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thisblogisaboutabook · 3 months

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Bad Idea, Right? - Part 4

Eris x Reader/Azriel’s Daughter

Azalea is back at it again with the snooping. Azriel being a dad. Rhys being Rhys. Reader and Eris are hot.

Part 2 Part 3 Part 5

Warnings: Smut, Language, 18+ MDNI

They say it’s the quiet ones you have to watch out for. While I get the sentiment, I’m inclined to disagree. Quiet is fine - good, even. I like quiet. It’s the quiet ones with an adorable face and a big fuckin’ mouth that are the problem.

The tall red haired male walked out of Uncle Rhysie’s office and in a quiet voice threatened him, “If the Shadowsinger or his daughter are made aware, I have every right to retaliate accordingly.”

The two males strode down the corridor too quickly to notice the tiny, sneaky feet taking off down toward the opposite end - back toward the crowd.

“Daddy!” Azalea yelled breaking Azriel out of his brooding long enough to swoop his youngest daughter off her feet. “What is it, sweetheart?”

“That guy that was with sissy! He threatened Uncle Rhys!”

“Where is he baby? Do you know?” Pointing her little index finger she gasped, still catching her breath from running down the long corridors, “down that hallway!”

Azriel’s shadows immediately shot out down the hallway breaking off from eachother to search down any corridors they may have gone down after leaving the study, finding Rhys in under a minute. Azriel appeared at his side only a moment later. “Where is he?” the spymaster growled. “I’m going to kill him.”

Rhys put a hand on his brothers shoulder. “You’ll do no such thing.”

“This isn’t time for your diplomatic bullshit, Rhys.” Azriel’s voice a low, dangerous tone. “He’s assaulted my daughter and threatened my High Lord. I have every right to retaliate accordingly.”

Rhys only shook his head, unphased by his brother’s rage. “No, Azriel. I know it’s a less than desirable situation, as a father, your brother, and Y/N’s uncle, I understand your rage. Especially given the unsavory history between Eris and our family.” The High Lord shrugged, loosing a breath and shaking his head. A rare break in his unruffled stature, a drop of his guard that only those closest to him would ever see. “But - your daughter is a consenting adult and a willing participant in this…dynamic between the two.”

Azriel started but couldn’t form words before he continued. “I’m not sure why Azalea thought Eris threatened me but I assume she overheard the words between Eris and I once we stepped past the wards on the study where we discussed the terms of a bargain.”

“What. Bargain?” Azriel ground out.

“The details of the bargain are between Eris and I but I assure you that your daughter has not been assaulted and I am not in any danger.”

Azriel gaped, quickly regaining his composure before rebutting. “How are you so sure? He’s a snake, Rhys. His word means nothing. His sense of loyalty only lay in self-preservation. He’d tell you anything to save his ass.”

“Eris,” His brother replied - taking on the grating tone of a High Lord. The tone that only came out when he was about to pull rank. “Has been a valuable ally in recent decades and has given us no reason to distrust him during that time. I’m not about to put our court at the risk of conflict with the Autumn Court and severing all diplomatic ties over who he’s sleeping with, Y/N included.”

“So my daughter is just a pawn in your political game?”

The ground rumbled as the strike hit its mark. “I remind you that she is still my niece, my niece who I love dearly. You would be wise to remember that I am still your High Lord and to consider your next words carefully as it seems you are implying I’m not capable of making sound decisions for my court.”

“There is no question regarding your court decisions, Rhysand. But what about our family? She is my DAUGHTER and I will protect her by whatever means necessary. Once again, I ask, how do you know Eris is not just covering his ass?”

“I will speak no further on this other than telling you that Eris has repeatedly gained her verbal consent - I was allowed into his mind to hear it for myself.”

Azriel stilled. Words once again failing him. Rhys felt guilty for putting his brother through this. Truly, he understood his upset. Azriel’s daughters meant everything to him, the gods knew he and Elain had been through hel and back in bringing them into this world - praying to the mother and any other gods that would listen for the chance to be parents.

In Azriel’s eyes, Y/N would always be the little girl who used to sneak out of bed late at night, climbing into his lap and begging for him to sing to her and her own restless shadows. He cherished the countless nights she’d fall asleep on his lap while he went over reports in his study, humming tunes that his own mother sang to him during what little time they had together during his childhood.

Perhaps the instinct to protect his girls from the ugliness of the world he’d grown up in clouded his vision, perhaps he was being overprotective, but he couldn’t let it go. This was the male who left Morrigan behind to bleed and suffer alone after being discarded like waste by her hateful family.

Sure, Eris and Mor had worked things out after finally having a one-on-one conversation fifteen years ago. And sure, maybe the reasoning behind it was logical and his side made him less of a bastard than initially thought, but…. He was still the male who had been engaged to Mor five damned centuries ago, and now he’s sleeping with-

The thought made Azriel’s gut churn as he finally broke from his contemplative silence, voice cracking to the point that his brother truly pitied him and the situation at hand. “She’s only twenty-five years old, Rhys….”

Rhys sighed, his voice softening into a more empathetic tone. “I know, Az. But she’s older than Feyre or Elain were when we pursued them, the same age Nesta was when her and Cassian- What I mean is that they were all perfectly capable of making the choice for themselves. Do you think they regret it?”

The rhetorical question lingered in the air before Rhys continued. None of the Archeron’s regretted their decisions. Cauldron knows that Azriel still couldn’t fathom why Elain chose to love him through even the good times let alone the worst of them. Her patience a soothing balm to his melancholy. He’d never stop being grateful for Elain, his daughters, the joy they could spark within the darkened depths of his soul.

“You are a great father, Az.” Rhys spoke gently. “Some of the hardest moments of parenting involve letting go. Freeing our children to live and learn from their own decisions. We’ve always believed in giving a choice, haven’t we? Shouldn’t that extend to the ones the Mother herself blessed us with to guide and nurture? Y/N has flourished into a headstrong, brilliant, take-no-shit female. You can trust her to care for herself.”

Rhysand’s reasoning seemed to placate Azriel, if only momentarily, though the agitation of his shadows betrayed the neutral expression on his face. “I trust her, Rhys. It’s Eris that I cannot bring myself to trust. What happens when he breaks her heart?”

“You’ve got wings, brother. If he breaks her heart and everything comes crashing down, you’ll be there to catch her.”

Azriel let out a contemplative sigh.

“I’ll always catch her.”

His brother’s hand reached out, resting on his shoulder with a firm yet reassuring grip. The newly formed tattoo from his bargain peeking out from under his collar.

“So, you’re really not going to tell me about this bargain?”

Rhys gave a half smile, shaking his head. “Sorry, brother. Even the greatest spymaster in Prythian’s history won’t pry it from me.”

“We’ll see.” Azriel murmured, the tiniest bit of humor lacing his words. “Well, I better get back to Elain and Azalea. If Elain needed a drink after the incident on the balcony, she’ll certainly need one after leaving her alone to endure Azzy’s incessant questioning on ‘sissy and the fire guy’.”

“Future Spymaster” Rhys mused.

“Ugh.” Azriel groaned, roughly running a palm over his forehead, threading scarred fingers through his raven-black hair. “Don’t give her any ideas.”

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“Fuck! Eris! Right there. Please, oh gods - please!”

With legs thrown back and my calves on either side of my head, Eris was fucking relentless.

“I like seeing you this desperate.” he cooed, rutting into me with a particularly hard thrust.

He’d edged me for an hour - an hour that felt like eternity - the sweet promise of oblivion so close to my grasp just to be torn away over and over again.

“Eris, please.”

His lips pressed softly against my temple, a stark contrast to his rough, punishing thrusts. “I know, baby. I know.” His heated whisper caressing the shell of my ear, shooting chills through me.

“So proud of you. Taking me so- Fuck!” He ground out through gritted teeth. My inner walls tightening around him in warning of another impending climax - a desperate plea for release. “You’re so. fucking. tight.”

Tears streaked my eyes from pleasure and the desperation for release. His pace becoming staggered as he loosed his reign on the punishing rhythm he’d set. His groans a fucking melody to my ears, a symphony of worship dedicated solely to me and for only my ears.

His thumb found my clit, hitting that perfect rhythm he’d memorized so well. I’d fall over the edge in no time if he’d allow it. “Cum with me, pretty girl.”

My eyes rolled back into my head at the command.

Fucking finally.

A little added pressure from his thumb and a whispered praise later - I was an incoherent mess of moans beneath him. The sounds of my climax and his groans filled the room, his cock twitching in a battle of dominance against the clenching of my inner walls, his release filling me so completely that I never wanted emptied of him.

We laid in reverent silence with his head buried in the crook of my neck, our chests heaving in a come down of the euphoria that had just torn through us.

Eris finally broke the silence, amber eyes meeting mine. “You are- that was.. Fuck- incredible.”

A smile quirked the edges of my lips, “It was.”

I paused, taking in the gorgeous male above me before gripping his ass and digging my nails in.

“Never fucking edge me like that again.”

Eris only chuckled darkly in response.

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Eris

An internal war raged within Eris. The gentle rise and fall of Y/N’s chest only interrupted by the occasional snore, which she insisted she NEVER does, clued him in to the fact that she was deeply asleep. Even her shadows had settled in without stirring.

When she’d first spent the night with him two years ago, she never slept like this. Her rest was light and fitful, shadows on alert.

Around a year in, her shadows began settling themselves in at night, and six months ago he heard the first little snore fall from her lips. He chuckled to himself before his heart filled with contentment at the fact that she felt safe enough in his arms to let her armor fall.

An intrinsic part of him wanted to remind her to always be on alert. For fucks sake, she was the beloved niece of a High Lord, the daughter of the infamous Spymaster of the Night Court, and a coveted Shadowsinger herself. Throwing Eris into the picture only complicated things for her more. If the wrong people laid their hands on her - fuck, he couldn’t even think of it without the heat beneath his skin turning boiling.

Yet - he knew she was capable, raised surrounded by warriors in every sense of the word, some of the most powerful beings in Prythian’s history, who knew damned well that there would always be a target on their back. He was well aware from his own upbringing to always keep his guard up and to never be quick to trust. Hell, his own father didn’t even love him.

Throw in the fact that she was raised by a loving family - the emphasis on protecting herself would have been immense, exhausting in its own right.

For now, he’d quietly revel in this gift of trust she’d subconsciously given him. The fire coursing through him now settling into that of contentment, radiating from him into her. She didn’t need another reminder of the dangers of her very existence. For now, he could give her the gift of comfort and peace in return for her trust.

She’d effectively ruined all other females for him, whether she knew it or not. Hell, there had been no other females in these two years. When she looked at him she saw him as Eris and not the High Lord of cunning whose mask he wore - just as he saw her as Y/N, not merely a descendant of a family with an infinite number of ways to kill him if he broke her heart. Not to mention the ways she could brutally end someone who hurt her if she so pleased.

No, in the confines of this room they were Eris and Y/N, and only that. He couldn’t help but press a kiss of adoration to her shoulder at the thought. The love coursing through him for the female in his arms a thing of secret, lovely beauty that he’d keep to himself for a while longer.

—————————-

Y/N

I’d managed to sneak home unnoticed the following night - thoroughly sated after Eris insisted he make up for each orgasm he’d denied me the previous evening. Fortunately, nobody noticed my arrival home yet, effectively avoiding any awkward conversation that I was not yet ready to face.

Of course, I should’ve known that someone would realize I’d made it home.

Quietly sneaking in my door Azalea came into my room.

“What are you doing up, Azzy?” I asked.

“I missed you sissy. Daddy said you were with Nyx.”

“I was, we went out with Adish and I stayed at his apartment afterward.”

She sniffed the air, crinkling her nose. “You don’t smell like you were with Nyx.”

“You sure put the nose in nose-y” I laughed.

“Daddy was mad last night. He doesn’t like the fire guy.”

Sighing at my little sister’s pertinence I replied, “I know Azzie. Father doesn’t like any males that I…” choosing my next words carefully to avoid any further damning questions, I continued. “…spend time with.”

“Did he…. Um, fuck you?”

“Azzy!!! You can’t ask people that and that’s not nice to say. How do you even know what that means?”

She looked down at her feet, brows furrowed.

“I overheard Mommy and Daddy talking late last night and dad said he wanted to kill Eris for fu- um, doing that to you.”

She paused. “What does that mean anyway?”

Good gods. My little sister. “Azalea, you’ve got to stop snooping on everyone.” I paused, once again choosing my words carefully. “It just means that we spend time together without being around other people.”

