#But he already had a reason for two to become marines | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

moonbaby26 · 3 months

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Title: Basement Negotiations

(Chapter 1 of Doflamingo’s Marine Series)

*Crossposted to AO3 Here*

Reader/(Y/N) type: cis female marine

Pairings: Doflamingo x Reader as primary. Smoker x Reader is in the past. And Kuzan/Aokiji x Reader is there a little too.

Chapter Warnings: nonconsensual, dubious consent, language, violence, biting, blood, unprotected vaginal sex, fingering, oral sex (female receiving)

Chapter Synopsis: Imagine being an overly ambitious young marine under Tsuru’s command. You’ve just had a very public breakup with Smoker, and without knowing also caught the Heavenly Demon’s eye for quite a while now. But you may have finally crossed the line in interfering with the warlord’s business dealings. Either way, Doflamingo will make sure you get what you deserve.

Chapters: 1, 2

———————————————

———————————————

“You aren’t listening!” Smoker barked back at you, those two cigars pinched between his now bared teeth.

Things had unraveled here so quickly. Just minutes ago you’d been calmly following him as he’d asked to have a private word in the courtyard here at Mariejois.

For three months the two of you had been apart on assignments in different seas, and almost nightly you’d imagined finally seeing him again. You’d envisioned sharing a bed once more and doing everything you knew you had both been waiting for.

But now Smoker’s expression was practically a snarl and it just snapped something deeper within you as that final straw broke.

All the weeks that it’d been hard to get him by transponder snail, you hadn’t even worried. He was busy. You were busy. And you’d finally made the rank of captain. That next crucial step towards your own dream of becoming a vice admiral someday. You’d been riding that emotional high, just anticipating getting to celebrate together with him.

But this man who you thought would share in your pride and accomplishments the most, looked you dead in the eyes and said you had an obsession. That your desire to so rapidly climb the ranks at the expense of all else was not healthy. You were going to crash and burn, and he would no longer be a party to that.

But he hadn’t wanted to do this over snail. He’d come all this way just to tell you that the two of you were over straight to your face.

And as hotheaded as the both of you could be, the resulting argument had escalated explosively to this.

His subordinate Tashigi had dashed out, tears almost in her eyes by then as she begged for the fight to stop. You considered her a friend, but even she wasn’t enough to reason with you then as you’d landed the first solid kick against his clenched jaw.

A haki infused strike that even a logia fruit user couldn’t dissipate away from. The sound of the connect had been audible through the courtyard as he reeled back.

“He thinks I’m weak!” You called out spitefully to Tashigi as you immediately followed up to invert your body with a dive and a handspring that let your legs wrap around Smoker’s neck next before he could fly away.

Every place your bodies touched, you coated with haki in order to keep a hold of him. He tried to grab your thighs, but you still completed the maneuver to set him off balance and pull him down to the ground instead.

You wouldn’t stop fighting now until you either drew first blood or pinned him as symbolic victory. Because it drove something in you absolutely livid to be thought of as physically less than any other marine.

What he framed as caring about you, you could now only see as him not believing in your strength and ability to outlast your peers.

He didn’t know what sacrifices you’d already made. How hard it had been to claw your way up even to this point. You had worked so doggedly to be here, and you would go even higher, with or without him.

You knew you could mitigate his abilities better in close quarters. But he did knock you back enough to finally turn to smoke and take to the air.

Besides your haki though, your other weapon of choice was the rope dart you now unwrapped from your shoulder. He wasn’t out of your range yet as you infused the dagger with more of your power and launched it at him in the air.

You sensed his frustration mounting as well, and you knew he was about to make a mistake. You saw it so clearly in your mind that you focused on nothing else.

And that was the exact moment in which you lost the battle, as you didn’t account for the surprise attack from behind.

You did gasp aloud as your feet seized to the ground. The sudden cold felt like knives piercing all the way up your bare legs and beneath your skirt as your upper body stilled in that brief paralysis.

Your rope dart went limp on the ground as you’d stopped controlling it. You were trying to catch your breath as that unnatural cold had risen all the way up into your chest then.

“Enough sparring for this morning…don’t you think?” A new voice questioned calmly, yet still imposing enough behind you.

“You always take his side,” You muttered through an involuntary shiver. You’d completely lost feeling in your legs by the time Aokiji walked by you with his hands back in his pockets.

“Congratulations on making captain.” The admiral said sincerely. Before adding, “Tsuru said she has a new assignment for you though. I’d head fast to her office, yeah?”

You stared after him in surprise as he kept walking, but with a mix of a little dread building in you all the same. Tsuru was the last person you wanted to be scolded by right now. But this fight had all happened so fast. Could she already know?

You quickly started refocusing your haki to melt off the ice. It looked like little bits of steam coming off of your legs before you were able to stagger forward with the rest of the excess ice shattering off of you as it fell to the ground in chunks.

Smoker was possibly getting reprimanded by Aokiji next. You could see them talking now. But the two men were friends, so it was doubtful. You really only saw Tashigi still looking upset, like she wanted to say something to you. But you turned your back to them all after collecting your weapon to wrap it back around your shoulder.

When you did so, you realized just how much of an audience you’d acquired in the courtyard. Not just people all gawking on the ground level, but shadows moving in the balconies above as well. Too many to care about right now as your long marine coat flowed behind you as you stormed off.

————————————

No part of Mariejois was actually a marine base. But in cooperation with the World Government, these administrative offices and meeting areas were shared with the marines.

You moved purposefully through the familiar corridors then, only stopping briefly at the women’s restroom area to mirror check yourself.

There was no time to change. All you could do was button closed your marine coat enough to cover up how your skirt and the bottom of your shirt were still wet from the melted ice.

You then took a wet towel next to clean your face of scuffs or dirt. It wasn’t so much vanity though as it was pride. You couldn’t look too disheveled, because that would mean that Smoker really had gotten the best of you.

He had been your longest physical relationship to this point. Two years of your life to that man. And now he’d just pulled the rug out from under you as his thanks for all the effort.

And as you’d turned away from the mirror, you heard the door and two other women coming in. They were talking amongst themselves.

“And she just attacked him right out there in front of everyone!”

“What a psycho!”

By their clothing, they were just two World Government clerks, glorified coffee getters actually. Not anyone whose opinion you gave a shit about even as the color drained from their faces when they saw you.

But you didn’t have the time, just shouldering roughly past them and right back out the door.

———————————

As you entered Tsuru’s temporary office, still concerned for whatever discipline might await you there, you were only surprised to see a couple more of the crew helping her pack her things rapidly away.

“You’re leaving already, ma’am?” You asked, knowing the whole purpose of the trip here had been for the warlord meeting she was always a part of.

Even as a captain yourself now, your official post was still on her battleship. You had sailed under this woman from your very first marine recruitment actually. And for the dynamics of Tsuru’s crew, that meant she was more like a stern mother figure to you by this point.

“There’s been an incident near Amazon Lily.” She responded while sliding her notebooks into one of the bags they had. “Sengoku has asked that we go immediately and deescalate the situation to mitigate any casualties.”

It was no secret that Tsuru preferred a mostly female crew. So logically it’d make sense for you all to deal with Hancock and her Kuja Pirates if it came down to it.

“Yes, ma’am.” You answered, relieved to already have another fight to focus on really. “I’ll go to the ship now and help ready for sail then.” You had started to turn on your heel for the hallway too before she responded.

“You’re not coming with us.” The Vice Admiral cut you off.

The confusion in your eyes as you looked back must have been evident as she immediately continued.

“The warlord meeting is starting now. I need you to present that report on the war in Charybdis in my place. The World Government is still hemming and hawing about giving us the funding needed to move into that area.”

Yes, you were the one who had made the report for her in the first place. But always with the intention that it would have her authority as a vice admiral behind it when presented.

She knew you well though, and even that brief moment of silence made clear your hesitation. Of course she would have none of it. “You know the data better than anyone else. It’s your report, so make it work. Get us that funding.”

“I’m not a salesman, Tsuru-san.” You still protested. If the marines didn’t move in to turn the tide in that war soon, so many more lives were going to be lost. It was not minor politics to be played at by a novice.

“You don’t have to be a salesman. Be yourself, that’s authentic enough. They’ll believe you as long as you’re firm on it. And when it’s over, you can sail back to Marineford on Sengoku’s ship this evening.”

She shoved the report folders into your arms next, the last things that had been on her now cleared desk. “File everything of the reports in the government archive here too when done please. We may still need to reference them again later for those other things we talked about.”

“Of course,” You could only agree reflexively, knowing now she had obviously made up her mind.

And you were all walking back into the hall together soon after as they’d taken everything else that they needed.

“Good luck, (Y/N)!” Your other crewmates offered cheerfully.

But it was Tsuru whose brow still furrowed as if she’d remembered one last important thing. She spoke to you quickly, but with emphasis. “The only two warlords who showed up today are Bartholomew Kuma-” Because of course he always did. “But also Donquixote Doflamingo.” Who almost never did.

And her eyes were truly serious in that moment as she warned you. “I would say Doflamingo must have a vested interest in the war as well for him to come here now. Nothing altruistic either I’m sure. You’ll be fine with Sengoku there of course. But, do not let your guard down with that pirate. He’s conniving and dangerous. You know this.”

“Yes, ma’am.” You answered again. Tsuru had been the vice admiral chasing Doflamingo from long before he had immunity as a warlord. And before he had been king of Dressrosa either. You’d been there for some of it too, all the way back from those North Blue days as a chore girl on her ship. But you knew their shared history predated even your time on her crew.

That brief look she gave you of still lingering worry was what finally made you relax slightly though. Because it wasn’t that same patronizing concern that Smoker had had.

Tsuru knew damned well what you were capable of. She didn’t try to keep too tight of a leash on you either. She had always done her best just to guide you instead. Direct the weapon instead of dismantle it.

“I’ll be fine.” You nodded at her. “I won’t be intimidated by someone like Doflamingo. It’d be an embarrassment to our crew.”

“I know. But go on then and be careful. They’ll already be starting.” She shooed you on after, before you both turned to head in your opposite directions.

————————————

And they had already started. You’d paused briefly, making sure your posture was just right and befitting of a marine before you walked in through the ornate meeting hall doors.

Vice Admiral Momonga was speaking about previous meetings’ minutes as you kept your calm even as you realized every chair seemed already occupied.

Mostly by lesser staff, World Government fodder likely here as well only for discussions about the Charybdis war. They would be your audience soon enough for this damned report.

There was at least one chair still open though as you rounded the table. And you thought you knew why. No one wanted to sit by the warlords.

But if they had to choose one, apparently they still chose Kuma. Because at this far curve of the table, it was another marine, then Kuma, then Doflamingo, the one empty chair, and then another government official.

So you didn’t have a choice as you slid silently into the empty seat beside Doflamingo and placed Tsuru’s folders on the table.

No one seemed to acknowledge your arrival. And that was fine as you were trying to discreetly reread the reports as the others kept working through their normal meeting preamble. You’d turned these reports in to Tsuru over a week ago, so the refresher was prudent.

But even as you listened while reading, there was something else that almost immediately distracted you.

The heady scent of cologne. It was odd to think that anything could smell so expensive. But it very much did as you saw movement in your peripheral vision.

You refused to look away from your paperwork though. Even as Doflamingo sank slightly down in his chair, as if he were getting more comfortable. His hands were in his pockets as he spread his knees wide open.

The warlord’s bright capris pants were then encroaching into your space to almost touch your own knees before you shifted your legs carefully away from him.

Your knees remained closed, then pointing towards the government official on the other side of you as you kept reading.

You didn’t know if anything in Doflamingo’s actions was intentional. But when he had moved, you’d smelled that cologne just minutely stronger. Affirming that the rich scent was indeed from the tall pirate.

Sengoku was speaking next. And you did finally glance up as you heard the fleet admiral mention you.

“Vice Admiral Tsuru has been unexpectedly occupied with a sudden matter concerning the Kuja pirates. Her subordinate, Captain (Y/N) will be presenting the Charybdis report in lieu of Tsuru this morning.”

And damn if every eye in the room wasn’t on you then. Though that oddly excited feeling was there as well as you realized it was the first time you’d been so publicly addressed as a captain. And there was absolutely no shame to also be noted as Tsuru’s subordinate in the same breath considering the immense respect you had for that woman.

“I do thank you for joining us on such short notice, (Y/N).” Sengoku continued, before uttering the words that really put the pressure on you. “If you could please go ahead and present the report. I know you likely have work elsewhere as well.”

“Yes, sir.” You answered as a visual transponder snail was passed in your direction.

Never had you presented at this level. But you’d been in enough lower level staff meetings to know the technology as second nature when you let the snail broadcast the documents onto one of the large screens that had been brought into the room.

You’d also been taught to stand whenever giving information to those who outranked you. So you were in your element as best as you could be, pushing your chair away to stand as you just got right into it to begin speaking.

But that wasn’t the hard part either you knew. Giving the information in a digestible format was one thing. Where it really came down to it would be when the questions started. You knew all too well that Tsuru had put her trust in you to not only relay your report, but to defend it as well.

And so you talked about the contributing factors of the war, the major players in it, the casualty estimates to this point, and the destabilization that it was ever escalating in the region.

To any humanitarian, the horrors of those details alone should have warranted full marine forces to intervene and force an armistice to stem the bloodshed immediately.

But you knew the real ways the World Government worked as well. And so lastly was the thing you were most trying to “sell” if anything. Your estimates on just how much was now being lost in trade and taxes with this region because of the indefinite conflict.

You wanted the government to conclude that it’d still be cheaper to deploy the marines in what would surely be a drawn out demilitarization of the area, than it would be to just let things continue unchecked as they had been.

The only variable that you really still worried about was who exactly was feeding the weapons sales on both sides. You’d only gotten an alias out of the pirates and mercenaries you’d captured on the ground there.

There was some individual named Joker still operating out there that they were more afraid of than even your rope around their throats.

You had told Tsuru of course, but both of you had agreed to omit this name from the reports. Because you didn’t know how in bed that individual may already be with the government. The criminals you’d interrogated had been too low level to know either.

That would be a beast to chase another day.

And when you were finally done with all of this and the questions did begin, it was the onslaught you’d expected. Just one voice after another, over and over.

They wanted verification of figures, verification of sources, this, that, everything.

It was hard not to grow irritable after awhile. You’d rather have been doing punishment laps in Marineford with Akainu screaming at you by then rather than defending all these inane quibbles the government officials had.

But finally the moment came where you waited for the next stupid bureaucrat to speak and only silence rose up instead.

Sengoku was a savior though, as after just that first initial silence he made sure to close the interrogation for good. “Thank you again, Captain.” He nodded to you. “This information will surely weigh heavily on our decision whether to mobilize forces to the region. We won’t keep you either. You are dismissed.”

You could have hugged the Fleet Admiral by then. But of course you didn’t let the relief show, only nodding respectfully before picking up all Tsuru’s folders again as you remained standing, then sliding your chair back in.

Sengoku was already speaking once more to the others as you turned to leave the table. And in your intense focus to defend your report, you hadn’t realized that at some point your warlord neighbor had further stretched out one of his long legs. But this time directly behind you.

It had to be on purpose now as you’d turned around and immediately tripped over it.

Only your reflexes saved you. Well arguably so as even though you didn’t fall, you’d had to reach out one arm to catch yourself.

The folders were clutched to you. But your other hand grabbed the nearest thing to steady your body.

As Doflamingo was still seated, it would have just been his shoulder if he were any normal man. But with his taller height, your palm then splayed out against his goddamned bare chest beneath his open shirt.

It was only a second of skin to skin contact. Your palm against the bottom edge of his stupidly firm pectoral muscle. And you prayed that no one else even saw it as you’d recoiled your hand just as fast and straightened up to keep walking. You may have even scratched him with your fingernails for how hard you’d pulled back.

Before now, Doflamingo had not made a single sound the entire time you’d been in this room either. But you heard a disapproving cluck of his tongue as you passed him.

And then something else that pulled from deeper down in him. It was so low, that you doubted anyone else could have possibly heard it.

“Tease.” Was the menacing whisper, making it the first time you’d ever heard that foul man’s voice directed to you alone.

But you didn’t look back. Physically relieved actually as soon as those doors had closed back behind you, and you’d been able to escape to the corridor with the outside guards looking on.

———————————

You tried to remember your promise to Tsuru of not being intimidated by Doflamingo as you moved through the halls on your way to the archive next. But your body was ignoring your brain somehow.

You felt flustered again. Not so unlike you had with Smoker this morning. But it was clearly different. With Smoker you’d been angry, hurt even if you were finally being honest with yourself.

You felt angry now too obviously. That some arrogant warlord would try to embarrass you in front of your superiors like that.

But that wasn’t all. You were frustrated by his insinuation. Because why did he say that to you? It wasn’t even the word really. It was the way in which he said it.

Tease.

Like a promise…or a threat. You realized just how much your conflicted feelings must show on your face as well for the very weird look the World Government pencil pusher gave you as you walked up to their desk at the entrance of the basement archives.

“Security clearance please.” The worker still said reflexively.

“Captain (Y/N).” You said your designation as you flashed your marine card from out of your pocket. “I’m bringing these documents to be filed about the Charybdis war.” As Tsuru had also requested you to do earlier.

The clerk looked at the government numbering on one of the folders briefly. “Bottom level, store room D. Please leave them in the return lockbox there and they will be cataloged in three to five business days.”

Ah, the joys of bureaucracy. “Thank you,” You said anyway as they pressed a button on their desk to unlock the stairwell door.

Once you were past the door and you heard the deadbolts slide back closed again though, you sighed.

You just needed to forget all of it. Fuck Smoker and his betrayal, fuck Doflamingo and his mind games. Nothing was supposed to be like this today.

But to your horror, you realized your eyes were finally trying to water a little as you began the long descent.

The basement archives were an absurd thirteen levels and you were now heading for the bottom as you descended the narrow stairwell.

Of course everyone had warned you. They’d said that you would be too much for Smoker to put up with in the long run. But you’d wanted him. Or maybe you’d just wanted someone who could hold his own against you period. And Smoker had just happened to be who fit the bill and was available at that time.

You wiped idly at your face and the new dampness there. You’d waited three months too, thinking you’d have a real man in your bed again tonight. You’d behaved in every port of call and ignored the cat calls and the stares of useless boys in the ranks in order to stay abstinent.

And for what?

To be left with nothing but a goodbye fight in the middle of Mariejois.

So that’s where your mind really was as you kept on down the stairs. The overly loud ventilation fans made even hearing your own footsteps difficult. But the constant white noise was kind of soothing too.

As you finally entered storage room D on the very bottom level, you had to click the lights on. There was a large metal table in the room’s center, with rows of shelving all around. Shelves full of different file boxes, as you found the lockbox noted for those still to be filed.

You slid your paperwork into the slot to complete your task. But hesitated after, now thinking how little your somewhat irritated thighs were going to enjoy the equally lengthy stair climb back up.

All alone at last, you opened your marine coat then to take a better look at your bare legs. The damage really wasn’t all that noticeable visually. But couldn’t Aokiji just have stopped at your calves? Did he have to ice burn you so far upward past that?

You were fiddling with your tight skirt next, trying to shift it slightly so that the side seam wasn’t pressing as much into the irritated skin there when you actually caught the smell of something.

Just the faintest hint of expensive cologne, completely out of place here as you realized with a sudden dread that you had left your back to the open doorway.

Your observation haki was still the weaker of the two types you possessed. But not unusable to you, especially when it screamed in your mind to move now as your body instantly chose fight over flight.

You could actually feel the air movement against the tears still in your eyes as Doflamingo’s strings passed you in a near miss as you dodged.

The coil of your rope dart was already slid off your shoulder by then as well. The dagger tip and rope glowing with haki as you struck back at your attacker, launching your weapon towards the doorway in a blur.

For how tall he was, the warlord moved as fast as anyone you’d ever fought though. Faster even, with only your haki keeping him from shredding your rope dart with his strings as they entangled one another.

His long fingers were jerking this way and that as you tried to keep up. It was exceedingly more difficult to protect yourself and your weapon at the same time.

His strings were slicing through anything they contacted. The lockbox you’d just used exploded like confetti behind you.

String after string was dancing around your body too as you blocked with a pepper of armament coating. The confines of the room made strategy limited. There were only so many evasive moves you could make before you had to get in closer to him.

And your legs were your best weapon once the rope dart was out of play. You were too close to him now to get enough throw in the dart anyway, switching to kicks as your heavy ankle boots went for him hard.

Hard enough that he grunted with the rapid strikes, actually taking a few steps back. But you knew his own coating was protecting all those vital points just as quickly.

Haki meeting haki over and over as you tried to be fast enough to find a weak spot before he could cover it.

And when you couldn’t with your feet, you went for punches instead. You knew the switch up may give you a single chance to land a significant blow, and it really did.

He had still been focusing on your legs as you’d sprung off of your foot, up in the air, but then clocking him as hard as you possibly could in the left side of his face with your haki flared out from that punch.

The connect and the resulting way his face whipped to the side was the most satisfying thing you had experienced in ages. Even more so than hitting Smoker this morning in front of everyone.

But your satisfaction was short lived as Doflamingo’s leg came up in brutal retribution.

“Athlete!” He snarled the named attack, his entire leg coated with that aura of willpower then and strings arcing behind it from his foot as you tried to block.

It was too strong to matter though. Even though you did block him, your back still crashed into the far wall after the hit. Files flew everywhere through the air as you had shattered and twisted multiple rows of shelves when you’d been sent straight through them.

You’d coated your spine and the back of your head before the hit to keep from having your back broken or worse. But it still knocked the wind out of you and hurt like a mother fucker before Doflamingo’s hand was then tight around your throat before you could hope to charge him again.

He’d crossed the room in an instant to follow you. And you choked once initially in his grip, but didn’t plead as you glared up into those blood red glasses now looming above you.

That single moment of being stunned was all it took for him to lock you in place as well as you felt the strings now tightening around your arms and legs when he pinned you.

He was breathing audibly though with blood running from the side of his mouth as he did so. Your earlier punch had put his cheek into his teeth enough to shred some of that inner flesh you realized.

You could see the hateful sneer on his face and the angry blood vessel bulging on his forehead. But he didn’t even speak at first. When his strings were fully tight enough on your limbs, only then did his hand release your throat.

Which let you take a gasping breath of course, refilling your lungs as soon as able. Yet you felt his fingers on the side of your face next. Calloused fingertips as they moved roughly across your tear streaks to smear them even further.

“Don’t tell me you came down here just to pity yourself.” He said almost as a growl then.

“I thought you liked to fight.” He added soon after though. But the way he was watching you made it feel like he was beginning to pivot from frustration to gloating already.

“You attacked a marine unprovoked.” You breathed again, trying to get some mental grasp back by falling into protocol. “Your immunity doesn’t give you that right.”

His head tilted slightly at your wording, that predatory body language remaining. “Unprovoked?” He was starting to smile too. But it was an equally cruel looking expression. “I strongly disagree.”

And to your shock, the strings around your legs actually started to spread them open as he only smiled larger. “You have no idea how long this has been coming. Tsuru’s little pet…” He mocked with an unnerving chuckle. “And she finally let you out of the nest alone. What did she expect would happen?”

As he said this, he only paused long enough to remove that gaudy pink feather coat, hanging it out of his way on one of the mangled shelves.

But this boded even worse for you. Showing he was planning on remaining here for more than a short time as you tried to move against the strings abruptly then. Even testing your haki to see if you could weaken them that way. But as thin as they were, they were just too many to break.

At least not without incurring severe injury on yourself. You felt the immediate sting as blood ran down from one of your calves to drip on the floor when you’d pulled too hard against the sharp strands.

“Mmm.” He almost cooed, watching the fresh blood for a moment as he partially rolled up the white sleeves of his open dress shirt. “Willing to lose some limbs just to show me how tough you really are then?” He questioned.

But you shuddered as his hand found your inner thigh immediately after. He steadied your leg with his grip initially, actually keeping the string from digging in further. But he didn’t stop there as his palm slid up for his long fingers to press against your underwear after.

“You can’t be serious.” You spoke in complete disbelief at the unwanted touch. He was a warlord, a fucking king of an entire country actually. In what world would he feel the need to prove anything by forcing himself on the likes of you? Maybe that wasn’t where your thought process should have been in this moment. But that’s where it goddamn went as he started to massage you shamelessly through the fabric.

