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with-love-from-hell · 10 months

Text

5 Sides of Human

{Part Twenty-Two}

Genre: Mixed

WC: ~6.8k

CW: Illusion to past trauma, Storm has a stutter but I am not depicting it with written word consistently, prolly lots of typos lol, spoilers for season 1&2, heavy drinking, Fern is overprotective and alludes to Storm and Lucifer’s sex life, Solomon is kind of a dick lol, Anxiety/panic attacks, violent behaviors/throwing things/threats of violence? I'm skipping over/changing some things I didn't like in the main story so it will be a bit different from canon!

Series Masterlist

©️ artwork commissioned by @vivi8bit ©️

"I already know there's going to be a party..." Storm sighed, finally hearing the door to the ballroom slam in the distance. "Why do they always have to try to make them "surprise" parties regardless?"

"Who knows." Vivi shrugged lazily, hoisting herself up onto the garden wall. "Maybe 'cause they thrive on chaos."

“You’d think they’d eventually get tired of it.” Storm shook her head, plopping down cross-legged in the grass.

"I don't know what y'all are complaining about. Parties at the castle are baller as hell." Fern smirked, trying to tossing pebbles at one of Mammon's familiars to bother it. It cawed loudly and bounced toward them in annoyance, before whipping the rocks back at them harder.

"Agreed." Heart nodded. "Besises, do you know how good Devildom bud is? Like damn."

Sarah skipped around the garden, plucking flowers to weave into Storm's hair. "Oooo yeah, true that. Plus Diavolo agreed to let me play music from our world to make things more interesting. Can you imagine Asmo getting down to W.A.P? What a sight to behold, bahaha!"

Heart smiled dreamily. "Eheh, yeah..."

"I mean, I'm not exactly fond of big parties. I guess they just aren't really my thing." Storm shrugged, pulling at the pristinely even blades of grass. "If it was just like, all of us, I'd be totally fine. But I don’t know who they’re all planning on inviting. I still hardly know all of the other demons."

"You hadn't gotten closer to anyone else during the first exchange year?" Vivi kicked her feet, trying to hide her surprise. It wasn't like Storm was unlikable. If anything, Vivi found her more tolerable than any other human they’d ever met. And with how attached it seemed like all of the brothers were to her, she figured making friends came easy.

"Well, their opinions on Humans are still changing, and there's a few that still aren't happy with the exchange program at all." Storm sighed. "Plus, making friends has always been...difficult."

"What?!" Fern and Sarah gaped at her, confused by her statement. "How tho?"

"Yeah, you're cool." Heart now sat beside her, mimicking her position in the grass. "What's not to like?"

She shrugged again. "Even when I first got here, the brothers seemed to not like me very much. And I was too anxious to try to hang out with the other exchange students on my own. Mammon was the only one who grew really close to me fast, but even that took like a week or two."

"Well they all seem to adore you now." Heart observed. "So why does the time it takes for someone to get to know you matter?"

"We all seemed to get pretty close within a matter of weeks." Sarah finally knelt behind Storm, running her fingers through Storm's hair. "I dunno, Babe, maybe you're just overthinking it. Why not let loose and have some fun, hon?"

Storm shrugged again. She didnt really want to go into explicit detail on how her relationships with the brothers had changed- especially with Belphie. She held her head in her hands, giving another sigh. "I know parties for celebrations are just kind of their thing, but I dunno. I just don't think I need all this for passing a stupid test."

“Don't undersell your accomplishments, little red." Solomon smiled, causing everyone’s attention to turn to him. No one had heard him approach, but now he stood, confidently leaning back against the fountain.

Vivi narrowed their eyes at him. “What are you doing here, you deranged Muppet of a man?”

“Hey now!” Solomon laughed, finding Vivi’s attempt at an insult amusing. “Am I not allowed to visit my lovely fellow humans just for leisure's sake?”

“No. Go away.” Vivi snarled, clenching her fists on the wall. Of all of the individuals she had met in the Devildom thus far, the most infuriating one had to be Solomon. They didn’t like the way he seemed so cocky and overconfident about everything, and especially didn’t like the way he seemed to talk down to others- even if they themselves were oblivious to it. Witnessing his and Storm’s interactions were especially frustrating, as she could tell his obvious attempts at flirting went right over her head.

“Here Sully!” Sarah grinned, patting the ground next to her. “Come sit with us!”

Solomon ignored Vivi’s demand for him to leave, approaching Sarah’s place behind Storm. He sat next to the two of them, outstretching his legs until they bumped into Storm’s. She scooted over slightly, but his leg only followed. Vivi glared at him, clenching their teeth. Part of them wondered when they grew so protective over Storm. She pushed the thought away as anger festered further, watching Solomon take a few strands of her hair in his hand, mimicking Sarah’s movements.

"Anyway, changing the subject kinda..." Fern interjected, finally deciding they werr done trying to chase the crow through the garden. "I've been meaning to ask...what's the deal with you and old man killjoy?"

Storm blinked, trying to hide the slight blush on her cheeks as the others stared at her expectantly. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"Like...are you guys a thing, orr..?"

"Oh...OH." Storm laughed nervously, waving her hand in dismissal. "No, we're not."

"But you two made out on the ferris wheel." Sarah commented, causing Storm's face to suddenly turn a deep red. "We all saw! So give us the juicy deets. Like, does Lucifer have a small dick? He kinda always seems like he's over compensating!"

"Sarah, come on." Heart groaned.

"What!? I'm curious!" She pouted.

"You two are always hanging out alone in his office late at night 'n stuff too." Fern added, narrowing their eyes. "So whats up? You guys have like a secret oath that you can't talk about it or something?"

"There's nothing..." Storm sighed, dropping her eyes away from the others. "There's nothing between us. At least, I don't think there is."

"What do you mean by that?" Fern asked, crossing their arms.

"Like...I guess we've kissed a couple times, but that's been basically it. And it seems like immediately after we do, he acts like he wants nothing to do with me for a while. So i dunno..."

"Do you like him?" Vivi asked pointedly, studying Storm's expression carefully.

"Well...yeah." She swallowed, feeling awkward to finally talk to anyone else about her feelings for the eldest outside of brief moments where she confided in Beelzebub. "I do."

"Seriously, Storm." Fern sighed. "You can do so much better. He sucks!"

"Agreed." Vivi added, shaking her head. "He's basically a glorified boot licker."

Storm chuckled. "I mean, I know Lucifer's a hard ass. But I sort of find it...endearing?"

Fern groaned with disgust. "Stormmmm."

"I mean I know you guys don't like him, but..." Storm paused, reminiscing on the moments of intimacy with Lucifer over her time in the Devildom. He calmed her anxiety often, and seemed to have an index in his brain of all of her favorite things. They both had shared with the other inner thoughts and feelings that they wouldn't dream of sharing with anyone else, and found comfort in each other's presence. Not to mention their shared personality traits for organization, perfection, and love of music, that seemed to allow them to be vulnerable. All of it seemed too much to share at this time, but maybe they would come to understand it later. "I just...I’ve seen a different side to him that he doesn't always show to others."

"Well I mean that's a given," Sarah added, now utilizing some of the flowers in her braid. "He is so whipped for you, babe! Like, forreal!"

"Huh?" Storm tried to turn to face her, but Sarah forced her head to stay straight.

"Don't look so shocked." Vivi scoffed. "Literally anyone with eyes could see it."

“It’s gross.” Fern mumbled. “Like, he couldn’t make it any more obvious if he tried.”

"I dont..." Storm shook her head. "I mean, he's so hot and cold though. Some times I guess I can see that he maybe likes me, but others it seems like I'm just sort of...there?"

“Lucifer definitely has a soft spot for you, Red.” Solomon smiled, leaning over to catch her eyes. “He just won’t admit to it, so you’d have to make the first move.”

“See? Even Solomon agrees!” Heart smiled. “You should go for it! Ask him on a date!”

“Please for the love of all that is holy, don’t.” Fern begged. “You can do so much better than that musty old fuck!”

“Agreed.” Vivi added immediately, shaking their head. “I don’t get why you’re so into him in the first place.”

“Oh stop!” Sarah rolled her eyes. “He’s a hottie, and he’s got money, AND he’s got power. What more could you want?”

Storm opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Heart.

“Sarah, I highly doubt Storm is the sugar baby type- that’s more your speed.”

Sarah giggled and stuck her tongue out at them, giving a sly wink.

Heart laughed, shaking their head. “Seriously though. Don’t listen to them. You should ask him on a date.

"Well, wait a minute now...” Solomon interjected, the smirk on his face from before now was pressed into a thin line, threatening to become a frown. “You might want to first consider if dating a demon is something you should do.”

Storm and the others glanced toward him. She tried carefully not to turn her head and mess up the braid Sarah was twisting into it. She felt a mixture of curiosity and nervousness bubble in her stomach when she saw Solomon’s expression. “W-what do you mean?”

“Well,” Solomon sighed, briefly turning his gaze in a different direction. He felt pity for Storm, not wanting to crush her hopes too much, but he wanted her to think practically instead of being guided by her heart. “Demons are different from humans in a lot of ways- emotionally and physically. They live for a very long time- much longer than you’d even expect. For them, you’re just a small blip on their life path, and could be easily forgotten after a century or two.”

Storm frowned, dropping her gaze to her lap. Solomon’s words were like a dagger being thrusted right into her heart. She didn’t think she was overly special already, but having Solomon point out how really insignificant she would be to Lucifer, and by association, his brothers, only fueled her self-hatred.

Vivi jumped off the wall, rolling up their sleeves. They couldn’t believe Solomon even had the audacity to ignore her, let alone say something so hurtful toward Storm. “That’s it, you dollar-store David Blaine! Get the fuck out!”

Solomon coughed and gagged as Vivi quickly yanked up his cloak. She ignored his attempts to free himself or reason with her, instead dragging him toward the castle. Sarah and Heart Jumped up, trying to free Solomon from Vivi’s strong grasp.

Fern, frowned, watching Storm’s demeanor as she absentmindedly picked at her arms instead of following the others. They hadn’t known her long, but they knew enough to understand how insecure she was. As much as they hated Lucifer, they hated seeing such a lovely person like Storm so...well...sad.

“Hey...” They scooted in the grass toward her, trying to do it in a goofy manner to get a laugh out of her. Unfortunately, she refused to even look at them. They sighed, taking a minute to think of what they could say to make her feel better. “I...I don’t think Lucifer or his brothers would forget you that easily.”

Storm glanced up, and Fern was now able to see the shine of tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. She curiously searched Fern’s eyes for sincerity, in their statement, dropping her gaze in silence after a tense few seconds. Finally, she gave a small shrug in response.

Fern sighed again, grabbing Storm’s hand. “Seriously, I mean it. You’re important to them- like family. And you don’t forget family. No matter how much time has passed. I mean, hell! They still talk about their sister as if she didn’t die a thousand years ago!”

Storm pondered their words for a moment, feeling some comfort in them. She looked up, giving them a small smile. “Thanks, Fern.”

“Care to explain why you dragged me to this café, Fern?” Lucifer grumbled, annoyed that the green haired human had interrupted the planning of Storm’s celebration at the castle. They only had a few hours left before the party was set to begin before Fern demanded he leave with them in a very annoyed tone. He would have refused if not for the incessant screeching from their vocal cords when he has tried to turn them down, and he knew they wouldn’t stop until they got their way.

Lucifer snorted. “Ah, yes. That silly cook-off you did with Solomon. Tell me, how does one manage to follow perfect instructions and still create such a monstrosity?”

Fern whipped around to face him after taking their place in the line to order coffee. They scrunched their face into a scowl, annoyed that Sarah demanded that they and Belphie do their trade-off punishments for losing the bets tonight. “Listen grandpa, I don’t like this any more than you do. I lost a bet, so I have to spend at least an hour out with you. If I had the option, I’d rather chew my own foot off.”

“Hey! Cooking isn’t as easy as Storm made it seem.” Fern pouted, crossing their arms.

Lucifer chuckled, shaking his head and mimicking Ferns posture. “I hardly stand to agree that cooking is very hard, though Storm does make the act look much more seamless.”

Fern narrowed their eyes at the softness that now glimmered behind his ruby eyes. They had been meaning to use this time to tell him to back off of Storm once and for all, but something behind the expression temporarily shifted their thoughts about the two getting together. Perhaps it was possible that he had her best interest at heart, and she did look so happy when they were together...

No. Fern internally scolded themselves. Even if they did compliment each other, they were sure Lucifer’s intentions were not good. That should be evident in the way he seemed to be so hot-and-cold toward her all the time. And they were sure his arrogance would not allow for him to wear his emotions so candidly, and that was something they knew Storm deserved.

Fern opened their mouth to speak, but the barista’s “how can I serve you two?” from behind alerted them that it was their turn to order. There was a pause in conversation as they both ordered their coffee of choice and sat at a table in the corner of the cafe. Silently, they sipped their drinks until Fern cleared their throat.

“Actually, I do want to talk to you about something since none of your idiot siblings are around to hear.” They muttered, glaring at him over their drink. “I don’t like having to spend ‘quality time’ with you, so I’ll kill two birds with one stone.”

“And what might that topic of conversation be?” Lucifer raised a brow, curious to know what Fern had wanted to talk with him alone about. His only assumption being that they wanted to butter him up to negotiate better marks in their classes, but the way in which they spoke to him now made that possibility unlikely.

“Storm.”

Lucifer’s eyes widened slightly. The coffee cup paused on his lips as he waited for Fern to elaborate on why anything involving Storm would worthy of a private conversation. The longer they stayed silent, the bigger the anxious pit in his stomach became. Finally he lowered his cup, choosing to ask for an elaboration.

“And..? What about her?”

Fern glowered, crossing their arms on the table. “I think you know what.”

Lucifer blinked in confusion. “I assure you, I do not. Are you having a conflict with her, or has she done something wr-”

“Do you think I’m that stupid? Like genuinely?” Fern’s tone was cold, and little emotion spare for anger could be detected behind it.

“What?? Fern, you need to elaborate on what it is you’re trying to convey here.” Lucifer shook his head, now irritated with the vagueness in their speech. “What has Storm done that has caused you to be so irate?”

“She hasn’t done shit, you dense bastard.” Fern hissed. “The problem is you.”

Lucifer paused, furrowing his brow. “Me?”

“Did I stutter? Yes, YOU.” Fern snapped.

“Wha- I...What?” Lucifer shook his head now completely flabbergasted with the trajectory of this conversation. “I can’t say I understan-”

“Listen, you musty old fuck!” Fern nearly leaped to their feet, spilling their coffee in the process. They aggressively pointed a finger at him in an accusatory manner, as the words dripped like venom from their lips. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing with her, but I don’t like the idea of you trying to sneak around and get your nasty dick all up in her business! Her heart isnt a toy for you to play with!”

Lucifer was taken aback by the sudden aggression, causing him to take longer to process what they were saying. Other patrons looked on in confused interest, trying to listen in on what Fern was saying. No one had the audacity to treat the Avatar of Pride in such a way, so they were quite interested to see how Lucifer would respond.

“Fern, what in Diavolo’s name are you talking about?” He hissed, trying to coax them back to a seated position.

“I’m talking about the way you’re clearly trying to get in Storm's pants!” Fern snapped, plopping back down in their seat with their arms crossed tightly over their chest. They were annoyed with Lucifer’s initial confusion with their words, but the way his face paled when he realized what they were talking about only fueled their anger. “You think no one noticed that you made out with her at the fair?! I know what you’re doin’, and you better back off before I get Vivi to kick your teeth in!”

Lucifer swallowed hard, not realizing that he had been so flippant in his affectionate interactions with Storm. He tried to figure a way out of this encounter, opting to try to worm his way out of it by trying to convince them that he had no feelings for her. “Listen, Fern. I’m not sure why you’re so bothered by this, but Storm and I have nothing going between us. Whatever you saw was not what it appeared to be.”

“Nuh-uh. Don’t you sit here and try to gaslight me. I see how you look at her. I ain’t stupid.”

“Fern, I’m telling you-”

They shook their head aggressively. “Nope!"

Lucifer sighed and pinched his brow in frustration, trying desperately to cover his tracks. “Fern, would you just listen to me. it’s not like-”

“LIAR.” They yelled back, interrupting his attempts at denying his emotions

“Alright!” Lucifer hissed, now painfully aware of the whispers happening around them. “Alright...I...I do have...feelings for her. Are you happy now? But I’m not sure how- or if I even should- convey them to her.”

“Oh, so you’re fine with just fucking around with her when you think no one’s watching and then acting like she means less than dirt to you when there are?”

The words fell harshly on Lucifer’s ears, causing him to look away from the human. He didn’t want to think of it like that- and he surely was conveying some respect toward Storm when they weren’t alone...wasn’t he?

After a moment of silence, Fern shook their head. “I don’t know who you think you are. It’s not like we’re blind! And she has definitely made her feelings for you obvious. So why do you keep playing this stupid game with her?”

“My intention was not to 'play a game', or treat her with any disrespect...” Lucifer scratched the back of his neck nervously. “Is...that really how she feels?”

Fern sighed, rolling their eyes. “Well...she hasnt said it like that...but she’s definitely confused! And she is hurt by the fact that you keep reeling her in and then casting her aside. What do you think that does to a person?”

Lucifer paused, taking in what Fern had to say. For a moment, he wondered if they were exaggerating her feelings about him to scare him off, but he felt it in their interactions. Perhaps they were right, and that he was just playing a game to avoid confronting his true emotions, but he also knew Storm had enough sense to deal with this on her own.

“Fern...I understand your concern for Storm’s emotions, but she’s an adult, and can handle them on their own without your interference in her affairs.”

“I know she’s not a baby, jack ass.” Fern growled, pointing at him again. “I don’t like that she likes some grumpy old fart like you already, but she doesn’t deserve to be hurt by someone she can do a million times better than. I’ve only known her for a little while, but she’s genuinely the best human I’ve ever met, and I cherish her. So if you decide to keep fucking around with her, I’ll personally make sure that you regret it.”

Lucifer nodded, absorbing what Fern had to say. Part of him wondered if Fern was just being over protective, but he knew there was truth to what they were saying. Storm was very sensitive, and he deeply cared for her, just as Fern does. He felt guilt fester in his chest, not wanting to accept that he managed to cause her more harm than he already had...but he knew he should either end things with her, or tell her how he felt. The problem being that he wasn’t sure if he was ready or able to do either of those things.

He took a deep breath, deciding to lay his heart out to Fern. He was hesitant at first, both because of his pride and because of his fear that they would gossip, but ultimately, the fact that they had this conversation with him independently allowed him to extend some trust. “Listen, Fern...I understand your concern, and you may not believe me, but I do care deeply for her. The last thing I want is to be the cause of her hurt...but I...” he paused, trying to find the words to say. “...I’m not sure how a relationship between a human and a demon- especially one of high social accolade- would be received amongst the three realms. And that makes it difficult for me to communicate how I feel to her.”

Fern rolled their eyes. Of course he was using his status as an excuse. Before they get a word in before Lucifer continued:

“I would go so far as to say that I...I love her.” Lucifer swallowed, uncertain of how it felt to say the words out loud. “But I don’t know if I can give her the care she deserves, so I do believe you're right- in that she does deserve better than i can offer.”

Fern flinched in surprise that Lucifer would even agree with what they had said already, let alone confide his feelings in them. They were sure that Lucifer was truly malicious in the way he was acting, but after seeing the dejection in his eyes and the difficulty he clearly had saying any of this out loud, they began to grow somewhat sympathetic to him. After a moment, they sighed.

“Look. You’re a WAD, and I don’t like you. But...I guess if you make her happy and treat her right, I can live with that. But I mean it when I say I’ll end you if you fuck her up. So you better get your shit together and decide if you want to tell her how you feel or rip the band-aid off before she gets more attached, and you better do it soon.”

“Understood. “ Lucifer paused, now narrowing his eyes slightly. “Though, I will say that you would be wise to watch your tone the next time you decide to have a serious conversation with me.”

Fern made a fart noise with their mouth and turned their head to look out the window, clearly disinterested in anything else he had to say. Lucifer found mild annoyance in the act, but more so felt appreciation. He admired how deeply they cared for Storm, even going so far as challenging a being who was easily 100 times their strength in order to protect her. Similar to his brothers, they had managed to develop a strong bond with her over such a short period of time. He found himself wondering what in the 3 realms was wrong with the other humans Storm had come into contact with that made them not like her. Regardless, he was happy that she had come to them, and was able to build a strong foundation of support- the likes of which she probably hadn’t experienced in a long time.

To say that the celebration at the castle was a disaster would be an understatement.

Between the expected chaos caused by the brothers and the exchange students on a normal basis, one would think there would still be some semblance of control that could be reigned on the rowdy group of individuals. Adding on Diavolo’s incessant flirting with Storm, Solomon continuously trying to infiltrate the kitchen to prepare his own special meal for the celebration, and the fact that Simeon had gotten way more intoxicated than intended, and you would think that would be enough to send Lucifer into a raging fit. But it only worsened from there.

Amidst the shouting and flinging of food across the table, Storm sought refuge in the gardens, just outside the dining room, pressing her back against the cool brick of the castle with a sigh. Who knew that the night could turn so disastrous in a single instant. She slid down to the ground, trying to close out the sounds of yelling and crashing from the dining room.

“There isn’t a moments piece with all of them in one room together, is there?”

Storm shot her attention up, shocked to see a relatively calm-looking Barbatos step into the garden. He smiled at her, but she could still see the underlying coldness that he harbored for her in every expression he made. She dropped her gaze down, pulling her legs up to her chest and hugging them.

“I’m sorry, I know this is because of me.” She sighed, trying to hide her face from him. “I insisted that we didn’t need a celebration, but I think that only pushed them to try to make it more ‘fun.’”

Barbatos chuckled, shaking his head. “You are not the cause for their behavior. Frankly, I believe the brothers are typically more well behaved with you around.”

Storm shrugged. “Either way, I still feel partially at fault. I promise I’ll help clean up the mess they cause.”

Barbatos felt his heart flutter at the offer, but squashed the feeling quickly. “There’s no need to continuously fix the rubble they create in their wake, Miss Storm. The brothers are more than capable of cleaning their own messes.”

“I mean, yeah...” She sighed, glancing up at him again. “But I know this causes more stress for you and Diavolo, and I dont want that to-.”

Storm is interrupted by a horn of demonous shattering against the window near her head, followed by Lucifer’s booming yell. She covered her head and screamed, seemingly anticipating being hit by something- or someone.

Barbatos raised a brow, the reaction producing a curiosity within him. Storm’s behavior was perplexing to him. He anticipated that someone with as much raw power as her to willfully use it to get...well, whatever it was that they wanted. After making a pact with Lucifer, he assumed she would next come for him, or for the demon lord himself. But after seeing her continued disinterest in him, he was uncertain what to make of her.

Barbatos sighed quietly, feeling his heart sink with guilt for how he had been treating her. Either she was so good at acting that she was even able to fool someone with the ability of foresight, or she really was just a harmless, frail woman.

He waited for a moment as her breaths came out rapidly between sobs, as if trying to see if she was faking the reaction. His expression softened when she wiped away her tears with the sleeve of her shirt and began subtly rocking herself back and forth.

Barbatos approached slowly and gesturing to the space next to her. “May I?”

Storm swallowed, trying to regulate her breathing. After a moment she nodded, running her hands rapidly through her hair to try to calm herself as the chaos continued inside. Barbatos tried to offer a warmer smile, but she refused to look at him. He hesitated at first, but after a moment of consideration, he extended his arm behind her back, slowly bringing her closer to his side. He held her loosely, rubbing the area near her shoulder blade with his thumb to try to calm her down. The noise inside slowly dwindled, and was replaced the sound of Lucifer ordering the others to clean up the space and scolding them for their behavior.

“I’m sorry.” Storm finally murmured after some time, causing Barbatos to tilt his head curiously.

“For?”

