked in any further.

#Steve Rogers #king!steve #dark steve rogers #dark!steve rogers #steve rogers x reader #dark steve rogers x reader #dark!steve rogers x reader #medieval au #au #fic #series #dark!fic #dark fic #the handmaiden #mcu #marvel #captain america

1K notes · View notes

littlegoldenbirdie · 3 years

Text

A Second Chance: Part 3

Of all the ideas I could have latched on to, it had to be this one...

Ugin stared up at the evening sky as Jace approached. "I thought you might appreciate an update on how your reborn brother is doing," the young man said as the Spirit Dragon turned to face him. "And you're right, Jace. Please tell me how things are going in your attempts to teach him." Sighing, he tried to think of how to word things. "We all saw Bontu take his older self's spark before his death, but that little stunt with the Gem of Becoming must have reset him completely. Ajani can feel it inside him, Ugin. It's not ignited, but it's there. We've got three guesses as to what happened. Bontu didn't really take his spark, it returned to him or it was reborn along with him. He has the potential to planeswalk again, if something happens to ignite it."

"Ah, yet another unexpected development," Ugin said. "And how go his lessons?" Jace sighed again, this time unsure how his answer would be taken. "None of us have much experience with teaching, but we've all had classmates. And I can tell you right now that none of us have seen a fellow student quite so hungry to learn as Nicol is. No matter how much we teach him, he always wants to know more. He's pushing himself hard, Ugin. He's seeking strength and power, almost like..." The last two words made it out of his mouth before he could stifle them, and Ugin felt a moment of dread. "Has he told you why he seeks such things?" An awkward-sounding laugh escaped the man. "Well, you probably should have been honest and told him you died and then came back, rather than saying you 'lost your body'. He's convinced you've lost it literally... that you've merely misplaced it! When he's strong enough to travel alone and take care of himself, he plans to go find it and bring it back to you." The dread Ugin had felt evaporated at the explanation of Nicol's misunderstanding. "Well," he said eventually, "It appears a conversation with my brother is in order." Unfurling his wings, he took to the sky to seek out Nicol. As he departed, Jace watched him go and said to himself, "So that's what he looks like when he's happy..."

Ugin's wings barely stirred the air as he sought out his brother by scent, and he found him deep in the forest below his peak, crouched down low behind a fallen log and watching a deer that ran away at his brother's approach. Standing up in a somewhat disappointed manner, Nicol called out to the fleeing deer, "You win this round, deer!" Ugin looked at him oddly. "Might I ask what you were doing before I came, brother?" Nicol smiled. "I saw some wolves hunt a deer once, and it gave me an idea for a game. I call it deer tag. If I can sneak up close enough to a deer to poke it, I win the game. If the deer sees or hears me and runs, the deer wins." The young dragon sighed, pouting a bit. "Nissa doesn't like this game. She says it reminds her too much of hunting for sport. But I don't hurt the deer! All I do is poke it! ...Hmph. Asking the plants for help would be cheating anyway. And her elementals are so grumpy I'm starting to think they hate me or something!"

Ugin decided to change the subject. "Jace tells me you want to find my old body." Nicol nodded, grinning like a child receiving praise from their hero. "Yes! Yes! Out of all my teachers, you seem the saddest... as if something happened to you that stripped away your ability to feel happiness. The only reason I can think of is that you said you lost your body... and that's why I have to go find it. I am sure you will be happy when I bring it back to you!" Ugin sighed. Oh, the truth was going to hurt his brother so badly... "I'm afraid I didn't say the right thing when I told you what happened to me. You see, I didn't really lose my body. Technically speaking, I'm dead. Well, my body is. That's why I had to make this new one." Nicol's eyes widened as his jaw dropped in utter horror, before a flood of tears nearly blinded him. "You... you died?" The next words were a high-pitched squeak forced through a constricted throat. "Somebody killed you?" Distraught, the little dragon lunged into his brother's arms. "Who would do that? You seem like the last person somebody would find hate-able!" Comforting his nearly hysterical little brother as he shivered, Ugin could only pray Nicol would never, ever learn the truth.