It just didn’t make sense for him to risk his status for such a basic crime. It really didn’t.

“I already told you.” He chided as he never looked away from your face now. “You and me…you’ve been playing with this fire for quite awhile, little marine. Fair is fair.”

What was he talking about!? You’d never even interacted with him before now. Not directly at least, and never alone.

You were startled again though as with just another flick of his fingers, your underwear was cut apart. He pulled the loose fabric away, letting the pieces fall to the ground as his probing fingers replaced the previous massaging immediately.

“And don’t worry about us being interrupted.” His voice was so smooth too as if he wasn’t now attempting to finger fuck you just below your skirt. “That peon upstairs isn’t going to say a word. I work for the World Government remember? And my influence here is still more than most would think.”

“But the marines,” You shifted, trying and failing to sound threatening at all as one of his fingers pressed quickly past your sensitive entrance.

“Heh,” he laughed a little as you tightened around his finger, trying to resist it moving deeper. “I told your cohorts that I had to take a piss. But my string clone is being a good boy in my place by now I’m sure.”

“The fuck did I ever do to you!?” You retorted at that, hating how simple it all really was. Was no one really going to realize his trick? And would he just kill you when it was all said and done to keep you from talking about this?

“You really are trying to bait me, aren’t you?” He laughed again. “Can’t I just say I want to fuck you? What’s so wrong with that? I’ve seen you around for how many years now? In your slutty little skirts, always ready to fight. But still ignoring me like the bitch that you are.”

No, you still didn’t fully believe that. There was more to this. You’d done something that made you a threat. But you’d be stupid to rile him up too much again. So you tried to focus on just surviving the here and now.

“And you’re still tighter than I thought you’d be.” He commented anyway though, clearly giving his attention back to the way your walls kept closing on his finger. “I bet even a weakling like Smoker felt big in there didn’t he? I saw the show you put on with him earlier. Made me a little jealous…”

His voice was also trying so hard to entice you. Every time he spoke, you felt like you were reacting to that just as much as his touch.

“Was that pissant really what you were crying over though? Did he break that little marine heart?” He continued, tracing another finger over your shirt, directly between your breasts at the word. “You know…the best revenge is just getting right back up and onto a new cock.”

The odd way his tone still deepened then, was he speaking from experience? You’d heard the rumors about him and Sir Crocodile.

But Doflamingo was also really moving his other hand harshly between your legs now. You could feel how slick it had already gotten to your shame as well.

Men or women, it likely didn’t matter to him. As long as he got to be the one in control. But still, why you?

“You talk a lot.” Was what you finally said, trying not to let your hips move against his hand like your traitorous body already wanted to do. He’d added a second finger inside you now, spreading things even a little more.

But he didn’t get angry when you responded again. It was as if he’d been waiting for it actually.

“Then kiss me and shut me up you marine bitch.” He taunted in return. Yet with it obvious that you were restrained and could make no such move before he suddenly bent down to take your lips by force instead.

And there was nothing you could do but endure as his obscene tongue quickly pushed its way past your teeth. The taste of his blood from your earlier punch was still heavily there as well.

He made a greedy sound against your lips, trying to coax your own tongue out as you held back.

And when you wouldn’t meet him there, he suddenly bit your bottom lip instead. Hard enough that you yelped into his mouth and pulled against the strings again.

But he only laughed as he grabbed you by the back of your head. Keeping you from biting him in return before the blood started pooling from your wound.

“You really thought you wouldn’t be punished for trying to break my goddamn jaw earlier, woman?” He was still smiling as he said it though, now watching your blood run down your chin.

“I think red really is your color though.” He added needfully too, and before you could turn your face away, he’d leaned in again to actually lick the blood trail from your skin.

Which transitioned into another wet kiss even as he held your hair with his fist tight against your scalp.

“Just accept what I’m offering you, woman.” He growled a little as he broke the kiss once more. “You want to live I’m sure. But I’m not unreasonable. Keep your mouth shut after this, and I’ll make sure your rank doesn’t stop at captain either. There’s no reason we can’t both have what we want.”

“You don’t even know me.” Somehow you still found those words to say. Even if you knew it was useless. You’d made the mistake of briefly glancing down when he’d shifted too. His large arousal was now obvious through his already tight pants.

But he spoke again regardless. “Don’t I? I know ruthlessness when I see it. Ambition.” Abruptly he’d slid his fingers back out of you now. His smile was nearly ear to ear. “That’s why Smoker turned on you. Don’t you get it?”

And you could only be more surprised as he squatted down in front of you without warning. Long legs bent, his ass almost touching the ground. But not quite as he grabbed your outer thighs to start pushing your skirt up and out of his way.

“They’re afraid of you, darling.” Doflamingo nearly purred, the warmth of his breath then against your exposed slit.

“So I’m the man you need now.” He said almost softly, just before his mouth closed around you.

You bucked and it only made him press harder, he was sucking you audibly. Mouthing your clit before letting his long tongue back out to sweep across it as if it needed to be licked clean. As if it was his absolute mission to send those trembles through your thighs and hear you whimper for him.

He had no hesitation, no shame at all as he kept his mouth and nose buried against you. You could feel even his glasses scraping your skin as he worked roughly and you shuddered multiple times.

“You see?” He did speak after another long lick, looking up at you again. “You want it don’t you? All of it. So take it. That’s what power is.”

He really was a manipulator, changing as fast as the tides to meet his goals. To imagine this level of confidence existing naturally in anyone would have been hard to believe if you hadn’t been right here to witness it.

“Are you recruiting me or fucking me, warlord?” You asked, but too overstimulated for it to sound like anything more than you struggling with yourself now.

He stood back to his full imposing height then, yet fondly licking the residue of you off of his mouth as he did so.

“Both.” He answered simply.

And as he said that, another few flicks of his fingers had every button falling off of your shirt. Both his hands spread your shirt open after, before he started feeling across the newly exposed skin.

There were bruises across your torso of course, but also still those little reddened areas from Aokiji’s ice burns of earlier. You realized just how much attention Doflamingo was paying to every inch of it too, tracing any damage before he slid your bra up and out of the way to begin squeezing your soft breasts.

“Is the rumor about you and Aokiji true as well?” The pirate asked straight out of the blue however as he looked over the light burns. “He did seem to take special care with you.”

“What?” You almost stammered as your chest continued to be groped, even as you felt another shift in the level of danger. Doflamingo was abruptly more serious again.

And when you didn’t immediately answer him, those glasses were staring straight through you.

“You’ve fucked him too haven’t you?” He clarified, as if you were too slow to understand.

And of course you had known what he meant the first time. The question was why it suddenly mattered, and why you knew to your core that things would explode now if you lied to him.

“We did.” You answered quietly. This was something you never talked about. “Before Smoker. But it didn’t last.” And even then, you felt you had to say why. “He thought I was too young then.”

“I remember that,” Doflamingo actually admitted though, squeezing your breasts a little harder then. Almost to the point of being painful after your confession.

“The rookie that already knew haki. Another pain in the ass whenever Tsuru’s ship would roll up in one of my towns before I became a warlord. I lost a lot of soldiers to prisons throughout the North Blue because of you all.”

Yet he didn’t sound angry anymore over that part of it. And he just kept on. “But now with Smoker out of the picture…I wouldn’t be surprised if Aokiji tries you for another round. You’re all grown up and an officer after all. But too bad for him, I got here first…”

And as if to reiterate that point, Doflamingo leaned down and kissed you again without warning. But even with your bloody lip, it was still different than any one he’d given you before now. He wasn’t dominating this time. He wasn’t even forcing you. It was a real kiss as you finally allowed your tongue to reciprocate in complete surprise to yourself.

Because it actually felt so very good. Good enough that you even made a wanting sound, leaning into it a little more.

You wanted to be held then too. But his hands weren’t on your chest anymore. He was doing something with them, and you weren’t watching as you were living for this kiss in this moment with your eyes closed.

It didn’t take long however to realize the trade off that had already been made. Because you felt the pressure of his newly freed cock against your entrance soon after. That was what his hands had been doing, loosening his pants enough to free himself.

It was so sudden. And he didn’t give you the option of even a verbal refusal either. You just felt yourself stretch abruptly as the head pushed inside of you.

He had straightened up again by then, breaking the kiss as he did so. And whatever pathetic sound you made at the pain of penetration, had him only stroking his fingers across your hair and scalp as he kept pressing in further with his other arm snaking around your back to hold you to him.

“Good girl, let me in…” You heard him breathe as you continued to stretch. “Open up for me.”

He was the biggest you’d ever felt. But you refused to even look down, not wanting to see how disgustingly your poor skin would be pulled to tearing just to hold his girth inside of you.

“Relax.” He commanded again. Moving his hips ever so slowly as his skin slid against your inner walls, still going deeper.

When his tip finally bumped against your cervix, you heard him chuckle quietly as you tried to bury your face against him in the pain. “See?” He spoke in almost a whisper above you, so intimate now. “There’s the bottom. That’s as bad as it’ll be.” His fingers were still stroking your hair as well, like petting a wounded beast.

And even inside you then as deep as he could go, his hips still weren’t flush with yours. He was just that sizable. But that tightness clearly was pleasurable enough for him as he moaned a little already, starting to move his hips in a slow pumping motion.

It was maddening. Both torturous, but overwhelmingly erotic to be filled like you never had been before. Pleasure and pain shifting back and forth interchangeably as his thrusting began to quicken.

His breathing had changed too. You could hear the almost desperation in what was becoming more a panting sound as he let himself give in.

You even felt the strings start to loosen as he wanted to hold you more with his own hands. He had grabbed your legs behind the knees now, bidding you to wrap yourself around him as he picked you up.

“Fuck me, (Y/N). Come on. I want to hear you.” He said in the closest tone to begging that you thought anyone would ever hear from this man. All the while his hips kept pumping into you.

And it was the very first time he’d called you by name as well. Not bitch, not marine, not girl or woman. He was talking to you as he fucked you shamelessly. And he wanted the same attention in return.

“Doflamingo…” You finally said it too, holding on to him as the strings let go even more in response.

You felt so sore already, so it wasn’t easy to start to move your hips for him as well. But he groaned as soon as you did, his fingertips then digging possessively into your ass as you pumped up and down on his shaft while he stood there holding you.

You even felt a slight shudder go through him before he started to walk. Still inside of you, he carried you back to the center of the room and the metal table there before roughly setting you down on its edge.

His movements weren’t smooth at all by now. He was far too consumed as he forced you onto your back, your cunt still hanging off the table edge with his hard cock inside.

He loomed over you as he held your legs up against his torso and started thrusting so hard in and out again.

So much so that the table legs screeched as they shifted a few inches across the floor while you cried out.

He growled in pure satisfaction at your own sounds. But he wasn’t talking anymore. He was watching you as he fucked you, as if trying to commit your every tremble and whimper to memory.

Your exposed breasts were moving with your body as you panted for him. His fingernails dug into one of them, making you cry again as he shuddered once more.

It was only when he realized you’d turned your face away, that he grabbed you by the jaw to make you look at him again.

“You’re mine.” The words were almost animalistic when they left his throat. Only seconds before his orgasm overtook him and you got to see the proud Heavenly Demon bite his own lip, overwhelmed as his body absolutely trembled.

And to drive home that possessive declaration, he never even pulled out of you. You could feel the tell tale pulsing running up from the base of his cock instead as his seed released inside. He purposefully held his length in too, as deep as it could possibly go for your body to take in every drop of him that it could keep.

Only the overflow was sticky and warm as you felt it dripping out to run along your ass soon after. He was still watching you as it did too, a slick of sweat on his abdomen from the body heat the two of you had made.

You both stayed like that for what felt like the longest time too. Surviving in the little aftershocks and neither wanting to let go for a few minutes.

He was still panting too, before he leaned back down over you, finally letting his now softening cock slide back out with a wet sound.

And you didn’t resist as he kissed you again with your back still on the table. Even with the pressure of him finally removed from between your legs, it ached terribly as you felt the last of the strings detach from your skin as well.

He knew he didn’t need them to control you anymore.

It was actually you who was the first to speak though. Just staring into those emotionless glasses when the kisses finally stopped again. “What now?” You asked as you felt him touch your hair again.

He wasn’t smiling. But he was thinking. “It really would be a waste to kill you.” He eventually admitted. His fingers traced almost delicately across your throat next however.

“But I won’t tolerate you messing with my money again, do you understand? I’ll forget Charybdis this time. You can have it. Because it’s become more trouble than it’s worth now. But if you ever hear the name Joker again, keep your pretty head out of it.”

Your eyes widened just ever so slightly, realizing that your instincts had been correct all along then. He must have followed you down here to find out what you really knew. And to destroy the reports no doubt in case there was anything else in them that could come back to bite him.

Whatever lust he held for you was just a bonus. If it could be called that anyway.

“I don’t care about Joker,” You breathed in return, still with his hand touching you as you actually turned your face to move more into his palm. “If it wasn’t you, it just would have been the government instead. We knew that. We already let it go.”

He huffed slightly, but still ran his fingertip against your wounded lip in return. “Keep it that way then. Don’t make me ever regret sparing you. Because forgiveness won’t happen twice, even for you.”

With that he did back away, letting you sit up on the table at last.

And only then did you get to see his still wet cock as he grabbed it to begin tucking it back into his open pants. It wasn’t at its full glory any longer of course, soft now even with a visible vein running the length of it.

You did get the briefest glance of his impressive balls as well. Hung like a young bull almost before he’d pulled his pants back closed and started tying the drawstrings that held them around his waist.

“So you are a natural blond.” You mumbled tiredly, daring to smirk a little actually. You’d seen his short pubic hair around the base too. It looked like he’d shaved it recently and it was only just growing back a little. What a vain man.

“Heh.” He smiled lewdly, more back to his normal attitude then as he replied. “And I’ll expect you to kiss it next time.”

“Oh yeah?” You questioned despite yourself as you slid off the table back to standing. “Well I’m probably going to be arrested for treason and being a warlord fucker long before then.”

You couldn’t see his eyes, but his tone made it sound like they would be rolling at you now. “I told you I have more influence than you think. This room will be sealed and cleaned up as soon as we leave. They’ll say they misfiled your reports and that will be the end of it.”

You raised an eyebrow at him. He’d put his pink feather coat back on now, and was just lingering with his hands in his pockets as he watched you also try to redress.

You’d pulled your bra back down and straightened it. Your skirt too before you’d buttoned your coat shut again as there was no way to close your shirt after he’d ripped the buttons off it earlier.

As you also regathered your weapon, you could only hope the cum still dripping out onto your thighs would remain contained in your skirt and coat until you could get to the showers and find a change of clothes.

It was him that spoke again though as he still watched you. “I wasn’t bullshitting earlier either. Just keep your friends off my ass and I’ll pull my strings literally and figuratively to get you promoted again soon enough.”

You glanced at him skeptically once more. “Just so you can have a high ranking marine in your pocket right?”

“Well of course. …And in my bed too.” At that he stuck his tongue out in a very vulgar gesture before laughing abruptly.

His legs were bent a little as he started to walk though, it looked funny until you realized he was trying to adjust himself. His still wet cock must have stuck to the inside of his pants.

You tried not to think just how bad the larger implications might be in the future though as you followed him back out into the stairwell. You were saving your own life, and likely some of Tsuru’s crew as well by keeping Joker’s identity under wraps for now.

But he’d expect this same level of cooperation ever after too, wouldn’t he? And likely even more before long. As you doubted anything would really stop here with an opportunistic man like this.

You had certainly fucked up today. But there was no redo to be had now.

Looking up the stairs, even your body thought you were an idiot in this moment. The accumulation of two fights, being frozen, and being fucked hard enough to still be hurting all the way into your cervix had worn you down as you thought just how many individual steps still lay ahead.

Doflamingo only hesitated one more time as he saw that tired expression on your face.

“I could help you, you know…” He teased as he levitated up a few floors instantly through the use of his strings.

You blinked, realizing he’d likely gotten to skip the stairs coming down as well. He could go up or down so easily.

“But then again-” He flipped to hang upside down briefly in the stairwell, clearly showing off for you. “No pain, no gain…right, my little marine?”

And before you could respond, he’d shot straight up the stairwell and out of sight with a deep, echoing laugh as his only memento while you were left staring.

“What a dick.” You grumbled to no one then as you started trudging slowly up the very first flight.

You deserved it though. Didn’t you?

———————————

T⨂ BE

CONTINUED

———————————

Thanks for reading!

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redlittlefoxari · 4 months

Text

An Adventure in making life Chapter 7: Let the water wash you clean

Relationship: Astarion x Tav

Warnings: NSFW 18+, smut, blood, violence, sex, blood drinking, pregnancy. *This chapter contains smut*

Summary: With Hormones are ragging through Tav’s body and morning sickness becoming a regular thing tempers clash, questions are raised and Tav is at her limit.

Master list

Tag list: @lunaredgrave

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Weeks pregnant Ten

It had been three weeks since the ruins, and you and Astarion hadn’t let your guard down for a second. There had been nothing since the ruins other than a few merchant carts making their way to Baldur’s Gate. They had all reported that their trip from Waterdeep had been going swimmingly and that the rest of their journey would probably go much the same. Still, the two of you decided to play it safe and stay on high alert for the remainder of your journey.

It was at this point that Jaheira advised you to start taking the herbs she gave you for the development of your unborn child. They didn’t taste great, but you had been dealing with drinking blood for the last ten weeks, so their grassy flavor didn’t bother you much. Astarion had gotten up before you to find the two of you something to eat, meaning a deer or whatever he could find. You told him you didn’t want to know what it was from just in case it was from an animal that was less than desirable.

While you waited, you chewed on a piece of dried meat that you had bought in the last town you passed through. It was sweet and salty and had been marinated in hot peppers before being dried. It was delicious, which was odd because you never really liked spicy food before the pregnancy, but now it became something you craved alongside sweet treats. You hoped that this didn’t mean your child would have a fiery personality. That was the last thing you needed. A hard-to-tame half-vampire child.

The thought crossed your mind suddenly. Would your child be able to go out in the sun? Or would the sun's fiery rays burn them like they did Astarion? The idea of your child being born unable to walk in the sun made your heart hurt. The child wouldn’t understand and what would happen if they crawled into the sunlight? Would you have to shut all the doors and curtains, never allowing them out during the day?

You shook the thought from your mind. There was still plenty of time to do some research and figure this out. There was no need to worry yourself thinking about something that may not even be a possibility. There was just as high of a chance that they would inherit your ability to walk in the sun.

You finished the dried meat and cleaned your hands of the grease that was left over. It was time to get dressed and get this day of your journey started. You grabbed your pants and put them on each of your legs without any problems. It was when you tried to button them together that you hit your first hurdle. They wouldn’t button.

You began to fight with the pants, trying with all your might to get them to close to no avail. You looked down to see that your stomach, which was once inconspicuous, now had a noticeable bump that was making it impossible to button your armor closed.

You cursed and suddenly felt a wave of nausea hit you as you barely had time to make it out the tent flaps and turn left into the bushes before you were emptying your stomach contents into the shrubbery. It was a long while until your stomach felt satisfied that it had given up all that it needed to, and by that time, the others in the camp had already started to come out and see what was going on.

“Went a little heavy with the wine again, I see.” Shadowheart had a touch of superiority in her voice that usually didn’t bother you, but for some reason, today, it just rubbed you the wrong way.

“I don’t think that's any of your concern.” You straightened your back and sucked in your stomach the best you could to hide your bump.

She looked down at your unbuttoned pants in confusion. “Are you still so drunk that you can’t even button your own pants?”

“Come on, you two, it's too early for this.” Wyll tried to chime in to stop the fight that was surely about to break out, but his efforts were in vain.

“I’m not drunk. I just suddenly got sick in the middle of my changing and needed to run outside, so I didn’t paint the walls of my tent! I don’t appreciate being interrogated every time something happens to me that you disagree with.” You turned your back to her and grabbed your bag of soaps. “I’m going to the river to clean myself. Can I go, or do you need to question me about that, too?”

You didn’t give her the chance to answer as you stormed off in the direction of the river that was just south of your camp. It was about when you were halfway to the shore that you realized you had no idea what the hells just happened or why you just got so mad at your friend.

“You're doing this to me.” You looked down and pointed to your bump. “You're making me do crazy things… I knew I shouldn’t eat spicy food.”

You let out a heavy sigh. Well, there was no sense in worrying about it now. You would just have to make amends when you got back to camp. Say something about how waking up and vomiting your guts out made you less than hospitable in the mornings.

Or maybe it was time to come clean about what was going on with you. You wanted to wait so that your news wouldn’t outshine Gale’s, but it was growing increasingly difficult to keep this hidden from everyone. You couldn’t hide the fact that your armor didn’t fit anymore. You needed to wear it for your own protection. You supposed that you could just say that you thought it was unnecessary because all the merchants you passed over the last three weeks said that their travels were fine. But what if that was just their good fortune and the rest of your travel would spell disaster? There was just no way to tell. If only you were a divination wizard.

You finally made it to the bank of the river and decided that since you were already here, you would do what you told everyone you were going to do. You slowly stripped off your pants and kicked them away for good measure; they were part of the damn problem. Then you took off your undershirt that went between you and your armor, throwing it over to where the pants ended up.

You looked down and saw a body you did not recognize. Breasts almost double the size of what they were before. Hips wider and fuller are also part of the problem as to why the pants didn’t fit and a small round belly protruding out where your baby rested safe and warm in your belly. You cradled that part of you and smiled, the only thing you liked about yourself at the moment.

You walked into the water with your bag of soap and took it out, getting it wet and starting to lather your skin with it. The soap smelled of lilac and blackberries. After you were done washing your arms, legs, and torso, you walked further into the water to wet your hair. The water was cold and caused you to shiver as you submerged yourself in it fully sinking under the water. You stayed under the water for a few seconds, enjoying the calmness you felt. The lack of sound in a world full of it.

When you finally came up for air you heard your name being called out. The voice sounded frantic and scared. You recognized the voice as belonging to Astraion in your haste to get away from the others at camp; you forgot that he wasn’t there. He had no idea where you were or what had happened; he probably showed up to camp, and you simply weren’t there.

“I’m okay! I’m just in the water.” You started to make your way back to the shore. The look of worry on his face was still ever present.

“What were you thinking, leaving without saying a word? You don’t even have any of your weapons; what if someone was out here and attacked you.” He shouted at you, but his voice broke at the end of his words.

“I know. I’m sorry, I just…” You fully step out of the water. Your body is on full display. “I Just needed some air… I needed to get clean.”

Your voice shook as you spoke. Embarrassment filled your every pore as you felt Astarion’s eyes on your body. “I got sick, and my pants don’t fit anymore, and I…” You felt yourself start to cry.

Astarion’s face melted from anger to worry the second your tears sprung free of your eyes. “You’re feeling self-conscious? You?”

“Of course I am! Look at me!” You gestured to your whole self. “My hips are huge, my clothes don’t fit, and I’m picking fights for no reason I can’t stop throwing up, and I’m….”

“Beautiful.” Astarion cut you off.

“Excuse you?”

“The fertility goddess herself couldn’t compare to you, my love.” He moved closer to you and hesitated. “May I touch you?”

You shook your head no, wrapping your arms around your body. Despite his words, you didn’t feel like they were true. Hallow words meant to flatter you and make you feel better. But deep down, you didn’t want to feel better. You wanted to wallow in self-pity and believe that all your fears were genuine. It was easier to believe in yourself than to trust others. Your own body was betraying you; why wouldn’t everyone else?

“Then I won’t touch you. Do you want me to leave?” Astarion stood still, almost as if he was in front of a wild deer, and he didn’t want to scare it away.

“No…”

“Do you want to sit down and talk?”

“Yes.” You walked to a patch of grass, picking up your shirt on the way and covering yourself with it.

Astarion sat next to you but allowed for some distance between the two of you. “Tell me what you’re thinking. Tell me why my strong, beautiful, caring partner suddenly thinks she’s as ugly as a hag when she is far from it.”

“I don’t know…. I feel like a stranger in my own skin. Every time I wake up, something new about me has changed. I guess I’m just tired.” You hugged your knees to your chest.

