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lovelyiida · 4 months

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KATSUKI BAKUGO X SECRETARY READER • A 500 FOLLOWERS SERIES!

❥ SYNOPSIS: as the years passed, Bakugo came to the realization that he was the last among his class to tie the knot. As the days grew colder, and the nights became lonelier. Bakugo finds the desire to get married, but he doesn't really feel like falling in love. At least he has his trustee secretary!

implied fem reader, aged-up! Pro-hero MHA characters over the age of 27, vulgar language, suggestive wording and content

❥: CHAPTERS

❥ MASTERLIST

❥ JOIN TAG LIST!

WORDS: 4.7K

"Well, that was dandy"

As the night grew darker, your voice cut through the darkness that enveloped the car. The two of you start to traverse the dimly lit roads, surrounded only by the quiet hum of the engine, the occasional flicker of passing streetlights, and an unspoken tension.

"I mean, your parents were lovely to an extent..." you trailed off, a thoughtful expression crossing your face. Pouting your lip, you shifted your gaze up at the blonde. Katsuki, however, didn't even attempt to break his eyes away from the road ahead. "I understand them, though... I suppose I'm a huge adjustment for your family and everything," you continued.

"Your mom was kinda funny, actually! And do you guys always argue like that?" you let out a chuckle. Looking at the blonde, not even a twitch.

Pressing your lips into a line, you turned your head towards your window, observing the city lights streaking by in a blur. You tried your best to take some pressure off the poor guy's shoulders.

"That old lady—she's been giving me grey hairs before I even knew my times tables," Katsuki exasperates. Letting out a soft, dry chuckle, he smirks. "I know what you're trying to do, but it's not gonna work," he said, catching on to your attempt to lighten the mood.

"What she did today was uncalled for, no matter the circumstance," he continued; his body still as his voice was stern. The occurrence between you and his mother seemed to be still thick in his mind. You watched closely as his large hands held a firm grip on the steering wheel.

You roll your eyes at his response.

"Yeah. But think of the principle of it—"

"Stop…giving her excuses," his voice raised an octave. You slightly grimaced as you felt the sharp jolt of the car accelerating in speed. Blinking rapidly, you began to hold on tight to the strap of your seatbelt.

Watching the deep frown on Katsuki's face, he let out a deep breath before easing on the gas. "Let's not talk about it anymore, at least not for now."

"Agreed."

As the night unfolded, Katsuki soon brought the car to a halt in front of your apartment. The two of you sat in silence for a moment. Inhaling deeply, your eyes met with the hero's. "Well, this is me," you said shyly.

Unbuckling your seatbelt, you noticed the blonde doing the same, stepping out of the car with a certain urgency. Approaching your side of the vehicle, he swiftly opened the door for you. Gazing at him, you quietly expressed your gratitude and stepped out.

As you both walked towards your door, you began to reflect on the events of the day. Katsuki was a hundred percent right—what his mother did was wrong. You tried to divert your thoughts from the verge of tears during the drive. You successfully held back, unwilling to show vulnerability, especially to him.

Standing in front of your door, facing each other, you spoke, "See you at the office, Mr. Dynamight." You smiled, attempting to lighten the mood. "Today was fun, this little roleplay thing we did—"

"Roleplay? That's a 7-carat ring on your finger, baby. Nothin' about this is roleplay." Pointing at your hand, the blonde found amusement in your words, tilting his head to the side as a snide smirk played on his lips.

Baby? Gulp.

You froze, uncertain of how to respond.

"What, cat got your tongue?" he teased, flashing another smile. Shaking your head, you let out an exasperated chuckle. "Nonotatall." Turning your back to him, you unlocked your door and stepped inside. Facing him again, you politely bowed.

"Thank you again, Mr. Dynamight, for today—"

"It's Kat-su-ki… I thought I told you to drop that whole Mr. shtick you like to do," he said with a hint of humor. Cursing under your breath, you scratched the top of your head before responding.

"Thank you for today. Have a nice night, Katsuki." Awkwardly bowing once more, you slowly began to close your door.

Man, you're never gonna get used to saying this, are you?

"Sweet dreams, Y/n."

Turning on your heel, you closed the door quietly. With a deep sigh, you shifted your weight against the closed door. Reaching into your purse, you rummaged around before retrieving your phone. Turning it on, you mentally cursed yourself upon seeing the time.

"It's not too late at night to call…"

You reassured yourself before placing the number on speed dial. Shifting your weight from the door, you quietly set down your things. Pressing your cheek against the warm glass of your phone, you patiently waited as the phone dialed.

Collapsing onto the couch, you didn't even bother to take off your outer clothes. As the other line beeped, you began to hear a groggy voice on the other end.

"What the hell do you think you're doing calling me at this hour?"

"Oh, shut up, I'm gonna go through with the plan," you quipped back. You heard the sounds of your sister shifting in her bed before she answered once more.

"Wow, I didn't think you'd do it—no offense," she snorted. Rolling your eyes, you nestled deeper into the crevices of the couch. "Today was just too much," you sighed.

“Explain…”

“I think things are just moving too fast. I mean, I was humiliated by his mother. She thinks I’m some nymphoid looming over her son for his money!” you complained.

“…think of this as more fuel to charge for your revenge. This gives you even more reasons to fuck him over. I promise you, the look he’ll give you at the altar—“

“Please, can we just focus on the plan here,” you groaned. Your sister sighed on the other end of the phone. “What exactly am I gaining from saying no at the altar?” you questioned.

“Notoriety beyond comprehension.”

Playing with the fabric of your dress, you began to ponder.

Notoriety beyond your own comprehension?

“Think of it, all of Dynamights’ life, he’s been known to get everything he wants. He’s got the looks, the talent, the power, the girl…” she emphasized.

Your sister's words turned sour in your mouth. Biting the inside of your cheek, you continued to listen. “Imagine the day he’s finally told the word no? The outlets will go blasting instead of him.” Your sister loudly chuckled within the darkness of the night.

You dryly chuckled at her words. “Hm, I guess you’re right.” A thought soon entered your mind as you completed pondering. Eyes shooting wide, you lifted yourself from the couch.

“Imagine! All the outlets will be crawling to me to get the inside scoop on Dynamight’s life. From his work treatment to his dysfunctional family. I’d be loaded!” You laughed out loud.

“Bingo!” Your sister yelled on the other end, making you flinch away from the glowing screen. “Oh my…I thought you’d never get it,” she said.

“You’re a good-looking girl, and from what I’d also assume—a damn good actress…”

“Drain that man for everything he’s worth.”

PHASE 1 ➜ EXPRESS

Dark coffee, two pumps of creamer, and a pinch of sugar. That’s what you’ve delivered to your hero in waiting over 100 times now. Some days, you’d watch the pro-hero down three to five cups of coffee a day. And you were alarmed.

“Here’s your coffee.”

Placing the warm cup on his desk, he looks up at you and gives you a small nod. No more backtalk, no more irritating quips made at your coffee-making skills. He just drinks it.

Standing in front of the pro-hero, he notices your eyes tend to linger longer than anticipated. “Is there something you need to discuss?” Dynamight deadpans.

“Not exactly…it’s more of a question per sé.” You narrow down your words as your head begins to bow before him, anxiously awaiting his permission to ask.

“And that question may be?” He asks.

“Why do you drink so much coffee?”

The expression he gives you could’ve made you sink into a hole. Breathing out, he stays still for a moment, almost looking as if he’s putting together an actual answer.

Looking back into your eyes, he answers. “It fires me up.”

That’s it?

“Oh…okay.”

Turning your back towards him, you walk back over to the corner of the office, sitting down in your designated seat. You begin to type away. A moment passes before the blonde looks up at you and speaks.

“Any more questions?” He asks.

Your brows softly lift as you tear your eyes away from your computer, setting it down on the nearby coffee table. You tilt your head.

“It’s corny but…what made you want to become a hero?” You ask. This earns an eye roll from the pro. “Because, I’m the best. I knew from a young age that I was nothin’ like anyone has ever seen. Someone had to rise to the top—and it had to be me.”

“Wow, how poetic.”

“Shut your face.”

Standing up, you gather your things before walking over and laying down some documents on his desk. “Interview in an hour, let’s go.” Your voice unwavering as you turn back and grab your coat. This newfound sense of confidence washes over you, and it kind of takes you aback.

Maybe you got too comfortable, yeah that could be it.

Too comfortable with the habits and getting to know your boss and stuff…

Or you’re comfortable knowing the fact that you’re irreplaceable…

Shaking your thoughts from your head, you grab Dynamight's coat and hand it to him. Looking at him, you show him a grin, “my next question is…any coffee to go?”

Grabbing the coat from your hands, you couldn’t help but notice his ring was missing. Of course, you couldn’t be bothered less since yours wasn’t on as well. But for some reason, it made you feel a type of way.

“Yeah.��

A cup of dark coffee, two pumps of creamer, and a pinch of sugar land into his hands merely 10 minutes later as the both of you ride in the car on your way to his interview.

Sitting there, you watch as the pro takes sips from his cup and stares out into the window. You’d always wonder what is in the deeper consciousness of heroes…

Whether it be from top secrets to silly dreams. You’d always wondered what was going on in that peanut-sized brain Dynamight has.

“What’re you thinking about?” You blurt.

“I’m thinkin’ about how tight my suit is,” the hero shifts within his seat in discomfort. You let out a chuckle before you turn to look out the window.

“How come you and Riot never do interviews together?” You mumbled, loud enough for the blonde to hear. An audible grumble is sounded from his lips.

“Because he steals all my shine.”

This makes you snort.

“Are you actually serious?” You chuckled. You watched as the blonde cursed under his lips. “Yeah, he talks too much and goes over the time limit. Which leaves me just lookin’ stupid.”

“Okay, reasonable,” you responded.

“Is this what we’re doing today? The question game?” He says with a smirk. Eyes widening a bit, you purse your lips to the side before commenting.

“Well…I’m down if you’re down.”

Dynamight leans back in his chair with a chuckle and closes his eyes. “Go ahead,” his voice was monotone and calm. It’s kinda rare to hear him so content. Before you could think you were spewing out any questions they flew into your mind.

“How long have you known Red Riot?”

“Since I was 15…god, I’m old. We met during our early days at U.A., and we’ve been through a lot together. The guy's practically seen me grow into the hero I am today.”

“What does it feel like to fight villains?”

“It feels pleasurably taxing.”

“How long did it take until you were able to master your quirk?”

“Still mastering. Explosion quirks are tricky; there's always room for improvement.”

“Why are you always…mean?”

“I’d be an easier target, obviously. The world expects heroes to be virtuous, and gentle, but I've seen where that leads. The one thing everyone looks for in a hero is vulnerability, kindness, something to manipulate and take for themselves. I refuse to give them that satisfaction. Being assertive and not taking any crap is the image I've chose for myself.”

“How big is it?”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh look, we’re here!” you exclaimed before abruptly opening the door. Stepping out of the car, you watched as the hero climbed out, keeping his fiery eyes on you the whole time—almost looking predatory…gulp.

Handing him some more papers, you began to go over the interview about to take place. “Today’s interview is for Pop! Magazine—“

“Fuck no,” the hero quipped, quickly turning on his heel and heading back to the car. Chasing after the hero with the click of your heels, you tightly grabbed his shockingly firm bicep.

“Please! Looking at your stats, you don’t give a lot of fan service. And this is punishment because you’re always doing interviews last minute. I could only pick out what was available that any other hero didn’t take.”

“It was either this or being interviewed by a whole bunch of kids.”

Dynamite inwardly groaned, his head hung low in defeat. Stepping towards you, he continued to walk towards the stage doors of Pop! Magazine. Letting out a sigh, you snuck your hand away from his bicep and held tight to your things.

“I swear to god, after this interview. I’m asking all the questions,” Dynamight said, loud enough for you to hear. Biting your lip, you stay quiet as you enter the stage building.

A handful of makeup artists and hairstylists swarmed to the pro-hero, leaving you in the dust. Dynamight grew more irritated by the second, giving the staff a single look before they all dispersed. As he walked onto the set, he was greeted by an overly cheery lady.

"Wow! Dynamight, it's great to finally see you in person. This is crazy; hello, I'm your interviewer, Roxie," she burst in excitement. Reaching to firmly shake his hand, he let out a hum in response. As both of them sat in front of the cameras, you quietly walked behind and looked at the sight before you.

Bright colors and pretty patterns adorned the stage. As Dynamight sat in the plush pink seat (expectantly man-spreading), he looked like he was absolutely over it. And the interview hadn't even started.

Locking eyes with the hero, you gave him a thumbs up for good luck (and partly as an apology for the purgatory he's about to be in). As the overhead lights turned on, you watched as the director began to count down and started rolling the cameras.

With a deep exhale, Roxie began to speak her intro and introduce Dynamight to the non-existent crowd. Turning towards the hero with a smile, she soon started to read from the cards held in her hand.

"So, Dynamight, how've you been?" she said cheerfully.

"M'fine, the day's just getting started over here," a tone of melancholy echoed in his voice as he looked at Roxie. "I see, the days are never over when it comes to being a pro-hero like yourself. Speaking of being a great hero, how does it feel to be second-ranked? Behind the hero Deku–“

"Excuse me," you interjected. As all eyes in the room set onto you, you looked around before adding to the conversation. "Please refrain from talking about hero rankings around Dynamight. He's not here to talk about that." You said with a sense of authority, almost proud to take up for the hero.

The interviewer looked at the hero for confirmation, and as the blonde raised his brows in response, she nodded. Looking at the cameras, Roxie's voice suddenly dropped an octave. "Cut that out, please."

Restarting her first statement, she opened the interview with a new question. "So, Dynamight… could you give us any inside scoop on what it's like being one of the highest-ranked heroes in Japan?"

"Eat, sleep, work out, patrol, fight, sleep again." Dynamight deadpanned. This earned a thin pressed line on Roxie's lips. "Sounds like a lot just for one person, eh?"

"Personally, not for me. Not a lot of people can do what I do, and that's fine," he said plainly. You mentally face-palmed at his comment. Now you understand why Kirishima did all the talking back then for interviews.

The interviewer let out an awkward chuckle before flipping to her next cue card. "So, Dynamight, you're a rare sighting for the press, so there are so many questions to ask with only a small amount of time! So let's cut to the nitty-gritty," she said with a devious smile.

"It's popularly known that you're a part of U.A's infamous class 1-A, and even almost a decade later, you and a multitude of others still climb to new heights of success!" She exclaimed.

"Yes, your point?" Dynamight retorted.

"Well," the interviewer trailed off.

"It's known that many of your comrades, especially your partner Red Riot, are married and have begun to start their own legacies… what's stopping you from doing the same?" She said.

Your eyes grew wide at the question, and you didn't know what to do in that moment. You watched as Dynamight looked you in the eyes. Frowning, you mouthed out to him.

'You don't have to answer that question.'

As his eyes focused back over to the interviewer, he began to speak. "It's hard to do those things when you're better than them." The interviewer began to laugh at his response.

"On the contrary, Dynamight, I tend to disagree…"

"And why is that?" he snapped back.

"Well, around a month ago, you were seen dating multiple women at once. People these days would say you're testing the waters? Tasting all the flavors at once?" She said with a smug smirk.

"At the end of the day, I'm a man like everyone else. Just like the man behind this shitty camera," he points. "The man over there eating all the complementary bagels," he points again. "And the man right in front of me with too much nose hair." He points directly at the interviewer with a shit-eating grin.

Gasping out loud, you smack your hand above your mouth. In a quick step, you move in front of the rolling camera. "Okay! Time to go!" You nervously chuckle, watching as Roxie throws daggers at the Pro-Hero.

"It really is true; you are an asshole."

"Maybe he wouldn't be an asshole if you didn't ask shitty questions," you spat at her. Scoffing, Roxie stands from her seat and walks up to you. But before she could even step a centimeter in your direction, your boss was three steps ahead.

"What're you gonna do? Hit her? I fuckin' dare you," he snarls with a sadistic grin. Looking down, you notice his hands begin to radiate sparks. Panicking, you tried to step in front of his muscular figure, but he wouldn't even budge.

"Is that a threat?" She says.

"It can be whatever you want it to be, just know you're going down regardless. So, like I said," he takes a step closer to her.

"Hit her and see what happens," he whispers.

You watch as the interviewer steps back and off of the stage, spewing out a million cuss words a second. Swallowing your spit, you walk off as well. With no words spoken, the blonde follows suit. Showing off a friendly goodbye (he throws back the middle finger), the both of you are back in the car and on your way back to the agency.

Entering back into the office, you look at the clock and let out a sigh. "Well, this is where the fun ends," you say, starting to gather your things and head towards the door. But Dynamight stops you.

"Hey, don't leave without me."

Turning around, you look confused. "Why?" you ask, and the blonde rolls his eyes as he grabs his coat. "Because I'm taking you out," he says. Pouting your lips, you become puzzled by his statement.

"I don't get it."

The blonde stops in his tracks and looks you in the eyes. "Remember, I'm asking the questions now." Dynamight takes your stuff from your hands and heads for the door.

As both of you head down to the parking lot and settle into his car, the blonde begins to speak. "Gotta question for ya," he mumbles. You hum in response before watching the blonde ponder his thoughts.

"Why did you take up for me today? Y'know I'm fully capable of taking care of myself, right?" He dryly chuckles. Looking out into the distance, you mentally cringe, reflecting on the events that happened today.

"Well, I did it because, believe it or not, the both of us have a reputation to uphold. And secondly, she was a bitch." You say flatly. The blonde nods at your answer before asking another question.

"Why do you always act the way you act?"

You suddenly face him, surprised. "What do you mean? How do I act?" you say, sounding hyperaware. This makes him smirk, "you know, whenever I'm around you, you always act as if it's your first day here."

"I do that?"

"Constantly."

"Oh…"

Soon riding through the city, Katsuki reaches your apartment—

"Hey, my place is right there!" you shout. "Nah, I told you we're going out—"

"But people will see us!" you shout worriedly. Katsuki holds his head down for a couple of seconds before he sets his eyes back on the road. "Listen woman, if you haven't noticed by now, I really don't give a fuck," he curses. Blinking at him, you curse under your breath, "okay sure, but, you don't even have a change of clothes."

The blonde only changed his shirt to a regular black t-shirt and keeps his hero suit pants on with a pair of sneakers. "So? You're saying that as if the fashion police are running rampant in the city," he turns his face upward at you.

"Well, you may not care, but I care. I look crazy." You suddenly grew self-conscious as you began to look at your outfit. Hair a bit disheveled and clothes wrinkled, you didn't look your best. Katsuki rolls his eyes as he shared a quick glance at your figure.

"First off, you look fine."

Suddenly, the car comes to a strong stop. Causing the both of you to jerk. Unfazed by his actions, Katsuki soon places the car in park and looks into your eyes. "Secondly, you were proposed to in that outfit, take that information however you please."