Her breath caught as she tried to speak. “For putting you out of your way...For the extra work I keep making you do. For not being more formal and for just expecting you to do stuff, like make accommodations for Malice earlier last week...I dunno...Just...all of it. I know you don’t like me, and I’m sorry you keep having to deal with my shit.”

Barbatos glanced down at the ground, letting her words soak in his brain. Perhaps he had been treating her a bit unfairly...“I appreciate the sentiment, Miss Storm. But you have nothing to apologize for.”

She shook her head, but said nothing in response. Barbatos sighed, squeezing her arm gently. “For someone with the amount power that you hold, I wouldn’t expect you to act like a timid faun in the face of conflict.” He mused, staring out into the garden.

“I don’t like conflict.” Storm stated flatly, clutching herself tightly. “I’ve seen enough of it in my life. I just want peace.”

Barbatos watched her for a moment, feeling her sigh beneath his hold. “I know I may have come off as cold towards you, but you must understand that I take the safety of the young master and his kingdom very seriously. I was only acting out of concern for that, though I see now that you aren’t the threat that I anticipated you to be.” Barbatos chuckled, shaking his head. “You can barely tolerate someone raising their voice at you, I’m not sure how I expected you to overthrow an entire monarchy.”

Storm flushed, sinking away from him. Barbatos glanced at her, clearing his throat. “Perhaps we got off on the wrong standing. I would like you to join me here for tea next week, to allow myself the opportunity to get to know you better.”

“Will Lord Diavolo be there?” She asked nervously, uncertain about coming alone given the way the prince was acting toward her.

“No, this will be just for you and I.” Barbatos eyed her curiously, surprised again when he saw her shoulders visibly loosen their tension and she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Good...” She initially let the word slip out without thinking, then the tension and anxiety reappeared in her demeanor. “Er...w-well, I don’t mean it like that!! He...he just...makes me nervous.”

Barbatos chuckled, this time though, it felt more genuine. “Not to worry. It’s natural for you to be intimidated by a future king- especially one of demon kind. I know the young master has a hard time manifesting self control, and can sometimes be off-putting. I’ve tried working with him on that, but his excitement seems to always get the best of him.”

Storm let out a small laugh, which lifted Barbatos’ lips into smile. They sat quietly for a bit longer, watching the large Helluna Moths flutter around the garden. Barbatos’ thumb seemingly moving on its own as it continued rubbing the same spot on Storm’s shoulder blade.

Lucifer was just about at his wits ends with everyone’s behavior when he saw Storm quietly excuse herself to the garden. He was hurt to see a celebration that was supposed to be for her delve so far into chaos that she needed to leave. It didn’t help that Diavolo went against Lucifer’s warning again, and had procured human world alcohol. Without a doubt, it caused Fern and Sarah to get piss drunk, which in turn grated on Vivi’s nerves to the extreme. Amidst the chaos, he had somehow lost track of Beel, assuming he was on some hunger-fueled rampage through the cupboards in the kitchen of the castle. What’s worse, is that the only other individuals capable of managing at least some of the chaos- that being Storm and Barbatos- were nowhere to be found. Even Diavolo had long ago passed out in a drunken stooper at his place at the head of the table, leaving the chaos to be handled by him alone.

“Cease this tomfoolery at once! All of you!” Lucifer desperately tried to regain control of his brothers, snatching away their demonus horns and plates before they could damage more of them than they already had.

“Shut it Lulu-lemon.” Sarah slurred, nearly falling over with how drunk they were. “You just needa chill da fuck out, mmkay?”

Lucifer seethed, his wings beginning to unfurl as the anger continued to rise steadily within him. “Sarah, If you don’t hand over that glass right now, I will come over there and pry it out of your hands.”

Sarah giggled manically, sloshing her drink around as she tried to hold it against her chest. “Make me!”

Lucifer growled, but his words were interrupted by Vivi nearly screaming as she whipped around in her chair. “For once I agree with the Sith Lord here. Shut the fuck up and stop spilling your drink on me!”

Sarah leaned her body over Vivi, pouting dramatically. “Oh come on now, you don’t have to keep hiding the fact that you looooove me!”

“Listen Bimbo, I’m warning you.” Vivi snarled back, pushing Sarah off and standing to face her.

“Fight! Fight! Fight!” Fern began chanting, shouting over the chaos and catching some of the others’ attention.

“Now, Fern.” Simeon smiled, but his eyes were glazed over with his own drunken haze. “We don’t want to encourage this kind of behavior, do we?”

“Yes we do.” Satan grinned. “Kick her ass, Vivi!”

Lucifer sighed angrily as he saw Vivi begin to take a fighting stance. He walked over to Sarah, picking her up under his arm and walking her away from Vivi despite protests from Satan and Fern. She whined as he tightened his grip on her to prevent her from wriggling out from under his arms, now addressing the rest of the room.

“All of you- retire to your respective rooms at once. We’re done here.” he said tersely over his shoulder. “Anyone who refuses will-”

Lucifer’s eyes widen as he feels a sharp sting coming on his lower back. he whips his head around, seeing a very drunk Belphie gripping a handful of his feathers, seemingly attempting to rip them off. Lucifer dropped a giggling Sarah to the floor with a loud thud, now gripping a squirming Belphegor by the shirt collar. Throughout their exchange, there was loud, cackling laughter from Fern, Satan, and Mammon.

“And what do you think you’re doing?” Lucifer growled angrily into Belphie’s face.

“Uh...nothing?” Belphie refused to meet his eyes, trying desperately to hide the feathers he could get in the sleeves of his sweater. “I was just...uh...”

Lucifer gritted his teeth, tossing Belphie to the floor next to Sarah. A dark aura wafted from behind his back, causing the rest of the room to suddenly grow silent. “I’ve had enough of this! Get your asses to bed, now! Tomorrow you will all be put to work by Barbatos. I will see to it that you work your fingers to the bone before I will be satisfied with your punishment!”

“Hold up- I hope you’re not including me in this!” Vivi crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at Lucifer.

“I said ALL of you.” Lucifer snapped, turning and walking toward where he saw Storm disappear to. He needed to do something to calm himself down from the unspeakable rage he felt in every inch of his body. His attempts at keeping himself calm were failing, and he feared what he would do if the others continued to push him over the edge.

“Fuck you, Mothman!” Lucifer closed his eyes, muttering under his breath before turning back toward Vivi, just in time to see a horn of demonus thrown in his direction. He moved out of the way just as it whipped by his head, smashing into a thousand pieces against the large bay window behind him.

His anger had surly reached its limit, but before his body allowed him to unload, he paused. The noise was unmistakable, even if he had never heard her reach a level of intensity such as this before. Storm’s scream echoed through his head after it ceased, the emotion behind it holding genuine terror. He glanced at the window briefly before turning back to Vivi, who now had a look of shame on her face, for she clearly had not expected Storm to be just outside the window, nor expected such a horrified reaction to come out in response to the action.

Lucifer regained his bearings spreading out his wings wide. His voice held firm as it took a volume they had rarely heard, sobering the individuals in the room instantly "Clean this up. Now!”

Within moments, everyone had scattered around the room to take to a task. Some picked up glass and percaline shards, while others began clearing the table and rushing dishes to the kitchen. It seemed the tension now sobered them up well enough to actually do something other than be loud and destructive.

Lucifer sighed, relieved that they finally obeyed his orders, but was still fuming that it had taken this much to get them to act. He took a deep breath and turned to go check on Storm, only to be faced with a very worried-looking Beelzebub, soaked from head to toe.

“Lucifer...I messed up...” He whimpered, trying not to make eye-contact with his clearly irate older brother.

“What now?” Lucifer hissed; the exasperation in his tone was obvious.

Beel chewed his lip for a minute and extended his arms. Lucifer sucked in a terse breath when he saw the broken pieces of a record Beelzebub held in his hands.

“Beel...That’s not my cursed Siren record, is it?” Lucifer’s eyes widened as he searched Beelzebub’s face for any sort of hope that he was incorrect. How he had even gotten a hold of it was impressive on its own.

“uh...yeah...it is.” Beel’s tone was soft, and was coated in remorse as he stared at the floor. “I was trying to make a special drink for Storm to congratulate her on her exam scores, and it says in order to be perfect you have to listen this record while making it...so...I borrowed it...but I didn’t realize how powerful the curse in it was and-”

“Beel...” Lucifer breathed rapidly, his nostrils flaring as he snatched the broken pieces out of his hand.

“I-I’m sorry...I know I should have asked you before taking it. I was just so excited for Storm, and wanted to give her something special.” Beel whined, feeling horrible for damaging one of Lucifer’s prized records.

“No...Beel...” Lucifer shook his head, and Beel finally looked up to see the panic and fear present on his face. “You don’t even realize what you’ve done.”

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fangtitan · 2 years

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Aizawa x Elysian

I was just walking back home after a small mall trip, an unsuccessful one might I add, when I happened to spot some new shop just opening up. I decided, why not look inside, and see if I would ever want to go there again?

Inside, it was much cooler to look at than I had anticipated, and upon asking, I was told it was a new equipment shop for the public, providing support items for basic quirks to help with everyday life. I was intrigued, to say the least. These kinds of things weren’t easy to find, nor cheap.

So, I decided to look around. After all, I was one of the many born with an unfortunate quirk. Imagine being scared to touch someone, so much so that you need gloves and a hoodie to shop. I was sick and tired of always sweating to death while just doing basic things. After looking through the materials a little, I ended up finding a very lightweight pair of gloves. I planned to ask if they could make a body suit with it but before I could even get to the cash register, a large weight knocked me down.

There was a loud crash, and I ended up draped in clothes. I couldn’t hear anything but ringing for a good minute or so. Not to mention the cloud of dust that seemed to settle on my lungs.

It was just a random guess but I think the roof collapsed in.

Luckily enough, there didn’t seem to be a fire, and there was nothing underneath the building to allow us to collapse further, so I would call myself pretty lucky.

After I checked for any injuries, only to find a few scrapes, I had to hoist myself from under the heavy pile of rubble. Once out, I began clearing my face of the hair that hung as a curtain. The disaster was easy to see, and so was the nearest customer.

He was a thin man with black clothes and hair, almost making him blend into the scarcely lit tunnel the debris had left open. He was not someone I had seen before, so I assumed he was another citizen. I would never be lucky enough to get in such a situation with a pro hero who could fix it in seconds.

“Are you alright Miss?” His voice rang out, sounding worried, I recon mine probably would as well when I answered

“Yes, I’m fine, did you happen to see what happened?” I was right.

His hair stayed surprisingly still as he shook his head. “No clue yet, come over here, I’ll help get you out.” he offered, waving me forward.

“Don’t worry about me, I can dig my way out without a fuss, but the other people in here might not be so lucky.” I didn’t want to accidentally touch him, as my hoodie and jeans had somehow managed to rip in a few spots. It looks like he has had a rough life, though that might just be because a building fell on his head, whatever the reason, I didn’t want to see any of it.

“I’ll go look for more customers, do you think you can make it to the cashier, he was closer to the crash point, It will be harder to get to him.”

“So you saw what happened then?” I asked, sitting back on my legs to relax a bit.

“A villain hit the store, I think his quirk was soundwaves but I didn’t get a good look.” He answered, his eyebrows pulled straight to match the anger in his voice.

I nodded my head. “Well, I can go look.”

I turned to find the nearest tunnel that would lead in the correct direction, crawling through it since I couldn’t stand up straight. The further I went, the less light was available, it seemed as though the sky wasn’t too far up from where I had started out.

I kept going until I could no longer see, cutting my hand on an invisible piece of glass and running into a wall before I finally gave up.

Daring not to shift any debris, I allowed my irritation to show through, I slammed my fist into the ground, regretting it pretty quickly as the sharp pain lased my knuckles. “Stupid concrete.”

There’s not much else I could do unless I use one of my quirks. What terrible luck.

Growing more irritated by the second, I start ripping my hoodie off, taking the gloves and my shirt with it. Ugh, I never imagined I would have to get undressed in such a situation. Or at least, not with so many people guaranteed to be outside to see.

Before my mind was even made up, the pain began to form and quickly thinking of the animal most useful here, a loud snap signaled the beginning of my misery. Although it never took more than a few minutes, my eyes wouldn’t cease their watering as pain washes through my mind.

The pain faded after an agonizing few minutes, and through my blurry eyes, my feet were easier to make out, visible as paws. I could only hope my quirk wouldn’t scare the cashier, poor guy.

See, I can shapeshift, it is only one of my quirks, and my most used form is a mountain lion, with a few modifications like a prehensile tail. It always seems cool when you first hear about it, but my quirk works by breaking my bones and stretching out muscles and tendons to form the new shape, and there was nothing that could dull the pain without making me useless.

Back to business, at least I can see now, night vision is so helpful here, and there seems to be a whole just big enough I can get through. So I pulled my way through the debris and merchandise until the counter for the employee came into view. It was still standing, so hopefully, the man would be alright.

After pushing my way through the smaller tunnel, I snarled, feeling my fur pulled every time I took a step. At least I had chosen to go this way, the man who went after the others probably would not have made it.

Not much further ahead of me, I could begin to easily see a foot, just barely poking out of what appeared to be a cabinet. He must have used it to stay safe. I was lucky I could now see in the dark now.

Creeping closer, his breathing was suddenly audible, quick and rapid, he seems rather freaked out, understandably.

Peaking around the slightly open door, I wasn’t the least bit surprised to hear him scream. He scrambled as far back as he could while I tried to let my sensitive ears rest a bit. Oh, the perks of being an animal– note the sarcasm-.

With an annoyed huff, I focused on my vocal cords, forcing my body to shift this very specific part back to human. Since my mouth was not adequate to make the correct sounds at the moment, all I could really get out was a rough “easy.”

It was clear he didn’t understand and had not calmed down at all so I took another route. Pushing the door to the cabinet opened as far as it could go, I turned and laid down, rolling onto my back, and with much discomfort, the snapping started again.

This time when the pain faded, my body was that of a kangaroo, I had seen them once in a post online, less threatening looking for sure. Pushing my feet against the concrete wall above us, I could feel my back slide a bit before I finally managed to gain traction and begin to push up the debris above us.

The man let out what sounded like a gasp, though I could hardly hear it for the blood running through my ears.

With one last push, I managed to shift away the debris enough for a hole to form for escape. I quickly rolled off my spine and back to my feet, not able to stand yet.

The employee quickly scrambled out of his hole and pushed himself on top of the debris, it seemed he was intercepted by someone, they sounded like the medical staff.

With that done and out of the way, I shifted back into my usual cat form, unsure of what to do now. Unluckily, that decision was made for me, the small cavern began to fall, and with a pounding heart, I raced back the way I had come, just barely making it back to the larger tunnel before it slammed down behind me.

I quickly found my shirt where I had left it, but also, a very concerned-looking man, the man from before.

He hadn’t seen me yet, the light was still slim to none, but he was holding up some of the shreds of my pants, I suppose he just happened to find them.

Making the decision, I grunted, watching him as my bones shifted back to my human body with loud snaps.

“Hello? Are you ok?” he called, inching forward a bit more.

“Stay there! Please~” I was cut off the cough a bit as the dust got down my throat.

“I can help, but I can’t see you.” He spoke a bit quieter, a tired note seemed to slip into his voice. “I just want to make sure everyone got out ok.”

I sighed, pulling my body closer to itself. How do you say you are naked without sounding like an absolute idiot? “It's probably best you can’t see me, my clothes got ripped to hell when I used my quirk. I happened to pass the ones right next to you earlier, do you mind if I grab them?” I asked, glad it wasn’t all a lie.

He gave a grunt that sounded a lot like agreement, so I slipped closer to him, quickly pulling the shirt on. My hoodie was large enough, I pushed my legs through the head hole and, tying the arms up to keep it in place, I had the equivalent of a skirt.

Before I could say that I was done, the rubble above our heads began to move, bringing it down, right where he would be. Luckily, he jumped forward just in time. Unfortunately, he happened to jump straight into me, knocking me down as he landed on top of me.

“Sorry, did I hurt you?” he asked, moving around a bit.

I let out a squeak and grabbed onto his arms, putting a light amount of pressure. “Stay still!” I scolded, shocked at the situation. He was basically kneeling right over me, pinning my legs.

“I understand this is an uncomfortable position, but there is not anywhere for you to go, there is a new wall at my feet and no space at my head, so we are going to both have to move, or neither.” she tried to explain. While this was greatly embarrassing, he had essentially been stepping on her knees in order to step back.

“Ok. Ok, let's both move at the same time then.”

“Ok, I am going to bring my knees up, ”I looked at the position we were in and felt a wave of heat on my cheeks, “ and you have to go straight back.”

He agreed, and they both gave a very short count down, before moving as intended.

I quickly rolled away to ensure he didn’t fall back on her.

“Well now,” I huffed, pulling my knees to my stomach as I sat on the cold ground. “This is a pickle.

#aizawa shota #mha #mha fanart #digital art #aizawa x oc

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nightowlfandom · 3 years

Text

Kakashi Hatake- Cheeky

ANON ASKS

Hey author-chan how are you? Well I saw that your requests are open and I would like to know if you write to Naruto and if the answer is yes, could I get a Kakashi x f!reader imagine/oneshot with prompt #19, please?

I ended up asking her to choose a couple more prompts, aaannnd here they are!

#19- Hmm, who you tryna’ look sexy for babygirl?

#20- Don’t finish that sentence darling…it won’t end well for you

#27- I couldn’t stop thinking about you all day.

#30- Dance for me. I’ll sit right here and you put on a show, okay?

#47- You’re too cheeky for you own good, kid.

warning.....I will fuck up your day. Might be OOC but almost all my shit kinda is imo lol Does anyone really care?....he spits in your mouth..... I am sorry for absolutely nothing.

CHECKOUT MY MASTERLIST HERE!

Leggo

...

“Watch it, Kid!”

“Why don’t you walk where you walk!” you caught the throwing star between your two fingers as it was hurled back at you. “You’re cutting into my training time.” you rolled your eyes.

“Damnit Y/N you could have taken my eye out.” Kakashi groaned. “Be careful with that thing!”

“Like that would have been a bad thing.” you scoffed. “Get out of the way next time.” you rubbed your shoulder. “If you weren’t in my line of vision, you wouldn’t have almost got caught in the crossfire.”

“You know you love looking at me.”

“How can I when no one ever sees your face.” you burst out laughing. “What kinda mug you got under than mask, huh?” you challenged.

“You’re too cheeky for your own good kid, someone outta bring you down a few notches.”

“And just whose gonna do that.” you rolled your eyes, turning away from him.

You ignored his answer and bent over, stretching to touch your toes. “My back.” you groaned. When you stood up straight again, he was staring at you. “You need something?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” he blinked(...or winked?) at you.

“I can’t tell if that was a wink or not...” you raised a brow.

“Good.”

“You’re a real-”

“ Don’t finish that sentence darling…it won’t end well for you “

He walked off, undoubtedly wearing a self-satisfactory look on his face.

“How does she put up with him?”

“Damn, I thought she was really gonna kill him for a minute.”

“You’d think those two liked each other with how much they argue backed and forth.”

“It’s not nice to gossip.” you called behind your back to your comrades. You shoved the throwing star back into your pouch and walked off. Kakashi Hatake and Y/N L/N were always the talk of the town. One was always getting on the nerves of the others.

....

You were relaxing in your house after a long day of training. It was good to work out your skills while nothing was going on. You never knew when something was gonna happen. You stretched your arms over your head as you walked into your kitchen.

“God I’m starving.” you sighed. Before you could dig through your fridge, there was a knock at the door.

“I’m coming!” you called, knowing they could hear. As you neared the door, the knocking only got louder. “Geez Hold on-!” You yanked the door open to see Kakashi awkwardly standing there. He wore his authoritative demeanor.

“Y/N, may I come in?” he spoke. You almost peaked behind his shoulder, people were walking around outside. ‘We must talk.”

“Sure.” you made room for him to walk in. Just as you closed the door, you were pushed up against the door. He yanked down his mask to show that daring smirk. You felt his lips brush against yours. Kakashi wrapped his arms around your waist, hoisting you up and pushing you even further against the door.

“ I couldn’t stop thinking about you all day. “ he moaned against your lips. “Shit you drive me crazy.” he growled. “I bet you thought your little show was cute.”

“Got your attention didn’t it?” you giggled through the friction. “If we’re gonna sneak around, might as well make it fun for me too.”

For the last several months you had been more than casual with Kakashi. He trailed his hand down your spine, resting at the base of your back.

“I have half a mind to punish you.” he began kissing down your neck. “But I missed you so much.”

“So does that mean you can stay for the night or do you have to wrangle those three morons again?” you melted into his tough as the thoughts of the Three Stooges getting into trouble that required Kakashi to clean up....again.

“I’ll stay if you want me to.” he began kissing your cheeks, forehead, nose and lips. He kept rotating around each area of your face. To answer his question, you helped him out of his jacket. “Hm, okay then.” he smirked.

“I don’t need to tell you where my bedroom is do I?” you stepped away from him.

... (Two days later)

Training in the woods wasn’t so bad. But training while Kakashi dragged his students along was gonna drive you absolutely crazy.

“Y/N! Y/N!”

“Yes. Naruto.” you seethed. ‘What can I do for you.”

“I’m gonna be the best Ninja in the world! You just watch! I’ll be able to beat you one day!”

“That’s great buddy!” you tried to laugh. Cute. No one could compare to you when it came to throwing sharp things at a target. You walked by Kakashi sending him a harsh glare. You walked ahead of the group. No one could see it, but your annoyance made him smile a bit. You stopped in front of a three, pinning a target to it before walking a good 30 feet away from it. You went into your pouch and took out a throwing star.

With a single flick of the wrist you threw it, watching it slice through the air and hit the target right in the middle. You walked back another few feet and did it again. Good to know you hadn’t lost your touch.

“Wow. Miss Y/N sure knows what she’s doing.” Sakura whispered to Kakashi. “I can see why everyone raves about her,”

“Yes. She is very capable, Sakura. She has impeccable precision.” he commented. Although he was thinking something completely different. Everyone watched as you took out your annoyance on the bullseye target, When you had ran out of stars, you trudged back up to the tree and yanked each one out.

Later on, Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto were all napping. All had passed out at some point after some extreme training courtesy of Kakashi. As for you, you were sitting by the lake, getting some much needed recreation. You had just gone for a swim. The ice cold water felt perfect.

You stood up against the tree facing away from everyone. You were prepared to get back into the water when Kakashi came up, slowly ridding himself of his shirt as he did.

“Going for a-” you were cut off as he pushed himself against you, claiming your mouth in a kiss. Not that you weren’t totally happy, but his students were literally napping less that 50 feet away from you both.

“W-wha are you-?”

“Shhh.” Kakashi pulled down his mask then got down on his knees as he fumbled with your panties. “If we’re gonna do this, you gotta be quiet.”

“You’ve had some pretty dumb ideas but-...fuh.” you cut yourself off as you felt him trail his hands up your thigh. He pressed small kisses down your thighs. You were still soaking wet from the water, so your skin was slippery. He pulled your panties down, placing small kisses along your heat.

You dared peek over your shoulder. Everyone was still sleeping, but you found it hard to focus. Kakashi gently drove his tongue into your slit, causing a sharp gasp to escape your lungs. Your legs shook as his tongue flicked against your clit.

“Kakashi~” you shuddered. You found yourself running your hands against his silvery white hair. He grabbed your leg and hooked it over his shoulder. “We could get caught!”

“Exciting isn’t it?” he giggled. “You just have to stay quiet.” you felt his fingers slither inside you. “ Come on Y/N... Dance for me. I’ll sit right here and you put on a show, okay? “ he moaned, sloppily dragging his tongue up your slit. “Shit- You’re so fucking good, Y/N. You’re soaking.” he laughed evilly.

“Whose f-fault is that!”

He slapped your ass, making you gasp again. You could just picture that shit eating grin on his face.

You were made to stand up straight as Kakashi rose to his feet. He hoisted you up, wrapping both of your legs around his torso. You hadn’t noticed that his pants had dropped around his ankles. You felt his painfully slowly slide himself inside.