“Darling, there is nothing wrong with change. Every day I wake up next to you, I thank the gods that I have you because you helped me change into the man I am today.” Astarion looked off into the distance. “When we first met, I was broken… I trusted no one and only strived for power so that no one could ever take advantage of me, and then there you were. You were everything that I wished I could be; you oozed self-confidence. Everyone listened to you when you spoke and did as you said. That's part of the reason why I seduced you.”

You remember back to his love confession when he confessed to having been using you the whole time for protection. That was until he started to feel the same feelings for you that you did for him. Through you, he had opened up and learned to trust again. Learned to love someone and get back his bodily autonomy.

“I remember. You fell so hard for me.” You smiled.

“Yes, I did. I felt like an idiot that even though I was manipulating you somehow without even trying, I did what I was trying to do, but even better. Truly, you are amazing.” You unwrapped one of your arms from your legs and reached for his hand. He wove his fingers into yours.

“I’m sorry. I just…. I listen to these words in my head, and they make me feel like there’s something wrong with me.”

“There is nothing wrong with you. Your body is changing; for god's sake, you are growing a new person inside of you. And I mean it when I say you are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen and have become ten times more beautiful since you’re carrying my child inside you.”

Your cheeks felt hot. “Do you really mean that?”

“Every word.” Astarion paused and then continued. “May I show you?”

This time, you nodded your head yes.

Astarion moved so that he was kneeling before you, pausing to check if you were really okay. You nodded again, confirming you wanted to see what he was going to do.

“Lay down on your back if you would be so kind.” You did as he asked, placing your hands over your stomach. “Hands at your side, please.” You hesitated. “I want to show you just how beautiful I think you are.”

You slowly moved your hands off of your stomach and to your sides. “I’m not sure how this will…”

Astarion placed a light kiss on your tiny baby bump. “This is the best gift you could have given me.” He kissed the same area but in a different spot again. “For so long, I felt alone. I had no family but for the one Cazador made, but that was never truly a family.” He kissed a third time. “You have given me a chance at family again, something that I thought was lost the moment I became a vampire.”

Your eyes met the red of his, and you felt the gravity of his words. “I really am stupid….”

“Not stupid, just hormonal. pregnancy brain is a real thing, darling.” Astarion moved so that he was level with your face. “But it gives me a great excuse to tell you everything I truly feel and wow you with romanticism.”

“I don’t want to feel this way anymore.” You threw your head back. “And I want my damn pants to fit.”

“We can work something out. It’s just two more weeks till we’re in Waterdeep, and we can buy you a whole new wardrobe.” He scrunched his brows together. “This will pass; you are still the strongest person I know and the most beautiful behind me, of course.”

You sat up abruptly and jumped on top of him, pinning him to the ground.

“I don’t think this is going to get the reaction you want. I’m liking the view all too much, and I’m into this kind of thing.” He shot you a devilish smile.

“How do you know that I don’t want what you're thinking? And I know you like this.”

You leaned down and bit him hard on the left side of his neck, puncturing his skin and drawing blood. You sucked greedily at the holes you made in his neck until you heard a moan escape his lips. You pulled your lips away from his neck, where a large purple bruise started to form where you sucked.

“What do you think, Astarion? Is there anywhere else you want me to suck?” Your mouth was close to his ear as you spoke. And it dawned on you that pregnancy really was crazy. Just a few moments ago, you didn’t want anything to do with him, and now here you are craving the feel of him.

“I have some ideas, but for now, let me taste myself on your tongue.” Astarion pulled you to his lips. The taste of his blood was heavy on your tongue. He pushed through your lips quickly, and your tongues danced together.

You broke the kiss, wanting to tease him. It was only fair for all the times he teased you throughout the years. “Only a taste, Astarion, for I am not done tasting you.”

“Fuck.” He had a haze of lust as he watched you plant light kisses down his body, untucking his shirt to touch your lips to his skin.

You made your way to the waistband of his pants, barely looking up at him to meet his eyes. “Take these off.”

“You don’t have to ask twice.” Astarion pulled his waistband down just enough so that his length sprung free.

You grasped it gently at the base, placing your lips so that they just hovered above the head. Astarion waited with bated breath, his anticipation of what you were going to do. There was a question in his gaze.

You licked the tip of him lazily, causing a shudder to go through him that you felt at the base. You continued to lick lazy circles around his head. Every so often, a moan would escape deep in his throat. You did this for a few minutes, never going beyond the tip, teasing him with every stroke of your tongue.

“Are you going to tease me the whole time, or am I going to feel release?” Astarion’s voice shook his arousal plane to see in your hands.

You stopped and appeared to think for a moment. Playing out like you were contemplating something. “Maybe if you beg.”

Astarion let out a huff of air. “Please.”

“You can do better than that.” You accented every word so that a puff of air hit his tip.

“Please, I want to feel myself at the back of your throat.”

You nodded your approval and took him into your mouth, giving into his requests and taking him as far as you dared. His head lulled back as his fingers grasped the grass for some stability. You moved your lips back up his length, stopping just before leaving him entirely before going back down. You picked up the pace, throwing in intermittent twirls of your tongue around his tip to stroke and get him closer to his release.

He wove his fingers through your hair, and along with the gasps of pleasure that existed, his lip let you know that he was close to release. You sucked harder but kept the same pace as you felt Astarion's whole body tense, and as you felt his muscles release, you felt his warm seed hit the back of your throat. You swallowed it all and cleaned his tip before looking up at his face through the stray hairs that now covered your face.

“Gods, you look even more beautiful with me in you.” His voice was laced with pleasure, his eyes looking as if he wished to devour you.

“I know.” You moved from between his legs, grabbing your shirt from where you last placed it. “We should probably get back to the others… I need to apologize to Shadowheart.” You pulled your shirt over your head.

“Not until I return the favor.”

“I don’t think we have time for you to return the favor, but tonight, seek out my bedroll. I might let you in.” You placed a kiss on his lips.

“So I’m to just go about my day thinking about what you just did to me and stew about it?” Astarion pouted.

“Not stew plan. You’ll have all day to think of a way to get back at me.” You reached for your pants and frowned.

“You’re right.” He looked at you, holding your pants. “We can fix them so that they fit. Put them on.”

You did as he said, putting on the pants and trying to button them closed again and failed to do so. “Does the breastplate still fit?” He asked once he saw you try and fail to fasten your pants.

“Barley, but I think it will.” You tree up your hands.

“Let’s go back to camp, and we’ll attach the breastplate to the pants, which should keep them up for today, and then we’ll buy you some new armor at the next town we stop in.”

You nodded your agreement. “That’s the only thing we can do.”

“It will all work out just a few more weeks, and we can tell everyone our dirty little secret, and we won’t have to hide anything anymore.” He grabbed your hand to reassure you. “Everything will be alright. And no one cares that you yelled at Shadowheart; she is far too nosy.”

“I’m still going to apologize.”

You walked back to camp with Astarion to find that the others were waiting at the fire that was now just embers. They had already packed up their tents and seemed to be waiting for you and Astarion to come back and do the same. Shadowheart stood and walked towards the two of you with a look of relief on her face.

“I hope everything is alright…. I shouldn’t have just assumed that you drank too much last night; you've been sick this whole journey, it seems.” She didn’t meet your eyes.

“Yes, we'll, I shouldn't have gotten so angry with you… it’s not like I told you about my… sickness.” You decided to grasp onto the fact that she thought you had something wrong with you that was making you so sick.

“Is it something I can heal?” She asked, finally looking at you.

“No, I don’t think so… it will pass; I just need time.” You gave her a small smile.

“Alright, next time, I’ll hold your hair back so you don’t have to go to the river next time and make us all late to start today.” You knew her words were meant to be playful, not harmful.

“I’m sorry, I just needed to cool off. But I’ll go get ready now.” She gave you a curt nod.

You and Astarion went into the two of your tents and proceeded to fix your pants to your breastplate. With Astarion’s skills with a needle and thread, it looked as if nothing was a miss. Satisfied with his stitch job, the two of you then set to cleaning up and putting away your tent. In twenty minutes, you were packed up and ready to hit the road, no one mentioning the argument from earlier or the purple bruise that had already begun to fade on Astarion’s neck.

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saintwyfe · 1 year

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࿐ ˚ . ✦ STAY THE NIGHT? jude bellingham

summary. when you're just not ready for your bf to leave yet

cw. aggressive reader smh fluff

word count. 819

your dry eyes exclusively stared at the bright, white screen in the middle of your dim bedroom. you were bundled up in heaps of blankets alongside your boyfriend, jude, who’d also lent his arm around your neck and snuggled away. there was a spot on his chest left warm from the imprint of your cheek, marinating on it for an hour or so. the fluorescent blue light of the tv screen was slowly burning your eyes, but being preoccupied with the movie in front of you, you could truly care less.

along the movie, you felt your boyfriend fidgeting next to you, shuffling his legs, adjusting the hem of his t-shirt, and tapping his phone every now and again. you didn’t pay much mind to it when it first began, but now it was becoming a little repetitive. he hadn’t been giggling like he typically would, either, which drew worry within you.

your head drifted from the movie in front of you as you stole a glance at the boy who’d once again quickly clicked the power button on his phone.

"you okay?" you asked out of concern. you trusted he wasn’t being sneaky—if anything, maybe he was uncomfortable.

he swiftly cleared his throat, "yeah, i’m good." your eyes peered upon his stoic appearance while he attempted to seem preoccupied, squinting at the tv screen with his arms crossed in a formal demeanor.

"i actually," he paused, taking a second to (once again) peep at his phone, "think it’s getting pretty late." he shifted himself onto the headboard of your bed.

"what? we’re already so far into the movie—just stay for however long there is left," you protested, stationing your body upright as you watched his turned back begin to face you.

"listen, princess, i really have to get up early for training tomorrow. you can finish the rest without me, right?" he cooed in a sweet, drowsy tone while lowering himself to cup your cheek.

you frowned, gazing into his eyes. you took the opportunity to grasp the big hand fixed on your cheek, stroking it, as you two shared a few seconds of physical affection.

"do you really have to go?" you batted your eyelashes at him, anticipating that somehow your innocent gape would stir him back into bed.

he sighs. his head scans the ceiling of your room for a second before returning his gaze to you. you can sense that there was contemplation emanating from him, weighing the consequences of either spending the night or going home.

"last time i stayed the night, i was an hour late to practice," he says, pinching your cheek before grabbing the hoodie laying on the corner of your bed and flinging it over his head.

"i got into so much trouble too. i promise i’ll stay longer next time, but i really have to go." he continued, adjusting the collar of his hoodie, which draped so nicely on his broad frame.

as much as you hated to admit it, he was right. for whatever reason, every time he stayed the night, it just so happened that his alarm didn’t seem to go off. you two would be an hour into cuddling before he darts up and realizes that practice started 45 minutes ago.

you took the opportunity to sit on the edge of the bed as he fiddled with the hood of his sweater. you stood silent for a second, watching him before his departure.

"well, at least hug me before you go," you plead, tilting your head among the boy perched in front of you.

he let out a soft chuckle as he approached you with open arms. the fabric of his sweater etched across your cheek as you pulled him closer in your embrace, hugging him tighter.

wrapping your legs around him, you had the bright idea of keeping him home a little longer.

"you’re not going anywhere," you muffled into his clothed chest, sinking back into the bed with him still bound to your arms.

"y/n—" he cried, startled by the extent to which you went to keep him for the night.

"you’re so heavy," you mumbled under him. he chuckled in the crook of your neck before pulling himself from above you, though he didn’t fully plunk his weight on you. (😔)

"gosh, you really want me to stay the night that bad?" he teased, mounting himself between your legs. instinctively, you swathed your legs around his thighs once more.

"mhm," you nodded, dragging your bottom lip between your teeth.

"and, if you try to leave again, you’re dead, okay?" you declared before your boyfriend chuckled, bending down to peck your cheek.

"got it, ma’am" he hummed in agreement.

"but, if i'm late again, i swear—"

"shush, you're not going to be late, promise." you cut him off, knowing fully well it was destined to happen again, but that's for tomorrow to decipher.

an: chronic writer's block does not mix well with my notes list of ideas to write abt...

#jude bellingham #football imagine #football fanfic #football imagines #jude bellingham blurb #jude bellingham imagine #jude bellingham imagines #jude bellingham x reader #jude bellingham fluff #jude bellingham fanfic

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shanksbaby · 1 month

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Kuzan x revolutionary! reader - headcannons

thanks to @yama754 <3

you were a young recruit of the revolutionaries, despite your age however you soon managed to rise through the ranks of the Dragon army, and you soon gained his trust. Precisely for this reason she has entrusted you with a particular and also dangerous mission.

that is, to insert yourself among the marines, so that you can steal sensitive information on their possible future moves, and on Mary Geoise so that you can free the slaves who are in that city.

As dangerous as it was, you were excited to have such an important role

so you join the ranks of the marines, obviously starting from the rank of recruit and being assigned to a certain Aokiji. You had heard that he was a lazy admiral, who spent most of his time taking naps, and that suited you since you wouldn't have a superior who probably wouldn't keep an eye on you.

unfortunately you have caught the admiral's attention. The first thing he said to you was "Hey sexylady, are you free tonight?"

obviously you answered no, first: because he was a marine, and you hated them; second: it would have undermined your cover. Luckily for you, he didn't insist and continued to interact with you as if nothing had happened.

however over time you have become closer and closer. Despite you hate marines, you had seen how Aokiji acted towards civilians, how compassionate he was, how kind he was in his own way. And you understood that he wasn't all black and white.

and so you started opening up to him, and he did the same to you, even though he was an aloof guy. He shared his ideas about justice with you, and you couldn't help but admire him; as much as you opened up to him, you still lied about some issues so as not to blow your cover

during a mission you exchanged your first kiss, after he saw a pirate hurt you, he realized that his feelings for you were romantic: that he didn't want to just go to bed with you, he wanted more, you weren't just a 'sexy lady'

as much as you had tried to avoid any romantic connection with him, you had fallen in love. You couldn't lie to yourself anymore. So you kissed him, even though you felt bad towards Dragon.

so you move forward in your relationship, and you managed to collect important information, thanks to Aokiji, who trusts you and also starts telling you about his meetings. Of course, as much as you were happy to serve your purpose, and send information, you simultaneously felt guilty towards your boyfriend.

this went on for months, until he found out about you communicating with Dragon. He had already become suspicious of some of your behaviors, so he had decided to follow you. Now he had two options: let you go or capture you, impel you down where you will be tortured.

as much as he felt betrayed by you, he still loved you, even if he was mentally going through your memories trying to figure out if you were faking it or not, he felt affection for you. So he decided to let you go, even though he was more than capable of catching you.

you wanted to explain to him, you wanted to reassure him that it was real between you, that he wasn't expected, that you loved him, but he didn't let you speak, he simply looked at you with a look you had never seen before, icy, cold, far from that warmth of eyes that you had learned to love.

"If I see you next time, I will catch you. Don't mix my letting go this time as an alliance." that were the last words from him

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gingernut1314 · 4 months

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The Luck Child - Chapter 1: Superstitions of a Dying Age

Buggy x F!Reader

Summary: You are called back to Marine Headquarters after five years of working undercover within the crew of the Wild Wood Pirates. There, you are told by your superiors who they wish to grant the title of Warlord to and are assigned a new mission: join the Star Clown's crew and make sure he dies if he fails in his challenge.

Warnings: spoilers for the anime (Marineford Arc and onward), canon divergence

Word Count: 4.5K

A/N: This is done in collaboration with the wonderful @fanaticsnail and her Sapsorrow series--go read it if you haven't already!!! She also was brilliantly kind enough to beta-read this for me! And thank you @i-am-vita for creating the beautiful banner and storyteller collab masterlist!!

I actually haven't gotten to the Marineford Arc yet so please forgive me if anything is not completely right. I tried to leave things very vague for that reason but the events surrounding Buggy were just too perfect for this series! I hope you all enjoy!

“Not so long ago, in the depth of the Grand Line, where it is so cold, that very cold is considered quite warm, two cold hearts shadowed over the land. One beat cold in a cruel government, the other in a terrible beast: The Griffin. And it happened in a week with two Fridays, that the cruel government heard of a prophecy.”

The halls of Navy Headquarters were lit like they had allowed the very sun into its walls. No shadow graced its well-maintained halls, not even the likes of your own shadow to accompany you into the awaiting meeting hall. A meeting hall whose doors, which swirled with silver detailing, towered over you like some great, twin titans as you came to a stop before them.

Titans.

That was who sat, waiting for you behind those doors. Titans whose very will had sent for you days prior. Who had nearly torn the very delicate position in the pirate crew you had infiltrated to shreds.

The Wild Wood Pirates; a pack of wild women born from chaos and blood. Women whose power almost rivaled that of the Kuja Pirates and their Warlord Captain. They were a threat to the world government and all who bent the knee to their will.

A threat the government had not taken to so kindly.

Sending the Snake Princess of the Amazon Lily herself to destroy these wild women had been one of the many ideas sprung to deal with the hardened villains, but your superiors had thought of a different approach--a better, more calculated, and…gentler approach.

Spy on them. Become one of them. See how they slipped from the watchful eye of the Navy and how they could get from one side of the Grand Line to the other in a matter of hours.

And out of the thousands upon thousands of Marines to choose from for this task, they had chosen you.

You, the daughter of a well-respected Vice-Admiral and the strongest Marine produced from your class.

You, who was vicious in your attack upon the pirates that sailed the Grand Line.

You, who was bloodthirsty in your pursuit of the bandits and petty thieves that roamed the streets of the bases you occupied.

Wild. You were wild. Too wild, many a superior had spat, to be a Marine. So wild you had gotten yourself demoted and benched more times than you could care to count on your own two hands and feet.

It was why you had made the perfect candidate to infiltrate such a group of pirates. Unknown by most--overlooked--you and your savageness had been sent off to wander the Grand Line. Had been allowed to spread chaos and fear in your travels. Had been allowed to run wild.

You had earned your own little bounty, on the promise it would be cleared upon the success of your mission, and had been welcomed into the Wild Wood Pirates ranks with a few, messy kills.

It was crooked. Wicked of your superiors to allow you to do such horrid acts, but it was all in the name of discovery. Of committing little evils to behead that of a greater one.

You rose in rank gradually throughout the years you had joined their crew. Had gained favor with your new captain. Had gained such favor, you had been allowed on their main ship; The Robber’s Den. A grand vessel with a twisting and turning tunnel-like underbelly and home to a strange forest that grew over the deck.

Had just, after death and back-breaking labor, been allowed to be above deck as they traveled through the Grand Line at in-humanly fast speeds. The answers you sought had been in your grasp--your mission nearly complete when those very same superiors who had assigned you this years-long mission, sent a messenger bat to recall you.

You tugged at your white uniform. One you hadn’t worn in five years. Tugged and pulled and shifted it over your body, trying desperately to get comfortable in its hold.

Too tight, too thick, too itchy. It didn’t feel like your uniform any longer. It felt like a costume. A disguise. A poorly made disguise at that.

How had you ever had the patience to wear such a monstrosity?

The answer is you never had and coming fresh off the seas, where one did as they pleased, when they pleased it, the uniform was already trying your thin patience.

You shifted the cap upon your head, it having begun to itch right alongside your uniform, as you stared up at those giant doors before you.

In and out.

You willed--no prayed--for this meeting to be as swift as The Robber’s Den’s speed. An hour--an hour and a half at most is all you knew you had the tolerance for.

A progress report. That is what they had written in their letter. It would be a simple meeting. A very simple meeting, seeing as they had whisked you away from those Wild Wood Pirates before you could glean their biggest secret from them.

With a great, chest-expanding breath, you pushed your way into the meeting room full of glorified titans.

You wished beyond all hope to have your shadow by your side for company at that moment.

“Ah, so the feral girl finally makes her appearance.” The grating voice of Akainu spoke, stopping all idle conversation that had bounced around the rounded table and room. He was the first you spotted, signature pink rose on his breast and the basic, marine-sanctioned cap on his head, which led the eye to the large scars littering the right side of his body.

You let your eyes scan over the others around the table--all faces you recognized but many whose ranking seemed to have changed in your absence.

And Akainu, whose voice filled your ears with white-hot rage and made boiling magma to match that of his devil fruit powers roar through your veins, had been gifted the most gracious promotion. That of Fleet Admiral.

It did not surprise you he had climbed this high in rank. He was smart, cunning, and powerful. It did, however, have your curiosity stifling your coiling anger for a mere moment.

Why would a Fleet Admiral need to be present during a simple progress report?

You felt your muscles move on memory before your brain could rush to keep up with its sharp movements. Heels brought together, hips and shoulders on level, legs straight but not so firm as to lock up your knees, and right hand brought to meet your right brow in respect of your higher-ups.

“Forgive me, sir. I had been making my way to old headquarters before I realized its relocation.” The man let a mouth full of smoke escape his lips, which a half-smoked cigar still lay between.

“I didn’t expect anything else, Apprentice.” You hardly were able to refrain from outright snarling at the Fleet Admiral.

Seaman Apprentice. One rank up from being a lowly recruit. A rank you had received only a week before you were given your undercover assignment. “I see those wild women took every last ounce of civility from you.” He said, giving a wicked laugh at your reaction.

“With all due respect, Fleet Admiral.” Another member, sitting closest to the entrance, spoke up before you could lose your already lost temper. His chair blocked him from view, but you knew the dull voice of your father too well.

“Y/N took a great risk in joining the ranks of the Wild Wood Pirates. Took a greater risk still in coming here on such unexpected notice. It shows her dedication and devotion to our government.” Your father finished, making no such move as to look upon you. To see what had become of his only child in the time spent with the enemy.

Akainu let another mouthful of smoke filter out between his teeth, his dark eyes scanning over you from beneath his cap. Eyes that reignited that itch your uniform made crawl over your skin like a thousand ants had marched their way under it. It made your fingers twitch in want to relieve it.

“At ease.” He grated out, like he was disappointed in releasing you from the restricting position. You let your arm fall to your side before it joined your other behind your back, feet spread shoulders width apart. “I assume you have heard of the battle at Marineford and our…unfortunate happenings with the Warlords.”

Hardly. You had hardly heard such news had it not been for the News Coo bird you’d paid discreetly and at risk of your own personal being. You let your superiors know of your little knowledge of the battle.

“We are looking for others to fill the voids left by Teach, Jinbe, and Gecko Moria. We have filled two of these vacuums.” Akainu gestured for you to find a seat around the table. Your feet carried you to an opening next to the quiet likes of Tsuru, the Vice-Admiral hardly sparing you a glance. “The file before you holds all the information we currently hold on the pirate we believe might fill this last position.”

Your fingers smoothed over the fine-coursed blue file that sat before you, flipping it open you had not expected to be met with the sparkingly and laughing grin of a pirate whose reputation whispered around even the likes of the isolating Wild Wood Pirates. A reputation of cowardice and overall weakness that your crewmates had loathed.

A grin you had wanted to punch off his panted face ever since you had first met him in the flesh at the start of your five-year undercover mission.

You chuckled. No--not chuckled, laughed. A belly-shaking laugh as you grabbed at the edge of the wanted poster to tilt it towards your vision better.

“This is who you plan on granting the title of Warlord to? This bumbling fool?” You shook your head, wiping a stray tear from your eyes as your laughter continued to keep hold of you. “You are right, Fleet Admiral, I have been away from civilization far too long. You wish me to believe this clown is a threat to the Marines? To the World Government?”

“You have been gone far too long. You have forgotten your manners, Apprentice.” The rank had your laughter dying quickly in your throat. A rank hissed at you in a warning.

Manners. You truly did need to relearn your manners. If you didn’t, your higher-up would demote you to a lowly recruit--maybe even to that of chore boy and you would be nothing.

Nothing but a wild mess of a person--a failure. A reject. A disappointment.

“The Star Clown led a mass of prisoners out of Impel Down, of which he managed to escape with hardly a scratch.” You pursed your lips together to keep any remaining remarks down.

You hadn’t seen that in the news. Must have missed it in your isolation.

“He led those highly dangerous prisoners against us on the battlefield and still holds them under his command. He is becoming a threat.” Akainu all but spat your way.

“He’s just been lucky.” An admiral, sitting to the left of the Fleet Admiral, spoke, leaning back in his chair in dismission of the clown.