Finishing his sentence, he steps out of the car swiftly and walks over to open your door. Stepping out of the vehicle, you didn't recognize the area. Even though you were near your place, you never took the time to actually go outside and experience the area, kinda sad.

It's just always, work, work, work.

"Where are we?" you asked.

"Nowhere really, we're going on a walk." Katsuki then extends his arm toward you. With a hesitant reach, you slowly loop your arm around his and begin to walk. The feeling felt so surreal in that moment.

You, walking in the middle of some random back alley with a pro-hero? The second-best-ranked hero in all of Japan, by the way. You bit the inside of your cheek as you continued to take another step in front of the other.

"So, what's your favorite color?" he asks.

Halting in your steps, you look at Katsuki with a deadpan expression. You suddenly crack a smile, "are you serious?" you chuckled. "Better safe than sorry…" the blonde trails off.

"It's (favorite color), I don't know if you notice, but pretty much over 80 percent of the things in my place are that color," you chuckled. Katsuki nods at your answer before he continues on to the next question.

"Hobbies?"

'well…'

Later into the evening, things went very smoothly as the both of you began to chatter and walk aimlessly through the parks of your town.

The both of you got to know one another, as Katsuki told you an embarrassing moment about him as a child which led to you giving some back in return.

"It's weird—talking to you like this, it almost feels weird." You chuckled out, Katsuki looks slightly confused at your words. "Why would it be weird?" he says.

"Because you're my boss at one moment, and yet you're also my fiancé. It's easy to distinguish the two, but this feels different." You say, thinking in your mind for a possible hypothesis for the way you're feeling.

"It's weird because there's this strong title on us, but we're finally getting to know each other for the first time…like we're friends?" You questioned yourself, the pitch in your voice raised as you looked at the pro-hero for some backup.

You watch as Katsuki silently nods his head. "Yeah, it's weird," he responds flatly. Well, there goes your deep moment. The moon hung in the night sky, casting a gentle glow on the surroundings, creating an atmosphere of tranquility. The rhythmic sounds of your footsteps echoed in the quiet park as you continued your stroll.

"Well, listen—"

"Woah!"

Snapping your head towards the loud shout, you watch as a stampede of kids wanders straight towards the both of you. "Wow! Are you really Dynamight?" one of the kids speaks. Looking over at the hero, you snake your arm out of his hold before he looks down at the kid with a frown.

"And if I was?" Katsuki asks the kid, tilting his head as he watches the group of kids look at each other and ponder their next choice of words. "Then this would be the best day of our lives!" one of them exclaimed, soon all the other kids bustled in agreement.

"Well then, I'm guilty."

Soon the group of kids erupts with cheering and sounds of awe. You watch as the kids grow closer to the hero, admiring him as close as they can. From drooling at his costume (at least some parts of them), screams of excitement watching him as they quote: "go boom boom," to giggling when they touch his spiky hair.

You smile softly as you watch the fondness of the hero. Maybe you should've chosen to do the interview with the kids instead…

"Excuse me, miss, you're really pretty."

Startled, you look down at one of the tinier children. Flattered, you brightly smile and bend down to be on their level. "Well, thank you very much. I find you very adorable." You giggle, as you watch the child become bashful at your words.

Looking up, you watch as Katsuki was…smiling?

You've seen him smile before, but this time it was different. It was warm, almost endearing? The moon hung in the night sky, casting a gentle glow on the surroundings, creating an atmosphere of tranquility. The rhythmic sounds of your footsteps echoed in the quiet park as you continued your stroll.

As the kids bombarded Dynamight with questions, you couldn't help but join in on the excitement. "Hey, Dynamight, which hero do you think is the strongest?" one curious kid asked.

Katsuki smirked, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous glint. "Well, obviously it's me. No one can beat Dynamight!" he declared, causing the kids to burst into laughter and applause.

Another child chimed in, "Miss, are you Dynamight's girlfriend?"

You chuckled, "No, not really... We work together."

"But you'd make a cool superhero couple!" one kid insisted.

Katsuki raised an eyebrow, shooting you a sidelong glance. "They're smarter than they look," he muttered under his breath, earning a playful nudge from you.

"You kids treat her with respect, this is my fiance. Understand?" He says sternly. The kids comply blindly, as they would do anything to appease one of their role models.

The encounter with the kids turned into a delightful conversation, filled with laughter and innocent questions. It was a refreshing break from the usual routine, and you found yourself enjoying the unexpected bonding sesh with Dynamight.

"Yep, he's my fiance."

HELLO AND MERRY CHRISTMAS! Here's my gift to you all. Also, I gave the story a new theme, hope you all like it!

— lovelyiida ❤︎︎

➜ TAGLIST

❥: @xo-evangeline, @inlovewithteo217, @im-better-than-your-newborn, @nar00, @king-dynamight, @gold24fish, @xasilex, @the-queen-of-sorrows, @itgetzweird08, @yoyosocks165, @pebblepoop, @lovra974, @bakugospartner, @gaby-11, @akqsa-xxi, @jolynegf, @goldenglow149, @aliruuiz, @zukowantshishonourback, @ilovedenk-i, @atsushiki, @smolbeanzzz, @lem-hhn, @stevenknightmarc, @katsu-shi, @ryumiii, @idontevenknowlolls, @lyn07, @kennshifts, @ackerman-suck-3-r, @alicen23, @xasilex, @elegantvoids, @lowkeyremi, @plutounderbridges, @k0z3me, @thecurlyhairedgoddess, @sunyrose, @winterv-black, @chuugarettes, @kiarathace, @thisbicc , @thekookiecorner , @hyu-hl , @katsukisxslut , @optimisticprime3 , @cosmicbreathe , @yessimo , @sanemishina , @snxwycloud ,

@cosmic-rainstorm, @vinivave , @venus-xxoo , @lavender99 , @iluv-ace , @artfulthoughtsblog , @thatcreepycat , @prettylittleshady , @lavalampfullofsoup, @melodykittya , @bakugoiidaswaifu, @queendynamite2001

#mha headcanons #lovelyiida #lovelyiida—trtwb #mha #mha imagines #mha x reader #bnha x reader #bnha headcanons #bnha insert #mha fanfiction #bakugo x reader #mha fic #mha ff

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sunnybeewriting · 1 year

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peachy keen. Part Two

Wow! Thank you all so, so much for all the likes and comments on last chapter, I was blown away! Every time I get a notification that someone liked or commented on something I’ve written I get giddy, so thank you! And I read everyone's comments and they were all so sweet!

Someone actually posted fanart of peachy keen!! I nearly died when I saw it, so thank you again to @desertrose244 for making that, it’s wonderful. And I’m sorry this chapter took so long, classes got me all kinds of messed up. So without further wait, peachy keen. Part Two!

peachy keen. Part One

WORDS: 9,000

WARNINGS: Adult themes and language

“Bitch, you better wake the fuck up right now.”

A hand whacks you on the back of your head firmly and you are jerked right out of your hazy sleep state. You let out an embarrassing snort as your head lurches up from its position of laying on your arms crossed over the table.

Your eyes squint tiredly against the bright light of the room. For a brief moment, your fuzzy mind struggles to remember where you are, until you realize that you’re still sitting in the break room.

“The time?” you slur out as you straighten your back in the chair. You lean backward, arms stretching out above your head, and strong relief fills you as several pops resound in different places. You groan loudly at the feeling, and blood rushes back into your body parts as you shift them. Hunching over in a chair for a half hour to try and get as much rest as you could had not been a good idea.

The sharp scent of something chemical makes you wrinkle your nose, and you look over to your left to see where the odor is coming from.

Margot sits beside you, humming softly and painting her nails a pretty light pink color. The little bottle of nail polish she is using cost her a lot of money to buy from the supply shop, given that nail polish was a rare find in Bridgehead. Granted, it wasn’t like there were a lot of military personnel or scientists who were fist-fighting over nail polish, but still. Margot had insisted it was completely worth the price, although you had definitely seen her lip wobble when she had looked at the dent in her wallet.

Margot had lasted almost two months before whining about missing her pretty nails, and the next day she caved and forked over the big bucks to get the tiny little bottle. Now, she likes to joke that it’s her most prized position (it wasn’t really a joke).

You yawn, then press your lips together as your right hand rubs at your eyes to help wake yourself up.

“What’s the time, Margot? Why did you even wake me up?” your tone is almost a whine as you question your friend, ready to throw a fit if she says she only woke you up because she was bored.

Luckily for Margot’s physical safety, she has a fairly good excuse.

“We’ve got that meeting with the new team leader, Amanda What-the-fuck-ever, in ten minutes.” Margot rolls her eyes as she carefully paints a strip of polish on her left index finger, tongue sticking out in concentration.

You snort softly at Margot’s clear disrespect toward a woman neither of you had even met, but you couldn’t really blame her. Your own feelings about this mystery lady were mixed as well.

Two months into being in Bridgehead, Amanda Hall was assigned as the field team leader of the new Avatar Program by the RDA. Her job is essentially to connect the members of the program to the important people in the company. She is the one to handle any concerns within the group, any issues with military personnel, any special reports about discoveries on Pandora, shit like that.

She also apparently did data work, collected samples, and would go out into the field with your team whenever the RDA finally chose for that to happen.

All that would be fine and dandy if it weren’t for the gossip from the other Avatar team, who told Margot that this lady was essentially here to report all matters of the program and its members to the RDA. Every slip-up, every boo-boo, every time someone sneezed out of turn, she would be mentioning it to the same higher-ups who would be deciding whether to disband the program or not.

This was very unpleasant news to all of you, given that your entire purpose on Pandora is to be an Avatar. The program was already in a precarious position, being that it was still in the testing stages. If it got disbanded because of whatever Miss Hall said, you’d all be completely fucked.

So yeah, none of you were exactly fond of her, too worried that she might very well ruin your lives.

Margot blows on her finished nail, holding it up closer to her face for careful inspection. Once she’s satisfied, she carefully screws the lid of the nail polish shut and gently places it into the right pocket of her light blue windbreaker.

She rises from her seat to check her reflection in a small, circular mirror on the grey wall of the break room, fixing her hair and smoothing down her clothes.

You watch her, not even bothering to do anything to fix up your own appearance. You’re certain your hair is slightly mussed and your clothes are wrinkled, but you’re beyond too tired to really give a shit.

You hadn’t slept well the past two days, too concerned about the rumors of Miss Hall. You have no idea what you would even do if the program went tits up, no idea what would happen to you or your friends.

Would you be shipped back to Earth, as if you were an unwanted toy the RDA no longer wanted to play with? Would you be forced to remain in miserable Bridgehead, doing nothing but look at samples for the rest of your life? As a xenobotanist who thrives on nature and color and unique things, that would be one of the worst things you could ever think of happening to you.

All the terrifying possibilities swirled around your head, digging so deeply into your brain that you were beginning to dream about it.

So yeah, you were stressed and unable to sleep, which made you exhausted and anxious. These past few days had been nothing but a vicious circle of misery for you.

Margot’s hands pause as they fluff up her hair, eyes meeting yours in the mirror. You stare back at her, too spent to even muster up a fake smile.

She turns away from her reflection, walking over to your slouched form and taking your hands in hers. You stare up at her with watery eyes, and she squeezes your hands tightly and says,

“Oh, honey. You don’t have to be so worried about it, it’ll be okay. The RDA spent billions on our Avatars, they’re not going to throw them away so easily, alright?”

You nod shakily, deep down knowing that she was probably right. Still, it was hard to shake the fear from your heart, the cruel little whispers of ‘but what if?’ refusing to let go.

It wouldn’t even be failing to reach a lifelong goal that would bother you so much, wouldn’t even be the years of school and training and sleepless nights that would all have been for nothing if the program was discontinued.

It would be failing to keep the promise you had made to your mother as she lay on her death bed that would be the worst of it.

Oh, your sweet, vicious mother. Once so kind and caring toward you as a child, she turned spiteful once her mind and body began to weaken. Bitterness and regret seeped into her heart and turned it as dead and cold as her husband, and the name-calling, the pinching, and the ugly insults began by the time she was confined to her hospital bed.

For five years you stuck by her side through it all, through the malice and the failed treatments and deterioration. You stayed by her side even when your aunt on your father’s side offered to take you away, because she was your mother, and you would love her always. Even on the bad days when she couldn’t even remember who you were, you stayed with her.

Through all the nastiness and difficulty, your mother’s true person would shine through sometimes, like when she told you about your father, when she made you promise to follow your heart and never let anyone or anything get in the way of your dreams. Those were the moments you stayed for.

And so, even the mere thought of letting her or yourself down, of failing to keep your promise, scared you to death.

You shake your head, pushing the ugly thoughts back into your mind so you could focus on kind, lovely Margot.

It’ll be okay. You’ll see.

You swallow thickly, squeezing Margot’s hand tightly in your own.

“I know, Margot, I’m okay. I just need a little time to adjust, that’s all,” you smile shakily at her, and she looks at you, eyebrows furrowing with concern even as she smiles back.

“Right. Right, honey,” she tears her eyes away from you to glance at the clock, eyes widening when she sees the time, “Oh shit, sugar! We gotta go!”

Margot pulls you up from your chair by the hands she was still holding, and you sway dizzily as blood rushes back into your head. You barely have time to pull on the tennis shoes you had kicked off underneath the table before she’s tugging on your hand and you’re out the door.

“Margot, slow down!” you laugh quietly as you almost trip over the shoes not quite pulled over your feet correctly, and it feels so, so good to laugh again, even if it is just slightly. You hadn’t realized it’s been days since you felt genuinely well.

Margot glances back at you, grins, and picks up her pace. Before you know it, you’ve reached the conference room, and you drop Margot’s hand and kneel to fix your shoes properly. Then you finally find the motivation to put your hair into a ponytail, straighten your clothes, and take a few breaths to calm your nerves.

Once you are ready you nod at Margot, and she nods back before opening the glass door to the room.

Inside is a long, metal table surrounded by ten chairs, along with an enormous whiteboard, several holotablets, and other various fancy-looing equipment.

David is already sitting in a chair closest to the door, posture straight as he reads from a tablet. He looks up eagerly when he hears the door open, and his overwhelmingly saccharine sweet smile drops fast from his lips when he sees that it’s just you and Margot. He scowls deeply, rolls his eyes, and points to his wristwatch like the little prick he is.

You resist the urge to childish stick your tongue out at him, but only just.

Probably got here an hour early, the teacher’s pet. What a weirdo.

You and Margot reluctantly take seats across from him at the table. It had been very tempting to sit all the way in the back of the room, as far away from David as possible, but that definitely wouldn’t have been seen as very professional by your new team leader. And, god help you, you did want to make a good first impression.

Hopefully that doesn’t make me as much of an ass-kisser as David.

You turn to look at him just as he takes a pocket mirror out of his pants, checks his reflection, and then positions himself in his chair so he’s the first one Miss Hall will see when she walks into the room.

Yeah, nope. Jesus Christ, David.

Barely a minute passes before Emma and James walk just in time, giggling quietly and blushing. They take a seat across from one another, James sitting by you and Emma sitting by David. They grin across the table, clearly amused about some private joke only they know.

It’s so cute, but it also kind of makes me want to puke.

You tear your eyes away from them in hopes that no longer looking at such sweet affection will help your stomach settle. They were awfully charming, but also gross if you looked at them too long.

You know, I wonder if employee relations are something Miss Hall will report to the higher-ups?

You turn to tell Emma and James they should probably keep their affections discreet whilst in the company of Miss Hall from now on. Just as you open your mouth to speak, the woman in question finally walks through the door.

The first thing you notice about her is her hair, bright red and pinned up into a smooth bun. She’s a tall, slender, strict-looking woman with young features, and while she does look stern, she also has a small smile on her lips as she looks around the table and introduces herself,

“Hello, everyone. My name is Amanda Hall, I’m the new Avatar Program team leader, which means that I will be overseeing any concerns you have and guiding you through our travels in Pandora. From here on out, if you need something or would like to speak to the RDA, you will do so through me and me alone. Do you have any questions?”

Your lips thin but you shake your head, and all members of your group rise from their seats to shake her hand in greeting, all smiling as pleasantly as they can. You notice that David is the first in line to introduce himself, and he eagerly shakes her hand and lists off all of his titles when he tells her his name.

Ew.

You’re worried your small smile might look more like a grimace than anything else when it’s your turn to greet her, but she doesn’t seem to notice as she slips her cool, smooth hand into yours. She looks at you, and her smile doesn’t seem to reach her eyes as she says,

“I look forward to working with you, Doctor…?”

Miss Hall trails off and you tell her your name. She nods her head in understanding and then shakes your hand in three perfunctory pumps before releasing you.

The next two hour is almost mind-numbing as Miss Hall talks about her new role in the science division, what she expects from you, all other mundane things that almost bore you to tears. Just as sound becomes muted in your ears and your vision begins to blur as you drone out, Miss Hall mentions something that quickly snaps your attention back to her.

“…and so, your group will be cleared for field-work within the next week or so, and you’ll be able to begin your jobs at Bridgehead in earnest, as well as-”

You gasp, “They’re finally letting us out?! In the next week?”

Miss Hall looks startled as she says, “Oh, well, yes, in the next week or so. Given that it’s been almost two months since you arrived, it’s about time you are able to do what you came here to.”

You slump back into your seat, mouth open in shock and joy. Your thoughts run wild as you realize that in a week's time, you will be in the wilds of Pandora, actually able to touch and observe and collect alien plant life. You’ve been waiting for this exact moment for years.

I can’t fucking wait!

Miss Hall smiles slightly when she sees your stunned face and then goes on to talk about her education. You don’t even bother trying to listen, simply too busy thinking to pay attention. By the time the meeting is over, you mindless shake her hand again and walk out the door with Emma, James, and Margot.

David had neglected to leave with you, staying behind to spend a few more minutes speaking with Miss Hall.

Better her than us. He’s probably sucking up for a promotion or some shit.

As you all wander back to the break room in a daze, you realize that you aren’t the only one stunned by Miss Hall’s announcement. All three of your friends look pale and glassy-eyed, and poor Emma is destroying her fingernails as she picks at them while biting her lip anxiously.

Since Pandora is a dream come true for you, it’s always been difficult for you to remember that it’s not a safe place, not an easy walk in the park, and that you could die out there. You just get so lost in your own head, so busy thinking about all the scientific possibilities that you forget the danger that may be lurking. Your one-track mind is a dangerous flaw of yours, and you hope it doesn’t get you killed someday.

Once you all reach the room and sit down, everyone has some color back in their cheeks, and James has grabbed one of Emma’s hands to stop her from hurting herself. You sit in silence for a moment before Margot breaks it,

“I still don’t like her,” she huffs, arms crossed over her chest as she practically pouts in her chair.