“Oh! Like Nyx and Tamlin’s daughter.”

I put my face in my hands. “I don’t even want to know how you know that - but please keep it to yourself. That’s nobody’s business but Nyx and Layla’s. Okay?”

Azalea paused, considering. “Fine…”

“Make a bargain with me that you won’t tell.”

“Daddy said we can’t make bargains anymore because the tattoos hurt.”

“Shit, fine. I forgot. Pinky promise then?”

Azalea smiled. “I pinky promise. Can I sleep in your room tonight?”

“Yeah, sissy. You can.”

We lay there in silence for a few minutes before Azalea said, “Did you know that the fire guy and Uncle Rhys made a bargain?”

“Eris, Azzie. His name is Eris. Yeah. I saw his tattoo. He said it was just about something political.” I stuck my tongue out for emphasis. “Boring High Lord stuff.”

“Is that why he told Uncle Rhys that if he told you or daddy that he would re-um, retaliate?”

My heart jolted at that. Anger rising in me to the point of nausea.

What. The. Fuck.

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s get some sleep.”

I did not sleep that night.

————————————————————————

A/n: Thank you to everyone who has been reading this series! I have been having fun with it and the comments you all leave have been very entertaining. This will not be the last part - I’m on the fence of how long I’d like for it to be. Do you all prefer longer or shorter series fics?

Also, I chose Elriel as the parents in this series because the Aunts and Uncles dynamic fit better with the storyline. Low key, I also wonder if Gwyn could be related to the Vanserras and that would be… awkward. I will not take a stance on Elriel vs. Gwynriel because both are lovely females deserving of happiness, whether that happiness lay with Azriel or not, I don’t care. I just want everyone to be happy, ok??? Don’t yell at me. Ok, love you all. Xoxo

Tags: @b0xerdancer @myheartfollower @ang-taylorsversion @acotarobsessed @uniquecolorwizard

#sarah j maas #acotar #a court of thorns and roses #azriel #a court of silver flames #a court of frost and starlight #a court of mist and fury #a court of wings and ruin #azriel shadowsinger #eris x oc #eris x reader #eris vanserra #acotar smut #daddy!azriel #daddy!eris #two totally different definitions of daddy #elain archeron #rhysand #azriels daughter

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p-antomime · 2 years

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Good Hands.

𖦹 minors don’t interact. ┊ wc: 1,4K.

𖦹 content: soft dom!ran, unprotected sex, breeding!kink, hints of dumbification, edging, manhandle, mating press, age gap.

𖦹 pairings: [older] bf!haitani ran x [younger] gf!fem!reader.

ᥫ᭡. request. ┊ taglist! ┊ tokyo rev. masterlist!

The phone rang once. Twice. Thrice. Your hand reached for the bedside table the first time, his hand pulled yours away from it, he wanted your full attention on him. The second time, you tried to catch the breath and do the same action as before, your boyfriend grunted in response, holding you still, almost pinned by the waist, against the soft mattress of the bed in his house. The third and final time, a gasping "Please" came from yours lips, he leaned over to pick up the phone and stare at the glowing screen before opening a cocky smile and rolling his eyes before speaking:

"It's your mom, Mama's lil' girl," his voice remained calm as the phone was delivered into your hands and his other fingers, deep inside you, increased the speed just so Ran could see you get teary eyed as your tried to control your own reactions.

You already knew what the subject matter was in that call, especially since, when you left home warning that you might be spending the night at Ran's house, the first thing your mother did was try to come up with excuses and obstacles to make you stay home as if she was protecting you from a world you already knew, liked, enjoyed and desired.

It was obvious that she and your father were not the biggest fans of Haitani Ran, and deep down he understood very well why that was that way and agreed that your parents were just trying to make you not waste a part of your life that you might regret later — although, Ran didn't consider himself a waste of time or a mistake for you. The main problem was the age issue, he was older and gave you a sense of security and warmth that even the most mature guy your age couldn't get in a million years, and you were willing to pick as many fights as necessary with your parents to stay by his side, being his cute little girlfriend that he always presented with a wide smile and a proud hand showing off the pair of rings he bought in the first months of official dating.

Ran understood where yours parents' concern was coming from, he understood even too well, but they needed to face it: Haitani Ran is not that bad. Not now, not after going through his entire youth being a delinquent for Tenjiku and Kantou Manji and Rokuhara. In fact, he had even stopped actively engaging in some other personal works with Rindou as soon as he started dating you just to try to fit into his father's "perfect, starched guy" box.

"Yes? Hello? Mom?", you asked irritably trying to balance the cell phone between your sweaty fingers as Ran left wet kisses all over your back and tried not to make the bed sheets rustle too much, "Huh? I'm at–," his fingers curved inside your pussy and you bit the bottom lip, only speaking again when you were sure you weren't going to moan into the sound pickup of the phone, "At Ran's place, his house, yes, now, I'm with him!"

Ran leaned in to rest the chest against your back and rest his face against your other shoulder, his breath beating over your neck and causing a shiver to run down your back and your walls to clench even tighter around his fingers, the adrenaline beginning to dilate his veins the same way it did when he and Rindou were in the middle of a gang war.

"Tell her your boyfriend is treating you so well," you heard him whisper anda at the same time, felt his fingers increase the rhythm, the wet noises between your legs inevitably becoming more present and your head getting more and more dizzy, "How I am stretching you out so nice, she should know you are in good hands."

You whispered a "Stop" to him and your mom thought it was up to her and you mentally cursed. The situation was thin ice and your boyfriend would rather get in the way than help.

"W-What? With... him? With Ran?", you looked at him and he understood that your mother wanted to talk to him.

However, your phone was not picked up by him until he took fingers out of your pussy, sucked them calmly watching you almost despair with the call still active and manhandled your body to leave you lying facing him, with legs pressed against your breasts in a typical mating press and his dick rubbing between your wet, sensitive folds and a deep breath coming out of you as soon as he took control of the situation and placed the phone against his ear.

"Yeah, Miss? Ran talking here right now, you need anything?", he looked at you with a sideways smile playing on his lips and, with his other hand holding your waist, directed his cock to be flush with your entrance, ready to slide inside, "Yes, I am with her right now, she's kinda busy, but ‘m not, 'course we can talk, Miss."

On the other end of the line, your mother was complaining to Ran that she wanted you home by 10:00 at night. He looked at the wall clock; it was already 11:30, almost midnight. And, truth be told, Rindou's older brother only heard the beginning of her complaint, the seconds later he was busy biting his lip hard and pounding deep inside you, his long cock kissing your soft cervix and making your walls stretch almost to their limit to take him.

For you, it was the last straw, Ran had been edging you all night, always taking you to the edge of cumming, and it was exactly what you needed to cum with eyes rolling up and fingers digging into the bed sheets desperately, your pussy clenching around him and squirting completely over his shaft and making the mess of bodies in his bedroom even bigger.

You didn't see it, but there was a smug, proud smile on his lips and he had to press the phone against his ear to concentrate back on the woman on the other end of the line.

"10PM, you say? Oh, it's already so late, I don't think I could–", he thrusted hard into you, the headboard slamming against the wall and one hand forcing your legs to remain propped against your bust, "Sorry, y'know how loud my neighboors are with those parties, right? And, Miss, I don't think I could let your pretty daughter go back to your home at this time, it's so late, isn't it? Besides this–", Ran began slowly slamming inside you, "She's in such good hands, trust me, I even have some clothes of hers here, in my house, so we may have no problems ‘n–"

This time, your mom gave the cell phone to your dad and Ran rolled his eyes ready to listen to him ranting that he wanted you two to break up, after all, where have you ever seen a guy as old as Rindou's brother fall in love with a girl as straight, as young as you? Unacceptable!

But, the call didn't last. Your boyfriend hung up and threw the phone down on the armchair next to the bed before he put both hands on your thighs and really began to move fast and hard inside you; your moans finally being able to be released and the sound of skin hitting skin reverberating throughout the room.

Now it wasn't just casual sex, just sex as you normally did. Ran was now in charge of fucking the worries out of you, it was his job to make you relaxed and not let your pretty little head worry – and he was great at it.

"Can you feel me throbbing inside you, princess?", he asked rhetorically, and you tried to groan out a positive response that made him open a little smile sideways; in the end, you were always going to be his favorite drooling, murmuring mess, "'Course you can, you can feel everything just like always, right? You're always so sensitive."

Ran, after stroking a little more, realized how close he himself was, the veins around his cock foreshadowing an ever closer climax.

"I wonder if you're goin’ to be more sensitive when I fuck a baby into you, are you goin' to, princess?", you couldn't answer anymore, anything that came out of your mouth was just a mess of words and whimpers, "We can't know if I don't breed you, can we? So sad, I think I'll need to fill you up real good, wasting no drop, so we can find it out, huh?"

If your parents were already pissed that you were dating an older guy, Haitani Ran could give them a good reason to be.

ㅤ🏷 tagging: @festive @wakaslut @strawberrysanzu @bontensucker @manjiroscum @inu1gf @keisaint @ranilingus @mizurimirai @sleepy3 @kuroaka @slut4manjiro @zuuki @qudvxnkanx @manjirosdoll @hirwishin @jjendeku @ushitoshiii @bontens-cum-slut @amaejiki @h-shibas @savagemickey03 @horny-inarizaki-stan @mrsvaleska @goldenmnr @semisgroupie @no-name-jack @t-oji @simpforerenn @tonaken @imsatansqueen @imkumichan @saenzu @histarean @medusalovessnakes @alureasoley @iwaizumisbicepss @jiminjamms @misss-chrisss @crackheadwithtoes @rinsie @winterv-black @scholarlogy @crown5 @bunnozi @jadeisthirsting @haitaniwhor3 @eungii @kazutoras-stuff @euryale16 .

#ran haitani smut #tokyo revengers smut #ran smut #haitani ran x reader #tokyo revengers x reader #tokyo rev smut #tokyo rev x reader #tokyo revengers ran #ran x reader #tokyorev x fem!reader #tokyo revengers x female reader #sub!reader #haitani ran smut #tr smut #tw.age gap #tw.breeding kink #tw.edging #tw.manhandling

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arabellasleopardcoat · 2 months

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Pyrite - Chapter 3: Tears have drowned you

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Daemon Targaryen x Reader

Chapter summary: Aemma's and Daemon's coins finally land. Reader is not pleased.

Chapter warnings: Anxiety.Violence. Nudity. Sexual remarks. Kidnapping/ witness protection (Daemon's version) Reader gets slapped a few times, discussions of abortion and death.

A/N: They finally met! I am so sorry if this chapter is off, I am going through a breakup.

“This is an interesting contraption.” The Prince says, examining the dry brush that you use on the Queen before her bath. It makes her skin smoother. You gape at him, setting down the bucket of water that you were carrying. You were not expecting him to seek you out.

Panic rises at your throat and threatens choking you. You were not expecting him to come after you. Not like this.

It had all seemed so clear when you had overheard it. You couldn't let an innocent baby die, so you had to send the note. But after you had done so, fear started to sink in.

Otto Hightower was not a man to be trifled with. He was smart and ruthless, alight with the sort of fire that prompted me to do anything necessary to be someone in life. It was a yearning not so dissimilar to your own. Maybe Ser Otto was not of common birth, but he was a second son. And all second sons spent their lives waiting, just like the commoner, to be noticed.

He would do anything to finally get the recognition and standing he felt he deserved, including disposing of unexpected obstacles. After all, if he was willing to kill a babe still in the womb, why not a serving girl?

Your nights were spent lying on your cot, with the blanket pulled up high enough to hide your face and hair. You felt safer that way. The blanket wrapped tight around your body allowed you to feel any shifts on the bed, preventing anyone from sitting or leaning on your bed as you slept without you being alerted of it. Hiding under it had a less practical motive. Like a child, you just felt better that way.

Never before had you thought so much about your own death. When you were younger, and first became aware of death, you had realized it meant that you would die one day too. It was a scary thought, but it wasn't one that would make you freeze in terror as it did now.

Would it hurt? Would he poison your food? Send a sellsword after you? You had been raised under the Faith of the Seven, but your belief in them was weak. You doubted the existence of the Seven Heavens or Seven Hells. Would it be like falling asleep? Perhaps it would hurt. And then nothing would come ever again. You would just cease to exist, to be.