#nicol bolas #ugin #ugin the spirit dragon #mtg #magic the gathering #war of the spark #mtg tumblr #mtg fan fiction #mtg fanfic #jace beleren

4 notes · View notes

jokertrap-ran · 3 years

Photo

(少女的王座—The Throne of Girl—) Main Story: Chapter 1 Part 2 English Translation

*I’m making another bad decision. The Throne of Girl Masterlist. *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut! *Main Story will be tagged under #Throne of Main

Chapter 1-1 / 1-2 / 1-3 / 1-3B / 1-4 / 1-5 / 1-6 / 1-7 / 1-8 / 1-9 / 1-10 / 1-11 / 1-12 / 1-13

Phone Call from Adrian / Lancelot

Albert and I hurried out of the door. It was only when we stepped outside, that we could feel the true extent of the Hubrigy Palace's splendor.

The elegant white halls of the Palace were luxurious, yet majestic.

The stone pillars that supported the long hall were all decorated with intricately and exquisitely carved designs, it’s snowflake-colored marble flooring covered with a dark red wool carpet that extended to the end of the corridor.

MC: The Royal Palace’s Court is truly magnificent… The only bad thing about it is its vast size. It takes such a long time to walk from the living quarters to the banquet hall everyday...

Albert: It is the Royal Palace after all. It is the most prosperous place in the seven kingdoms, but those that live here are all members of the royal family, so all this pomp and circumstance is only natural.

MC: Even with that being said, isn’t this too torturous? I must walk such a long distance so early in the morning just so that I can attend a Tea Party...

MC: Right, why did father and brother suddenly come here anyway?

Albert: Even I am not clear as to why…

Albert: But I heard that His Majesty, the Emperor has something of utmost importance that requires the Council of Seven to convene; that’s why both your father and brother have been urgently summoned here, to the Royal Palace.

Albert: Additionally, the kings of the other five countries have also been invited to attend.

MC: Then, wouldn’t they be fine and dandy all on their own? ...Why do I have to come here too...

Albert: It might be the social season now, but even then, it’s rare for all the big figures of the seven kingdoms to gather together like this.

Albert: King Ronald and Prince Lancelot both hope to make use of the opportunity that this social gathering presents to find you a fiancé.

I could understand what Albert was talking about all too well.

Father and Brother had both informed me about the purpose of my trip here before we arrived at the Royal Palace—

This was because I was about to reach adulthood, and the daughters of noble families, especially ones of the royal family, will face marriage almost immediately once they become of age.

It can be called an unwritten rule of sorts, but the daughters of noble families will only be regarded as an actual adult only after their issue of marriage has been settled.

MC: But—

MC: (As far as I know… Most of the marriages between nobles are for mutual benefits of interest.)

MC: (Can I really find someone who truly loves me from their bottom of their heart in a place like this?)

MC: Alright… I just knew that all of you can’t wait to marry me out.

MC: I received a ton of messages from both my father and brother alike as soon as I checked my phone, all emphasizing that I must attend those Tea Parties, Balls, and whatnot...

MC: Honestly! do they really want to kick me out of the house that badly?

Albert: Of course not! How could the King and Prince be willing to kick you out?

Albert: I... I too, wish for you to attain happiness.

Noticing that Albert’s mood had shifted slightly, I hurriedly attempted to clear my actions.

MC: Huh? No, No! I’m only joking with you, Albert...

Having turned my head to talk to Albert, I failed to notice the figure coming my way.

I wasn’t able to get out of the way in time and almost ran into whoever it was, but thankfully, Albert had stepped forward and pulled me out of the way just in time.

I hurriedly regained my footing and arranged my skirts proper. The lady in front of me, decked out in pearls and all things glamorous, looked at me up and down with scrutiny.

Lady Nephren: Your Highness, Ma’am.

She took two steps back. With her back ramrod straight and chin slightly raised, she curtseyed in a way that appeared respectful, but it was clear that her eyes were full of disdain. I quickly curtseyed in return.

MC: G-Good day to you, Your Grace.

The Duchess of Nephren straightened herself back up, raised her chin arrogantly and spoke harshly.

Lady Nephren: With all due respect, Your Highness. It is beneath someone of your status to be charging around violently like this; doing so will only tarnish your reputation as the Princess of Pepsilia, so please keep it in mind in the future.

I took a deep breath, feeling a twinge of guilt.

MC: (I heard the Ladies that resided within the Palace were very strict and demanding when it came to how one conducted oneself. I can't believe I've actually been caught red-handed by one…)

MC: Thank you for your kind words, Duchess. I'll be sure to pay more attention to it in the future.

I said everything in a single breath and was planning to leave right after, only to realize that she didn't quite intend to stop right there.

She took one look at Albert, who stood behind me, her expression twisting into one of contempt.