You roll your eyes, having seen that coming from a mile away. Ah, classic Margot. Once she made up her mind about someone or something, it was incredibly difficult to get her to change her opinion.

“She wasn’t that bad,” Emma says quietly. Over the past month since your group really came together, Emma had opened up more and more until she was able to hold full conversations without freezing. You had once thought that her dreary attitude was because she was an unhappy person, but it turns out she’s just painfully shy.

James certainly helped with bringing her out of her shell; his caring attitude and cheerfulness are good for her.

You take a deep breath and agree with Emma, surprising yourself when you say the words aloud,

“You know, I don’t think having her as a team leader will be as bad as I thought. I think she’ll help our team more than hurt it, but we should still be careful with what we say and do around her for the next few months, just in case.”

Margot sighs but nods, uncrossing her arms from her chest.

“Yeah, okay, that’s probably for the best. I guess she didn’t seem that bad. She had pretty hair,” she mumbles the last part, and to your utter bewilderment, Margot tucks her hair behind her ear and actually blushes.

You gawk at her; it was incredibly rare for Margot to turn red, and it usually only happened when she was extremely angry or embarrassed. She hadn’t even blushed when she got super drunk at the bar downtown, took off her top, and climbed up on a table to dance around. Well, she tried to dance, but the only thing she succeeded in doing was falling off the table and throwing food and drinks everywhere.

You had tried to get her top back on and get her off the table but were fairly drunk yourself, and you failed terribly. When she went flying off the table, she kneed you right in the face, and you had to walk around with a black eye for two weeks.

Yeah, defiantly not either of our best moments.

But even when you had told her about it the next morning, hungover and miserable, she still hadn’t tinged red even a little bit at the fact that she’d shown her tits to an entire bar full of people. She had just waved her hand indifferently and asked if you got any good pictures.

So, it was defiantly bizarre to see her blush now for seemingly no reason.

Huh.

Margot catches you gaping at her and blushes even more before clearing her throat and turning her attention on you. She smirks mercilessly, eyes gleaming, and says,

“You know, I was surprised you even gave her your real name, I was half expecting you to tell her to call you Peach.”

Now it’s your turn to burn scarlet, and you shrink back into your seat with a flustered, “Margot!”

She laughs at your squeaky reaction before saying, “What? I’m just saying, Colonel Quaritch is always calling you that, and I’ve never heard you tell him to stop, soooo.” She wiggles her eyebrows and jams a sharp elbow into your ribs.

You wince, one hand reaching up to grasp where she hit you as you say, “Uh, yeah, I’m not going to Quaritch of all people what he can and cannot say, and you wouldn’t either. He could call me much worse names, so I’ll take Peach any day, thank you.”

“And I can’t believe you’re still going on about this!” you scoff, annoyance tinging your voice.

“Oh, come on! You guys spend so much time together-”

“Yeah, for lessons. During which he knocks me around for a few hours, so yeah, I can certainly say that we are, at best, acquaintances.”

“But you have such good chemistry-”

“Ha! Margot, you and David have more chemistry than Quaritch and I.”

Margot blanches and leans away from you, disgusted at the thought of such a thing, “I can’t believe you would even say something so horrid!”

“Well, it’s true!”

Margot lunges from her chair, jabbing an accusing finger in your face as you lean back, “Lies! I know for sure that you want to do the hanky-panky with him!”

You shake your head, amusement bubbling up in your gut and making you laugh as you say, “Hanky-panky? Are you fucking eighty years old, what’s the matter with you?”

To both your utter delight and disgust, Margot rolls her hips in a way she must think is provocative, but it mostly looks like something in her body is broken and she’s struggling to stand upright.

You burst out laughing and shout, “Jesus Christ Margot, what the hell are you doing?”

“Come on, I know this what you want to do with Quaritch-”

“What, roll my hips in a way that makes it seem like my spine is shattered to get him to sleep with me?”

Margot falters and stops wiggling around to say, “Is that really what I look like?”

“Yes!”

“Okay, okay, fine!”

She sits back in her chair with a pout but leans forward, and her green eyes bore into yours, “But my point still stands. You know, you’re starting to be like those little ducklings you had talked about seeing him with that first time, always following him around.”

You groan, “Ugh, Margot. You know what, I’m not even going to worry about it anymore. If you want to be lost in your delusions, you do that. I’m going to go to bed because I actually have something important to do in the morning.”

You pat your thighs and stand from your chair as Margot boos and shouts, “You grandma!”

“Goodnight, Margot,” you say, still absolutely tickled at Margot’s ability to bullshit even herself. You pat her on the shoulder as you walk past her to the door, and she smacks you on the ass and says, “Night, bitch.”

You barely remember to say goodnight to Emma and James, whom you had honestly forgotten were still even in the room.

They jumped slightly when you called out to them, having seemingly forgotten you and Margot’s presence as well, even with the way you had been so loud.

You shake your head fondly as they guiltily say goodnight, and you’re out the door.

You spend the journey back to your quarters thinking about the past month you’ve spent with Quaritch.

Your relationship with him, if you can even call it that, has grown from distant to something more of an…understanding. A mutually beneficial, symbiotic agreement. He’s still a massive prick, always poking and jabbing nastily, always quick to make fun.

He's still likely to smother you in your sleep if you do or say something bad enough, but he isn’t as terrifying as he was when you first met, that’s for certain.

You’re not sure if it’s simply the result of spending four hours every damn day for a whole month in his company, or if he chose to be less frightening on purpose. Either way, that all-consuming terror you felt in the first week of meeting him has faded into faint uneasiness.

And it was hard to stay so scared of him all the time when he did almost, dare you think it, nice things.

Like that one time, just a week ago, when he had been teaching you different ways to hold your blade so you could better attack someone instead of just defending yourself.

Quaritch had stood close to you, and even through the stifling, humid heat of Pandora, you could feel the heat coming off him. His bare arm brushed against yours gently as he moved from your right side to stand in front of you, and he lifted the little knife he had given you three weeks ago.

As he had warned you to, you’d kept good care of; you didn’t want to give Quaritch any other reason to dislike you, and losing the knife he entrusted into your care would worsen his feelings toward you for sure.

So, you kept it on you whenever you were in your Avatar form, nice and safe tucked away in your right short pocket. Sometimes, whenever you were distracted, you’d find yourself stroking over the M.Q engraved on the handle, thumb roving over the groves. It was sort of comforting, in a way you couldn’t describe. You probably just liked the texture.

“Alrigh’, Peach. Your defense with this puny little thing has been adequate at best, but it's good ‘nough for now. So, we’ll be moving on toward something a little bit more fun,” he grinned unpleasantly, head tilting to the side, “your offense.”

You swallowed uneasily but nodded.

Can’t be any worse than before, right? You had naively thought.

You were really, really fucking wrong.

Five minutes in, you figured out that Quaritch is a fucking monster at defense. You’d known this to some degree, just because this was Quaritch and he’s good at everything when it comes to combat, but trying to even touch this guy with your knife was utterly impossible.

No matter how fast your feet moved, no matter how much your muscles burned, no matter how hard you tried, Quaritch is bigger and better than you’ll ever be. You could see it in the way he moved, the ease of which he ducked and weaved around your inexperienced blade. He had a smug look on his face and his lips were curled up in amusement as he played around with you like a cat with a mouse.

Someday, you might get jealous of his skill, of his ferocity in combat. Now, though, watching him just made you feel in awe.

Embarrassingly, you can’t help but think he’s stunning when he moves like that. Maybe in the future you’ll actually get to see him against a real opponent, a real warrior who knows what they’re doing. You have no doubt that Quaritch would give them hell.

You leapt at him one more time in a last-ditch attempt to cut him, and he surprised you by not immediately dodging as he had done the past few minutes. Instead, he simply stays still as you run at him.

You tried to slow down once you realized he wasn’t going to move, but it was too late. He stepped slightly toward you and stopped your body’s momentum by splaying a huge hand across your upper chest and pushing you back with barely any effort at all.

You went flying backward, ass landing hard on the ground with a grunt.

Ow!

You groaned as you struggled to stand back up and Quaritch offered no helping hand, not that you had expected him to. Instead, he crossed his bulging arms across his chest, smirked, and said, “Well. You weren’t as pathetic at offense as I thought you’d be.”

You scoffed, eventually able to stand back up and dust off the gravel that clung to the fabric that covered your ass, “I was ridiculous, I didn’t even manage to make contact.”

“Well, that’s just ‘cause you ain’t pissed enough. You gotta think of me as some sorta son of a bitch you despise, someone you hate. Really let it provoke you, feel the hate in your blood and let it guide you until you kill em’. Then you’ll be golden.”

You considered his words thoughtfully, wondering who the hell you could ever hate so much you could brutally kill them.

Quaritch sighed when he saw the questioning look on your face, one large blue hand resting on the thick belt wrapped around his slender waist. He reached up to rub at his jawline as he rolled his eyes at your naivety, and then he said, “Look, Peach, there’s gotta be someone you don’t like-”

“David!” you blurt out, remembering how irritated he’d made you the past week with his stupid little comments and snotty attitude, “I really, really fucking don’t like David. If you think I’m a priss, you’d hate David if you ever met him.”

“…Alright, David it is, then. Come on, get ready to come at me again, and this time don’t be such a pussy about it. Remember what I taught you and think about whatever it is about this poor David bastard you hate so much.” Quaritch spreads his legs into a wider stance, long arms deceptively relaxed at his sides as he waited for you to come at him.

“The guy’s a douchebag, always rambling on about how he’s better than everyone else. He’s a real stuffy, know-it-all science puke. You know, your favorite type of person.”

You flashed him a sharp-toothed grin and he smirked back, wide golden eyes grudgingly amused.

“He once told me that it would be highly unlikely that you would be able to teach me anything. I really wasn’t sure if it was a dig at your teaching skills or my intelligence. Probably both, knowing him.”

Quaritch’s eyes narrowed and his mouth tightened as he said, “…Interesting. Might have to meet this David guy some time.”

You grinned at the thought of massive, terrifying Quaritch looming over a tiny, frightened David, grinning down at him evilly. That might finally be enough to deflate David’s ego, though it was David. Who knows, he’d probably be delusional enough to think Quaritch was talking to him out of respect or some shit.

I would literally fucking pay to see that happen. Quaritch would eat him alive.

“Alright, I’m ready, let’s go again.”

You spent the next thirty minutes pathetically struggling to hit him, and you didn’t make contact even once. You came close a few times, but you never actually touched the bastard.

And thinking about how utterly irritating David was didn’t even help! As much as you disliked the guy, you really couldn’t develop enough anger to want to kill him, even if it wasn’t real.

Maybe throttle him or duct tape his mouth shut, but to kill? That wasn’t you; you just didn’t have that sort of determination or ferocity in your heart. Maybe one day, but certainly not now.

It seems Quaritch could see that because he sneered at you before sighing and coming to a stop.

“Jesus Christ, alright, this isn’t working. We gotta figure somethin’ out, ‘cause at this rate you’re just going to hurt yourself by flailin’ ‘round like that. Goddamn.”

You stopped when he did, panting, face flushed and sweaty. You winced at his words but admit defeat by nodding your head in agreement.

Quaritch propped both his hands on his hips as he considered you for a moment, eyes flicking over your body. He checked the watch on his left wrist and then said,

“Well, Peach, we only gotta few minutes left and I’m fuckin’ hungry, so let’s call it a day. I’ll see ya nice and early morning tomorrow on time, you hear me?” He gave you a look, and you internally rolled your eyes even as you nodded understandingly.

It was one time you’d been five minutes late to meeting up with him, weeks ago, and he’d never let you forget it. Tom had woken up late, so you’d had to wait to link into your Avatar. You were only a few minutes late, but Quaritch had been a grumpy little bastard about it the entire morning.

He was fucking relentless, and now every single time at the end of the lesson, he always has to say some little thing about it, because it’s Quaritch. Why ever waste an opportunity to be a dick?

“See you tomorrow, sir.”

Quaritch gave you one last look, golden eyes stern, before turning around to head back toward the gate of the courtyard.

You watched as he went, hands distractedly reaching for the sheath of your knife so you could safely put it away.

You gazed at the thin, green fabric of his tank top that stretched taught over his broad shoulders and muscled back, eyes lowering down to take in his slender waist wrapped in his belt.

And then your eyes went lower, and you made a daring observation that shocked your world, an observation you would have never dared to even think a mere few weeks ago.

Miles Quaritch has a fantastic ass.

You blushed strongly even as your head tilted to the side, eyes locked on his camo-covered ass as he practically struts his way to the gate. Your mouth parted gently before you bit softly on your bottom lip.

I’m mean, really, he’s goddamn packing it away down there. Is there any part of him that isn’t fucking attract- mother fucker!

You yelped as stinging pain ripped through your senses, concentrated strongly on the palm of your right hand. You dropped your knife on instinct, looking down hurriedly to see what the hell was hurting so bad.

You hissed lightly, shocked, when you saw the angry, bright red cut on the upper part of your blue palm, already weeping blood profusely. Your tail flicked irritably behind you, ears lowering on the sides of your head.

No fucking way, you absolute dumbass.

You’d been so distracted with checking out Quaritch’s ass that you had accidentally cut your palm open with your own knife while trying to sheath it.

“Mother fucker!” The words burst out of your mouth before you could stop them, tingling pain finally pushing its way through your surprised brain and throbbing from your palm all the way up your arm.

Blood slowly dripped on the concrete of the courtyard as you grasped your right wrist with your left hand, gasping softly.

I have to get to the medical center, Jesus Christ, why the hell does it hurt so much!?

You’d just started taking steps toward the gate, eyes locked on your bleeding palm when you heard stomping footsteps approaching fast. Before you knew it, camo-covered legs were in your peripheral vision.

You looked up at Quaritch’s irritated and baffled face, his eyebrows furrowed as he snagged your wrist and yanked your arm up to his face to closer inspect the bleeding wound on your hand.

“Jesus Christ, Peach, the fuck did you do? I left you alone for two seconds!”

“I-I know, I know! I was just trying to put it back into its sheath and-and I must have not been paying attention and it-” you stuttered, mind franticly trying to come up with an excuse to say instead of why you’d been so distracted.

There was no fucking way you were ever going to tell Quaritch you’d actually injured yourself because you were preoccupied with checking out his ass. Your pride and dignity would never make a recovery.

He interrupted you before you could finish, gripping your wrist tightly as he hissed, “Yeah, I can see that. Fucking hell, I should just start callin’ you clumsy instead of Peach. Let’s go.”

Quaritch lowered your arm from his face, scowling deeply, his own ears flicking angrily.

He began walking with your wrist still in his grasp. He tugged on your arm when you remained rooted to the ground, and you stumbled after him.

“U-Uh, hey, where are we going?”

“To the medical center, you idiot. It doesn’t look too deep but you’re going to need to get it cleaned. Hurry the fuck up, let’s go.”

He marched you out of the courtyard, through the bustling area of soldiers and across Bridgehead, all the while still holding onto you.

Every now and then he’d shorten his long, angry stride to take a look at your hand, and every time he did, the scowl on his face grew. His sharp teeth were clenched angrily as you walked on.

You didn’t say a word, too embarrassed and in pain, even as you struggled to keep up with his aggressive pace. You winced every time a gust of air blew across your open wound and made it sting even more. Every time you winced, Quaritch’s grip tightened.

Eventually you made it to the med center, and Quaritch waltzed through the doors with zero concern or hesitation. He tugged you upfront to stand beside him and finally released his grip on your wrist.

Ten or so tiny little humans wearing exo-masks and white sanitary gear bustled around the near entrance of the center, but none took any notice of the two giant blue Avatars standing in front of them, too busy with their own tasks.

When none of them looked up from their work after two seconds, Quaritch lost his minuscule amount of patience and barked,

“Hey!”

You jumped slightly, not expecting Quaritch to shout, and every person in the immediate vicinity froze, heads snapping up and around to you and Quaritch. His deep voice almost echoed in the ensuing silence as any other sound stopped.

You wanted to shrink away from their stares, to just go back to your quarters and take care of your wound by yourself. Quaritch must have sensed your uneasiness and desire to bolt, because he firmly placed one large hand on your bare back, fingers splaying out across your sensitive skin.

You jumped again at the unexpected feeling of his skin against yours and tensed, mouth parting to gasp before you choked it down.

Quaritch’s hand was so big that his thumb brushed up under the loose fabric of the training crop top you wore, and goosebumps erupted across your body as you involuntarily shivered at the feeling.

You could feel the pads of his fingers against your skin, and it felt so strange (good).

“If any of you busy fuckers wouldn’t mind takin' a moment to check out this girl here, I would greatly appreciate it.” Quaritch’s deep voice boomed across the silent room, clearly irritated and sarcastic.

He sneered at them all, and then lifted an eyebrow when everyone remained frozen, “Well?”

One brave little human finally managed to unstick their feet from the floor to approach you and Quaritch slowly, as if you were both wild animals that might attack her at any moment.

They come close enough that you can tell it was a woman, even through all the bright white gear she wore. She was short, stout, and stern-looking, with grey hair pulled up into a tight bun.

She tilted her head up to meet Quaritch’s fierce yellow gaze firmly, and you almost raised your eyebrows in surprise when she refused to look away from his angry glare, her back straight and gloved hands folded in front of her.

Jesus Christ, this lady has some serious balls, you had thought incredulously.

“What’s the problem, sir?” she asked, voice coming out polite but stiff.

Quaritch had seemed startled for about half a second, then he narrowed his eyes once more and said, “This idiot sliced her hand open.”

He nudged you strongly with the hand on your back and you took a stumbling step forward, looking down at her small face and sheepishly raising your right bloody hand. It had stopped bleeding so much a few minutes before you had entered the center, but it was still a gross-looking mess.

“Uh, yeah, I’m sorry, I did do that,” you said sheepishly, apologetic.

The lady didn’t seem remotely bothered by the blood, though, and she simply sighed before guiding you over to a nearby cot with a white privacy sheet away from the entrance of the center.

You walked over willingly, careful not to jostle your hand. The stinging had faded slightly now that you were inside, but it was far from numb, and you didn’t want to make it hurt even more.

As you walked over to the tent, Quaritch left your side without your notice and wandered somewhere out of your viewpoint without a word.

You turned around to say something to him, and only then did you even notice he was gone.

Oh, you had thought, he could have at least said goodbye.

The lady introduced herself as Doctor Miriam as she moved around your cot to grab various medical supplies. She asked you some questions, like how and when you injured yourself, and with what.

You sheepishly told her that you had been distracted when you had cut yourself, and your hand drifted down to your pocket to grab your knife to show it to her.

Your heart dropped to your shoes when you were met with nothing, and you tensed in alarm before immediately slouching when you realized you had dropped it in the courtyard.