You had worried so much about Otto Hightower that you had not thought of the other, more dangerous threat to your wellbeing. Prince Viserys' attack dog. Daemon Targaryen.

“I must say, I had not expected such a reaction.” Prince Daemon sets down the brush, smirking. “Have you never given a man a bath before?”

You wished you were wittier. That your tongue was as sharp and fast as his. But with fear clouding your senses, you could do little more than curtsy clumsily.

He knows. He knows. He knows. The words kept repeating on your mind, a constant litany of panic and urgency. Your heart was beating wildly inside his cage, so hard you felt it might break a few bones and jump out of your chest.

No one would protect you. Not even your mother, placed in an impossible position by her foolish daughter. Between her beloved Queen and the future King of Westeros, something would have to give. Because thanks to you, Prince Viserys' victory seemed more certain. Why else bring his brother, if not to deal with the threat?

They were supposed to be in the city to visit their father, the Lord Hand. You did not believe a word of that excuse. Never before had they visited Prince Baelor. The Lord Hand went to them, not the other way around.

Would anyone care if you were to disappear? You were so invisible, no one would miss you. You hadn't made many friends among the other servings girls. The Queen you served didn't notice you, nor did any of the other nobles. You only had your family.

“There must be a confusion.” You said, cautiously. You decided to keep your eyes fixed on the Prince's face. It was an unusual choice, you weren't supposed to gaze at nobles so directly. But you were not so foolish as to be in the same room as a predator and leave him unchecked. “I serve Queen Alyssane, my Prince. Only her. I am sure other…"

“I know.” He cut you off, before you could offer to find him another serving girl to help with his bath. You were desperate to get away from him, and it probably showed. "I complimented my grandmother's skin. She said the secret was your mother's baths."

That gave you pause. It made the fear recede a little. It was an odd question for a man, but Targaryens were known for their queer customs. Especially this one. It was perfectly plausible.

If they were trying to get information out of you, it would have been easier for Princess Aemma to call for you. After all, she could become your future lady, and probably was more interested in baths than Daemon Targaryen.

So. They didn't know, and Prince Daemon had a genuine interest in baths or he did know something, but not everything. If you played your cards right, you could still walk away unscathed.

“Then by all means, I shall fetch my mother!” You said, trying to gauge his reaction to your obvious attempt to get away.

The Prince's features shifted into a mask of pure rage before smoothing down into a strained smile. The change was so quick that if you had not been paying such close attention to his eyes, you would have missed the murderous glint in them, the way his smile showed way more teeth than necessary, how his fists clenched by his sides.

He knew. The Seven save you, Prince Daemon knew.

“I asked about that. She delegated the task to you.” He said, flatly. “Now hurry and help me undress.”

You stepped closer to him. Every instinct in your body was screaming at you not to. Your stomach dropped, the hairs of your arms stood up, you felt like you were about to throw up. But what other choice did you have?

The pact had not been meant for you to witness. You knew that. Foolishly, you had worried about Otto Hightower and Corlys Velaryon. You had thought about how they would find you, and how they would kill you.

The conspirators had been outside the Red Keep, so if they suspected a leak, they might go after the tavern's cashier or owner first. It was doubtful any of them recalled the other people in the shop with them that day. That was not how Prince Daemon must have found you. If it proved hard for the men present, for him it would have been impossible.

How could a man be aware of a conversation that had happened a month before, thousands of miles away? No. He hadn't found out that way, or he wouldn't need you. They would already know who was threatening them.

With shaky hands, you unbuttoned and took off his jerkin. Prince Daemon was slightly tanned, as a result of all the time he must spend outdoors. You had heard that since claiming his dragon, not a day passed without him riding the blood wyrm. You also knew, by the sword on his belt and the muscles in his back, that he must train quite a bit.

Your eyes must linger a second more than it is proper because Prince Daemon laughs.

“Never seen a naked man before?”

“No, my Prince.” You swallow, mouth a bit dry. You are unsure if it is because you are getting an eyeful of a handsome man, or because of how worried you are.

You shouldn't have sent that note. Oh, the note. That was what would truly doom you. Deciding to send it to Dragonstone had been a gamble. You thought sending it directly to where Princess Aemma was would be quicker than trying to convince the Lord Hand.

Time was of the essence, after all. Nobles often announced their pregnancies around the three or four moon mark, considering it was more unlikely for the babe to die after that date. If the Princess knew of her pregnancy, it meant she had not bled for over a moon. For the conspirators to find out, more time had to have passed. Mellos would have to act quickly to fit into the timeframe.

“Don't worry.” Prince Daemon stepped away from you, a salacious grin on his face. “I will make your first time good for you, too.”

And looking you directly in the eyes, he yanked his breeches down.

“What are you?” You asked, trying to save face. You pointedly did not look down. “One and ten?”

Daemon tutted.

“Mouthy little thing, aren't you?”

You paled. In truth, you had not really thought that through. You shouldn't have mouthed back to a Prince, regardless of what he was doing to you. Much less, if he knew what you had done.

You had not been so foolish as to sign the note, but it still had your handwriting. It could easily betray your identity, especially considering that the fact that the Princess was at Dragonstone was not common knowledge to every commoner.

Could they tell that? That you were a commoner, just for the way you wrote? It had worried you at the time, but you had not expected them to narrow it down enough to actually come after you.

“I apologize, my Prince.” You lowered your eyes, before coming right to face with his… You quickly looked up.

“I don't mind it. I like my girls with a bit of a bite.” He leered. “Much nicer to split them open on your cock when they are likely to yowl and hiss like cats in heat.”

Your cheeks burned. You fought the urge to fled the room.

“I am eight and ten, to answer your question.” Prince Daemon kept going, as if nothing had happened. “What of you?”

You mumbled your age, and kneeled, holding the brush.

“Good, aren't you eager?” He laughed. You ignored him and started to brush from his feet towards his chest. The roughness of the brush startled him, and you felt a sense of dark vindication. “Oh… That's…"

You didn't let him finish, starting to brush his calves from behind, roughly. So what if you were taking your frustrations on him? Near a moon had passed without news, and with you living in anguish.

No one had talked about Princess Aemma, not to announce a loss or a pregnancy. You went on with your duties, trying to pretend nothing was wrong. Your previously gorgeous hair started falling out in clumps, and no tincture from your mother's journal could fix it. You could not stop thinking of Princess Aemma.

She was in your thoughts when you brushed the Queen's hair. Would she wear the crown next? You thought of her every time you saw a pregnant woman. Did the babe survive? Would she be your lady? If she were, would you be able to swallow this secret, keep it down?

“Is this necessary?” Prince Daemon asked, with a wince, when your brush approached his rear. It was very shapely, so you rubbed harder to vanish the thought from your mind.

“It is part of the Queen's bath.” You mumbled, thinking of how as soon as you scrubbed him raw, you were placing him in the bath and running away.

You did not get to do that. Prince Daemon, instead of eight and ten, acted five. He asked for you to wash his hair and rub his back, and overall made a nuisance out of himself. Not once did he ask about the note or your thoughts on succession. Instead, he made inane chatter and poorly hidden innuendos.

When you finished bathing him, you were convinced he was the most hellish man you had ever met. But you were also convinced that he was harmless.

How wrong you were.

The first thing you became aware of was a pounding headache. Your scalp hurt, and when you tried lifting your hands to check on it, you realized that they were tied to something.

Your limbs felt numb. Panic threatened to drown you once more, but you fought the initial waves and forced yourself to be calm. This was what you had been waiting for. If you wanted to live, you had to play it smart.

You lifted your eyelids, barely enough for you to see through a blurred sliver. The world around you was tinted red, and your eyelashes felt stuck together. You could see your legs, extended on the floor. You were sitting somewhere.

Softly, you tugged at your restraints. Your arms were tied behind you, but around something solid. A tree trunk? A bedpost?

You could not remember what had happened or how you had gotten here. Under you, there was something soft. A rug. So this was inside somewhere. You opened your eyes a bit more, hoping to catch a glimpse of the world around you, but cautious to do so in case you were being watched.

“You are awake.” A woman’s voice said. Her hand, soft and dainty, grabbed your chin in a bruising grip. “Good.”

Princess Aemma was crouching in front of you, a look of pure rage in her eyes.

“You will tell me who dared hurt my child. Or else.”

You blinked, stupidly. She was not who you had been expecting. Freshly wounded and surprised, you clearly took a second too long to answer because Princess Aemma slapped you. Hard.

Your vision darkened. You let out a ragged pant. This was… Not ideal. You had no idea of what was going on, or how she had known. Was it wise to speak?

“Who was it? Who ordered it?”

You whimpered. Could Princess Aemma protect you from Otto Hightower? His reach could be further than you thought. But even if she could, it would be picking a side. With the succession issue still unsolved, it felt unwise to do so.

Aemma could be the future Queen, yes. But so could Princess Rhaenys. And she would not want you then, if she knew you had passed information along to her rivals.

What would you do, then? Where would you find employment? Being a handmaiden to Targaryen women was all you knew how to do. Horrible images of ending up cleaning toilets or, the Seven forbid, in a pleasure house crossed your mind.

And that was if Princess Aemma allowed you to live. Perhaps she would think you too much of a burden or a part of the plot to hurt her, and just… Dispose of you. She had enough gold to hire an assassin or acquire poison, if she didn't do it with her bare hands. By the look in Aemma's face, she was very close to becoming a murderer.

You shook your head, near tears.

“Tell me.” Aemma insisted, her grip turning cruel. She raised her hand to strike again.

You shook your head again.

“Aemma?” Someone else spoke. It was a male’s voice, this time. You jerked upwards. Aemma's hand stilled. “I brought Daemon.”

Prince Viserys and Prince Daemon stepped inside the chamber that you were in. You felt like you were about to throw up. Exactly how many royals were keeping you captive?

Prince Daemon gave you a wave. He was sporting a smug smile that made you want to strangle him.

“We meet again.”

You glared. Aemma struck you again. The pain barely registered. You felt as if your head was too heavy for your body. It lolled to the side. A sudden wave of nausea prevented you from rightening it.

“Do not dare look at my good brother or husband, you whore.” She grabbed a fistful of your hair, forcing you to look up at her. “You either talk, or I will throw you in the cells. And when I find out who murdered my child, you will die alongside them.”

“My love, we shouldn't…” Prince Viserys swallowed, nervously.

“Shut up, Viserys!” Princess Aemma shrieked and the Prince cowered. This was the man King Jaehaerys wanted as his heir? Maybe Queen Alyssane and Otto Hightower were onto something. The thought registered as hilarious in your mind's scrambled condition, so you laughed.

Aemma turned towards you, outraged, but someone else's laughter stopped her dead in her tracks. Both of you turned, searching for the source of the sound.

Prince Daemon was laughing, eyes crinkling in the corners. He looked, much to your disgust, even more handsome.

“What?” He asked the Princess, between chuckles. “It was funny.”

“It was not.” Aemma scowled. She raised her hand again. “You little bitch! What did I tell you about looking at my…?”

“I think not.” Daemon intercepted her hand, holding her away. You sighed. You weren't stupid enough to think he was protecting you. No, he was just going to speed things along.

Daemon was one of the few people you had met that deserved their reputations. Dashing and a good warrior, yes. But also mercurial and quick to anger.

“Speak. Or I will make you speak myself. I assure you, you won't enjoy it." His hand brushed the blood away from your face, almost tenderly. You flinched. There was something about his touch that made your skin crawl. Gone was the young man from earlier, all playful smiles and banter. Instead, only a cold mask remained. His words lacked embellishments or thinly veiled threats. Daemon was not bluffing. “You won't die. Not for a long time. I will make sure that whoever poisoned Aemma knows it was you who spoke. And they can kill you.”

They. He would make sure they. The words were spoken like a promise, almost an oath. The Prince was completely serious.

Being left to the mercy of Otto Hightower was not something you wished for. And between the two of them, you knew who you feared more. You could always take a ship to Essos and find employment there if things went awry. But for that, you had to survive.

You whimpered. Aemma's fingers dug into your shoulders.

“Names.” She spoke, voice filled with contempt.

“Hightower! Ser Otto! And a Mellos! Corlys Velaryon was there, but he did not know.”

Prince Daemon and Prince Viserys exchanged a look. Prince Daemon crouched behind you, while Prince Viserys helped Princess Aemma stand.

“Good, little bird.” Daemon untied your wrists. You kept very still regardless. “Do you know what comes next?”

You shook your head. What else could they want from you?

