#// imagine talking about someone's entire clan dying right where they can hear you

[every-sasuke-uchiha]

#every sasuke #everysasuke #sasuke uchiha #shikamaru nara #choji akimichi #naruto #chapter 225 #sasuke recovery mission #// imagine talking about someone's entire clan dying right where they can hear you #that's fucked up

[ibijau]

I’ve sent you an ask like this before but like. reverse au where nhs’ goal is wrh instead of jgy - imagining little nhs with his father’s blood on his saber unable to stop bawling but insisting that he has to go on trial for the murder of his father - being furious when he’s not pronounced guilty because it has to be someone’s fault - little nmj crying sympathy tears and trying to guard huaisang against whatever’s making him cry -

lxc only starts to let go of his jealousy of how frivolous sect leader nhs is allowed to be when wrh attacks nhs in the middle of a cultivation conference and is bravely defeated by now-jgy and lxc sees nhs first realize through his tears that wrh may have been the one to kill his father - he lets go of it entirely as he begins to suspect the decimation of the main branch of the wen clan took a lot more hard work than chance

oops, I went for something centered around the Nie brothers with this orz

It was just the three of them in that room when it happened, and though Mingjue is quite young, he is brought to testify at that trial his da-ge insists on having. When the elders ask, he explains that he had closed his eyes and didn't see much. He doesn’t tell them that his da-ge had just ordered him to close them. If it’s relevant, his da-ge will say something.

But Huaisang stays silent, except for some quiet sobbing.

“You didn’t see, but you heard,” one elder insists. “So what did you hear?”

“A-die was angry,” Mingjue replies, eyes darting toward his brother. “He was shouting at us.” He hesitates. “It’s words da-ge says I’m not allowed to know and if I use them around grown-ups I’ll be in trouble.”

The elders smile weakly at this well-behaved boy of seven.

“Just for today, you can say it. We need to understand, er-gongzi.”

Mingjue glances again at his brother. He only speaks again when his da-ge nods at him through his tears.

“A-die said that I was just the son of a whore and he was tired of me scheming against da-ge,” Mingjue recites, the accusation branded onto his mind. He can still hear the exact tone of his father’s voice, feel the power of his unrestrained aura oppressing him to the point he nearly fainted. “A-die also said that da-ge was a disgrace anyway and he was going to get rid of both of us and have real sons, instead of a Wen and a bastard. Then I heard blades hitting, and A-die shouted a-die couldn't hurt me, and there was a fight, and then everything was very quiet and da-ge said I needed to go get help.”

The elders nod solemnly. Huaisang sobs harder, his face awash with tears. He presses both hands against his mouth in an effort to keep quiet, so he won’t disturb the trial too much, but it’s not very efficient. Their cousin Zonghui, standing next to him, pats Huaisang’s shoulder to try to calm him.

“What did you see, before you left the room?” one elder asks.

Mingjue doesn’t answer right away. It’s fine to take time to remember, they told him early on, so he does that. In truth though, it’s not like he could ever forget the sight of his brother, usually so soft and funny, standing over the still twitching corpse of their father. He hasn’t forgotten that their father was breathing and even moaning when he left. He recalls, also, how different his da-ge had looked with his bloody sabre in hand, that hard look on his face.

When Mingjue had returned with help, his father had stopped breathing, and there was no hardness left to Huaisang who had dropped his sabre and was sobbing in a corner.

“There was a lot of blood,” Mingjue says, which isn’t a lie.

His eyes catch Huaisang’s. His da-ge, who doesn’t let anyone insult him for his mother, who told Mingjue many nice stories about her, since he never got to meet her. His da-ge who encourages him even when others say that the son of a servant shouldn’t be given the education of a young master, shouldn't dare to be better than children of higher birth. His da-ge, lazy and spoiled, but always putting in the effort when he feels Mingjue needs protecting.

It’s Mingjue’s turn to protect him now.

“I onlyremember the blood, and that I was scared,” he claims.

This time, it’s a lie.

But he can’t let them hurt his da-ge.

-

At the issue of that trial, it is decided that Huaisang acted out of self defence, and cannot be too harshly punished for the murder of his father. He has to offer sacrifices to the heavens and make public penance, but there won’t be lasting consequences, and he still gets to be sect leader.

Uncle Wen would not allow for anything else, Mingjue hears some of the elders whisper.

Uncle Wen went through a lot of trouble to make sure Qinghe Nie stopped bothering him, they also say. And now his sister’s child is ruling the only sect that used to stand up to him.

Huaisang laughs when Mingjue repeats this to him one night, while his da-ge puts him to bed for the night. Everything else has changed, but not this: Huaisang makes the time to take care of his didi, and Mingjue worries for his da-ge. Making time is harder than it used to be, the worries have become bigger than before, but fundamentally it’s still the same.

“Don’t listen to what those old farts say,” Huaisang advises as he tucks Mingjue under his blanket. “And don’t let them catch you listening, either. They’ll think you’re going to repeat things to me.”

“I do repeat things to you,” Mingjue points out. “And they shouldn’t be saying things like that. It’s not right to speak about people behind their back. A-die said people should speak their grievance in the light, or not at all.”

Huaisang smiles, and pets his hair.

“A-die was a good man,” he says. “Don’t let anyone make you forget that. A-die was the best man in the world. The way he was at the end, that wasn’t him. He was kind, and he loved you, and he was the best man any of us will ever meet… but this isn’t a world for good men.”

Mingjue frowns. His da-ge has always said odd things, but it has gotten worse lately.

“Da-ge is good too,” he mutters, unable to express the worry starting to form in his chest.

What he means is this: if good men are struck down by a cruel world, then his da-ge, who is good, might be at risk of dying. The thought terrifies him, and he would do anything to keep his da-ge alive. He lied for him at the trial, and he can do it again.

Huaisang laughs again.

“Don’t you worry about me!” he snickers, ruffling his brother’s hair. “I’m not good at all. Haven’t you heard people complain how little good I am?”

“You’re lazy not good, not bad not good,” Mingjue corrects. "Not like uncle."

Da-ge's good humour is shattered, replaced by a severe frown which makes him look too much like he did, that night their father died. Mingjue doesn't like it.

"MingMing, you remember the rule about uncle, right?"

"I don't say anything bad about uncle where others can hear," Mingjue meekly recites. "Only da-ge can say if it's safe to talk about uncle. Sorry. I know you didn't say."

"It's fine this time, but be more careful. Uncle is dangerous. He killed a-die, he'll kill us too if he realises we're not on his side. And we're not. Whose side are we on?"

"Each other," Mingjue dutifully replies.

He knows it's the right answer, but only if they're alone. If there are sect elders, Mingjue must claim loyalty to the sect. If they are in front of Wen Ruohan, he must say family. But the truest of truth is that he'd do anything for his da-ge, and da-ge has proven more than once he'd do anything for Mingjue.

"You're a good boy," da-ge said, ruffling his hair once more. "Don't think too much about these things. Da-ge will take care of all the problems for you."

"But I can help!"

"Yes you can," Huaisang agreed, pinching his cheek. "You can help by doing as you're told. Can you do that?"

Past events prove that Mingjue, on the whole, isn't good at doing what he's told, not when he thinks he's told to do something stupid. Sometimes, he makes a big argument about that. He's young, not stupid, and he doesn't want to do things just because grown-ups have ideas about how things should be.

But da-ge looks really tired tonight, and Mingjue doesn't want to become yet another problem on his brother's mind. So he nods dutifully.

It makes da-ge smile, so it was probably okay to lie.

#nie huaisang #nie mingjue #mo dao zu shi #mdzs #jau writes #might continue it later but also might not #It's just that you know... #reversed nie bros my beloved #and also I'm trying to make a small dent in my prompts lol

[artificialqueens]

Stake Through the Heart (Branjie)- athena2

So this is based on an amazing prompt from @writworm42: “If anyone is looking for a prompt of late, a branjie fic where Brooke is an Extremely Serious vampire hunter who hears legends about Vanessa and turns out Vanessa is an ennui-filled, sarcastic, chaotic good vampire (a la what we do in the shadows) who is Not At All afraid of Brooke would be complete and total poetry xx.” I hope this is at least somewhat what you imagined, and I hope you like it!

Brooke first heard about Vanjie when she was 12.

A year after her parents were killed and she went to live with her grandmother. 

A year after she was drafted into a war she had been groomed for her entire life, a war she quickly became an honored soldier in.  

“The Mateo clan is one of the oldest, most dangerous clans of vampires in the world,” her grandmother had explained early in her training. “Some say they go back to the 1400’s.”

“Vanjie is one of the most feared. She’s the last of the line. She’s been a vampire less than a century, but she’s killed more than those three times her age. Four hunters have been killed by her in the last year alone. None have ever managed to kill her.” 

Brooke shifts in the shrubs, eyes narrowing as a figure approaches. 

The brunette is yapping on the phone, parading through the cemetery like she’s at a party. Doritos fall out of a bag as she walks, a trail of fake nacho cheese breadcrumbs. Her wavy brown hair flows behind her, shining in the moonlight. 

Hand on her crossbow, Brooke stands, ignoring her screaming muscles, sore from 15 years of hunting. 

Gotcha, she thinks. 

—

It’s not the first time their paths have crossed, though neither of those times went according to plan. 