You’d have to go back for it once this was done, but you’d much prefer that than it being lost like you had thought it was when you hadn’t felt it in your pants. Quaritch would have killed you.

All in all, the process for healing your hand was a simple one; Doctor Miriam cleaned your palm, removed the gravel, smeared a clear gel on it, and wrapped the upper part of your hand with a simple white bandage.

“Luckily,” Doctor Miriam explained, “the cut is shallow enough that it didn’t sever any of the nerves in your hand. It’ll be healed by tonight because of the medicinal properties in that healing gel, but be careful not to squeeze anything too tight. You don’t even have to wear the bandage for more than a few hours.”

You thanked her profusely and apologized again for causing her trouble, and she simply waved her hand, patted you on the back firmly, and guided you back toward the entrance of the center.

You stepped outside back into the light of Pandora, so ready to go back to the Avatar center to take a shower and get back into your own body after such a tiresome ordeal.

You’d barely taken a few steps before Quaritch rounded the corner of the building, stepping into your viewpoint.

You jerked to a stop, wondering what the hell he was still doing here.

He headed toward the entrance of the med center in long strides but stopped when he saw you standing outside. He changed his course of direction to you and reached you in a scant few seconds.

“I thought you were gone?” you asked, bandaged hand raising to shield your eyes from the bright light as you looked up at him.

Quaritch grabbed your wrist once more to examine the handiwork of Doctor Miriam. Apparently satisfied, he dropped your arm a moment later, and you let it go limply back to your side, still waiting for an answer.

“Noticed you left my knife in the courtyard, and I don’t like leaving my shit where others can take it,” he said, and lifted up your knife to your view.

“Sorry, sorry, I was just about to go back for it!” you exclaimed, hand reaching out to grab it from his own.

Quaritch pulled his hand back before you could take it, scoffing loudly before he asked, “What, you think you can just leave my shit laying around and then just take it back?”

He took a step closer to you, face lowering down to yours to look you firmly in the eye. He glowered at you, yellow eyes burning as he said, “Don’t do it again.”

You wanted to scoff at him and say, ‘Well, I was a little distracted by all the blood pouring from my hand!’, but you bit your tongue. It would just result in an argument you would never win.

“Sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”

He glared at you one last time before dropping the knife into your hand. You took it gratefully, and as you tucked it into the pocket of your pants, you noticed that he had cleaned it of your blood.

“And the next time you handle that knife, Peach, do your best not to slice open your own hand. Jesus, you gotta be the clumsiest brainiac I’ve ever met.”

You winced, suddenly feeling a hot flash of embarrassment all over again at the thought of your accident. You shuffled awkwardly and cleared your throat before you tilted your head up to meet his gaze, and you said, “Thanks for your help, sir. I really appreciate it.”

Quaritch sneered down at you, ears flicking as he sniffed derisively and said, “You’re damn right you’re thankful,” and then he stormed away as quickly as he had arrived.

You had watched him go, and it wasn’t until later that night as you laid in bed staring at the ceiling that you realized how surprised you had been that Quaritch had even bothered to take you to the center.

For all the cut had hurt like a bitch, it was far more superficial than life-threatening. Quaritch had been able to tell that the moment he had looked it at, but he still stayed with you to take you to the center. And he hadn’t even complained about it once while you were walking, which was a goddamn miracle for Quaritch.

And there was that other time a few days into the first week of lessons when you had neglected to eat much of breakfast, nor much of dinner the night before. While that would have been fine to do in your human form, your Avatar needs a massive amount of nutrients and calories to survive. Since you were working yourself to the bone every morning for the past week, it was a very dumb move to forget to eat two meals in a row.

You had gone out one morning to meet Quaritch and had felt fine through his Na’vi lesson, and it was only during your own combat session that you began to weaken.

You were thirty minutes in, clumsily dodging Quaritch’s hits when black spots began to cover your eyes. You stumbled to a stop, panting and dizzy, and your limbs felt much heavier than before. Your arms lowered from where they had been positioned defensively in front of you as you struggled to stay upright, swaying unsteadily on your feet.

Quaritch paused in his own movement, his fists lowering down in confusion as his eyes flickered over your face before he said, “You good, Peach? You’re lookin’ a lil’ green for such a blue girl-woah!”

Your vision faded, sounds muting out as you felt your body slacken. Just as you began to tilt backward, Quaritch lunged forward and caught your limp form before you could hit the ground.

It took a moment to come back to reality, to claw your way out of the darkness as the harsh buzzing in your ears lessened. You slowly moved your fingers and legs as feeling came back to them, and you realized distantly that your upper body was laying down across something firm and covered in soft fabric.

A deep voice began to filter into your ears as you kept your eyes closed, still not fully conscious.

“Hey, Peach? Peach, you wuss, you went and passed out on me, wake up.”

You groaned as a hand began to lightly smack your right cheek, slowly blinking open your eyes.

For a moment, the only thing you could see was fuzzy blue, until Quaritch’s upper body and face became clearer. His eyebrows were raised in surprise, lips curled in light amusement, but you felt more than saw his shoulders become less ridged when you met his eyes.

You swallowed, mouth dry, and whispered, “Oh. Did I pass out?”

Quaritch barked out a ridiculing laugh and said, “Yeah, sweetheart, you sure did.”

“Oh,” you said again, still stunned. It wasn’t the first time you’d fainted, but the empty and dizzy feeling never got easier.

You swallowed again and realized just how thirsty you were. Your stomach growled furiously, and all of a sudden you were starving.

Didn’t even think about eating, you realized, beyond disappointed in yourself for not taking proper care of your Avatar.

You moved your shoulders to start lifting yourself up from the ground, before you realized with disbelief and humiliation that you weren’t laying on the hard ground, but rather your upper body was mostly in Quaritch’s fucking lap.

No wonder I had been able to smell him so well, I’m practically on top the poor guy!

You blinked and lifted your head up, your face coming closer to Quaritch’s own, close enough that you could see the small flecks of brilliant green in his bright yellow eyes. More embarrassment flashed through you even as you subtly inhaled his intoxicating scent, made more overwhelming and mind-numbing by your proximity to him.

You wanted to scream and bury your face in your hands. Not only had you passed out like an absolute pussy for such a stupid reason, but Quaritch had actually had to catch you like you were some prissy damsel in distress. Honestly you were surprised he had even bothered to prevent you from falling, let alone bothered enough to cradle you in his lap until you had awoken.

Probably just pitied the stupid, clumsy girl who couldn’t even take care of herself, you thought bitterly, lips thinning.

You sniffed quietly as you met his eyes, your own golden eyes flicking between his as you said, slightly breathlessly, “Thanks for catching me.”

He looked back down at you blankly, eyebrows furrowing for just a moment and ears flicking back on the sides of his head before he scoffed and said, “Fuck, Peach, I just didn’t want you to bust your head and get blood all over my courtyard is all.”

You saw his muscled biceps suddenly flex with tension and realized you had about two seconds to get yourself off his lap before he tossed you away, curious generosity swiftly revoked.

You tensed your core to sit upright quickly, and once you no longer felt dizzy, you shifted your hands to support yourself. Your right one went to press a palm down firmly on the ground, and once you began to lift yourself up all the way, your left hand moved to place itself better. That would have been fine if Quaritch hadn’t still been sitting there, waiting for you to move so he could get up.

Your hand landed just on the right side of his crotch, pinky finger brushing gently against something really fucking big by the cold zipper of his pants.

Oh.

Your stomach exploded with butterflies before sinking violently like a stone in dread as you realized exactly who you were practically fondling.

You gasped loudly, head whipping downward in wide-eyed horror to confirm your terrified thoughts, and, yep, that was your hand full on Colonel Quaritch’s lap, just an inch away from earning you a horrifying phone call from the human resource department. If Quaritch didn’t rip your arms off and strangle you first, that is.

You jerked your hand away as fast you could, face and ears already burning. You franticly started lifting yourself away so you can give him more space, and you turned to look at him so you could furiously apologize and beg for your life.

Quaritch snatched your wrist in a bruising grip before you could fully pull away and tugged you angrily back into his body space. You hit the ground hard on your knees, wincing, kneeling in front of his sitting form. You didn’t even have time to pull away or straighten up before Quaritch is shoving his furious face close to yours, tail flicking furiously behind him.

And you couldn’t help but distantly think, this close to his face and eyes, he really is fucking pretty.

“You,” he hissed, bright yellow eyes enraged and narrowed as they flickered across your own wide ones, “need to watch you put your fucking hands, sweetheart, before you start something you can’t finish.”

“Sorry, sorry!” you squeaked, heart pounding in your chest with all sorts of emotions, “It was a slip of the hand!”

Quaritch growled, baring his sharp teeth slightly before tossing you your wrist back to you. You scrambled up and away from him quickly, taking several steps to widen your distance, chest heaving.

Quaritch rose as well, glaring at you one last time before turning on his heel and walking right out of the courtyard, fists clenched and tail still flicking angrily behind him.

As you squint worriedly after him, wondering if this was the end of your brief partnership, you could see the slight hint of a pretty purple on the back of his neck and the tip of his ears.

It was an accident, you wanted to shout after him, but somehow you don’t think it would help any.

Jesus Christ, I think my heart is about to explode.

The morning after that whole thing had been unnerving, with Quaritch still grouchy and you still embarrassed. It was a little awkward when you began Quaritch’s Na’vi lesson, but by the time it was your lesson, you were back to inelegantly moving around and Quaritch was back to kicking your ass.

Now, every morning since your fainting spell, Quaritch will ask, “You sure you won’t pass out again, princess?”, or “Sure hope you snagged some grub, Peach”, always smirking callously and teasing you whenever he gets the chance, the dickbag.

You can’t really blame him, though; you really, really didn’t want another crotch-grabbing incident. Knowing your luck, you’d do something even worse, like full-on fondle him or trip and land face-first into his lap.

So now you make sure to take proper care of your Avatar, always eating and drinking enough and listening to the signals your body gave you. It had been massively dumb for you to not do that in the first place, but now you’re going to make sure it is your top priority.

As you finally arrive at your quarters, you conclude that you are far from friends with Quaritch, if that was even a possibility for him. In fact, you don’t think he even had any friends.

Sure, he was the commander of the Recombinant Unit and everything, and those guys fucking worship him, but it didn’t seem like it was the same as actually being friends who care about each other.

You get ready for bed, mind consumed with thoughts of Quaritch, and you can't help the thought that pops into your head as you shuffle around your room.

You know, I don't think I would mind all that much being friends with him.

Peachy Keen. Part Three.

Tagging: I'm sorry, I did my best, for some reason it wouldn't let me tag everyone!

@kristennero @silverhowe @creativityleftthechat @nissilou

@x-maladaptive-daydreams-x @drinking-tea-and-be-obsessed

@rdeville @anxiousraindrop5299 @floufli @rax-raxus

@nanamislut321 @perseny @gremlinfuck @e1d0lonk3k

@iwillnotexplainmyself @mxddymay @coffinbeananteiku @j-ang-0

@myxwallz @rowdy-00 @tmblrsexyw0man

@tohellwiththedevill @arsen-the-vamp @babyduk213

#avatar: the way of water #avatar the way of water #avatar 2 #avatar imagine #atwow #avatar miles quaritch #miles quaritch imagine #miles quaritch x reader #miles quaritch #avatar fanfiction #my writing #na'vi quaritch x reader #na'vi quaritch #colonel quaritch #peachy keen

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treedaddymcpuffpuff · 21 days

Text

Excessive Force : Tom Ludlow x Fem Nurse Reader (COLLAB W/ THE INCREDIBLE @johnwickb1tsch) - Chapter One Two

TW : Abuse of authority, alpha male, sexual harassment, the word “no” is not in this man’s vocabulary, nsfw, angst, forced proximity

After a hellish 24 hour shift, you’re starting to think you should have taken him up on his offer. Give me a foot rub then get the fuck out. However, it most definitely would not have ended at only a foot rub. You know yourself too well to think you can keep your grubby hands off that man in any sort of private, intimate setting. Yeah, you’re staying the hell away from Ludlow.

It’s gross, but you don’t even take a shower, and pass out cold on the couch as soon as your rat's nest of hair hits the throw pillow.

Dark, honey eyes welcome you to the land of unconsciousness. The place where you can’t control your disobedient vagina so easily. And, apparently, she liked Tom Ludlow a lot. Especially his hands. Fuck. Thick fingers, surprisingly gentle and teasing, tucking up inside you, coaxing at that sweet little spot you can’t quite get at on your own. His mouth swallowing your moans, tongue licking urgently against your teeth, practically eating you alive. Something hard and velvet pressed against your thighs.

A loud knock wakes you up in the same position you started at. Face down on the couch, except now feeling even grosser because of the slick arousal between your legs. You stumble to the door, pull it open. It’s Ms. Higgs, your sweet next door neighbor.

“Oh, hello, y/n, I heard…. Yelling? Is everything okay?”

You look at her stupidly. “Yelling….?”

“Yes, it sounded like you were in distress. Sorry, is this a bad time?” She eyes your just-got-hit-by-a-semi-truck appearance, complete with gore and all.

Oh. The dream. Oh… oh. You feel yourself freeze despite the embarrassed heat warming your skin. “Uh.” Yes, great, make her think you’re out of your mind. You try a terse smile. “Oh. Sorry. I had a long shift and I must have been having a nightmare.”

How in the hell did you pass nursing school?

Thank God she looks like she wants to leave as soon as possible. “Right. Well.” Clears her throat. “I’m glad you’re okay. Have a good day.” She moves fast for an older woman, shutting herself back into the apartment next door before you can bid goodbye.

Your neighbor now hates you, and you’re definitely blaming Ludlow for it.

Shower, eat, masturbate. No, wait. Masturbate, then eat. No. Eat first so then you can masturbate as many times as it takes to get Mr. I’m a Pretty, Dark Eyed Cop With Huge Hands -

You have to literally pinch yourself to stop this train of thought from turning into a derailed crash.

Your plans fail miserably, and that is actually Ludlow’s fault, but you refuse to admit it. At least you’re eliminating two steps at once with the handy dandy shower head.

And then again after you eat. And then again in your bed. And, damn, you really need to invest in a vibrator like Sheila told you to do a long time ago.

You don’t consider yourself a prude by any means; there’s just no time for adult toys or one night stands. Your job, more often than not, consumes your life, and you like it that way. The fast pace, the interesting medical anomalies you get to see, your funny coworkers, cute and oh so nice Dr. Julian who brings you all Starbucks on Sundays. You usually pick up more shifts than you’re scheduled, fueled by rising violent crime rates in the inner cities. There is a satisfaction in bringing someone back from the dead, especially someone young with their whole life ahead of them. Grim Reaper? Psh. Kiss my ass.

***

Sometimes you need a break, and these next two days you have off are going to be that time away.

Except, on the second day, you’re bored, so you end up going in for an eight hour shift.

You have a bad habit of not viewing your patient’s info before you get into their exam room, favoring the ol’ fashioned method of actually looking at the person instead of a computer. As soon as you walk into your next assigned room, however, you vow to change your messy bitch ways. Handsome Cop - the one you refuse to admit you spent two full days rubbing yourself off to - sits on the cot, grinning at you like the cat that caught the mouse.

You do feel a little bit like a tiny mouse under that hefty stare, scurrying in and going right to the computer so you don’t have to make eye contact longer than necessary - well, long enough for ruined underwear.

“Hey.”

“Hello, did your stitches come open?” You try to maintain a strictly professional voice, but you can tell by the sharpening of his grin it’s not working.

“What? You’re not gonna fight with me today?”

“Do nurses fight people where you’re from?” Here you are, playing into his game. Stupid.

“There she is.”

Your jaw tightens. “What are you being seen for, Mr. Ludlow?”

“Ouch, surnames? Really?”

“Surprised you know what that big word means.”

His gorgeous eyebrow cocks as he looks around the monitor at you, and you tuck yourself further behind the computer to hide.

“Okay, okay.” He puts his hands up in surrender. Well, he puts his right hand up. His left can only rise so far into the air. “Yeah, I tore them.”

“Can you show me?”

He strips his shirt, revealing a long, toned torso that belongs in X-rated cinema instead of bed number 3 at the South Bay General ED.

“Have you ever heard the phrase, close your mouth or you’ll catch flies?” He asks.

“It’s actually, shut your mouth or you’ll catch flies.”

“Okay, how about this one: My eyes are up here, darling.”

First of all, you didn’t even look at his bare chest that much. He’s definitely exaggerating. Second of all, well - ugh - second of all fuck you, Ludlow.

His stitches are busted open right in the middle. You have to unstick the bloody dressing carefully and then spray the center with some antiseptic.

“You should be more careful.” Is it just you or does he smell different tonight? Less sweat and copper, more spice and cardamon.

You do your best to shake it off. Plenty of men wear cologne everyday–it doesn’t mean he got cleaned up just for you.

“I don’t really have anyone to be careful for.”

“Get a dog?”

“What’s your favorite color?”

“What why? I don’t know, blue?”

“So I can pick out a collar you’ll like.”

He’s joking, but the feral urge to jam your thumb right into his tearing wound is palpable.

He realizes he fucked up when you don’t have a witty retort.

“Oh, fuck. I didn’t mean that you’re a bitch.” If you’re giving him credit, he at least looks sorry. And sorry looks far too good on him. The big grinning Doberman turns into a wide eyed puppy dog and it makes your heart squeeze tighter. “I’m sorry. I just meant - hey, hey.” He tips your chin up so you can see the apology in his softened eyes. “I’m an asshole.”

You flick his hand away. “Don’t touch me.”

He must be hard of hearing, because he dwarfs your arm in his grip and pulls you closer. “C’Mon, little nurse. Now you have to let me make it up to you. Let me buy you a fancy dinner or something.”

Pulling away is not an option, so you come up with a better idea. “Okay, fine. I will. If you can answer one question.”

He looks delighted by this. “Try me.”

“What’s my name?”

You relish the sight of his smile wiping clean. The big grin transfers from his face to yours.

“Seriously?”

“Well?” It’s your turn to raise a cocky eyebrow.

He tries to flip your badge frontward, but you slap his hand away. He’s quick, catches your wrist, pulls you closer so that your body is pressing into his calves, traps both of your hands in one of his and spins the badge so that he can see your picture and name. He repeats it, first and last, grins back with a vengeance. This little tussle really bruises your ego, because it doesn’t even seem like you made him wince or falter even once.

“Cheater,” you snarl.

“Takes one to know one.”

“Let me go.”

“Make me.”

“I’ll scream.”

“Oh yeah you will.” He winks.

Fucking sexy bastard.

“Want those stitches worse or better?” You threaten.

“I don’t really care,” he shrugs, eyes light with humor. “Just did it to come see you anyway.”

“You tore your own stitches?”

“No. Someone else did after I insulted their mother.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“Thanks, sweetheart.”