Lady Nephren: In addition to that; Your Highness, you are about to come of age, so it'll be wise for you to observe proper royal etiquette— like the boundaries between men and women.

Lady Nephren: Please do make sure not to walk too closely with such lowly retainers; it's an insult to the face of the royal family.

MC: (A lowly retainer? Albert isn't a lowly retainer!!)

That sentence of hers angers me!

My face flushed with anger, and I wanted to argue back with her; but if I clashed with her here, surely news of this would reach the ears of the nobles in the Royal Palace in no time at all...

The Duchess insulted Albert. What should I do?

▷Choice: Keep quiet and pay no heed to her.

MC: (As if I'll lower myself down to the likes of someone like her!)

MC: Sorry for bothering you! I have some things to settle, so I'll be excusing myself first.

Albert: ……

However, the Duchess seemed unwilling to let things go as it was, but it was at this very moment that an unfamiliar, yet vaguely familiar voice sounded.

▷Choice: Calmly reason with her.

MC: (Albert is someone of absolute importance to me! I can't let her get away with this!)

But at the same time, I mentally remind myself that I must be calm about this.

MC: (I can't argue with her here, otherwise it'll be just as she said. Who says the Princess of Pepsilia doesn't know the rules of etiquette?)

MC: (I'm not going to argue, but I'm sure I can reason with her.)

MC: I'm honored that the Duchess is keeping an eye out for me. However...

MC: Even though this "Retainer" standing beside me right now isn't of royal blood...

MC: His noble virtues and outstanding swordsmanship skills have earned him my father's approval, who has then seen it fit to personally appoint him as the Chief Knight of the Pepsilia Kingdom.

MC: How can you call someone like this lowly; am I right?

Albert: ……

Lady Nephren: Aha, the King of Pepsilia really does play favorites when it comes to appointing people…

Lady Nephren: Who doesn’t know that this captain of yours was adopted by your father ever since he was a child, despite being of unknown origin? Oh, I heard… Didn’t Lord Ronald treat him as one of his own?

MC: You...!

MC: (Who cares what she is the Duchess of, she’s going way too far!)

I was just about to retort back when a voice that sounded unfamiliar, yet vaguely familiar suddenly sounded not far away from us.

???: It's been a long time, Princess Celia.

Two heterochromatic pupils, as beautiful as gems, and those nearly perfect features; a face that had been all but burned vividly into my memories. I found myself stunned speechless for a while.

MC: (...Adrian? It... It really is him!)

MC: (Five years… It’s been five years since I last saw him!)

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ♔What’s past, it’s prologue♔ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

Previous Part: (Chapter 1-1) | Next Part: (Chapter 1-3)

#少女的王座 #The Throne of Girl #소녀의왕좌 #Otome #Translations #RASTAR Games #阿尔贝 #Albert #艾德里安 #Adrian #KENN #Kakihara Tetsuya #Throne of Main

19 notes · View notes

friendofspidermannedleeds · 3 years

Text

2020 overview: writing edition

Tagged by the loveliest and kindest of friends, @momentofmemory.

I’m not tagging anyone because I’ve not been around and am sure most have done this by now, but if you’re reading this and you’ve not been tagged and would like to participate please say I tagged you! <3

1. List of works published this year

The Kid Really is Smitten (Peter & Happy, Peter/MJ. 233) Nightmares and New Beginnings (May & Peter. 733) Normal Teenager Stuff (May & Peter. 5+1, 1.8k) Breaking a Promise (May & Peter, May & Tony. 3.3k) Carry Me (Morgan & Happy. 1.2k)

Fictober 2020 Series * Works around 1k+ include: Somebody to Talk To (May & Karen. 1.8k) Fireproof (Happy & Peter. 904) Flight Conversation (MJ & Peter. 967) Incalculable Worth (Ben & Peter. 2.8k) Regrets (May & Peter. 1.2k) A Nice Peaceful Afternoon (Mr. Harrington and the AcaDec kids. 3k)

Knowing (Peter/MJ, May & MJ. 2.5k) Forever Ours (May & Peter, May/Ben. 3.8k) 2. Work you are most proud of (and why)

I think it would have to be Incalculable Worth from my Fictober series. I’m forever disappointed in the Ben Parker erasure of the MCU and had been wanting to give him the respect he deserves. Most of this fic came to me much more quickly than my typical writing inspo (that Fictober deadline magic!), and even though I still have things I might change about the final product, I’ve never been so pleased with a fic’s result and reception. Several lovely people stumbled across this fic on Ao3 and left kind comments about how moved they were, which makes me think that I did what I set out to do!