The very first time, none of Brooke’s careful training could prepare her for finally seeing Vanjie. It was probably some sort of vampire charm, but Brooke couldn’t take her eyes off Vanjie and her smooth skin, mesmerized by her big brown eyes. By the time Brooke recovered her mind enough to take out her stake, Vanjie had already disappeared without so much as flashing her fangs. 

She’d taken on Vanjie with junior hunter Plastique last winter, Brooke barely escaping with her life after Plastique knocked herself out with her own crossbow, but not before it misfired and an arrow lodged in Brooke’s chest, dangerously close to her heart. 

The pain must have made her hallucinate, because she thinks she remembers Vanjie putting Hello Kitty Band-Aids over a scrape on her arm, then vanishing right as an ambulance Brooke didn’t call for arrived. 

It was probably just a hallucination. 

Though she never was able to explain the Band-Aids. 

The arrow wound took months to heal and the scar tissue still twinges when she moves wrong. 

She went back to working alone after that. She should have known it was dumb to take someone under her wing; she’s better on her own, has been since she was a kid. She threw herself into extra training, extra research. She won’t fail again.

Third times the charm, and all that nonsense. 

—

“I know you in them woods, Blondie. Want some Doritos?” Vanjie’s voice sounds like a gangster from the movies. 

Brooke stills, heart thudding painfully. A vampire had never been able to pick out her hiding place. Vanjie was as good as the legends said. 

“Come on out,” Vanjie continues. “I don’t bite. Well, not on the first date, anyway.”

Brooke tightens her grip on the crossbow and moves silently out to the gravestones. 

“You here to kill me? You could at least buy me dinner first. Seriously. Minimum wage is shit. A bitch is broke.” Vanjie stands with her hips cocked and inspects her crimson nail polish. 

Brooke doesn’t say a word. She inches closer, her finger on the release. She should have already pulled it. Why hasn’t she? And why aren’t Vanjie’s fangs out? 

“Am I supposed to be scared of you?” Vanjie demands. “You pretty impressive, I’ll give you that. But you can only be so scary when you smell like lavender. Are you, like, 90?” 

Well, the lavender body wash was supposed to be calming, not that it’s working considering the way Vanjie is making her blood pressure skyrocket right now. 

Vanjie sighs. “Look, if you’re gonna kill me, can we go to my apartment first? I should be allowed a last meal.” 

This is against the rules. This is wrong. But this is the closest she’s ever been. She can feel it in her blood. Brooke shrugs. “Lead the way.”

—

Brooke was always a good student, bringing home A’s as soon as she was old enough to get letter grades. She didn’t go into her hunting career unprepared. 

She started at 18, the earliest they would let her, though she’d been training and studying for 6 years. By then, she was too late to avenge her parents: the two heads of the Mateo line died mysteriously when she was 16, no hunter taking the credit for it. 

But Brooke still worked. Within months, she was a top hunter, killing vampires that had been around for centuries. Each one was just practice, an appetizer before the feast. 

Last year, after months of studying the Mateos, she set her sights on Vanjie. 

She knows Vanessa Isabella “Vanjie” Mateo was born October 1930, the youngest of the Mateo line. She had been turned in the summer of 1958, when she was 27. She’d bounced around Puerto Rico and the United States, currently residing in Toronto. 

Brooke’s heard the legends, the stories of horrible vampires and the brave hunters that fought them in her ear since she was a child tucked into bed with stuffed animals. Vanjie’s were always the most gruesome stories, the ones that made her stay up all night fearfully clutching her stuffed rabbit as Brooke vowed to become the thing that vampires feared. 

According to legend, her kill count is in the thousands. 

According to legend, she ate the hearts of those she’d killed when blood wasn’t enough.  

According to legend, no hunter to engage in combat with her has ever walked away alive.

—

Brooke’s hands sweat. She’s not following the rules. She’s certain no hunter has ever been to a vampire’s home. But it’ll be worth when she gets revenge for her parents. When she kills the most dangerous vampire in recent history. When she becomes the brave hunter in the stories parents tell their kids. 

“You mind if I change first? I always say my job is gonna be the death of me, but I’d rather not die in this thing.”

The blue polyester polo is ugly, though Brooke thinks it looks unreasonably good on Vanjie. 

“Okay.”

Brooke takes in the messy kitchen with its checkerboard floor. Takeout containers are piled in the sink. None of the chairs match; one is a rocking chair, one is shaped like a giant hand, and one has ornate trim and red velvet lining. A goldfish swims in a soda bottle filled with water, while mysterious green liquid bubbles(?) in a fishbowl. The refrigerator has stickers reading “Meme Wall”, and is hidden beneath cut-out pictures of people and quotes even Brooke admits she can relate to. Strings of Pokémon cards serve as a pantry door, a lava lamp glows purple on the table, pink streamers hang from the ceiling light, just brushing the floor. Brooke forces her eyes down on the floor before her head explodes.

Something doesn’t add up. Where was the creepy dungeon stuff Vanjie had in the legends? This place looks like a bunch of stoned college kids decorated it. And why was Vanjie being nice to her? She can’t let her guard down. This is probably all a ruse; how Vanjie lures hunters in before she kills them. 

She is still standing, bow slung over her back, stake in its thigh holster, when Vanessa comes back in black leggings and a sleeveless shirt made of flowy red silk. 

“Stay a while, Blondie. Sit down and relax. You always so tense? Let me loosen those shoulders for ya.” Hands unclasp her bow and nudge her into a chair before clamping down on her shoulders and massaging out the aches. 

“I don’t–I’m not–my shoulders are none of your business!” She splutters, wriggling her shoulders until the hands leave, refusing to acknowledge how nice they felt. She stays in the chair, the velvet one, which smells like Sour Patch Kids mixed with wet dog. “I’m here to kill you, if you haven’t noticed!”

“So do it. I’ll even give you an open shot.” Vanessa pulls aside her shirt, exposing the smooth skin over her not-beating heart, and Brooke forgets how to breathe. Vanjie definitely has some sort of charm power. 

She makes no move for her stake.

“That’s what I thought.” She covers her skin, breaking the spell. 

“I will. Eventually,” Brooke promises. “I want answers first.”

“You want coffee?”

“No. It makes me jittery.”

“Good, ‘cause I don’t have any.” Vanjie reaches for a bright orange Frisbee, dumping in cereal and milk before crumbling chocolate Pop-Tarts and Fritos over the top. 

Where was the blood of her enemies? The hearts she ate for dinner? Brooke thinks she’d rather watch Vanjie eat a heart than this monstrosity. “Who the hell puts that in cereal? And why are you eating out of a Frisbee?”

Vanjie drops into the rocking chair across from Brooke before speaking. 

“Don’t judge me. I work retail and I deserve this. One, it makes Cocoa Puffs more chocolatey, and chocolate’s my main reason to live. Or well, to not die. Plus you get salty-sweetness. And two, A’Keria’s slacking off on the dishes.” She slurps up milk. “Why’s it matter? Who says cereal has to be eaten in a bowl? You know the shit I’ve seen? The earth is dying, bees are dying, who gives a flying fuck what I eat out of? You do. I bet you eat Raisin Bran with bananas.”

“Strawberries, actually.”

“So little soldier girl can tell a joke.” Vanjie grins. 

Brooke has to hold her own smile back. She’s here to kill this bitch. She’s never broken procedure like this, ever, and she has to remind herself she’s only going along with Vanjie’s nonsense because she’ll do whatever it takes to kill her. 

“So, why?” Vanjie asks abruptly. 

“Why what?” Brooke sighs. She wishes this bitch would shut up already so she can kill her, because the more Vanjie talks, the farther away Brooke’s stake feels. 

“Why do you hunt? Gotta be a reason,” Vanjie challenges with a smirk.

“My parents and grandparents were hunters.”

“Ah, family tradition. Hear that one a lot.” She crunches on a Frito.

“Your parents killed mine.” Shit. She had a strategy. She had plans, she had notes. She wasn’t supposed to blurt that out yet. 

“Well, shit.”

“That’s all you have to say?” Brooke’s out of her chair before she knows it, stake pressing against Vanjie’s chest. “My parents died! I…I was only 11!” 

Vanjie wraps her hand around Brooke’s wrist, her skin tingling. “I’m sorry. Can you give me a minute to explain? I know you’re all noble and stuff. Please hear me out.”

Brooke sighs and settles back in her chair, holding the stake tightly. 

“I’m sorry about your parents. I really am. That must have been hard. You were just a kid.” Vanjie’s voice is impossibly soft and Brooke finds her grip loosening. “But you need to know, I was never part of their whole murder thing. My parents…they cut ties with me decades ago. I wasn’t what they wanted. I like girls, first of all. And I wouldn’t kill. I only drink animal blood. I’ve never killed anyone.” She takes a breath. “Well, except for them.”

“What?” She drops the stake. This could all be a lie, and Vanjie could kill her any second, but she believes her. 

“Yeah. They said I could get back into their graces if I found myself a male companion or killed a newborn baby to prove my loyalty. You know, just basic things you do for your parents to like you,” she mutters acidly. “I just fucking had it. So I killed them.” 

“Holy shit.” Vanjie’s voice is deadly calm and serious, eyes dark, and Brooke knows she’s telling the truth. 

“Yeah.” 

“But-but the legends about you! You killed more hunters than anyone! You’re one of the most feared vampires in history!” She shakes her head frantically. How could this all be going so wrong?