You put him back together once again (you might have to start calling this man Humpty Dumpty, that will put him in his place) and start to peel off your gloves. “So when can I pick you up?” he asks, those dark eyes shining like high-polished ebony.

“Half past never?”

“Hey, we had a deal.”

“We did, but then you cheated. Manhandling me at work is a major disqualification.”

“Pretty sure you liked it,” he fires back with a smirk.

You sigh, propping a hand on your hip, because he’s not wrong. You’re more than a little touch starved at the moment, and you’re sure the ease with which he manhandled you will haunt your dreams (your poor neighbor!) and fuel your fantasies for weeks to come. But there’s just something about this guy that warns you not to give in this easily. He feels…a little dangerous. To your physical health, or your personal sanity, you’re not sure.

“Please try to be more careful with your stitches, Mr. Ludlow. Have a nice day.”

Understanding that he’s being dismissed, he stands, one step in the small room bringing him right in front of you–and boy, does he tower over you. You try to conceal how very much you like that, but fear you betray yourself in the shaky exhale that escapes you. “I’m just going to keep coming back,” he tells you, seeming far too pleased by the idea.

“For your own health, I certainly hope you don’t.”

“I’m in a dangerous line of work. All sorts of things can happen.”

You pick up what he’s putting down pretty quick, and it annoys the shit out of you. “If you get yourself hurt on purpose, that is not on me.”

“Then save me some pain, sweetheart. Didn’t you take an oath or something? Do no harm?”

“That’s doctors. I took a pledge to practice my profession faithfully–which I’m doing. Didn’t you? What happened to ‘Serve and Protect?’”

“Sure thing. And I keep my oaths too.” The weight with which he looks at you makes something warm and uncomfortable coil in your belly, radiating outwards to your fingers and toes.

A man who keeps his promises?

Never heard of him.

You are too young to be this jaded, but maybe it’s better that you learned the hard lessons quicker than most. Maybe it will save you some pain in the interim. Avoiding this utterly edible man in front of you probably falls into that category.

You stand silently, waiting for him to leave. He seems to find this funny as hell, and tips an imaginary cap down at you. “See you soon, y/n.”

You hope not, but you’re afraid that’s a promise he’ll keep.

#keanuverse #keanuverse fic #tom ludlow x reader #tom ludlow #street kings

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turtleblogatlast · 26 days

Note

hey!!! this is less of an ask and more of a fic rec tbh 😭 but have you read 'I May be Invisible, but I Still Look Good" by Dandy over on Ao3???? It's after the movie AND Leo-centric and like he gets cursed so his spirit is ripped out of his body. It's like 125k words of wonderful storytelling

OH- but for an actual question, do you have and fic recs?? or any AU's you think people should go check out?

I tried answering this before and it erased my reply orz

ANYWAY YES I HAVE read this and I absolutely love it with every fiber of my being.❤️ 100% one of my top fics to read in this fandom that I even go back to for a reread more than once. The characters are perfectly done and the set up for the story is believable with a fantastic payoff, highly highly highly recommend to anyone who hasn’t read it yet.❤️

As for recs, I’ve always been terrible at giving recs since my memory is very bad especially for ones I haven’t read in a while.😭 Off the top of my head I can recommend (note these are practically entirely Leo-centric since he’s my special guy you understand (the others aren’t forgotten at all though!!!) - and most of these are very very well known so you’ve likely already read them…):

[Note many of these are unfinished and may remain that way - please no one harass the writers for more, let them write at their own pace if they choose to write at all]

- The Neon Void by sugarpastels is absolutely incredible, the dramatic irony of it all as we follow Leo in the state he’s in and see just how broken all the Hamatos are by his “death” is just 👌👌👌 The fact that this places with one of my favorite tropes aka “Leo being in the Prison Dimension longer than canon” is just so good. Genuinely a thoroughly gripping tale that I highly recommend. It’s not complete yet (a lot of this list isn’t) but what is there is so amazing please read (though you most likely have read it already haha)

- little kid with a big death wish and firefight by remrose are another two you’ve likely seen but by god are they worth the read. Firefight isn’t done yet but it and death wish are so amazingly well written and really go into how trauma affects people differently and how ties with family can be tested in traumatic situations. Hard subjects definitely but very maturely done. (Also I misread firefight as firelight for way too long before I realized it-)

- Power Up and Times Five by pickedcarrotsandradish are both unfinished but I can’t care because what we were given is so good that I’m fine with them as they are. Both deal with Leo’s insecurities and bad feelings about himself and, very importantly, the fics go into how these insecurities establish a base for Leo’s very real flaws and how those flaws push him to act the way he does. Very interesting and compelling stuff here!! Power Up especially does really cool things for the boys’ mystic power ups, especially Leo’s, and I loved reading about the ins and outs of what they could do.

- Race Against Life, Death, and the EPF by Cass_Phoenix is just so engaging to read??? Like I love the entire set up for it - it’s feels so fresh and like you’re in Leo’s desperate situation yourself. I was so excited whenever a new chapter came out because the atmosphere was so well done.

- A Mixed Bag by GreatlyBlessed is SHOCKINGLY not Leo-centric for once haha. It’s not completed, but again, like the others above it is so good that I recommend it anyway. This story is actually a crossover between four sets of TMNT (‘87, ‘03, ‘12, and Rise) and the dynamics set up in it are SO fun I love it. Team 2 is my fave because you have literally all my faves on that team how could I not?? I also highly appreciate that everyone gets a chance to shine and that there’s no bashing at all, they’re all just very much in character and it’s refreshing to read ❤️❤️❤️

There’s a LOAD more that I could recommend I’m sure but I don’t remember them off the top of my head at the moment.😭 If I remember I’ll come back and add them in!

(Forgot about AU’s- honestly there’s some that I see and catch up on when I see them but there’s just so many that it’s a bit difficult to keep track of sometimes! I’d have to go around and fully look through many before having a solid answer haha! The ones I do see are always so well done though, I may come back and add them here if I remember 😅)

#non au ask #it’s killing me to not remember them all orz #I swear there’s so much more #‘are they all Leo centric’ yeah LMAO #maybe one or two are more ensemble but yeah haha…#my special interest hyper focuses on my fave sorry 😭 he’s also just the most fun for me to read personally #but yeah I’ll come back and add more when I remember them lol #wracking my head to remember #gonna tag this as #turtle fic recs #so I can find it again later

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creativepup · 3 months

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Ghost Trick x Transistor crossover AU

spoilers + details below

Maybe you're looking for someone to blame Fighting for air while you circle the drain

Lynne is still an intrepid detective on the heels of a major case - until she's framed for the murder of Sissel. Sissel is now a digital ghost trapped within the Transistor. Together the two strangers must work together to undo the string of murders occuring across town and find out what's going on until it's too late.

Ray is possessing one of the OVC terminals at the beginning of the game, and guides you to the sandbox rooms.

Sissel can still reverse time (or at least watch replays). The [now digital] assassins replace the Process types (eg. Jeegos, Beauties, Dandies...). Each resident ghost you encounter unlocks a new 'trick' type in the Transistor.

Missile joins you for some segments of your travels.

Yomiel was originally the lead engineer on the Transistor project, and is now using the assassins as part of a revenge plot on the city.

Cabanela and Jowd are part of the elite team investigating the secret "digital manipulator", although they don't realize they've been infiltrated from the inside... They are also tracking down Lynne.

The confrontation at the Empty Set is with possessed Kamilla (and actually the first confrontation with Yomiel).

The confrontations with Cabanela and Jowd mirror Chapter 15.

Yomiel has been spying on Cabanela and the team via the body of Sissel-the-cat.

The park is Transistor Park.

That's as much as I've thought out so far: would love to hear if anyone has additions to add on! There's so many fun parallels between these two games.

(Also have thoughts on the Transistor characters in the Ghost Trick universe, but that one still needs a bit more fleshing out.)

#transistor #ghost trick #ghost trick spoilers #transistor spoilers #don't mind the low edit quality #crossover au #this has been consuming my mind for days

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seeingteacupsindragons · 9 months

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I keep thinking about this photo and the way Miyoshi characterized them with their new, modern outfits so well.

Miyoshi has talked actually quite a bit about the character designs for the characters in this series, and it's very obvious how much thought and care was put into each of them--to the point of having Billy designed before chapter one.

And I think that's really reflective here, even in these normally impossible outfit choices.

Let's start with Louis: He's the only brother wearing color (blue jacket, orangey-brown boots), as William and Albert are both in head-to-toe neutrals. Louis has a lot of that, too, but Louis has this thing going on where...none...of his clothes...quite...go...together.

He's wearing what looks to be joggers??? With a very nice ribbed turtleneck sweater. Just wildly clashing formality levels here. And a nice hooded duffle jacket, which falls in a weird formality level between those two extremes and doesn't quite work with the turtleneck. A hooded jacket and turtleneck is, ah, not what one would consider a particularly "fashionable" choice. And then's he wearing what looks like hiking work boots. Those are not fashion boots, either, and they're not sneakers.

My point is, what even is this combo? He looks like he got dressed in the first things his hands grabbed out of the closet and then shoved the only pair of shoes by the door on his feet on his way out of the door--his pants are tucked into them, but lazily. The shoes have fake elastic laces, which look childish and are also lazy. He does not care.

And Louis has never been one for looks over practicality: he scarred his own face because it was expedient and useful. And yet there's a pop of color and life to him that his brothers and their mental issues don't quite have. A childishness to the rushed mismatch of things and the most casual clothes any of the brothers have.

William will be quicker, mostly because I already talked about the fact that's he's dressed like a beatnik, a subculture known for its focus on art, anti-commercialism, and equality. So. Yeah.

But William also looks a little like Louis in that he probably doesn't care much about his appearance: he probably has a closet just full of all black clothing he can always match and a neutral, plain trench with no adornment.

He's also dressed to attract as little attention as possible. He's attractive, of course, and his clothes look nice and fit well. But they're incredibly unremarkable, with no accessories or styling to them. No sparks of bright colors. Just there, fitting in, going unnoticed, much like his regular ol' suit in the main canon. If he dressed like Louis, it would attract attention by being different so he puts a little more effort in.

And last, Albert. Albert is the only one of his brothers wearing accessories: that scarf is a fashion scarf, not a functional one (for all that it seems a little chilly, as they're all wearing coats over what appear to be sweaters). He has gloves. I think I've seen those fashion booties in the Women's department. His collar is popped and his pants are cuffed.

But none of those are flashy, expensive accessories. He's not got a 2k dollar watch or cufflinks or furs or even any color. He's in neutrals just like William, and his clothes are rather plain. But the focus with him is on the way he wears them: he's put effort into the scarf and gloves and making sure those very closely fitting pants go OVER the boots and then cuffed them to show off the boots even though they don't appear long enough to need the cuffing for height (and he's mfing tall, like, finding pants for those legs must be hard enough). He looks nice, he looks fashionable and neat and well-cared for...but he doesn't look like a dandy. He's not trying to peacock around. It's a very subtle, classy way to look well-dressed without feeling like a misuse of funds or rubbing it in anyone's face.

None of Louis's items of clothing go together, but it's all very practical and it functions, and that's what matters, right?

All of William's clothing goes together because he bought the blandest items possible because he doesn't want to think about himself or have other people think about him. He's busy thinking about Math and Sherlock.

Albert wants to be classy and subtly fashionable without being an ostentatious asshole.

And it all just works really for their personalities, and I just love the attention and care put into things like that to make sure you can really feel and recognize the characters from a glance (like when Miyoshi was discussing the importance of giving William and Sherlock such distinct silhouettes despite being the same size and width).

It's a lot of work, and work well done, so I want to appreciate it all with you.

#Moriarty the Patriot #Yuukoku no Moriarty #William James Moriarty #Albert James Moriarty #Louis James Moriarty #character design

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patchwork-crow-writes · 8 months

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Thoughts on Kris x Ralsei

This is so long I had to split it up into parts - this is Part 1, which looks into how the roles that Kris and Ralsei are given contributes to the idea of their romance. As more parts are written, they'll be linked below in this handy-dandy TOC!

Part 1: And They Lived Happily Ever After <- (You Are Here!) Part 1.5: I Believe Your Choices DO Matter Part 2: A Pair of Star-Cross'd Lovers Part 2.5: In Another World, We Could Have Been (Just) Friends

Okay, so.

Wanted to elaborate a bit on my viewpoint of this ship, because I don't think it's something I've ever really discussed before and I think it's actually a very interesting dynamic (or at least has the potential to be, depending on where the rest of Deltarune goes).

So, Kralsei is cute, isn't it? It's fun to hug the fluffy boy and watch him melt into incomprehensible stuttering and blushing. All the little signs he's really, really into Kris, all the cute little snippets of dialogue you can initiate with him, all the alone time they spend together, in both chapters... honestly, the game makes it hard not to root for this pairing.

And yeah, it's cute... in a very surface-level, don't-think-about-it-too-hard kind of way. But once you start thinking about it... hoo boy. There is. A LOT to unpack here. So much more is going on just under the surface, and once you see it, it's difficult to un-see it. And in my opinion, it makes the Kralsei dynamic so much more nuanced, more compelling, and potentially quite tragic.

Now, a disclaimer: it's fine to like this ship on a surface level. No real harm is being done, these are fictional characters and it doesn't matter what reason you enjoy it for - if it provides comfort to you and gets you through, then more power to you! This is more me sorting through my thoughts on the subject and is not a judgment on how others approach it. With that said, and in the spirit of full disclosure, this will go into slightly uncomfortable territory - picking apart the idea of destined love, the deconstruction of common romance tropes, how outside manipulation might play a part, and even the potentially incest-adjacent nature of the relationship. If you don't want to deal with any of that, you can stop reading right now, and that's okay. Please continue to enjoy Deltarune in the manner that is best for you, and thank you for your attention thus far :)

If you're still with me, then please click the read more and we'll get started.

Part 1: And They Lived Happily Ever After

The first thing you have to understand is that Deltarune is utterly determined to cram the notion of Kralsei down the player's throat. The game is not subtle about this in any way, shape or form. Everything from the narration, to the dialogue, to major game events, to item interactions, and even the roles that Kris and Ralsei play both in the story and the party, serves to reinforce the notion that these two are very likely to end up romantically involved with each other in some way.

Let's look at the characters first. Kris is portrayed as the noble knight - stoic, unwavering, courageous, a natural leader - clad in medieval-inspired plate armour and wielding a sword and shield. And Ralsei is the archetypal princess - demure, dainty, kindhearted, nurturing - who uses magic to heal his allies and pacify enemies.

I did not mistype there - Ralsei is a prince, but the characteristics associated with him are more commonly found amongst female healers in JRPGs. Think Fina from Skies of Arcadia, or Marle from Chrono Trigger (minus the temperment), and you might have an idea of what I'm on about.

Think of knights and princesses for a moment. Imagine St. George slaying the dragon to save a helpless damsel. Imagine Lancelot and Gwenevere. Robin Hood and Maid Marion. Link and Zelda. Squall and Rinoa. Every single fairy tale involving an imperilled princess and a knightly rescuer. For a more modern take, imagine The Bodyguard. Ness and Paula. I could go on, but then we'd be here all day.

Suffice it to say that there is a pretty entrenched tradition surrounding these archetypes - a male-coded, phsyically-adept, courageous, stoic, action-oriented figure, is paired with a female-coded, magically-adept (depending on the medium of course), less-physically-capable by comparison, emotional, and more passive foil. The (male-coded) knight protects and rescues, the (female-coded) princess nurtures and soothes.

It is a very, VERY emotionally-charged dynamic, by its very nature. Through their acts of service to their protectee, the Knight displays their devotion and care for the Princess, and is in turn emotionally-enriched and cared-for. There is a great deal of physical and emotional vulnerability between them, and it is therefore ideal for romance stories.

Look at Kris and Ralsei again, through this lens. Kris is immediately put into the role of Knight, and Ralsei quickly establishes himself as a classic Princess. Almost instantly, before you've even become aware of it, you've made the connection - they're going to fall in love, because that's what ALWAYS happens in these stories. Ralsei supports and encourages Kris, both in dialogue and in battle, and Kris...

...Kris, uh...

...they...

...hug Ralsei sometimes...?

...they... they give him a ribbon...?

...no, that can't be right.

But it is right, for two reasons. One, Kris doesn't have to do anything. The roles are already established, and Ralsei is playing his part like a pro. And two, Kris doesn't do any of those things in the first place - you do. It's the player who hugs Ralsei, who gives him the ribbon, who picks the dialogue options, who makes the connections. You're the Knight in this scenario, not Kris.

Because Kris doesn't get to make that choice. Kris has to do what you tell them to do. And many of us have already jumped to the conlusion that this romance is happening, becuase that's what always happens. The Knight and the Princess fall in love. They get married. They live happily ever after.

So we ship them, because hey, it's cute, and it's easy. I can't stress enough how easy the game makes this. I'm fairly convinced that Ralsei was designed by comittee, like the Funzo toy in that one episode of the Simpsons. Like he was created with the sole purpose of being the most disgustingly adorable, lovable, awkward little cinnamon bun that ever existed. Like he was created to generate the maximum emotional response in players. It's the cuteness response dialled up to 11, and we are almost hard-wired to want to protect this little bundle of fluff from any and all danger, because lookit how sweet and adorable he is! The glasses make his eyes look all big, his fluffiness is reminscent of that of baby animals, he stutters and fumbles his way through dialogue, and you just want to scoop him up and put him in your pocket or something.

And so, we're more than happy to fulfil the role of the Knight to Ralsei's Princess. Whether Kris actually wants to or not. Because it does become increasingly obvious that outside of our influence, Kris is still their own person, with their own goals and desires, but no real agency with which to pursue them. Would that we could know what they truly want, but we are never presented with an opportunity to find out.

The thing is, Kris is not particularly... knightly. They play pranks on their friends, they swipe sweet treats from their mother, they seem to enjoy getting a rise out of people, and particularly from Asriel, if the story about "dropping the lizard into the pit to jump higher" is any indication. They sleep through class, yet by Berdly's grudging admission they are the "third smartest in the class". The only reason they go to church is so they can drink the "sick fruit juice". They don't seem to have any issue with prank-calling their mom, while she's taking about them with their tutor, while they're standing just out of sight, while they're balancing a trash orb on their head.

Nothing about this behaviour screams "Knight." If anything, it would make more sense for Kris to have become a Rogue-type character upon entering the dark world. So the question remains - why is Kris forced into that role? And to what extent is the seemingly "fated" romance between Kris and Ralsei part of that role?

Folks, we have barely scratched the surface here. If I keep writing here this will become a novel, so I have to stop for everyone's sanity. But I will follow up soon, looking into the ideas of Purpose and Destiny and how they relate to Kralsei in-game. If you've stuck with me up to this point, let me just say thanks, because wow I wrote a lot here, and it's probably a bit rambly and says the same things two or three times, but I just. Had to get this onto the page in some way or another, so... here it is.