“They’re still sleeping.” he grunted, slowly thrusting into you. “Fuck I needed this.” he moaned. “I need you~” he coughed. “Kiss me.”

He, in a hurry, sloppily kissed you. Your tongues clashed. You faced heated up from the lewd sounds your mouths made as they clashed together. Kakashi pushed your further against the tree.

“Kakashi..” you were able to muster.

“Open your fucking mouth.” he cut you off. “Now...” he growled.

You obediently did as he asked, sticking out your tongue as Kakashi let a line of drool go from his tongue to yours. He claimed your mouth again while he dug his nails into your thighs. His cock twitched inside of you as his thrusts grew sloppy.

You couldn’t even talk through his kisses. Your insides clenched around him, feeling yourself grow more and more sensitive at his touch. You didn’t care how loud you were anymore and he didn’t either.

“I’m gonna- I’m gonna fucking cum. I’m gonna- ARGH-”

You felt him practically bottom out inside of you, cumming inside your depths. To avoid making any sounds, he kissed you again. With one harsh thrust, you came too. You heard those lewd watery sounds as liquids dripped out of your pussy, down your legs. Poor plants.

“Kakashi~” you moaned again.

“It feels good?” he talked down to you in a babyish voice. “You like my cum inside you don’t you.” he spilled the rest of himself into you tightness. “And they’re still sleeping.” he smirked. “You were worried about nothing.”

“Shut up.” you rolled your eyes. You whined as he slowly removed himself from you.

“It’s running down your leg.” he laughed. “Shit, you’re so sexy.” he dragged his tongue down your neck. “Shit-”

“You’re lucky we didn’t get caught.” you shakily spoke. “And you call me the cheeky one.”

“Hm, don’t be like that, babe...or else I might not to easy on you this time.”

(This one was not so much hardcore, but it was something, so I’m all caught up with requests I think! Does anyone here fucks with Haikyuu?.....Can I- Can I write for Haikyuu?)

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mae-gi-writes · 3 years

Text

Once Again (Pt.2) | Iwaizumi Hajime (Haikyu!)

ONCE AGAIN | PART TWO

Summary:

Iwaizumi’s broken marriage results in his five-year-old son trying to match him up with his primary school teacher, whom he thinks will make a wonderful replacement for a mother.

Genre: fluff, angst, f! Reader x dad! Iwaizumi

Taglist: @multi-fandom-fanfic, @168-cm-png, @bakugouswh0r3, @yatoatyourservice, @ayocee, @marvel-ing-at-it-all, @astrolcve

A/N: Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! Thanks to everyone for the kind feedback and for reading my work <3

< PREVIOUS PART | NEXT PART >

----

He swings his beer over the counter, "one more."

He shouldn't be drinking. Imagine the damage it's doing to his organs, alcohol sweeping through his bloodstream and purging him of all coherent thought. Iwaizumi can hear Oikawa's nagging voice in his head even within the depths of intoxication.

Does he care though? He should. He should care. Because his job is basically to get people in their best shape.

And here he is, drinking away his sorrow, still shaken up by the way Hoisuke's fingers had grabbed for him that night. The bundle of nerves he'd squashed down had only intensified upon dropping his son on his mother's doorstep the same weekend and though he knew he should've said something to Mizune, he couldn't find the will to utter the words out, lest they came back to haunt him.

His phone buzzes in his pant pocket and after finishing it out with clumsy fingers, he manages to press down onto the green button.

"Yeah?"

"You're drinking!"

"No."

"Iwa-chan~" Oikawa's voice pierces through the receiver, sickly sweet and yet with a dark threatening undertone, "what are you doing?"

"Fuck off, shittykawa."

"Where are you?"

Iwaizumi doesn't answer. He doesn't need to, for Oikawa's already exclaiming the said bar's name as he takes another sip of his newly-filled beer glass.

"I thought you said you wouldn't drink anymore," Oikawa reproaches, "think of what Hoisuke would say--"

"I said fuck off."

There's a small pause where Oikawa bristles, before he says in a quieter tone, "what's wrong?"

Still, Iwaizumi says nothing but takes another huge gulp of his beer. His head feels buzzed, disoriented.

"Iwa-chan."

The said man press his lips in a taut line.

"Iwa-chaaaan."

"I'll talk to you later," Iwaizumi barely hears his friend's protests before he cuts off the call and downs the rest of his beer like a parched man, eyes narrowing towards anyone who dares reprimand him of his behaviour.

"One more," he rasps out towards the bartender, whose sending him a look that closely mimics one that clearly says he's had enough. But he scowls in response and that's enough to make the bartender's eyes slip away.

Seriously. What is wrong with him? It's already been four months goddamnit. Get over yourself. He wishes he could punch himself in the face. God, he sounds like a loser. He looks like one. And it's no wonder that his wife has left him for someone better, richer. Everything that he's not.

Not to forget that this wound will never leave their son's heart.

"One rum and coke please."

A presence lingers in his right and the brown-haired man turns with a glare at the ready, eyebrows furrowed and lips pressed in a thin line to scare whatever stranger that comes a little too close for his liking.

What the--

He stares at you. You stare back at him, just as dumbfounded. Looking the same, yet completely different.

"Miss Y/N?"

"Iwaizumi-san?"

He feels the sudden urge to hide his empty glass, "what--are you doing here?"

"Don't look so surprised, Iwaizumi-san," you chuckle at what you think is his flabbergasted expression, "I'm still twenty-six you know. I came here with a few of my friends."

His eyes slide towards the table in the far corner -- easy to spot since it's one of the loudest -- before he almost misses your question, "and you?"

"I come here often."

"Ah I see."

As you pay the bartender who slides your drink over, you bristle for a bit before you ask hesitantly, "mind if I sit here?"

Iwaizumi shakes his head. It's not like he can say no after all. You're his kid's teacher. And shit, how many beers has he had? He better not run his mouth. It's a dirty habit of his whenever he's shit drunk.

"So," you start off slowly, looking so out of place next to the said man with a scowl so dark it can scare off the most violent of gangsters that the corners of Iwaizumi's mouth tilt upwards in amusement, "how's it going?"

Seriously? You're seriously going to do that? His gaze searches your features for a moment, satisfied when warmth floods your cheeks.

You look away, "you don't have to look at me like that, you know. I just thought you’d want some company."

"What makes you think that?” Iwaizumi says while he flags down another beer from the waiter.

You blink at him, “I can go if you want--”

The man sighs, rubbing his temples with tiredness, “that’s not what I meant.”

A weird, empty gap of silence ensues. Long enough that Iwaizumi gets his fourth beer of the night in his hand and he takes a grateful swallow.

He really should not be drinking so much.

"Where do you work?”

You’re persistent. He’ll give you that, “personal trainer. I work at the sports academy.”

“That’s cool,” there’s a small smile edging upon your lips, “you like it?”

He nods, pauses briefly, before asking, “do you?”

Of course it’s a little too close for comfort, especially since you’re Hoisuke’s teacher and all. But you merely relax in your high stool, swinging your legs while nodding eagerly. He can’t help but notice the tightness of your dark jeans, your black high-heeled boots, “I don’t see myself working as anything else. I’m bad with people most of the time.”

Taking another swig of his beer, Iwaizumi feels the tension slowly ease up from his shoulders, “well you’re way better with kids than I am.”

“You’re pretty good with Hoisuke."

“That’s because you haven’t seen him throw tantrums.”

You laugh, "oh don't worry, I have. I know all about his little fits. All my kids have one, at some point."

You say it lightly, but there's definitely love laced in your words and for a minute, Iwaizumi thinks back to the way Hoisuke kept on praising you, the way he spoke so affectionately about you.

"Do you still play volleyball?" You ask him while sipping on your drink.

He mimics the gesture, "sometimes. The guys are all over town so it's harder to meet up now."

"Dang, your team was so good though."

"It was Oikawa that held us together. We weren't that good," he tastes the bitterness of Karasuno's victory on his tongue.

"That's not true," you protest, fiddling with your empty glass, "the only reason why I watched Aoba Johsai's games was because I liked watching you play."

Dark coffee-coloured orbs sweep up to yours at that statement, as if trying to peel layers off yout shell, as if wanting to confirm the truth of your words. You feel like cowering away but you don't, instead holding his stare in hopes that he doesn't notice how your hands tremble slightly underneath his scowl.

And then, features softening ever so slightly, he murmurs out, "thanks."

You know he means it in the best way possible.

-----

One drink turns to two. And two multiplies by four. And soon enough you're tipsy off your head and singing so blatantly off-key you wonder why Iwaizumi's still by your side. You haven't been this drunk in ages and this sense of freedom makes you bold; you tug him to the dance floor to join your friends, order shot after shot as the music gets louder and your head gets lighter, proceed to blabber your mouth off about literally anything and everything that by the end of the night, you wish the ground would swallow you whole so you won't have to deal with Iwaizumi the next day.

You're not entirely sure how you find yourself being dragged by none other than the said man himself, or how your nose is currently lodged in the crevice between his neck and shoulders. But he smells good, like citrus and a mixture of mint and-- you sniff a little more -- is that cookie dough? Your mouth waters just at the thought.

"You smell like cookie dough," the words tumble out of your mouth in a jumbled mess and you inwardly feel like stabbing yourself.

So pathetic. Pitiful really.

"That's Hoisuke," Iwaizumi replies, surprisingly patient even when he's clearly not impressed, glaring at the lamppost ahead, "it's his flavour of the month."

"That's cute!" You giggle, "just like you, Iwa!"

The man sighs while shifting his grip upon your waist, "let's just get you to bed."

You probably doze off at some point or black out because the next thing you see upon opening your eyes next is the ceiling.

Hoisting your head up and groaning when your head pounds in warning, you lie back down as nausea takes over.

Shit. This isn't your room. You know that much.

What the fuck happened last night?

You remember dancing atop tables, remember spotting Iwaizumi by the bar and talking to him because he just seemed so sad and lonely. You remember dragging him onto the dance floor, dancing together, his hands on your waist--

You danced with Iwaizumi?!

The thought is enough to trigger another pounding. You groan once more, placing your hand atop your head in hopes that it will stop it from throbbing. It doesn't. But before you have more time to wallow in your self-pity, the door creaks open and your eyes almost pop out of your head when you spot a mop of brown spiky hair enter the room.

Iwaizumi.

Oh fuck. Your brain short circuits. Fuck fuck fuck.

Surprise crosses his face, clearly having not expected you to be awake yet. He walks over to place a glass of water by the nightstand and grabs your palm to tilt two aspirins into your hand.

"How's your head?" He asks.

"Fine," you wince. It's far from fine. In response, he holds out the glass and you gladly wash down the pills, warm and feeling suddenly vulerable under his stare.

Chewing onto the inside of your cheek, you muster up all your courage to ask, "what--happened last night?"

You don't miss the way his eyebrows shoot up, "you don't remember?"

"...no."

Is that amusement dancing in his eyes? You're not sure since it's gone just as quickly as it came before he says, "you got drunk. Danced on the table, had too many shots and made out with two different men--"

"I'm pretty sure the last part didn't happen."

"You said you didn't remember," he smirks lightly.

"I can't even flirt, let alone kiss strangers."

That earns you a chuckle from his part, causing your heart to flutter slightly as he straightens up, "you probably want to wash up. Bathroom's on the right. I'm in the kitchen if you need me."

"Okay," and as he turns away, you quickly add, "thanks, Iwaizumi-san."

He nods back, exiting the room and finally allowing you to collapse back against the bed to try slowing down your galloping heart. Jesus christ, you think to yourself as you slowly take in your surroundings. From the lack of furniture and with only a few clothes flung over a wooden desk chair shoved in the right, you guess it's his room. A closed laptop and a small plant sits on his desk. On the left is the nightstand filled with sports books and some manga, a closet shoved in a corner and the floor is made in veneered wood.

There's no sign of family pictures, nothing that indicates the warmth of a cosy household. It doesn't take a genius to understand why. While Hoisuke had begged you not to tell his father, you weren't a stranger to the young boy sobbing in-between breaks because he misses his mother.

Well, it's not like you're allowed into family affairs anyway, as much as that breaks your heart.

After a much needed shower and a quick brush of your teeth -- you had to make do with using your fingers with his toothpaste, too embarrassed to actually ask him whether he had a spare toothbrush -- you walk out into the kitchen to see Iwaizumi already seated at a quaint wooden table laden with eggs and toast. Behind him sits the kitchen stove and white countertops next to a fridge fitting snuggly on the left corner. On the far right of the room is a large dark grey couch and a tv set, and just behind it is a small hallway which seems to be the entrance -- guessing by the coat rack and array of shoes.

"Sunny side up or boiled?" Iwaizumi asks as you take a seat opposite him. He has already poured you a cup of strong coffee and you inhale before sighing in bliss. Your headache already feels slightly better.

"Anything is fi--" you're interrupted by his scowl, quickly changing your answer to, "sunny-side up please."

He grunts, passes you the plate and digs into his own fried eggs, the soft boiled ones forgotten at the centre of the table.

"Uhm, forgive me for point it out, but that's a lot of food Iwaizumi-san," you mumble out, not missing the way his features harden slightly.

"Force of habit," he mutters in-between mouthfuls. He doesn't need to say more, for you're pretty certain he's referring to the family he used to have, those lazy Sunday mornings that started out with brunch.

You eat in companionable silence and though it'a definitely less awkward than last night, your mind still races trying to figure out what to say to erase the permanent furrow between his brows.

Or is that his normal demeanour? To be honest, you're not quite sure yourself.

So you settle for thanking him for last night, to which he replies, "do you usually drink that much?"

"No," you duck your head, avert your gaze, "I got carried away. I'm really sorry."

"Well I wouldn't have expected my kid's teacher to be that wild," he muses while taking a bite of his toast.

Alarm zaps through you, making your eyes go wide, "I swear I'm not usually like that, really. I just--this was an exception--"

"It's fine, miss Y/N. I know," his brown pupils lock onto yours briefly, "I'm not going to report you."

"I--" nothing can really make up for your behaviour last night. You know that much, "still, I'm sorry. That wasn't appropriate," you glance up, chest tightening at the intensity of his stare, unflinching. Unwavering.

He cocks his head at you then, a semblance of a smile along his mouth, "I was pretty entertained, if you ask me."

"Was I that bad?"

"No. But let's just say that you won't want to show your face around for the next week or so."

You groan and bury your face in your hands, "what did I do?"

"You might've broken a beer glass or two," he gives you a look, "on purpose. And tried to steal the Dj's headphones cause he wasn't putting the music you requested."

"Oh god," you want to bury yourself right then and there and to your surprise, you see him laugh softly before he nudges your coffee towards you.

"Drink," he orders, "it'll make you feel less shitty."

You're about to retort with a roll of your eyes, only to be interrupted by the doorbell ringing. From the way Iwaizumi tenses, you know it's not just the mail man.

Excusing himself to go unlock the door as you twist in your seat to follow his figure, shock courses through you the moment your eyes land on Hoisuke's.

Then, his mother.

An alarm bell rings through your mind.

"I thought you said evening," comes Iwaizumi's grunt, totally unlike the guy who'd been chuckling a few seconds ago.

"Hoisuke wanted to come back early for some reason," the woman says, her gaze flickering to yours for a brief moment. It's enough to cause you to swallow hard. She continues, "I'll pick him up on--"

"Miss Y/N?!" Hoisuke shouts out suddenly and before you know it, you're being tackled into the child's arms as if you haven't seen each other forever, "what are you doing here?! Daddy!" he whips his head around in accusation, "you lied about not really really liking Miss Y/N!"

"Wha--No!" Iwaizumi yells as you frown in confusion, "huh?"

"Daddy said that really really liking someone means you wanna be boyfriend and girlfriend with them, like he was with Mama before she moved houses," Hoisuke blabbers on, totally oblivious to how the three of you keep on staring at him in growing alarm, "and then I asked him if he really really liked miss Y/N because I really really like miss Y/N but he said no, but that's a lie!"

"Hajime, what is he talking about?" His ex-wife is quick to narrow her eyes, "what have you been telling him?"

"Nothing, it's not what you think--"

"I think," she pointedly glances at you, "I should leave now. We'll talk about this later."

And with that, she swivels around and storms out, leaving the three of you to stare after her in a mixture of shock and confusion.

Hoisuke, oblivious to the sudden tension, blurts out, "daddy, why is Mama angry with you?"

----

The few weeks following the tiny incident that had resulted in an awkward misunderstanding between you, Hoisuke’s parents and the said child himself had caused you to retreat back into the shell of professionalism that included avoiding Iwaizumi whenever it was deemed possible. It hadn’t been hard since he was usually present and waiting outside class to pick up Hoisuke right on time, making it much easier to avoid conversation with him altogether.

You’d texted iwaizumi right after reaching your humble abode the day he’d practically saved your drunk ass and though you spent a few spare moments to chat in-between the bustling activities of life, it doesn’t erase the fact that he’s still Hoisuke’s father, one of your dearest students. That, and the fact that you don’t really find it fair to put Hoisuke in-between the two of you, if there’s anything worth digging for anyway.

Who are you kidding? It’s not like Iwaizumi would ever be interested in you in that sense. Having spotted his ex-wife once or twice proved that his style was of more refined women, the type that would drink wine instead of chug down beer and who’d enjoy gifts such as perfume and romantic dates instead of going on grocery trips and meal-prepping for the entire week.

“Miss Y/N!” Hoisuke’s voice pierces through your thought bubble and your eyes quickly find his grin as he jumps towards your desk, "are you coming to our house this weekend too?!"

"Wh--What? Uhm-- no I don't think so--" eyes quickly flitting over the classroom, you're relieved to find that the rest of his classmates are long gone, "I don't think that's appropriate."

"But why? I even told Mama that I wouldn't be coming this weekend because you were," he pouted and it took all of your determination not to melt, until his words registered in your brain and your eyes widened, "o--oh, but that's--"

"Hoisuke?" You both turn to see his father's head poking through the door. Your body reacts instantly, warmth flooding through your limbs and flushing through your cheeks.

"Daddy!"

"H-Hello, Iwaizumi-san," you bow your head slightly. He returns the gesture, facial expression not giving anything away. His son bounds up to him with just as much vigor, "daddy, can we invite miss Y/N this weekend too?"

You might have laughed at Iwaizumi's shocked face if not for the fact that you are the person in question.

He splutters, "Miss Y/N has things to do--"

"But she came last weekend!"

"Yes well, it's bad manners to impose on someone when they're not free," Iwaizumi replies sternly, "come on now, we're gonna be late for Karate."

With a loud sigh and a scowl that resembles so much like his father, Hoisuke mutters out his goodbyes while Iwaizumi catches your eye, bowing slightly and muttering a silent "sorry" before he guides his son out of the room. You're glad he's out of earshot that he can't hear the stuttering of your heart against your chest.

You place a hand on your chest, sigh tiredly before looking down at your students' papers, "get a grip, Y/N," you mutter to yourself.

But it's not that easy to control yourself when Iwaizumi is making it so easy to like him.

----

Iwaizumi: sorry about yesterday.

Y/N: it's okay. Hoisuke’s young, it's normal for him to want for a motherly figure around.

Iwaizumi's fingers drum over his knee as he watches with slight interest the newest male volleyball team practice their serves. He shouts after a few, calling them out for theit lazy postures, but other than that he can't seem to stop his thoughts from winding their way back to you.

"Who is she?" Mizune had asked him on the phone on the day following their encounter. Her tone was friendly, yet held that tone of warning that he was so accustomed to.

"How does that concern you?"

"I want to know who you're bringing around to hang out with Hoisuke."

"She's an acquaintance of mine," he paused, "and Hoisuke's teacher."

"That's inapropriate if you ask me."

Scoffing, he replied, "like what you did's so appropriate?"

A small pause ensued. When she spoke next, there was no mistaking the edge to her voice.

"You can't keep using that against me, Hajime."

"Don't tell me who I can or can't hang out with."

He'd hung up without bothering to wait for her response, seething and red hot with rage blubbering through his stomach.

Of course now that he thinks it over, Mizune has a point. Mixing the professional and the personal have never ended in happy endings. Not that this has ever stopped him before. He doesn't believe in what everyone else thinks is right. That's also one of the main reasons why Mizune couldn't handle it anymore. Or so she said before she went to suck someone else's dick.

His phone vibrates and fishing it out, a scowl instantly shadows his face upon seeing Oikawa's name flash across the screen.

Oikawa: Iwa-chan ~ have you asked her out yet?

Iwaizumi has to force himself to stay in control and not pound his phone to pieces when he types out his reply.

Iwaizumi: No.

Oikawa: BUT WHYYYY~ YOU SAID YOU FOUND HER CUTE.

Oikawa: and Hoisuke likes her. He already knows her.

Iwaizumi: I didn’t say that. And she's not interested.

Oikawa: Just because you suck at picking up cues doesn't mean she isn't throwing them at you 😏😏😏

Iwaizumi: shut up, shittykawa.

Oikawa: Just do it or I'll do it for you.

Iwaizumi: I don't even like her that way.

Oikawa: why'd you rant about not wanting to hurt her feelings yesterday night then?

Iwaizumi's hand rubs at his face with a groan. Oikawa's a little shit most of the time, but he's a perceptive little shit.

Oikawa: I mean it. Ask her out or I'll do it for you.

Oikawa: gotta go now. Match is starting. See ya!~ muah ❤

"Dumbass," Iwaizumi growls under his breath before shoving the phone back into his pocket. Easier said than done to ask someone out so casually, especially when she's Hoisuke's teacher.

If she accepts, great. If she doesn't, he'll have to suffer through humiliation for the rest of the year or avoid picking up Hoisuke altogether.

Oh fuck it.

He lets his body send the message before his brain can catch up to the way he has thrown himself under the bus, shoves his phone back into his pocket and tries to put the thought out of his mind even though the device suddenly feels hot and heavy in his pant pocket.

Iwaizumi: we're having takeout and movie night on Friday. You're free to join.

----

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tiramisiyu · 3 years

Video

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Tears of Themis: Xia Yan/Luke 【昼夜余想】 Wishes Between Day and Night - Date Translation

Translation Masterlist | Xia Yan Masterlist | Unsubbed Video

Transcript below cut:

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Part 1

Empire

On the empty, desolate street, only the night wind whistled past my ears.

MC: …

I walked forward carefully. Plates full of food had been placed similarly in front of the tightly-shut doors of the residences.

MC: … I hope nothing goes wrong.

It was the Wag Festival tonight.

According to the legends, the spirits who were venerated by their families would make their way towards the afterlife, while the spirits who had no one to remember them could only go around begging.

*Note: This festival did indeed exist in Ancient Egypt, and was dedicated to the death of Osiris.

Thus, kindly members of the populace would place offerings at their doorways, dedicated to the lonely dead. This was originally a holiday of commemoration, but things weren’t so peaceful recently…

Several people had disappeared strangely during the night. People said that terrible curses brought by the dead were spreading all over the town…

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Discussion Hall

Not long ago, I had reported this issue to the pharaoh.

But as he sat upright in his high seat, he merely looked indifferently ahead, his mood hard to discern.

Pharaoh: A curse…

Pharaoh: As the respected oracle priestess of the dynasty, you only need to convey the will of the gods. Just observe for any other situational changes for now.

MC: But Pharaoh… more and more people keep disappearing these days, and the people are very panicked. The temple keeps receiving more prayers every day.

MC: If this really is the work of evil magic, the legends in the future will include a Wag Festival plagued by wandering spirits, and we’ll find ourselves with even more victims…

The pharaoh merely waved his hand at my suggestion that came from a spurt of courage.

Pharaoh: I have my own ways of dealing with this.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Though the pharaoh had said that he had ways to deal with this, I couldn’t just sit around and watch.

As the oracle priestess, listening to the prayers of the people, maintaining order, and protecting the empire were my duties, to begin with.

Thus, I decided to act secretly at night.