“My parents made that shit up,” Vanjie shrugs. “Couldn’t have people know their daughter was a disappointment. It wasn’t like anyone was gonna fact-check ‘em.”

“I don’t think you’re a disappointment,” Brooke says quietly. 

Vanjie bites her lip and smiles sadly. She pulls her shirt open again. “So, we gonna get this over with?”

“Do you, like, want to die?” Brooke asks, making no move to hurt Vanjie, her mind still buzzing. 

“I mean, I’m not exactly having a good time in this hellhole.”

“Maybe you should talk to someone.”

“That’s your advice? A fucking therapist?”

“Sorry. My grandparents made me go to one. After, you know.”

Vanjie nods. After a few seconds of silence she stands up and leans in, placing her hand on Brooke’s shoulder. “Did you heal up okay? After your little friend got excited and shot you? Too bad I didn’t have enough Band-Aids to cover all of you.”

“You-” Her eyes go wide. It wasn’t a hallucination. 

“Yeah, I remember that night. Not everyday someone knocks themselves out with their own weapon. Couldn’t forget those eyes of yours, either.”

Vanjie’s hand slips underneath Brooke’s black T-shirt, fingers ghosting over the raised skin where the arrow pierced her. Brooke looks up at the exact second Vanjie looks down and then their lips meet. 

Vanjie’s lips are surprisingly soft and strong, pressing Brooke firmly into the chair. Vanjie’s hands roam all over Brooke’s chest and Brooke hesitantly lifts hers up to Vanjie’s back. There is no heartbeat pulsing beneath her fingers but Vanjie’s body feels infinitely alive as Brooke’s hands move to tangle in her hair. 

They break apart after what feels like years and Brooke tries to remember how to breathe. 

“That was pretty impressive, Blondie.”

“Brooke. Not Blondie.”

“Vanessa. Not Vanjie.”

They both look at each other awkwardly. “So I guess that means you’re not gonna kill me?” Vanessa asks in a small voice. 

“No. I’m not.” She gathers her bow and slips her stake inside its holster. 

“Leaving so soon?”

“Yeah. I-I should go.”

Vanessa nods. She gives Brooke a quick hug, hand steady over Brooke’s jacket pocket. Over her heart. 

“Mind the streamers on your way out. It’s some jellyfish costume Yvie’s trying to make.”

Brooke feels something inside her jacket pocket once she gets home. She pulls out a tiny piece of paper with a phone number on it. 

She falls asleep with the paper clenched in her hand.

—

The next day she dials the numbers that are unfamiliar to her but that she hopes become second nature. 

“Vanessa? How about that dinner?”

#rpdr fanfiction #brooke lynn hytes #vanessa vanjie mateo #branjie #lesbian au #vampire au #angst #athena2 #tw mild mention of homophobia #tw implied depression #concrit welcome #submission

[hennessystevens-udaku]

The Other Woman

Premise: When the first three wives meet our @itsangeludaku.

“So who is this nigga that got your nose all open?” Destiny called to Angel as she dressed for her date. It had been a few months since she and Erik had physically saw or touched one another, so she wanted to make a statement. She decided on a white button-down short-sleeved shirt and the sheer black beach skirt she’d purchased a few days earlier. To accent the ensemble, she decided to wear the black neck tie that he wore on their first official date and then later used to bound her wrists to her headboard and a large black waist belt. She went with a soft glam look for her makeup and her long hair was in curls, just the way he liked.

“His name is Erik Stevens. He’s from Oakland, California and he’s a Navy vet.”

“Is he cute?” Mercedes asked as she entered the room.

“Cute isn’t the word you use to describe this man. He’s beautiful with the body of a God!’ Angel replied, feeling herself heat at the mention of her fiance.

“So how is it that you’re already engaged to a man that we haven’t even met yet?” asked Camilla. She’s was the oldest of the clan and the most protective of her friends. Though she was happy for Angel finding love, she wasn’t sure if she trusted Erik just yet.

“Honestly, it just happened, Cam. I feel safe with him and I really can’t explain it, but I know I’m making the right decision in marrying him. And no disrespect, but I’m gonna marry him with or without your blessing.” With that, she turned to leave the room, leaving each and every last woman stunned by her words.

--

“It feels so good to be home!” Hennessy exclaimed as the cool breeze from the river tickled her golden skin. This was her first time back in New Orleans since the not so pleasant reunion with her biological parents, and she was dying to rid herself of all the stress and hectic-ness that was California. Erik was there on “business” and decided to bring her, Aly’Sha, and Ryley along as a means of getting them all out of the house and letting them let loose as a family.

“So when are we going to Bourbon Street?” Ryley asked, eager to wrap her lips around a hand grenade.

“You really tryna get day drunk, Ry Ry,” Erik asks with a sly grin. It was the first time he’d really spoken since they landed and Henny could sense his distance.

“You damn right,” she replied matter of factly.

“Day drunk is the best kind of drunk,” Aly’Sha agreed. Erik shook his head with a chuckle.

“Y’all are something else,” he said, draping one arm around Ryley’s shoulder and the other around Hennessy’s waist and she and Aly’Sha walked hand in hand down the busy street.

“Well where do y’all wanna go? Oceana or Pat O’Brien’s?” Erik asked and they rounded the corner to Bourbon Street.

“Oceana. The food is bomb and if we’re lucky, they’ll have a performer,” Henny replied, breaking away from the group to lead the way. They were able to get a seat directly at the bar and as soon as they sat down, the drinks started flowing. Soon, they were all laughing and joking and Erik was showering each woman with copious amounts of PDA. Unbeknownst to them, the quartet had attracted an audience.

“I knew there was a reason I didn’t trust that nigga!” Camilla yelled from her seat at the other end of the bar.

“Should we tell Angel?” Destiny asked, feeling sorry for her best friend.

“You damn right we should! She’s on her way down here right now and I’ll be damned if she’s blindsided by this fuckboi ass nigga and his three hoes!” Camilla growled as she pulled up Angel’s contact info to facetime her. Soon her innocent face filled the screen.

“What is it now, ladies? I’m meeting Erik in minutes and I meant what I said.”

“Well you won’t be so cheerful when you see what his black ass is up to.”

“What are you talking about, Camilla.”

“Your Prince Charming is down at Oceana locking lips with three other bitches!” Angel was quiet for a bit, but soon a smile crept across her face.

“Let me see,” she coaxed, urging Camilla to turn the camera so that she could see. Sure enough, that was her Erik and those were his wives and now that she was seeing them in person, the pictures that he’d shown her had done them no justice. They were three of the most gorgeous women she had ever seen, all curvaceous and voluptuous in every way.

“Oh that must be Hennessy, Aly’Sha, and Ryley,” Angél replied with a shrug.

“You know them?!” Camilla and Destiny exclaim in unison.

“Not formally, but I know of them. They’re his wives.”

“Wives?!”

“Yes his wives. He’s polyamorous.”

“And you’re ok with that?” Destiny asked in shock.

“Surprisingly yes, now if you ladies will excuse me.” Angél ended the call and entered the restaurant, heading straight to the bar.

“Getting started without me, Mr. Stevens?” she called from behind him. Erik’s posture immediately straightened and he removed his arm from around Hennessy’s waist like a child being scolded by his mother.

“My bad Princess,” he cooed pulling her in for a hug. Although slightly impaired, the action didn’t go unnoticed by Henny and Aly’Sha was about to address it before Erik spoke again.

“Angél, meet my wives, Hennessy, Aly’Sha, and Ryley. Wives, meet my fiancé, Angél Aucoin.” At the sound of that 6-letter F word, Henny’s entire body heated. Not wanting to create a public scene, she gave Angél a polite smile before ordering herself another double Hennessy and apple juice. Something told her she’d need it.

“Oh we feeling bold today, huh?” Erik asked once he took in Angel’s outfit.

“Just a little, but in my defense, it’s hot as hell,” she replied, burying her face in his neck. He smelled like sandalwood and natural musk and she loved it.

“Mmhm, I hear you, Princess.”

“So Angel, what do you do?” Ryley asked, noticing the change in vibe from her sister wives.

“Well I’m finishing my last semester at Loyola University where I’m majoring in music industry studies.”

“You sing?” Aly’Sha asked.

“Like an angel,” Erik responded with a smile. His behavior made Hennessy want to gag. He had never been one to show emotion yet here he was gushing over this girl like a 12-year-old school boy. It was sickening.

“Fix ya face,” Aly’Sha whispered, noticing the way Henny glared at the happy couple.

“So how long have you guys known one another?”

“About 5 months,” Erik answered again.

“Jesus Erik, I’m sure the girl can speak for herself,” Henny barked, a little more harsh than she intended. Though she was indeed angry, and possibly a little jealous, she didn’t mean for any of her animosity to be directed towards Angél. Oh no, her issue was with the big oaf standing in front of her.

“Five months, isn’t that a little soon to be pledging life commitments, Mr. Stevens?”

“It is, Mrs. Stevens, But I feel like Angel’s the one.”

“You mean the fourth, got it.” Angél adjusted in her seat uncomfortably before Ryley took control of the conversation again, asking her about her interests and what she liked to do for fun. Ryley made her feel safe and welcomed, even if her presence came as a bit of a shock to the first Mrs. Stevens. After a few hours of laughs and jokes, the gang retired back to the plantation-style home Erik purchased the last time he visited the city. Henny made her way upstairs and had almost crossed the threshold to the bedroom she and Erik were sharing before she heard him clear his throat behind her.