Thanks for reading, and see you in the next one :)

#essay #thoughts #rambling #deltarune #kris dreemurr #Ralsei #Kralsei #Krisei #shipping #romance #character archetypes #Knights and Princesses #long post #Part one of several #oh my god there's so much ground to go over here I didn't even know #and we're only TWO CHAPTERS in #no wonder I'm obsessed #theory

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juney-blues · 1 year

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ever since i made THIS POST a lot of people have been asking for a tutorial, even though in pretty much all of the screenshots i included the specific part of inspect element showing exactly what i edited.

so buckle the fuck up I guess because the tumblr userbase want to find out how to make html pages unusable and who am I to deny you.

get ready for Baby's First HTML and CSS tutorial lmao

ok so first things first we need to go over BASIC HTML

html is made up of these things called "tags" which specify certain parts of the web page, such as

HEADERS (<h1> through <h6> in terms of importance)

PARAGRAPHS (<p>paragraph here</p>)

LINKS (<a href="linkhere"></a>)

BOLDED SECTIONS OF TEXT(<b>bold here</b>)

and a bunch of other stuff,

by default however, specifying all of this just gives us a plain white page with plain black text of varying sizes

that's of course, no fucking good, and sucks shit, so the arbiters of html decided to let us STYLE certain elements, by adding a STYLE parameter to the tag

this can change any number of elements about how things are formatted.

text colour, page colour, font, size, spacing between elements, text alignment, you name it? you can change it!

you might've noticed that, certain elements are nested in other elements

and that any changes that apply to one element, apply to everything included under that element!

how convenient!

anyway this method of styling things by adding a style=" " to their tags is called "in-line style"

i think because the "style" goes "in" the "line"

it's generally ALSO a pain in the ass to style an entire website like this and should be exclusively reserved for small changes that you only want to apply to specific parts of the page.

for any real change in style you want to create a <style> section in your page's header!

this can be used to make changes to how all elements of a type in your page are displayed

or even add new elements with whatever wacky styling you want that can be used with the <div> tag!

wow! isn't css just dandy!

and hell you can even use External CSS™ if you're making multiple pages and want them all to have a consistent theme, by pointing to a .CSS file (which is basically just a <style> header without the <style> tags lmao

ok this is all well and good and very interesting if, say, you're making your own website

*cough*neocities*cough*itsreallycoolandfree*cough*

but you came here because you want to FUCK UP A WEBSITE and make it look STUPID!!

so this is where the transform css property comes in~

you can read up on it HERE if you want the details but basically it allows you to apply mathematical transformations to any html element you want,

all of these fun bastards,

they can be really useful if you're doing some complicated stupid bullshit like me

OR for having fun >:)

if you'll remember, earlier i said that css properties apply to literally everything nested in an element,

and you MIGHT notice, that literally everything in pretty much all html files, is nested in an <html> tag

you can use style=" " or regular css on pretty much ANY html tag,

INCLUDING HTML!

ok ok that was a lot of buildup for something that i could've explained in one or two lines, but i gave you all this fundamental knowledge for a reason,

well, two reasons, go make a neocities

CHAPTER 2: THIS POST HAS CHAPTERS NOW

CSS KEY FRAMES BABYYYY

THESE FUCKERS DON'T WORK AS INLINE STYLING

I HAD TO TEACH YOU HOW CSS WORKED, TO GIVE YOU THE KNOWLEDGE YOU NEED, TO ANIMATE PAGES. TO MAKE THE FUCKERY COMPLETE!!!!

OKAY SO AGAIN READ UP ON THIS IF YOU WANT THE FULLEST POSSIBLE UNDERSTANDING

BUT WHAT KEYFRAMES ALLOW YOU TO DO, IS ANIMATE CSS PROPERTIES

and then make a class, which calls that animation...

and then assign that class. to your html tag.

and then vomit forever

we can do it in 3d too,

the only limit is your imagination... (and how many parameters you want to look up on w3schools and mozilla mdn web docs)

CHAPTER 3: APPLYING IN PRACTICE

ok now the fun thing about all of this, is you can apply it to your blog theme, literally right now

like literally RIGHT now

like step one, make sure you have a custom blog theme enabled in your settings, because that's turned off by default for some reason

step 2: edit theme

step 3: edit html:

step 4: apply knowledge in practice >:)

#juney.txt #html #css #web development #psa #long post

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peanutbutterwrites · 1 month

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My Good Looking Boy - Part Two

warnings for series: angst, struggles with self worth and self esteem, issues with appearance, childhood trauma, and mentions of death and murder.

summary: taking place after the southern raiders, zuko and katara finally learn to understand each other a bit more and long held on to feelings come to the surface. the gaang go and watch the ember island play and chaos ensues with katara's feelings.

part one - part two - part three

authors note: in part two here we're gonna start to explore katara's insecurities and how they have an effect on her. i tried to bring some uncle iroh wisdom because i believe there are a lot of lessons that iroh taught zuko that he maybe just didn't recognize later and this chapter has one of them. as always, let me know what you think and if there are any errors feel free to bring them up. enjoy!

word count: 1.9k

Not too much later, Katara and Zuko brought the now clean clothing and blankets back to camp with limited finds for meals today. The group was finally all awake with Toph and Aang working on earthbending exercises and Suki and Sokka chatting as Sokka sharpened his boomerang.

“You’re back! I missed you this morning.” Suki said fondly, wrapping Katara in a warm embrace.

“Yeah, you have housework to do?” Sokka joked making Toph snort as she gave a brief wave and good morning to Katara and Zuko. With a roll of her eyes Katara snapped,

“You think that’s all I’m good for? Don’t take me for granted or precious prince Zuko is gonna have to start doing everything, and trust me, you don't want that.” Zuko frowned, slightly embarrassed, but said nothing as he passed out the clothing to their rightful owners.

“Hey, maybe I didn’t know how to do laundry this morning, but I do now.” he mumbled, retreating into himself, but he didn’t snap back at her. Placing the basket down, Katara felt guilt pool in her gut and it made her feel sickly.

“I’m sorry, yes, thank you for your help Zuko.” He perked up, and a small smile made its way onto his face. Katara felt herself easing up and had a smile to match.

“So, I wanted to bring up that there’s a play in town nearby!” Sokka announced, getting everyone’s attention. “Maybe we could take a break from saving the world one of these days and watch it. It's about us you know.” He announced, wiggling his eyebrows. The group looked mostly enthused at the idea, but Toph took her turn to speak.

“That's all fine and dandy snoozles, but those plays tend to be way too long and I don’t feel like trekking all the way back here at midnight or having to find a new campsite.” The group seemed to actually agree with Toph on this one, especially the early risers not wanting to be out late and sacrifice precious hours of sleep.

“Oh come on guys, one night won’t kill ya.”

“Actually,” Zuko interjected quietly, “I might have a solution”.

His brilliant idea is how the group decided to pack everything they had on Appa and make their way to the royal family’s vacation home with Zuko’s guidance. Apparently, Zuko was aware of the small town they were near and it just so happened to be extra close to the abandoned royal family’s vacation home. It has been unused for quite some time now, so he was sure they wouldn’t be found or bothered. The breeze on Appa helped alleviate the summer heat and Katara actually found herself closing her eyes and relaxing again. That is, until a flying pair of pants found their way to her torso.

“What the-” “I need you to sew them.” Sokka said, point blank rubbing his boomerang between his fingers. Katara felt herself grind her teeth in frustration, but quickly reeled herself back in and breathed deep while she reached for her sewing kit.

“Sure, Sokka. No worries.” Speaking the latter under her breath with a roll of her eyes. Shifting the fabric around in her hand, she found the guilty hole and got to work. And while the breeze was still refreshing and the thought of an actual bed enticed her, the frustration never completely left. From across the bison, Zuko eyed her with concern. He knew she was frustrated, it was simply palpable when she was. Fighting an internal war with himself to offer his help again, he found himself shutting his mouth seeing her furrowed brow and focused expression. He would only frustrate her more, he decided. The saddle was quiet until Toph began with her questioning. She had practically interrogated him before asking about the home itself.

“So sparky, how come you didn’t tell us about this beautiful abandoned home earlier? You tryin to make us sleep on rocks for forever?”

“Uh no,” he stuttered, “I just honestly didn’t think about it until Sokka mentioned that town. I watched many plays at the theater growing up. With my mom I mean.” At the mention of his mother, the saddle fell quiet again. “But you guys will love it I’m sure. There’s enough space for us all to have our own rooms and a courtyard for bending practice. I’m sure the kitchen still works great too.” Everyone lightened up a bit after that and the group fell into friendly chatter.

“Hey Zuko!” Aang's voice rang from the front of Appa. “Is that it?” And everyone peeked over the saddle to make out a large, traditional fire national style home at the very top of a mountain on the island.

“Yeah, it is.” A nostalgic smile found its way to his face, and Katara paused her sewing long enough to admire it. Landing was calm enough, and Katara threw Sokka’s finished pants right back at him causing him to sputter and fumble for the fabric. Working together, Appa was unloaded and the group rushed inside to pick rooms. The first thing Katara noticed was how big the home was, and then how red. The walls, ceilings and floors were all red with ornate gold accents, though she knew the palace must be ten times what this was. Rooms were plentiful and so were their size, so she was in no rush seizing one like the others. Venturing upstairs, she walked to the end of the hallway until a room caught her eye. Strolling in, it was nothing special. Like all the other rooms it was red and very large, but a balcony at the opposite end of the room stole her attention. Walking out, she gripped the railing as a breeze ran through her. From this balcony, almost the entirety of the island and most of the sea could be seen. The water stretched on and on until the horizon kissed its now calm edge and the island was lush and green. Turning her head to the right, she was surprised to see Zuko hanging out of the only other balcony. He looked peaceful, far more serene than his normal awkward, brooding self. And she found herself staring at him more than the scenery, that unfamiliar fluttering feeling returning to her gut. Then his head turned, and she found the fluttering doubling in intensity and the heat of the sun growing uncomfortably hot. But he simply smiled back at her and she got to see a hint of the golden twinkle in his eyes once again before he retreated back into his chosen room.

The group watched in legitimate horror. This play was horrible. Filled with fallacies at best and harmful lies at worst, their story couldn’t have been depicted in a more inaccurate way. Everyone was either arguing in outrage or grumbling in a mopey silence the entire way back to the vacation house, with Toph’s boisterous laughter the only exception; and Katara couldn’t even blame them. Angered at the way she was portrayed was on the forefront of her mind for the past couple of hours. Is that really how people see me? Some hope obsessed fangirl?! She stomped her feet even harder, pushing herself to get to the vacation home quicker. Her thoughts and doubts were slowly getting to her, was she really that useless? All the housekeeping and motivational speeches, did that make her weak? She was spiraling and tears were forcing their way out of her eyes despite her desperation to hold them back. No, she would not be seen crying.

“Good night!” She called out as soon as she reached the house, most of the others too busy still arguing to notice. She couldn’t hold the tears back as she raced up the stairs and slammed the door to her chosen bedroom, allowing herself to collapse onto the floor in a heap. Folding her legs under she ripped off the golden bangles and rings, a foolish attempt to at least look somewhat presentable, and ripped the half top knot from her head. Tears were pouring down her face and sobs and hiccups made her break down quite loud, once again she was grateful for the privacy this room offered her knowing a campsite would be far less forgiving. She was so busy breaking down that the creak of the old wooden door was the only thing alarming her to another's presence. “Just go away, I’m fine!” she roared. The intruder paused, hesitant, but after a beat the door simply shut quietly and soft footsteps made their way to her before strong arms wrapped themselves around her. She assumed Aang would be the one to follow her, but this person was larger and the hug warmer. She tensed up at the initial contact, but quickly melted into the embrace as the smell of cumin, sandalwood, and smoke engulfed her senses.

“Shh, it's okay.” came Zuko’s raspy voice as he gently rocked her in his arms and she sobbed into his robes. The back and forth rocking calmed her, and the warmth finally made her feel at home, safe. When was the last time in all of this that she actually felt safe? She couldn’t remember. This went on until no tears came out and the hiccuping had come to a minimum. Resting his chin on her head, he spoke again very softly, “Do you want to talk about it?”. He felt the rustle of her shaking her head into his chest and he sighed. “You know, I always felt like I was kind of useless.” He began, and Katara stilled. She let out a forced sort of chuckle and croaked out,

“You’re a prince, how could you feel useless?”

“My life wasn’t always so royal Katara. I was the oldest, it was my responsibility to learn how to lead, to rule. But I was always left behind. I couldn’t firebend as well as my little sister, I could never make my own father happy, spirits, I couldn’t even make friends. I have felt like a total failure my whole life. And yet, when I took time to think about things, about what my purpose actually is and where I belong, I find that I succeed a lot more now. Maybe sometimes, we feel like we’re failing simply because we’re in the wrong place. Maybe, if we look at things from a different perspective and reconsider where we stand, we can find the spirits are letting us fail to learn. To learn where we truly belong and are needed.” The crying had stopped, only leaving the occasional sniffle. “I am not needed in the fire nation, not now. That’s why I always find disappointment and failure there. But here, here Aang needs me. It's my purpose to teach him firebending and now, maybe you need me so I can teach you. Just like my uncle taught me, that really, no one is useless, they’re just in the wrong place.” Zuko finally looked down and found himself staring into two round, gemlike eyes.

“How did you know?” she mumbled, barely a whisper.

“When we see others going through feelings we’ve already experienced, it’s very easy to spot.” She leaned into his arms a little more, and he tilted his head to rest his unscared cheek softly on her head.

“Thank you.”

“Of course, Katara. You can always talk to me.”

#atla #zutara #zutara imagines #imagines #zuko x katara #alta imagines #hurt/comfort #light angst

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that-student-that-has-homework · 3 months

Text

You WILL Have my Herbs 01

Diluc / Reader

Previous Chapters: Chp 1 | Chp 2 | Chp 3 | Chp 4 | Chp 5 | Chp 6

Read the Full Story on Ao3 | Tumblr MasterList Here (Maybe even leave me a comment please? :3< )

Summary: Listen you just wanted to pick some plants, do some experiments, find some cures, and report back to your mentor. Unfortunately a handsome vigilante puts you in his debt and now you have to fight him to let you make it up to him.

Chapter 1: A Fierce Shade of Red

When you’d first left your homeland to travel the land to further your knowledge as an apothecary, your family had warned you to be careful. Your mother had been vocally concerned, listing out many demands: write home regularly, do not stay out after dark for long, do not stray into uninhabited areas, among other things as well as a reluctance to even let you go.

Your father had been less vocal: a simple take care and watch out, but his demeanour gave away his concern that was typical for a parent.

Yes, they had warned you; and like many a child you had waved away their concerns as the ramblings of loving parents. Hence you’d heeded few of the suggestions and ignored many, as many of the herbs and flora you were interested in were in uninhabited forests. Which was how you found yourself in your current predicament.

You were on the outskirts of Mondstadt, which was absolutely an inhabited area, however you were outside the city walls. You’d been foraging some of the local flora, flitting from one clump of dandelions to another, and had been pushing off heading back into the city. Just let me grab this last thing, was what you’d thought to yourself for the last potentially hundred things you’d picked.

However there were not many people and you were well outside the knights’ view cone, which was probably why you were running into this fuzzy and ominous creature. Had it not had the air of something that could definitely kill you, you’d have found the creature rather cute: a beak-like mask, two bunny ears, a cute cloak, not to mention its fluffy… mane? hood? head-covering?

It let out an amused chuckle with its shrill voice and you were certain that your blood going cold was not because of the shield of ice it had summoned, but rather a physiological mechanism kicking in to redirect all your energies towards fleeing.

However you remained rooted, staring at this foreign specimen, wondering if you could potentially communicate with it. In your time in Mondstadt, you had heard rumors of a researcher who attempted negotiation with hilichurls after all. Perhaps you could take a page out of their book.

“H-hello!” Was your shaky start. “How do you do?”

The creature seemed to regard you from behind its shield, floating in a lackadaisical manner - that sure seemed fun and dandy. It was silent a while: either it didn’t understand you or this was the calm before the storm.

When it let out another ominous giggle that seemed to reverb and echo on its own, you feared it was the latter. Now would be a good time to run for your life you figured. And when that bunny eared menace waved its staff about you bolted.

You somehow managed to dodge the ice chunks that went flying your way. They were sharp and you feared a hit from one would be lethal. You could hear your things jostle around in your pack-damn that creature! All your precious herbs would likely be damaged from this! Caught up in your concern over the time you could potentially be losing thanks to your negligence you barely noticed the frost twinkling in the moonlight before the menace appeared before you, knocking you clean off your feet and, thankfully, onto your side (which meant less damage for your herbs).

Though you might not even live to use them. Given the absolutely unadorable creature seemed delighted to end you.

You know what? You would live to use them!

Somehow.

You’d barely stood up when the shield in front of you shattered, the monster at its yolk faceplanting into the grass. You’d barely blinked before flames consumed the creature whole, disintegrating it into black ashes that fluttered in the wind. A glint of metal caught your eye then, your brain vaguely registered a large sword before it also seemed to disintegrate.

You had no more than a moment to make out the overall shape of your savior: and all you really made out was a fierce shade of red so brilliant it seemed to blaze through the shadows of the night, before they were bolting away from you.

Ah! Say thank you! Before they’re out of earshot! “THANK YOU!” You felt your face heat up with embarrassment at both your volume and the way your voice cracked trying to achieve it.

You had no idea if they’d heard you, but hey you’d tried at least right? Plus points for effort and all that? You took a deep breath before noting some ley sprouts on the ground where the vanquished monster had fallen. You let out a huff of contempt before picking up the white twigs. That creature owed you as much with what it had put you through.

You didn’t bother putting them into your pack as you hurried into the city from the side entrance. You would not risk another one of those attacks.

Upon entering the city you kept your eyes peeled for any traces of your savior, but all you could make out were the off-key songs of drunks bumbling through the streets. You rolled your eyes at the inebriated fools as you hurried past a tavern.

-_-

Listen, you want to pretend that life continued on all good and dandy, however…

Well…the reality was that you’d been in a situation that put your life at risk, and that was a first for you. Had it not been for that person with bright hair, you’d likely be in a much more dire situation. Or dead.

Or dead.

Should you write your will?

You ought to rejoice that you hadn’t died, rather than panic about what would-have or could-have happened. It wasn’t as if you hadn’t come across monsters before, however that specific creature-you could still hear it’s ominous chuckles. You shivered violently at the memory, pulling the inn bedding tightly around you.

Sadly the attack had messed with you more than you wanted it to, thus you spent your day indoors. You tried to find solace by sorting through the herbs you’d nearly died over. You were pleased to find they were mostly okay, despite all your jostling last night.