MC: (Based on the rumours… the ones who disappeared before last appeared at night, on the streets…)

MC: …

I grasped tight at the amulet in my hands. The golden scarab beetle shone with a cold luster under the bright moonlight.

Feeling reinvigorated, I walked deeper into the street. Right then…

Unknown Man: Aaahhh—

MC: !!!

After freezing momentarily, I immediately sprinted towards the source of the shrieks.

Unknown Man: Save me! Someone save…

Suddenly, the cries for help stopped.

In the small, dusky alley, just a few steps away, a man was lying motionlessly on the floor.

MC: Are you alright?!

I rushed over, preparing to check his body for injuries. However…

MC: !!!

A frigid aura emanated from behind me. I instinctively stopped moving.

MC: (Wait… I think someone else is here…)

I looked towards the shadows in the corner.

MC: !!!

???: …

The moment our gazes met, the person stopped hiding and walked out slowly.

In the dead silence, I held my breath.

???: Sometimes, being too sharp isn’t a good thing.

The owner of the voice held a dagger as he looked from a distance at me.

Half of his face had been covered by a black jackal mask, and the slender eye slits were full of a crimson colour.

As I faced this person who was dressed strikingly like an assassin, I couldn’t help feeling the slightest bit of apprehension and surprise.

MC: A person…

MC: (Wait…)

I thought back on those disappearance rumours from before, and suddenly came up with a bold guess after connecting them to the scene before my eyes…

MC: (Does this mean that he’s the one behind all the disappearances in the city…)

???: Piece of advice: you shouldn’t be zoning out at a time like this.

Without giving me a chance to think more, the person in front of me spoke again.

He glanced at the talisman in my hand. His voice was relaxed, as if this were a normal, everyday conversation.

???: … So you believe in the gods, huh.

???: Too bad, though – it doesn’t seem like the gods will be protecting you.

I hadn’t even reacted when I saw him close in on me rapidly.

???: …

Time seemed to stagnate.

At a close distance, he muttered ponderously to himself, and the dagger he was holding stopped a few centimetres away.

???: You’re…

He seemed to be staring at me through the slits of the mask.

I could smell a faint aroma, and despite the urgent situation, it left me unexpectedly mesmerized.

MC: (Is this some sort of perfume’s scent? I think it’s coming from him…)

After I calmed down, I lifted my head and met his gaze.

MC: … It sounds like you recognize me?

He paused for a moment, then spoke.

???: Based on your appearance… if I’m not mistaken, you must be the oracle priestess of Ayana Temple?

MC: I am…

???: If so, then it can’t be helped.

He retracted his dagger, seeming to have given up.

I let out a long sigh, relieved from being released from my dangerous situation. But when I saw him walk towards the corner where the collapsed man was, I grew agitated again.

>Stay and observe >Try to save the man

MC: (I shouldn’t do anything foolish if I haven’t confirmed that it’s safe.)

Bearing this thought in mind, I carefully tried to talk to him.

MC: What are you planning to do with him? Is he still… alive?

???: Worry about yourself before concerning yourself with others.

MC: … What do you mean?

???: You’re more likely to run into someone wicked than a dead spirit, wandering around town in the middle of the night.

???: On your return, make sure to watch your back.

>Stay and observe >Try to save the man

MC: (Maybe he still can be saved…)

The moment he turned around, I silently picked up a wooden baton used for the vendors’ stands.

After making up my mind, I closed in and brought it down on his head-

MC: !!!

He hadn’t turned around, yet he was able to precisely grab the baton and yank it forward, ripping it out of my hands.

???: I think it’s best that you do not worry about saving others while your hands are full.

???: Otherwise, you might not even be able to return yourself.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

I couldn’t help shivering from his words.

MC: …

???: Why aren’t you talking?

???: You’ve probably already guessed, but…

???: I hope you’ll be able to keep your mouth shut when you get back, just like now.

I stared at him wordlessly without reacting. He paid no attention to that, instead glancing back at me meaningfully.

???: This is for your own good, too. After all, no one will listen to you, no matter who you tell.

MC: Why…

He hoisted up the man before I’d even finished speaking, walking into the depths of the alley. Even my doubts were taken into the soundless darkness.

After, I attempted holding an audience with the pharaoh again… But each time, he avoided me with various excuses. Even my submitted documentation received no response.

I also secretly ordered people to investigate the masked man, but due to us lacking in manpower, we never received any results.

At the same time, more and more people kept disappearing, and the people’s panic grew worse every day…

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Ayana Temple

Person A: When will the curse issue be solved?! Are you just going to watch as we all die off?!

Person B: Exactly! A neighbour of mine disappeared in the past few days… where’s the high priestess?! I want to see the high priestess!

On the day of prayer, it was even more chaotic than I had imagined on the temple courtyards.

The people who had come to pray had crowded together, such that the temple bodyguards had to block them to maintain some control over the riot.

MC: People of Ayana Empire…

Person A: It’s the high priestess!

As if they were grabbing onto their final chance of salvation, the jostling crowd all swarmed in around me after I entered the courtyard.

Right when the guards were on the verge of being broken through, a familiar voice suddenly came from above.

???: Chief Guard, how long are you planning to watch this go on?

Part 2

Ayana Temple

???: Chief Guard, how long are you planning to watch this go on?

The originally panicky crowd stopped their steps forward for a moment.

Like them, I turned my gaze to the heights of the building behind us. Though the owner of the voice was hidden, there was no way I’d mistaken who it was.

MC: (The one from that night…)

He had just spoken when a troop of fully-armed soldiers burst into the temple courtyard.

Based on their clothing, they were the Pharaoh’s trusted Imperial Army.

Chief Guard: Silence!

After the commander handled the crowd control, the chief guard in front held up the documents in his hand and stood in the center.

Chief Guard: People of the Empire, fear not. I speak on the Pharaoh’s behalf with this oracle-

Chief Guard: “In seven days, I shall personally preside over a prayer ritual, where all curses will be broken.”

MC: (Breaking the curses…)

When the pharaoh said that he had ways to deal with this, was he talking about this prayer ritual?

But based on what I had seen that night, the man who’d disappeared had been attacked and taken away, and the curses didn’t exist at all…

Right when I was about to refute these words, the chief guard swept his gaze over, his expression solemn.

Chief Guard: The high priestess will also play a major role in this ritual.

Chief Guard: So, please come with us.

MC: ???

Person A: That’s great! If the high priestess is there, everything will be fine…

Person B: Indeed, the high priestess is sure to protect us and Ayana Empire!

MC: (… I haven’t heard about this at all.)

Confused, I looked at the crowd, jubilant as they were in their relief.

Seeing my motionlessness, the chief guard ordered his men to come “help me along”.

MC: What are you doing?!

I instinctively retreated one step.

Simultaneously, a dagger flew past the tips of their ears, embedding itself on the ground.

???: No need to trouble yourselves. Leave that to me.

The chief guard lifted his gaze towards the building behind us, looking at the corner that was blocked by a colonnade.

After a several-minute stalemate, he finally gave in, gesturing for me to head to the high platform.

Chief Guard: Please make your way over then, high priestess.

MC: Understood…

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

The temple was built on the heights of the empire, as the place that was closest to the sky and the sun god.

Birds – the messengers of the gods – flew under the blazing sun, distracting me from the silhouette hidden in the shadows.

MC: What exactly are you aiming for…

The pitch-black jackal mask had been casually placed on the ground. The assassin who’d taken off his disguise stared off into the distance against the wall, looking utterly unperturbed by my arrival.

He looked calmly at me, even smiling a bit.

???: My aim is very simple. Per the pharaoh’s orders, I am to bring the high priestess to the desert shrine and carry out the final preparations for the ritual.

???: For convenience, just call me Luke.

MC: Luke?

I looked carefully over his face.

In stark contrast to the fiendish appearance I had imagined, his features were clean and delicate, his eyes clear and captivating.

Luke: Are you staring at me because you think I look weird?

MC: No, you just look a bit different from what I imagined.

He frowned slightly in response.

Luke: Never relax your guard just because you’ve judged a book by its cover.

Luke: If I wanted to, I could have you decapitated and scattered right now for seeing my true face.

He waved the dagger in his hand slightly. I met his gaze, refusing to concede.

MC: You wouldn’t dare.

MC: If you really do obey the pharaoh, you wouldn’t do anything to me – just like that night.

Luke: …

Unlike the confrontation he had earlier with the chief guard, this time, he quickly ceded, then smiled again.

Luke: Yep, you’re right. I wouldn’t actually do anything to you.

Luke: It’s just that it’s rare for me to get looked down on, so I wanted to mess with you a little…

Luke stood up and walked towards the temple interior.

He walked slowly up to me, but due to the presence of the Imperial Army, the guards outside the temple didn’t dare do anything foolish to him.

Luke: High priestess, do you know why I told you that no one would listen if you told them about the truth of the “curse”?

MC: …

Luke: Because he knows better than anyone where those who have gone missing are…

Luke: Adorning them with charges based on nothing and having them executed were his orders, to begin with.

MC: No way… the pharaoh has no reason to do this sort of thing.

Luke: Is that what you think?

Luke shook his head, in apparent exasperation at my stubbornness.

But I couldn’t understand at all, because my impression of the pharaoh was that he was a benevolent person, one who cared for the people.

Ordering the execution of innocent civilians, causing panic-inducing rumours… it really was hard for me to believe if I only heard one side of the story.

MC: I must go see the pharaoh.

Luke: He won’t see you.

MC: Why?

Luke: …

His only response to my direct questioning was silence. Thus, I could only change my question.

MC: Based on the oracle just now, the pharaoh will be personally presiding over the ritual in seven days, right?

Luke: Correct.

MC: Will the so-called “curses” really disappear after the ritual?

Luke: Yes.

MC: If so, I’ll personally verify all this on the day of the ritual with the pharaoh.

Luke: You mean, you’re still willing to go with me under these suspicious circumstances?

Luke frowned slightly, his mood hard to discern.

Though I knew nothing of the ceremony, I could only nod at him in consideration of the situation’s severity.

MC: The people are all looking forward to the ceremony.

MC: Regardless of the curse’s veracity, this is the only way to contain the panic in the town…

MC: Now that the pharaoh’s oracle is out, no one will believe me if I say what I saw without evidence.

MC: Sometimes, the truth won’t be able to change anything, and as the empire’s priestess, I have to prioritize how the people feel.

Luke sighed after he heard me.

Luke: Can’t be helped, then.

Right then, a maidservant came in with perfect timing. She placed a cup of fine wine on the table.

Maidservant: High priestess, please have the sacrament wine.

Luke: Wine?

MC: Sacrament wine is part of our typical rites. The pharaoh says that we need this to reach a higher level of consciousness and build a connection with the gods.

Luke: The pharaoh again.

He muttered in discontent, then poured the precious wine on the ground when the maidservant left.

MC: You…!

Luke: These sorts of things are bad for you. Plus, you’re better off not drinking wine during a critical time like this.

Luke: I haven’t prepared any fancy carriage for you, after all, so you’ll have to walk with me to the shrine.

MC: W-walk?

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

The market in the afternoon was as bustling as ever, with the sounds of hawking mixed in with the joyful laughs of children, creating a ruckus that was completely different from the night.

I followed behind Xia Yan, hurriedly replying to the enthusiastic greetings of the people.

Person A: The high priestess! I can’t believe I was able to see the high priestess in the market!

Person B: Hello, priestess! Hope you have a great day…

Facing the surprised reactions from the crowd, Luke looked back at me curiously.

Luke: Have you never come out before?

MC: Yes… These are the temple rules. Aside from the necessary trips during typical sacrificial rites, that time on the Wag Festival was my first.

Luke: No wonder.

He smiled, looking up at the circling birds in the sky, and suddenly asked me a question.

Luke: Do you know why we worship the birds?

MC: Because they can fly freely to the world of the gods?

Luke: Yes. So, high priestess, the one who boasts the title of gods’ messenger – why do you shut yourself up in a little cage?

Luke: To me, you should be able to go to more, greater places without any worries.

Luke looked seriously at me, his voice earnest.

He was smiling slightly, so unlike the coldness he displayed on our first meeting…

His eyes reflected the vast sky behind me, seeming to contain so many things I had never considered before.

MC: ???

His expression left me somewhat confounded…

MC: (Why is he asking this…)

MC: (I don’t think anyone has ever asked me this…)

During my moment of distraction, my stomach, which hadn’t received food ever since the morning, made its complaint.

MC: …

Luke: Haha, can’t be helped – in reward for walking so far with me, I’ll treat you to something.

A few minutes later, Luke held out some biscuit-like things placed on leaves in front of me.

Luke: Here, try them. They’re freshly-fried bean balls.

MC: Huh?

I looked bewilderedly at the fried things in front of me.

The food and drink in the temple had always been light, so it was my first time dealing with food like this.

Meanwhile, he seemed to have misunderstood what I meant…

Luke: Sorry, I almost forgot.

Luke: As the high priestess, you probably had maidservants helping you with your clothes and food in the temple…

Luke: But I don’t have this sort of experience, so could you just put up with it?

Luke stuck a toothpick in the fried bean ball and carefully held it up in front of my mouth.

MC: It’s not because of this…

Luke: Is it because of the rules again?

Luke: This isn’t the temple, so doing some improper things should be alright…

Luke: If the gods truly were to lay blame onto someone, then don’t I deserve even more blame for this sin, as the one who encouraged you to do this?

He took on all the guilt, candidly stating a bold and reckless proposal.

MC: (Blame for this sin…)

Merely tasting a snack in the city didn’t seem to be bad enough to be called a “sin”.

MC: … The gods wouldn’t be that petty.

Luke: If so, then it’s fine.

MC: …

I stared up close into those perpetually unfathomable eyes, and vaguely felt for a moment that he meant something else.

Luke: … Here, open your mouth.

A tempting aroma wafted from the food near my mouth. I couldn’t help gulping as he patiently guided me.

Finally, I couldn’t resist taking a bite.

MC: Whoa… it’s really delicious!

The bean-made food and the vegetables had been mixed in with a perfectly-adjusted spice, and was fragrant and crispy from frying.

Luke: See, I knew you’d like it.

Luke: …Slow down, don’t burn yourself.

As he looked at me amusedly, I took several bites.

MC: (So delicious…)

MC: ???

Strangely, though this was the first time I’d tried this, the taste in my mouth made me feel faintly wistful…

Part 3

Outer Edges of Empire

Under Luke’s lead, we made our intermittently-halting trip onwards, approaching the shrine outside the city.

MC: (That should be our target destination…)

My field of vision gradually expanded. I could faintly see the ancient buildings towering amid the boundless golden sand.

Unlike the market, there were mostly caravans outside the city.

Apparently, their wares were specialties from various different towns – some were even foreign goods.

MC: It smells really nice…

I looked all around as I walked, stopping when I stepped by a little mobile stand.

MC: …

Luke: What’s the matter?

Luke keenly noticed that I’d stopped and followed my gaze.

Luke: Go check it out if you’re interested.

MC: Huh? No, it’s already getting late, so we should probably head on our way instead…

Luke: It’s fine – we’re almost there anyways.

Luke: You probably won’t be getting much of these chances after the ritual, so how about you take it as a chance to make a memory?

He walked up to the stand as he spoke, and I rushed to catch up.

Exquisite incense boxes of various kinds of workmanship were piled densely on the wooden car, glittering so vividly under the sun that they looked like they’d been divinely blessed.

Stand Owner: Whoa, the high priestess, aren’t you! I just heard that you’d appeared in the market for once, but I sure didn’t expect to run into you myself.

Stand Owner: Go ahead, look to your heart’s content. Tell me if there’s a scent that you prefer – I’ll help you pick it out!

In consideration of this rarely-experienced kindness, I looked down at the dazzling lineup of incense boxes.

MC: A scent I prefer…

The rites in the temple were specific and set, and all of the incenses used had never once changed in years.

Over time, I didn’t bother with considering my own “preferences”…

If I had to come up with something now, the only one I could remember, the freshest memory of a scent that I had was…

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

[Flashback]

He seemed to be staring at me through the slits of his mask.

I could smell a faint aroma, and despite the urgent situation, it left me unexpectedly mesmerized.

MC: (Is this some sort of perfume’s scent? I think it’s coming from him…)

[Flashback end]

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

But thanks to how serious the situation had been back then, I couldn’t really remember it all too well anymore.

Both the elegant scent of water lilies and the rich fragrance of roses didn’t seem to quite match up with it.

Luke: What’s the matter? What are you thinking about now?

Apparently having noticed my hesitation, Luke rushed to comfort me.

Luke: Don’t worry, just pick as you wish. No need to worry about anything.

MC: Okay…

I nodded in response.

MC: (But… how do I figure out what that scent was…)

>Get close and sniff >Ask him directly

MC: Excuse me, I just want to confirm…

I grabbed his wrist and took a light sniff of it.

Luke: !!!

Luke: W-what are you doing…

For once, he looked at a loss from my sudden actions.

MC: I don’t know what I like, so I want to buy an incense that’s like the scent on your body.

Luke: … No, stop smelling it. What’s so good about being like me?

He anxiously withdrew his hand, covering his face with his arm to hide his expression.

>Get close and sniff >Ask him directly

MC: Then, boss, could I get an incense that smells like the scent on his body?

Luke: The scent on my body?

Luke quickly recovered from his surprise, looking at me seriously before the stand owner could speak.

Luke: No. You can’t just say something like that on whim…

MC: Why?

Luke: … No reason.

Luke: Stop staring at me…

He retreated away from me, a slight blush appearing on his face as he dodged my gaze.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Seeing him look so unexpectedly helpless, I couldn’t help feeling surprised, and immediately apologized with my head lowered.

MC: I’m sorry…

Luke: You don’t need to apologize. It’s got nothing to do with you…

He withdrew several steps as he spoke, increasing the distance between us.

Seeing how awkward things had become, the shop owner helpfully started to market his wares to me.

Stand Owner: If you aren’t sure which to get, high priestess, how about trying this incense called Kyphi?

Stand Owner: It uses sixteen ingredients, including cinnamon and muskroot, and is made after soaking it in high-quality honey and grape wine…

MC: Kyphi?

Stand Owner: Indeed. This name even has a special meaning – “welcome to a place beside the gods”.

Stand Owner: This scent best suits the people of Ayana, who live in the state protected by the pharaoh, the incarnation of the gods.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Welcome to a place beside the gods…

With the incense called Kyphi in my hands, I slowly walked with Luke through the desert, towards those majestic ruins.

MC: (Everyone says that Ayana Empire is protected by the gods…)

MC: (But if Luke is telling the truth, the pharaoh had those missing people executed…)

MC: (As the incarnation of the gods, is the pharaoh truly protecting this place?)

MC: !!!

This sudden, absurd thought left me somewhat astonished.

But before I could think further, I heard a shout approaching behind us-

Worn-out Man: People… people over there, wait…

Worn-out Man: Could… could you give me some water… I’m in a hurry, and I can’t hold on anymore…

The owner of the voice was a man in ragged clothes, covered in sand. His skin had been severely tanned after years spent working under the sun.

He staggered up to us, looking like he was on the verge of collapsing.

MC: Are you alright?!

I was almost about to run up and support him when Luke held me back.

Luke: Don’t. I’ll deal with it.

MC: Huh?

Luke looked the man up and down. After pausing for several seconds, he threw over the water pouch he was holding.

Luke: Here.

Worn-out Man: Th-thank you!

The man took several loud gulps of water, finally calming down somewhat.

Luke remained on guard the whole time, watching the man’s movements closely.

Doubts gradually popped up in my head as I followed his gaze.

MC: (Why is he alone in the desert… and why does he look so worn-out…)

MC: (Is he a refugee? But… there haven’t been any battles under this dynasty for a long while. We should be in the middle of an age of prosperity…)

Right as I went over my suspicions, I heard Luke’s voice again, sounding pressing this time.

Luke: Are you almost done?

Worn-out Man: Yes, th-thank you both! I’ll be off…

Luke: … Hold on.

Luke frigidly called that man to a halt as he was about to make his hasty departure.

The moment he took his water pouch, he yanked at the man’s wrist and pressed him onto the ground.

Worn-out Man: Aaaaahhh- w-what are you doing?!

Luke: Rather than leaving, shouldn’t you be returning to where you should be?

Luke: Based on your clothes and condition, you must be a construction worker for the pyramids. Why are you here?

MC: …Worker?

Worn-out Man: No! I won’t go back… I won’t go back! I want to go home!

Worn-out Man: I beg you, great sun god, please save me!

As the man prayed to the sun, I looked towards the edges of the desert that I hadn’t noticed before.

Several unfinished pyramids rose from the ground on the horizon. Many antlike, black dots surrounded the area, toting stone blocks around.

A shiver ran down my back under the blazing sun.

MC: Can’t we let him go?

Luke: He’ll get caught soon even if we do.

Luke: He’s better off submitting obediently – he’ll still be able to live, at least.

Just as he said, supervisors on their way to catch him soon came running over.

After a respectful salute to Luke, they immediately dragged the man roughly back to the barren-looking pyramids.

MC: Does the will of the pharaoh also include building pyramids all over the place…

These were a display of the pharaoh’s power and the structure that would connect him to the heavens for immortality after he passed away. It should have been an incomparably holy thing.

And yet, I couldn’t help shivering as I looked at them.

Luke: They’re living people, yet they’re busy all day with death-related work. High priestess, don’t you find this quite ironic?

MC: …

Luke looked seriously at me in silence.

MC: I…

Before I could respond, he changed the topic, his expression changing along with it.

Luke: Remember, this is a reverse example.

MC: ???

Luke: … Before escaping, make sure to deal with all the threats behind you, or else all of your efforts will go up in smoke eventually.

MC: Why are you telling me this?

Luke: To make sure you don’t waste your efforts in the future, of course.

I didn’t understand what he meant at this critical moment.

Only as we gradually approached the desert shrine did I gain a faint understanding of his meaning.

Part 4

Desert Shrine

Luke: Have something to eat.

Luke closed the stone door shut and walked slowly up to me, leaned down, and smiled resignedly.

Warmth still emanated from the dish full of fried bean balls, but I had no appetite whatsoever.

MC: …

One day had already passed since we entered this place.

No matter how much I was unwilling to believe it all, I gradually found myself noticing lots of abnormalities. This location, where the prayer ritual was to be, wasn’t situated in the heights closest to the gods. Rather, it was buried deep underground… The interior of the dark shrine was cold and hollow and had no sacrificial tools whatsoever – only weak candlelights that flickered discomfortingly.

I looked at Luke, recalling what he had told me when we had first entered this desert shrine again-

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

[Flashback]

Luke: Here’s our destination.

MC: Destination… so this is where the prayer ritual will be held?

Luke: Yes. Rest first and get used to your surroundings. I’ve prepared all your daily necessities for the next few days…

Luke: I’ll tell you everything about the ritual after.

Luke: Because you’ll be completely severed from the outside world from now on, starting from when you enter this place.

[Flashback end]

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

MC: Is this ritual really a “curse”-dispelling prayer ritual?

Luke: Based on the results, you could say that.

Luke held up the container he’d just brought over, set down a cup, and poured a cup of water for me.

Luke: But its true purpose isn’t that simple.

Luke: The pharaoh wants to use this ritual to win over the people and solidify his authority.

MC: …

I received the cup of water, setting it aside on a stone table, as I didn’t feel thirsty at all.

MC: What do you mean by solidify his authority?

Luke: The current pharaoh did not receive his position through inheritance, like it would be usually. The process that this happened in is pretty complex…

Luke: Such that even though the people trust that the pharaoh is the gods’ incarnation, his prestige is far below that of you, the high priestess.

Luke: These conditions are disadvantageous for long-term authority. Plus, the people are starting to question things, with the increasingly burdensome work they do…

Luke: Which is why the pharaoh urgently needs this ritual to strengthen the trust that everyone has in him.

MC: !!!

My back broke into a cold sweat, hearing his low voice resounding off the cold, hollow stone.

Luke: The pharaoh’s methods are very simple…

Luke: First, use fear to force the people into submission, then save them himself, and finally, give them some far-fetched hope.