“Too lucky. We need to nib this luck at its source before it grows out of our power to control.” Akainu snapped at the admiral next to him, who hardly seemed phased. “If we--”

“A luck child,” Tsuru spoke from beside you, cutting off the Fleet Admiral. You almost threw the woman a wicked smile in approval had you not remembered she had a disliking of you right alongside the rest of her comrades. “Poor as penance, rich as snow, a great captain of a great captain. Wise men prophesied this child would one day achieve greatness.”

The room fell silent as the words fell heavy over the air. Words you had never heard once in your life, but ones that seemed to flicker in recognition in the eyes of the Marines around you.

“Have we fallen so low as to start believing old superstitions of a dying age?” The admiral to the left huffed. “It was no wise man who spoke those words. Gold Rodger was out of his mind by the time Death came for him. First this luck child, then that foolish proclamation about the One Piece. He was spewing utter nonsense.”

“Luck is a gift. A blessing. It cannot be undone.” The Admiral scoffed at Tsuru's words once more.

“Akainu, are you going to--”

“Then he is more of a threat than we originally thought. His escape, his ability to gather powerful individuals under his command, his connections to Red-Haired Shanks and the Rodger Pirates, and now this--prophecy.” The Admiral shook his head in disbelief at his superior’s words. “Something needs to be done about him.”

“Then why not just kill him?” You spoke on a gruff, gaining Akainu’s magma-filled gaze once more. “He is more trouble than he is worth. The other pirates mock him--he is their court jester, not their lord. Kill him and be done with it.” You all but hissed, throwing the clown's wanted poster down.

Akainu rapped his fingers against the marble table before him, deep in thought as he watched you. Watched you in a way you wished he would stop.

“You’ll find a map just beneath his bounty.” You pursed your lips together once more.

Manners. Remember your manners.

“As I am sure you have already gathered, we have not called you back for a simple progress report. You are to take that map to him as an offering to join his crew.” You pulled the map out from behind his bounty poster.

It was small. Old. Its detailing was lacking and few of the black lines that made up its image had faded with age.

How anyone was supposed to properly use it in its deteriorating state was beyond you.

“And what of the Wild Wood Pirates?” You asked, glancing back up to your superior.

“What of them?” He said, seeming utterly unworried. It fueled your anger once more.

“If they find out I left to join up with another crew they will not stop hunting me until I am dead.” You said, biting back the snap in your voice.

“Then sail clear of their territory.” Akainu snapped, uncaring to hold back his words’ own sharpness.

Sail clear of their territory--you almost scoffed. They had no territory. They didn’t care about such things. Power was all they cared about. Blood and chaos and pain. You went to tell him as such, but he was quick to shut your complaints down.

“You’re job, Apprentice, is to give him the map and join his crew. You are to take account of every last individual who has joined him, report it back to us, and make sure he finds this island. If he can find it and win the golden feather amongst its hordes of treasure, then he will receive a letter from us in due time telling of his new title. But if the beast that roams those lands defeats him, then we have nothing to worry about besides contacting the runner-up.”

You clenched your fist in your lap. Clenched it so hard you were almost certain you had broken the thin skin of your palm.

Join him. Join that fool? No. Never.

“Why would this feather be of any interest to him?” You asked, channeling all your frustrations into your grip.

“It is said to be of an opposing nature to that of the Devil Fruits. Legend says it frees its user from Mother Ocean’s hold forevermore. If the stories are to be believed, he would be able to swim as he pleased in her waters, never to drown. Maybe even be given the power to deify that of Seastone.” The Admiral to his left shook his head once more at the continued fairy tales and legends.

“And what happens when he fails to find this golden feather? When he fails to get eaten by this beast because he has run away like the slimy creature he is?” You asked, closing the file to keep those irritating green-blue eyes from staring at you any longer.

“Then you kill him as you see fit.” Akainu closed his own file. “You wild things do so love a bloody kill.”

Manners--oh but your manners were running very, very thin.

You pulled a thin-lipped smile to your features.

“As you command, Fleet Admiral.” Akainu chuckled darkly, releasing another mouthful of smoke.

“Very good.” He smirked, standing from his seat. “Then it is settled. Apprentice Y/N will see if our--Luck Child,” He said with another rumbling chuckle, “is fit for greatness as such wise men have prophecied. If not, he is better off dead and off the chess board.” You stood with the rest of the Marines around the table, right hand back on your brow as the Fleet Admiral moved through the room towards those great, giant doors.

The three admirals were quick to follow, and so on and so on until you were left standing in that too-bright, rounded meeting room with your father.

You felt no need for formal respect when it came to him, so you were quick to drop what little was left of your good manners and snarled like some raid animal in your frustrations.

You tugged and yanked at your uniform once more, loosening buttons and your necktie.

“Will you be--” You were quick to fix him with a daggered glare and a show of hissing teeth.

“I stopped needing your care long ago.” Your father hardly blinked at your wild behavior.

“You may have stopped needing it but I have yet to stop caring.” He sighed, standing from his seat.

Care. Like you were supposed to believe he truly cared for you.

You watched him pull something from the pocket of his white dress-pants. It was a rectangular envelope in a soft shade of periwinkle, with elegant and swirling handwriting that looped over the front.

You recognized it immediately for what it was. An invitation. One you had seen many times in the past.

“The Lady Aegea of the Magmere Isle is hosting her annual masquerade ball in three days time. Many ladies will be presented--” You held a hand up to stop him before he could continue to waste his breath.

“Have you forgotten I have been ordered to worm my way into yet another pirate crew by that time? If I am not killed for my betrayals, I will be no lady of any court you wish associations with.” Your father looked--tired. Older.

When had he gotten like that?

“I just want to see you happy.” That only had your anger spiking in your chest. A deep anger that had been building ever since your childhood.

“You raised me as if I was nothing more than another cadet under your command, remember?” They were words he had heard from you many times over. Words to rival that of the ballrooms and proper lady-like conversation and courtships he threw your way. Even when you had joined the Marines, he continued to offer you up on a silver platter to any lord brave enough to try for your hand and you continued to fight him. “I cannot help the path laid before me.”

“You can throw my biggest mistakes in my face, but it will not change my hopes for your future.” You scoffed at his words. Words that he spoke in a dull drawl that only had your anger coiling tighter around your heart. “Will you at least take the invitation? In case you change your mind. I will fight to have you removed from this assignment if you do.” Your eyes scanned over the invitation. You knew there was no way you would attend such an event, not unless it was forced upon you.

But if you took it now, it would keep him off your back for a little while longer.

“Fine.” You snapped, grabbing up the Star Clown’s file before making your way around the table to snag the invitation from your father’s awaiting grasp. “This means nothing of my attendance.” Your father only smiled--too excited for his own good.

“Of course, of course…though, I have been told Lady Aegea has invitited the great Lord Dacule Mihawk.” He was always invited. The swordsman was the most sought-after suitor in the blue sea and Lady Aegea had a strange fixation on him. Him and finding him a suitor. “And rumor has it he will be in attendance this year.”

“I find that very hard to believe.” You huffed, shoving the invitation amongst the rest of your newly gathered information, tucked away in the file you held. Though the Warlord had been invited to every last ball the Lady Aegea threw, he never once dared to show his face.

“He might be of some help to your mission. Him being a Warlord after all.” Your father said as you started out of the meeting hall, hardly sparing your father a final look. He was not saying this to be of any real help. It was his way of bringing the Warlord to your attention for potential courtship.

“Good day, Vice Admiral.”

“Wouldn’t you agree?” Your father called as you stormed out of those giant doors. Stormed out of those shadow-stealing lights and too-clean halls ways. Stormed passed fellow Marines making their way through the halls just as you did, though looking far less angered.

You yanked your cap from your head as you hit fresh air. Air that didn’t smell of cigar smoke and molten lava. Your uniform top was next, its persistent itching becoming far too much for you to handle.

Luck child, luck child, luck child.

Curse that foolish clown. Curse him and his horrid luck.

There was no reward in this for you. Nothing other than a death sentence, old wives' tales, your father's nags of marriage, and your submission to yet another power you had no interest in following.

Buggy the Clown was not that lucky. No man was that lucky and you would be the one to end this ridiculous string of good fortune.

Screams and shouting commands filled the roaring, storm-filled air as the Big Top was hit with yet another mountainous wave. Saltwater stung at Buggy’s eyes and made loose strands of blue hair stick to the sides of his face, which his make-up ran over, ruined. Saltwater that had his grip on the lines he had been retieing begin to grow weak, Mother Ocean’s power over him slowly starting to win.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Buggy screamed as he managed to retie the rigging despite his numbing fingers.

Screw Mother Ocean. Screw Devil Fruits and screw this freak storm that has come out of nowhere. A storm that had already claimed three of his men in its merciless hunger.

He spied Alvida, kneeling on the drenched deck, looking about ready to pass out. Her long, curling locks stuck to her smooth skin which looked all too pale in the muggy light the storm clouds allowed to slip through.

The water was no doubt taking its effect on her now, rendering her utterly useless.

Buggy grabbed for another loose line that was threatening to run free just as a large ball of wax rolled past dangerously, knocking a few of his freaks over as it headed toward the front of his ship.

Galdino, a fellow escapee from Impel Down and one of Buggy’s newest crew members, must have encapsulated himself before the water could do much to drain his own powers. Encapsulated himself in a rolling ball that, if didn’t kill someone, would surely roll straight into the ocean.

Stupid idiot.

Buggy’s muscles loosened then and, despite his best efforts, the line he had been holding fell from his grasp, shooting up into the rain and sea-spray-filled air. Something snapped and Buggy turned just in time to give a screeching curse as the main boom swayed low, knocking into him and sending Buggy flying.

“Captain!” The sound of his Chief of Staff, Cabaji, called as Buggy groaned at the pain zapping through his body.

“Get--get us out of this fucking storm!” Buggy hissed, his roaring coming out more breathy as he fought to regain the air in his lungs.

He hardly heard Cabaji’s response before the ship hit something solid.

Wood splintered and groaned and Buggy was, yet again, thrown through the air with a scream.

All he could do was scream as Mother Ocean stole all his fight and energy. Scream till his voice ran horse and his limp body was thrown overboard.

Buggy hit the cold water and was thrown in thrashing circles.

His lungs burned as he held his breath against the raging waters around him. Lungs and eyes and nostrils burned like fire had been poured into them. It was hell--and just when hell seemed to get the upper hand, to just begin to wrestle the air from his lungs, he was spat out onto a sandy shore.

Body unable to move, Buggy lay cursing the sea. Cursing Mother Ocean and the Grand Lines freakish weather. Weather that seemed was beginning to calm as if it had taken its pound of flesh from him, satisfied.

A wave crashed into Buggy, further numbing his body and sinking him into the wet sand beneath him.

Screw this. Screw sand. Screw water. Screw the air. Screw himself and his devil-blessed powers.

“Captain! Oh, thank the gods!” It was Cabaji’s voice again, growing nearer and nearer. Relief flooded through Buggy’s chest as his Chief of Staff came into view just as another wave crashed into him, stealing his breath once more before falling back into the vast sea.

“Get. Me. The hell. Up!” Buggy hissed as quickly as the saltwater would allow him.

“Right, yes. Yes, Captain.” Hands grabbed him under his shoulders and dragged his limp body further inland, away from the sea still wishing to drag him into their depths. “We thought you were dead, Captain,” Cabaji grunted as he continued to drag Buggy over the shore.

Of course he wasn’t dead. He was tougher then that.

The taste of salt water on his lips sent a shiver down Buggy’s spine.

From this angle, Buggy could just spot his precious ship laying on its side, beached like some great whale and looking like someone had taken some great hammer to its hull.

Whoever had been in the crow's nest was going to get murdered.

“You’re luck never ceases to amaze me, Captain Buggy.” Cabaji huffed, finally coming to a stop once he had made it to the rest of Buggy’s exhausted crew. He spotted Alvida slumped on the sand just as he was, teeth grit and hissing insults Mohji’s way, who had been trying to help her.

Luck--ha. Buggy laughed at such bullshit.

How was getting knocked into the ocean and nearly drowning lucky?

Tag list: @fanshavegottensotoxic , @lostfirefly

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even-in-arcadia · 1 month

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I was rereading "Lovers of the Human Flesh" by Caleb Crain as one does and I was very struck by two particular lines in relation to one Cornelius Hickey:

Incorporating what you love is a sure way to see that it never escapes from you.

and

Eating something is a way of keeping it with you forever, but it is also a way of destroying it.

I don't need to delve into the implications for Hickey's actual cannibalism - that's been done by those better (and more attached to Hickey) than I. What I want to talk about more is this concept in relationship to Hickey's ambitions to godhood.

Hickey has a plan always, at all times. It's a plan that shifts based on what seems best for him, what seems most convenient, and whatever he thinks his relationship to Crozier is at any given moment. They all essentially make sense in a scrappy, aggrieved, mutiny kind of way. Until: Solomon Tozer tells him, horrified, that he witnessed the Tuunbaq eat Mr. Collins' soul. Hickey says, specifically, that this merits a change in plan. He spends a long time by himself on a hill doing --we'll never know what.

EC/Cornelius Hickey, a man who clearly has never known a love that didn't turn on him or leave, has determined to be become melded to the Tuunbaq, an eater of souls. Gibson turned on him by falsely representing their relationship to Irving; Crozier turned on him by denying the "clear" bond they had and denying Hickey's gift of Lady Silence; he's been betrayed by this entire voyage that was supposed to take him to Oahu. Who knows what other loves have betrayed him.

If the Tuunbaq can eat souls, if Hickey can become connected with that power, then perhaps he too will be able to incorporate souls! Perhaps he will be able to finally ensure that something, someone will never turn on him. And if those souls must be destroyed in the process, what is it to him? Has the world not spent his entire time on earth trying to destroy him? (Conjecture: but given what we learn of him, the Nagaitis lore, and the cultural & economic context in which he exists, I think this is reasonable.) He yells into the Arctic air:

Bugger Victoria! Bugger Nelson! Bugger Jesus! Bugger Joseph, bugger Mary! Bugger the Archbishop of Canterbury! NONE EVER WANTED NOTHING FROM ME

He feels abandoned by every institution of society, and so he is going to create one in his own image. He offers a captain, an officer, a marine, and a ship's boy: the ship's hierarchy in miniature. If he feeds the Tuunbaq their souls and then melds with Tuunbaq himself, he can eat society and reconstitute it not just in his own image but in his own person, with only his chosen loyal followers, those who do want something from him. As Crain says, "In Freud's Totem and Taboo, the cannibal feast is the founding act of crime and sharing that binds society." That's the founding myth Hickey is not just counting on but trying to actively create.

And maybe, maybe! When he has access to Tuunbaq's power - will he have a line on those souls as well? Tuunbaq devours both body and soul in tandem, suggesting they are connected. As Hickey has already eaten of Gibson's flesh, maybe he can reconstitute and reingest that as Gibson's soul. Thus the destruction becomes the resurrection becomes the incorporation. Crain writes: "The body is a convenient boundary for the definition of the self. [...] in practice the peculiar act [cannibalism and homosexuality] violates that boundary. The act offers an ecstatic union." A cannibal rat wedding, if you will.

Crozier says to Hickey, "You must be a surpassingly lonely man." Hickey doesn't deny this. He merely says "Not for long." This is about power, but it is also about an end to loneliness, to his sense of betrayal at all levels and at every turn. Of course, it doesn't work out. In not caring about who suffered the consequences of his actions, he failed to take into account that incorporation & ingestion involve destruction. He thought himself the instrument of this, but by failing to see the Tuunbaq unto itself, as something other than a tool, as the independent Arctic that could never stomach Western society and live: he turned that back on himself and so was himself destroyed.

#cw cannibalism #is it weird if i write caleb crain fan mail #the terror amc #cornelius hickey #tuunbaq #apparently i'm a terror essayist now #i have not reread this and don't know if it makes sense

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general-cyno · 6 months

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just when I think zoro's sacrifice in thriller bark couldn't be more meaningful than it already is chapter 1097 comes for my life (spoilers ahead under the cut)

as more of kuma's heart-wrenching story is told - we now learn that just like zoro took luffy's pain as his own during thriller bark, kuma had been doing the same thing for his fellow villagers back when he was a pastor in sorbet kingdom.

for kuma, whose life since childhood had been deeply marked by the discrimination he faced as a buccaneer and the slavery forced upon his family, using the paw paw fruit's power to free slaves and relieve those in suffering of their pain was his way of liberation - and this ideal was fueled in the first place by his belief in nika, the sun god who embodied the fight for freedom, which was passed on to him by his father. as ivankov later says, kuma now has "the hands of liberation that set people free".

of course, kuma's backstory is completely different from zoro's own, so they're not really comparable in that sense per se. but it speaks highly of both their characters that they're the only ones so far to have sacrificed themselves for others in such a specific way. this shows the strength of their spirits and bodies, how far they're willing to go for their beliefs and the ppl they cherish, the plain goodness and selflessness that's written into who they are within the story.

zoro is a bit of a curious case, in that he's "selfishly selfless/kind" just like luffy, and doesn't enjoy being treated nor seen as a hero despite what he and the crew do for ppl. still, his kindness and willingness to protect others have been there pretty much since the start. the reason why he ends strung up by the marines in shells town is because he chose to save a little girl from helmeppo's violent wolf. the reason why luffy chooses to recruit him as part of his crew is because he eats those stomped riceballs and asks luffy to thank rika for them in his stead. imo, luffy and zoro start out as the pillars of the crew (they are the first two after all) but zoro and the rest of the straw hats each represent all the good qualities luffy himself has and admires in others.

throughout his journey with luffy and the straw hats too, zoro starts driving himself to get stronger not just for the sake of his dream anymore but also to keep his promise to luffy and for his crew. of course, thriller bark is that one moment in which this part of his development is made perfectly clear.

also - while zoro's sacrifice was rooted in how loyal he is to and how much he cares for luffy (and by extension the crew), by going through with this, unknowingly, both zoro and kuma ensured, at least in this instance, that nika's fight for liberation would continue to exist within and later awaken in luffy via his devil fruit.

in the aftermath of thriller bark, kuma acknowledges that luffy has exceptional friends and says that "he's your son after all, dragon". knowing now about kuma's past and how/why he came to join dragon's revolutionary army, there's no one better suited to highlight this moment - the kind of loyalty, devotion and endurance zoro displayed for luffy's sake is not the kind that's earned without reason. this says as much about zoro as it does about luffy. considering that now luffy's unlocked joy boy/nika the warrior of liberation through his devil fruit and zoro's been revealed as a descendant of folks who have either been heroes and/or stood firmly against oppressors (ryuma and ushimaru), that both of them alongside the crew have fought for the freedom of different people/nations so far... well. you can see why zoro's sacrifice, why kuma protecting the straw hats and the sunny in sabaody have all become so much more important.

#kind of #zolu #but general discussion and rambling too #zoro's def one of my fave characters and kuma has become one too I've been sobbing my eyes out with these chapters #it does make me wonder if what zoro did in TB is gonna come up again at some point but even if it doesn't #the weight and significance of it can't be denied #op spoilers #one piece spoilers #jay reads op

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anohai · 1 year

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A big issue with Seyka’s character arc in Burning Shores...

*clicks tongue* Fuck it.

I debated over writing this out and posting it. Decided I might as well for not only my personal catharsis, but because it's been over 3 weeks since Burning Shores came out, I have had the time to mull things over more, talk with some friendly people who came to the some of the same conclusions I did, and really analyze everything. I’ve seen a sprinkle of other people expressing something similar to what I am about to cover, but I felt this deserved its own topic of conversation.

And forewarn, there be spoilers.

Of course, we're back to Seyka. I promise I'm not trying to pick on her. She actually has loads of potential, and I don't think she's a bad character. It's just she deserved better than what was shown in her overall character arc.

Last time, I wrote about the Seyloy romance, and why it is difficult (for some more than others) to feel good about it. This critique isn't going to be about that again in case you are wondering if I'm simply yelling louder in the echo chamber, but there will be some correlation to it. The more I played the DLC, the more I realized that while I still wasn’t sold on the romance, it wasn’t the root of why something felt off with Seyka’s story to me. So once the adrenaline of having a new shiny DLC to run around in wore off and was able to properly take my time soaking things in, this was the conclusion I came to:

The biggest issue with Seyka's entire character arc is that they tried way too hard to make her near-exile situation comparable to Aloy's when it very, very much is not.

In any capacity whatsoever. As to why?

Seyka tells us at one point that she loves her tribe, her community, and has always felt she's had a place in it until recently. The reason she's in any hot water at all when we meet her is because she ran off and stole a diviner's focus. Seyka is a marine, not a diviner so we know this is considered a huge taboo among the Quen. They are a sovereign tribe with a classicist system where the people are allowed to know only what is deemed necessary based on their role and/or rank. Should rules be broken, we are left to assume based on our conversations with Alva and even interactions with the Ceo & Overseer Bohai in HFW that the royal family and those in charge are imposing & unforgiving enough that normally there are severe consequences.

Luckily for Seyka, this isn't the case.

The first time we follow her back to Fleet's End, we're met with those who are referred to as Compliance Officers who are wanting a nasty word or two with our new friend. We are brought to Admiral Gerrit, the real person in charge, and he is....actually quite understanding of Seyka's actions. He gives her a quick verbal slap on the wrist but proceeds to give her full permission to continue her search for her sister and their other missing people with the stolen focus on hand. He's humble enough to tell Aloy in a private conversation afterwards if you choose to talk to him that their faction of the expedition has been spread thin enough as it is and Seyka has already proven herself to be a valuable and skilled member. Enough so that he admits he’s become increasingly reliant on her regardless of only being a petty officer in title. This assessment is fair and kind. It’s more than I would have expected out of someone with such a high position among the Quen of all tribes.

Seyka is given a huge safety net thanks to this swell guy. The compliance offers themselves can't do anything, and from what we see in the side quests, they are seemingly nothing more than a few school-yard bullies without any real authority to their position. They are annoying & petty at worst. All bark, no bite. As far as the rest of the Quen go, most individuals we come across seem either pretty cool or neutral with Seyka. It's not until later that we get any indication there are some who are calling for her exile afterall, but we only know this because we hear it from Seyka instead of seeing it happen. People are talking, as they will, and she's furious about it.

But really....the threat still isn't there. It never was. At least not to the extent I think we are supposed to believe it was.

All things considered, Seyka was placed in a very privileged, advantageous position amongst those in her tribe. Along with the lack of visible threat, there is never any real tension shown minus a few grumblings expressed in the background when we first arrive in Fleet’s End. And despite how Aloy perceives her, Seyka isn’t exactly a black sheep here. Especially when you consider she never had any personal turmoil with the rest of her tribe until not long before the events of Burning Shores and happily tells you herself she has always felt like she’s belonged. She's pretty much allowed to do what she wants without much pushback, and I found myself rolling my eyes during the final scene where she says she's unsure of where she stands with her tribe. Seyka is not an outcast, and I, for one, was never convinced or afraid she was at real risk of becoming one.

Which makes this all the more confusing when Aloy says she's an inspiration. An outcast in all but name. I'm willing to chalk some of this up to hormones talking and Aloy's growing infatuation taking a choke hold as most first time crushes will do. Except the problem here is that the writing clearly felt like we were meant to connect Seyka's strife with Aloy's on some level; carry the same sympathy for her that Aloy expresses, and see more of where their similarities hold up.

And yet...

I felt more for Kotallo who was kicked from his initial clan because his leader saw him as a threat and then later, might as well have gotten demoted for losing an arm because his tribe sees him as near useless for it..

And Zo who lives among the most pacifist, peace-loving tribe and was admonished when she not only went to fight back in the Red Raids, but wanted to do something about the blight and their broken Land Gods..

And Talanah who had to fight against blatant sexism that many carry in her tribe and an actual attempt for her murder all because she wanted to move up in the Lodge and make things better..

And Aloy, herself, who was outcast at birth for simply being born without a mother. And spent her entire life with only the man who raised her for company. In one small valley. For 19 years. Because there was no choice for her.

But somehow, we're supposed to see Seyka the same way Aloy does? Like no one she's ever met??

I...Really?