Eventually you did have to leave the room to get food. Oh, if only you could photosynthesize as these herbs did, you would not have to venture into the dangerous city. Woe is you.

Jokes aside, the reality was a good meal would likely help stabilize you. Also some friendly company. Yes, company, another human or learned creature, that would not attack you, to help draw you out of your mental cave and into the light.

That was how you came into the company of Sir Kaeya.

You headed to the local eatery, a humble establishment by the name of Good Hunter. You’d only just arrived when the strong scents of cooking made your stomach churn, your appetite immediately clamping up. It wasn’t that it smelled bad , no! Not at all! However your appetite had barely existed as the imposing anxiety worked your stomach into knots, and now faced with food, well…safe to say you were very tightly wound.

But!

You knew you needed to eat. Besides, the key to unlocking your appetite was a single bite right? So you just had to get through that first bite...

…Somehow…

The chef there, Sara was her name-very sweet lady bless her, was very patient with you not knowing what to order. You’d sheepishly apologized for simply standing there reading the menu very slowly and considering your options, and she’d smiled and said to take your time as there was no rush.

However when you detected the presence of another customer behind you, you first flinched, reactively turned around to observe the sudden threat, before finally stepping to the side to allow them to order. That reaction was… suspicious to say the least. Most likely an observable effect of what had transpired last night.

You heaved a heavy sigh, you’d be better off remaining in the city until you recalibrated yourself. You were in no state to immediately set out into the wilderness currently. But did you have enough funds to continue staying in the city?

“Need help making up your mind?” You jumped at the smooth voice that slashed through your thoughts.

You had a hand over your chest as you scrambled to regain your mental footing and maintain your breathing. You stiffened entirely when you heard a chuckle, “jumpy aren’t you? You wouldn’t be up to no good now, would you?”

That was when you managed to turn to look at the owner of the voice.

You instantly regret it. Or no you didn’t? But you did. You’re not sure. You know what? You should have just stayed at that inn and starved.

Standing before you was a man, a handsome man, a gorgeous man, a man intricately sculpted by a- focus

You hadn’t even had time to properly appreciate the complex texture of his lovely voice, however taking in his beauty? You were frozen under the avalanche of garbled half-thoughts.

He’sspicious of you. An eyepatch? Could he stop sneaking up on people? Isn’t he too close-no you’re imagining, You still haven’t ordered, You want to go home-no you don’t there’s still much to d- are you staring?

You took a deep breath. It’s fine. You were fine. You were perfectly innocent. You had nothing to hide.

Clearing your throat you answered in as calm a manner as you could, “w-why would you assume the worst of a person?”

Bad response.

“One could say that your assumption reflects that you’re the one who is ‘up to no good.’”

Okay that response was better.

You could barely keep your eyes on his person, so you almost missed the way his visible eye crinkled in amusement. “Well why else would a young lady-a foreigner might I add-such as yourself, be so jumpy while trying to order from the gentle Sara of Good Hunter?”

You had to give it to him, it was a fair point. “Perhaps…perhaps I have a form of social anxiety!” You tried before continuing. “Or…or uhm as-as you said, these lands and this city are foreign to me, hence…I have a heightened alertness to my surroundings.”

“Oho?” His smirk deepened, his eyes narrowing in amusement. “Seems we have a clever one on our hands.”

You were displeased with that statement, and it showed on your face. You could feel it. That, and the obviously handsome man before you’s heightened amusement confirmed that your disapproval was clearly written on your face.

“Sir Kaeya stop intimidating the tourists in front of my restaurant! You’ll drive away business!” The cook scolded from behind the counter.

The man laughed then, and it was an unfortunately pretty sound, “why nothing could ever possibly ruin the flavor of your cooking dear Sara.”

Wait… Sir Kaeya?

“You’re a knight?” Your expression neutralized into innocent curiosity.

“Ah yes, my apologies, allow me to introduce myself,” he turned back to you, standing at attention, “Kaeya, Knight of Favonius, on behalf of all the Knights, I wish you a pleasant stay here in Mondstadt.”

That was when you introduced yourself in return, giving your name and, “I’m an apothecary here to expand and further my knowledge, please let me know if I can be of assistance, I’d be happy to help.”

“Pray tell if that’s all you’re here for then why are you so jittery?”

He was a knight, so it would probably be wise to inform him of the creature that attacked you, so you did.

“I was attacked by a strange creature last night and only barely made it out alive,” You began.

That seemed to intrigue the man as his amused expression fell off his face, “strange creature you say?”

“Yes,” you huffed, “at first I thought it rather cute, what with its bunny ears and beaked mask and small stature and fuzzy mane,” you frowned, “however it was absolutely unadorable! Nothing cute about it! A malicious beast!”

“Say, did this creature happen to have an elemental shield around it?”

“Yes, one infused with cryo, in fact,” you confirmed, “is this creature familiar to you?”

“Where did you run into this creature?”

“A little ways away from the,” you paused, turning your head in the general direction of the gate you remember re-entering from, then to the main gate, ”eastern? side? entrance to the city.”

That answer seemed to displease him, his pretty features pinching further, before his suspicious gaze fell on you again.

When were you going to be free of his suspicion?

“How did you escape it?”

“I was rescued.”

“By whom?”

“I wish I knew, they ran off as soon as the creature perished.”

The knight paused humming in contemplation. Before he turned to look at you with an amusement that had chills clambering up your spine.

“You wouldn’t happen to remember anything about this savior of yours?”

“They used pyro?” You answered dumbly.

“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow at you, thoroughly entertained. “A pyro vision, most interesting.”

“Do you know them?” You asked eagerly.

“Fell in love, did you?”

You furrowed your brow, “ no ,” was your immediate response, “but I owe them proper thanks.”

“That all?”

“You still haven’t answered my question Sir Kaeya,” you eyed the man suspiciously. Hah-ha! It was your turn to be suspicious!

He let out a laugh then shrugged, “Mondstadt has quite the population, with multiple pyro users, it could be any one of them.”

He, once again, had a point. However there was something…

Your stomach grumbled before you could fully process that thought. His smirk was a lazy grin then, as he turned to Sara and added a vegetable soup to his order.

“Won’t you dine with me?” He gave you a jovial smile.

He was handsome enough to fluster you, but you managed “But I haven’t ordered yet?”

“Well I’ve ordered you a vegetable soup for starters,” he gestured towards an empty table, “it’s gentle on the stomach and ought to ease you into eating a proper meal.”

“Oh,” you stared at your former interrogator, “thank you,” you paused, “I appreciate the gesture, however I cannot accept it, I’ll buy it myself.”

He let out a little chuckle at that, and flashed you his teeth, “very astute,” he nodded at you, seemingly pleased.

You paused and watched him for a moment - was he? Your nostrils flared with the air you puffed out of them. Thisy was a knight? “Well as you said, you have a clever one on your hands,” you rolled your eyes as you plopped yourself down in your seat unceremoniously.

Your disgruntlement seemed to amuse the knight further, as he gracefully took his seat. You tried to ignore the obvious way in which he was observing you. You had nothing to hide, but being observed with such intensity was still unnerving. It didn’t help that you hadn’t ever really been in a situation like this before. Most of the time your meals were had either alone, or in groups, or with men related to you. Never, never had a man invited you to dine with him.

Especially not one that looked like or spoke like Sir Kaeya.

Okay, so, you might know a few people who spoke like Sir Kaeya. But they didn’t possess nearly as much charm nor charisma nor…hmm…cunning? Perhaps? They didn’t seem as sharp as he did. And they definitely didn’t look as good.

You turned to stare blankly at the fountain to your right, your brain momentarily noting the man standing in it curiously, before your thoughts returned their previous train. Hadn’t Sir Kaeya invited you to dine with him as a pretense to continue his interrogation? Why hadn’t he asked you anything else?

You made the poor decision of glancing in his direction, making eye contact with the midnight haired man. You immediately looked away. Naturally.

Well if he didn’t have any questions, you sure did. You swallowed and turned back to face him, “Sir Kaeya, may I ask a question?”

He raised an eyebrow, and tilted his head, “go ahead.”

“That creature I ran into, are you familiar with it?” You suppressed a shudder at the memory - he noticed, probably, you didn’t do a good job of that if you were honest.

His expression was neutral as he regarded you, “yes,” he nodded, “that monster is known as an Abyss Mage.”

“I see.”

“There are different types that can use different elements,” he voluntarily supplied, to your surprise, “so you ought to be careful if you are adventuring.”

“Is there no way to negotiate with them?” You pressed.

“Perhaps there is,” Kaeya gestured languidly with an upturned palm leaning back in his seat, “they understand our language after all.”

“I see,” you thought back to the experience, “it just tried to kill me though, without talking to me.”

He laughed and sat up then, amusement twinkling in his eyes, “you attempted to negotiate with it?”

You started, indignated by his seeming-mockery. “I heard there’s a scholar in Mondstadt that is attempting to communicate with hilichurls, I thought perhaps I could attempt communication with that Abyss Mage!”

He laughed some more, obviously being entertained by you, much to your displeasure. However you weren’t sure how to voice your displeasure and settled for disengaged silence. It wasn't long after that when Sara placed your meals in front of you.

“The Fisherman’s Toast is on the house,” she smiled at you, “I couldn’t help but overhear what happened, and I don’t want you to feel unsafe every time you remember Mondstadt.”

You stared at the kind chef, who in the setting sunlight seemed to glow in an ethereal manner (or perhaps you were delirious after your nerves had been fried and not eating for the whole day). You opened and closed you mouth before your brain came back to you, “oh no I couldn’t possibly-”

“It’s fine, all I ask for in return is that you become a customer of mine!” She beamed at you.

“No but-” you tried, however…

“No buts! Once you’ve got an appetite, order something proper!” The cook grinned as she walked back to her stall.

You just stared after her, trying to figure out how to overcome this, you’d just denied Kaeya after all so you ought to-

“Why not just accept Sara’s hospitality?” The knight said as he took a bite of one of the skewers on his plate.

“No. But! Payment! Payment is due for services so that the business can continue,” you stammered out, “isn’t it because she provides such a kind service that I ought to pay her more?”

“Oh? Then why not just provide a generous tip to show your appreciation?”

You smiled at that, genuinely, “that’s a good idea, thank you!”

He chuckled as you slowly began to consume the soup, taking your time as you carefully listened to-well it was more like observed-the signals your stomach would send you. You’d had to sit back after forcing yourself through the first few spoonfuls.

Kaeya had raised an inquisitive brow when he observed you lean back in your seat, rather continue to eat. Out of habit-a bad habit, your mother would say-you preemptively provided him with an explanation: “I’m waiting for my stomach-appetite-uh…yeah.”

He nodded in understanding. You found waiting boring however, and you decided it was your turn to blatantly observe the man and see how much he liked being dissected. That didn’t last too long however; aside from being totally relaxed, a flicker of recognition passed over his face. That was curious, so you turned in your seat to look in the same direction as he was, your eyes flickered to the main gates, but didn’t see anything of note. What was he looking at?

When you turned back around he had a wry smile on his face. You heaved a sigh and slowly sipped a spoonful of soup. Of course, he’d used your observing him to his advantage.

You found you could handle eating at a normal pace, and began to consistently go through your soup, pausing to nibble on the Fisherman’s Toast every once in a while.

“Sir Kaeya,” at the sound of his name he turned to you, at this point he’d finished eating his skewers and was simply keeping you company-which you appreciated if you were being honest, “I am looking into studying local herbs, and by extension herbal remedies, among other things to see if I can advance my knowledge.”

He regarded you as you tried to string your words together into a coherent inquiry, “so I was wondering if there were any resources here? Books? Medical professionals?”

He leaned back, gesturing behind him vaguely, “we have a library at the Knights of Favonius Headquarters,” his lip quirked up when you perked up noticeably, “I could escort you there.”

“I’d appreciate that greatly!” You smiled. “Thank you!”

“Of course,” he smiled easily, “you could also have a chat with Deaconess Barbara at the church as well. She’d be more than happy to discuss herbal remedies with you.”

You thanked the man again.

There was little drama when it came to paying for your meals. Little, because Kaeya did attempt to place you in his debt, however he failed. What he didn’t fail to do though was ruffle your feathers. The tall man looked plenty pleased with himself as he finally backed down. Sara also looked rather amused as well, and was absolutely beaming when you mentioned you’d be coming back to pick up food from her once you were done with the library. She was less amused when she realized how large your tip was though, but you’d made sure to put enough distance between you and her that she couldn’t return it.

With Sir Kaeya as your guide, you felt more at ease, taking in the sights of Mondstadt proper. It was a rather lovely city, with ivy growing on some of the buildings and- was that a crafting table?! Oh and it looked like there was an alchemist there too! You’d definitely be talking to him when you got the chance!

-_-

“This here is Miss Lisa, our librarian, feel free to ask her for help in the library,” Kaeya spoke as he placed a hand on your back and pushed you towards a lady dressed in rich purple garb.

“Kaeya, it’s past working hours,” said librarian complained as she looked up from the book she’d been reading. Upon spotting you, her eyes twinkled with something that resembled amusement, “oh? Who’s this cutie you’ve brought me?”

“A foreign apothecary looking to do some research on Mondstadt herbal remedies and medicine,” Kaeya grinned.

“Oh is that so?” She carefully closed her book and moved to stand up. “Right this way then.”

“Oh no! I wouldn’t want to be a bother, if you’re already closed-”

“We’re closed for Kaeya , the library is still open for you,” she chuckled, eyes crinkling, “you’re just going to have to be quick about it though cutie.”

The blue haired knight dismissed himself then, leaving with a huff and a, “make sure you return your books on time Miss Apothecary.”

With Kaeya’s familiar presence gone, you found your nerves renewed themselves. Especially in the presence of someone as regal and elegant as the librarian before you, and with a non-specific time limit. Nevertheless, Miss Lisa was really friendly, and very helpful. You quickly grabbed any books that seemed useful and hurried out so as to not keep her too long.

It was completely dark now in Mondstadt, with the way the city was lit up, you’d think it was pretty. Y’know…if you hadn’t been attacked just outside it the other day. Either way, you hurried to Sara, talked to her a bit about what you felt like having, her giving you recommendations, and then you leaving with dinner and dessert.

-_-

You spent the next few weeks within the safe, homey walls of Mondstat proper. You’d slowly worked yourself outside of your room in the inn, and had become a relatively common sight in the Knights of Favonius library. When you weren’t in the library you could often be found at the Church of Favonius trying to talk to sister Barbara. Trying, because she was very popular. You’d considered leaving her be, you didn’t want to be a bother; however according to another sister there - Victoria was it?- Barbara seemed to be very happy to talk to you, which was why you persisted.

Barbara was too sweet for her own good, and very pleasantly odd. Her Chili drink was interesting, to say the least. The bright red of the drink reminded you of your savior, however you’d barely begin to formulate your inquiry when some member of her extensive fanclub would pop up, which usually led to a train of fans following. You’d tried waiting at a distance the first time, but realized it was a jolly waste of time and from then on made yourself scarce when her fanclub popped up.

Unless it was Albert. He was overly enthusiastic to the point of uncomfortable clinginess. You ought to brew up a laxative or something so that he’d be kept busy on his toilet at home, away from Barbara.

You were becoming increasingly acquainted with many different residents as a result of your stay. You talked to Sara about different ways to get the flavor out of different herbs and spices, as well as the commonly used local herbs-oh and if she knew about any of their benefits as well. She also gave you a couple of recipes after you and she would experiment with ideas together.

You were also becoming a regular for Miss Lisa’s tea time. It started with you picking up some snacks for her from Good Hunter and her offering you a cup of tea in return, and had progressed-actually no, it was still very much the same. If you were in the library during her tea time she’d send you out to get her snacks and then have tea with you. The only real difference was that you two talked more now. Well that and sometimes Lisa would manage to successfully rope the Acting Grandmaster into attending, which was how you met the fair Jean.

After meeting Jean, you started venturing out of Mondstadt a little, so as to collect some herbs to help brew something for the tired lady. Teas to help improve the quality of her sleep, others to boost her immune system, others to energize her or neutralize headaches.

You spent as little time as possible with the lady though. You didn’t want to get in the way of her work. Of course in doing so, you often forgot to ask her if she knew of a red-haired Pyro user.

Oh you’d managed to ask Miss Lisa! Kind of. Not really… she had immediately become a bit of a gossip wondering if perhaps these could be the beginnings of a love story. You decided then not to ask her and leave it be.

Your constant presence in the knight’s headquarters (in the library) resulted in you also becoming more acquainted with Sir Kaeya. Turns out he was the cavalry captain . That explained why he seemed much more reliable than all the other knights you’d seen. It also explained his unnerving ability to draw information out of people.

He also had a penchant for drinking alcohol. Jean often commended him, and in the hopes of helping reduce her stress, you began digging through your research and books in hopes of finding ways to reduce or neutralize the damage the man did to his liver.

Most, if not all, the research generally suggested quitting and allowing your body to heal. These results were less than ideal to the blue haired captain.

You also had the pleasure of meeting the young “Spark Knight” Klee. Talking to her was hilariously more enlightening than talking to Timaeus the local alchemist. The little girl produced bombs that were highly effective against cryo.

She was a generous little soul and when you promised not to use any of her bombs for evil she gave you a few, well, twelve if you’re to be exact. She made you promise to never ever ever hurt anyone with them or Jean would be mad. So you promised to never ever ever use them for anything that would hurt people. Armed with these deceptively cute little bombs, you felt much safer indeed.

Of course she only gave them to you after you’d spent a whole week or so running around with her. You had wasted no time in providing her with a little notebook about helpful medical wildlife and how to use it. In fact that’s how the two of you kept busy. Of course you also went fish blasting in the lake, but you spent a lot of time foraging and at some point she explained a bit about how her bombs worked. It was fun overall, especially given that during the course of your time together you’d added more notes as you learned more about Monstadt’s native flora.

Anyway with these bombs you’d be ready to face those darned Abyss Mages if they ever showed their beaky faces-er masks? ever again! Or so you thought…

Or so you thought…

Yes. After finally overcoming your fears, and venturing out into the wilderness of Mondstadt to begin your field research: foraging and testing different combinations of herbs, you found yourself in yet another dangerous situation.

Isn’t that just lovely

Sir Kaeya had mentioned that different Abyss Mages used different elements. But he neglected to mention which elements. As it turns out, Pyro Abyss Mages existed.

Isn’t that just great ?

Perhaps that was just a given that Pyro Abyss Mages existed? After all, if a Cryo Mage exists it stands to reason that a Hydro Mage exists, or an Electro Mage, or even: a Pyro Mage.

Yeah…

Yepp. It was totally a given that Pyro Abyss Mages existed. Just- urgh

Yet again, your attempt at negotiations had failed. They’d broken down before you’d even managed to start them.