“Can we talk?”

“About?”

“Your behavior.”

“I’m fine, Erik. I just need to lay down.” With that she grabbed her duffle and made her way down the hall. “I’m sleeping in Aly’sha’s room tonight. I’m sure you and Ms. Aucoin would like some alone time.”

—

“So are you gonna tell me what your issue is or are you gonna keep numbing yourself with Hennessy and weed?”

“Hennessy and weed, for $500, Alex,” Henny slurred. “Talking about your pain makes it real and I’m not ready to deal with that just yet.”

“Well that’s too bad, Aurélie,” Aly’sha fussed as the took the bottle and poured the remaining contents out the window.

“Nigga! That’s abuse!”

“No, what you’re doing to yourself is abuse. Now talk to me. I already know the gist of the issue, but I wanna hear you say it.” Henny sighed deeply as she rested her head against the headboard of the bed.

“It was just the way he acted. When she walked in he completely removed himself from me as though I was the other woman. And the way his eyes lit up when he saw her. He’s never once looked at me that way. He treats her like a princess and us like the homies. I spent years trying to get close to him, trying to break through his walls and his insecurities only for him to pour all of that love, time, and effort into someone else.”

“But Shy he told you about her,” Ryley reasoned after hearing the conversation from the other side of the door.

“He told me someone had caught his eye! He never said anything about them already being engaged! We were supposed to be in this together,” she said through her tears.

“Do you honestly think Erik could love anyone more than you?” Ryley questioned as she wiped the tears from Hennessy’s cheek. “You’re Hennessy, the best friend and the First Lady. That man’s love for you is infinite and it doesn’t fade just because someone new comes into the picture. Granted, he could’ve went about this a different way, but how often have you known Erik to think before he does something?” The trio shared a laugh because it was true. Their husband was the king of impulse decisions and rash behavior. Henny took a deep, reaffirming breath before speaking again.

“Thank you ladies, I needed this talk.”

“You know we got you, girl,” Aly’sha said, pulling her in for a hug.

“Let’s give her a chance, she might not be too bad.”

————————————

TAGS: @vibranium-soul @imagine-mbaku @mareethequeen @greennightspider @jozigrrl @hearteyes-for-killmonger @blackpantherismyish @muse-of-mbaku @thehomierobbstark @wifeyofnjadaka @youreadthatright @tgigoldie @killmongersgurl @dameshaemonique @princessstevens @princesskillmonger @amethyst1993 @iamrheaspeaks @laketaj24 @bidibidibombaclaat @allhailnjadaka @whatmoredoyouwantamericaa @forbeautyandlife @yaachtynoboat711 @panthergoddessbast @inlovewithmakeupcomicsanimelove @dacreskars @thadelightfulone @drsunshine97 @wakanda-inspired @wawakanda-btch @hold-me-like-a-heart-beat @ayellepea @awkwardlyabstract @madamslayyy @blowmymbackout @vikkidc @champagnesugamama @sociallyawkward18 @trevantesbrat @supersizemeplz @ledouxange7

[overcaffeinated-creative]

A Sort of Fic, Sort of Dash Summary of Mereel and Jazari

Or, I feel like I neglect Jazari and Mereel and the cuteness that is them way too much.

This got super long but I love all of it.

- Mereel and Jazari meet really, really early in the war? Jazari’s office (more of a converted broom closet that only favors freezing temperatures because of the tech) is in Arca Barracks along with her Master’s office. She meets the Nulls, Alpha ARCs, and everyone else that rotates through with Intel.

- Yes, Jazari was there for when the Nulls holed themselves up in Arca Barracks. No, she doesn’t hold that against them but dammit, the timing was inconvenient. Solus and Lumi were traumatized from Geonosis, there was a war that full on started, someone ordered a secret army of Jango Fetts, and now this?

- Their Official Meeting was less Meet Cute and more Meet Funny.

See, Jazari knows Mando’a. Partially because it’s useful and mostly because of Solus. Early on, Little Solus spoke a rough sounding Basic and forgot words a lot. Jazari started learning to help her new Katarn Clan member feel like she belonged. Now, it’s because Solus speaks Basic only when it’s convenient and she applies that word loosely.

- The Meet Funny centers around Jazari’s sleep deprived ass being called into Master Arligan’s office to  help debrief the Kal and the Others. Soon as she hears Kal’s name and sees his armor her mind blanks. She looks like some kind of bastard space succulent as her face strays between it’s normal heavily olive complexion, the bright red trying to take over and her Mirialan Green showing up too.

She also curses Solus’ existence because, “You told me it’s slang for ‘small dick’ but not that it’s a name?”

(Kal knows what’s going on and just tells her to ahead and laugh. He’s resigned to this fact.)

- Bastard Space Succulents may turn into a joke with them now that I think about it. He gifts her succulents real or printed on things or just pictures.

- From there it turns into pretty smooth sailing for everyone. Jazari’s a Jedi, yeah, but she doesn’t really act like a Jedi. Her robes are a loose interpretation of standard robes, stuffy does not describe her behavior at all, and she can talk shop on a lot of things. Mechanics? Computers? Slicing? All the seedy places on Coruscant to get any kind of contraband imaginable? She’s got you covered.

- Her and Mereel just click? They get along like a house on fire. They’re both flirts, far more intelligent than people assume at first glance, and generally good humored about things. Daredevil Lunatics are Jazari’s specialty so what is reckless? Hell, she not only keeps up but can suggest even better ideas.

- The dating thing feels like it should happen early on but absolutely does not happen forever. Mereel’s a Girl of the Week type for a long while and Jazari is Jazari. She splits her time between Work, some random hook ups/friends with benefits, and whatever Thing her, Solus, and Lumi have fell into now.

- Part of the friendship totally involves food. Jazari’s been known to occasionally make treats when she sleeps at the Temple, in her and her master’s apartment. They get brought in to feed everyone at Arca because sharing is caring. If she brings a few extras, some made to look really, extra nice for Mereel who notices? Nor do they notice if she knows he’s scheduled to come through soon she makes his favorites. Who really cares?

- Zey cares because he can see where this is going. But, I also feel like there’s just a moment where he really can’t take that little bit of happiness from her. There’s a war going on that feels like it’s trying to divide the Galaxy in too, they Order’s hemorrhaging Jedi (about four months including a fellow Sentinel he helped train, Leska Drayson, leaving Solus Vetra floating in the unknown), and Clones are dying left and right. The Galaxy is falling into Hell with no end in sight and the Light feels like it’s dying. He warns her not to overtly run afoul of the Code then leaves her be. If this keeps her faith in the light going then let her have it.

- When Mereel starts hanging around her office this also turns into her offering whatever extras she has around. He just so happens to stop by and see her and she just so happens to order extra.

“I think the word to describe this is hetikles? Try it and tell me if I got the word right?”

“Lumi skipped out on meeting up again. It’s Twi’lek spicy but want her share?”

“They sent me too much. Want to share?”

- Eventually they stop acting like spending time together is an accident and they spend their kind of downtime around the Barracks together. Her tiny office couch and comfy visitor chair, as opposed to the uncomfortable one, are his. Unless, she’s sleeping there for the night...again. Because Jazari is married to computers and keeping track of everything that she stays there for days. Really, they should just give her a bunk so she can sleep stretched out.

- If Mereel has science questions for her she either answers them or goes on a giant hunt for the answer for him. Because she enjoys learning new things too and they share a love of wanting to know.

- I imagine this eventually leads to Jazari helping on occasion with finding a cure for the Clones’ rapid aging. Fully making of said cure is 100% Mereel but she’s their to offer assistance. Sometimes it’s being his sounding board for ideas, others as a study partner or Finder of Things, but mostly as a Rubber Ducky. He talks through whatever chains of chemistry and genetics that’s causing trouble to her and she listens.

- He returns the favor for her computer coding and slicing.

- Jazari also goes above and beyond and builds a sort of genetic sequence simulator for him to work with. It took some effort to get the program datapad compatible but she worked really, really hard for this. Same as she starts studying some genetics to be a better Sounding Board and Rubber Ducky.

- The first big thing Jazari leans on Mereel for is when Solus left them. It went beyond leaving the Order and the Republic but she left for Death Watch. No one could ignore those reports coming in of Solus fitting the description of a Death Watch member, how Krownest turned into House Vizsla seemingly overnight, nor the uptick in successful strikes by Death Watch against the Republic.

And no one wanted to let Jazari forget it.

- No matter how angry she is about this reckless, dangerous, stupid looking choice there is still a Solus sized hole in her life and it hurts. Her life feels out of balance without her Introvert acting like an Extrovert bounding around telling stupid stories or gushing over new fighter tech. Lumi is more withdrawn now because those two had a connection meant to span lifetimes. Beyond the anger and the sadness there is real fear. Solus may have finally bitten off more than she can chew on a path Jazari may not be able to follow her down.

A lot of what’s eating at Jazari is something she can’t verbally express to others so she turns to sparring. Mereel falls into this and they’ll go round after round together. Leaning on him was not the plan (her problems aren’t his to bear, she knows Kal’s stance on Death Watch, and she’s not making his difficult life worse) but it still happened. He’s one of the few non-Jedi people who she shares any kind of relationship with who has the security clearance for her rants.