“You will sing just as prettily during the trial.” He ordered, forcing you to your feet. Princess Aemma beamed at him. Prince Viserys looked thoughtful. “For all court to hear.”

Your stomach sank. It was a death sentence. A commoner, standing against Otto Hightower? You would not even make it to the stand. He was a powerful man, with powerful friends. But even if you did, you doubted King Jaehaerys would listen to you. You were one woman against the most important men of the realm.

And Queen Alyssane! Oh, Queen Alyssane would be so disappointed. She would no longer want your mother and you in her service, if she didn't decide first that you were part of the plot and ordered your death for harming her family. Or even worse, the Queen could be part of the plot herself and be offended by your meddling.

“No, please! Please, please. They will kill me.” You begged. “Please, Your Grace, let me go.”

Prince Daemon smirked. Princess Aemma’s face twisted into a vengeful expression. They both were pleased by the possibility of your death. You resigned yourself to it, silently starting to cry.

And then, the unexpected.

“She is right, Daemon. You can't ask her to stand against them, she will be dead before nightfall.” Prince Viserys spoke, timidly. The other, more violent two, halted.

You could have kissed him. You could have proclaimed him King yourself.

“Then what?” Prince Daemon frowned.

“We will have the trial. You keep her until then.” Viserys ordered. Princess Aemma huffed, and exited the room, slamming the door on her way out. She clearly disagreed, but not enough to do something about it.

You were left alone with Viserys and Daemon. You eyed them warily. No good deed went unpunished, did it? You had wanted to save a babe, and not only had you failed, but you had been thrown into a pit full of dangerous beasts, ready to swallow you whole. And by the look on Prince Daemon's eyes, the dragons were the worst of them.

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danikamariewrites · 7 months

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imagine dark reader who is azriels sister x lucien, she is possessive and obssesed with lucien and has plotted her way into his life. From the second she lied her eyes on him when he and feyre came to velaris she knew she had to have him no matter what. reader goes to great lenghts to make sure nothing stands between her and her precious lucien. She pushes elain towards her brother and slides in comments about how they make a great couple and that the mating bond isn’t really a big deal. She cringes while she says it bc she would kill for a mating bond with lucien, and cannot stand how elain is ignoring him. it enrages reader so much but also pleases her bc now she has him all to her self. Now lucien turns to reader for comfort and ofc reader gives him just what he needs. when they share their first night, she almost doesn’t let him leave their bed, she knows how charming he can be and the thought of someone being on the recieving end is nauseating. and anytime she hears the ic says something sbout lucien she defends him to no end, even with him there, she almost lets her mask slip, she calls mor out calmly when mor says something mean about him being there for starfall. still the next day someone broke into mors house and ruined all her dresses. no one knows who did it👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

please you would write this so good, like i’ve read through everything you’ve written. pls i’m so desperate for lucien being protected, i’d pay so much money for s fic. literally like do you take comissions??? i’d pay frrrrr

Fox Hunter

Lucien x Az’s sister!reader

A/n: As soon as I saw this I put my glasses on and opened my laptop. I love evrything about this and loved writing it. And thank you very much for reading all my stuff and liking it anon, that means a lot.

on the topic of commisions (it's been on my brain for a while), I have been thinking about setting something up to do them for a while now. So if that's something you guys are interested in let me know. I'll probably do a poll or something.

Warnings: dark!reader, manipulation, Elain slander, suggestive

When he stepped through the front door of the Town House for the first time I swear I stopped breathing. Though he was caked in dirt and tired looking, the seventh son of the Autumn High Lord had to be the most beautiful male I had ever seen.

His that tan skin glowed under the Fae lights. The scar over his eye gave him a handsome, rugged look. And that golden eye. Oh how entrancing that golden eye is.

It simply broke my heart when I found out he is mated to the middle Archeron sister. But Elain is a shell of a female now. It would be easy to dissuade her from accepting the bond.

Truthfully, I am jealous of the girl. Jealous and angry. She has one of the most beautiful males in Prythian willing to throw himself at her feet, and she will not give him a second of her time.

I watched as they sat together for the first time. How she reacted when he tugged on the bond. Elain was angry. I couldn't imagine being angry.

I placed my hand over my heart. Hoping against the Mother, the Cauldron, and the Gods that they made a mistake. That I would feel the tug in my chest for him.

I noticed the small glances she and my brother share. Azriel seemed so intent on keeping her from Lucien. Good.

If he kept Elain for himself I could keep Lucien. Another easy task. Azriel is desperate for love. They will not be hard to manipulate.

Lucien broke my heart again when he left for the Continent. I know it is necessary for the coming war, but it didn't hurt any less. I had made sure to say goodbye to him. To wish him well on his journey.

He seemed happy that someone in the court was treating him with kindness. Lucien had kissed my hand, thanking me and asked me to be safe as well. It took all of my power not to lose my composure in front of him.

After the war, after everything with Nesta, life calmed down. It has pained me to wait this long to truly set my plan into action. But good things take time.

I had made sure to spend time with Elain all these months. To gain her trust and show her friendship. "I must admit," She said to me, one afternoon in the garden. "I was afraid of you at first. You and Azriel were so simialr with your silence. Then you opened up to me and I'm so happy to have a friend like you, y/n."

I smiled at her. Although it was fake part of it felt real.

"I'm happy to have you as well, Elain. You can bring anyone out of their shell I'm sure." I smile at her from the stone bench I'm perched on. My wings spread a little to soak up the sunshine. "Well, not everyone." Elain says solemnly, looking back at her tulips.

I gently place a hand on her shoulder, "Keep trying with him Elain. I can tell Azriel is in love with you. You see the way he looks at you, yeah? There's no denying it."

Elain looks back up at me with those hopeful, doe eyes. "You think so?" "I know so." Happiness flashes across her face for a moment. Then she goes back to that somber look.

That look drives me crazy. Elain needs to stop feeling sorry for herself. It's not cute and it is driving me crazy.

"But what about Lucien...and the mating bond?" And there was what I was waiting for. "Your sisters, Rhysand, and Cassian make out to be this glorious thing. For them it may be that way. But you get to decide to do with yours.

"Do you feel connected to Lucien?" She shakes her no. "Do you feel the need to be close to him? To have him hold you?" She shakes her head again.

"Then the mating bond doesn't matter. Reject it of you must, but follow your heart, Elain. Not tradition." The fool smiled up at me again. Standing, she wrapped her arms around my neck tightly. "Thank you, y/n." I hugged her back for the theatrics of it all.

I watched as she scurried off inside. Most likely to fling herself at Azriel. It did hurt a little, telling her to break the bond. If someone had said that to me I'd most likely slit their throat.

The mating bond was something I had longed for since I was a little girl.

I had never had many friends or lovers growing up. It was just me and Azriel in that dungeon for most of our lives. And if we hadn't met Rhys I would be without wings.

When we got older I watched as Azriel had females fling themselves at him. While many of the males in Windhaven showed their intrest in me, I did not return the sentiment. I knew those relationships would never go anywhere.

So, I'd stick around for the fun they'd offer for a week and move on to the next. None of those males ever excited me the way Lucien did. Never made me feel love.

A few weeks later Lucien was back in Velaris. Rhys had sent him to the human lands for emissary duties. I made sure to ask him to lunch before the rest of the Inner Circle tortured him with their questions and scared him off.

We went to a nice restaurant with a view of the Sidra. Lucien pulled my chair out for me like the gentleman he is. Before sitting I gave him a small peck on the cheek. Holding his smooth face in my rough hand.

I could've swore I saw the corners of his lips twitch and his cheeks turn red. I bit my lip, taking my seat.

As Lucien sat across from me we fell into easy conversation. Mother above, he's just so perfect. And charming. Any female would be lucky to have him. And that female would be me.

A lull settles between us and I sip on my water. Lucien clears his throat and I meet his gaze. "Elain has asked to meet with me." His tone changed to serious, leaving the playfulness I love so much behind.

"Do you know why?" I ask, my tone coming out more clipped than I meant. "I have a feeling it's about the bond. I know her and Azriel have been...together." He said that last part like he could feel it. I could sense his discomfort.

I hated that look in his eye. That look of feeling unwanted. I had seen it in my own eyes so many times as I stared at my reflection. I reach across the table to hold his hand with both of mine.

"You deserve love Lucien. If she doesn't see how hard you have been trying for her then she doesn't deserve you. I want to see you happy, fox." He gave me a loving smile at his nickname. "Thank you, little bat. You have always shown me kindness when you family hasn't. I love that about you."

Love. My heart fluttered at the word falling from his lips. It sounds so right. I want him to tell me he loves me. Tell me he'll do anything for me like I would for him.

That night, my fox came to the Town House. I had taken it over since Rhys and Feyre moved to the River House. It was empty and quiet here.

Opening the door I saw the distraught look on Lucien's face. I felt a pang in my chest. I had caused this for him. I have to stop this feeling. Have to make him better. "Lucien," I breathed out, "come in."

I drag him over to the couch and sit next to him. We're so close our thighs are touching. I drape a wing around his back for extra comfort. "What is it, fox?"

Lucien takes a deep, shuddering breath. "We broke the bond." I want to breathe out a sigh of relief, but I have to keep the facade up. "Oh Lucien, I'm so sorry. I can't imagine the pain you're going through."

He looks at me with a pained smile, taking my hand in his, desperately kissing my knuckles. "I am hurting, yes. But Elain made realize something." I held my breath. I could feel my eyes going wide. Could this be it? Could all the work I had planned to do already be done for me by that little fool I call a friend?

"The love I have been searching for has been in front of me all along. I was never meant to be with her." Lucien slide off the couch onto his knees in front of me. My hands still trapped in his. "I love you, y/n. And I curse the Mother and the Cauldron for not putting us together. I need you little bat. I cannot bear another moment without you."

I am frozen in shock by his declaration of love. All this time I thought it would be me on my knees before him. Telling him sweet nothings and saying how we belong together. This is all I needed to hear from him.

Before anything can change I grab Lucien's face, my lips colliding with his in a heated kiss. It's all teeth and tongue. Want and desire. Lucien pulls me to his chest, holding the back of my head.

"Take me upstairs fox. Show me how much you love me." I whisper against his lips. Lucien stands, holding me by my thighs. I wrap my legs around him. I feel his hard cock pressing against my core and grind against him letting out a moan.

Lucien gently places me on the bed, careful of my wings. We undress together. Baring ourselves to each other. Feeling a bond that should've been ours.

The next morning I lay awake staring at Lucien's sleeping form. I trace his scar a few times and play with the ends of his hair that are splayed on the pillow. As his eyes slowly open he sends me a smirk. "Morning my love." Gods I want to keep him like this so I can hear his morning voice forever. It's gravely and deep, sending heat straight to my core.

"Good morning, fox. How are you feeling." Lucien thinks for a moment. "Hurting still. But I feel better with you." My smile widens. It feels genuine this time, it almost brings tears to my eyes.

Lucien moves to get up. My hand flys to grip his bicep, pulling him backdown to the mattress with all my strength. "No," I practically yell. "Stay with me? Let's stay here all day and rest." He lightly kisses my lips and pulls me to lay on his chest. "Ok little bat," he whispers.

We lay in a comfortable silence together. We trace patterns on each others bare skin until I ask, "Lucien, I know things have changed now but I need to know," My heart is pounding so hard. I hate to ask him this but I need him to feel in charge, like he wants me and I need him.

I look up at him as I force tears to line my eyes. "Are we...please say I'm yours now." His lips form a sweet pout I want to kiss. Lucien squeezes me to his body, placing a chaste kiss to my forehead. "There is no one else in this world for me. I love you, y/n. Last night was just the first of many. We have a life time ahead of us together and I don't plan on wasting another moment of it without you."

I cradle his cheek in the palm of my hand. "I love you too, Lucien. And I never want to be without you either."

#acotar #acotar fanfiction #acotar reader fic #acotar reader imagine #acotar imagine #lucien acotar #lucien vanserra #lucien x you #lucien x reader #lucien smut #lucien vanserra x you #lucien vanserra x reader #lucien vandaddy #lucien

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bellaireland1981 · 1 year

Text

Starting Over | 3

Summary: You come home to work to find your husband of three years in bed with your supposed best friend. It’s the wake up call you finally needed to take your two year old daughter and get the hell out of Texas. With nowhere to go you head to your big brother in San Diego. The sagger squad takes you under their wings, and shows you what having a family means. You get a fresh start… will you find your happily ever after?