Luke: In this process, the “fear” is the curse, the “saving” is this curse-dispelling ritual, and the final “hope”…

Luke: Is you.

MC: Me?

Luke: Correct. You, the high priestess who is deeply revered by the people, who is a major threat to the pharaoh.

Luke: He will bestow you the right to enter Aaru* before the populace, and vow that this honour will be given hereafter to the most faithful of followers.

*Note: Aaru literally means “Field of Reeds”, which is what the Chinese text says.

MC: Aaru…

In the myths, the deceased would enter “The House of Osiris” after judgment. That lush, leafy heaven was called Aaru.

Though I had a faint hunch already, I still asked my question…

MC: What must be done to enter Aaru?

Luke stared at me, a sliver of pity in his eyes.

Luke: Come with me.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Luke brought me through a winding corridor to the underground shrine.

Luke: Aside from the terrible missions I do for the pharaoh, this is also one of my duties.

MC: This is…

As we got deeper, a familiar scent grew stronger. It was the scent I had smelled before from Luke, but its source was different this time.

Luke: You seemed to like this scent a lot before…

A bed carved from alabaster had been placed in the middle of the massive room.

The scent came from the containers on the nearby round table, from which the incense I had been so curious about probably came from.

But…

Luke: But will you still feel the same after this?

Luke walked up to the round table. On it, aside from the incense, there was a row of sharp tools.

Luke: The legends say that the soul will remain attached to the body after death. If the proper antiseptic preservation methods are performed, they can come back to life one day…

Luke: This is how one enters Aaru.

MC: Mummies…

This was the tradition handed down from the ancient times of the dynasty.

As the procedure was cumbersome, only the pharaoh or the royal family would receive this honour, and also…

MC: Typically, this is only done after the person has died…

Luke: Yes. So, for the pharaoh, the other purpose of this ritual is to get rid of you.

MC: … Get rid of me?

I instinctively shook my head.

MC: No – according to the legends, the dead can reach the afterlife under the guidance of their patron god Anubis…

MC: I don’t think there’s anything that different compared to when they’re alive…

Luke: Is that what you really think?

Luke held up the chisel on the table. I shouldn’t have been scared, with my enduring belief in the gods, but my body couldn’t help trembling.

Luke: This process is not as simple as you think.

He gripped my wrist and stuffed the chisel into my hand, pointing it at his forehead.

Luke: First in the antiseptic procedure… this will be scooped out.

As if he was trying to make me experience all of this…

He ignored the pale red marks, watching me seriously with his unfathomable eyes. The tip of the chisel glided over his skin, down his nose, neck, chest, and abdomen.

Luke: Next, the other organs in the body are taken out from the cut on the abdomen.

Luke: All that is left in the end is the heart…

Luke: As everyone generally considers the heart to be the symbol of intelligence, and that it is needed on the path to the afterlife.

As Luke went on with his slow narration, an overwhelming fear grew like a whirlpool in my heart.

Ding-

My hand had released the chisel, and it clattered on the floor.

MC: …

I opened my mouth, but I had no idea what to say.

Finally, he held up my hand, slowly placing it over his heart.

Luke: But after all these procedures end and the heart is left, do you think that it could ever beat again?

Luke: The afterlife, Aaru, the gods… do these truly exist?

Luke: Do you believe in them?

The warmth and the forceful beats – everything that I felt under my palm – were the greatest proof of life.

After this, Luke released me.

I lowered my hand slowly, feeling nothing but a biting coldness and an infinite emptiness.

Luke: High priestess, though you have no way out anymore…

Luke: I hope that you can at least see all this clearly in your remaining time.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

For as far as I could remember, I lived in Ayana Temple and worshipped the gods piously.

Even if I had my doubts now, what could I even do at this point?

I tossed and turned for a long time that night…

Amid my never-ending unease, I dreamed – something that I had not done in a long while.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

[Flashback]

In the resplendent Ayana Temple, the pharaoh, in place of the former priest who had died from illness, kindly bestowed the title of succession on me.

He then handed the splendid cup full of sacrament wine to me.

Pharaoh: Gods bless you.

I held my hand out to accept it, but the cup suddenly fell to the ground. There was now no one in the sacrificial room.

Only a boy dressed in finery stood behind the curtain, speaking earnestly-

Boy: If you want to live, then run.

[Flashback end]

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

MC: !!!

I suddenly woke right when he finished speaking.

The incense box placed at the headboard fell off the stone bed from my movements, making a clinking sound in the silent, empty room.

MC: This dream is…

I leaned down and picked up that incense box, and was suddenly reminded of what that stand owner outside the town had told me.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

[Flashback]

Stand Owner: Oh right, one other thing…

Stand Owner: This Kyphi incense was once used in various rituals.

Stand Owner: So, these complicated ingredients include some that have slight anaesthetic and hallucinogenic effects…

Stand Owner: High priestess, be careful that you do not overuse or ingest it when using it.

[Flashback end]

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

The leftover fried bean balls were placed beside the bed.

Though I felt that it tasted completely different from before no matter how much I tried it…

But another serving would be sent tomorrow, assuming nothing went wrong…

MC: If so…

I clenched the incense box in my hand and made up my mind.

MC: Just like he said before…

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

[Flashback]

Luke: Remember, this is a reverse example.

Luke: … Before escaping, make sure to deal with all the threats behind you, or else all of your efforts will go up in smoke eventually.

[Flashback end]

Part 5

Desert Shrine

As expected, Luke had people send over freshly fried bean balls the next day.

While no one was around, I added some of the incense source from the box into its filling.

After, I coaxed Luke to eat them, and he did so without any hesitation or doubt.

Luke: …

The anesthetic aspect soon took effect.

I heard his quiet, low groans as he held his forehead, his eyes gradually becoming hazier.

MC: Are you alright?

Luke: … Huh? You…!

I snatched the moment he fell into a daze…

Bam-

After pushing Luke down onto the ground, I rapidly grabbed the cloth strips behind me that I’d made from the bedding, tying his hands up tight.

After ensuring that I was safe, I lowered my body and stared at him.

Maybe it was because of the effects of the incense, or maybe because his current, troubled state left him flustered…

Luke’s breathing in his tied-up state was rapid and his chest heaved violently, almost as if I could hear his heartbeat.

Luke: You… don’t get so close…

MC: Are you scared? I was also scared before… and those innocent, victimized people probably were too.

MC: Do you now know what it feels like?

Luke: …

His eyes no longer shifted away. Instead, they met mine directly.

I looked into those crystalline, penetrating eyes, and to my surprise, I saw a trace of evident apology in them.

Luke: … I’m sorry.

Luke: I know it must not have been easy for you to do this much…

His voice was gentle. Despite his current situation, I couldn’t hear the slightest bit of resentment.

This sudden consolation left me frozen for a moment.

But before I could soften, I forced myself to stay on guard, in case he was planning to escape.

MC: Pretty words won’t help you. I won’t let you go.

Luke: I wasn’t asking for you to let me go.

MC: Back on topic – where is the key to the door? How do I get out?

Luke: There is no key.

MC: If you won’t tell the truth, I really won’t hold back…

I slowly got closer to him, trying to display a threatening sort of pressure.

And his breathing did indeed become panicky again.

Luke: … I’m telling the truth.

Luke: Those doors don’t have locks, and they don’t even have guards set there. You only don’t know because you never tried.

MC: !!!

Just like he said, I had never thought of escaping, as if I had been bound here.

But things were different now…

Right when I was planning to get up, he called out to me.

Luke: Wait.

Luke: I told you before - make sure to deal with all the threats behind you, or else all of your efforts will go up in smoke eventually.

Luke: So… aren’t you going to do anything?

Luke looked at me searchingly, his expression calm.

He was bound up, yet I felt like he was in the active position right now, dominating the entire situation.

MC: … No need. That would only cause a greater commotion. Either way, the guards won’t find you for now, so I have enough time to escape.

MC: After this, someone will punish you for your mistake.

Luke: Is that so…

He smiled faintly at me as if he were moved, the emotion in his eyes indescribable.

Luke: After you escape, remember to not be so softhearted ever again.

MC: …

I suppressed the mixed feelings in my heart, getting up without replying to him.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Everything became quiet again as the footsteps faded off, leaving only the faint sounds of the flickering candles.

Luke did not call for help. He applied a slight force with his wrists, easily breaking free of his bindings.

He stood up by supporting himself against the wall, then released a gratified sigh towards the direction that the girl had vanished in.

Luke: As it should be…

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

After I was fortunately able to leave that underground shrine through a secret path, I had originally prepared myself to have to rough it…

But, beyond my expectations, this death-escaping journey was much smoother than I’d expected.

As I wandered aimlessly, a caravan headed for foreign lands suddenly appeared in the desolate desert, just like a mirage.

They said that they were going to the oasis country across the sea…

Where resources and people abounded, where it was as overflowing with culture as it was here – a fertile land that drew many to it.

In the night, the salty, wet sea wind blew in my face, making me feel as if everything I’d experienced was an entire lifetime ago.

Caravan Member: Get ready to board the boat – we’re about to set off.

MC: Mhmm…

I looked at the merchant boat floating beside the shore. For some reason, I felt an inexplicable restlessness.

Caravan Member: Don’t worry, young lady. We’re honorable businesspeople – no human trafficking whatsoever.

Caravan Member: And since you’ve promised to help us with miscellaneous work, it’s a transaction where both sides benefit, so you don’t need to feel like you owe us…

Caravan Member: If you’re still worried, I’ve got a self-defense dagger here for you. You can keep it on you at all times on the trip.

MC: … Thank you.

I took the dagger that he held out to me, but that feeling of distress still didn’t dispel.

Seeing that the sailors were beginning to retrieve the anchor, I could only follow him onto the wooden board that connected the shore to the merchant boat.

But right before I boarded…

MC: !!!

MC: He’s…

Right when I was halfway there, I suddenly saw a familiar silhouette on deck.

Though we didn’t know each other, I remembered his face clearly, because on that night…

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

[Flashback]

In the little, dusky alley, just a few steps away, a man was lying motionlessly on the floor.

MC: Are you alright?!

I rushed over, preparing to check his body for injuries. However…

MC: !!!

A frigid aura emanated from behind me. I instinctively stopped moving.

???: Sometimes, being too sharp isn’t a good thing.

[Flashback end]

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

MC: (Shouldn’t he already be…)

MC: (Plus, isn’t it way too coincidental for him to be boarding the same merchant boat that’s escaping across the sea as me…)

I finally seemed to have sorted through my originally messy emotions…

Right then, I recalled the various minor details that I had ignored before.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

[Flashback]

Luke: Do you know why we worship the birds?

MC: Because they can fly freely to the world of the gods?

Luke: Yes. So, high priestess, the one who boasts the title of the gods’ messenger – why do you shut yourself up in a little cage?

Luke: In my opinion, you should be able to go to more, greater places without any worries.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Luke: This isn’t the temple, so doing some improper things should be alright…

Luke: If the gods truly were to lay blame onto someone, then don’t I deserve even more blame for this sin, as the one who encouraged you to do this?

[Flashback end]

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Encouraged… I repeated this word in my head.

Those strange emotions, those inexplicable words – the answer seemed to be within reach after I painstakingly pondered over them.

Nearby, the sailors were urging people onboard. There was no more time for me to speak with that man on the deck.

Caravan Member: Get aboard, young lady! Get aboard!

All I had left were these final seconds.

I knew right then that this was a critical decision in changing my fate. I should have gone for the more reliable option, but…

“After you escape, remember to not be so softhearted ever again.”

But this time, I wouldn’t do as he wanted.

MC: (There must be a better way to solve this than doing nothing and escaping alone…)

The waves surged in the night wind. Finally, I ended up returning to the shore, against the blowing wind.

I returned to that shrine one day later.

The ritual was imminent. I gripped the dagger that the caravan member had given me and carefully made my way through the winding secret path…

In the former grand hall, there now stood another person aside from Luke.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Chief Guard: So you really were playing little tricks.

Chief Guard: I specifically had people investigate after that day – the so-called grave pile doesn’t have any skeletons at all.

Chief Guard: Where exactly did the people that the pharaoh had you deal with go?

I held my breath, lying low silently in the corner.

The chief guard was a devoted follower of the pharaoh. He was as hostile as he had been that day, pointing his sword straight at Luke.

Chief Guard: And the high priestess – where is she?

Luke was completely unarmed, seeming like he’d lost his will to live as he lowered his neck to the sword blade.

Luke: None of your business.

Chief Guard: If you’re going to be so pigheaded, then on behalf of the pharaoh…

When I saw the chief guard swing his sword, I sprinted out and stabbed him in the back-

MC: !!!

I thought that I’d landed the mark… But he reacted with shocking speed, changing his direction of force as he backhandedly parried my attack.

With the clinking of metal, the dagger was sent flying into the corner.

Luke: Careful!!!

I heard Luke shout anxiously. Right then, my mind was completely blank as my ability to think evaporated.

Time seemed to stagnate. I watched wide-eyed as the chief guard swung his sword at me…

MC: …

But right after, my body spontaneously reacted.

A fierce wind blasted in my face as I saw the blade sweep past my hair. I instinctively retreated one step, rolling to the altar as I dodged the slash.

Chief Guard: !!!

Under the chief guard’s astonished stare, I got up and grabbed the two chisels on the round table. Then, I threw one of them at him before he could react…

Clang-

Using the moment that he deflected it with his sword, I sped forward. After this feint, I met his shocked, widened eyes as I adjusted my center of gravity, stabbing him at his weak point on his side-

Bang!

When I came back to my senses, the chief guard had already fallen.

The sharp chisel was embedded in his back waist as a crimson liquid flowed out unceasingly from the wound, dyeing the ground in red.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Luke: Are you alright?!

Luke ran staggeringly over to me. Only when I had indicated that I was fine did he release a breath.

After he wiped the stains off the back of my hand, he blocked my view of the chief guard.

Luke: Don’t worry, he’s still alive… just leave the rest to me.

MC: I… I…

The crisis had been averted and my rationality had returned, yet a greater fear flooded over me.

MC: H-how did that happen… just now… my movements…

I had always lived in the temple, praying daily to the gods.

But the memories that were growing clearer in my mind told me that both the instinctive fighting skills just now and the scene before my eyes…

Were not my first encounter with them.

Part 6

Ayana Temple

I could vaguely remember seeing these brutal scenes often, back during candidate training.

I once snuck into the temple and prayed to the gods, not as a priestess, but as a pathetic seeker of help.

Boy: I finally get to see you again. I thought you weren’t going to ever return.

Boy: Are these things on the altar… the offerings you brought?

“Yes, these are the leftover fried bean balls from what the uncle in the city was selling… please try some.”

Boy: You look like you’ve been injured again… does it hurt? Come over – I’ll apply some medicine for you.

“I’m alright – at least I still can feel things. But there are some children who couldn’t hold on, who won’t ever get up again after lying down.”

“So, esteemed high priest, there is something that I would like to request you help me bring to God…”

“… I have prayed for a long time, but it seems like he has always ignored my wish.”

Boy: I’m still learning from my teacher, so I’m not an official priest yet.

Boy: But since you chat with me all the time, and because of the fried bean balls you brought, I’ll do my best to help you.

Boy: Tell me, what’s your wish?

“I don’t want to do things for the new pharaoh. I only want to… continue living peacefully…”

Boy: … I got it.

Boy: If you want to live, then escape.

“But they run much faster than I do. I’m sure they’d catch me instantly…”

Boy: They won’t.

“Why?”

Boy: Because God just told me that he heard your wish, so he will protect you.

Boy: Plus… he also wants you to live on peacefully.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

That night, I mustered the courage to leave the empire.

I didn’t dare stop running until I was thoroughly exhausted, in fear of the chasing soldiers behind me.

Finally, I collapsed in the desert. When I woke again, I was in the temple.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

The high priest sat on the bedside, stroking my head gently.

Former Priest: From now onwards, this will be your residence. You can study here with me without worry.

I asked him “why” many times, but the only answer I ever received was a sigh, as well as those never-changing words-

Former Priest: Because the gods favor you.

The gods favor me…

But after that, I never saw that boy in the temple, and the high priest never said a word about him.

I continued praying devoutly to the gods, praying that I would be able to see him again.

During those days of prayer, I even suspected that the one person who had heard my wish might have been a god himself.

After the aged high priest passed away, the pharaoh gave me sacrament wine during the succession ceremony.

This was the only way to reach higher levels of consciousness and build a connection with the gods.

Gradually, I forgot what my goal in all this was.

Amid the never-ending prayers, only a deep belief in the gods became rooted firmly in my heart.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Desert Shrine

MC: Luke…

After dealing with the unconscious chief guard’s wound, Luke looked back at me from his place in a hard-to-detect corner.

He looked completely worn-out, yet he looked extremely similar to that finely-dressed, holy boy of my memories.

MC: The pharaoh messed with the sacrament wine… at the temple before, did you knock it over on purpose?

MC: I did forget what happened, but you’ve always remembered…

After a moment of dumbfoundedness, Luke smiled resignedly.

Luke: Before, I thought that forgetting the past and starting anew was a good thing.

Luke: But now, I feel that it’s better to remember some things, such as… a past desire to live.

MC: …

Only then did I completely understand that the so-called gods had never favored me.

It was Luke… he was supposed to be the empire’s oracle priest revered by the populace, and he traded his fate with me.

MC: … But why did you help me?

Luke: Because I stopped believing in the gods, starting from that day.

Luke swept calmly past the protective Anubis statues on the two sides.

To him, those probably weren’t the revered ancient gods at all – instead, they were two worthless rocks.

Finally, his gaze fell on me, his mood hard to describe.

Luke: I couldn’t understand – if the gods truly existed, why did they never help you despite all of your many prayers?

Luke: Were you not sincere enough, or were they not benevolent enough? Or – maybe the gods don’t exist at all.

Luke: I deliberated over this unsolvable problem many times, and ultimately made a decision.

Luke: Regardless if they had heard your wish, I, at least, had heard it. So I would be the one to fulfill it.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

[Flashback]

Former Priest: You want to save her, but how will you do so?

Former Priest: Those children were selected by the pharaoh from many places. Though it is difficult to distinguish who they are from the masks that they typically wear…

Former Priest: But the numbers are rigorously counted every day. They’ll know instantly if one is missing.

Boy: Then I’ll replace her.

Boy: Our ages are similar, and even if our genders are different, there are several hundred candidates. No one will care that much.

Former Priest: …Ridiculous! I did not train you for this sort of purpose!

Boy: But, high priest…

Boy: If I leave this alone and she really does die from injury in training one day…

Boy: Not only would I stop believing in the gods – I’d even start hating them… in that case, I would not be able to serve as your successor.

Boy: So, I beg you…

[Flashback end]

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Luke smiled lightly after his explanation.

Luke: Maybe because I was very fit with particular talent…

Luke: Though I started training late, I still was able to hold on until the end, thanks to a surpassing will to live.

He spoke so simply about a process that must have nearly killed him many times.

I faced him, a bitterness that I couldn’t swallow in my throat.

MC: Will to live… then why were you willing to be defeated by the chief guard?

Luke: …

Luke: If I knew that I’d be able to see you again, I would have definitely resisted.

Luke let out a deep sigh, then looked back at me seriously.

Luke: There is still some time until the ritual, so run now. Hide by the seashore for the next while, and wait for the next…

MC: I won’t run.

Luke: Don’t joke around! You…

He was just about to admonish me when the sounds of footsteps sounded from the far end of the corridor.

Luke picked up the chisel that had just been taken off the chief guard’s body in response.

Luke: I’ll deal with this.

MC: Wait. Don’t make a big ruckus out of this.

I grabbed his hand, wiping the red stains on his body with my clothes.

Luke understood my intentions quickly.

He frowned, knowing that time was tight, and could only pull aside the curtain before the altar as I wanted…

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

The moment I reclined on the altar, the reporting guard also rushed in, a few steps away from us behind the curtain.

Guard: The pharaoh will be here soon – may I ask how much longer you need…

Luke: … I’m already preparing.

Guard: The high priestess…

The guard stepped up to check on the situation as he spoke…

Luke: The high priestess has already gone to rest. Do not disturb her.

Right after, Luke threw the chisel he was holding past the curtain, embedding it beside his foot.

The curtain fluttered gently, revealing half of my hanging arm.

Guard: Y-yes…

Startled by Luke’s angry sullenness, the guard retreated from the stone room.

When everything quieted down again, he released a breath, planning to help me up from the altar…

While he was off-guard, I reached up, pulling him down by the nape of his neck.

This sudden action gave him no time to react, and with his unstable center of gravity, he could only prop himself up in front of me…

Luke: What are you doing…!

His breathing grew panicked from my movements.

He could’ve easily broken free, but he let me approach his ear as I placed my head in the hollow of his neck.

Luke: … Stop smelling it. Don’t you find it dirty?

Luke: I already told you that this incense’s scent comes from my antiseptic work…

MC: It’s not dirty at all. I like your scent a lot.

I inhaled gently. My exhale blew over his ear and neck, trembling slightly.

MC: You ensure that the souls of the deceased can rest peacefully, and you give living people new chances.

MC: You’ve saved so many people, including me… to me, you are more worthy of reverence than those imaginary gods.

MC: So, Luke, let’s find a way that can save both others and ourselves this time.

Luke: Do you mean…

MC: Fake it until the end, just like earlier – then, deal with the pharaoh using the ritual.

If only Luke made a move, he was sure to be executed after being charged with severe crimes.

But if I, who was thought to have gone to “Aaru” already, suddenly “resurrected” and imposed punishment on the pharaoh for the “gods”…

We might gain the trust of the people and have a chance at living.

Luke: This is too risky for you…

Luke: I’m worried…

He seemed to have realized that I wouldn’t change my mind, powerlessly lowering his head as he spoke, his trembling voice full of worry and distress.

MC: Based on our customs, the priest will write protective incantations on papyrus paper and place it in the tomb of the deceased, to bless them so that they will live peacefully in the afterlife.

MC: If you’re worried, Luke, write some prayers for me too.

Luke: … That’s bad luck. You’re still alive.

MC: The blessing intent remains the same, though.

Unable to persuade me, Luke could only hum an affirmative.

Luke: I’ve already thought of what to write. I’ll do it in a moment.

MC: What is it?

Luke: I’ll tell you after it ends, so… you must get out of this safe and sound.

We plotted a plan that was basically blasphemy against the gods, clinging together on the holy altar.

Before he finished carefully preparing my body as if for a corpse and covered me with a blanket… he kissed my forehead, as if in blessing.

In the faintly flickering candlelight, I looked into those perfectly clear eyes, praying reverently that the lights in them would never be extinguished…

… Simultaneously, giving that kiss a more fervent response.

Finally, this curse-dispelling, empire-stirring prayer ritual came to an end with the death of the pharaoh.

Opinions varied on the entire course of events, leaving a heavy, bright mark on the history of the dynasty.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Palace

One month after the new pharaoh succeeded to the throne.

Chief Guard: I will bring the young pharaoh back then, high priestess. There is still much that he must study – if he hadn’t been clamoring about coming to the temple…

Chief Guard: Ah, forget it.

I nodded, preparing to rise and send him off.

Before he left, I couldn’t resist calling out to that eternally straight-backed chief guard, who was intimidating even when he merely stood there.

MC: Even if the people believed my words that day, you must have known the reason behind it all, chief guard…

MC: You have always only obeyed the pharaoh, so why have you still not made a move?

Chief Guard: High priestess, I don’t understand what you mean.

Chief Guard: I still obey to the “pharaoh” – otherwise, I would not have brought him to you today to play.

MC: … That is true.

Chief Guard: If you are trusted as the will of the people, then the reason why the former pharaoh – the incarnation of the gods – died so easily, may have been the will of the heavens.

Chief Guard: This isn’t something I can do anything about… especially since the true offender has long died in prison, so there is nothing to go over seriously about.

Chief Guard: As time is tight, I will head off first.

MC: Take care.