The biggest rant that needs clearance is what Solus did to a large portion of their network on Nar Shaddaa. It was like ten proton bombs had been strapped together and get off with a Hyperdrive. The Nar Shaddaan Rooks (a fake Mandalorian Clan as Jazari had been told numerous times) almost became a smoldering crater with the few alive and mentally sound people left on the wind. That level of chaos spooked a lot of other Republic Friendly Assets in case the Psychotic Butcher came back for Round Two. Not even Jazari would piece together what in the Sevens Hells of Corellia Solus wanted to know.

- Helping out everything is the fact Jazari is almost impossible not to like. So, she gets on well with Kal and Mereel’s brothers. Tries to be observant of their Mandalorian Traditions and remembers little things. Once she even confesses that Kal reminds her of her Dad.

- This turns into Mereel getting to hear bits of what Jazari remembers about Jedha City and her Dad. A man she still quietly idolizes because he was smart and good and kind. He also gets stories about the two kind Guardians who took care of her for a few months after her father died, surly but kind Baze and humorous Chirrut.

- I’m not super aware of the specifies of the Nulls story lines just yet but I imagine Mereel starts to tell Jazari little things. Maybe admits he kind of feels like he’s in Ordo’s shadow.

- For a softer interlude, I could see Jazari taking Mereel to this multi-level garden she visits sometimes. I imagine it’s like a part museum, part botanical garden and animal sanctuary. There’s even an aquatic plant tour where you basically rent respirator masks and go on this self guided, swim tour of plants and caves. It’s one of her favorite places ever on Coruscant.

Her absolute favorite area though is the desert ones, especially the cold ones, because they remind her of Jedha.

- The next big thing Jazari leans on Mereel from is probably the shitstorm Lumi becomes when Depa Billaba almost dies. After Solus left, Mace and Lumi were on the outs more than the in (a relationship that fully crumbles after Ahsoka is cast out of the Order), Depa became Lumi’s cornerstone. Her devotion to her Lineage Sister was one of the few things keeping her in the Order beyond the obligations she felt to Clones.

Lumi withdrew so hard Jazari worried the world had only become black and white to her. She grew more aggressive, almost froze over, and threw herself into mastering Shii-Cho because, “Master Fisto had the greatest success against Grevious.” Unspoken but fully known is that Lumi is prepared to decimate Grevious entirely in Revenge.

- During this spiraling I imagine Jazari at one point makes Mereel promise he’s not going to die during all of this. She had just finished sobbing onto his shoulder (which she feels bad for later) but she’s had to face the very real chance there’s going to be a Lumi shaped hole in her life soon. She’s tired of losing people and he’s forbidden to become one of them.

“I’ll pull rank if I have too,” she murmurs into the nape of his neck while clinging to him and still trembling, “But, neither one of us give a damn about this. This is as friends. You’re too important to me. I can’t lose you too.”

It speaks volumes about how she feels because he’s on the same level as Solus and Lumi in her mind. That’s a precious, almost scared place to be.

- When something looks Off in the Coruscant Guard, Jazari trusts Mereel enough to mention it to him. There’s a new guard among Palpatine’s personal bodyguard who was part of the Umbara Fiasco. She doesn’t trust anyone’s intentions at this point.

“I read the files,” she tells him. Neither talk about the way she broke into them. “He was prepared to fire on his own brothers and killed a Jedi. Even in self-defense, I know how sly the wording in the military code is. He shouldn’t be alive.”

- What this eventually turns into is Jazari showing a complete faith in Mereel and admitting both her and Lumi had been in contact with Solus on the sly (both before Pre’s death and afterward). Solus is fully outside of this entire, rotten to it’s very core system. As she words it, “We have restrictions to what actions we can take. She does not. Even after everything, I trust her to investigate.”

- Also admitted would be the hint of jealousy she feels toward Solus being happy? Not that she’s begrudging one of her best friend’s her happiness but the fact Jazari wants to feel that level of peace. Bitterly, Jazari points out Solus looks happier among terrorists (or former terrorists after Death Watch splits) than she ever looked in the 11 years among the Order and the Republic.

- Another soft interlude moment before Order 66 is Jazari falling asleep with Mereel on her tiny office couch. It was not built to comfortably hold one person let along two with the shorter one being 5’ 10”. When they wake up, it’s wrapped entirely around each other, legs tangled together with Jazari on top of Mereel. Her chin is digging into his shoulder while her hair is tickling his nose. One of his arms is around her waist while she has one twisted in the way only a Mirialan could achieve without dislocation. They half under the quilt she came to own because someone got tired of seeing her sleep burrowed into her own robes.

Jazari tells him they should just run away together. That way they can have a million more mornings like this and in more comfortable places. They could wake up to the early morning sunlight creeping over the hills and through the window causing the curtains to glow. Have caf outside while sitting on a swing. He has to make it though because he’s picky. Wants everything made in an infuriatingly difficult way with the only the best, hand roasted beans that cost way too much.

- If they’ve never kissed until this point (which I’ve not worked out when that happens) it would 100% happen in this moment. She basically told him she wants a normal forever with him.

- Order 66 happens soon after. Jazari does not make it off Coruscant with the others. The assortment of children, teens, and adults fleeing with her got cut off in the lower levels of the Temple. Instead, they spend nearly a month collecting others, hiding out, and waging their own warfare against the encroaching Darkness with Erkan. Jazari works to get messages out and doesn’t tell them she was hurt nor how the wound isn’t healing like it needs too.

- Lumi and Mereel get a crash course in getting along when they meet up. It absolutely was not the intention for Lumi and the small group she had to crash into the Skiratas attempting to escape. But, it happened. She saved Etain when her life was almost cut short. Between that and her skills at flight it she was useful. Both of them know that Lumi and Jazari splitting from each other to better their chances of escape was the Right Choice. It doesn’t feel like the Right Call though.

- The month it takes for things to fall into place is Tense. I imagine Mereel wants to save Jazari Right Then and Lumi wants to back him with that plan. Depa’s dead and so is Caleb. Even Mace is gone and no matter how little they saw eye to eye, she still loved him. It would be so easy to give into the grief, burst in blasters blazing, and make Coruscant and Palpatine and the Galaxy feel her pain. But, she forces herself to behave.

- The surprising plan comes when Harti Wren gets in contact with Kal and the others on behalf of Solus. Jazari got a message out to her and Solus has a plan. Her riduur’s family told them how the Dark Saber was stolen from the Temple during the Fall of the Old Republic. That’s going to be their way out. It’s a really tense meeting in Harti’s Keldabe apartment; tempers rise, words get shouted, everyone is on some kind of dividing line. More so when Solus’ plan only includes herself, Lumi, and still on Mandalore, Ahsoka Tano for the mission.

Unknown to them at the time Jai Vetra was planning the evacuation of the Republic Kamino Base for the same day.

(As standoffish as Solus acts, I do believe she deeply sympathizes with Mereel and the others. Pre fought Maul and died without her being there. She knows how much it hurts to be sidelined - in her case because she had given birth only a few months prior – and have the person you love die in the process. But, she also knows that too much emotion on a mission turns it into an unpredictable shitshow. Hell, if she had better options she sure as fuck wouldn’t be heading into this clusterfuck herself because she’s too emotionally tied to the mission as well.)

- Eventually enough compromises go down for it to happen even if Jazari remembers very little of evacuation. She was feverish, weak, and it seemed to be losing a fight to an infection in her arm. She’s partially aware Erkan may have died on the way out but otherwise feverish. Solus takes the other Jedi to Clan Vetra’s stronghold (as agreed to keep Clan Skirata Safe) but Jazari is sent with them.

- Mij Gilamar ends up being able to save Jazari but it costs almost all of her left arm. The tissues too necrotic in too many places, her body doesn’t have the strength to keep up the fight to save it, and frankly, the Force may be the only reason she survived that long at all. Medicine sure as fuck doesn’t have the answer.

- Mereel’s by her side the entire time and is right outside her bacta tank when she wakes up. Everything’s super blurry in her eyes, Jazari’s almost afraid it’s a dream again because she can see Mereel, but she still smiles at him. Soon as she’s out, still coated into bacta and feeling slimey, smelling like she rolled in pineapples, they are hugging. Jazari kisses him so many times and full on cries.

- Getting used to the mechno arm took some time. Yes, it moves and feels and responds like her flesh arm but it’s not the same. She bonds with Corr over their arms and picks up his habit of sharpening knives on the metal finger tips.

- When she’s doing better, Jazari does get her “Let’s run away together” fantasy of waking up on a perfect morning. They have caf, watch the sun rise, and cuddle on a porch swing. Then there’s a tooka wrapping around her ankles, Kad starts giggling while Etain groans from the kitchen, Besany is choking back laughter, and no one’s entirely sure what’s that noise was from Parja’s workshop but it sounded like something backfiring or maybe a small explosion? It’s not what she first imagined but it is so, so, so much better.