Characters: Jake “hangman” Seresin x Sister! Reader, Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Seresin! Reader (Eventually), Hangman x Phoenix (eventually) , Adorable OC Gracie! The Dagger squad

Word Count: 5313

Warnings: Angst, cheating husband, emotional abuse, eventual fluff, smut in later chapters, Sweet uncle Jake, Adorable Rooster with a toddler… if I miss any please let me know.

A/N: I don’t own the characters or storyline for Top Gun Maverick. All OC’s are mine. I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR ANYONE TO COPY OR REPOST MY WORK TO ANY OTHER PLATFORM! DON’T STEAL! Reblogs, likes and comments ALWAYS welcomed. THANK YOU @waywardodysseys as always for reading over my work and helping me flush out ideas!!

Taglist is open! If I missed anyone who asked to be tagged, please let me know! I tried to keep track!

CH 1 CH 2

“You definitely have enough of a case with the text messages and voicemails alone to be given a fairly cut and dry divorce on grounds of emotional and mental abuse, Y/N.” Lauren Kennedy said, the next day. Jake had once again worked his brotherly magic and arranged for Penny to watch Gracie while you had the appointment. “I have to tell you, even given the fact that he is in Texas, the nature of these texts and voicemails becoming increasingly hostile and threatening, I would recommend requesting an order of protection as well for both you and Gracie. With that said, I’m assuming you want complete custody of the child?”

“If there is a way to make sure he has absolutely no rights to her, that is what I want.” You said. “I don’t want or need child support from him. He’s admitted to never wanting her, does that count in our favor?”

“It does.” She said, “Would the protection order be something you would be willing to pursue?”

“He’s never physically laid a hand on me. Would a judge even order it without him physically harming me?” You asked

“With the escalating calls and texts, I would say the probable cause for him to become physical is not too far fetched.” She said gently, “I’m assuming you haven’t listened to the more recent calls or the messages he has sent your brother?”

“No.” You admitted, “It became too much and Jake just got me a new phone and number so I wouldn’t have to. If you think it’s for the best and necessary then yes, I am willing to request the order of protection.”

“I think it’s always better to be safe than sorry,” She said, “especially when a child is involved.”

“I will do anything to protect Gracie.” You said. “I have to be honest with you Ms. Kennedy, I don’t have a lot of money. I have a credit card I was able to get without Trent knowing, but he never let me have access to our accounts.”

“I’m willing to take you on as a client at a very low rate.” She said, “I was you, Y/N. My story is almost identical to yours. I was able to get out because I had people helping me. Now, I get to do the same thing for other women. There is a whole amazing life waiting for you. I’m going to help you grab it with both hands.”

“I don’t even know what to say.” You said, wiping away the tears that were streaming down your face. “Thank you… It doesn’t seem like enough… but thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.” She smiled, “I’ll get started on the paperwork and get it all filed ASAP. I’ll just need to know if there is any personal property you’re wanting me to include in the papers?”

“No, I got most of Gracie’s stuff before I left and I don’t care about any of my stuff.” You replied, “I’d honestly be shocked if any of it was still there anyway. I just want to be done with him and to move on…and I want my maiden name back.”

“That’s an easy enough fix once the divorce is finalized, I can walk you through that process.” She smiled, knowingly. “I’d say we should be able to petition the court for a name change for Gracie too.”

“That would be amazing.” You replied, “I want to cut him from my daughter’s life completely so she never knows the pain of a piece of shit father.”

“I will get this ball rolling and keep you in the loop on where things are at all times.” She promised, “I have to caution you that he may escalate in behavior once he’s served with papers. I urge you to keep up what you’ve been doing and not engage with communication. All communication can go through myself and a lawyer of his choosing if he hires one.”

“Trust me, I’m more than happy to not have to talk to him.” You answered, “It’ll make Jake happy too. He’s definitely not a fan of Trent’s.”

After leaving the lawyer’s office you sent a quick text to Jake to let him know it had gone well. You stopped off at the grocery store to pick up the stuff you’d need to make dinner. You decided to use your credit card instead of the card Jake had given you. You mentally added finding a job to your to do list though. Once you had everything you needed for the dinner you loaded the car with the groceries and headed back to the house.

“Thank you so much for watching her, Penny.” You said once you were inside and set the bags down on the counter. “I hope she was well behaved for you.”

“She was an absolute angel.” she replied, smiling, “It’s no trouble at all, Y/N. Honestly, I’m happy to help whenever I can.”

“I’m blown away by the amazing group of people my brother’s surrounded himself with.” You said, “It’s definitely not something we were used to having growing up.”

“I gathered as much.” She said, smiling gently. “I’ve had a soft spot for your brother since he first got to Top Gun as a new recruit. Saw right through the tough guy, cocky aviator act.”

“I’m glad he’s gotten better at letting people in.” You smiled, “He’s one of the best men I know. I might be biased because he’s my big brother and practically raised me himself, even though he was just a kid, but they don’t come better than Jakey.”

“You know,” Penny said, “I know you’re going through one hell of a tough spot right now, and it might seem a little hopeless, but as someone who’s been in your shoes, Sweetheart, I want you to know… you’ll find happiness after all of the dust settles.”

“I think one I’m free of Trent, I just want to focus on being a good mom to Gracie and building a new life for us here… one where Jake doesn’t have to support us, preferably.” You replied, “Maybe I’m just meant to be single. It’s not like men will be lining up at the door to date a single mom…an unemployed one at that.”

“Well the unemployment part I can help with.” Penny said, “I could use some help at the bar during the day. Keeping track of the ordering and the paperwork side of the bar is not my favorite. If you’re interested, I’d happily throw that stuff your way. It’s part time for now, but it might help get you back on your feet.”

“I don’t have anywhere for Gracie to go while I work right now.” You replied, “I’d love to accept the job…can I have a few days to try to find a sitter?”

“Of course.” Penny replied, “Let me know if you need any help. Once school is out for the summer, I’m sure Amelia would love to babysit too if you need it.”

“Thank you, Penny.” You said, “For everything.”

“Of course.” She replied, smiling, “You’re family now, Y/N. I know you’ve heard it a lot since getting here but it’s true.”

“I’m starting to think coming here was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” You smiled, tears once more forming in your eyes.

“It’s your fresh start.” She said, “Now’s your chance to make the life you want…for yourself and Gracie.”

“I was actually talking to Jake about maybe going back to school.” You admitted, “I need to get through the divorce first and find some semblance of a new ‘normal’ for Gracie and me, but then… maybe.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea.” Penny said. “And don’t close yourself off to other possibilities either. You deserve a shot at happiness after this is over.”

“So I’ve heard.” You replied, “I just highly doubt men are lining up to take on a 26 year old divorcee with a toddler.”

“I can name one, that from what I saw when we were here helping get Gracie’s room set up, would be more than happy to be at the front of that line and be given a shot.” Penny said, “I don’t know how Jake would feel about it, but I for one can and will vouch for him.”

“Who?” You replied, shocked. You hadn’t noticed anyone paying any more attention than the others.

“Rooster.” She smiled, like the cat that caught the canary. “He was lookin’ pretty smitten with you and he definitely fell head over heels for that little girl.”

“Bradley?” You asked, eyes wide, still reeling from this tidbit of information. “I think he was just being nice. He’s really good with Gracie, but all of Jake’s friends were.”

“Just my observation.” She said, not wanting to spook you, “Just don’t count yourself out from finding a good man. Trent is the exception, not the norm. Real men, secure men…they don’t treat women like that.”

With those words of wisdom, Penny said goodbye and told you to call her about the job. Once she’d left you turned on music quietly in the kitchen and got to work preparing dinner for your brother. He had sent a text earlier to let you know the whole squad had jumped at the chance at a home cooked meal. You seasoned the pork roast and started it cooking so you could add the bbq and shred it later. The chicken you were frying so you needed to wait until closer to dinner. You got the ribs ready to start cooking before adding them to the oven. You planned on putting them out on the grill when it got closer. Once you had the meat sorted, you set to work whipping up a batch of the honey cornbread that Jake loved, opting to bake them into muffins for the safe of ease. Once those were in the oven baking, you set to work mixing up some bbq sauce. You hated to have to cheat and use store bought as your base, but you quickly added everything you needed to make it better. By the time you were cleaning the kitchen up from your first round of cooking, Gracie was waking up.

You wiped your hands to dry them and headed back to her room to change her diaper before bringing her out. She was starting to show signs of being ready to potty train so you made a mental note to pick up pull ups and a toddler potty next trip to the store.

“Hi, Gracie girl!” You said, walking into her room. She was sitting in the middle of the bed, surrounded by pillows, looking very much like the princess Jake called her. “Did you have a good nap?”

“Mommy!” She said, her little voice still sounding sleepy, “You back!”

“I’m back, Sweetheart.” You smiled, reaching out to pick her up. She happily stood and toddled to the edge for you to pick her up. “Let’s change your diaper then you can play while mommy makes you a snack ok?”

“Otay, Mommy.” She said, “Nanas?”

“Absolutely you can have a banana.” You agreed, “Did you have fun with Miss Penny?”

“Yes!” She exclaimed, happily, “Penny pway!”

“Penny played with you?” You asked as you changed her diaper.

“Yes!” She confirmed, “Mommy, Unko Jakey home?”

“Not yet, Sweetie but he’ll be home soon.” You assured her. “Uncle Jakey’s friends are coming over tonight too.”

“Woosta?” She asked, her eyes getting big. “Pwease, Mommy?”

“Rooster will be here too.” You promised, your mind quickly drifting to the last part of the conversation with Penny. You knew for certain that Gracie was taken with Bradley. She’d latched onto him almost from the instant they met. It made you wish her own father was as attentive and sweet with her as Bradley was.

You set Gracie down on the floor by her toys and went to cut up a banana for her. You put the banana into a bowl and then set it at the table by her Booster chair and got her a cup of milk in her sippy cup. Before you had a chance to go collect her though, the front door opened and you heard her squeal in delight.

You stepped into the living room in time to see Jake drop his flight bag and swoop Gracie into his arms, grinning ear to ear…both of them. He moved away from the door, kicking it closed with his foot, as he smothered Gracie with kisses, earning himself full on belly laughs from his niece.

“You’re home early.” You noticed, “I figured you’d be home closer to dinner time.”

“Mav had us knock off early.” Jake replied, laughing with Gracie. “We were in the air all morning and then went over next week’s plan for the new recruits. Wrapped up early so he dismissed us. Everyone was in a hurry to get out of there and get cleaned up. I think they’ll be descending on us here soon.”

“Home cooked food is really that much of a draw?” You asked, surprised, “Don’t any of them know how to cook?”

“Some better than others.” He replied, “But a home cooked meal they don’t have to prepare themselves is definitely a draw.”

“Well, then I guess we are going to make this a weekly event.” You declared, “I can’t have them starving from their own cooking. They’ll get at least one good meal a week.”

“I’m sure they won’t say ‘no’ to that, Tulip.” He grinned, “Thank you, by the way. I know your ulterior motives behind this dinner….and the weekly dinners you’re proposing.”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about, Bubs.” You winked, knowing he was right. You were doing this on purpose. You wanted to give his friends, Phoenix specifically, a chance to see the real Jake more often. “Go shower, you smell like jet fuel. Then you can help me by keeping Gracie occupied while I cook.”

“Deal!” He said, handing Gracie to you and picking up his bag from where he’d dropped it, “Be right back Princess G, then we’ll play! Uncle Jakey will take you outside.”

You managed to get Gracie strapped into her booster seat to eat her banana while you got out everything you needed to get the sides going for dinner. You checked the meat, pulling the ribs from the oven and letting the cornbread muffins continue to bake. By the time you were ready to start getting the ingredients out to coat the chicken with before frying, Jake was walking into the kitchen in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt.

“Brave to wear white when around Gracie.” You teased, “And barbecue sauce.”

“I love living on the edge,” He laughed, “What can I say?”

“While you’re outside, can you start the grill?” You asked, “The ribs need to go on to finish cooking.”

“Sure thing.” He replied, “Anything else I can do to help?”

“Just keeping Gracie entertained is a huge help.” You said, “Besides, this is your ‘thank you’ dinner. I’m not letting you help.”

He laughed, dropping a kiss on your head and getting Gracie from the booster. “Come on, Princess G. You can help me start the grill and we’ll play outside while Mommy works her magic in the kitchen.”

“Pway!!” She clapped, “Byebye Mommy!”