3. Work you are least proud of (and why)

This would be Nightmares and New Beginnings. I just think it’s weird. I was so new to fic when I wrote it and was feeling experimental one night. I normally write quite slowly and edit a lot, but the idea for this one came to me after midnight and I published the fic before 2am. I hated it when I woke up and nearly deleted it. Two months later, as I was beginning to post Fictober on Ao3, I almost deleted it once again. The words of one extremely kind commenter saved it from destruction, however, so it’s still there!

4. A favorite excerpt of your writing

This is going to be hard for me because I don’t actually enjoy my writing for its composition! I like the concepts and character interactions a lot but I’m not terribly proud of my actual writing ability yet. 😬

My favorite thing I’ve written lately is the ending to Forever Ours, my new fic about May and Ben adopting Peter, but I don’t want to put it here because it might be a very minor spoiler.

So here’s a little section of Trust, my last Fictober ficlet. I liked it because May’s inner turmoil over Peter’s Spider-Man life is one of my absolute favorite things to write about.

What troubles her most is this: whatever is out there, whoever he’s fighting—they won’t know he is fifteen. That he’s a child. That he loves Legos, and Star Wars, and science puns, and Mathletes. But what can she say?

He’s not asking for permission. He’ll do this no matter what she says, and they both know it.

He is asking for her blessing.

5. Share or describe a favourite review you received

This review meant so much to me! This lovely commenter read multiple May and Ben Parker fics and it was so nice to find that I’m not the only one who wants more of the Parker family than what we get in the MCU. It made me feel like my niche writing wasn’t of interest to me and me alone after all. :)

6. A time when writing was really, really hard

Halfway through Fictober, I lost one of the most important people in my life. It was devastating. Writing was nice about 90% of the time, and actually a nice distraction that helped me take a break from the grief. But sometimes it wasn’t, sometimes it felt impossible, and that was when I’d just skip writing or posting and wait until it would serve me again. (So I finished Fictober a little later than I wanted to, but I have 0 regrets about that.)

7. A scene of characters you wrote that surprised you

I only wrote one thing that wasn’t an MCU Spidey fic, and that was Carry Me with Morgan and Happy. I wasn’t expecting to write it at all, and it’s not one of my favorite finished fics, but I really enjoyed the process.

8. How did you grow as a writer this year

I grew by writing fic for the first time! My job for the majority of this year involved a lot of nonfiction copywriting, so I’m an experienced writer, but I had no idea what writing would be like outside my “professional life.” I’m glad I tried it!

9. How do you hope to grow next year

I’m hoping to finish and publish a longer (for me) fic! I’m currently working on Penance, a fic about MCU Spidey’s origins and Uncle Ben’s influence. It should be at least 6-7k by the time I’m finished. I know that is actually short, but I haven’t even cracked 4k yet 😂 Longer fics stress me out because I don’t feel confident enough in my ability to tie together so many words, and I also can’t come up with plots to save my life. So this will be a stretch for me and I am looking forward to it!

10. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta of cheerleader or muse etc. etc.)

This is, without question, @momentofmemory. For so many reasons. (Sorry in advance for how rambly this will get, my friend.)

Mem’s writing (particularly this May fic that is perfection and no I will never stop rec’ing it til the day I die thank you) is to blame/thank for getting me into fic in the first place. I’d been here in the Spidey fandom on Tumblr but I didn’t trust fanfic because I’d seen my most beloved characters shoved to the side/killed off in too many stories. I began 2020 hating all fanfic tbh. But then I read Mem’s captivating masterpieces (like this, the greatest one-shot!) and opened my heart to fic that celebrates the worlds I love!

Mem is the kindest human ever. She read ALL of my Fictober works and left the kindest comments that made my heart soar. Knowing that my favorite author had taken the time to read all of that motivated me to write more than anything else has this year!

Sometimes, when I was trying to write fic but felt burned out or uninspired, I’d go and read Mem’s writing. Her prose is divine, her dialogue is realistic, her characters and their relationships are so well thought-out--her work inspires me! I’d read it and feel excited by the ways that we can use our words to create beautiful things, and though I’m not anywhere near her level, I do think that reading her work has made me a better writer.