I'm sorry, but I don't buy this rebel fighter, near-outcast ploy here. And saying she's unlike anyone Aloy has ever met feels like a slap in the face to not only Aloy, herself, but to some of her companions we have come to know & love in the first two games. Most of whom I'd argue have been through more hell because of their own tribes long before they even met her. Seyka's plight is trivial, inconsequential in comparison and no where near as crippling as Aloy's was or her friends. It's honestly frustrating that it feels suggested it is.

What's worse is that this plotline is used as one big narrative tool to bring Seyka and Aloy closer on standing grounds outside of ability and personality. This essentially means Seyka and her entire character arc were written for the sole purpose of the romance. A character built for Aloy to quickly fall head over heels for and add progress in her own arc. I wrote last time that I can see this growth as an opportunity to explore romance further for Aloy with a pre-established character or two in H3. If I’m right & that happens to be the heart-wrenching, long-term, master plan Guerilla is going for, they have my applause (and my stress). Great for Aloy. In my opinion though, being created to be a love interest (lasting or not) for the main hero is a bit unfair to Seyka.

She's clever, she's badass, and she isn't afraid to take action without permission and help where she can. Next to Aloy, however, she stands as a self-reflection of her. A spotless mirror as to who Aloy could have been had she grown up under a community as well. I would love to see Seyka break out on her own as an individual character that isn't in the context of romance if ever given the opportunity.

Heck, if Guerilla wanted to in the eventuality they will be finished with Aloy's story, the Quen have easy potential to have an entire spinoff game revolved around them. We have a whole side quest in BS where a small group of Quen want to sneak focuses to non-diviners for the sake of knowing what's usually kept hidden from them. Hello, is that the beginnings of a rebellion, I see? And the world of Horizon has yet to be explored in places outside of the North American continent. Other tribes, different machines, more Old World locations, etc. Loads of potential everywhere. And guess what!? We practically have a budding main character on a silver platter: Seyka! She obviously has big enough main character energy. Might as well utilize it outside of a DLC if you can, and I don't mean for the next game.

It's hard say for sure whether or not Seyka will remain a DLC character. No matter what fans say, the ending was left ambiguous. Not only because of the romance but also where Seyka's future lies. She knows about Nemesis, yet she tells Aloy she's unsure of what she wants to do after her faction reunites with the other half in San Francisco, whether it's going home or something else. I would think if Guerilla had solid plans to include her in H3 while they were developing Burning Shores, they would have written the ending where she either offers to stay behind in Legacy’s Landfall for a time like Alva does or Aloy asks for her aid to help fight against Nemesis. Something to make it more clear she's here to stay. We don't though, so as far as anyone outside of Guerilla is currently aware, Seyka is not guaranteed to play a big part in H3 if any at all. And remember, DLCs are meant to be an extension of the main game and are primarily optional. They are typically not a requirement for playing the next big installment as far as understanding the story goes.

If she does show up in H3, the only thing I dread is the idea of her coming up and saying she's basically denounced her tribe because she still feels out of place and doesn't think she can belong afterall. Not to mention she has her sister, and after what happened with Kina, it would be a really bad look if she just decided to permanently leave her behind when her tribe isn't or never was trying that hard to push her away in the first place. And Seyka said it herself. She’s “not some weak-kneed sailor who abandons ship when the seas get rough,” and I’d like to believe she means it. It'd be one thing if she actually is forced into exile, but after the events of the DLC, she has too good of a repertoire for that to happen now. At least while she's outside of Quen homelands.

(Btw, don't even get me started on Aloy's convo with Kina over "remember Seyka's been through a lot too" as if we didn't just rescue this poor girl from A CULT and nearly groomed into becoming this centuries-old dude's image of his dead wife. Like honey, I know you're in love but have some thought & tact here.)

That’s about it. I will reiterate that as a character, I do actually like Seyka. As a self-imposed outcast? No. As Aloy’s love interest? That…needs some serious work. But as an individual who loves her tribe but will fight for what she believes in even if it means going against the royal, societal grain? Absolutely! And special kudos to Kylie Liya Page for bringing her to life.

Also, if you want to read a review that summarizes everything I just ranted about better than I could manage, along with everything good and not-so-great when it comes to the DLC, I recommend this essay here by ariseis.

If you made it to the end of this long rant, thanks for reading~

#horizon #horizon forbidden west #horizon zero dawn #hfw #burning shores #hfw burning shores #horizon forbidden west burning shores #seyka #burning shores spoilers #burning shores critique #guerilla

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moonbaby26 · 18 days

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Title: The Nest

(Chapter 7 of Doflamingo’s Marine Series)

*Crossposted to AO3 Here*

Chapter Pairings: Doflamingo x Reader, Aokiji/Kuzan x Reader (referenced), Smoker x Reader (referenced)

Chapter Warnings: non con elements, fingering, oral sex (male receiving), vaginal sex, possessive/controlling relationship, hint of exhibitionism, implied past physical and/or sexual abuse to reader

Chapter Synopsis: You must now fulfill your previous promise to Doflamingo, beginning your stay on the island of Scylla with him. Alone with the warlord again at last, he’s further becoming everything you’d feared and needed all at once.

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

——————————

The days back at sea came and went one after another. Thankfully, Vice Admiral Momonga was someone you got along with well. He was a bit serious, but clear in any expectations for his crew, which made life easy for you. Because there was then more doing than thinking, regardless of the twisting emotions still inside of you.

And with Momonga being your interim commanding officer, you had also put in your request for shore leave direct with him. He’d told you that even HQ was having trouble reaching Tsuru except for the shortest status reports now. So you had no chance for contact with her anyway.

On orders of the world government, Tsuru and your normal crew had pushed the rebels on Lyra even higher into the mountains there. Unfortunately, it’d also become more of a waiting game of starving those remaining freedom fighters out as the marine blockade had cut off all other supplies to the island.

But the extreme terrain of peaks and valleys there also made it difficult to get out proper transmissions, save for the briefest bursts with weather permitting.

Though you weren’t worried. Because someone like Tsuru wouldn’t be outsmarted by the rebels’ untrained forces. It was only a matter of time before the world government accepted the enemy’s surrender to reinstate the previous royal family there instead.

And nobility like that was actually the only reason Momonga’s ship would be stopping at the island of Scylla as well. Once you’d been aboard, you’d found out those additional details that that part of the voyage would be an escort mission.

Some high blooded man and his two sons were all heading to Scylla for a few days of rubbing elbows with their fellow upper crust. All of them wealthy and connected enough to have a vice admiral like Momonga at their beck and call as a bodyguard at least.

The vice admiral had given you no trouble with your own request either though. Three days and nights of shore leave had all been approved. After safely delivering the escorted nobles, Momonga would be docking at the nearby marine port on one of Scylla’s satellite islands. And you would get to stay on the mainland and then reconvene with his crew when they came to recollect that same royal family a few days later.

But the closer the start date drew, the more anxiety gripped you. Until the night finally came where you found yourself still unable to properly sleep, standing on deck again just before sunrise to the lower ranks’ surprise.

The wind was somewhat cold, bringing up an ocean spray along with it as you’d stepped against the ship’s railing to view those distant lights of Scylla becoming sharper and sharper on the horizon at last.

You could hear the skeleton crew of the night watch calling out their standard protocols. Announcing land in sight, and determining the headings for the helmsman to begin turning the ship towards harbor.

But something in your stomach had tightened even further as the port did begin to become visible. Because from even there you could recognize the docks already full of other ships in the dim moonlight. Ones clearly from all makes and nationalities.

You were wondering if one of them was discreetly Doflamingo’s. Even though he’d given you his supposedly private, most direct number what was now almost three weeks ago, you had not used it yet for any late night “check in” as he’d called it.

Because Momonga had approved the exact dates you’d first told the warlord. Nothing had changed on your side.

And you’d been correct in your assumption too that there’d be no private quarters for you on this ship. You’d hardly been alone the entire time, and never felt comfortable enough to try and force the chance to be.

You’d wanted to do more than just talk with Doflamingo as well. A call alone would not have satisfied you even if you’d had the time.

Yet what if the pirate wasn’t even here yet? Or what if he was just jerking you along the entire time? You knew you would have to call him today to confirm a meeting time at the church regardless.

———————————

And later that morning you finally had made an excuse about needing to call the mainland to verify arrival with a place you would have rented a room at. But in reality, there was no such reservation. Your intent had always been to stay with the warlord only, just as you’d promised him.

Yet if Doflamingo ditched you, you would have then changed the story to say that the imaginary room had been double booked and given away already. A believable notion for as high traffic as this island was currently.

As it was then though, you’d somewhat hid away in an armory room. Rifles were racked up behind you while you’d dialed the number Doflamingo had given you, standing with your shoulder pressed to the wooden wall as the marine snail rang and rang.

The level of anxiety that returned to you as that phone continued to ring for far too many times was embarrassing too. Almost enough to make you hang up and just assume you were on your own before the click of a connection made you stand up straighter within the dark room.

“What?” Came the familiar male voice, albeit still sounding as if he’d just been woken up and wasn’t at all pleased about it. He didn’t even say his name either. But he must not need to if this was really such a direct line.

“Our ship has docked.” You said instead of any greeting either. “If you still want to meet me, I have an escort assignment I have to finish first for some duke and his kids. And then I’ll be free to go into town off duty. I should be able to get to the church by eleven hundred.” The shorter you could keep this conversation, the better as you’d just dumped all that information immediately onto him.

There was an uncomfortably long pause as well. And then, “Well good morning to you too.” Finally came as a rather snide retort. Followed by, “So in other words…you’re waiting for some other man to wake up just so you can play servant girl to him?”

You frowned immediately at his fresh attitude. What was he so pissy about already? “Sounds like you were still sleeping yourself” You countered.

But there was an additional irritated grunt at that as Doflamingo’s voice got even sharper. “I was awake until just three hours ago making every call possible so that I could clear my schedule for you today, brat.”

“So you’re here already?” You asked for that confirmation anyway, choosing just to disregard the rest to keep this conversation moving.

“Of course I am.” And he did sound somewhat more awake there before continuing. “So you said eleven? Fine. I’ll meet you in the church by then.” It was the easiest landmark you’d both agreed to before.

“Alright. I’ll be there. The upper level.” You still suggested more specifically next. That gallery would hopefully be less crowded than the main floor today. And a better view for you truthfully, who had still never seen any of it.

“Yes. Don’t keep me waiting.” Was his only additional reply though. Terse really before the connection ended in another loud click.

————————————

For the nobles you were with, they had indeed slept until the very last moment. Only by almost ten did they suddenly have more sense of urgency to disembark. They wanted off the “dirty” marine vessel and to get to whatever higher end accommodations they’d made on the island.

You’d had to listen to them berate one another as well as you’d still waited while they gathered their things. The father was insistent with his sons, telling them to put their masks on as per carnival traditions. And all other kinds of comments as he urged them to look presentable and in fashion for the holiday.

Because they would not shut up about it, you knew they were attending some ball tomorrow night and the duke was expecting his boys to find equally high born dates today to invite there. All with the goal of said dates becoming political wives of significant dowry apparently.

But the boys were young and too busy whining about the cold, about the dampness of the fine mist still coming off of the sea, and any other matter of trivial things.

One of the other sailors made eye contact with you amidst it all and you saw him roll his eyes dramatically at their persistent complaining.

And you’d finally smirked a little at that, just before another heavy bag was thrown on top of the other two you were already balancing for the nobles.

“Do not drop that! The contents are fragile.” One of the boys scolded you.

Then why had they thrown it at you? “Yes, my lord.” You answered in feigned respect, though they couldn’t even be bothered to glance at your face to notice the insincerity of your expression.

More than one marine was trying not to laugh by then too though. But the naive royals, cousins to some king or something, still didn’t pick up on any of that mockery before they finally exited the gangplank.

Though still complaining all the while as the fancy heels on their boots then tried to catch on the seams between the wooden slats. Especially with the ship still bobbing up and down slightly as the waters shifted against the dock.

The fools had no sea legs at all. You would have taken them by the arm like children to assist them, but you didn’t want to be yelled at either for daring to ever touch them with your filthy peasant hands.

So you just had to watch as they stumbled and bitched while you and the rest of your marines walked down smoothly even with balancing the ridiculous amount of bags and boxes they’d saddled you all with.

A horse drawn carriage awaited your guests once on land though. And it was a blessing as soon as they were in it with the door shut to not have to hear them any longer.

That was when one of those other sailors looked back to you. A lieutenant just below your own rank. “Captain, we can take it from here. We’ll play as bell hops the rest of the way to their villa. The Vice Admiral said you had shore leave starting today. So get out of here and go enjoy it.”

“You sure?” You asked anyway as you’d handed off the bags you’d been carrying. They were now being loaded, some on top and some below the carriage.

“Positive. This is a waste of time enough already.” He answered, then somewhat purposefully throwing the bag they’d specifically said was fragile roughly to the carriage’s bottom storage.

“Alright then. See you all in a few days.” You certainly weren’t going to argue with him if escape was finally offered of course.

So as the other marines followed that carriage, still acting as security for it, you had backtracked to board Momonga’s ship again instead. You quickly changed out of uniform and gathered your single small duffel bag before heading alone back down the gangplank and towards town.

———————————

It did feel a little surreal just walking on your own once you got further into the city however. Everyone ignoring you as you had to turn this way or that not to strike shoulders when the crowds of tourists bottle necked in some areas.

You were far more accustomed to being in formation with your crew, and always all in uniform whenever you moved through places on patrol. People tended to give marines a wider berth. Either from respect or fear depending on which side of the law they found themselves on.

So to be disregarded so fully was still strange as you kept moving through the narrow streets trying to take in everything while you passed one new thing after another.

You could smell the different street foods being cooked and sold. And the fresh flowers and decorative garlands as well that many were purchasing to wear in addition to their masks.

Carnival had begun in full force on the island. But you were just an observer here, not a participant. You were only appreciating the elaborate spectacle and decorations that you doubted you’d ever get the chance to see again.

Because so many stars had had to line up just to make this visit happen. And as you rounded another corner, walking along one of those clear canals and the gondolas ferrying people up and down them, you had at last found the main square.

Lights were hung up on strings between the many lamp posts. Leaving you to imagine what it must look like up close at night as you’d passed additional booth after booth of food and other carnival vendors.

But this town square was massive, large enough for all of it and more as you realized some people were already dancing even this early in the day. Musicians were playing as you watched couples enjoying themselves, moving together to the music.

Others sat at the outdoor tables, drinking and laughing. What you assumed was likely sparkling wine was in bottles already open, sitting in buckets of ice even in the cool air as they snacked on antipasti plates of all kinds of foods.

You saw some sort of stuffed pasta that looked amazing too when you’d yet to eat a thing today, but you had to remember the mission at hand.

Which was still rather impossible to forget as you now stared up to the towers of the old church at the center of it all. Just like the photos in your book from years ago, those spires and the flying buttresses supporting them seemed to scrape the sky.

And even from here, the stained glass took up so much of the remaining surface area, as you wondered if it’d really be the rainbow of colors inside that you’d always envisioned.

——————————

Once within those walls, it was crowded there too. But far quieter as people milled about, taking in the intricate stonework, tapestries, and marble statues of the saints. Yet those statues were only newer additions of course. Works commissioned by the world government within just the last five hundred years or so. Each statue honoring one of the founding families of Mariejois.

The legends were that this building had once been used to worship something far older than even those Celestial Dragons though. But you didn’t care about any of that today as you finally got to look up at all the still original stained glass above you.

The largest main window was a representation of the sun, with hues of yellows, oranges, and reds mixing with the light from all the other windows. But races from all over the world were represented in those many secondary windows too, like weaving a story long forgotten. Fishmen and merpeople, giants, minks, and more. Even those humans with wings that you had been told by Tsuru really existed on islands somewhere in the sky.

Candles were lit here and there too, though not really needed for all the light still being cast across the limestone floors in the daylight.

And as you looked further up, the vaulted ceilings were painted blue like the sky, with gold leaf stars peppering throughout to reflect that sunlight from the windows even further.

But while you walked beneath so much history, you were also already heading towards one of the spiral staircases that lead up to the gallery. This was a large balcony that was thought to accommodate even more worshippers in the extremely distant past.

Your watch said it was a quarter until eleven when you’d climbed the stairs. You knew your feet had slowed while you’d been taking in all the sights. But you weren’t late. And as you’d sat on the closest pew to the railing, you left your bag beside you while you still looked out over everything in a bit of disbelief.

Clouds must have been shifting in the real skies outside as the sun danced through the windows now. You were not religious by any means, but sitting alone here as you watched those colors moving across the floors, you finally had some of that moment you’d been seeking.

You were seeing something you didn’t think you’d ever deserve or be able to. Because as you’d been told so very many times, you were no one, nothing. And this place and its beauty was not for your kind. But somehow you’d finally made it here regardless.

Even if it wasn’t with Kuzan, or Smoker, or anyone else who could have shared this with you and actually understood the significance.

You’d swallowed at that lonely thought too, just watching the people wandering below who now looked so much smaller to you. No connection really felt with them as you used the back of your hand to wipe that faintest hint of new moisture from your eyes.

If the warlord did come, he’d surely think you an idiot if you were emotional before him yet again. He’d caught you crying in Mariejois. And he’d made you cry in Sabaody. Here in Scylla, it didn’t need to become three times to make it a habit.

But it was turning into one, wasn’t it? Despite your best efforts. A dangerous cycle too, as if this growing weakness alone was what truly summoned and fed that man. The way you kept feeling more detached and unsated from any thought that wasn’t about him.

And your breath did still catch when this game suddenly began again, that instinct of fight or flight becoming just another familiarity to you too as long fingers wrapped around your throat.

Doflamingo had arrived early.

But you could feel the warmth in his grip as well. Even with his nails pushing against your pulse point. Your heartbeat literally in his hands as he stood behind you then.

It wasn’t the same as Mariejois or Sabaody though. If he wanted to fight you here, he already would have.

You were only being tested now as the words finally came.

“You never called me in all these weeks, woman…not until this morning. Have you really been so busy?” Was the very first thing he asked. That tone of insult as clear as the sunlight all around you.

And only then did you finally understand his earlier attitude.

This goddamn fragile man.

“They would have been suspicious if I’d segregated myself. I was never alone.” You spoke with quiet purpose, even with your throat still pressed by his hand.

“You found time this morning,” he reminded you.

“Barely a few minutes. That wouldn’t have satisfied either of us.” You contended sincerely next. You knew he had to notice your escalating heart rate against his hand though.

Maybe even the growing heat too. Some might be your haki just under the surface, readying to defend your throat by reflex alone. But there was definitely more to it. You felt it in your chest as those same fingers of his loosened enough to briefly stroke your jaw instead.

“I missed you.” He said.

And your lips parted in a little surprise as his fingertips ghosted across them. Just before he released you entirely, then walking around the end of that pew to slide in to sit beside you.

Like this was just the most natural thing in the world when Doflamingo’s hip pressed against yours and his arm hooked around your shoulders.

The warlord pulled you against him in one fluid movement, the two of you then sitting tightly together while he looked past the balcony railing as well, taking in the view of everything now below you both.

But you were only looking at him. He was in an all black suit for once, the fabric perfectly tight and tailored to his long frame. No feather coat to speak of either.

The only two pops of color were a crimson red tie tucked into the vest beneath his suit jacket. And the matching blood red carnival mask which covered his eyes and the bridge of his nose in replacement of his usual glasses.

The mask had built in lenses though, still hiding him regardless even as he finally smiled darkly down at you, realizing your obvious stare.

“You’re looking a bit smitten, woman,” He taunted, taking your chin again with one hand. “I clean up well. Don’t I?”

But he didn’t care if you actually answered that. It was clear what kind of greeting Doflamingo really wanted as he leaned further down to capture your mouth with his already.

And you didn’t resist him. Not this time. Neither of you caring that this was still a church either as his tongue had quickly slid inside your mouth.

Though you did pull back again as soon as the demon’s surprisingly sharp teeth had nipped your bottom lip next. Hard enough to hurt, but not enough to bleed this time.

“Once bitten, twice shy?” He mocked through a chuckle regardless. And his arm that had still been around your shoulders shifted enough for him to bring a hand over one of your breasts to squeeze it harshly.

Painfully in fact, right through your shirt as you made a noise of discomfort.

He straightened back up as you did, but still looking down at you. Those white teeth glinting as he smirked. “I’m just hungry is all. Can’t I have a bite?”

“There’s plenty of food outside.” You finally spoke in a huff then, but continuing to look at him with an odd fascination. It was just so different seeing him dressed this way, no matter how brutish he was already behaving.

It did remind you of the suits he used to wear in the North Blue. But you hadn’t thought of him as anything but a thug then. Though he was far more dangerous and much stronger today.

“It’s rude to stare without following through, lover.” He broke that new silence though, simultaneously moving his hand lower to slip it beneath the bottom edge of your shirt as he said so.

And before you could even protest, he’d forced that same hand past the waistband of your pants as you felt his fingers dig in over the top of your underwear.

He squeezed your mound possessively as he still smiled at you. “This treasure is getting all of me later, healed or not. I hope you understand that. I’ve been celibate for fucking weeks now, woman. It has not been fun.”

And in that single moment his words were somehow more shocking than the literal handful of you that he was now molesting for any onlooker who may walk by on the balcony.

“There’s no way that’s true.” You still managed to say as his fingers started to push aside the thin strip of fabric between your legs and touch flesh next. In your mind, there was no way in heaven or hell that a man like this would willfully abstain.

But his head tilted as his smile faded at that. “You really do have a lot of nerve…first brushing me off, because you’re just so ‘busy’ on your new ship. And then calling me a liar as well?” His fingers hooked a little harder at those words, already edging your entrance.

And as you tried reflexively to close your legs at the additional aggression, you still didn’t back down from him.

“Well what reason would you have? That doesn’t make sense.”

But he just pulled you even closer then, forcing your legs further open with his other arm as he brought you into his lap.

“Because I wanted to fast before my next feast. So quit being such a bitch. This is what you wanted isn’t it? Me all to yourself?”

And you tensed as one of his fingers did slide inside of you. He wasn’t being gentle now at all as he started thrusting it in and out of your resisting channel soon after.

“Yes. I want it…” you finally relented though. Realizing some other people were starting to come up the staircase to the balcony. You would let him do this if he would just take it somewhere more private. “But not here.” You purposefully let your tone go more into that pleading range at that. Trying to appeal to his ego then if it meant being spared this public exhibition. “Please.”

And that ploy actually worked. “Then clean this off.” Was the command that came next as he growled slightly, hand pulling out of your pants just as abruptly at your change in tone. But he brought those now wet digits in front of your face for you to follow through with his new order.

The logical side of your mind knew that saliva would be no cleaner than the slick of you already on his fingers. But it was clearly the demeaning act itself that he wanted from you.

You knew too that in moments you’d be in view of those strangers still rounding the staircase. So you could either comply, or you were sure he’d make you do it in front of them instead.

There were mere seconds to decide as you opened your mouth and he immediately slid his fingers inside. The taste was strange while you sucked them just long enough to appease him. And just before those other tourists reached the top of the steps to walk past you.

He withdrew his hand with a chuckle before being seen, as if it really all was so fun. “See? Now that wasn’t so bad was it?” He was still grinning too, even as you felt him wipe his hand dry of your spit against your clothed thigh afterward.

Regardless of your non answer though, he did seem more relaxed after this display of submission, looking back out to the church again as his arm went around your waist.

“So are you going to tell me why you wanted this place so badly? You don’t exactly strike me as the pious type.”

The pirate’s tone may finally be more neutral now as well. Yet you still knew that if he thought you were hiding anything from him, it was just going to put him into a terrible mood all over again. And that version of Doflamingo was not the one you wanted to spend your shore leave with.

So you had no choice but to answer. And truthfully at that.

“It’s not important. There was just this book I had when I was a kid. It had so many pictures of this island and the church. So I’d always look at it whenever I needed to be somewhere else for a while. That’s all.”

And you waited afterward, just for some snide or cruel comment in response to that childish admission. Ready for his next barb as your eyes went back to those radiant windows.

But the warlord’s hand had moved up, rubbing your back almost gently instead as he simply responded.

“Then this was your escape.”

“Yeah.” You just agreed. And you could feel his stare on you. That way you were already getting used to when he was truly analyzing you. “What else do you want to know?” You still asked next under that scrutiny.