Just as the chief guard said, the person who dealt the lethal blow to the pharaoh and cut off his head was not me, but Luke.

He was subsequently imprisoned… although…

Luke: Ugh, that chief guard really sounds satisfied with my “death in prison”.

Luke popped in through the window, sighing annoyedly.

MC: On the other hand, that’s a good thing – if even the chief guard believes that, no one will probably suspect anything…

MC: … Sorry that this was the only way to let you let you escape unscathed.

Luke: It’s alright – I’m perfectly fine, right? Just that…

Luke: You should deal less with that chief guard and that ignorant, incompetent little pharaoh from now on.

Luke: Who knows when they might come up with crooked ideas to set you up…

MC: It’s alright – you’re here, after all.

Luke: That’s true. Then, remember to rely on me more in the future, like right now…

MC: !!!

Luke embraced me from behind, bringing me to recline together on the long couch.

Luke: You’ve been dealing with the messes left by the former pharaoh for all of last night. You didn’t even get a wink of sleep.

Luke: Take an afternoon nap, now that you have time for once… I’ll be with you.

MC: … Okay.

I was just about to close my eyes when a sudden breeze blew in from the window, blowing the papyrus scrolls on the table onto the ground.

MC: Ah!

Luke: Don’t move… I’ll pick those scrolls up in a moment. Let them do whatever for now.

MC: They’re not documents, though. They’re what you wrote for me…

Realizing that Luke wasn’t going to let go, I could only mumble an explanation, burying my head in embarrassment into his chest.

Those papyrus scrolls were the prayers that he had written for me before that prayer ceremony.

Luke: … I didn’t think you’d keep them.

MC: Of course I did.

Luke still didn’t let me go, instead reclining his head on my shoulder. Like the hair coiling around my neck, I heard a few comfortable hums, making me feel slightly tingly.

He then spoke.

Luke: When everything settles down, let’s go to a country across the sea where no one recognizes us.

MC: Mhmm, okay.

Perhaps that oasis country across the sea was my true “Aaru”.

Embracing a hope for the future, a sleepiness gradually descended on me…

As I fell asleep, I seemed to hear him gently reciting that prayer written on the papyrus scrolls by my ear-

Luke: “I pray that you will continue to live bravely onwards, as you had described.”

Luke: “When you are exhausted, I too will cease, and sink with you into an eternal slumber.”

Aftertalk

Done with work? Looks like I finally have the chance to be with you alone.

>Intimate interactions >Fried bean balls…

>Select ankh

MC: (According to the legends, this is a possession of the gods with disaster- and illness-preventing effects. It represents the repeating nature of life, rebirth, and eternity.)

Luke: You’ve been staring at my chest for a while. Are you curious about the pendant?

MC: A little… if I recall correctly, you don’t believe in this stuff, so why would you wear an amulet like that?

Luke: I don’t use this to protect myself – I only wore it before as part of the prayers for the deceased, and then I just got used to it.

Luke: Although, it’s pretty pointless at this point. Maybe I should take it off…

MC: Huh? Don’t take it off… I think it looks pretty good as normal jewelry. Just keep it on.

Luke: Is that so? If you like seeing me wear it, then I won’t take it off.

>Select upper-left

MC: (The new pharaoh is still young and requires a lot of support from the temple…)

MC: (This place has been receiving an endless stream of guests all day recently. It’s so rare for me to have time to talk to Luke.)

>Select head

MC: Luke, have you been wearing that mask these days?

Luke: Sometimes I wear it when going out, so my face doesn’t get seen… although, that’s not necessary with you.

MC: Indeed – I can’t see your expression when you’re wearing a mask. This is much better.

>Intimate interactions >Fried bean balls…

MC: Weird, these fried bean balls have a distinct taste compared to the ones we ate before…

Luke: I knew that I couldn’t hide this from you. I made this secretly in the kitchen while no one was there.

Luke: Since I can’t appear in the market now under my current conditions – it would be bad if my identity were exposed.

MC: Is that so….

MC: (Before, I announced that Luke had died in prison. Though he was able to avoid execution thanks to this, his freedom is still limited.)

Luke: What’s the matter? Based on your expression… does it taste bad?

MC: Not at all! It doesn’t taste bad! I’m just worried that you might find your lifestyle right now really boring…

MC: If you want, you can leave the empire for a while, so you wouldn’t need to be so careful.

Luke: I don’t want that, because… not only do I not find it boring, but I also feel like this isn’t too bad, the way things are.

MC: Really?

Luke: Yep, really. Since no one knows that I’m alive, I don’t have to bother with some unnecessary dealings too.

Luke: Plus, it’s because that I’m alone that you’ll worry about me from time to time, just like now, right?

Luke: No matter where you are or who you’re talking to, you’ll remember that I’m waiting for you. That’s enough to satisfy me.

MC: Luke, don’t be so easily satisfied…

MC: Even if we go elsewhere in the future where you don’t need to conceal yourself, I’ll always be thinking of you.

Luke: Then, when time comes, I’ll be able to monopolize you openly… and beat off anyone who bothers us.

MC: Pfft, isn’t that a little too childish?

Luke: I’ve been holding back for so long, so it should be justifiable for me to be a bit childish…

Luke: Plus, I’m also hoping that after you shed the responsibility you bear, you can be more childish and reckless in front of me, okay?

MC: Okay… I’ll try.

#Tears of Themis #tears of themis translations #xia yan #luke pearce #tot spoilers #未定事件簿 #tot luke #finallyyyyyyyy wow this was a whole project

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infinitebells · 3 years

Text

annoying: chapter 20

iwaizumi hajime has hated you, his assistant athletic trainer, since he knew you in high school. you on the other hand have bothered him for fun for as long as you knew him, not realizing your romantic feelings for him had manifested in that way. what happens when you two blockheads finally come to terms with how you feel?

a/n: YALL THIS IS IT!!! one of my favorite chapters by far. also it’s barely 12:30 am for me i’m THAT fucking impatient when it comes to this chapter LOL

———

“kou, kou, he texted me saying he’s coming to the house!” you could feel your hands start to shake. panic flooded through you like a river and you couldn’t control anything you did. you could feel yourself pacing around your living room, yet you couldn’t stop yourself.

“okay y/n relax, you have to. panicking won’t do anything.” his voice sounded far away, muddled as though he was underwater.

“i can’t do that,” you mumble, and you hear a worried sigh over the phone.

“okay, alright, do you need me to come over?” his voice sounds a bit clearer now, but still fuzzy. it cuts out completely when you hear a knock on the door.

“oh my god, oh my god,” you say. your hands start to shake even worse and you faintly hear bokuto yelling over the phone but you don’t register it as your finger slides over the end button on the call. you feel like you’re having an out of body experience as you robotically maneuver to your door. nothing prepares you for the sight of iwaizumi hajime standing at your door in black sweatpants and a matching black hoodie. his hair is soaked, water dripping down the dips and curves of his face as he stares at you with dark eyes. both of you are silent, and your hands won’t stop shaking.

“it started raining on my way here,” he starts, still staring at you. it’s not anything of significance, but his voice alone triggers a waterfall of tears streaming down your face as you devolve into loud sobs. your knees give out as you fall to the ground, and you feel his arms around you, catching you and leading you down to the ground with him. you don’t see the way he gently kicks the door closed and sets his head against yours as you continue to cry.

“i can’t, i can’t keep doing this iwa. i change feeling like this, i hate feeling like i’m not worth your love or anyone else’s,” you sob out, and he simply wraps his arms tighter around you.

“i know, i’m so sorry,” he murmurs, sitting and letting you cry in his arms. he runs a hand over your hair while the other rubs circles into your back. you two sit like this, him holding you quietly in his lap as you cry until you can’t cry anymore. when you’re done crying, he’s still holding you. you sniffle intermittently, and he still holds you.

“iwaizumi, i can’t continue to live like this anymore. i really can’t,” you finally say after a while, and you feel him nod against your head.

“i know. i’m sorry, words can’t explain how sorry i am okay? i know things won’t be completely good with us for a while, but i’m begging you at least let me try and make things right okay?” he says, tilting your head back so that your eyes meet his own. you didn’t realize when you were crying that he had been holding back tears of his own until you see his glassy eyes and soft gaze. you nod without realizing it.

“okay, alright,” you rasp, and the tears finally fall from his eyes as he tips your head down to kiss your forehead lightly. your tears mix together as he presses your foreheads together. you shift so you’re facing him in his lap, moving to wrap your arms around him before stopping midair. terror runs through you as you realize he could push you away at any movement.

“you can hug me y/n, okay?” he says, leaning back to look into your eyes once again. he nods reassuringly before grabbing your wrists and moving them to rest on the small of his back. you take it as a sign to lean forward and rest your head under his chin. he hums as you do so, tucking you tighter against him.

you take a moment to do a full body survey, and you notice that your hands have finally stopped shaking.

“please don’t go. i’m still upset with you, but i can’t be by myself right now. but i would text bokuto and let him know i’m okay,” you whisper, and he nods. his arms wrap around your waist as he hoists you up and onto the couch with your legs around his hips and arms around his middle. he sends a quick text to bokuto letting him know you’re okay, before grabbing a blanket take a blanket hanging over the back of your couch and draping it over the two of you. his hands find your back and your head under the blanket, keeping you close to him.

“is this okay?” he asks against your hair, and you nod weakly before readjusting to be more comfortable.

“yes. is it okay if you stay the night?” you weakly ask, and he agrees with a hum.

“of course,” he says.

“thank you, and i’m sorry for making you stay with me,” you apologize.

“you’re not making me do anything. i want to be here okay? it’s the least i can do okay?” he says. your heart skips a beat at that.

“okay,” you whisper. with that, your gaze falls heavy, and you’re lulled to sleep by the steady beat of iwaizumi’s heartbeat thrumming in your ear.

———

a/n pt. 2: ik this is not necessarily the confrontation you guys probably hoped for but it’s necessary to like show that iwa’s finally accepting his own feelings and that like you can’t immediately forgive him bc yknow healing from that kind of pain can take a while. i wanted to make this as realistic as possible but my favs are FINALLY getting someone

———

masterlist

taglist: @babyoomi @honeysunny @halesandy @autumnandhotchocolate @velociraptorenthusiast @fluffyviciousbunny @darlingkuroo @youtuboo @b0bablinds @nerdynstoned @jovialweaselskeletonfan @amboisez @bbyhaji @astral-vroom @miwtze @seijqhigh @mrswhitethornbelikov @atsumubabie @lvrkuroo @navymacaroons @daphnxy @mangobangi @galagcica @its-the-aerieljeane @the-golden-jhope @cece-lives-here @kellesvt @nachotrash @jewlmin @anngelllla @poppi144 @trashy-simp @ysatrap @hogwarts--imagines @mariachiii @thestarsanctuary @indecisivehusky @bakugouswh0r3 @erinoikawa @freyafolkvangr @tetrapot-melon-tea @meiankolia @sya-arts-blog @d0llpie @rintarawr @winunk @roschea-behindthescreens @roselleviennesstuff @chaichai-the-weeb @lady-tokugawa-of-mikawa

#haikyuu #haikyuu smau #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu x female reader #hq #hq smau #hq x reader #hq x female reader #iwaizumi #iwaizumi smau #iwaizumi x reader #iwaizumi x female reader #iwaizumi hajime #iwaizumi hajime smau #iwaizumi hajime x reader #iwaizumi hajime x female reader #.annoying

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jean-kayak · 3 years

Text

A Size Up

Summary: Living with your best friend proves to be harder than you thought after he changes

Pairing: Jean Kirstein x black!fem!reader

Warnings: smut (18+!!), major size kink, a lot of praise, unprotected sex, fingering (f.receiving), oral (f.receiving), little bit of cum eating, multiple orgasms, reader is picked up, best friends to lovers, confession of feelings, aftercare, fluff at the end like it gets really soft, college!au

Word Count: 3719

A/N: This came from the fact that Jean is 6'3" and for whatever reason, it brought out the size kink in me, also I’ve been having really bad Jean brainrot, so enjoy

This definitely had to be a punishment for something that you did because this is more than torture. You had met your roommate in your freshman year of college, and there no issues there. Everything was perfectly fine, great even.

But then he changed.

The next school year, he had grown, now towering over you, his hair now coming down to his neck as he started to grow in a little facial hair. These new changes affected you in a different way than he usually affects you, and it was absolutely making your life harder.

You had always felt some type of way towards Jean, sometimes catching yourself thinking what it would be like if you were dating, but you always shook those thoughts out of your head. Now you were feeling a different type of way.

You were fucking horny for your roommate and the worst part was that you couldn't do anything to relieve yourself. No matter how many times you made yourself cum, it was like it would start all over again. You literally interacted with him all the time, and there was always something new that would make your panties slick with arousal, and you find yourself in the same position every night, vibrator in between your legs, your hand covering the moans of his name.

And another thing was that this change hit you like a truck. He had asked you if you would be cool with living with him for your final year of college, telling you that he didn't have anyone else to ask and that he was tight on money. You were a little hesitant but said yes anyway. To this day, you still don't know if that was the best or worst decision of your life.

The first incident was when you were walking to the bathroom, jumping when the door swings open, meeting a wet Jean with a towel wrapped very loosely around his waist, and because of how close you were, you had no choice but to lift your head up to look him in the face. "Oh, shit, sorry. Bathroom's all yours," he says easily, before slipping past you, his scent making your eyes close for a split second when it fills your nostrils.

You watch him walk down the hallway, and that's when you notice how defined his muscles are, and you were just looking at his back, only imagining what the rest of him looked like, and you walk into the bathroom, smacking your head on the door when it closes.

It also didn't help that he was always walking around the apartment shirtless, and you finally got a look at what his body looking like from the front, and you swallow heavily as you feel your mouth water.

The bathroom really isn't that big, so there's no way that the both of you could fit in there comfortably, and it was your time to be in there, but he was in a rush and needed something. You had turned around when he came in there with a rushed apology, fucking shirtless of course before reaching over you to grab something from the mirror.

Your breath hitches as you run your eyes down his frame, his abs so deeply outlined that you can barely stop yourself from touching him as your eyes run over his shoulders which definitely weren't that broad when you met him, you can barely see anything behind you. He gets what he's looking for before giving you another quick apology and walking out the door.

You lean back against the counter as you feel your legs trying to regain strength.

A cold shower sounds really good right now.

There was another time where Jean was having an off day, and you offered to watch a movie, his head laying in your lap while your hand runs through his hair, making him sigh contently, and your eyebrows raised when he starts to shift, both of you end up laying on the couch instead of sitting, with him in between your legs.

You don't stop carding your fingers through his hair, and his eyes are trained on the movie, but yours are trained on how big he looks between you as he looks at the TV over your thigh, and the last thing you can think about is watching the movie.

You barely make it an hour, and luckily Jean is feeling a little better, sleep starting to come to him, and you nearly bolt to your room. You try to fight the demanding arousal in your core but you can't, and you wish it was Jean inside of you instead of the plastic toy that does nothing to help you relieve your problems.

Now it was your turn to have a bad day, nothing going your way today, and you fight back tears of exhaustion when you walk into the apartment, letting your bag fall softly on the floor as you toy your shoes off.

You let Jean pull you into his lap as you bury your face in his neck, his hands rubbing up and down your back instantly making it feel like all of the stress lift off of you. This was one of these moments where those blooming, high school crush feelings resurfaced, and they always come back whenever he does something considerate like this.

But to your dismay, the lustful feelings were winning out this time. The feeling of his hands on your back felt really nice, but you were only focusing on how big they were, and you shift slightly as you try to think of anything else. "Do you feel better?" he asks, and you smile softly as you lift your head up to look at him.

"Yeah, I do. Thank you, Jean," you say, and you hope he doesn't hear the way your breath hitches when you see how close your faces are and how you still have to look up at him even sitting in his lap. His frame still eclipses yours, and you need to find a way out of this situation before it gets too late.

The air between the two of you shifts as his hands slow to a stop, one resting on your hip as you take a deep breath in. "So, anything else you wanna do?" he whispers, and you're so close to letting that wall breakdown.

And then your stomach fucking grumbles. Loudly.

Both of you laugh softly, the tension that was there broken slightly, and he nods his head towards the kitchen. "There might be some leftovers in the fridge," he tells you, and you nod again, and you swear you felt his hand linger a little longer on your hip as you stand.

You notice some leftover pasta on the stove so you open the cabinet to get a bowl and you realize you can't reach it. You tense briefly when you feel a hand on your hip. "I got it," Jean says, his body thick and heavy against your back, and that tension that was in the room is back.

He sets the bowl down on the counter, and you turn around, his hand returning to your waist when you're finally facing him. He brings his other hand to rub at your side, and once again the feeling of his hands on you makes dirty thoughts swirl in your head, and suddenly you don't feel very hungry anymore. At least not for food.

"You still hungry?" he asks, his voice a whisper, but it's so deep that it sends a shiver up your spine. You shake your head slowly, and he must be thinking the same thing you are because his hands slowly make their way under your shirt, quickly heating your skin.

"Good." And the next thing you feel his lips on yours, and his hands gripping your waist tighter as yours run over his shoulders. He groans as his tongue slides into your mouth, before hoisting you up on the counter.

His hands move down to your thighs, gripping them and pulling you into him, and your legs wrap around his waist as your hands tangle in his hair. He kisses you deeply before sucking on your tongue, making you pull on his hair which makes him moan loudly in your mouth.

"Please tell me you want this," he breathes when he pulls away, both of your chests heaving from the lack of air as his hands run over your thighs and back under your shirt, and you nod your head eagerly.

"Yes, I want this, Jean, I want you," you sigh, and he puts his lips back on yours before sliding you off the counter and moving his hands under your butt, and your legs wrap around him as he carries you to his room, never breaking the kiss. He kicks the door open, closing it with his foot before getting on his knees on the bed, your back falling against the mattress as your arms wrap around his neck.

He kisses you with as much lustful passion as he can while he slots himself between your legs. He kisses down your jaw, waiting until he gets to your neck to pull at the skin between his teeth, before soothing the pain with his tongue. He rolls up your shirt, planting soft kisses up your stomach that makes you shudder before you quickly take it off.

It barely falls to the floor before he already working on undoing the clasp on your bra. That falls to the floor along with your shirt, and you moan softly when he licks over your nipples as you bite your lip to try and muffle it. He looks up at you as he grabs them in his hands, his fingers running over and rubbing the buds softly.

"Don't muffle them, baby, I wanna hear you," he tells you, not giving you a chance to respond before he's putting his mouth back on them, and you do as he says, the soft whines falling out of your mouth as he sucks one into his mouth, his teeth grazing over it softly before he does the same thing to the other.

He kisses back down your stomach, licking at your navel, and he chuckles to himself when you lift your hips so that he can get rid of your shorts easily. "Someone's needy, huh?" he teases but removes the fabric anyway, and his gaze goes dark at the sight of your folds already soaked, and he groans before sitting up to remove his shirt.

He lays back down, adjusting his body before throwing your legs over his shoulders, and you dig your hand into the chestnut locks on his head in surprise when he digs in, his tongue running over your folds to get your slick on his tongue as soon as possible.

He sighs when he feels your legs squeezing around his head, feeling drunk off of your thighs warming his already heated face, and the fact that you taste so good. He spreads your legs, massaging the crease of your thighs and holding them down when you try to move them back.

He sucks at your clit, licking at it with firm circles before he brings a hand down to prod his fingers at your hole. With how much wetness has accumulated, it's not hard for him to make his way in, his fingers stretching you out before finding that bundle of nerves inside of you, making you jump.

"Please, Jean," you beg when he's working on stretching you out with three fingers, and he huffs against your folds.

"Patience, angel. I gotta prep you for me," he says, giving your clit one last suck before he slides his fingers out, and he can't resist putting them in his mouth, licking over every inch until your taste is gone, and then he's sitting up to shed the rest of his clothes.

He throws his clothes on the floor as his dick slaps his abdomen, and what you've been fantasizing about is way bigger than you've imagined, and now his words make sense. He leans down over you, bracing an elbow next to your head as he guides himself towards your hole, covering his head with your wetness.

"I'll go slow, okay?" You nod, spreading your legs a little further, and you throw your head back as you dig your nails into his arm when he starts to make his way in. "Fuck, you're still so tight," he groans, kissing you softly as he keeps his thrusts shallow, slowly inching his way in.

"You're doing so good, baby," he praises, rubbing on your clit to ease the burning stretch. "You look so pretty taking me so well."

"Jean," you moan, your chest rising and falling quickly as you look down to see that he's still not all the way in.

"You can do it, angel. You're so doing so good," and he grunts as he feels your walls pulse around him. "Breathe, baby, you can do it. There you go, atta girl."

He braces his other arm on the other side of your head, breathing heavily to try and control himself as he lets you get used to the rather huge intrusion. You feel so full, fuller than you could've ever thought, and you definitely feel him in your throat. This is even better than you could've imagined, shocked at the fact that your body's going limp just from him being inside you, not even moving yet.

You nod your head when you're ready even though your body is still humming. He grabs your hands, lacing his fingers with yours before he slowly pulls out, a scream ripping out of your throat when he slams back in.

Your mouth falls open as your eyes roll back in your head, overwhelming pleasure coursing through your veins as you chant his name, the pain long gone. The look on your face only spurs him on along with how small you look under him, how you seem to run away from him and pull him closer at the same time.

You look so wrecked taking his dick, and he wants to keep seeing it on your face, snapping his hips faster, and your limp body jolts when he pushes on that sensitive spot, making you see stars, and he aims there as you both get closer to your climax.

Your nails are digging in his skin at every part that you can reach. "You close, baby?" he asks even though he's right around the corner from cumming, and you nod your head quickly, your brain too fuzzy to even think about speaking, and he goes back to rubbing at your clit. "Cum for me baby, you're taking me so well, go ahead," he purrs, and he gives you one last hard thrust, and your back is arching off the bed as white hot pleasure rips through your body.

Stuttering moans follow as you clamp around him, and he watches you come undone, triggering his orgasm as he cums with a loud moan of your name, throwing his head back as he cums inside of you. He thrusts through the last of your highs before slowly pulling out, and you wince as you feel soreness already starting to form.

You sigh heavily as you catch your breath, throwing an arm over your eyes as your heart beats rapidly in your ears. You don't even realize that Jean's left until you feel something warm softly rubbing over your core.

You jump slightly, and he rubs over your thigh as he carefully moves your leg to the side. "Relax, angel, I'm just cleaning you up," he tells you, his eyes going glossy at the sight of his cum dribbling out of you and your trembling legs.

You let your arm fall back down on the mattress as he leaves to throw the washcloth in the sink in the bathroom, and the next thing you feel is the bed dipping next to you. You let him move you into his lap, wincing again when you straddle him.

He rubs up and down your back as he kisses you softly, massaging your thighs that are still shaking before snaking his hands on the inside of your thighs to do the same. "You did so well, baby," he praises, and you hum softly, still dazed from your orgasm.

He leans over towards the nightstand before returning his attention to you. "Here, you still gotta eat." He breaks off a piece of cookie with one hand, dropping the bigger piece before bringing the smaller one to your mouth.

He goes back to massaging your aching muscles as you chew softly before feeding you a few more cookies. Your legs have stopped shaking, but the dulling pain is still there, and you whine quietly when he shifts under you. "Sore?" he asks, and you nod your head without a word. "Don't worry, I got you."

He grabs your legs before softly laying you on your back, and he moves your legs, pushing them closer to your chest. His hands ghost down dangerously close to your core, the touch making you clench around nothing, which isn't missed by him before pushing your legs down.

You grimace when you feel your muscles pull, and he rubs gentle circles on your skin with his thumbs. "God, you're so beautiful," he says, his eyes running down your naked body and zeroing in on your cunt. "I gotta taste you again," he adds, more to himself, and he holds your legs in position, which gives him enough room to reach you without anything getting in his way.