Bonus positive influence: @i-lovethatforme! Jess, thank you for being the world’s best cheerleader, for being endlessly kind and supportive, and for being my first ever beta in November. I go back and read your wonderful comments whenever I’m doubting myself. You’re an absolute gem and ilysm ❤

11. Anything from real life show up in your writing this year?

Yep. Regrets is about grief, and I was grieving pretty heavily when I wrote it. Peter’s regrets didn’t necessarily mirror mine, but writing it was still a cathartic experience.

12. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers

Write what you want to write! Since I don’t do IronDad or smut, I wasn’t sure if anyone in the MCU Spidey fandom would be interested in my work. I thought briefly about trying to write based on what I thought people would read, but I decided against it. I enjoy writing platonic friendships and family fic more than anything else, so that’s what I publish most. I write what I want to write, and it’s made me so happy!

13. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year?

I have a few things I’m excited about! I’ve got some Spideychelle ficlets that might be a series. They’ll focus on Peter and MJ after coming back from The Blip, featuring MJ trying to ignore her crush and Peter developing a crush. The other is Penance, the MCU Spidey origins/Ben Parker story.

14. If you could recommend only one work from yourself published this year

I think I’d say Knowing, my fic about Peter/MJ that’s more about MJ & May bonding. I just love these two women with all my heart, and I’m proud of the way this one turned out because I think it honors both of them pretty solidly.

15. End of Year word count

36,625 words! It’s not a lot in comparison to other writers but it’s a huge accomplishment for me!

#love u mem #thanks for the tag #<3 #tag games #tag game #my fic #2020 recap

12 notes · View notes

irisandlily · 4 years

Text

Fictober 2020: Fire Emblem 2/31

Prompt 1: “No, come back!”

Fandom: Fire Emblem Awakening

Pairing: Lucina/Serena | Severa, background Azur | Inigo/Gerome

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings/Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26754403/chapters/65320006 (for my friend @lucinaswife who loves these ships <3)

As Crown Princess to the Halidom of Ylisse, Lucina is usually busy most of her days.

Her days are spent mostly attending meetings left and right with her parents, meeting with ministers or nobles in the throne room who have a complaint, and paperwork.

Mountains of paperwork.

Sometimes she travels outside of Ylisstol to deal with bandits or Risen. Sometimes Lucina and her mother travel to a noble house to deal with a noble making demands of her father to come to them to voice their complaints, and instead receives Lucina and her mother.

On the occasion she isn’t busy with her duties as Crown Princess, she spends time with family and friends. Whether by answering Morgan and Laurent’s call to provide assistance with an experiment, spending time with family, training with her friends, or accompanying Severa when she goes shopping.

Today is one of her busy days.

She’s helping her mother with something when Severa walks in and demands Lucina spend the day with her.

Lucina protests, not wanting to leave her mother with a mountain of paperwork, and expects her mother to agree, but Robin merely shakes her head and says, “Go and have fun! I’m sure I can bother someone else to help me with all this. Like Chrom.” Robin grins mischievously, and Lucina knows that no work will be done for the rest of the day.

“Severa where are you taking me?” Lucina asks, letting the other drag her through the palace after being kidnapped by her.

“I’m taking you out to town.” Severa replies, “We’re getting lunch together, and you’re taking the afternoon off.”

Lucina frowns at this, “But I have a meeting to attend with my mother later. And I told Morgan-”

“Well if you have better things to do than spend time with your girlfriend than you can just go back.” Severa lets go of her hand and crosses her arms. Even without seeing her face, Lucina can tell the redhead is pouting.

“While you did catch me at an inopportune moment-” Lucina reaches for Severa’s hand, “I would never pass up an opportunity to spend time with you,” Lucina presses a kiss to the back of Severa’s hand. “My duties will just have to wait.”

She watches with barely concealed amusement as Severa blushes fiercely,

“Lucina! Severa!” Lucina turns around to see Inigo run up to them. Before she can even greet him, he clasps his hands together and bows. “Please help me pick out a gift to give Gerome for Day of Devotion!”

“What-?”

“Come on Lucina.” Severa interrupts and grabs her hand to drag her away.

“No, come back!” Inigo grabs at her cape and Severa continues to tug at Lucina's hand. Lucina has to pull her hand out of Severa's grasp or else she would end up in a game of tug of war between the two, yanked back and forth like a ragdoll.

“Maybe we should help him.” Severa scowls at Lucina’s suggestion. “He did help us.”

“Barely,” she grumbles, but eventually concedes to helping their friend.

“Why did you ask us for help anyway?” Severa questions as they walk through the street stalls in the marketplace.