#caff writes #jazari naaji #mereel skirata #mereel x jazari #jareel? #mezari #fuck if i know what their ship name is #s: bastard space succulents #well the name blend one #look i had way too much fun and i fucking love how this turned out #they're not in a perfect place but they're happy

[imaginetho]

Can I please request Imayoshi AU where he's a member of Yakuza (and next in line to be leader) and his s/o finds out about it when Imayoshi saved her after being kidnapped by an enemy clan? Thanks, and I love your writings by the way! ^_^

i hope you like this! ^^

i never knew imayoshi can get even hotter than he already is until i imagined this thank you for blessing me

Imayoshi was ready for all kinds of tasks that he’ll have to accomplish as a member of the Yakuza except for one, saving you.

One of the tasks for tonight was saving his long term best friend and crush, you. The reason he called it long term was really because you’ve been all he’s ever wanted for as long as he can remember.

Imayoshi being Imayoshi could have probably gotten you like any girl he laid eyes on and thought he’d want, but you were different. He always took pleasure in doting on you as his best friend.

Too afraid to ruin your years worth of friendship and hurt you, he always stopped himself from making a move on you. Even though it was clear you felt the same way as he did, he just couldn’t risk it.

You were too special for him, you were the first person in so long to make him feel so loved and cared for even with knowing how horrible of a person he can become sometimes. 

You were with him through thick and thin, and as much as he hates to admit it, that was something that meant a lot to him and would not take for granted like he usually does with things.

The two of you have known each other for as long he can remember. He still remembers the first time the two of you met. 

He was only 10 years old, he was making his way back home when he noticed the new neighbors were finally moving in the house next door. He saw they only had one daughter that looked about a year or two younger than he was. As usual, he rolled his eyes and went inside his house.

Every morning to school he’d see you and the two of you would walk almost next to each other if he wasn’t so quick to walk in front and leave you behind. He wasn’t the kind of kid to make friends easily nor did he care much for it.

Even though you’d always greet him in the morning and try to open a conversation, he’d shut you down completely. Yet, you always tried.

It was when you knocked on their door that night and he was the one to open he realized you might not be the worst to have as a friend. His face turned into an immediate smile as he saw what was in your hands.

It was his cat. 

It was missing for 3 days. He tried to look for it everywhere but couldn’t find it. He didn’t show it but he really missed it. You wouldn’t think but he actually was a cat person. 

When he finally turned his attention to you and not the cat he noticed your eyes were really red, almost as if you were crying nonstop. Your face wasn’t it’s usual color either, and you didn’t stop sneezing. 

You were smiling but you did not look okay. 

He quickly took the cat away from your hands and put it inside. 

“Idiot! If you were allergic to cats why’d you get so close to it?!” he yelled.

“I heard from my mom that you’d lost your cat a few days ago and when I was sitting in my room I heard some noise in the bushes, I looked down and found your cat. There wasn’t anyone in the house but me so I brought it.” you spoke.

“Still, you should have said something instead of getting so close and touching it!” he yelled.

You gulped and exhaled deeply. You’ve been really nice to him and you really have no idea what’s with this attitude of his. You just wanted to be friends, he always seemed distant and you wanted to get to know him.

But right now, you were angry.

“Is it really that hard to say thank you?! I brought you back your cat, you can just say thank you.” you retorted. 

“I was just worr-” he didn’t get to continue because you started talking again.

“All I’ve been trying to do is be friends with you! Why won’t you let me be your friend? It’s not nice to always be alone!” you yelled.

You were angry alright. He’ve always shut you down and sometimes even ignored you. The least he can do was say thank you. Why was he giving you a hard time even now?

Imayoshi’s cheeks turned a light pink and he avoided eye contact. “I’m sorry.” he mumbled.

“What?” you asked, you were busy being angry and expecting him to yell back so you didn’t hear him well.

“I said I’m sorry. And please uh.. go take care of yourself, you look horrible.” he giggled. 

You rolled your eyes and left.

He really had no idea why on earth would you do all of this for him, it wasn’t so usual for him to actually like and trust people, but somehow after this maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if the two of you became friends.

Ever since then he smiled more at you, answered you back and sometimes was even the first to start a conversation. Slowly with time he felt closer and closer to you. Somewhere along the way he realized why you always were loved by so many people.

Even though the two of you have been with other people throughout your lives, it always seemed like the both of you were just too afraid to make a move on each other so you tried to distract yourselves with someone else, hoping they’ll be the one.

But it never worked out.

Right now, he’s regretting everything, not telling you how he feels, not holding you in his arms when he wanted to, not kissing you, not having you sit on his lap while he whispered sweet nothings to your ear, not giving the both of you a chance, and not protecting you enough.

He thought he was protecting you by not being with you, considering who he is, what he does for a living and who he is about to come, the leader of the Yakuza, he didn’t wanna get you involved in all of this. You didn’t deserve this. 

He always secretly thought you were too good for him.

His worst fear was losing you and now that it might actually happen or have already even happened is something he didn’t wish to live and see.

You’ve been kidnapped by some of the shittiest people he had to deal with and it seemed like they finally found the perfect way to get back at him and hurt him. 

He just arrived to the location where you are supposed to be alongside his men. It was an old abandoned building that seemed like a hideout. He exhaled deeply and put on the wicked smirk he was always known for. He kicked the door open and shots started getting fired.

Numerous screams can be heard and yet none of them seemed to be yours. A number of people started running around, some got shot, some tried to put up a fight and failed. 

After half an hour of running around and killing everyone and anyone who dared to try and stop him, he finally heard it. Someone’s sobs were near by, and he recognized the sound of it to be yours.

He found you in a dark corner. You were on the floor, your knees held tight to your chest and your hands covering your ears from all the screams and gunshots. Your face was buried in your knees and you were crying. 

Luckily he saw you still had your clothes on. Even though they looked a little ripped and you had a few bruises, but other than that you seemed okay. He hid the gun he was holding in his back pocket and made his way to you.

Slowly and gently he bent down. He pulled you into a hug and sighed. “You’re safe now. I have you. No one will hurt you anymore, I’ll get you out of here.” he whispered.

You lifted your head, your face messed up and eyes swollen from so much tears. “Sh…Shoichi? Wh-… What are you doing here?” you whimpered.

“I’m here to save you of course, why else?” he smiled.

He took off his jacket and gave it to you. “I’m gonna carry you in my arms alright? I need you to cover yourself with my jacket, you can’t see anything around you okay? Make sure to cover your face with it, close your eyes and focus only on the sound of my heart.” he said.

He didn’t wanna let you see the people hurting and dying around. If he’s gonna save you and protect you then might as well do it right. He can’t let you see and experience things even worse than you already have.

You nodded and let him carry you. You put the jacket on your face, making sure you couldn’t see anything and then wrapped your arms around his neck. You rested your head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat.

Of course, it was pounding normally. It would be very unlikely of him to lose his composure and let his emotions get the best of him. You chuckled at how calm he always remained no matter what. You always admired that about him. You exhaled and focused your listening to the calm sound of his heartbeat.

Two hours later and you were in his apartment, safe and sound. You were taking a warm shower and he was waiting for you outside. He put a clean shirt of his on the bed, figuring how much taller he was than you, it’ll probably reach to your knees or lower.

He decided to change his clothes too and since you’ll probably take a long time in the shower he figured it’d be more than enough for him to change and leave before you came out.

He changed his pants and was about to put on a shirt when you walked out.

Oh well, guess you took shorter than expected.

You stood in your place with nothing but a towel on and looked at him. You crossed your arms and leaned on the wall. Looking at him from head to toe.

“Really Shoichi? A Yakuza member? I mean I know you are supposed to be edgy and cool but don’t you think this is a bit too much?” you sighed and examined the tattoos that were all over his bare chest and arms.

“And next in line to be the leader.” he added.

“Now I know why you only wore long sleeved shirts.” you chuckled, even though you were hurt. 

He’ve been lying to you all this time. Your best friend was apparently even darker than you had known him to be and yet, your feelings about him did not falter, not even once.

He smiled at you and you caught his usual squinting eyes behind his glasses. 

“I know you’re hurt. I know I should have told you but I couldn’t. I care about you too much to let you know about this even darker side of me. I couldn’t risk losing you. I don’t wanna lose you.” he spoke. 

“Don’t you think If I was gonna leave you, I would have done it earlier? I mean no offense I love you and all but your personality isn’t the best.” you remarked.

He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair before readjusting his glasses.

Although it will take you some time to get over this and he will need to make it up to you big time for lying all this time, he did just save your life. He could have sent someone else to save you but he didn’t. He went there himself. You understood why he wouldn’t wanna tell you about this earlier. 

You walked closer to him and examined his tattoos with your hand. You started running your hands from his arms, stopping to feel his biceps, and then to his chest, stopping to feel his eight pack too.

You watched him from the corner of your eye and he didn’t look like he was complaining one bit. In fact he looked amused and waiting for what you were gonna do next.

Finally, you moved your hand to his cheek, caressing it and put your other hand through his hair. You looked him in the eyes and then saw his lips form into the smirk you always loved seeing. 

You chuckled and put your lips to his. 

At first you were the one in control, kissing him and running your hands all over his body, until you felt his hands slowly climb up your thighs and then squeeze your ass tightly.

You opened your mouth to moan and he took that as a chance to slip his tongue inside of you and take absolute dominance. 

“I’m not stopping and holding back like I always have. Not anymore.” he whispered in your ear between breaths. 

“Nor will I.” you whispered back.