“Have fun, Sweetie.” You laughed, “Listen to Uncle Jakey.”

The two of them left the kitchen and you returned your attention to getting dinner ready. Once the muffins were done you set them to cool. You decided to add loaded smashed potatoes to the menu for the night, so you set potatoes on the stove to boil. Once they were done, you’d smash them onto a cooking sheet before loading them with cheese, bacon bits and chives and would bake them until the cheese melted. They were also one of Jake’s favorites. The two of you had done most of the cooking growing up. He’d loved it when you’d learned to cook, and had happily turned that task over to you.

“Hello?” You heard a voice from the front room.

“In here!” You called, continuing to move around the kitchen, preparing the dinner. You figured Jake’s friends knew to just come on in.

“Damn, it smells amazing in here.” Bradley said, stepping into the kitchen, holding a small bouquet of flowers. You felt warmth creep over your face and it had nothing to do with the stove being on.

“Hopefully it all tastes just as good.” You replied, smiling.

“I’m sure it will.” He said, then remembering the flowers, he blushed slightly, holding them out to you. “I brought these for you.”

“They’re beautiful, Bradley.” You replied, smiling as you gently took to flowers, “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome” He said, smiling back, “Didn’t want to come empty handed when you were gracious enough to invite us all for dinner. Thank you for saving me from my own cooking.”

“Jake said some of you cooked better than others.” You laughed, cutting the stems and placing the flowers into a pitcher as a makeshift vase. “I’m happy to cook for you all. You’ve been a huge help since I showed up on Jake’s doorstep, this is the least I can do. I also told him I’m making this a weekly thing, so whoever is available can come over and I’ll feed everyone.”

“You’re a goddess.” He declared, winking, “You should know that strays, when fed…keep coming back.”

“It’s a good thing then that I don’t mind picking up strays.” You laughed, opening the fridge. “Do you want a beer?”

“I’d love one, Y/N.” He replied, “Thank you.”

You handed him the beer, reaching back in to grab one for yourself. You popped the cap off the bottle and took a drink before setting it down on the counter.

“Can you do me a favor and run these out to Jake?” You asked, picking up the platter of ribs, “They need to go on the grill.”

“Absolutely.” He replied, taking the platter and his beer and heading out to the backyard.

You took a deep breath, finding yourself smiling as you continued to prepare dinner.

Everyone started arriving after Bradley got there, including Mav who had graciously accepted the offer to not eat his own cooking as well. You’d managed to get the rest of the food prepared and set out on the counter so they could come through buffet style and pile food on their plates. You plated some of the food you knew Gracie would like and be able to eat on her plate, getting her set up at the table. Bob, Phoenix, Bradley, Jake and Mav sat around the table. Coyote, Fanboy and Payback sitting at the kitchen island with their food.

You sat down between Gracie and Bradley once everyone had their food and were settled.

“This. is. AMAZING, Y/N.” Coyote groaned in delight, digging into his meal. “I’ve died and gone to Heaven.”

“I will definitely have to run extra miles tomorrow,” Fanboy added, “Extra time in the gym for sure once I fill up on all of this.”

“Thank you for feeding me.” Bob said, “This is the best meal I’ve had since I was home last year for Christmas.”

“I’m glad you like it.” You smiled, heat creeping over your face at the praise. You weren’t really used to people complimenting your cooking. Trent had always complained it wasn’t good enough.

“I told y’all you were in for a treat.” Jake said, beaming at you, “Y/N offered to feed you heathens once a week. Dagger squad weekly dinner?”

“I am so here.” Phoenix said, “But Y/N, you are not cooking every week. That’s not fair to you.”

“I honestly don’t mind.” You shrugged, “I like cooking.”

“Well, we’ll at least help.” Bradley added, “Or order takeout occasionally to give you a break.”

“Ordering takeout defeats the purpose of a home cooked dinner night.” You laughed.

“OK then occasionally you let us grill or something so you’re not doing it all.” Bradley suggested, “I mean, we can pretty much all grill at least.”

“I suppose,” You acquiesced, “But only occasionally.”

“We’ll negotiate the frequency later.” Jake added, knowing how stubborn his little sister was. “Who’s up for the zoo tomorrow?”

“Zoo!” Gracie cheered, “Aminals?”

“Princess G has spoken.” Jake laughed, “Yea, baby girl, we’ll go see animals!”

“I’m in!” Bradley said, winking at Gracie, “Wanna see some lions and tigers, Princess?”

“Wions! Woaw!” Gracie clapped, giggling.

Everyone laughed at her imitation of a lion. You brushed her hair back from her face, dropping a kiss on her head. It made you heart melt to see your little girl happy and surrounded by people who loved her. Jake, catching your gaze, offered a smile and a wink. He knew this was all still really new to you.

“I’d love to see some animals!” Bob added, “Can I come too, Gracie?”

“Yes!” Gracie said, causing everyone to laugh.

“Alright, then!” Jake said, “Dagger squad field trip to the zoo!”

After dinner you’re clearing away the leftovers, placing everything into containers and putting it in the fridge when Phoenix comes into the kitchen with Jake. You picked up a dishcloth and dunked it into the soapy dishwater to start the dishes.

“Put down the rag and step away from the dishes” Jake ordered, “Get yourself a drink and go sit down. Relax.”

“You cooked,” Phoenix said, “That means no kitchen clean up.”

“No arguments, Tulip.” Jake said, seeing you were about to protest. “Drink and go relax.”

“Yes, Sir.” You mock saluted him, then tossed a smile at Phoenix as you grabbed a beer and left the kitchen.

You walked into the living room to see Payback, Coyote, and Fanboy on the couch and floor playing a video game on the TV. Bradley, Mav and Bob were entertaining Gracie with all of her toys in the corner of the living room. You smiled as you watched the three grown men playing dolls with your toddler. You quickly pulled out your phone, snapping a picture before you made your way over to them.

“Mommy, pway too?” Gracie said, looking up from her toys. Bradley looked up, smiling at you, scotting over to give you room to join them all.

“Mommy would love to play, Gracie.” You replied, setting your beer down on the cabinet before dropping down to the floor to join the baby doll party. “In the interest of full disclosure, I definitely snapped a picture of you three playing dolls with Gracie. I fully plan to add it to a picture show at her wedding someday.”

“Wow.” Mav laughed, “She’s already getting blackmail photos.”

“I for one am happy to contribute to happy memories for this cute little Princess.” Bob said, handing Gracie a princess doll.

“I will happily embarrass myself if it makes the two of you smile.” Bradley agreed, reaching over to ruffle Gracie’s hair.

“She is an amazing little girl, Y/N.” Mav said, “You’ve done a wonderful job with her. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.”

“Thank you.” You whispered, suddenly choked up. “You have no idea how much it means to hear that.”

Bradley reached over, gently squeezing your shoulder in comfort, offering a gentle smile.

You let Gracie continue to play for a few more minutes until Jake and Phoenix were done in the kitchen. You smiled watching them laugh together over something as they walked into the living room to join the rest of the rest of the group.

Bradley leaned over so he could whisper, “I see your game plan, Little Seresin. Count me in.” He winked when you shot him a guilty smirk.

“Gracie girl, it’s bath time!” You told your daughter. “Tell everyone thank you for playing with you.”

She toddled over, hugging them one by one. When she got to Bradley, flashed him a big toothy grin. Your daughter had good taste in men, you had to admit. She was clearly taken with him. He hugged her tightly and dropped a kiss on her head before releasing her.

“Have fun, Princess.” He said, “Get squeaky clean!”

“Otay, Woosta!” She agreed, letting you lead her away.

“I’ll tuck you in and read you a book when you’re all clean, Princess G!” Jake promised his niece.

“Otay, Unco Jakey!” She said happily.

You got her into the bath, washing her hair and body before letting her play for a bit. She loved the water and bath time so you always hated to rush her.

While watching her scoop water with her toys, someone knocked on the door.

“It’s open!” You called. Phoenix poked her head in, smiling.

“Mind if I come in?” She asked

“Join the party!” You invited her. She opened the door further, stepping in.

“Thanks again for having us all over for dinner.” She said, “And for offering to put up with us all once a week to feed us.”

“It’s really no trouble at all” You promised, “I’m happy to have you all here. So is Jake. He might not admit it often or freely, but you all mean the world to him. He loves having you all here.”

“It’s nice to see him with Gracie…and with you.” She said, “He’s softer.”

“I hate to ruin his street cred but Jake’s always been a softy” You said, “He just had to develop a harder shell because of our parents.”

“I like the softer Jake….” She admitted, “Maybe too much. It’ll only end up complicating things.”

“I have a feeling it’s a whole lot less complicated than you think.” You said, “And for the record, I’m pretty positive that Jake likes you too.”

“Mommy, me done.” Gracie said, standing up in the tub.

“Ok, Sweet girl,” You said, “Let’s get you out and ready for bed.”

“I’m gonna head out, but I’ll see you tomorrow for the zoo.” Phoenix said, “Goodnight, Sweetheart.”

“Night!” Gracie said, smiling at her.

“See you tomorrow, Y/N.” She said.

“Goodnight, Nat.” You smiled. You got Gracie out, wrapping her in a towel and carrying her to her room. You got her into her PJs and combed her hair, drying it as best you could with the towel. Tomorrow would be a pigtail day for sure.

You were getting her settled into her bed when Jake appeared in the room.

“My girl ready for me?” He asked.

“She’s all yours, Uncle Jakey.” You smiled. Before leaving the room you bent over and gave her baby girl a kiss, “Goodnight my little Angel. I love you. Sweet Dreams.”

“Wuv you Mommy.” She smiled back sweetly.

You picked up the wet towel and took it back to the bathroom, hanging it over the shower to dry before making your way back out the living room. Everyone had left except for Bradley who was picking up the toys and placing them all back into the toybox in the corner.

“You didn’t have to do that.” You said, smiling as you popped down onto the oversized stuffed chair next to the couch. “Thank you, though.”

“It’s not a problem at all.” He replied, “It was just a few dolls and their accessories.”

“For someone so small, Gracie is a single toddler tornado some days.” You laughed, “Keeping up with her is a full time job in and of itself.”

“I can only imagine.” He replied, offering a smile as he lowered himself down onto the couch. “She’s great though. She naturally pulls you in. I swear she can make anyone fall in love with her in 5 seconds flat.”

“Apparently not her father.” You replied, sighing, “But pretty much everyone else yeah. She’s my whole world.”

“He’s a worthless bastard with no spine.” Bradley said, his voice taking on an angry edge to it. “He doesn’t deserve Gracie. Or you for that matter. He sure as fuck doesn’t deserve the title of ‘father’.”

“You’re very sweet, Bradley.” You smiled, “I’m kinda hoping that soon, he won’t be anything to either of us.”

“I hope so too.” He agreed. “You both deserve so much more, Y/N.”

You felt butterflies take flight in your stomach at his words. It had been a long time since you’d felt those.

“Can I get you a drink?” You asked, trying to keep from being awkward, “There’s leftover dessert too if you would like some of that.”

“I should actually get going, but thank you.” He said, flashing a sincere smile your way, “Dinner really was amazing and I’m already looking forward to next week.”

“Let me know if you ever have any special requests.” You offered, “I’m always game to make new things.”

“I just might take you up on that.” He replied, “I’ll see you tomorrow for the zoo. Make sure to lock the door behind me, ok?”

“Be ready to chase after Gracie.” You teased, “She’s a handful. And I’ll lock it behind you.”

Jake came in shortly after Bradley had left. You were on the chair again, your head laid back on the cushion.

“She’s out.” He said, sitting on the end of the couch closest to you. “Thanks for tonight, Tulip. It was really nice having everyone over.”

“You’re welcome Jakey.” You replied, rolling your head to face him, too tired to pick it up off the back of the chair. “They’re a lot of fun. I like them.”

“You’ve definitely secured yourself a squad full of best friends now.” Jake chuckled, “How did it go with the lawyer? We haven’t had a chance to talk since I got home.”

“It went really well.” You reported, “She’s going to take the case and said she’d charge at a very discounted rate. She thinks I should file an order of protection too to be on the safe side and that any contact with him will go through her.”

“That’s amazing, Tulip!” He said , his whole face lighting up with a smile. “Did she give a timeline?”

“Not really. She’s going to get papers started to serve him.” You said, “She said he might start calling more or escalate once he’s served, which is also why she wants me to file an order of protection.”