It seems like he eats you out with more enthusiasm this time, desperately wanting to taste you again, and he can see some remnants of white still dripping out of you, so he starts there, lapping it up before he slides his tongue inside, moving it in and out, moaning when he feels your walls clamping around his tongue as your wetness coats the muscle.

He pulls away, a mix of his saliva and your slick connecting his tongue to your lips before sucking at your clit, and the action causes you to pull on his hair, making him moan again. He can feel your legs twitching against him, reaching your climax faster due to still being sensitive from the first one.

Along with yours quickly approaching, Jean's is approaching fast too. The feeling of you pulling on his hair that's only getting tighter makes his dick twitch against the sheets, and he ruts against them. The faster he moves, the crazier he becomes about eating you out. His moans vibrate against you, only sending you higher, and the high-pitched moans of his name coming from you do the same.

"Cum, baby, I wanna taste you, please cum," he begs, his voice borderline delirious, and it takes a couple of swirls around your clit, and your body's tensing harder than it did the first time.

Jean's catching everything in his mouth, rutting against the sheets rapidly as your slick coats his tongue, and all of the images from not too long ago flood his head, and he's cumming against your cunt with a loud groan, his muscles clenching as he spills onto the sheets.

Your ragged breaths fill the room again as you let your body go slack, Jean finally letting your legs go as he licks around his mouth to get as much of you as he can. He flops down next to you, wrapping his arms around you, and pulling you into a deep kiss, moaning softly when you taste yourself.

"Feel better?" he asks, pulling away but keeping his face close to yours.

You give him a happy sigh as you nod, and he's meeting your lips again as lifts your leg to rest across him before rubbing up your thigh and over your ass softly. "So, what now?" he jokes softly, laughing quietly when you do.

"Well, is this part where we confess our feelings?" you respond, and he sighs contently as you run your fingers through his hair softly.

"Only if you feel the same way." He tries to keep it light, but there's still that underlying tone of uncertainty, that maybe this whole thing was one-sided.

You scoff softly as you kiss him again, continuing your strokes in his hair. "Of course I feel the same way, Jean," you say, and he smiles widely.

"Good. Because I definitely want to do that again," he admits, raking his nails down your back gently, making goosebumps rise over your skin. You laugh in response to his words, and he feels his heart skip a beat as he watches you.

And he swallows thickly when you look back at him. "I love you."

You give him a soft yet big smile. "I love you, too." And he can't fight the smile that widens on his face before he kisses you again, fuller this time, gripping your hip softly. You laugh again when he rolls onto his back, pulling you on top of him, and he wraps his arms around you.

"Seriously?" he asks in disbelief, and you nod eagerly.

"Yes. I love you, Jean Kirstein." His face hurts from smiling, and he peppers kisses all over your face, making you giggle loudly, and he tightens his arms around you when you try to move away.

He rolls over so that he's on top before meeting your lips for a chaste kiss, and then he's pulling away to look at you, finally getting something that he's wanted for so long, but thought he would never get.

"What are you looking at?" you ask, your eyebrows furrowing softly.

"My girlfriend," he responds, both of your hearts fluttering at the term, and you raise your eyebrows.

"Really? You're not even gonna take me on a date first?"

"I would very much rather go for another round of amazing sex, but I guess I'll settle for that," he replies sarcastically, and he feels his heart skip again when you laugh. "I love you," he tells you again, saying the words making it feel like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

"I love you, too."

Why do I love using the best friends to lovers trope with Jean LMFAO

#jean kirstein #jean kirstein smut #jean kirschtein #jean kirschtein smut #jean kirstein x black reader #jean kirschtein x black reader #jean kirstein x reader #jean kirschtein x reader #aot fanfiction #snk fanfiction #aot smut #snk smut

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odetojeons · 3 years

Note

Hello! Idk if you’re taking asks rn, but what are your opinions on Soonyoung’s kinks? I loved reading the other ones!!!

awwww thank you!! AND OMG KWON SOONYOUNG!/!/&2&2/$$2@:@: everyone saw that video of him right? mf suddenly appeared to murder us all with no regret or warning whatsoever. AND THE COMMENTS FROM THE OTHER MEMBERS??? I might commit a crime if I don’t get more of those videos.

Breeding Kink — I even WROTE this. It was a request but I’m so happy someone else thought about it other than me. Because Kwon Soonyoung is all about fucking you again and again and again, until you’re full of his come. He would be so horny, wouldn’t stop it as long as you don’t tell him to — and trust me, this man has a lot of stamina —, and honestly it’s something animalistic, primal of him to want to see you full with his seed and come dripping down your thighs

Pet Play — HELLO????? His tiger agenda screams this. I don’t think he’s completely into pet play though, Soonyoung would be more into wearing tiger ears and even a tail butt plug so he feels more like a tiger — and, of course, he growls, and it’s not even funny or cute, it’s so deep and rough it shakes you to your bones. Or make you wear them too, all pretty and gorgeous for him, and it would turn him on so much. OH AND. A leash. Definitely a leash. Soonyoung would put you on all fours, fucking into you while you use tiger ears and tail, and he would pull on the chain of the leash, making you arch for him.

Wall Sex — Not a kink, but after that unholy video I can’t stop thinking about Soonyoung fucking someone against a wall. It’s just so damn hot, how he would sink his fingers on your thigh to hoist you up and make you circle your legs around his waist, growling with his lips pressed between the juncture of your ear and neck and rising goosebumps all over your skin. He would have no mercy, brutal as he pulls you down on his cock at the same time he fucks up into your hole, sending your body into an up and down motion.

Possessive Sex — Although I think he gets easily jealous, his show of possessiveness isn’t (good) intimidating like Wonwoo’s, but rather cute even. He would want you to wear his shirts, especially if they have his name on it, would want you to smell like him and be full of bruises and marks after he ruins you on the bedroom. Or the way Soonyoung would grab the back of your thighs and push your legs up until you’re almost bent in half, just so he could look at his come dripping down your hole.

Spitting Kink — OH MY GOD, I can’t stop thinking about this. Soonyoung hooking two fingers in your mouth, prying your jaw open and just spitting down your throat. He would press on your chin, make you close your lips and then wrap a hand around your throat so he could feel you swallowing it. The shiver that would rock down his body would be no light one, because holy fuck, Soonyoung is dirty and he wants to make you his, his, his.

Messy Sex — As in he enjoys all types of things that would make the sex potentially messier. The tears in your cheeks when Soonyoung fucks you so hard you don’t even know your own name; his come panting your face, your stomach, your inner thighs, your hole, your ass, any place really; your come or squirt when he makes you orgasm hard enough to the point you think your eyes won’t turn back from how far they rolled; and even the drool running down your chin when you can’t seem to keep your mouth shut.

Lap Dance — SHUT UP I’M DYING HERE. I think he would actually love being tied up, yes, tied up to a chair and have you dancing and rolling your hips all over his lap. Or even,, oh my god, or even him doing so, dirty dancing for you until you’re crying, begging for him to touch, and what the fuck this man is the embodiment of sin.

Bondage — Don’t think he would be into the heavy ones though, would rather put some silk around your wrists and tie them to the headboard, or even tie them together on your back as he fucks you face down, ass up. But I also think Soonyoung would love to wear a rope dress. Yes. Like as in that shibari thing in which you put ropes around your body, not restricting but just to, I don’t know, be beautiful. And hot.

Leather Kink — I just think that Kwon Soonyoung with a leather harness is the greatest enemy of my heart’s healthiness. Like just, just IMAGINE how hot he would look with it on, the sweat turning his skin into a beautiful gold, you laying half on your stomach and half on your side because one of your legs is thrown over his shoulder where he kneels in front of you, the position giving you the privilege to see his harness. Or how insanely good it would be to feel the leather of his gerthers hitting the back of your thighs every time he fucks into you. Damn. I’m not even alive anymore.

Choking — Oh, yes. Not in the sense of restricting your air flow, but rather the mind numbing pleasure of putting his hand around your neck. Because of Soonyoung’s sense of possessiveness, a dark side of him loves the feeling he gets when he sees how his you have become with his fingers around your throat. Does that make sense?

Collar Kink — Yes. A collar. That kind of collar. The ones you use into dom/sub relationships, and as much as I think he’s not too much into power play, I also think Soonyoung would love to see a pretty collar around your neck, especially if it has a little bell on it that he can hear ringing every time he fucks into you. He would hook a finger on it, pull at it so you could arch your back and offer yourself up for him to take and take and take.

Spanking — Can I just say that Soonyoung gives me the vibes that he’s the type of person who would lay you across his lap and spank your ass until it turns red with the print of his hand. I don’t even know what else to say, just that Soonyoung overall is fucking dirty. Nasty. Filthy. I love this. I love him.

I hope you enjoyed it!! Tell me what you think later ♥️

#seventeen imagine #seventeen smut #seventeen x reader #soonyoung x reader #soonyoung imagine #soonyoung smut #hoshi imagine #hoshi x reader #hoshi smut

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scribbuluswrites · 3 years

Text

The Surprise

Oh, hello, and happy Friday! It had been one fantastically stressful week, and I am looking forward to the weekend.

As always, thanks so much for reading!

“I’ve got a bone to pick with you,” Katarina said instead of a greeting when Happy answered the phone. She’d only called him twice while he’d been finishing things up in Charming, but this was the first time he’d actually answered rather than called her back a few days later.

“There’s other ways to teach me to say hi first,” he grumbled.

“We both know that’s a lie, just like you coming to see your mother in a few days,” Kat told him, doing her best impression of his raspy voice.

“I said a bit, not a few days,” he corrected, chuckling at the disgruntled noise she made. “Relax, spitfire, I was about to send you an address for a cabin I rented for us. If you wanna keep talking shit, though, I can find someone else.”

“Hold on, only in your world does a bit mean three weeks. Also, your mom deserves some of your time, too,” she said, the words punctuated like she was counting things off on her fingers. “Alright, that’s all my shit talking. Where are we going and when.” She heard Happy chuckle again, and she wondered what had him in such a good mood.

“I found a place in Goleta. It’s got lots of privacy so no one can hear you scream,” Happy explained. Katarina laughed at the way only Happy could make something sound like either a seduction or a murder. “Could you head out tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I have the weekend off, and I can call in sick tomorrow. I’ll make sure your mom has plenty of groceries. It won’t take long to pack.”

“You don’t need clothes,” he urged, his voice distant as Kat imagined him typing out the address to send her.

“I definitely do. You’re going to teach me how to fight,” Katarina said, feeling the phone vibrate against her ear with an incoming message.

“I’m doing what?” he asked, clearly not believing her.

“I didn’t like being in lockdown, so you’re going to teach me how to defend myself,” she told him firmly.

“Yikes,” Happy muttered instead of a goodbye, the grin still evident in his voice. Katarina was pretty sure he was excited to see her.

Happy hadn’t been joking when he said the cabin was remote. Where he hadn’t been truthful, though, was in calling it a cabin. Their weekend getaway was actually a sprawling house on the beach, surrounded by two acres of trees and a narrow strip of rocky coastline.

Kat parked her car next to his bike, both easily fitting into the garage. Happy was waiting for her just inside the door into the mudroom.

“This place is incredible. When you said cabin, I was expecting something much less conspicuous,” she said, leaning her full weight into Happy when he slid an arm around her shoulders.

“A friend of the club owed me a favour,” he shrugged. “Like it?”

“Like it?” Katarina repeated, eyes giant. “If I could run away and live here forever, I would. How many people do you have to kill to get a house like this?”

“A rat gets you a week,” Happy joked, grinning a bit darkly at the surprise on her face. “I figured once you got here, I could convince you to call in sick a few extra days.”

“I’m finding it a little weird that I’m so into you right now,” she admitted, her legs automatically looping around his waist when he hoisted her up.

“You wanna see no mercy, baby?” he growled, bumping her back against the wall.

“Very much so, and I’m really not going to overthink that,” she breathed, not the least bit ashamed of the desperate sound that came out.

Much later that night, Kat rolled out of the plush king bed in the main suite. She hadn’t fallen asleep there, but Happy had apparently carried her in here once she was out. The smell of food wafted down the hallway, and Kat followed her nose down the hall and into the kitchen, tugging on Happy’s shirt as she went.

Happy was stark naked in the kitchen, his front covered by an apron as he cooked something on the stove. She walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and kissing between his shoulder blades. He was considerably taller than she was so Kat couldn’t see what he was making.

“Food,” she mumbled the word against his muscled frame, letting her eyes fall closed as she rested her head against him.

“Watch your hands,” he warned, his arms moving as he pushed something around in a skillet. Kat could hear something hissing on the hot pan, and she slid her hands down the front of him. “That ain’t what I meant,” Happy growled, shimmying his hips to keep her from getting to her prize.

“What? I’m just keeping them out of harm’s way,” she giggled, slowly stepping away from him. Kat moved to his side, trying to sneak a peek at what he was cooking.

Happy blocked her view, shifting to keep her from looking around his side. “Let a man keep some secrets.” Katarina grinned and held her hands up. “Go sit at the table like a civilized person,” he told her, nodding towards the doorway to the dining room.

“That’s very rich coming from you,” she murmured, still grinning at him as she followed his suggestion. Her smile slipped, though, as she saw that he had taken the time to set the table. She sat down slowly, staring around in a mixture of surprise and appreciation.

A few minutes later, Happy walked into the room carrying two plates of food. He had slipped on a pair of loose shorts at some point, but his casualness was in total contrast with the effort he had clearly gone to with the table and dinner.

He sat the plate down in front of her, taking a seat next to her. Kat’s eyes were wide as she stared at the beautifully done salmon and asparagus. She had no idea Happy even knew how to cook something like this.

“Wow.” It was all Katarina could manage for the moment.

“I wanted to say thank you for everything you’re doing for my mom, but I’m not good at talking,” he told her, looking thoroughly uncomfortable. Kat could tell he was so far out of his comfort zone.

“So you made me a perfect dinner at 2:30 in the morning?” she asked, reaching over to slide her hand over his.

“I had planned to do this at a normal time, but…” he trailed off, shrugging. He didn’t pull his hand away, but Katarina didn’t try to press for anything more.

“It fits us better like this,” she grinned, squeezing his hand before pulling away to grab her fork. “I like taking care of your mom, by the way. She treats me like family, and I haven’t really had that before,” Katarina admitted.

“You never talk about your family,” Happy commented, trying to actually get to know her.

“It’s probably my least favourite subject. After I got into the US, I just wanted to put distance between us,” she told him, glad that she didn’t feel as angry any more.

“From where to Tacoma?”

“I spent a year living on the border, but as soon as I turned 18, I just started driving north.” Katarina shifted a bit, not wanting to keep talking about herself. “Are you going to teach me how to throw a punch tomorrow?” she asked, changing the subject abruptly.

“You know you don’t have to hide that shit from me, right? If you wanna talk about your family, I’ll listen,” he told her, bumping her foot with his under the table.

“Yeah?” she confirmed, giving him a small grin when he nodded. “Same goes for you, biker,” Kat replied, feeling more comfortable than she had in a long while.

“Eat up, freckles. You’re gonna need your strength,” Happy winked, digging into his own plate of food. He relaxed visibly, very glad that they could have an understanding about these things.

Kat tucked into her fish finally, moaning at how good it was. “If I had known you could cook like this, I would have pushed you into the kitchen to help your mom instead of me.”

“This falls under that list of things that stays between you and me,” he said seriously, hiding his grin behind a forkful of asparagus. He wouldn’t admit it, but he took great pride in impressing her.

“I’m going to have to start writing these down so I don’t slip up,” Kat joked.

They went silent for several long moments, content just to eat and be in each other’s company. Katarina glanced at Happy more than once, a grin on her face as she looked over at him. In return, she caught him doing the same thing just as often. It was one of the first times that they had felt like a normal couple.

Once the food was all gone, Happy reached over for her hand. He brushed his lips over her knuckles before closing her fingers into a fist.

“So throwing a punch is just one piece of the puzzle,” he began, showing her the proper way to make a fist. “Just as important is being able to take a hit and know it won’t break you.”

Katarina nodded her understanding, making sure to pay very close attention to all of the tips he was telling her. She knew they would come in handy later when they finally got to sparring.

The next morning, Happy and Kat did another thing that felt uniquely them. They had stayed in bed until the sun was high over their little piece of paradise, and then slowly dragged themselves out onto the deck.

Katarina sat on the short set of stairs down to the beach, sipping a giant cup of coffee as she waited for Happy to finish a call. She hadn’t heard much of the conversation, but she had definitely caught the annoyance in his voice and the sharp insistence that he would not be coming back to the club today.

She held the cup with both hands, grinning into her drink as she listened to him pacing. Happy had a very specific gait that still sounded menacing when it was just his bare feet thudding across the wooden deck.

After a few more minutes, Happy snapped the phone shut. He tossed the burner phone onto the patio furniture and walked over to join Kat, folding his long legs as he took a seat next to her.

“We’ll get to fighting, but first, you need to know this,” he commented, holding a pistol out in front of her. Happy ejected the magazine before racking the slide to dump out the round in the chamber.

He started disassembling the gun, walking her through each piece and its function. Happy talked her through how to keep each piece clean and functioning, talking her through putting the pistol back together.

Kat nodded along, carefully following each of his instructions. She felt privileged to have him showing her these things in such great detail. As a result, she kept it to herself that she already knew how to shoot.

Happy broke the pistol into pieces again and handed it to her, watching carefully as she put it back in proper order. “You’ve done that before,” he said quietly, expression typically neutral as he kept looking at her.

“My dad had a few guns in the house. He made sure we knew how to use them,” Kat explained, racking the slide and dry-firing the pistol. “I haven’t had any practice since I was a kid so I’m probably a terrible shot,” she shrugged, looking at the Glock in her hands. She passed it back to Happy.

“He cautious or expecting something?” he asked, tilting his head at her. Kat bit her lip and gave him a look that plainly said she wasn’t sure.

“He was in the army, and they were widely disliked,” she answered, standing up from her perch on the stairs. “Could we talk about-” Kat broke off with a squeak, caught off guard as Happy encircled her shoulders with his arms. She definitely hadn’t been prepared for it, but she was grateful that Happy seemed to know she wanted to change the subject.

“Show me how you get loose.”

Katarina took a breath, thinking through her options. She knew that wouldn't be possible in a real situation, but this was all about teaching her the correct thing to do. Enough repetition and it would become muscle memory, and she would be able to react quickly.

“I feel like I should try to elbow you since I’m too short to headbutt you,” she explained, trying to see how much she could actually move in this position.

“Decent instinct. Try it,” he told her. Kat could feel his body tensing, and she knew he expected her to actually put some force behind it.

She attempted to elbow him, discovering that she couldn’t get much force behind it. The movement, though, did put Happy in just a slightly different spot, giving her a pretty good shot at a much more precious spot than his abdomen.

Katarina brought her fist backwards, making sure to stop before she actually connected with his soft bits. He moved back similar to how he would have, and Kat was able to drop to the ground and out of his grip.

“Better instinct,” he complimented, almost smiling at her. “This might not be as hard as I thought.”

Kat smiled brightly, pleased that Happy looked a little impressed. “C’mon, teach, challenge me,” she taunted, knowing she would likely regret that.

Tags: @gemini0410 @scuzmunkie @woahitslucyylu @chibsytelford @jitterbugs927 @yourwonkywriter @bigcreatorwombatdreamer @withmyteeth @est1887

#faking it #happy lowman #happy lowman imagine #happy lowman x oc #sons of anarchy #sons of anarchy imagine #soa #soa imagine #samcro #wishing it

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justasimptm · 3 years

Text

The Bride C10

I hear my sisters screaming from the kitchens, promptly followed by loud crashing and the shouts of various other servants. Now this typically wouldn’t be alarming, until however, I hear them calling out to me. They would never do that unless something was direly wrong, they’re too proud, so the echoes of my name through the halls sets a pit into my stomach that has me swarming downstairs so I can get there as soon as absolutely possible. They have two maids cornered against the pantry, both have tears streaming down their faces, quaking with such force I’m convinced they’re going to fall.

“What’s going on?” I demand, skimming over the bunch to see if there’s any visual clues. Both servants have spots of blood adorning their aprons, not too unusual. What is out of place, however, is the pained look on Bela’s face as she holds a hand to her side. Daniela speaks without turning away from her targets.

“Three of our ungrateful maids thought it would be beneficial to their lives to attack us and escape.” She hisses, brandishing her blade at them hazardously. Three catches my attention, recounting I see the problem. “As you can see, sister, one of them managed it. She stuck Bela in the side and took off out the door. You need to go get her and bring her back before she gets to town or does anything stupid.” My eyes widen as I whip my head towards the cracked door, peering out past it to catch a glimpse of a figure fleeing off down the hill. I curse loudly, before taking off after her. She’s definitely faster than I originally anticipated, having made it a good portion of the way to town before I catch up with her. My fingers latch on the collar of her dress, yanking her backwards and off balance just enough to make her stumble, not quite enough for her to fall. The moment she regains her balance she twirls on me, looking like a cornered animal, I’m half convinced she’s going to start hissing at me. I recognize her in a heartbeat, it’s Claire, and my split second of hesitation is all she needs, thrusting her hand forward at me, sinking a knife she had so carefully hidden deep into my abdomen.

I gasp sharply at the sudden intrusion, both out of surprise and pain. Pain? Lots of pain-oh shit a LOT of pain. She tears her hand back, pulling the knife free, which both makes the sharp stinging better and worse. I catch a glimpse of the blade and I immediately know why it feels like she shoved a hot poker into my side. The knife she’s holding is one of the three all silver blades my mother kept as decor, given to her by my father when she agreed to marry him. Silver, ironically, one of the few things that will cause me immediate damage. It sticks to me like an infection, which is kind of funny, and if it isn’t treated it spreads like poison. It gets into my blood, like it reignites my disease, the veins from the wounds turning black as it spreads. The only reason my pendant hasn’t done that yet is Mother Miranda did some cracked shit to it when I first changed making it so it wouldn’t spread, which is honestly very fortunate given the fact it nearly melted into my chest from during my transition.

Her mouth drops open, like she wasn't expecting that to work and she lets go of the handle, letting it clatter to the ground. The blade is coated in my blood, shining black in the sun. Shakily I bring one of my hands up to the wound, my fingers barely graze it but the reaction is immediate and jarring. A scream tears from my throat, the girl jumps and starts running again. Another wave of pain shoots through my stomach making me whimper, it feels like she poured alcohol straight into it. I stumble forward a step, trying to will myself into motion.

I still have to stop her, get to her before she reaches town, but my foot catches on air and I fall forward. I barely manage to catch myself before I slam down face first. The impact itself is startling, but it does jolt my brain enough to shake me from my stupor. I know I’ll be fine, if I catch her in time I’ll end up killing her, she’s dead if I bring her back home anyway, but this way at least she can fix what she did to me. That’s probably the only bonus about who my mother employs. Only females, and all ‘pure’. Maiden’s blood is not only the best blood for us to make us stronger, but the only thing that really can heal this kind of damage in us. If I can just get to her, I’ll be fine. Getting to her, however, seems to be where the difficulties lie, as she seems very determined to make it as far from me as possible, and given the sheer amount of pain that rips up my nerves anytime I do so much as breathe, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do it.

I have to try. After all I’ve lived through, I refuse to die here on the side of the road, there by the fault of my sisters. With all the power I have left in my body I force myself to swarm, as it’s far easier to move at that point. Still, she moves faster, unwounded and already with a head start. Fate, however, seems to be on my side, despite everything that’s happened up until that point, because in moments she’s essentially swarmed by Lycans. None attacking her, just forming a wall of bodys so she can’t go any further. I make it a few feet from them before I’m forced to reform, dropping to the ground immediately and crying out on impact. Through the sound of the blood rushing through my head, the snarling of the Lycans, and the frightened whimpers of the likely soon to be dead maid, I can hear someone shout my name.

There’s a lot of distress in the tone, and for a second it sounds like it’s coming from everywhere, until I feel hands pulling at my arms, tugging me to turn over and sit up. Through the black dots that are dancing across my vision, I can make out the vague details of my new company.