#imayoshi #imayoshi x reader #kuroko no basket #kuroko no basuke #knb scenarios #knb drabbles #yakuza au #au #knb #imagineknb #knb imagines #the basketball which kuroko plays #angst #scenario #drabble #tōō academy #imayoshi shoichi #imayoshi shoichi x reader #anonymous #request

[imperceptibility]

清和 (Qinghe) -- by 来自远方 (Lai Zi Yuan Fang) -- ch. 3

~

Author → here

JJWXC → here

Disclaimer & summary → here

Translated by me

Index of characters → here

⯇ Chapter 2

~

A few days later, Qinghe once again went to see the intermediary. Through the intermediary, he also managed to successfully spread the message that the reason he was selling his house and farmland was because he was giving up his studies to enlist in the military so that he could go to the northern borderland and avenge his father and brothers.

Meng shi’erlang was going to enlist in the military?

As soon as the message got out, it was as if a drop of boiling hot oil had been dripped into cold water. The Meng Village exploded with it. Whether it was the housewives fetching water from the well or the the farmers plowing the fields, this was what everyone was talking about.

Before long, word even reached the neighboring villages.

“Meng shi’erlang is really going to enlist?”

“Of course! I heard it with my own ears.”

“Has he turned into a fool? Even if he were to give up his studies, he can still farm. He wants to give up his perfectly good life as a farmer to become a soldier?”

The small group of farmers was in the middle of their enthusiastic discussion when another voice interjected: “Farm? He’d need land to do that.”

“What do you mean?” One farmer put down his hoe and rubbed at his ear. “Meng laoliu[1] and his two older sons were all capable people. There must be some remaining property for the family.”

“From what I hear,” the farmer who had interjected was squatting by the field and he motioned for the others to come closer so he could lower his voice, “Meng Quangxiao is being neither kind nor generous. He has taken advantage of the fact that Meng Quangzhi and his two sons are gone and is bullying that household of widows and orphans, scheming his way to taking their house and fields and forcing shi’erlang’s family to the end of their rope. Back when shi’erlang was kicked out of school, everyone said it was odd, no? Shi’erlang became a tongsheng[2] at the age of thirteen. He could have attempted the next level of examination to become a xiucai just like Meng dalang, but now there is no hope for that. The reason he is enlisting is most likely this. He has got no other means of survival.”

“Oh?! Is that true? Wang laosan, you better not be making things up.”

“No matter what, Meng Guangxiao is the head of his clan and is a close relative[3] of Meng Guangzhi. How could he do something like this?”

“I am not making up anything! It is true. Not just Meng Guangxiao, even Meng Guangshun and Meng Guangming do not have clean hands in this matter, collaborating to steal their cousin’s properties. Shi’erlang’s family sold more than sixty mu of their farmland, more than half of which were top quality. Forget three funerals. You could have thirty funerals with that money. But look at how Meng Guangzhi and his sons’ funerals went. Look at how shi’erlang’s family is living right now.”

Everyone felt the man’s words were logical. 

Meng Qinghe needed to provide for his widowed mother and he needed to take care of two widowed sisters-in-law. Unable to hold on to his house and farmland and with the imperial examinations looking hopeless, as someone who had no other special skills under his belt, at least enlisting in the military (even if that meant converting land to farmland next to whichever border fortress he was to be stationed at) was a way out.

Thinking about it like this, Meng Qinghe wanting to enlist would make sense.

Everyone loved to gossip. As people heard rumors and passed them on with exaggerations and made-up details, Meng Guangxiao and the rest’s reputation took a nose dive. Even Meng Qinghai was asked by his peers about it at school. As scholars, at least his peers took into account his dignity and did not embarrass him in person. 

However, Meng Qinghai acted as if he were not affected. Day in and day out, he kept his nose in his books, single-minded focusing on preparing for the examination in a few months’ time. This lessened the rumors swirling about him and, by accident, gained him the favor of one of the county school’s assistant teachers[4]. The man stated that Meng Qinghai’s calm and collected demeanor in the face of such matters was rare and thus he was bound to achieve great things in the future. In contrast, his opinion of Meng Qinghe, whom he had never met before, became negative.

“Rumors are only rumors after all, not the truth. It is obvious what the character of a tongsheng who was kicked from his school is like.”

After learning of this, Meng Qinghe merely smiled without a care. Never mind an assistant teacher at the county school, even if it had been the county school teacher, or a teacher at the prefecture level schools, it had nothing to do with him. In fact, he hoped that Meng Qinghai would pass his exams and become a xiucai. Then it would be so much more fun.

The days passed. The gossip showed no signs of dying down.

Meng Qinghai could maintain his composure. Those who had nothing to do with the issue could liven their after-meal gossiping with it. However, the Meng clan members related to the matter were in a panic, as if someone had set their eyebrows on fire.

After finding out that Qinghe intended to enlist, Meng Guangxiao could no longer sit still. Rather, anyone who was Qinghe’s relative in some form or other could not sit still.

Shi’erlang was going to join the military? How could this be! Once his identity became registered as ‘military’[5], it would have troubling effects for other families in the clan!

The military policy of voluntary enlistment flourished in the latter half of the Ming Dynasty. At its start, the weisuo system of conscription had yet to break down and a military registration was heritable.

Once a person became ‘military’, every generation thereafter would be military. Should the father die, his son would succeed him. Should the older brother pass on, the younger brother would pick up where he had left off. This would continue until the entire lineage died out. The only way to rid oneself of the military status would be for the imperial court to issue a grace order, or if someone in the family strove hard and reached the position of the Minister of Defense after fearlessly beating out all those who had been trained for this line of work.

Comparing the two, the latter was even less likely, essentially impossible for a ‘grassroots’ individual with no background.

Of course, the Hongwu Emperor himself was a ‘grassroots’ individual, but he was not just anybody.

Even worse, if a military household died out or if a soldier deserted, the space must be filled by a relative. If there were no relatives to fill the space, then a person of the same surname from the same hometown had to. Regardless of whether one was succeeding one’s forefather or one was being drafted based on the household register, ultimately, all the spaces in the military needed to be filled.

Collecting soldier’s pay from the government without a corresponding soldier in place? From the Hongwu Era to the Yongle Era, doing this was no different from courting death.

Using an ‘adopted son’ as a replacement? In a period of the Ming Dynasty where even wanting to become a monk meant an investigation of one’s household register and came with strict age limits, this was impossible.

It did not matter that Meng Qinghe was selling his house and farmland. It was even fine for him to take his mother and sisters-in-law and leave the Meng Village. However, him enlisting was far, far from good.

Based on what shi’erlang was like, forget going into battle and killing enemies, he probably could not even lift a sword. After joining the military, one would need to thank the heavens a hundred times over if he could survive even for a day.

It was fine if he died. In Meng Guangzhi’s family, there were no more men. His brothers balang and jiulang left behind daughters. So who would the military look to for his replacement? The families of Meng Guangxiao and the rest were the prime picks.

Should the officials come knocking, it would not matter even if Meng dalang managed to become a xiucai.

Meng Guangxiao became anxious. He might be able to not mind his own reputation, but he had to care about his son’s prospects. As soon as his good nephew Qinghe became ‘military’, his own family would suffer for it. It was a matter of when, not if. Once that day came, dalang’s road of working his way up the imperial examinations would be completely blocked off.

The more he thought about it, the more uncertain he felt. In the end, he visited Qinghe’s family again. Not only was his attitude sincere, he even pulled on a hemp robe over his cotton-padded jacket.

Qinghe greeted him, the corner of his mouth twitching behind the curtain of his long hair.

Trying to play up familial love? Who was the real fool here?

“Good nephew, please do not be impulsive! At the very least, think of your mother!”

Qinghe’s expression was resolute, full of scholarly determination. “Datangbo, my father and brothers died at the hands of the Tatars. Even their remains could not be recovered. How can I hope to be a proper human being without avenging them?”

A sheen of sweat appeared on Meng Guangxiao’s forehead. “Good nephew, it is not so easy to kill the Tatars. Listen to me. Farmland and a house are the fundamental anchor of one’s life; it is better to not sell them. Also, do not think about enlisting anymore. Keep farming. If you want to continue your studies, I will think of a way for you to do so. If your father had a way of knowing what is happening, he would not want you to let your emotions affect your decisions either.”

“But the food and money that we owe ertangbo...?”

“Do not worry! I will go speak to him,” Meng Guangxiao hurriedly offered. “We are all relatives, after all.”

Seeing Qinghe's moment of quietness, Meng Guangxiao thought that he was getting through to him. Never did he imagine that Qinghe’s following words would choke the air right out of his lungs.

“I am thankful for datangbo’s kind intentions but a real man’s words hold enormous weight and he should not easily change his mind. He cannot accomplish anything if his promises cannot be trusted. You care for us as relatives, but I do not want to put you in a difficult position. I have already found an intermediary. Once I have repaid the debt owed to everyone, I will enlist.”

“Good nephew, listen to me!”

“No need to say more! My mind is made up. I have no regrets even if I die!”

“Good nephew, think on it some more.”

“No need.” Qinghe was full of devotion to righteousness. “One person joins the army, the whole family...no wait, the whole clan receives honor and glory!”

What ******* honor and glory!

Meng Guangxiao was no longer sweating. Instead, what rolled down were tears. A fool could not be reasoned with and it was impossible to communicate with one. He must have been confused back when he thought it was a ‘good’ thing that Qinghe was a fool!