“I fully support that.” Jake said, “I also wouldn’t put it past him to come out here, Tulip. We need to make sure you and Gracie are safe.”

“I don’t think he’d come all the way out here, Jakey.” You said, “His pride will be hurt but really I’m giving him what he wanted… to be free of my and Gracie.”

“Don’t underestimate him, Y/N.” Jake insisted, “I’ve heard the messages he’s left you and for me. I’ll feel better if we take precautions to keep you both safe.”

“I’ll be careful.” You promised, “I’m mostly with you anyway except for when you’re on base. Penny offered me a job today too. She said she needs someone to help with paperwork and the inventory side of things…I told her I need to work out childcare but I’d get back to her.”

“I can ask on base for recommendations for a sitter or daycare.” Jake offered, “Someone’s got to have good reliable sitters.”

“They can’t cost an arm and a leg though either.” You said, “Working just to pay daycare defeats the purpose.”

“I’ll ask around.” Jake said, “In the meantime, you are well past exhausted. Go get some sleep, Tulip. We’ve got a big day at the zoo ahead of us.”

“You’re right.” You replied, stretching as you got up. “Goodnight Jakey. I love you.”

“I love you too, Tulip.” He answered, “Sweet dreams.”

After you headed to your room, Jake checked all of the doors, making sure they were locked, before he turned out the lights and found his way to his own bed.

A/N: Hoping you all are liking this series so far! Please let me know your thoughts!

Taglist: @gracespicybradshaw @awesomebooklover17, @bethabear12, @krismdavis, @mygyn, @ayniebop, @hisredheadedgoddess28, @jstarr86, @cherrycola27, @harrysgothicbitch @caidi-paris

#bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw fic #top gun fanfiction #Miles Teller #starting over

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kyriethesquishysquid · 7 months

Text

Betrayal Never Felt So Good (König/Fem!Reader) Chapter 4

You can find Chapter 1 here, Chapter 2 here, Chapter 3 here, Chapter 5 here, and Chapter 6 here!

Word count: ~6

Rating: Mature

A/N: A bit of a filler chapter but it's adding pertinent info to the story, I promise! Some use of Y/N and Y/L/N. Some smut, feels, and story progression! Reader is still morally grey and morally questionable; a delulu girly, if you will. Reader has trauma that will be expanded upon later. Continued COD and military inaccuracies galore. Brief mentions of our beloved 141!

TW: Smut! Mutual masturbation, exhibitionism/voyeurism, dom/sub tones. Reader reflects a little on her trauma from Daniel. Reader tries to trust people and make new friends! Pet names (in English and German), bad German translations bc I’m STILL a lame monolingual American, and STILL no beta because we die like jackass Graves.

Crappy Translations:

Maus - Mouse

Mein schatz - My darling

Meine leibling - My love

Süßes mädchen- Sweet girl

Scheiße - Shit

Ja, das ist ein gutes Mädchen. Lass mich dich hören - Ja, that’s a good girl. Let me hear you.

Da ist mein wunderschöner Liebling - There is my beautiful love.

You were gonna be sick. You just knew it. Commander Graves’ stare was too much to handle, and yet you knew you had no other choice. The only other option was to give in, condemn both yourself and König to prison or death with the truth, and you refused to do that. You just had to trust in König’s plan, no matter how questionable.

“I’m sure, sir,” you replied, trying to keep your voice from shaking, “The last I saw was him going back into the bar.”

Graves’ tapped his pen on the table, his expression as unreadable as ever, before sitting up in his chair to lean over the desk. His intensity was overwhelming, making your heartbeat loud enough you were almost sure he could hear it too.

“Ya don’t have to be scared here, Y/N. This ain’t an interrogation. I’m just tryin’ ta get the facts about Carter before we call it.”

For the first time since that night, guilt licked the insides of your belly. Deserter. First, you’d allowed König to kill him and hide the body, and now you were willing to let his name be dragged through the mud, to allow his family to hear the worst about him when he wasn’t even alive to fight for himself. Fuck, but the lengths you would go through to protect König, just as he’d been protecting you for the better part of a year. It was honestly terrifying and made you question things about yourself that you’d never thought of before. Were you really as good of a person as you thought you were, as you tried to be, if you were willing to do all of this? Probably not.

“I understand, sir, I just kind of feel like I’ve been called into the principal’s office at school,” you joked quietly.

That brought a little smile to his face. Man, if he weren’t such a toxic fucker, he’d be pretty attractive. Too bad he was a righteous prick.

“That’s fair. Well, thank you for your time, Y/L/N. If I could just get you to sign this document here statin’ that you stand by your statement as the truth and allow for it to be used as necessary for legalities,” he sighed, pushing the paper and pen in your direction.

With a deep breath, you snagged up the pen and signed your name with a flourish. There it was, your deceit finalized in ink for all to see. It was to protect König, not for yourself, you kept repeating in your mind. It’s all for König. Anything for König.

“Am I good to go then, sir?” you asked with a forced smile.

“Actually, I have one more thing for you,” Graves replied, lifting a finger as he opened his desk drawer, “These… are papers of all the tasks I need you to go over with your trainer. After the last… episode, it’s become abundantly clear that you’re in dire need of a refresher course on the basics. Can’t have our best medic dying because she doesn’t know how to protect herself, hmm?”

You had to bite your tongue from giving a sassy reply and instead took the papers with a nod.

Looking over the pages, you asked curiously, “Who’s my trainer?”

“You’ll be workin’ with Private Declan every day, 1700 to 1900 after your normal shift until he feels you are well-equipped for future missions,” he explained, “Not havin’ ya do anythin’ too crazy so it shouldn’t take too long to complete, probably two weeks, give or take.”

Declan. The name sounded familiar. Hopefully he wasn’t one of Daniel’s close friends or things would end up real awkward real quick.

“Got it.”

“You’re dismissed,” Graves commented as he leaned back in his seat.

You couldn’t get back to your room fast enough, eager to be sheltered safe away from Graves’ intimidating stare. As soon as you were in your room, you dug your phone out and sent a quick text to König.

‘Hey love, you free to talk?’

You knew there was a chance he’d be busy or even have possibly been sent out on a mission since this morning, but it didn’t hurt to check. While you waited for his reply, you got changed from your scrubs into a comfortable pair of pajamas. You were debating on if you wanted to go through your rigorous skincare routine or just pass out when your phone started ringing.

Eagerly launching yourself onto the mattress, you quickly slid the green button when you saw König’s name pop up on the screen.

“Hi!” you said, a little too excitedly.

God, way to sound like a loser, Y/N. Could you be more embarrassing?

“Hello, Süßes mädchen.”

Fuck, just hearing his voice over the phone was enough to make your heart flutter. Chewing on your lower lip, you asked him about his day, wanting to start the call on a good note before you told him about Graves’ little meeting. He told you about some of the newest recruits, and how Horangi was talking to a civilian and it was more serious than his past conquests. He sounded like a proud older brother when he talked about Horangi and it was honestly adorable. A big grin was fixed on your face as you listened to his highs and lows, enjoying the shifts in his tone as he rambled for quite some time. It was nice, you realized, having someone to just talk to, even if it wasn’t in person.

“Ah, but enough about my day, how was your, meine liebling?” he asked.

“I enjoy hearing about what you’ve been up to,” you assured him warmly, “You know I love hearing you talk, but uh, my day was good. Got a little rocky at the end.”

“What happened?”

You could hear the instant change in his voice, protective König coming off the sidelines and ready to attack. It made you chuckle.

“Nothing that bad in the long run. Uh, Graves’ finally talked to me about Daniel. Had to sign a legal document backing up my statement. So far it seems everything is going well, but he also decided I need to redo training so I can protect myself better,” you explained.

He let out a little hum before sighing, “I have to agree with him there, maus. As much as I’d rather just be there to protect you, your safety is important.”

Cheeks flushing, you agree quietly. Of course, you’d rather have your big Austrian lover there as your guard but, unfortunately, that was just the way the world was for now. You snuggled farther back into the bed and began telling him about the mysterious case of chlamydia rampaging through the barracks, and all the chaos it was causing. It made you grateful you hadn’t made the choice to sleep with anyone there during the two months you’d not seen König.

“I will never understand the urge some have to fuck anything that moves,” he muttered quietly.

“Me either,” you replied, “Not that I’m innocent by any means. I’m all about people having fun. Hell, I’ve had my fair share of hook-ups, but… at least make sure ya use protection, you know?”

König let out a noise that almost sounded like a growl and you halted your words instantly, concerned by the sudden shift.

“You okay?” you asked tentatively.

“Fine, just don’t like thinking about that,” he sighed darkly, “That others have touched you. They didn’t deserve to have that access to you.”

Before you could stop it, a little giggle escaped, earning a disgruntled huff in reply.

“Don’t worry about it, big guy. If you want, I’ll gladly tell you about how much better you are than anyone I’ve ever been with,” you teased.

There was a soft groan from his side of the line before he retorted, “That doesn't help much.”

You thought about your words carefully, about what might ease that little twinge of jealousy, until finally, it hit. Prey on that possessive nature of his that you loved so much.

Lowering your voice to a seductive whisper, you murmured, “Okay, how about the fact you’re the only man I’ve had sex with without a condom? Also, just remember, love, they may have had me first… but you’re my last.”

Maybe a little stronghanded with the last sentence but you were willing to put your hopes out in the open. Unless something drastic occurred, you couldn’t see not wanting to be with him, and he seemed thoroughly content with you.

“Ah, maus, now that does make it better,” he purred warmly.

Smirking, you replied, “Thought so.”

A familiar warmth coiled low in your belly as you let your thoughts linger on König and just how much better he was than any other lover. It was torture not being allowed to be in his arms. Even without the sexual aspect, you wanted nothing more than to just be in his presence, be allowed to see him, and touch him. Memories of your last night together and his beautiful face created a dangerous combination between your thighs.

“You’re quiet, what’s going on in that pretty head, hmm?” he asked suddenly.

“Ah, um… taxes?” you squeaked out.

You could feel the heat returning to your cheeks as he laughed and you realized you’d been caught daydreaming about him. How were you still so easily flustered by that man when you’d fucked him seven ways from Sunday on multiple occasions now?

“Taxes huh? Must be pretty entertaining if it’s taking your attention off of me,” he teased.

Pursing your lips, you quickly retorted, “Nothing could take my attention off of you, König. You’re practically a permanent fixture in my head now.”

There was a little rumble and you barely made out his quiet “Good” before there was a rustling on his end. Now it was his turn to be oddly quiet.

“What are you doing over there?” you asked curiously.

The deep noise he let out made your heart thump harder.

“Taxes.”

His breathless tone scrambled your brain and it took a moment to comprehend what he meant but once it hit, you felt the niggle of lust in your core ramp up quickly. Clenching your thighs together, you let out a sigh at the slight relief.

“Hmm, do you need help with those taxes?” you mused gently.

His response was a decidedly determined, “Yes!”

“Video chat?”

The line went dead in the next instant, startling and confusing you until you saw the screen light up with the video call request. You could tell your face was flushed dark in the little square that showed your image in the top right and it only made your embarrassment grow.

“Da ist mein wunderschöner, Liebling.”

“Well hello there, handsome” you murmured, unable to stop the grin spreading across your lips.

To your surprise, König was maskless and it made your heart do a little happy dance. He really was one of the most stunning people you’d ever seen. It was a shame he hid it all the time but you also understood his need for privacy with his anxiety and for secrecy.

“You look absolutely beautiful, mein schatz,” he purred quietly.

Warmth quickly filled your cheeks again, his complement reminding you that you were in pajamas with your hair unstyled and only the remnants of the day's makeup on your face. Thankfully, your pajamas weren’t too incredibly bad; a dark grey tanktop with lace along the neckline and matching shorts. It could have been way worse but you also wished you’d had the chance to clean up before he’d seen you.

“Says the male model,” you replied cheekily, “So, wanna show me these taxes I have to help with?”

He let out a snort but suddenly the camera was facing down his body. Your sharp gasp filled the air as he groaned softly. He was already fully hard and leaking, all flushed and beautiful and demanding. Even his massive hand couldn’t cover it completely. God damn.

“I’ve been hard since the moment I heard your voice,” he rumbled softly, “You drive me crazy.”

You watched in awe as he began to stroke his length, throaty little noises filtering through the phone’s speaker like a siren’s song. Setting the phone precariously on your breasts, you quickly shoved your shorts down your legs and kicked them off the end of the bed before picking it back up.