“Y/N? Y/N what’s wrong!” He growls, his yanking makes me groan, down a ways from us the sounds of crying and snarling grows louder, nearly drowning out his voice. He’s quick to snap at them, telling them all to shut up before fixing his eyes back to me.

“Heisenberg?” I choke out, blinking up in surprise. What’s he doing out here? He laughs slightly, shaking his head. He pulls off his dark glasses, revealing his brilliant amber eyes to me for the second time since we met.

“Darlin’ you look like you’re dying, I think you can call me Karl.” He says airly, clearly trying to keep the situation calm despite the amount of panic lacing his voice. “What did she do to you?” He stresses, glaring up at Claire for a moment before skimming up and down, locking onto where my hands are grasping. When he catches sight of the black blood staining through my fingers a deep dangerous sound claws its way up out of his lungs. He turns as if he’s going to start at her, but my fingers catch on the hem of his jacket before he can fully get away.

“Need-need blood-” I choke, looking at him for a moment before fixing my eyes on her, hoping he’ll understand the message I’m conveying, and judging by the dark look that storms over his face, he does.

*Heisenberg’s POV*

I’d first like to start this out by saying, no, I’m not stalking her. But after the terror in her voice when she begged me to leave, I had a feeling something was wrong, so yeah, I decided to keep a closer eye on her just in case. Doing so I had to make sure Lady Douche wouldn’t catch on, so I kept my distance, mostly having one of my Lycans hover around the property, and alert me when she left or if there was commotion. Imagine my surprise when after weeks of quiet, the idiotic creature sends out the danger sign. After so much calm, and immediate red signal sent me into high gear, with no idea what to expect I ordered a group of my higher functioning creations to run out ahead of me as I followed along, having them track her down and stand guard just in case. So when she finally appeared in view, a stunning cluster of brilliantly colored black and yellow moths, streaming after a human, the confusion laced in me was understandable. Until I saw her rapidly gain back her mass and drop to the ground like a stone.

Something was very wrong. I shouted her name and she barely responded, only focusing hazily when I grab her around her middle and hoist her up and over so she’s facing up. Her eyes are unfocused and I honestly can’t tell if she can recognize me. Her face is scary pale, drips of perspiration dotting her forehead and along the bridge of her nose. I want to laugh in relief when she finally responds, her voice crackling and light, the reply enough to encourage me she’s going to be okay. Until my eyes settle on her side, where her hands are clenched so tight I bet she’d have marks left on her palms from where her nails were digging in. Between her finger tips and soaking into her dress, I see the familiar and tell tale spread of black. She’s bleeding.

How the hell is she bleeding? Obnoxious whimpers remind me we aren’t alone, and my head whips to the side, fixing my gaze firmly on the girl surrounded by my creations. Did she do this? I’m going to tear her to shreds-at least that’s what I plan, before the light pressure on my jacket halts my steps.

She croaks out she needs blood before looking past me at the snivelling mess. If she needs blood to heal, I’ll get her all the blood she needs. Starting with the blood of the stupid bitch who hurt her, and anyone else it’ll take to make her better.

@foggyturtleknightangel @beingviolentlyhappy @inesalexandra1995 @loveboldlywingedangel130

#karl heisenberg #karl heisenberg x reader #heisenberg x reader #lady dimitrescu #resident evil village #re village #re8 #re8 karl heisenberg

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freddie-weaselbee · 3 years

Text

Reflection//F.W.

Pairings: Fred Weasley x Reader

Warnings: Implied eating disorder, implied body dysmorphia, body insecurities, insecurities in general, mentions of food/drink, language, angst, fluff, sad and insecure Freddie :(

Summary: Fred can’t even look at his reflection without feeling bad about himself and thinking about how you deserve so much more than anything he has to offer.

Word Count: 4.5k

A/N: YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. No matter who you are or what you look like, you are absolutely beautiful. If you or if you know anyone who suffers from body dysmorphia (specifically men because it’s not talked about enough), please reach out to someone and learn more. My messages are always open!

Arthur Weasley. Molly Weasley. Bill Weasley. Charlie Weasley. Percy Weasley. Fred and George Weasley. Ron Weasley. Ginny Weasley. The Weasley family. While all connected by their Gryffindor house and flaming red hair, each member of the family was unique in their own sense.

Arthur and Molly were the parents. Arthur’s fascination with Muggles as a Pureblood and Molly’s blunt but loving motherly nature were what set them apart.

Bill was the oldest, the golden child. He was loved at Hogwarts and became a successful curse breaker. No one ever had problems with the wonder that was Bill Weasley.

Charlie forged his own path. The great Hogwarts Quidditch star who likely could have gone professional, had he not found his passion in dragons and made a new life for himself in Romania.

Percy. Perfect prefect Percy, the one who would grow up to be the Minister of Magic, at least that's what everyone thought. He had every aspect of his life perfectly planned out down to the last detail, and oh how Molly loved her rule-abiding son, never a troublemaker.

Ron had a more difficult time making a name for himself. The youngest brother in the family and yet not quite the baby. However, his friendship with Harry Potter and their knack for getting themselves into trouble every year made Ronald Weasley a known name around Hogwarts.

Ginny was the only girl, which made her unique already. Not only that, but she was fantastic at Quidditch, had the heart of a true Gryffindor Lion, and was overall a kind, vivacious, adventurous soul.

Each Weasley had one thing that set them apart. Everyone, that is, except the duo that could never be separated.

Fred and George Weasley. Not Fred Weasley and George Weasley. Fred and George. As if they were one person, joined at the hip with the same ideas, the same personalities, and the same feelings. No matter how hard they tried when they were younger, everyone always came back to calling them Fred and George. Even their own mother often got them mixed up, and showed no care in doing so. As long as it was one of the twins she was alright

Once their years at Hogwarts started, the two boys decided to stop fighting the inevitable, and thus began their reign as “Fred and George Weasley, Prank Master Extraordinaires.” They were always together. They were both Quidditch beaters. They pulled some of the finest pranks Hogwarts had ever seen together. They sat next to each other in all of their classes and would sometimes switch seats or call each other the wrong name to see if anyone else would notice. They never did.

“Freddie, you coming?” you asked your boyfriend, jumping up onto his back. It was Hogsmeade weekend, which meant the tradition of you and your friends raiding Honeydukes, Zonkos, and finishing out at The Three Broomsticks was minutes away from happening once again. Fred laughed and spun around, quickly getting dizzy and pulling you both down into the Gryffindor couch.

You rolled on top of him and pulled his chin in for a quick kiss, limbs awkwardly tangled in each other as you shared a sweet moment with the ginger you’d been dating for the last 3 months.

“Ugh my eyes!” George stood behind the couch, hands covering his face in order to shield his view from the innocent scene in front of him.

“Oh shut up George,” you said. “You’re just jealous.”

Fred smirked at his slightly younger brother and pulled you down into a deeper kiss. “Yeah, jealous,” he mumbled against your lips, which resulted in George physically separating your faces with his hands.

“You two disgust me,” he scoffed. “Are you guys ready?”

Fred struggled against his brother’s hand for a second trying to recapture your lips once again, but he eventually gave up once you caved and pulled away.

“I’m all set, has everyone else already left?” The rest of your small friend group consisted of Lee Jordan, Angelina Johnson, and Alicia Spinnet, who you had been close with since your first year. The three boys would run off and pull horrendous pranks while you, Angelina, and Alicia would roll your eyes, secretly coming up with new ideas for jokes to pull on Filch.

George jumped over the couch and hoisted you up by your arms, his strength making you fly through the air for a few seconds before you landed shakily on the warm rugs decorating the floor.

“Yep,” replied your friend. “They said they’d meet us in the Courtyard and we can go from there. If I remember correctly it’s your turn to buy butterbeers.”

You groaned and threw your hands to your pocket, making sure you had the money. “I thought you would’ve forgotten about that.”

George wrapped his arm around your shoulder and gave you a brotherly squeeze. “Never, love. Let’s get going.”

Giggling, you walked in step with your best friend and wrapped an arm around his waist. You turned your head and put out your other arm, gesturing for Fred to come join you.

“C’mon, Fred, what’re you waiting for?”

Fred wasn’t waiting for anything. In fact, the longer he saw you interact with George, the less he wanted to spend the day watching it continue to happen. He didn’t look at you and instead just fiddled with his sweater, the one you had stolen from him so many times until he finally took it back to appreciate how it now smelled like you.

“I’m not feeling too well today, you guys can just go.”

You pouted and fully turned to face your boyfriend. “You were fine just a second ago, do you want me to stay with you?”

He could tell you were about to walk back over and crawl into his lap, but he really needed to be alone. “I’m ok love, just not feeling it today. Bring me back something from Honeydukes though, will ya?”

You gave him a small smile and nodded, wondering if there was anything else you could do to help.

“Don’t worry Y/N,” said George, “I can take care of you. We’ll have a blast!”

“I can take care of myself, Georgie,” you said. Fred winced at the nickname. “But I thank you kindly for the offer.” You bowed sarcastically and began to howl with laughter as George tickled your sides and threw you over his shoulder. “See you later Fred, don’t have too much fun without me!”

He looked up at the last second, only catching a glimpse of your face contorted with giggles as his twin carried you through the halls of the castle.

Fred sighed and got up from the couch, sulking as he made his way to his now empty dorm room. He lied down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, imagination and worries running wild. What were you and George doing right now? Was he still holding onto you, laughing as he clutched your perfect body in his arms? Fred’s jaw clenched, thinking about his brother holding you, kissing you like he did. Because what was the difference between him and his brother? Why would you care if it was George that was touching you instead of Fred. They were the same. To everyone in the world, they were just the mirror images of each other. Just a stupid, unoriginal reflection.

He felt a few hot tears well up, so he turned onto his side and curled up, letting sleep take over and wash his troubles away.

------------------------------

“Alright George, put me down, you’ve had your fun.” The Weasley boy pretended to drop you, only making you clutch his shoulder harder.

“Oh I see,” George said smirking, “now you don’t want me to put you down, huh?”

“Sod off, loser.” You wiggled out of his loosening grasp and elbowed his side. George had decided to carry you not only out of Hogwarts, but also almost the entire way to Hogsmeade itself. An act quite impressive, but the beater was known for his renowned upper body strength.

Angelina came up and grabbed your arm, slowing you down so you would fall away from the rest of the group. “Not trying to steal my love, are you Y/N?” she asked, trying to glare at you but breaking quickly and smiling in the end.

“I don’t know Angie,” you teased, “if you don’t make a move soon maybe I’ll have to take both twins. Paris does sound very nice this time of year.”

She rolled her eyes and gave you a soft shove. “The annoying part is that you could probably pull both of them too. I see the way George looks at you.”

Your best friend, usually so confident and collected, was now very shy and insecure about her love for the younger of the Weasley twins. You and George had no feelings for each other. Both of you knew that and she of course knew that. But sometimes dumb thoughts plagued people’s minds.

“Angie, wanna know a secret?” you asked.

She looked up and nodded slowly.

“The reason George and I’ve been hanging out recently is because he keeps asking me about you. ‘What’s Angie’s favorite food?’ ‘What does she like to do when she’s not kicking ass on the Quidditch pitch?’ blah blah blah.”

Angelina laughed at your horrible impersonation of George’s voice. “You know he’s like a brother to me. I mean, if things between me and Fred keep going how they are then maybe one day he’ll be my actual brother.”

She nodded gratefully and sighed a breath of relief. “I know, I know. It’s just a little weird for me that you two are so close. I feel like I’m third wheeling whenever you guys are there, and you aren’t even the ones dating!”

“That’s just how George is. He’s so sweet, so he’s always there to cheer me up. But you have to trust me, there is not and will not ever be something between me and him. No offence to George, but that’s gross.”

“You’re dating his twin brother! How is that gross?”

“You of all people know that they’re not the same. I prefer my men cocky, arrogant, and pretty,” you quipped, calling Fred out.

“And I prefer mine sweet, compassionate, and handsome, but it looks like George has got a long way to go before he can earn that title.”

Angelina was referring to the scene in front of you, where the man in question was currently shoving Lee’s face into the snow-covered ground.

“Maybe we both need better taste in men,” you said, running with Angelina to tackle George and save your dear friend.

------------------------------

It was 2 weeks later, and Fred was once again missing out on a trip to Hogsmeade. Gryffindor had just played Slytherin in the game of the year, a close match that had the entire school screaming and on the edge of their seats.

“And there Malfoy and Potter go, racing into the sky with their eyes on the snitch,” Lee Jordan shouted into the microphone. “The current score is Gryffindor with 130 points and Slytherin with 110. It all comes down to who can catch this flying bugger.”

A loud crack resounded across the pitch as George sent a bludger straight toward Malfoy, hitting his broom and almost knocking him off.

“Amazing hit by Number 6, beater George Weasley. This could be the end of the game folks, this could be it. Oh! Malfoy’s back on his broom and racing to catch up to Potter. Weasley gave the young Gryffindor seeker a great head start, and it looks like he might have it!”

“Fred!” Angelina cried. Fred looked to where she was gesturing and saw the bludger coming straight toward him. This was his shot. He had a clear path to hit Malfoy, securing the win for Gryffindor.

You were in the crowd, screaming at the top of your lungs. He didn’t want to disappoint you, or the team, or his house. He didn’t want to disappoint people anymore.

“Number 5 Fred Weasley winds up to hit a bludger, he’s got a clean shot toward Malfoy! If he can get this hit it’s game over and victory for Gryffindor!”

With all of his strength he sent the bludger flying, but apparently his aim hadn’t improved with the extra practice he had been doing.

Lee continued to comment on the disaster that was about to happen. “One strong hit to the bludger, but it looks like it’s going in the wrong direction. Oh no! Instead of hitting Malfoy the bludger just hit Potter, sending him and his broom spiraling out of control! Malfoy has taken this opportunity to catch up to the snitch and...and...he’s got it. Malfoy catches the snitch, making the final score 260 for Slytherin to 130 for Gryffindor. A well played match by everyone.”

Except it wasn’t a well played match for Fred. He had let everyone down, again. He was used to it from his parents and older siblings, even most of his teachers. But he had never let down his house before. He had never let down his team.

Fred locked himself away in his room, refusing to talk to anyone. He pulled off his Quidditch robes and shirt and stared at his reflection in the wall length mirror hanging in his dorm room.

He stared at his body, something many girls would comment on and swoon over. He was Fred Weasley, star Quidditch player and resident hottie at Hogwarts. Except he wasn’t anymore.

The definition of his abs weren’t strong enough. He was gaining too much fat, eating too much food. He wasn’t working out enough, that was it. If he would've worked out more then he would’ve made the shot during the game.

Fred wasn’t as ripped as George, he knew that for a fact. Living in the same room for their entire lives, Fred knew how strong his brother was, how defined his biceps were and how he could lift you with absolutely no problem. Fred knew that George was the better beater. It was just statistics. He made the most hits, had the best aim, and won the team the most points.

The only thing Fred was better at was making jokes, but he knew no one liked them. His friends must’ve laughed out of pity. There was no way anyone could not find him annoying, especially with how cocky and overconfident he came across. They just tolerated him because of George. You just loved him because you saw him as another George. You should be with George.

Fred stared into the reflection of himself in the mirror, the one that looked equal parts like him and his twin brother. He groaned as he bent down to the floor, quickly starting another repetition of countless pushups until he would pass out from exhaustion.

------------------------------

Fred had stuck to his cycle. Wake up, eat (but not much), go on a run across the castle grounds, go to class, work out for 2 hours, eat dinner (but once again, not much), work out again and then pass out from working so hard. Any time he had outside of class was spent on the Quidditch pitch or locked away in his dorm, overworking his body and secretly comparing it to his brother’s. No matter what he did, he never caught up. He was still the more annoying, weaker, less attractive reflection of his twin.

“There’s something wrong with him,” George said to you, walking to the courtyard for one of your breaks. “He’s been so off lately and I can’t figure out why.”

“You’re telling me!” You had noticed Fred’s changes in behavior and tried to talk to him about it. He had become quieter and less outgoing, usually choosing to be alone and do God knows what while you went off with your friends. In fact, the two of you hadn’t had an evening to yourselves in over a month. Not ever seeing your boyfriend was beginning to take a toll on you too.

“I’ve tried talking to him and asking if anything’s wrong, but he always blows me off,” you complained. “He just seems so sad and miserable, and the worst part is, I have no idea why!”

George just shook his head. “Me neither. He’s my bloody twin brother and we never even talk anymore. He’s always on his broom or locked himself in our room. Doesn’t ever let me in, so I don’t know what’s going on back there.”

Thoughts began to race through your head. “Do you,” you gulped. “Do you think he’s hiding something from us? Or...or someone?”

“Oh Godric no,” George said suddenly, wrapping you up in a hug. “Fred would never cheat on you darling, he loves you too much for that. He would go on and on about how bloody beautiful you are and how you’re the perfect person for him and it took everything I had not to strangle the git sometimes cuz he would never let me sleep.”

You squeezed him back tighter. “When...when did he say these things?”

George paused for a few seconds. “A little over a month ago. I...I haven’t really heard him talk much recently…”

You broke down sobbing in your friend’s arms, lowering yourself onto a bench and turning to cry into his chest.

“Shh, shh darling, it’s not your fault. I’m sure this is a misunderstanding. Freddie loves you so much, he would never hurt you, ever.” He grabbed your chin so you were looking up at him. “Do you understand me?”

You nodded, eyes red and puffy before going back to his chest to cry. You spoke to him through broken sobs. “I...I’m gonna talk to him tonight. I need to f-find out what’s...wrong.”

George stroked your hair soothingly and rubbed your back. “Sounds like a plan, love. You’ve got this.”

You thanked him and continued to cry until you felt all of your sadness release. George helped you up and walked you to the bathroom to get your face cleaned up for the next class. Little did you or George know that Fred, from afar, had just witnessed the entire scene.

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In his usual place as of late, Fred was curled up on his bed, unable to move from the intensity he had just put his body through. He tried to shift to get into a more comfortable position but it only made him groan and his stomach growl.

His arms, which were supposed to be getting stronger, were weak from malnutrition. He wasn’t even strong enough to sit up and do his Potions homework, which only made him feel worse about himself.

All his life it had been Fred and George. It didn’t matter that his name was first, because there was always George to follow. They were the same person, and yet he still felt inferior to his brother. No matter what he did, how hard he worked, George was always going to be better. He was the stronger twin, the kinder one, the more compassionate one who knows when a prank has gone too far. He was everything that you deserve, and everything Fred wished he could be.

Fred was startled by a knock on the door. “Freddie,” your muffled voice called through. He stayed quiet, hoping you would leave and look for him somewhere else, or better yet give up on him altogether. He couldn’t stand to look at you at the moment.

“Freddie I’m coming in.” Before he could do anything you had cast alohomora and were standing next to his bed.

Fred turned his head away from you, trying not to let you see how red his face was from crying. He pulled the covers up over his face, blatantly ignoring you.

“We need to talk.” You sat down next to him and ripped the blanket off, revealing a mostly naked Fred aside from his pair of boxers. You grabbed his shoulders to roll him over to face you, but you jumped back as he let out a pained groan.

“Get out, Y/N. I don’t want to talk to you right now.”

You huffed and crossed your arms over your chest. “You haven’t wanted to talk for the past month and I’m tired of it. I know there’s something wrong, and it’s killing me to see you like this. Please, Fred, you need to tell me what’s happening.”

The boy rolled his eyes and slowly moved to face you. “Why?” he asked. “So you can run off to George and have him comfort you? Why don’t you just save us both the trouble and go be with him.”

You were shocked by his words. Fred had never been the jealous type. Whenever you would talk casually with your exes or other boys would flirt with you, Fred was understanding and calm, always saying that you were his and he knew he didn’t have to worry about anything. But now for some reason he was seething with jealousy, and over his brother no less. It didn’t make any sense.

“What in the world are you talking about?” you asked indignantly. “You know that George is just my friend, my best friend. He’s in love with Angelina and I’m in love with you.”

Fred scoffed. “Yeah, alright then. What did you and Angelina do, draw straws and decide who gets who? It’s not like it would matter, as long as you got one of the twins.”

You sat down on the bed, fuming with anger. “Where is this coming from? You know I love you. I don’t love George, at least not more than a friend or a brother. I don’t love anyone else and I don’t want to be with anyone else, just you.”

Your hand traveled to his shoulder but he jerked up so that he was inches away from you. “Don’t lie to me. You’re just like everyone else. You got one of the twins, and then you realized that you got the worse one, so off you are to go seduce George, because he’s just my reflection but better. I know exactly how you think you worthless bitch!”

Both of you went silent. Fred had never spoken those things to you before. Never once had he raised his voice in anger, and he had never even thought about calling you a bitch or anything of the sort.

You brought your hand back to slap him, but you hesitated when he just gave up and sighed, awaiting the hit and not even trying to do anything about it. He was weak and exhausted and had completely given up on everything.

Lowering your hand, you moved it to caress his cheek. He leaned into the touch, letting small tears fall from his eyes and drop onto your fingers. You pulled him into your shoulder slowly, where he sniffled and cuddled up next to you.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N,” he said quietly. “I didn’t mean that. You’re perfect.”

After a few seconds you finally spoke up. “I love you so much. You cheer me up when I’ve had a bad day with your jokes.” Fred hummed into your shoulder. “You’re always helping me relax when things get too stressful, and you take me on the best adventures I could ever imagine.” He turned his head to meet your eyes. “You and George, while you might look the same, are completely different. I could never love him the way I love you, because he’s not you. He’s sweet, compassionate Georgie, and you’re fierce, loyal, loving, optimistic, beautiful Freddie.”

Fred nuzzled into your shoulder and pulled you down so you were both laying down on his bed. He mumbled something that you couldn’t make out.

“What was that love?”

“Do you really think I’m beautiful?” He spoke so shyly, pieces of his insecurities finally becoming apparent.

You held his face in your hands and stared into his mesmerizing brown eyes. “I think you’re beautiful, gorgeous, handsome, pretty, and absolutely perfect the way you are.” You ran your hands down his toned abs, starting to understand what he had been doing those many hours each day. “No matter how much muscle you have or how big or small you are, I’ll always love you. You look perfect to me.”

To show Fred exactly how you felt you kissed him all over his body, starting at his neck and moving to his chest all the way down to his thighs and calves. “Just because you’re a guy doesn’t mean you have to be super buff and toned. All bodies are beautiful, and that goes for men too. And you are the most beautiful of them all.”

Fred squeezed you tight, mentally hitting himself for not talking to you earlier. You loved him and he knew that. You didn’t love George and you didn’t love him because he was one of the Weasley twins. You loved him because he was simply Fred. Fred Weasley.

You shifted out of his hold and started to leave the room. “Where are you going love, please stay,” he asked, giving you his biggest puppy dog eyes.

“I’m gonna sneak into the kitchens and get you some food. You need to eat, Freddie. I’ve seen you skip meals and it’s not healthy.” He nodded reluctantly, still self conscious about the weight he thought he gained.

“Speaking of not being healthy, I think you should slow down with the workouts. There’s nothing wrong with getting a better body, but you’re destroying yourself in the process. Can you take a break for a few days and rest up before reevaluating your workouts?”

It took Fred a second to think over. He still wanted a body like his brother’s, but you were right. He wouldn’t get it from not eating and constantly hurting himself. “Yeah, alright.”

“I think there’s leftover ham and potatoes from dinner, does that sound good?” Fred agreed, cozying himself back up under the covers.

“Perfect,” you said. “I’ll get food and we can eat and catch up, and maybe read that book I was telling you about? You said you wanted to read it with me.”

“Sounds perfect, love. Thank you so much.”

You nodded and walked out the door, closing it softly. Fred looked around the room he had spent so much time in recently until his eyes landed on the mirror hanging on his wall. With what was left of his strength he got up and stood in front of it.

It wasn’t going to be easy. He had so many deep seated insecurities that he would need to work out, and it would take time. But for the first time in a while, Fred could finally look at his reflection and smile.

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