“Because you two are in a loving relationship and have more experience,” he answers but then pauses. “And because I didn't know who else to ask.”

Severa sighs. “This is why women are superior. Right Lucina?”

“I will neither confirm nor deny that statement.” she picks up a scarf, “What about this?”

“With all due respect Lucina, that is a hideous scarf.” Inigo points at the design. “It has Chrom’s face plastered all over it.”

“Maybe you should get that for Robin.” Severa suggests, “You still haven’t found a gift for her yet right?”

“That’s a wonderful idea.” Lucina smiles and kisses Severa. “I’m sure Mother will be overjoyed when she sees this!”

The next few hours are spent shopping, with the three looking for a gift for Inigo to give Gerome.

All of the items Lucina points out are outright rejected.

“I can’t believe that took all day,” Severa complains after dinner, sitting with her back turned to Lucina on the bed as the princess braids her long red hair.

“It was fun though.” Lucina hums, “And I think it’s rather sweet that Inigo wanted his gift to be perfect for Gerome.” she ties off the braid with a black ribbon. “Done.” Severa drapes the braid over her shoulder and leans back into Lucina.

“We should watch Inigo give Gerome his gift during Day of Devotion tomorrow.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“This still isn’t a good idea,” Lucina whispers, as she and Severa crouch behind a bush and watch as Inigo approaches Gerome, hiding the gift behind his back. “I don’t think Inigo or Gerome will be happy when they find out.”

“We’re not eavesdropping, so it’s fine.” Severa dismisses her concerns, “And that’s only if they ever find out. And we gotta make sure Gerome actually likes the gift.” Lucina toys with the small object tucked away in a pocket of the blue dress she’s wearing that Robin helped her choose for the Day of Devotion festival.

“Severa-” she interrupts the redhead, taking the small box out and pushes it into her hands, “Happy Day of Devotion.” Severa stares at the box for a few moments, blinking, and Lucina waits (albeit nervously) as her girlfriend opens the box, pulling out a necklace. A red garnet stone attached to a silver chain.

“I don’t really wear jewelry.”

“Ah-” Lucina should have thought of that. She’s never really seen Severa wear jewelry, besides her mother’s ring. “I can get you a different gift-”

“No!” Severa snatches the necklace away from Lucina’s reaching hand, “You already gave it to me! You can’t take it back!”

“You don’t have to wear it-”

“I’m wearing it forever, so back off!” she watches Severa clasp the necklace around her neck with a determined expression, but Lucina can see that she’s blushing. Severa examines the necklace, holding the gem in her hand.

“You should have told me you were giving me my gift before the party!” she complains, looking back at her with a pout, “I would have brought my gift for you!”

“So you… like it?”

”Ugh of course I do! It’s pretty, and it’s from you!” she turns back towards the opening in the bush they were peering through, muttering, “I like anything that’s from you.” her cheeks darken, and Lucina has the urge to pinch and kiss her cheeks. “Oh my god look at them.” Lucina directs her attention back to the reason they’re hiding behind a bush and sees Inigo and Gerome holding hands. “All they’re doing is holding hands!”

“They’re nervous.” considering the two in question, Lucina considers the handholding already a lot of progress. From where they are, she can see the lovestruck expression on Inigo’s face as clear as day. While she can’t see Gerome’s face due to the mask he wears, she can see his shoulders are tense, his movements unsure. “Gerome’s also shy.”

“Yeah and Inigo’s an idiot.” Severa rolls her eyes. “I’m so glad we weren’t like that.”

“Hm.” she presses a kiss to Severa’s hair, “It just took several dates for you to realize that we were going on dates.”

“Because you never said the word ‘date’!” Severa groans, letting her head fall onto Lucina’s shoulder. “And your face never gave anything away!”

“Hm. Perhaps we should leave Gerome and Inigo to themselves and we can go on a date right now.”

“Probably. Before they-” Severa makes a disgusted noise, “Too late, they’re kissing now.” she stands up, and Lucina stands up with her.

“Severa?! Lucina?!” Inigo’s voice shrieks behind them.

“And that’s our cue to leave.” she grabs Lucina’s hand and the two run off before Inigo can catch them.

#fictober20 #lucisev #jeroazu #azujero #fe lucina #fe severa #fe gerome #fe inigo #fe awakening #fire emblem awakening #me trying to figure out wtf gerome/inigo ship name is for ten minutes #IM SO SORRY IF SEVERA SEEMS OOC IVE NEVER WRITTEN HER #lily's writing

11 notes · View notes