Seeing that Meng Guangxiao was about to continue with his persuasion, Qinghe roughly loosened his collar and made an angry, malevolent face: “Whoever stops me from selling my house and farmland is stopping me from enlisting. Whoever stops me from enlisting is stopping me from avenging my father and brothers, forcing me to be unfilial and unrighteous! Such a person is my mortal enemy! I will fight such a person to death! I may not be able to swing the hatchet, but I can manage with the kitchen knife!”

“Good nephew, the punishment for murder is death...”

“Worry not!” With his hair loose about him, Qinghe bared his teeth and turned around to pick up a thick tome, which happened to be “Yu Zhi Da Gao”[6], compiled by the Hongwu Emperor himself. With a lift of his chin and a raise of his eyebrow, Qinghe continued: “I have the “Da Gao”! The imperial court says that anyone who has a copy of it automatically receives a reduction on their sentence. If I were to fight to the death with someone, my head will be safe. At the worst, I will be exiled and made to join the military[7]. If that were to be the case, then I can even save the money I would otherwise need to spend on getting there.”

As he spoke, Qinghe seemed to weigh the tome in his hand and compare it to Meng Guangxiao’s head, seemingly eager to give it a try.

He was a fool, after all, and what a fool did could not be held to normal standards of reason.

Gazing at Qinghe with his Da Gao in hand and an aura of auspiciousness, Meng Guangxiao’s lips trembled. A breath lodged itself in his throat and his eyes rolled back; Meng Guangxiao successfully fainted.

Before he hit the ground, he managed to utter something that transcended time: ****!

~

Chapter 4 ▶

~

T/N:

[1] Laoliu is a familiar way of addressing a person who is number six. In this case, MQH’s father Meng Guangzhi was the sixth oldest in his generation in his clan.

Similarly, a bit later on, Wang laosan means that person is the third oldest in his generation of the Wang clan.

[2] There were multiple levels to the imperial examination. A person who had passed the most local and basic level attained status as a tongsheng (literally “child student”). If this person did not go on to pass a next level of examination to become a xiucai, then yes, he would be a “child student” until the end of his life. (Xiucai enjoyed privileges that commoners did not have.)

[3] The author states that he is a relative of the tang sort (paternal cousins) whose closeness in blood has not gone outside of wufu. In the first chapter, this came up as the levels of hemp mourning garments one had to wear for one’s close relatives.

[4] There are many levels of teachers, as mentioned by the author in the original text. The role of this assistant teacher, xundao, was to aid the actual teacher. Depending on the level of the school, the role of teacher had a different title. At the county level, this was the jiaoyu. At the zhou (prefecture/department) level, this was the xuezheng. At the fu (urban prefecture of special importance) level, this was the jiaoshou (which is what university professors are called nowadays).

[5] There was a identity registry system used to keep track of people and their information, which included whether they were “farmers” or “military” or “slaves/servants”. This affected what they could do in life.

[6] The Yu Zhi Da Gao was a book of laws (case studies of serious crimes and the severe punishments meted out), one of several published during the Hongwu Emperor’s reign. Its title literally translates to “imperial order”.

[7] Yes, sometimes, the punishment was to be exiled to remote/not that hospitable/rife with conflict regions and join the military.

#Qinghe #Lai Zi Yuan Fang #novel #translation

[atomic-r0x]

Mags Rothschild | Prelude

Their feet dangling. Chewing neon pink bubble gum, they’re dressed in pristine white matching dresses. Bright red scratched knees, but from afar, they have an aura around them that gives no other choice but to adore them. Three layers of clear lip gloss and their slightly parted mouths, chewing to pass the time, hands intertwining every now and then, a perfect sync. They are so beautiful.

 Cussing in Chinese, a spit hits the ground at rocket speed. Boyish muttering and the type of slang only ridiculously rich kids now, dreaming of ghetto days.

 ‘Aye, still seeing that white dream ivy league?’ Park hasn’t been wearing a shirt for the past hour, he has it hanging from the hooks of his jeans and he’s crawling now from the bottom of the emptied swimming pool to the edge, his hands reaching for Juno’s legs, he’s making his way up, he’s inches from her mouth and there’s an annoyingly confident smirk on it.

 ‘F-ck off, Park, we’re married’ he falls back in perfect balance and his feet find the skateboard without having to search for it, he’s off doing a tour of the swimming pool in search for better words. Can’t find them so he pulls out his Zipper he got in America and lights up a cigarette rolled up in thick brown cigar paper. The fancy stuff.

 They’re ten of them. Two girls, eight boys, the Hong Kong version of a misfit clan in Hollywood series. There’s Mags and Juno, Thom who’s technically French but f-ck knows who’s been in his mom’s pants, then YumYum, whose actual name Mags never seems to remember but she gave him a hickey the summer before and in her imagination the bruise was ever-present on his throat like a stamp. Park and Billy, Juno’s alternate loverboys, though it always seemed like Park didn’t get the memo to move on, he’d been waiting for her legs to part for so long she got married in the meantime. Mags likes Billy, he lives off Cherry Dr Pepper and the best dim sum in town, he has his hair dyed a different colour every month, his dad thinks it’s gonna fall of, all of it. Then there’s Nate and Josh, identical twins with identical habits, they taste like expensive fast food and crashing their dad’s cars, their mom’s Chinese but papa’s Nigerian, they don’t know what race makes those two combined.

 The latest additions are Ling and Wei, their parents fled China because they were too rich and folks were getting suspicious, they found refuge in Hong Kong where they changed their names, brought the biggest house on the market and introduced the boys to the city’s richest’s kids, only fitting for similar friendships. Wei’s short-sighted and always horny, Ling is gay and angry and his nose is always bleeding from a fight. Neither ever got laid but act like they’ve done it times before.

 ‘F-ck me, Juno, who’ll tell him if you actually do, though?’ Park’s finished his smoke and he’s off the skateboard again, he’s doing mock dirty dancing with his shirt, pink tongue running like a blade across his pearl whites. Imaginary ecstasy, his eyes roll back at the climax.

 ‘Keep dreaming, love’ Juno half speaks, half pops her gum, and her hand searches for Mags’ again, then she shifts her position and her legs are parted for the briefest second, just enough to give Park h.ell, off again he is at doing the same old skate tricks. He hasn’t torn a pair of jeans in a decade and it’s getting boring.

 Mags watches her sister with eyes all hypnotised. There’s an ease and laziness to Juno she wishes she could steal, never return and wear it around Bryant as if her own creation. Juno could have an entire football team dying at the single accidental slip of a bra strap. Juno had her first French kiss at fifteen, second base and all.

 Six years and a half separate the two Rothschild nymphs but it feels like a lifetime. It feels like Mags has missed out on the most crucial parts of Juno’s becoming – and truthfully, that is probably right. Too busy with her childhood adventures to witness puberty, too caught up with her own growing pains to riddle out Juno’s innate sensuality and her way with boys, so now she’s stuck with being perpetually mesmerized by this creature she can’t resist nor understand, and finding a comfortable way of calling her ‘sister’.

 YumYum’s shirt is off, the hickey is gone, but there’s a new one, for a split second she wants to convince herself he fell off his skateboard and laded with his chest on a rock but how plausible is that? A pang of jealousy hits her hard in the stomach, they exchange glances briefly, she parts her legs in an attempt at what Juno’s just done but nobody witnesses it, not even her sister.

 ‘Where’d you got that from, baby boy?’ she doesn’t even have to raise her voice, YumYum has always been trash for her voice, he says hearing her say ‘baby boy’ hoarsely turns him on, but clearly, someone else is doing the job now.

 The boys all laugh and even Juno giggles a big, crossing her legs again, she’s lazily petting down the folds of her dress. It is no longer white, but she likes it that way. She hasn’t been pristine in too long anyway.

 YumYum tries to play it cool but the boys are sharks, they’re skating around him, dirty talking in Chinese and smirks so sharp they might slash tires. ‘Ain’t you gonna say, baby boy?’ Billy’s teasing, he’s using her intonation for the last part, throws a wink in Mags’ direction and she mimics catching it and stuffing it inside her bra.

 Hesitation, but it doesn’t last long, because Ling breaks the silence, he’s opening a cold can of beer as prelude to what he’s about to say. ‘YumYum’s in the process of getting a girl, but she’s virgin as fuck and he’s unconvincing.’ There’s laughter, an unopened can of beer flies over YumYum’s head and lands between Park’s skinny hands, he tears it open, gulps it down, there’s foam at the corner of his lips.

 ‘Ain’t you dating someone, doll?’ Nate asks and it’s already a declaration of let’s-get-it-down, he’s the most libidinous of the eight, he likes R&B and says his back muscles were trained while getting laid. Juno is amused, she’s biting her lips and Park is detonating a bomb inside of him, Mags is feeling betrayed.

 ‘Oh, yes I am. Don’t you know, American boys it’s what it’s all about’ she’s speaking while getting up from the edge of the emptied pool, doesn’t care for brushing the dust off her dress, her hand lands on her hip, there’s a mischievous smile spreading across her lips, ‘and some argue they fuck better than you. It’s true. C’mon, Juno, I’m bored’ their hands lock once more and her sister’s eyes are sparkling, she’s grinning. She’s amazed, but proud. Give ‘em h.ell, girl.