You saw the slight upturn of his mouth in the corner of your eye as well. A smirk that didn’t fully form. Maybe you had surprised him a little there. But it wasn’t an offer he was going to pass up either.

“Tell me what you did before Tsuru then. Before you were a marine.”

And his hand was under your chin again, capturing it and turning your face so that you couldn’t look away from him either as he awaited your answer.

Why he should give a damn about your past was as nonsensical as anything else to you though. You knew there was nothing unique in the things you’d suffered.

“The same as anyone from my town…I stole to eat. I hid to live.”

“Hid from who?” He insisted regardless. His grip on your jaw tightening a little again.

“My mom’s bosses. And her customers.” You just replied plainly. The emotion to those memories a lot more numb after this many years. “But she’s dead.” You were still quick to clarify though. You had no living family if he was thinking there was anyone else to exploit. “She worked in a brothel.”

You saw Doflamingo’s expression change, if ever so slightly. And as insane as it was, you swore it was that flicker of jealousy again. Even if he did ask more carefully then. “Did they make you work there too?”

“No.” You were also quick to confirm. Though trying not to show your discomfort in the idea that he may still care more that someone else had hypothetically had you, than the immorality of an underaged girl being a victim there at all.

“But they tried to….didn’t they?” He was definitely making the right assumptions none the less though. It took an evil man to understand another one you supposed.

“Sometimes.” You admitted. Yet you’d always managed to slip away before clothes could come off or anything could truly happen. And if not, you’d go to plan B with those men. “I’d make them so mad that they would rather hit me instead. That worked if I couldn’t get away otherwise.”

Doflamingo shifted on the pew, and you couldn’t tell if he was actually finally bothered by this as he smiled. The smile was definitely not a happy one.

“You’ve always been clever, haven’t you?” He told you.

No, you’d just done what you had to.

But he rubbed your back one more time before sliding you out of his lap so that he could stand up again.

You watched him straighten his suit jacket and tie too, a clear vanity still evident there before he slid one hand into his pants pocket.

His other hand then stretched out for you to take it and stand up beside him as well. But he didn’t let go of it afterward either, wanting you to follow him as he held your hand in his own. “Let’s go get you decent, and then we’ll go eat some fucking food already. I’m starved.”

You’d put the strap of your bag over your shoulder to go with him. And of course you were already wondering what he had in mind for making you “decent”. Yet your concerns on that did fade a little as you’d noticed him hesitate once back on the first level of the church.

Doflamingo was still walking with you. But his gait had slowed when something to the right caught his eye.

And you tried to follow his gaze as he pulled you along really, but the only thing there were the statues of the saints which everyone had to pass back through in order to exit. Nineteen of them in fact for each of the original families.

You heard a low chuckle emit from him just as you thought he’d been looking at one statue in particular. But another tourist had stepped in front of it before you could read the dedication plaque as you passed.

And then you were both outside again in the sun.

———————————

Doflamingo had had you leave your bag with some lackey of his that’d been waiting out there. They would take your things back to wherever it was that he was staying on the island.

But you didn’t really focus on any of that in this moment, still feeling like you’d fallen into some bizarre alternate reality as the warlord continued to lead you so personally by the hand.

In truth, there was still a power dynamic you could feel in that gesture even now. Not the simple affection it may be for any other couple. But on the outside at least, it was a convincing facsimile to that more innocent kind of attention.

A kind of care you couldn’t remember really experiencing before. Because Smoker was far too gruff to ever do such a silly thing as hold your hand. And Kuzan hadn’t liked public displays of affection either. Even as casual as the now admiral could be in uniform, he didn’t feel comfortable showing too much with you back then. At least not in front of the other enlisted. It was only a private thing for him, not something to be lauded over others.

But Doflamingo’s hand was tight around yours without hesitation in front of everyone as you kept up, walking side by side together through the cobblestone streets.

The first place he brought you to was some fancy store too. Evidently what he had meant by that earlier comment of making you more presentable as you’d crossed the threshold with him and realized just how out of your depth you immediately were here.

Because this was the kind of place those idiots you’d been escorting earlier would have shopped. Only for those people who had inherited far more money than sense as you immediately stared at some of the dresses and the intricate jewelry sparkling from locked cases.

You even moved closer to Doflamingo, feeling like you were only in the way as some women who you were certain were princesses from one country or another moved past with their servants in close heel behind them.

But the pirate let go of your hand, sliding his arm around your waist instead when that had happened. Not paying any mind to the twittering of those girls as you did notice them look back at him.

They looked him over just as you had in the church actually before giggling back at each other. You were far from the only one thinking him distressingly attractive in that dark suit today.

But you realized he was only waiting for an attendant as one of the store employees quickly walked up to offer their assistance.

“My girlfriend here needs enough outfits for the rest of this week.” Doflamingo’s voice was a little different then, and you realized this must be his ‘talking to the help’ tone. Which as quickly as he shifted to that made you also wonder how a pirate, even a disgustingly rich one, would have learned to fit in so well in this type of place.

Though of course that heat immediately warmed your chest too at what he’d called you. Said as if it were actually true, not even a mocking smile as he’d called you his in front of these strangers.

And before you could fully accept any of that, he’d continued with even more, instructing the attendant.

“I want to pick the colors. And at least one dress needs to be good enough for the ball tomorrow.”

The what? Oh hell no.

You looked up at him, ready to argue then. But he just eased you forward, towards that shop worker as they’d pulled out a tailor’s tape to quickly begin taking your measurements.

You didn’t have time to fight back then as you felt more like a damned show dog instead for as rapidly as the process went after that.

They’d had you in and out of the changing rooms as they pulled one dress after another. This necklace or that, these shoes or those.

And each time you were dressed again, you were being stood in front of Doflamingo. The man now sitting in his typical fashion, leaned back on an equally expensive looking couch as he’d judged each new ensemble.

You had no idea what he was truly looking for. But you could tell when some of the dresses met his approval more than others. His knees had spread open more from his place on the couch for a few of them. Likely no coincidence that they were usually the much tighter fitted ones on your body.

It was still hard to keep track of which dresses he’d asked them to box and which he’d asked them to put back. But you knew there was no way this wasn’t costing thousands of beri when it was all said and done.

You heard him tell the staff to have the accepted ones all delivered to where he was staying too. Save for the outfit and accessories which he wanted you to wear out of the store.

That one to wear now was a shorter dress than some of the others, but still high class you guessed. But then again, what did you know as you were already trying to get used to the heavy necklace and bracelet, plus the skimpy heels they’d paired with it. Everything else you’d came here with would also be sent back to his place.

You did see him pull out a large wad of paper beri from one pocket by the end, putting it on a silver tray they had brought with his receipt.

Of course your mind instantly wondered how many illicit dealings had it taken to acquire that cash as he’d only stood and rejoined you, taking you by the hand again.

As always, you couldn’t see his eyes, but you felt them moving over you as he finally smirked again when the attendants weren’t hovering as closely anymore.

He leaned down to speak lowly in your ear as well. “I’m tempted to just bring you home right now and fuck each other until tomorrow morning, woman.”

And that smirk of his grew into a grin as he actually nipped that same ear of yours before whispering further into it.

“But as nice as your pussy is…” He’d moved the hand that was holding yours so that they both brushed low across your front then. “Eating this cunt alone won’t give me calories to burn. And I’ll need that energy for us tonight, won’t I?”

The renewed heat in your face to these lewd promises didn’t help anything of course. But, “I haven’t eaten anything today either,” was all you did agree with out loud at least, though leaning your head away a little for concern of him biting your ear harder the next time.

————————————

Once back outside again, there was one more detour that he wanted to take before finally looking for food. He’d walked you up to one of those large booths selling all variations imaginable of the carnival masks.

“There were still marines here earlier. It couldn’t hurt to cover you up a bit more.” He mused, starting to look at the different ones. “…What kind of animal are you anyway, woman?”

Getting your own mask wasn’t a terrible idea given the circumstances. But you didn’t know how long you could tolerate something stuck to your face either as you looked back up at his crimson one.

“What is yours supposed to be then?” You asked him.

“Why the red death of course.” And the dark smile he gave in accompaniment to those words did give you pause.

But that unease swiftly dissolved again as he’d grabbed a black mask with a few feathers next and abruptly shoved it in front of you. “Here. The black swan.”

“You’re the bird, not me.” You immediately protested, even as he pressed the thing right over your eyes anyway.

It didn’t have the built in lenses like his mask though, your eyes still able to be seen as you glowered up at him a little.

But he didn’t care about that as he spoke, something about that mask seeming to trigger these new words. “Have you ever actually pissed off a swan, darling? They’re mean as sin once provoked. Especially if you come between them and their nest. Hissing beasts bit the shit out of me once.”

And he was just talking as he unstuck and restuck your mask to make it perfectly straight across the bridge of your nose. Some kind of light adhesive already lining the backing of all of them.

But you were listening of course. Because what a random thing for him to admit. “You had swans? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have flamingos?” You asked somewhat rudely, that bit of irritation in you needing an outlet anyway with the stupid thing now pressed on your face.

He’d paused at your question too, as if he really were considering how much to divulge in answer. But he only frowned a little, before still responding with an even deeper tidbit. “The swans were a long time ago. They were only my mother’s. And yes, I know. Some pirates get all into the animal theming, but I don’t have the time anymore. If we kept flamingos at the palace, one of my crew would forget to feed the fucking things and I’m sure they’d end up dead.”

“Which would end up dead, your crew or the birds?” You dared to quip right back. And maybe it was because you didn’t know what else to do as you realized Doflamingo actually had a mother who he remembered.

He hadn’t just spawned from a pit somewhere after all. But if she’d kept swans, was it some sort of a farm he’d come from then? Or could she actually afford them as just pets?

You had so many questions you knew were not yet time to ask. But your boldness about his potential punishments for his crew’s mistakes only made him smile again. Even as he reached in his pocket to pull out some more beri to pay the booth worker for your mask.

“Very funny, you brat. But I don’t harm my actual officers just for failure. If I put them on a task above their ability, then that fault is mine.” Which was a rather level headed notion actually. Though he did finish with something far more what you would have expected. “In my inner circle, only betrayal is an instant execution. As I’ve warned you before I’m sure.”

And his hand squeezed yours a little tighter there as the two of you still walked on together.

But this was not a subject you wanted to put him back on. Too much of a risk when you still had days potentially alone together.

“There was some kind of pasta thing I saw someone with earlier. It looked really good.” You offered, trying to redirect the conversation to safer waters as you glanced around towards the food booths again. He’d already said how hungry he was more than once.

“An oversized ravioli wasn’t it? It looked like lobster inside.” He did answer you too, clearly having noticed that same dish at some point. But adding. “Lobster’s my favorite food if it is.”

This was good. He hadn’t put back up his full walls then. Though at the same time, him offering even these smallest details might only be a ploy to make you lower some more of your own defenses. One never knew with him.

But despite all the overthinking you still had to do, you did like the feel of his hand still around yours. And the sometimes jealous stares of the strangers looking at you both as you’d passed them. They didn’t know he was actually a monster of course. Just as they didn’t know the two of you were supposed to be natural enemies instead of lovers.

To any outsider, you must look like just another couple enjoying the day. Especially when Doflamingo did smile again at the revelation that it really was generous portions of lobster tail meat stuffed into those ravioli.

He’d ordered a large basket of it, or rather almost a bucket of the things to share. You had carried the basket while he and you both speared the individual pasta shells one after another with the forks they’d given you. Eating gladly at last as you’d walked and talked more together of unimportant things. Commenting about the city around you mostly, no more of those personal details just yet.

“You want a beer?” He’d asked you though once the ravioli was gone through later. Him even licking the remainder of that rich cream sauce from his fork before leaving it with the rest of the dirty plates and utensils that bus boys were continually clearing from the outdoor tables.

“I thought you were more the champagne, top shelf kind of guy.” You contended, referencing back to his previous teasing of you from that call weeks ago when these plans had first been laid.

“I am. Though I prefer the Cava from Dressrosa if we’re being specific.” He smirked, of course remembering that previous conversation as well. “But they have their own brewery here. It’s not that piss in a can shit you drink in Marineford I assure you.”

And so before you knew it, you were also sharing high dollar beers with the Heavenly Demon on this outdoor date together.

Adding alcohol to any fire was not the safest choice. But part of you really wanted to know what a buzzed Doflamingo could be like too. He’d already heard you plastered before. So there was no mystery there, though you swore you would not get that bad again anytime soon.

But the alcohol certainly helped maintain this growing comfort level as you’d seen him even perk up when one of the bands had started another song. One he apparently knew well as he started pulling you towards it.

“Oh, no. I am not going to dance right now. No way!” And not in heels like this surely as you tried to pull the opposite direction just as quickly.

“It’s a waltz, you idiot. There couldn’t be anything simpler.” He answered, one vice like hand still on yours as he drug you regardless. His other hand tilting up the rest of yet another bottle of their specialty beer as he downed it.

He chunked the bottle after, which landed so perfectly in a far off trashcan that you were certain it’d had some string assistance.

Which that was the first time he’d used his powers since meeting you today that you’d noticed. And maybe it made him remember how easy cheating with them would be as well.

“Don’t make me puppet you.” He’d threatened when you’d still resisted. “I’ll lead, all you have to do is move your feet. If you can fight me and fuck me, then you can dance with me too. It’s just in the timing, woman.”

But again…how did a pirate even know how to waltz? This, plus the swans, and the way he’d talked down to the people in that fancy clothing store, like it was just as natural as breathing to him. The puzzle pieces just weren’t fitting.

Because he could be so vulgar and unhinged in one moment, and yet moving with more authority and class than you’d seen from most royals in the next. Even though you did keep forgetting that he was also a king himself.

That title was just so hard to label him with in your own mind, when you’d all known him as only a pirate for far longer than the couple of years he’d now ruled Dressrosa.

But as he did take you into the area where the other couples were already dancing to that waltz, there was no denying that a real king likely would dance just this way as you felt his arm slip around your waist again.

You tried to copy him as he did lead with your hand raised in his other hand. But when you realized he was looking down at you as he easily went through the footsteps, you looked away in renewed awkwardness.

It was not like fighting him despite his suggestions. Because you were confident when fighting, even if losing. Here you just felt like a child trying not to step on his comparatively graceful feet.

You heard him sigh at your non commitment though, before he jerked his fingers up even without letting go of you and abruptly your feet did begin moving on their own.

“Stop it!” You fussed, trying not to let anyone else hear. Being controlled now was just as disconcerting as it’d been in Sabaody, even if the stakes felt lower here.

“Then quit half-assing this. I’ve seen you move those legs plenty of times. You’re far more coordinated than most. You’re just being stubborn.” But even with him chiding you and doing that work for you both then, he still had time to lean down and steal yet another kiss as you’d tried to bitch at him further.

Your additional protest was then muffled of course. But he didn’t stop there as that lewd tongue filled your mouth yet again. And even that wasn’t enough for him as he’d then withdrew it just to nip your own tongue sharply in his next movement.

Yet this time you did bite right back, enough to make a point at least. It was about all you could do after all, unable to move much otherwise below the neck with his parasite ability still in control.

Oh, but your returned aggression only backfired. Because he absolutely liked it, escalating things that much more as you felt your hand which had been on his back get pulled down and around against your will next. You were just a marionette again as your hand slid between the two of you instead and right over his crotch.

“Doflamingo.” You warned lowly, unable to stop your fingers from then cradling him just as he wanted.

“Doffy,” He corrected you this time though. “That’s what my family calls me.”

“I’m not your crew.” You reminded.

“I didn’t say that you were,” he agreed, even as he made your hand tighten on what was clearly the bulge of him beneath that fabric.

But he was smirking hungrily yet again as he purposefully twitched his cock within his pants just enough for you to feel it too. Your hold on him still concealed from the others the way he now had your bodies pressed together.

“Are you ready to head back to my villa now, woman? I think I’ve had enough of this restrictive suit for today.”

“Take off your strings and we’ll go.” You replied.

“Well, are you going to be a good girl and call me Doffy like I’ve asked while you take all of this?” He purred back, twitching his still mostly soft length against your hand again.

Your eyebrows raised. It felt weird to say, but you were sure it would be far from the worst thing he’d ever ask you to repeat.

“Yes, Doffy.” You submitted again on this at least, letting him have another win as you looked up at him expectantly.

His lips pulled back in a decidedly wicked response at that too before he’d kissed you roughly again and the strings fell back away.

“Come on then. I’ll show you the way home,” He breathed against your ear before yanking you back from the band and the other still dancing couples.

And as the two of you started to walk again, you were just realizing how dark it was already getting. Vaguely you remembered now about Scylla having shorter daylight hours than most islands.

Yet as you were still thinking that, a sudden boom and a flash of colors had you looking further up. And Doflamingo did as well as the next firework went off and then another and another.

They were pretty, but he’d already made up his mind of the only thing he wanted now as he pulled you along again.

You could watch it all though as he lead. You now looking up at him and the Scyllian architecture passing to the left and right under the continued pops and hisses of the multicolored fireworks.

More people were walking on every street, some pausing to watch the show above as music and scents came and went as you still passed different musicians and vendors even now. The scope of carnival here extending well beyond just the center of the city.

You realized how many days it really would have taken to see it all, more than you had time for before he finally brought you to the high gate of a villa which faced one of the canals.

He fished in his pocket for a moment before pulling out a key to unlock the gate which was nearly flush to a stone archway above, then guiding you through it beside him before shutting and locking it again.

Gas lanterns burned to light another cobblestone path beyond as you realized the villa was far deeper than it was wide. The entryway going back into a private courtyard with a fountain and what looked to be olive trees and even grape vines in planters. But you barely had time to appreciate any of it before he was pulling you up an outdoor staircase that went to the upper levels of the home from the outside.

“It’s beautiful.” You couldn’t help but say anyway as he’d opened a double set of glass doors into a long hallway.

“I thought you’d like it,” he did answer you though.

It even smelled good you realized. There was probably a kitchen downstairs. But then he’d opened another door after he’d lead you down the hall and you realized you were already standing in what had to be the master bedroom as he shut the door back behind you both.

The room was gently lit with a couple of oil lanterns already burning. And you very briefly recognized your own duffel bag on the floor near a dresser. There was another large set of glass doors already opened onto a different balcony as well, the curtains on those doors shifting in the cool breeze coming in.

The scent of the ocean carried on the wind, and the sounds of the city as well. There was a table and chairs on that new balcony. It looked both elegant and cozy all at once.

But that was the last attention you were able to give the outside for now as you felt Doflamingo’s arms close around your waist soon after.

You took a breath, knowing he was done waiting. Yet as much you wanted this too, your body still remembered the pain of him. You couldn’t help but be nervous as you felt his mouth bear down on your neck all over again.

And his teeth too, but he didn’t bite hard. Not yet anyway before his hands were already deftly undoing his tie. The red fabric hit the floor, his black suit jacket not far behind it.

At about this point you finally began helping. And when he’d realized your fingers were now working on his vest buttons, he went to his pants instead.

He was wearing a real belt this time through the black slacks as he unhooked it. But he didn’t bother to slip the belt from the loops as he was already unbuttoning his pants soon after.

You had gotten his vest out of the way as he slid it off. His lips were back over yours too as he started moving you both towards the bed.

He was bent over enough to kiss you all the while as you were reaching up to undo the buttons of his shirt one by one. And yes, you finally had to admit that he wasn’t entirely wrong when he’d said how much easier his normal attire was to get past.

All dressed up like this, he looked ridiculously good. But it was so many more layers to deal with. And yet it did make the payoff all the more gratifying as you finally freed the last button and your hands immediately ran under his then open shirt.

He made a pleasured sound against your mouth as you mapped out his abdominal muscles and then his chest while he remained in your reach. You bid him to slide the entire shirt off next. Which he did.

And finally it was then your turn to push him. Even if you were smaller than him, you were strong relative to your size. And you knew how to move larger opponents around, now leading Doflamingo by the mouth, and turning him so his back was to the bed instead. Just before you shoved him down onto the mattress in on one fluid movement. It was actually made easier by his height, for the leverage that created for you. Like felling a tree really.

Of course he was allowing it, but you highly doubted his other female playthings ever moved him around roughly this way at all.

But you needed him laying down as soon as he could be. Because once his back hit the bed, it was much easier to reach everything that way. Even as you pulled away to get a good look at him laying below you afterward.

At last you could see him fully shirtless. Something that shouldn’t have been as big a deal to you as it was.

Tight, lightly tanned skin, lean and muscular all the way through as you moved back in. You pushed your high heels off, crawling forward onto the bed to kiss down his flat stomach while you felt his muscles tensing beneath your lips.

As you’d thought, there was not a scar to be seen on this man. He wasn’t a coward, but he knew which fights were worth it and which were not. You’d heard he could repair and stitch himself back together to a degree as well with his strings.

That likely accounted for the lack of even smaller scars as you felt him raise his hips for you.

He was sliding off his pants too now. You backed off a little, giving him the room to toss them. No underwear as usual. But he pulled off his socks too, throwing them wherever his shoes now were.

And with that the king of Dressrosa was now fully nude beneath you on these silk sheets. Already fully hard and bared to you except for that red mask still covering his eyes.

You took in this alluring sight as his lips remained parted, breath coming in shorter pants for you.

He wanted so badly to be fucked by you. Somehow that thought pulsed deep into your brain, as strange as it felt to think this when you knew that in pure physical strength alone, he was absolutely the better of you two.

You’d argue that in a prolonged fight, you’d still be creative and fast enough to give him real grief and pain. But that wasn’t the point right now.

“Doffy,” you tried that nickname he’d requested earlier, lowering yourself to begin kissing down to his waist once more. You knew what you wanted to do for him now. You just didn’t know if he could behave enough not to hurt you.

He groaned softly at each new touch, clearly enjoying the attention as your mouth kept getting lower and lower.

His thighs he spread so easily too as you massaged them with your hands. “Can you control yourself for me, Doffy? I’ll use my mouth if you can do that for me, baby.” You promised him, trying to work in both the nicknames he’d seemed to like the most. “But you can’t choke me. I can’t finish you if you just choke me...you realize how big you are compared to me, don’t you?”

You had no idea if this would work. But you were willing to try. You did want to try.

You wanted it badly.

“I know.” He panted a little more, chest moving up and down as you saw that precum already forming on his tip as you took his shaft into your hand.

You could see his thigh muscles tensing too, as you now stroked him before blowing just the slightest bit of air across his tip as he took in another sharp breath.

But you weren’t much for teasing, kissing the head of that terribly large cock right after as he shifted almost desperately. Your tongue followed behind as you licked the sensitive underside at the bottom edge of the head. Flicking it with your tongue really the same way as he had once done to your clit that day in Mariejois.

And oh, he definitely liked that as you heard a quiet curse escape him and felt one of his hands moving down into your hair.

Yet you still knew the danger. If he tried to deep throat you, you’d probably puke honestly. His length would be far beyond the threshold of your gag reflex.

“Easy…please,” you reminded him. You did keep one fist around the base of his shaft, almost like a stop to keep from taking him too deep. But stroking his base with that hand as you did take the rest of him past your lips then.

You wouldn’t say you were an expert by any means. But you’d done this before. You knew what Kuzan and Smoker had both liked. You had to imagine it was universal to a degree as you tried to suck Doflamingo now while bobbing up and down enough to be somewhat satisfying without choking yourself.

A fine line as you did gag once or twice, trying to find that edge as his hips did start to move, reflexively pressing further into your sucking.

You reached under to take a hold of his sack too. He was just inviting to be touched anywhere you chose as he kept his legs wide open for you.

When you massaged that heavy sack as well, then giving them a light squeeze, he full out moaned for you at the bit of over stimulation.

That was a surprise for how much it made you react too, his sounds making you so very wet. No outlet for you yet, still trapped in the tight dress he’d bought you as you just kept sucking him as intensely as you could.

His hand had tightened almost painfully too in your hair by then, in tandem with the harder and harder his hips were trying to move against your mouth.

“(Y/N)…” he groaned again as he thrust raggedly. “…I want you to swallow me. Go ahead…I’ll get hard over and over for you. We aren’t even close to done...”

His back was even arching a little as you did comply to try and force him over the edge already. Kinder than you had to be when he obviously wanted this first release as soon as possible.

So you started licking that sensitive spot at the base of the head once more, giving his balls another light squeeze too for good measure.