All you wanted was to forage some weeds, make some medicine, and test them out. You didn’t pose a threat to these things-in fact you made sure to steer clear of them! You always made sure to avoid them. You still hadn’t used a single bomb that Klee had given you!

Yet here you were running for your life, again , and jostling your herbs in your pack again . To make matters even better , you had gotten knocked off your feet by a wild boar. A boar ! Of all things! And now, here you were, on your bum trying to figure out how to escape this mage that could set this whole woodland aflame and you with it.

“I’m clearly running away from you,” you mustered all your frustration to turn it into some kind of courage, “I ob-obviously mean you n-no harm!”

Sir Kaeya said they understood your language. That meant you could convince it to spare you peacefully right? When it let out a gleeful laugh and started dancing around behind its pyro shield you weren’t so sure anymore. Maybe they didn’t really understand you. Maybe that was just a theory.

Your lips pulled into a sardonic smile despite yourself.

Gosh wouldn’t it be so convenient if you had the ability to defend yourself in this situation?

In the moment you looked away to plan your escape you heard a blood curdling shriek. Turning back to the Abyss Mage you saw a thick, thorny, vine had torn through its shield, and then through the mage itself. You watched the creature disintegrate, dropping ley branches yet again.

You looked around, trying to spot who or what had killed the menace. All you saw were trees though. Just trees and bushes and more trees. You let out a quiet exhale, fearful another threat was nearby. When you inhaled again you learned how much the boar hurtling into you had affected you.

It hurt to breathe.

Ah an injury to your chest. Excellent. Just what you needed while this far out from Mondstadt.

At least you were alive, you supposed. You pushed yourself up into a sitting position slowly, and that was when something seemingly slipped down your chest into your lap. Hold on-

Could it be?

You picked up the little green orb, pulling it up to your face to observe it. It had a dendro mark, and it was placed within a metallic frame resembling the one you often saw encasing visions back in your homeland.

Was that what this was? You turned it over in disbelief, brows furrowing. Was this yours

Wow…You had a vision now. You had… a vision…

You blinked twice.

You had a vision?

Again, you blinked at the sphere in confusion. Or was it disbelief? Truthfully you should have probably have been more excited. After all, you had a friend back home who made it very clear just how visionless you were before. Real insensitive sometimes, that guy.Anyway! This was a momentous event and not that many people got to experience it. However with all that had happened to you that day, you had to say your nerves were likely fried. All you really could think about was how tired you were beginning to feel, and how essential it was for you to find shelter as quickly as possible.

So you stood up and waded your way through the wood. Not too long after though, the clouds decided that now would be a perfectly good time to irrigate the land. Reminding you that finding shelter as quickly as possible would be an excellent idea.

Yes, yes, find shelter as quickly as possible. What a nice goal to have. It was made easier by the sudden downpour. You would have preferred this downpour to have been present earlier when you were at the mercy of that Pyro Mage, but no matter. It was thanks to the harrowing ordeal that you now had a vision in your possession.

You were thankful for the abundance of trees in your vicinity, and wasted little time running under one. You didn’t want your pack to get soaked after all. It was mostly water resistant, being leather and all, but still better safe than sorry?

Oh yeah, and it would be really inconvenient to get a cold now.

With that thought in mind, you dug through the pack in search of your umbrella. You’d read in some adventurer’s handbook that umbrellas were absolutely essential, and had purchased one for your travels. You didn’t find it inside your pack. That made sense! You usually had it attached to one of the straps on the sides-

Oh.

There it was!

All burnt…

and charred…

But hey maybe it was still useful!

You forced it open. It had been severely, let’s say dent , during your, uh scuffle with that Abyss Mage. There were also massive gaping holes in the canopy.

You hadn’t even gotten your mora’s worth out of it yet!

You swallowed thickly, all the moisture in your throat evaporating with the heat of your emotions. Your next swallow was even more laborious, and breathing? Near excruciatingly painful. Thick, hot, salty blobs mixed in with the rain on your face as your emotions caught up with you. It was truly frustrating.

You hated that Abyss Mage. Your frustration possessed your arm, aggressively slamming the umbrella into the ground. Wasn’t it great that you’d been the one to end that thing’s miserable existence?

You shuddered at the thought, bile rising up your throat. You were quick to force it back down. Your waterskin was unaffected from earlier, thankfully, and you guzzled your emotions down. Looking into the distance you saw a rather large building, its windows alight. Seems like that would have to be your shelter until the rain let up.

Well it was a rather large building, so perhaps it was an inn? It had a really nice garden surrounding it-no wait, just in front of it-as well. Though its location was rather strange: situated in what seemed to be the middle of the forest, with no other buildings nearby.

Maybe it wasn’t an inn.

Maybe, maybe you should steer clear of this building. For all you knew, you were safer out here, under this tree. A cold gust swept through the forest, blowing some of the rain onto you.

Or perhaps you should take a risk and see if the residents don’t murder you.

Realistically speaking, if you did get sick, there was a chance of surviving and continuing to live. However, if you were to be murdered by the residents of that building over there, well…safe to say you would not continue to live.

Another gust of wind blew over the land, taking with it your already dwindling body heat. You shook away your thoughts. It wouldn’t do to assume the worst of people. Besides, you still had your Klee-bombs! Luckily they were waterproof! That’s what Klee had told you. Meaning even if they did get wet from you walking around in this rain, they’d still be useful.

Factoring that into your decision, it would be wisest to try your luck with that perhaps-inn. That way you could avoid getting sick at least. You were prepared for the worst…in a sense. You were just paranoid at this point. Risking death twice would do that to a person, you supposed.

You picked up your destroyed umbrella from the ground - you knew better than to litter! Then taking a deep, albeit painful breath you sprinted (kind of) from under the cover of your tree to another one nearby.

Thus you continued your trek towards the maybe-inn, moving from tree to tree, to limit your exposure to the rain. Though in the last leg of your trek you were left without cover. You stood under the eave of the building, hesitating only a moment before you steeled your nerves and knocked on the door.

You waited a bit, but received no response. You chewed on your tongue a bit as another gust of wind blew against you. Your teeth were starting to chatter, and with a little more desperation you knocked on the door again.

This time the door swung open revealing a rather gentle looking young brunette. You blinked awkwardly at her - you hadn’t thought about what you were going to say.

“Uhm..” you started, your smile nothing short of sheepish.

“Oh dear, you must be freezing,” she spoke, reaching out and pulling you into the warm building, “here sit by the fire and I’ll fetch you some tea.”

“Oh, um, thank you,” you blinked, as she pushed you into a seat by the hearth.

You could hear her call for a towel and blanket before she zipped over to what you assumed was the kitchen. You simply sat in silence enjoying the warmth of the hearth. Well, as much as you could enjoy it. You fidgeted with your feet, bouncing your legs a bit, both from the cold and from the awkwardness.

You made sure to properly thank the lady that brought you the towel and blanket and apologize for the inconvenience. She quickly dismissed your concerns and walked away to continue with whatever she’d been busy with prior to your arrival. That was when you noticed the uniform: a maid.

So perhaps this was an inn?

Thankfully the lady that let you in returned with a steaming mug of tea just in time for you to inquire after the nature of the place you were in, after you made sure to thank her for her hospitality, you had manners after all.

“Is this an inn?” You asked her as you hugged the mug she’d offered you close to your chest. The warmth seeped through your clothes and eased some of the soreness you felt after being run over earlier.

“Not at all,” she had an amused look on her face as she answered, “you’re currently at the Dawn Winery.”

“Oh,” you felt your eyes widen in surprise, “uhm, I’ll be going as soon as the rain lets up, I hope that won’t cause too much of an inconvenience,” your brain started working again, when you inhaled you tried not to let the pain show on your face, “or if I could purchase an umbrella from you all, I could get going right this instant.”

“Oh no no you’re no inconvenience at all,” the lady’s smile brightened, “I couldn’t possibly let you go back out into that storm in good conscience.”

“O-okay,” you shrunk on yourself, “I-I’m an apothecary, please let me know if you have any ailments and I’ll gladly help!”

She huffed a little laugh then, eyes twinkling with something borderline mischievous, “hmm, I’ll think I’ll take you up on that offer. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything while you’re here.”

“T-thank you! Uhm Miss-”

“Adelinde.”

“Thank you Miss Adelinde,” you smiled, hoping your nerves didn’t show too clearly, before giving her your name in return.

She nodded at you in acknowledgement before walking away to continue with her own tasks. Left to your own devices, you slipped your shoes off to curl into the blanket. You wafted some of the steam from the tea, and upon confirming nothing smelled off, you took a sip.

Well, poison could be neutralized, all you could hope was that it wasn’t laced with something that would cause you to lose consciousness.

Could you stop with the negative thoughts?

You shifted the blanket around to re-expose the parts of your outfit that were wet from the rain to the fire. You bit down on your lip. Moving around still hurt - you absolutely would be returning to Mondstadt proper the moment this rain lets up. Though you needed your clothes to be dry for when you went back out into the wild. You took another sip of the tea, enjoying the way it warmed you up and continued to stare blankly at the fire.

Speaking of fire, with some difficulty you reached into your pack and pulled out your new treasure. Holding it in your palm you simply stared at it blankly. You would need to learn how to use it. Perhaps when you head back to Mondstadt you could ask Miss Lisa. She was rather knowledgeable after all.

You were deep in your head when the sound of the door busting open had you jumping. Whipping your head towards the source of the noise a rather fierce, rather familiar shade of red blazed at you.

The same red that had rescued you from your first encounter with an Abyss Mage all those weeks ago.

#diluc x reader #diluc ragnvindr #genshin x reader #genshin x you #genshin x y/n #diluc x you #diluc fanfic #genshin fanfic #genshin impact #diluc ragnivindr x reader #diluc ragnivindr x you #kaeya alberich #lisa genshin impact

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zelphin124 · 1 month

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SeasonTale - Chapter 6

I'm not super proud of this one... and it took forever to finally sit down and write it, but I hope you enjoy! There will be a poll at the end, so look for that as well. Here we go!

Masterpost

~o0o~

School was boring now.

Summer couldn’t bring himself to pay attention in his education. There was no joy in learning anymore. There was no joy in… well, anything. He had lost all motivation and will to keep going.

But he wasn’t sad either.

He was confused, mostly. After the procedure yesterday, he didn’t even enjoy throwing the ball up for himself anymore. When the kids played without him at recess, he didn’t feel sad either.

Every bit of emotion was gone.

Although Summer wanted to hate it… he couldn’t bring himself to.

He twirled one of his pens in his hand, watching it fly in different directions before the bell rang. Summer had never packed his bags so fast; and he planned to get out of there as soon as he could.

“Summer,” Summer!Alphys inquired. “Could you come here real quick?”

“Ooh Lemon is in trouble,” some of the kids laughed as they ran outside.

Summer couldn’t even bring himself to care about what they said.

“Hey, you had trouble paying attention in class today. Is everything alright?” The teacher asked, sitting at her desk and motioning for Summer to follow suit.

Summer obeyed, but he had to adjust so the sun didn’t block his vision. “Yeup,” he nodded. “Everything is just dandy.”

Summer!Alphys glanced at the desk, her fingers fidgeting with one another. Summer could tell she was worried.

And he envied that.

The way he saw her emotions, and the way they wrestled within her. He wanted that again. He wanted… He…

He couldn’t figure out what he wanted. He was tired, and sleep sounded amazing. It was one of the only ways to get rid of the nightmare that he lived in, but he couldn’t care enough to go and take a nap.

He existed. That’s all he could bring himself to do.

“You know that friend I was telling you about? Who wanted to play catch?” His teacher spoke gently. “He’s here, if you wish to play ball.”

“Sure, that sounds fun,” Summer shrugged, smirking and digging through his backpack. He pulled out the red ball and squished it in his hands.

It didn’t shine like it used to.

“Honey,” Summer!Alphys’ gaze locked with the skeleton’s. “Do you… do you have anything at home that you would wish to bring if you were gone for a long time?”

Summer looked away and stared at the red ball in his hands. “Nah, just this red ball.”

“Okay,” She got up, brushing off her bright yellow skirt. “He’s outside.”

Summer bounded toward the door, carrying his only toy in his hands. He opened the door and looked around. Most of who he saw were others in the school, but he saw someone who he didn’t recgonize before. His eyes squinted at the glorious light the figure held with him.

He was a goat monster of some sorts. His horns blended in with the magnificent crown on his head that glimmered like the stars. HIs yellow eyes were dazzling, and they bore such kindness within them.

Summer thought his cape was dope; its sleek white fabric on the outside completely sealed the night sky inside of the cape, that radiating hundreds of stars and galaxies within it. It changed whenever the creature moved. The only way Summer could compare it to was seeing the sun and stars in the middle of space.

The rest of his clothes were made up of the silky white fabric, with dozens of gold accessories scattered across his body. Chains connected various parts of his wear, and the two shoulder guards made his figure look broad and powerful. It was clear that he was older than most of the adults that Summer saw, but it came with a lot more wisdom.

In his hand rested a long, shining weapon. It had three sides and a pointy thing down the middle. Summer recalled that it was a type of spear that the Asgore monster formed. As a matter of fact, he looked very much like an Asgore.

But the skeleton couldn’t figure out what season he was from.

“Hello young one,” his voice roared like a thousand lions, but was as gentle as the morning breeze. “You must be Summer Sans?”

Summer nodded, his attention fully focused on the monster before him.

“My name is Solstice,” he smiled, giving a soft bow. “Do you want to play catch?”

The kid nodded some more, looking at the red ball and tossing it toward Solstice.

Summer watched as Solstice’s eyes gleamed with delight as he caught the ball. The goat tossed it from hand to hand before tossing it back towards him.

Summer faked a smile as he barely caught the ball. He’d never have a ball tossed back to him, so the angle he usually caught the ball didn’t help him.

“Oh, I did not mean to throw it so hard,” Solstice sighed as he approached the half-fallen over child. “Here, mind if I take your hands?”

“You’re… you’re not going to hurt me, right?”

“Of course not,” Solstice shook his head before looking up at Alphys, who had come out of the building to watch. Summer watched as they communicated with no words, but he couldn’t figure out what they were saying.

For the next hour, Solstice took the time to teach Summer how to catch and throw the ball better and more efficiently. Summer listened to every word and felt a glimmer of hope, despite is apathetic state. They tossed the ball back and forth; the only time they stopped was when Summer accidentally threw the ball into the twisted trees, which Solstice didn’t hesitate to get it out. They rotated a couple of times to keep playing in the shade, as the sun was unbearable in the afternoon.

While they played, Summer finally had enough time to notice the large ocean not far from his school. He caught the ball and pointed towards it. “What’s that?”

“That is the Tidal Sea, my boy,” Solstice smiled. “It contains beautiful waters and coves for miles under its surface. No one knows what’s on the other side.”

“Can we go there?” Summer asked, curious.

“Perhaps we could-” Solstice paused as Alphys motioned toward him. He sighed, kneeling down. His gaze had changed, and it unsettled Summer.

Why did his mood change? Did I do something wrong? Summer began to worry. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you I’ll do better-”

“Buddy, hey, hey,” Solstice smiled at him. “You did nothing wrong, I’m just really concerned for you.” Solstice took his hand and tilted Summer’s face to observe it. “Did Summer!Gaster do this to you?”

“Y-Yeah,” Summer shuddered, remembering how it was done. “But it’s fine, I don’t want to talk about it-”

“It’s clear you don’t want this to happen again to you, huh?”

Summer stared at Solstice. How- How did he know? He thought, shaking his head in response. He would do anything to get away from his dad at this point. He remembered that he cared for his dad…

But that feeling wasn’t there anymore, just like the rest of them. All he wanted to do was avoid physical pain, but he couldn’t find the will to run away again.

“I’m with the rebellion,” Solstice informed. “I save many people like you from your dad and others who are cruel like him. If you allow me to, I’ll make sure you’ll never have to go through an experiment like that again.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s a place in the mountains that we hold as refuge, we hide there so we can plan our next action of justice, and restore the kingdoms to their former glory.” Solstice explained. “Life doesn’t have to be like this.”

The sun started shining on Summer’s face, warming his bones. “That’s a lot of big words,” Summer smirked, thinking for a bit. Life doesn’t… it doesn’t have to be this way?

“You will learn them all in due time,” Solstice reassured. “I plan to teach you a lot of things.”

“We don’t have much time,” Alphys ran out from the school. “He’s coming, you must decide quickly.”

Solstice locked eyes with the boy again. “This might be the only time I get to speak with you. I wish to help you. Come with me and I’ll keep you safe. If you don’t like it, you can come back. Help us restore SeasonTale to justice.”

Summer could hear traces of his father’s footsteps. He recgonized them anywhere, for whenever he was near, bad things happened. He looked worriedly at the school door before grabbing onto Solstice’s sleeve.

“Please,” he begged. “I don’t want to be in another experiment.”

“Say no more, my boy,” Solstice hoisted Summer up on his back. “Hold on, we are going to get you out of here.”

“He’ll look for me,” Summer shivered as Solstice booked it into the forest, the sun becoming brighter and brighter as they went.

“Don’t worry, he- he won’t find us-” Solstice gasped between breaths.

“Where can we go that he won’t?”

There was a moment of interrupted silence before Solstice answered. He paused once he reached the ocean shore, whistling into the sky. He turned around and pointed inland. “You see those mountains way over there?”

Summer’s eyes widened, seeing the mountains he saw in his dreams. One covered with white shades and clouds that covered the sun. “Yeah?”

The skeleton’s eyes widened even more when he saw a huge creature land from the sky, folding its wings in and snorting out a cloud of smoke. It’s head was similar to a gaster blaster, and his wings and structure were all bone, expect for the inside of its wings and belly, which shined like the night sky.

“Is that a dragon?!” Summer gasped, bewildered that the creatures even existed.

“Yes, and you can pet him later,” Solstice walked toward the dragon and hoisted himself onto it. “Those mountains, we will be going there.”

Summer was too distracted by the dragon to pay attention, but one thing he did know, was that this was far more exciting than anything his dad did with him.

As the dragon took off into the air, Summer gasped and held tight onto the dragon’s neck, looking down at the ground. Everything became smaller as clouds brushed against the child’s face. Summer could see the entire landscape of the known land, including all the other kingdoms he never got to see before.

“Soon, all this land will be free from the Gaster’s hand,” Solstice explained as he steered the dragon towards the colder area of SeasonTale, up in the mountains. “And you can help rule it all.”

“Really?!” Summer smiled as something jolted inside him.

The goat smiled, sighing with relief.

“I promise.”

~o0o~

#seasontale #seasontale story #writing #chapter #utmv #undertale au #sans au #undertale #summer sans #summer alphys #summer gaster #solstice asgore #solstice dragon #WOAH IK THERE ARE DRAGONS #hehe #gosh there's so much here #and no motivation

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