The pirate’s breath shuddered with the additional flicks of your tongue and he groaned again as you plunged your mouth down onto his shaft once more after.

Your one hand stayed around his sack, but the other now gripped against his hip. Which he responded to that too, liking the bit of pain as your fingernails dug in for purchase.

He was humping upward, his dick riding in your mouth as he made sounds of even further desperation.

“I wanted this…suck me harder…” He was still panting as you saw his other hand fisting tightly into the bed sheets.

And you did use your mouth even rougher at that, your eyes flitting up to see what you could of him. He was biting his bottom lip again. His jaw clenched as you saw his adam’s apple jump when he swallowed.

A tremble ran through Doflamingo’s legs as he pulled them up, his thighs flexing before his back arched again and you knew what was imminent before he finally let go within your mouth.

Even if you hadn’t been touched between your own thighs yet, you actually felt your channel briefly contracting too, almost like a contact high for how much pleasure he was clearly experiencing.

And you did swallow as much of that salty heat as you could. Of course some of his seed couldn’t help but escape you too though as it ran back out along the length of him, and you coughed a couple times while pulling back to regather yourself. He’d thrust up deeper right as he’d cum, just as you’d expected, finally jabbing you hard as you’d had to fight that instinct to gag his ejaculate right back out of your throat.

And even in the resulting haze of his orgasm, he still noticed when you’d pulled away from him even that much. His arm reaching out to grab you just as quickly, pulling you down against his still heaving chest as he grinned up at your cum stained lips.

Doflamingo was absolutely his own type of man, always reminding you of this too as he kissed you without hesitation then, the remnants of his own arousal not bothering him in the slightest.

“You’re such a good girl,” he purred in that special tone of his as well, kissing you again in even further approval before his long tongue ran out to clean your lips and chin for you in just two quick licks.

The gesture was weird, but truly affectionate in a way you would have never been able to explain to a normal person.

And he laid his head back afterward, steadying his breathing for another long moment as he stroked your back and down to your still clothed ass.

The sun had fully set now, darkening the bedroom even more save for the firelight of those oil lanterns while the two of you lay there quietly for several more minutes.

You thought he was just wanting that brief recovery period, if he’d been serious at least about getting hard for you again soon enough to continue. Even a man like him was somewhat restrained by the basic rules of biology after all. It’d take a bit for his weapon to reload so to speak.

But you realized he was actually laying there thinking too in the new dark before he started something that was not at all what you would have expected right now.

“(Y/N)…I want to see you.” Doflamingo said abruptly, sitting up in the bed then as he grabbed you by your wrists to pull you up with him. You were now sitting in front of the warlord on the bed, his legs around you as he looked down at you.

You still didn’t understand what he meant at first of course, making him have to clarify as his hands tightened more against your wrists. “Take off my mask, (Y/N).” He tried ordering next instead. “It’s too dark for it now…I want to see you all the way. And if you’re staying with me, then you’re going to sleep beside me too. I want this off tonight.”

Your own eyes had long since adjusted to the lantern light, you watching him with a little disbelief.

But despite his words sounding confident, you could see his mouth was now tense. No mocking grin at all as your fingertips did touch the sides of his mask, albeit cautiously when he pulled your hands closer.

Of course you had wondered many times what he hid beneath his usual glasses. Being intimate with a man without ever seeing his entire face was a bit of a mindfuck in it’s own right. And yet, that secrecy was also just part of who he was. Behind a mask of one kind or another was the only way you’d ever known him.

The sudden request had you very nervous too. Because it felt like what seeing a new partner nude for the very first time was like in a normal relationship. But for Doflamingo, this was actually a more vulnerable situation than even his long cock just resting soft against you in this moment.

And what would happen if you somehow didn’t react how he wanted you to when finally seeing him?

“Are you sure?” You heard yourself asking, even as he was the one that still held your fingers against the edges of that mask.

“Yes. I’m sure.” And even as he answered that, it did sound like just the smallest hint of uncharacteristic stress had finally entered his tone.

He wasn’t going to tell you again though, not without getting angry you knew. So you did your best to keep your hands steady as you slipped your fingertips beneath the mask to begin peeling it gently away from his skin.

And as it did come off, you felt you weren’t allowed to look away. But the first you saw of that new skin was both his eyes shut defensively as the mask pulled fully away.

He did have eyelashes was the first mundane detail you noticed. Like an actual human…and thin blond eyebrows that were tightly lowered then just before his right eye did open to make true eye contact with you for the very first time.

And even in the lantern light, you could tell the iris there was a deep shade of red. Cautious, maybe even concerned in its focus now as he tried to determine your reaction.

But he was still hiding the left eye, keeping it closed as you dared to let your fingers stroke down his temple and cheek in what you hoped was a soothing gesture.

Because there on the other eyelid was finally the flaw he’d been concealing. Something that marred what would have otherwise been an entire body’s worth of perfection. You could see the thick scar tissue over that closed eye.

The strike through the smiling face and one eye of his jolly roger now made all the more sense in the world too as you finally put two and two together.

“Doffy.” You called gently up to him. And you got to see his right eye react just to that softness of his name from your lips.

He wanted to be comforted. This was obviously something he almost never showed anyone. It was that difficult for him.

And gods, if that didn’t do something to you as well as you ran your fingertips across his lips next.

“Look at me, Doffy…it’s okay.” You still kept this going as your heart moved into your throat. It shouldn’t feel this different already.

But he did respond positively, kissing your fingertips just as that left eye finally opened.

And to your surprise, that eye wasn’t missing at all. You’d expected the worst, based on the damage to the eyelid. But his left eye was actually intact, even tracking you in tandem with the right. He could move it.

But could he see from it?

The iris of the left eye was different. Slightly larger than the right. Possibly once red too, but too difficult to tell now in the cloudy white that mostly obscured it.

Who would have ever been so brazen or lucky enough to get that precise of a debilitating hit on the Heavenly Demon?

And did they live to tell the tale?

But that story wasn’t really what you cared about in this moment either as you couldn’t stop yourself from looking at him now. That strange warmth just building and building as your mind tried to understand that this truly was still the same person in front of you.

He was starting to suck your fingers slightly now too, already tired of just kissing them alone as they remained near his mouth.

Yet you couldn’t contain what you finally said after seeing his true face for just this long.

“You really are gorgeous.” You breathed even as his teeth had now started to nip your finger tips.

And you’d gotten to see both his eyes widen slightly at that sincere declaration. His mouth pausing its toying with your fingers as he looked down into your own eyes again.

He looked confused if just for that moment, unsure even before he finally pulled your wrists enough to take your hands back away from his face.

But for once the warlord couldn’t find the matching words. He just looked at you, something new and unidentifiable briefly in those eyes before he let his body do the talking for him.

His mouth was back over yours so quickly. So entirely needful as the taste of him filled you again.

He was unzipping your dress too, but with such a fervor that you thought it might rip before he’d slid it from off your shoulders.

Your own mask he reached up to pull away too. But not near as gently as you’d done for him. It stung a little as he’d yanked it off.

The same was done with your bra. His nimble fingers unhooking it with ease. The mask, and the dress, and the bra joining your shoes on the floor then.

He left your jewelry on, either liking the aesthetic, or just too impatient to deal with it as he’d now been the one forcing you onto your back on the mattress.

His fingers hooked into the sides of your underwear, yanking it roughly from your hips and off of your legs too before he was then leaned back in to start licking a wet trail straight down your chest.

You were essentially along for the ride at this point. But you were able to grip into that short blonde hair along his scalp as his head came back up to bite one of your breasts.

The sound you made in response simply encouraged him of course as he did it again even harder to the other one.

But just when you thought you were going to have to engage some armament coating for self preservation’s sake, he started sucking your chest instead.

Something he’d never done to that degree before as you gasped at the new sensation when he worked one of your nipples far more carefully in his mouth while it hardened at the attention.

And now you could see the intensity as his eyes glanced up at you while he squeezed your other breast beneath his hand.

Making true eye contact while being thoroughly ravaged put things on a whole new level. And he still didn’t give you time to accept this at all before you felt his other hand move between your legs almost simultaneously.

He went back to sucking and biting your breasts as he thumbed your clit hard, making your thighs try to slam closed as you writhed beneath him.

Of course, closing anything to him was no longer allowed. So both his hands were below your waist then as he grabbed your knees to force your legs back open before you felt him release one hand again to push his fingers right inside you once more.

He was finger fucking you immediately too, continuing what he had started at the church as you whined desperately.

“I’m going to take this. Again and again, you understand? I’ve waited too long.” You heard him growl as he’d risen back up to straddle you. Your hands were then forced back above you as he grabbed your wrists again next. “But if you’re good, we’ll keep using lube each time.”

And as he said this, he’d let go of you again just enough for his strings to pull open the drawer of the nearby nightstand. Another string lifted a small bottle out of that drawer and into his hand.

He was already fully hard again as he’d poured some of that bottle’s contents into one of his palms. Then spreading that liquid entirely over his waiting cock before the bottle dropped back onto the nightstand.

Even if you’d said no, it wouldn’t have mattered to him. You could only brace yourself, yet fighting to relax all the same before Doflamingo had forced his then freshly slick cock past your entrance once again.

He was already panting, his eyes absolutely full of that yearning for you as he immediately started to thrust.

Even all the lube in the world couldn’t let you stretch fast enough though as you cried out in return.

“That’s it…come on, scream for me. Scream for your man.” He breathed out regardless, that suction already starting as you could hear the additional wetness of the lube making those god awful sounds through the room as his hips pumped in and out against you.

“Bastard!” You arched and cried out again as you fought the pain of that pressure, the bed protesting as well as his weight shook it.

But every time your legs tried to close around his hips, he’d just grab you by the thighs and force you open again though.

After about the third time, he dug his fingers into that flesh of your legs, enough to pierce it slightly.

“I want to watch this wet pussy while I fuck it. So keep these goddamned thighs open.” He briefly scolded.

You glared up at him, but that only drew out an additional nasty smile from the pirate as he angled his hips further at that, changing the pressure to scrape more against that special, sensitive spot inside of you.

As you moaned immediately too, he was looking so smug again. “Are you going to cum for me this time, love?”

And in the pain of it all, you still caught that slight difference in his wording.

Love.

But he didn’t stop there. “I want you to. Cum for me, (Y/N).”

And as he said this, he was still pounding in and out of you, sometimes hitting against your cervix, sometimes not. He knew the farthest depth he could fit by now, but that didn’t mean he never overshot that point in the haze of his own pleasure.

You felt like you were burning up too. Even if he was doing all the work right now by his own volition. The bedroom smelled like sex and sweat. That change so fast as you did feel your muscles trying to contract again.

“Then rub me. If you want me to cum…” you suddenly had found your voice again.

You saw his eyes go back to your face at those words, he really had been watching you stretch around him down there just as he’d said he would.

“Rub what?” He asked darkly though, wanting to hear you say it.

“Rub my clit,” you replied a little more irritably.

“Beg for it.” He just countered right back.

You flinched when he hit your cervix again and you thought that time had really been on purpose.

But clearly your pride still exceeded your discomfort as you did refuse to beg for your own release. Not yet.

And he was fine with that too.

Abruptly Doflamingo had pulled all the way out of you before roughly flipping you onto your stomach as he got on his knees behind you and pulled your ass back up to him.

“I guess you’re declining another shot of the lube then.” He taunted, just before plunging his cock into your aching channel all over again.

It was still plenty wet naturally, but the lube absolutely would have helped as he started thrusting desperately into you all over again.

And now it did feel wholly animalistic, you on all fours momentarily before he’d reached forward to shove you back down into the bed by the back of your neck.

Just your ass still up as his pelvis humped it like a bitch being bred by her mate then.

And the sounds he made as he did so. He was fully consumed in that moment as his hand tightened even further on your neck from behind.

Either the spine or the throat was always what he went for when he sought to better control you.

But the worst thing was that you still felt yourself contracting anyway around him. Body trying to coax his second release from him whether or not you had even had your first.

You were as sweaty as him too from just the intensity of the body heat and the peak of arousal that made you feel like you were burning from the inside out.

Even when it hurt, you were still keeping up on your knees for him too, letting this man continue to ride you even as he kept you gasping with your chest and neck pinned into the mattress.

“That’s right…you love this don’t you?” His voice almost sounded close to breaking then in response to your own sounds.

He slammed in even harder again for emphasis. “This is all for you….I did wait for you. I haven’t fucked anyone. So take what you’ve earned.”

Your expression still showed surprise at this confession, even while it was difficult to look back at him as he finally orgasmed again and you felt his body shudder harshly before his seed filled you to the brim.

You could feel him still trembling, not hiding that weakness at all either as he kept himself sheathed inside you to survive what seemed like even more than one additional orgasm afterward for him.

That sticky overflow did drip from your folds and down onto the bed too as he pumped his hips slowly a few extra times just for good measure.

It was as if he absolutely didn’t want you to miss a single drop of him.

And you mostly didn’t even as he stayed inside, just letting go of your neck in favor of your waist as he pulled you all the way down into the bed, laying on your sides then with him still breathing rather raggedly behind you.

You felt him hugging you to him. That grip still wholly possessive as he rested a few minutes again.

And you didn’t mind the new silence, fully appreciating that cool night air still coming through the open balcony doors as it ghosted across you both.

But after a while, he must have wanted to look at you. Because he at last slid his softening length back out before again forcing you to turn. This time the two of you facing one another as his arm went tight right back around you.

The Heavenly Demon actually nuzzled you then, before you felt him chuckle.

“I’m still burning up, woman. What poison are you made of anyway?”

And you could see that look of almost exhausted contentment in his eyes as he looked you over.

He was actually sated. If only for this moment as you couldn’t resist reaching back up to touch his uncovered face. He’d allow you almost anything right now, you knew that instinctively too.

And he did turn his face further into your renewed touch, letting you pet him as his eyes softened with that rare comfort.

He really was beautiful like this. Though you knew no one else would ever believe it.

But you didn’t care about anyone else right now. Not at all as you brought your lips together again to kiss him gently.

The type of kiss you wondered if he even understood the meaning of.

Whether he did or not though, he still liked it. And he returned that softness before a loud pop from outside had you both looking towards the open balcony doors again.

You stared as suddenly the bedroom was awash with color. More fireworks beginning again outside as you realized you were truly smiling.

“What?” You heard Doflamingo ask, voice still tired as he put his head back against you. “It’s just noise.”

But it was far more than just that as you still watched the multiple hues flaring across the room one after another.

It was such a similar effect actually to that sunlight coming through the stained glass in the church earlier today. It made you realize that you’d always thought your fantasy of sanctuary would only ever look a certain way.

But that wasn’t true. Because this place was becoming a sanctuary too. Somehow, someway, you did feel needed as this man gripped you harder when you hadn’t yet answered him.

“It’s just pretty.” You finally offered, unable to really put this to words of course. Your eyes met his again as you finished though. “It’s what I wanted.”

He made a sound at that, putting one long leg over your hip as if to wrap you up even further against him in this makeshift nest.

“Agreed.” Was all Doflamingo said as his attention never left you then. And that spoke volumes.

Because neither of you were talking about the fireworks any longer. It was all about this new feeling. Something that you both feared not being able to carry on without again.

———————————

T⨂ BE

CONTINUED

———————————

Thanks for reading!

#doflamingo x reader #doflamingo x you #doflamingo x y/n #one piece reader insert #one piece smut #one piece fanfiction #doffy x reader #doffy x you #doffy x y/n #donquixote doflamingo #doflamingo #doflamingo one piece #op doflamingo #doffy #doffy one piece #doflamingo’s marine

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renadosia · 9 months

Text

Cafe Beside The Sea - Chapter 1

— pairing: (Seokjin x reader)

— genre: Selkie AU, strangers to lovers, fluff, romance.

— summary; You return a coat to the strange customer that he accidentally left behind. Seokjin receives a marriage proposal from the pretty waitress that took his order. Both are oblivious.

— content warnings: none

— word count: 7.4k

Masterlist / Next chapter

The summer of your eleventh birthday was the first time you saw them. And the summer of your eleventh birthday, you wept into the sea.

Drip, drip, drip, went your tears into the ocean as it pushes weakly against your ankles. Drip, drip.

You kick at the water, sniffling into your wrist as you wipe at your eyes. Drip, drip.

(Seven tears to summon a selkie, they say, go and cry into the ocean. Shapeshifters, both human and seal- they shed their coats.)

There was a lot that happened that summer- for starters, your parents packed up theirs and your entire life and moved to a small seaside town, and among other things, you would enroll into the local school and quickly be swept up into a friend group of rambunctious boys, you would discover your love for the ocean and become intimately familiar with it over the coming months, (namely thanks to your new beachside home), and find that actually- you really loved living in this small town.

But something has to give first, and before it did, in those first few weeks during and after- it felt like hell. And your little eleven-year-old self was sure that your life was ending.

Well that might be an exaggeration- but point is; you didn’t take it very well.

It only took you about two or three days before you had gone off down the beach, crying. Your parents had repeatedly been telling you to go explore while they finished unpacking, and bitterly, you had done so. Trudging through sand in the opposite direction of town, mostly out of spite. It was windy and the sand bit at your skin, feeding woes as you went.

Back then when you had yet to spend hours upon hours walking trails through the grass over the banks and pulling sea glass treasures from the sand, wading through rock pools to reach the edge where the spray of saltwater would spring up and spit against your legs from the waves, you knew nothing about the area. And so a cave carved into an alcove only sparked the calling of curiosity and adventure as you had easily stepped down the dip of sand and into the cove.

There was only one thing even half as interesting along the beach that late afternoon, and it was a large pod of seals dotting the beach.

What little you knew of them was from your parents brief mentions of their encounters while working as marine biologists (the reason you had moved to the coast in the first place), and while intrigued, you gave them a wide berth out of caution.

Your tears hadn’t quite dried by this point, not fully anyway, and although a few heads with big dark eyes perked up at you moving past them, none of the seals gave you heed as you went right past them and into the cave.

One thing you didn’t notice that day, was a particular seal that watched you go and tumble straight into the alcove. It gave a yip at you, but you didn’t even glance back.

Another thing you didn’t know was that your parents were already looking for you. Having checked weather reports an hour or so after you had left. But you had been out along the beach for hours at this point, and you had gone pretty far out- not to mention, it was getting late.

There was something you did notice though, and had foolishly ignored, which was the tide pushing into the mouth of the cave. All but a thin sheen of water. Your feet get wet, but you don’t give it any thought.

The sun was setting over the blue waves as you savored the sunlight, you hadn’t long until it would get fully dark, and with the clouds swirling in the sky, you would need to head back soon. Even though you wanted to stay out if only just to make your parents worry for you. Maybe then, you had thought, they’ll regret moving to this damn place.

Pushing up and down rocky ledges, you went in. The cave was dark and damp, and you pulled out your phone for the flash as you looked around wide eyed and amazed, at the end of the cavern you could see light and you pushed onwards. Eventually, the tunnel opened into a wide open space, holed up straight upwards so that you could see the sky. You wondered if it was some sinkhole from the ledge above that overhung, and mentally made plans for the next day to go and check it out from above, where you could already see the tree's canopies peeking over the edges. You’d never get to though, because it had started to rain. Little droplets of water tapped against your phone’s screen, and you huffed, wiping it over on your shirt. No reception. But even despite the rain, you weren’t yet worried. You had brought a jacket. The next hour was mostly just photographing and plucking little colorful shells from the sandy earth. In the time it took you, the rain picked up. Now pelting down and bringing a harsh chill to your bone.

A good point to head home, you had thought. But it simply wasn’t that easy. As you climbed your way back through the cave, you noticed the water runoff that ran trails through the rocks. You thought it must’ve come from the open sinkhole space from behind you until you made it to an deadend.

What had been the entrance of the cave was now blocked with a flood of still pushing and pulling water, flooded from the outside in. A complete dead-end, and you felt your heart drop.

After this, there truthfully wasn’t too much you remembered aside from the panic and the seal.

You had panicked, you had tried to get out, you had failed to get out, and had eventually found yourself curled into a ball on the cold hard ground sobbing your eyes out.

Not the most dignified reaction, but you were eleven, so there wasn’t any other reaction that you really could’ve given. And so for the second instance, your eleven-year-old self felt once more like your world was crashing down on itself. (Only you had a bit more of a valid reason for it this time around.)

You were alone in that damp dark space, crying and crying and crying, and then there was a splash, and you had startled, and then suddenly you weren’t alone. The water’s surface broke and the first thing you noticed was a sleek furry body. A seal had popped up and out of the water and the next moment was still. It watched you with deep black eyes, and you had probably cried more, (that day, there was a lot of crying), and only then it started to shuffle over towards you.

The seal nosed at your arm, but you shuffled back a bit warily, your face wrecked with sobs and wet with tears and rain. It yipped at you, and then at that same quick moment, turned back towards the water, yipped again, and dived away. Under the blocked entrance of the cave and back into the ocean. And you were alone again. The whole interaction only took a moment, but it was one moment enough for it to bring simultaneously comfort and despair, and ever since then you had always had a bit of a soft spot for seals- all since childhood, through it, and into adulthood.

But still you cried, and cried, and cried a bit more, until the search and rescue teams found you. You were hauled up with climbing rope through the open sinkhole, and then in your parents arms you had cried more.

Later, you would come to be slightly embarrassed by the whole ordeal. Especially when school had started up and peers and teachers would bring it up. Even on the rare occasion complete strangers had recognised you, usually elderly sharing their relief of your safety while you stood next to your parents, cringing.

Later, you had asked your parents how they had found you.

And they had said that after they had gone into town and search parties of people had been sent out, a young boy had shown up. He knew where you were, and had taken them to the cave. Just older than you were, with long limbs and broad shoulders, and a wet mop of hair on top of his head. He had slipped away after the rescue team jumped into action, and no one knew who he was, nor did he ever come forward after that. He was dressed oddly, apparently. With sandals and shorts and a plain shirt. Odd because his hair was wet as if he had just gone swimming, but his clothes were completely dry. He said he was on the beach when he saw you, and no one had questioned it out of gratitude to be able to find you. The main thing that stood out to them as odd though, was the grey furry coat he wore. Too fancy and blatantly out of place to bring with you to the beach.

But as all things do, time moved on and you forgot much about the incident and earlier years from when you had first moved to the coastal town. The only real memory remaining that you were dumb to go into a cave when the tide was rising and it was storming. It was then a bit of a funny story for you to tell, and that was all it became. But you had always remembered the seal that had comforted you, and similarly, the story of the boy who had saved you.

You might have never met him, but if you got to, you had decided that you wanted to thank him for what he did that day. (Although you knew full well that the likelihood was against you.) But you knew you wouldn’t be able to find the boy with the strange coat, and so you decided that you would leave it up to fate.

Time ticked by as if stuck in honey, slowly and slowly and slower.

Today wasn’t a particularly busy workday, but in the same breath, it wasn’t particularly slow either. Because of this, it felt as if there wasn’t quite enough work to do aside from waiting for more customers to come in, gaps of time in between filled with slow cleaning and patience. It was only the start of summer, so this pacing was bound to change with an influx of imminent tourists wanting to visit beaches and see the oceanside offered by coastal towns and cities, but all the same, you were just waiting for your shift to end in hopes to head home.

Home- or a quick detour to wherever your friends would decide to hangout today, ever changing locations between the seven of you in the indecisive way you all could be. (A few in particular, say Jungkook, Hoseok and Taehyung- but that’s not to name names. They just get a bit cooped up in the same spot.)

Scrubbing the kitchen counter for what must’ve been the fifth time in the past hour, you sighed. The last thing you wanted to do was slack off with the owner sitting just a few feet away at one of the booths tapping away at her phone. Yongsun was a lovely woman, and you might be one of the co-managers, but you still rather not chance it with a job that kept you stable for years. This little job paid well, and alongside the allowance your parents would send you from wherever on the planet they were at the moment you were decent. Not to mention, you enjoyed the environment, Yongsun was one of the nicest women you had ever met, warm and friendly, and you didn't want to get in her bad books.

When you hear the chime of the doorbell and the sound of the front door opening, you don't really bother to hide your relief at something to actually do. It’s followed by chatter and laughter as a group of customers enter together, and as the only one working on shift at the moment, you swiftly move to be in front of the register and display-cabinet of baked goods and food. Yongsun stands to greet the group cheerily, and among the group of strangers, each with a coat slung over their shoulders a-piece, you’re surprised to see two of your friends with them. The only thing they're missing is the coats themselves.

Taehyung notices you first, sending a wave to you as he sits down in the booth and Jimin peaks over his head with a similar grin, laughing at your off guard expression. And you roll your eyes back at them.

You knew they were friendly with Yongsun, and the pair of them are very social- Jimin and Taehyung always seem to know some of the people who pass through town, especially in the summertime. While it's a bit odd to see them hanging out with strangers- you're much more used to passing hellos and warm conversations, you suppose it makes sense, they have to meet all those people somehow. Jimin has always had an extroverted streak in him, even if he never leaves town. And Taehyung is his opposite, an introverted type at first, but out of town in the off-seasons.

There’s a particular stranger that Yongsun greets that catches your eye, with a bashful expression and remarkably attractive face as Yongsun greets him with a big hug and even pinches his cheeks as if he was a child. She was clearly familiar with him, and you don’t even need to imagine the ‘ are you sure you’re eating enough, hun? that you’re sure she’s giving him, much like she does to you and every other person she likes. He looks similarly glad to see her, and you wonder distantly if he’s a son of one of her out of town friends, given you have no clue who he is. Or who any of the other strangers are sitting with them, aside from Jimin and Taehyung, of course. (It’s a small town and countryside in general. So everyone knows everybody here for the most part.)

Yongsun happily wavers you over from the counter, so you aren't left to guess when to approach them. “This is the sweet (Y/n). One of my loveliest workers here.” She smiles as you walk over, already with her menu out and listing the items the table wants. She hums, pausing and looking over towards the man from before. “Seokjinnie, what was it you wanted again?”

“Ah, I’ll just get a muffin or something please, ahjumma.”

“Alright, chocolate chip muffin for that one, please (Y/n).”

“Of course,” you chime agreeably, finishing jotting down the order. When you look up, you accidentally meet the gaze of the ‘seokjinnie’ man that Yongsun was talking to. You’re not sure what it is, but there’s something familiar about him, whether you've seen him before you’re not sure, but his fine features and beautiful black eyes draw your gaze to him and you make yourself pull away. “Is that all for today?”

“Yes, thank you.” The man replies, his voice is polite and melodious, and it’s honestly one of the nicest sounds you’ve heard in a while. ( If that doesn’t seem too creepy, you think to yourself.) You nod with a smile and head back behind the counter, picking out the pre-made items to serve to the table before heading into the kitchen to start on anything that needs to be cooked or baked. It doesn’t take you all that long, preparing the burgers and smoothies and anything else that needs it for the group.

When you gather them all onto trays, you see out of the corner of your eye Jimin and Taehyung talking to the same man from before, and you can tell from the looks on their faces and personal experience that they were teasing the poor man, but when you walk out, their heads all snap up and Jimin and Taehyung break into laughter while the other just ducks and shakes his head. He seems a bit flustered but tells them off, you just can’t make out the words.

“Here you are.” You say chipperly as you set down the trays and they pick off their orders. Then you turn and head back to the kitchen while Jimin nudges the ‘Seokjinnie’ guy with a teasing smirk. You easily tidy up the dishes and mess you made while the group finishes up, and by the time you finish, they’re all already gathering up their things and getting ready to leave. Picking up their expensive looking fur coats and purses and bags. Save for Yongsun, Jimin and Taehyung, each of the strangers each have one of the fanciful coats. All near matching, all flat fur, all gray. Was this some sort of club? You really hope your two idiot friends and boss didn’t get mixed up with some gang. Were there even gangs out here? By the beach? At some random seaside town? You have no idea, but the fur coat gang doesn't seem too threatening, you giggle mentally.

They all migrate over to the front door, and you pick up the cutlery left behind at the table. Your shift is almost over before some other employees take over for the afternoon, and you don’t think it’s too bad to end off with some dishes. You drop them off in the sink, taking a last peek out of the kitchen at the sound of the door’s chime and catching the customers filter out. The ‘Seokjinnie’ guy is the last one left, the others having left or already walking away from the front of the store, and just as he slips through the store, you watch as his fur coat slips from being slung over his bag and lands right in the doorway, glass door catching on it as he walks off taking no notice.

You blink, and then thoughtlessly follow after and pluck the coat up from between the door, not quite impulsive but more on instinct of manners. On any normal day you would be annoyed, but there’s been something a bit off all day- a feeling as though you’re waiting for something important to happen wedged deep in your chest- but it’s not a feeling that you realize until after.

After when the sun rises in streaked rays and it seeps through the curtains, you press into the warmth of blankets and share soft whispers of words, lazing in bed and reminiscing on the moment with arms wrapped around you.

The door clicks shut behind you as you train your gaze after where he turned, searching for the soft head of hair and broad shoulders amongst the streets. Your eyes catch him easily, a standout amongst others and you take off after him in a jog. It’s your lucky day, dude. You think, You’re not gonna lose your probably expensive fur coat just yet.

“Wait!” You call out, running after him as you tuck the soft fur of his coat safely into your arms. He doesn’t turn around, neither does he even realize that you’re addressing him. “Your coat!”

Finally, you catch up to him. In a slight flurry of panic you reach out and grasp his arm, tugging him around- it’s a little harsher than you intend, but it gets the job done. He spins around to face you with a confused expression.

Normally you’re not the type to ever touch a stranger, mostly out of respect for personal space, (both your own and the other person), so you’re quick to yank your hand back and step away. “Oh my gosh, I am so sorry for grabbing you like that!” You say, giving an apologetic look and shuffling his coat on your arm to be held out to him. “Sorry again, I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just that you dropped your coat.”

His eyes flicker between you and the fur coat, and his expression drops. Stunned as he wordlessly reaches his hand out and brushes it over the furry article. He looks half shocked-half mortified and you panic a little, looking over the coat yourself almost praying it isn’t damaged. You really doubt you have the money to reimburse a whole other coat for the guy if it was, and the fact that he seems close with your boss only makes it even worse. The logical side of your brain reasons that you weren’t the one who dropped it- so it’s not really your fault- but god knows that you’ve had your fair share of haughty customers over the years, so you’d rather not take your chances.

“I am so so sorry, it slipped off your bag when you left and I picked it up for you once I saw.” You ramble, dusting it off as gently as you can manage before pressing it into the man’s hands. “Is this alright? You’re not upset?”

“I- um.” His face flushes red, all the way to the tips of his ears. Cute, really you would swoon if the situation was any different. “I think. This is fine, I think.”

“Oh thank goodness, It’s not damaged or anything, but I was worried you’d run off before I could even give it back!” You chuckle softly and maybe slightly awkwardly. Finding the stare that he’s giving you a little confusing as your gaze flits up to meet his. “You walk very fast.” You say lightly, trying to dispel any tension.

“I do- did.” He says a little dumbly, face still red as he clears his throat and straightens up. “I just wasn’t expecting this.” You raise your brows at his words, unsure what they mean.

“Well, no worries.” You smile as nicely as you can, and it seems to work, him reciprocating it as he nods. “At least you can go home with your coat safe!”

There’s a moment where neither of you say anything, him looking at you intently as he seems to swallow down any previous shyness that lingered. He speaks thoughtfully, as if contemplating; “Yes, much better this than losing it. Or someone else keeping it to themselves.” He smiles, and despite his very very odd words (in your opinion), you're not that creeped out- only the awkwardness that licks at the back of your neck any indication of discomfort. “I’ve been waiting for something like this for a while, and you actually seem quite sweet.” You shift on your feet, not knowing what else to do except smile and nod your head awkwardly. He watches you, observant to your every word and reaction, but his expression is tender and you don’t know where that came from. Your mind recalls with relief that you had left the cafe completely unattended .

“Right.” You say, pulling on your best poker face. “Well, my shift isn’t quite over yet, so I’d best be getting back.” He seems to pull out of a daze at your words, and you try to ignore that it makes you feel a bit bad for him. “Um, good luck! Have a good afternoon!” As you turn and speed walk back towards the cafe, you can feel his gaze on your back. You don’t look around at him, but once you push open the glass doors of the store you can’t help but almost want to peek back out to look for him. Maybe it’s curiosity, maybe you thought he was hot (you did), maybe you’re a bit paranoid- but whichever one it is you stubbornly shove it down and trudge back into the kitchen, sighing deeply as your brain runs over the interaction and the man’s strange words. Well, that was odd . You think, and you really have no idea where the weird words and such came from, but at the very least, you’ve got something funny to tell your friends later on .

But Goddamnit, Jimin and Taehyung were absolutely going to laugh at you.

The first thing you did once your shift ended and a coworker took over for you, was grab your bag and check your phone. It lit up with a text message from Hoseok, his contact followed by random emojis he had put in years ago when he first took your phone to give you his number.

‘Meetup at the studio after work? The others are coming :D’

A huff of amusement left you as you unlocked your phone and typed a message back.

‘Definitely, wouldn’t miss it, Hobi. Also I've got a funny story to tell you guys lol.’

‘Ookk, but just hurry though 'cause Jungkook keeps complaining that he’s hungry and you know how that goes.’

You roll your eyes, typing; ‘That boy is always hungry. But yeah, be there in ten.’

You giggle a little at the string of strange emojis Hoseok sends in response before tucking your phone into your back pocket as you speed walk down the streets. You couldn’t have been more eager to get out of there after working most of the day. It isn’t long until you get down to the studio, and you step and round down the hall past the receptionist, (a friendly girl who had been working there for a few months) as you head right towards the studio room you know Hoseok usually works at. Through the glass doors you can see all the boys sitting around- and Jungkook, who was leaning against the wall next to the door, pulls it open for you before you even manage to grab the handle.

“(Y/n)! How was work? Hobi says you’ve got another one of those funny customer stories to tell us again.” He grins at you, and clicks the door shut behind you before you respond. There’s some takeout containers and burgers sitting around, Jungkook's got one in his hand, and you would take a guess he convinced somebody to make an ‘emergency call’ for him.

Jimin chimes up from one of the benches. “Yeah, and why didn’t you tell us before when we were there?”

“She was working, jimin.” Yoongi says reasonably, shrugging lightly. And my boss was there , you go to say, but jimin beats you to it.

“Yeah, but I would’ve stayed behind if I knew there was drama.” He defends jokingly, turning a teasing smile over towards you. “Yongsun wouldn’t have minded, you know. She knows we’re friends. I mean, after all the times me and Tae have camped out waiting for your shifts to finish in booths, and the fact she asks us how you’re doing everytime we speak, I'd say you're even her favorite employee.”

“It happened after you guys left.” You explain, sitting down next to Hoseok who wavers you over as you set your bag down. “And it’s not drama but I still don’t want to get any grief over this. Tae, Jimin, I’m talking to you two.”

“Huh?” Taehyung echoes, his head flicking up from his phone that was scrolling on distractedly. He gives you a befuddled expression when you look at him pointedly. “What’d I do?”

“One of the people you were with.” You say, sighing dramatically. “Some poor guy dropped his jacket and so I had to run it to him. It was pretty awkward.”

Namjoon shakes his head at you sympathetically, laughing a little bit. “That’s not that bad.” He says, but you huff protest. And no one notices, but Jimin and Taehyung both stiffen up. Their heads snapping over towards you and sitting up alert.

“What?” Taehyung says, unable to help the sharp tone that he uses. Yoongi and Namjoon both raise a brow, aware of the change of mood, and Jungkook glances over at them. Hobi doesn’t notice it.

“Aw man, I was hoping for something like that one time that kid tripped on someone’s foot and spilled a smoothie all over you.” Hoseok complains with a mischievous smile as he lays across the floor, “that was pretty funny. You had a huuge pink stain over your new fancy shirt all day.”

“That was miserable.” You grimace.

“It was funny as shit.”

“ lHold on - you gave who back his jacket ?” Taehyung speaks up again, cutting off Hoseok and your banter with an edge of urgency to his voice that makes you pause. You look over at him frowning, and he looks a mix of disturbed and worried that only makes you confused. You gave his coat back , so why would he need to be worried? It wasn’t like it was damaged or anything.

“The guy you were teasing. I gave him back his furry coat when he dropped it.”

Taehyung’s jaw drops and Jimin shoots a glare at him, kicking him in the leg. He clears his throat, “Did you give it to him or like, point it out and tell him he dropped it?” He seems less concerned then taehyung does, but still so- from his more good natured smile compared to Taehyung's tense demeanor, it relaxes you slightly, but you can still see the uncertainty behind his eyes that makes your stomach churn uneasily. You flicker your gaze between the two incredulously. The others all watch.

“I gave it to him. It slipped from his bag and he didn’t notice. I had to stop him in the street to give it back.” You say, furrowing your brows. Jimin and Taehyung share a look.

Namjoon breaks in, apparently having enough of the random tension in the conversation. “Okay, why are you two being so cryptic?” he waves his hands gently, looking between you and the other two. “What else was she supposed to do? Let the dude lose his coat?”

“Well- no?” Taehyung splutters slightly, choking on his words. “just- was it Seokjin?”

“Seokjin?” You echo, confused.

Yoongi passes an eye over the three of you calmly. “Jimin, not all of us are extroverts and know all the random people who pass through town.” He says, the small joke eases some of the rising confusion from the group. He sends a small grin at him, and Jungkook makes an affronted noise at his words.

“We know taehyung! And you!”

“That’s different.” Yoongi rebutts immediately.

“Yeah, they both grew up here.” Namjoon adds, leaning back and glad to jump on an opportunity to change the subject.

“Yoongi goes to the city for work for like a week every month! I don’t see how that’s so different!” Jungkook says, shaking his head with a determined expression. “And Taehyung sticks around for summer, sure, but he only visits otherwise.”

Hoseok gives a hearty laugh, and Jungkook grins at him. “Yoongi literally lives here.” He snorts, and Yoongi nods his head along.

“Yep. So don’t know what you’re on about, kid.”

“Sure you don’t, old man.” Jungkook says with accusation, pointing a finger towards Yoongi, who just rolls his eyes with a smug look.

“Whatever you say, kiddo.”

Jungkook scrunches up his face, cringing. “Ugh, I’ve always hated that word-“ He’s cut off the crack of a phone clattering to the floor and everyone glances over again, Taehyung giving a little mutter of shit as he hastily stuffs it into his bag.

“Tae? You good?” Hoseok asks. But Taehyung just shuffles awkwardly under the scrutiny of everyone, his gaze flickers from Hoseok, to Jimin, and then to you. You’re a little worried you upset him, but you have no idea how.

“Uhh, something came up so- i’ve gotta go.” Taehyung’s words sound a little forced and his demeanor is stiff, and after all of you having known each other for years at this point, some longer then others, you all raise a brow. It’s pretty obvious he’s making an excuse to go. Which is odd. “Sorry guys.” He says for good measure.

Taehyung would normally be the last to go, always eager to spend as much time with his close friends whenever possible. He didn’t live full time in town, mainly staying for the summer and then occasionally a little bit after, but never too long. There were occasional visits, but other than that, you all didn’t get to see him much. So his behavior is particularly striking as weird.

Guilt stirs in your chest, an uncomfortable pressure. Was it the coat thing? You sure hope not. You wonder distantly why it would, but struggle to come up with a realistic answer. You wouldn’t have thought that something so minuscule like that would upset him, or really anyone for that matter. The idea of giving a coat back to someone after they dropped it doesn’t strike you as anything negative, heck, you’d be glad if someone chased your own coat out to you if you had dropped it. Was there something earlier that happened that you missed? Did you say anything else that could’ve been rude? You didn’t think you did, but now you weren’t so sure. Really you were expecting to be teased about it somewhat- but something about Jimin and Taehyung’s reaction has you thinking that there’s more to it then they’re saying out loud, and the thought that you might have upset one of them makes you frown.

“No worries, Tae. It’s fine.” Jungkook is the first to break the few second silence that came over the group, smiling supportively at Taehyung.

Hoseok chimes in, “Yeah, don’t stress.”

Namjoon speaks up next, “We all get busy. So no worries if you gotta leave on short notice.” he says sagely, “Happens to all of us.”

Taehyung stands there for a moment, like he didn’t quite expect everyone to jump in and dispel the unease lingering in the air. “Yeah, sorry.” He finally says, once more looking over to you in a quick glance. It just makes you feel worse. “um, see you guys.”

There’s a small chorus of byes as Taehyung takes his bag and leaves, waving as he slips out the door. All the boys and you watch silently as he goes, slight degrees of concern or confusion on your faces. It only takes a second before everyone breaks back into conversation, but whatever they’re talking about, you don’t listen, attention fixed on the door where Taehyung had left through as a mixture of confusion and guilt churns in your stomach. Weird, this is all quite weird . But you have a distinct feeling that you might’ve done something to set Taehyung off- you’ve never really seen him run off like that.

There’s a tap on your shoulder and you turn to Jimin who’s leaned forward towards you and smiles with sympathy.

“Sorry for the fuss, don’t worry too much- you haven’t done anything wrong, so try to ignore us, okay?” He says reassuringly, his voice low enough to not gather the others attention. You guess that he probably doesn’t want to embarrass you. “I’ll talk to you more about it later, and I’ll explain some things.” Jimin promises, and there’s an odd tinge of determination to his tone.

You don’t really know what to think of it.

“Okay.” You say, it’s a little dejected and Jimin almost winces at the look on your face. Taehyung will feel bad later, for running off and leaving you to stew. But you guys have been friends for years, so Jimin isn’t particularly worried this will drive a wedge between you two or something.

If anything, he’s hopeful that this will mean new beginnings, once the tide clears up. Not between you and Taehyung, nor you and him, but something new entirely.

He has a feeling it could work out, and he’s always had a bit of a sense for those things.

“Seriously, you haven’t done anything. I’m sorry for interrogating you, neither of us are mad at you- we just gotta make some calls and sort things out.” You snort a little at his phrasing, feeling a bit better about the whole thing.

“Okay then, I trust you.” You concede, “but geez, the way you say it makes it sound like you’re in some mafia group or something. Top secret business.”

Jimin grins, leaning back as lightly as he winks. “Yep, gotta make sure that it’s not classified information.”

Though, it’s not far from the truth.

He gives you a small pat on the shoulder and grabs his things, “I’m going to go too guys, so don’t have too much fun without me.” Jimin announces, stretching quickly as he steps around those who are sat on the floor. “I’ll see you later.” He throws a smile over his shoulder towards you, and you smile back. Then the next moment he’s gone, and you wonder if you really don’t need to worry about him and Taehyung, or if his words are just that, words.

Hoseok nudges his shoulder against yours, reeling you back in. “You good?”

You nod your head, but it feels disingenuous. “Yeah, I’m good.”

Namjoon eyes you, ever observant as he is. “Don’t worry about Taehyung, I don’t think he’s mad or anything.” He says heartedly, and you hum in response. It’s an undecided action, but you bite your lip and pull your bag into your lap.

You’re a bit tired from the long shift at work, and you don’t feel quite as chatty as you did before, so you decide that maybe it’s time for you to call it a day and head home.

With quick goodbyes and more than one watchful glance in your direction, you slip through the door and out onto the streets.

With the day reaching late afternoon, after your exceedingly long shift at the café, a strange customer service interaction with the coat guy, and two of your best friends near freaking out when you recount it to them, you finally head home in hopes to finally catch a break.

Your brain runs loops in your head, juggling between convincing you that you’re the only one making all these things seem weird, and then convincing you that no, all the shit that’s happened today is quite in fact weird, and you’re justified in your opinion of it. Admittedly, you even ponder on whether you could’ve possibly broken some unspoken rule that you’ve never heard off- although you write that off pretty quickly.

Sure, you weren’t born here, but if something was that important, you realistically would have learnt it by now. It wasn’t like your upbringing was that different to anybody else after you moved here. You went to the same old school that every other kid in town did, chasing circles around each other in the schoolyard and pulling fistfuls of grass from the ground when not, reaching over and scribbling smiley faces onto worksheets and crowding around in clusters whenever anything even remotely interesting had happened. You all spent summers visiting the big orchard above town, helping out the old woman who lives up there with her granddaughter by plucking fruits from the trees and berries from the bushes, each of you bringing a big bag full of spoils home, smiling excitedly as you would ramble to your parents about your day and whichever kid inevitably decided to try some kind of stunt to impress all the others (which usually ended up with some bruises and an icepack, the worst you had seen was when some boy broke a pinkie.) You all spent afternoons kicking up sand on the beach and splashing in the waves, only in the colder months did you recede away from it, playing in the town’s streets instead of grainy sand.

Even as you got older, you never gravitated away from the friendships you formed back then. You’re still friends with plenty of the girls you used to go to school with, and you’re naturally still close with most of the boys too. Hoseok, Namjoon, Yoongi, Jungkook, and of course Jimin and Taehyung.

Unfortunately, you have plenty of time to think on the way, considering that your house lays just a touch out of town.

It's only about an eight minute walk down the road to get there, so you never bother driving. Not to mention, there are plenty of people who live further out so you’re not going to complain either. Your home, which you have affectionately called it so for almost fifteen years now, is a modest place that sits by the beach. Three bedrooms, one bathroom, living-room, laundry room and kitchen. Technically, one of the bedrooms is a converted home office turned storage room in your lack of necessity for it. Since both your parents moved out shortly after your twentieth birthday for their job, it left you with an office you honestly didn’t really need. Then again, considering that both your parents had only moved to this town because of their job, it makes sense that they’d move away because of it too. Being marine biologists isn’t very stationary- you learned that pretty young when they would have to travel for a week or two almost every month.

It’s lucky you love the beach. Otherwise you might’ve gone a bit insane after a few years.

It’s easy for you to admire the waves push and pull along the sand, the crashing of it and the constant trull. You particularly love the summers, as it is now- because that’s when the seals show up.

Seals are your favorite marine mammals, and probably just your favorite animal overall. It always brings a smile to your face when you come across photos online of their thick whiskers and big black eyes. Even better when you get to see the pods of seals littering the beaches or peeking up from the waters, which much to your delight, you happen to see today.

There’s not that many this time, but there’s about ten or so lazing on the beach, taking in the afternoon sun. There are a few more between the waves, and you’d assume more further out in the ocean. It’s a happy distraction, and your lips tug into an involuntary smile as trudge down the path past them. There’s one particular seal however, that grabs your attention among all of them. It’s the farthest up the beach and the closest to you, (which is a little odd- they usually stay pretty close to their pods) but it’s staring right at you and you stare right back. Your house is literally only a minute ahead, you can see it just in front of you and while that should probably be the most interesting thing that you pay attention to, you find you have no interest in it.

Maybe it’s a seal you’ve seen before, but you doubt that it would capture your attention so much. There’s just something about the deep black eyes and the dried sleek coat that strikes you as familiar and pulls at the seams of your brain. The mammal stares at you with wide eyes and it looks almost puppyish, which makes you smile wide with a huffed laugh. If possible, the animal seems surprised at your reaction and pulls its head back a bit. You can’t help but giggle a bit, awww chorusing in your mind as you refocus your attention on the path that veers away from the beach and up to your front yard.

You jostle your bag on your arm as you produce a key from it and throw a glance over your shoulder back down to the beach. You can see sat on top of the backshore dune the seal from before watching you just as you push open your front door. It’s completely on a whim that you do it, but you randomly decide to give a parting wave to the seal. You weren’t expecting any reaction, but it turns tail and waddle-runs it’s way back toward the ocean. Oh, I scared it off. You’re not sure why, but it leaves you with a slight sense of disappointment as you drop your bag to the ground and pad off towards your bedroom.

With sluggish movements, you barely shrug off your day clothes and take a shower, before pulling on pajamas. You slide under your bedsheets with hopes to drown under the pull of sleep. Today’s strangeness will be gone tomorrow is the only distant thought you let linger as you drift off, comforting and convincing, leaving you fully intent on waking up tomorrow and forgetting most of todays events and letting normalcy take over. Once you wake up the next day, it seems to be near true. You go through the motions of your average morning routine, brain blurry and slow with sleep and yesterday pushed to the back of your brain for the most part. It’s mind numbing enough and really, you’re glad for it.

Then you push open your front door, and you’re greeted with the sight of little ocean gifts settled at your feet on your front porch.

And you think that maybe the strangeness that you experienced yesterday was only the start.

Masterlist / Next chapter

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