“Need to see you, maus,” he demanded huskily, “Show me what is mine.”

If it were possible, you would have died right then and there from his words.

“Just so you know, I’ve never really done this whole video sex thing before,” you admitted meekly, suddenly nervous by the thought of showing off over the camera.

“And you think I have?” he snickered, “You enjoy seeing me, ja?”

“Of course!”

“Then let me see you too. You know just how much I love your body,” he cajoled sweetly, “Or do I have to punish you for disobedience when I see you next, hmm?”

“No sir!” you gasped.

With a shaky sigh, you switched to the back camera and moved the phone down, ensuring you could still see him at the same time. Your fingers twitched eagerly against your thigh as he let out a low moan.

“Gutes mädchen, now, show me how you tease yourself.”

Excitement brewed to life under the prospect of being controlled from afar and you quickly moved to follow his orders. Your eyes fluttered shut uncontrollably as you traced your fingertips up and down your slit, nearly jumping at the light sensation when goosebumps crawled across your skin. This continued on for only a minute or two before he gave in and told you to slide a finger into your cunt. An uncontrollable whimper escaped as you felt your warm walls clamp down around the digit.

Forcing your eyes open once again, you intentionally began to match your thrusts to the pace of his hand. It was nothing nearly as good as the real thing, but it was close enough and you couldn’t deny the things this interaction was making you feel.

“Gut, gut, that’s it. Show me how wet you are.”

It took a moment to get the angle right but the instant you caught the glistening sheen across your lips and fingers, he halted his hand with a broken groan.

“I would give anything to have my face buried in that pretty little cunt right now,” he growled, “Go on, maus, show me how you make yourself feel good.”

“O-Okay,” you breathed softly.

The awkwardness of touching yourself with an audience was beginning to fade away, lost to pleasure and lust as you watched him. When you finally sunk two fingers into your hole and hooked them up against your g-spot, you nearly saw stars, a weak whimper falling from your lips.

“Ja, das ist ein gutes Mädchen. Lass mich dich hören,” König groaned, “Faster, schatz, keep up with me.”

Eager to obey, you swiftly withdrew your fingers and used the slick to rub your nub. With a finger on either side, you squeezed and rubbed and teased until your legs were shaking with need. Ecstasy swirled rampantly in your belly, growing tighter and tighter with each pass over your clit. It was hard to keep your eyes open but you refused to miss even a second of him. As you got closer and your little noises became harder to control, you could see the chain reaction it had on him, his hips bucking up into each movement as precum spilled over his fist. Oh, and his sounds, the quick smacking and heavy breathing felt like they were connected directly to your core.

“K-König, I’m close,” you warned him weakly.

“Scheiße, heilige scheiße,” he snarled, thighs going tense, “Ja, okay, hold it just a bit longer.”

A debauched whine filled the air and your brows furrowed in frustration. You’d never been good at delaying your climax, too focused on instant gratification, but there was no denying the way his command made your belly twist eagerly. Jesus, what was this man doing to you?

“I know, but I want you to come with me,” he grunted.

The heat was becoming too intense so you instinctively slowed your fingers down to ease the burn, only for him to snap at you to keep going.

“B-But I- please König,” you whimpered needily, “König, bitte, bitte, I-”

The reaction to his native language was immediate, body jolting so hard you nearly expected him to fall off his bed.

“I’m gonna count back from three. At one, I want you to let go, leibling, can you do that for me?” he panted out through moans.

With a little curse, you whined, “Yes, please just- Yes!”

“Drei…”

Fuck, he was doing it in German.

“Zwei…”

He fucking knew what that did to you.

“Eins… Now, now, Kleines!”

A cry of his name escaped in a breathless scream as your body nearly collapsed in on itself at his command, thighs shutting tight around your hand as rutted frantically into your hand. The pleasure coursing through your veins felt like it would drown you but it only got better when he followed suit. You watched in disbelief as ropes of cum shot out and covered his belly and hand, enamored by the way his cock twitched and throbbed as he squeezed out every last drop. Your name heavy on his lips brought that familiar heat back to your face.

“God, fuck,” you whined, jerking your hand away as the sensations became too strong.

A comfortable silence fell over you, only heavy pants breaking the quiet, until you felt rejuvenated enough to roll over and groan.

“Leibling?”

Picking up the phone, you turned it back to the front-facing camera and flashed him a little smile. His eyes were heavy and cheeks still flushed, lips quirked into a smirk as he ran a hand through his hair. How the fuck were you supposed to go the next four months without him?

“I have an embarrassing question,” you murmured after a moment.

He quirked a brow but replied, “Of course, maus, what is it?”

“Would- Would you be okay staying on call with me?” you asked before hastily adding, “Just til I fall asleep! I don’t wanna keep you too late.”

König’s expression turned into something soft.

“Of course but I’ll do better. We’ll stay on all night. Not as good as having you here but it’s better than being without you completely.”

…

“Again!”

Frustration broke through your lips in the form of an annoyed grunt as you punched the hand targets again; right, left, right. You narrowly missed getting hit in the face by the foam target when he swung it at you again. Unfortunately, between your exhaustion and poor balance, you collapsed to the floor with a yelp.

Max let out a honking laugh and you managed to open your eyes just enough to see him bent over, red-faced from laughter. What a jerk.

“Not funny,” you bit out coolly.

“On the contrary, I find it quite funny,” he retorted cheekily, “But, maybe this is a sign we need a break, aye?”

Lifting an eyebrow, you snapped back, “Ya think?! We’ve only been at this for like two hours!”

He shrugged his burly shoulders before settling down onto the ground next to you, handing over your water bottle as he drank from his own. It was a comfortable silence despite your panting, something you were grateful for. It was ironic, considering Max was filling in for Declan who was transferred out after some sketchy shit came up in his files. You couldn’t say you were upset by the change though. Max was the first soldier you’d been able to relatively get along with in months. There was something about his dry humor and easy-going nature that made him likable.

“Tomorrow it’ll be training at the range again. Wanna test you on more long-range options.”

You let your displeasure at the idea be known with the obnoxious long groan you released.

“I’m shit with long range! Just let me focus on getting better at what I’m good at,” you begged, turning to give him your best puppy dog eyes.

He simply stared you down with all the energy of a disappointed father.

“You won’t get good at it if you don’t practice.”

“… And?! I have gifted kid burnout syndrome,” you sighed, “All I want to do is what I’m already good at.”

If looks could kill, you were sure you’d be dead where you lay on the floor. You tossed him back an equally serious glare but within moments you both broke down into laughter.

“Shit, dude, you could kill with those eyes,” Max said, tossing his now-empty bottle aside, “What do ya say? Got ‘nother round in you or we packin’ it up?”

You took inventory of all your sore muscles and bruises before giving a little shrug.

“I’d prefer being able to walk at work tomorrow,” you retorted.

“Rest it is then,” he said as he got to his feet with a long groan.

Following suit, you snagged up your grey hoodie and released your hair from its messy ponytail, double-checking that you still had your phone before heading to the door.

“Hey, wait up a sec!” Max called before the door closed behind you.

You quickly caught it with your foot, trying to ignore the pain of the heavy door nearly crushing your littlest toe.

“Yeeess?”

“A couple of the guys and I are goin’ out to Seven’s tonight, that one bar on Cedar, if you wanna join us?” he asked.

Bile rose in your throat instantaneously as the memories of your last bar experience filled your thoughts- Daniel, the date rape drug, how König killed him in cold blood. Max was nice, respectful even; he hadn’t done anything yet that would make you suspect that he had more than a friendly interest in you, but after Daniel… any man besides König was a terrifying unknown. Apparently, the hesitation was clear on your face because he slapped a heavy hand down on your shoulder, drawing you out of your thoughts.

“No pressure, Y/L/N,” he assured you with a gentle squeeze, “It’d be nice to hang with you without kickin’ your ass though.”

That brought a small smile to your lips. Damn him for being a nice person.

“I appreciate that but, uh, I don’t know many people here that well and-”

“Hey, that’s okay! This’ll be a good chance ta get ta know everyone, and, hey, I’ll be there so you’ll know someone,” he said.

Swallowing hard, you tried to think of a polite way to turn him down but it was impossible with how kind he had been this past week. When your lips parted finally to say no, he lifted up a hand, silencing you instantly.

“If this is about bein’ with a bunch of guys alone, I swear that I’ll protect ya,” he assured you gently, “My mum would have my ass if she knew I didn’t protect a lady, and that’s not even countin’ what’ll happen when Graves gets ahold of me.”

He was making this fucking hard, way harder than it should be. While you were used to being alone, there was no denying how painful it got at times. Especially on the nights when you couldn’t call König and talk to him. Having actual friends might be a nice change of pace.

“You swear?” you asked weakly.

He made an ‘X’ across his heart and said, “Solemnly swear.”

Letting out a sigh, you shifted your jacket farther up your arm before giving him a single nod.

“The instant I don’t feel safe, we’re out, got it?”

“Absolutely! And if anyone gives you trouble, just point me in their direction and they won’t even be a problem. Just consider me your guard dog for the night, yea?”

After agreeing to meet up outside the entrance gates, you scurried back to your room with your thoughts going a million miles an hour. Could you really trust Max? What would happen if you got separated? Would the other soldiers behave? Anxiety whirled through your brain like a tornado, creating more chaos than usual, until you were dressed and checking your reflection. You knew better than to dress in anything too eye-catching this time, settling for a simple black long-sleeved shirt and loose jeans with your work tennis shoes. Even with Max around, shit could happen.

You pulled your hair up into a tidy bun before dragging out your phone and shooting a text to König. He was gone on a mission and didn’t have the ability to answer calls on a whim, but you wanted to keep him updated on your whereabouts… just in case.

‘Hey love! I just wanted to let you know I’m going out to the local bar with some of the guys. My trainer Max, the one I told you about the other day, invited me. He promises he’s going to be my guard dog so I should be safe but I am bringing my pepper spray and self-defense keys too just so you know. No need to worry about me! I’ll text you again once I’m home safe. XO’

Once the text showed as delivered, you turned your ringer all the way up and slid it into your pocket, taking a deep breath for courage before braving the outside. Hopefully, this would be a turning point, a way for you to make friends and have people you could trust again. You shut and locked your door behind you, double-checking it out of cautiousness, then trekked across the base to the meeting point.

There had to be at least twelve to fifteen people gathered outside of the gates when you arrived. Thankfully, there wasn’t a single face you recognized from Daniel’s friend group in the little mass and you let out a relieved sigh before sliding up to Max’s side.

“Hey there! Glad ta see ya made it. Ready to go boys?” Max asked everyone.

A few affirmatives were thrown around before everyone split into separate groups, piling into three different cars. The two that split off with you and Max were chivalrous enough to insist you take the front seat and quickly started up a conversation about Yu-Gi-Oh of all things. Max, surprisingly, joined right in and even tried to involve you in the conversation a few times. It was sweet. By the time you were pulling up at the curb by the bar, somehow the topic had changed to poker and bets on who at the company would have the best poker face.

“I swear, Commander Graves would beat everyone,” you shot back, closing the car door behind you, “Have you been on the wrong side of his wrath yet?!”

“Nah, see, because scary doesn’t equate to a good liar,” Max retorted, “But, if we’re counting outside groups we’ve teamed with, you should see Captain Price. That man has nerves of steel. There’s no way to figure out when he’s bluffing!”

“Oh shit, yeah, haven’t thought about him in a while,” Luke, the younger of the trio shouted.

The chaotic conversation was overpowered by the sound of music, pool tables, and laughter when Max held the door open for you. You quickly slid by and waited right inside, unwilling to chance going more than a few steps away from them.

“Sooo, table first or drinks?” Trevor asked, rocking back and forth on his heels as he looked around the busy bar.

“Drinks. It’s gonna take a hot minute to get anything with that crowd,” Luke replied.

Falling in step beside them, you kept as close to Max as possible, doing your best to ignore the anxiety creeping up in your throat as you tried to decide on a drink. You didn’t want to be a wet blanket but you also weren’t sure about allowing yourself to become inebriated either. Plus with the drugs last time, the idea of alcohol you didn’t pour from the bottle yourself was unappealing. Thankfully, you had a good amount of time to think about it. Luke was correct in his assessment of the crowd. It took almost twenty minutes just to flag the bartender down and order your drinks.

“What’cha gettin’?” Max asked loudly.

You could only shrug in response. Max was nothing but attentive and instantly leaned down to your ear.

“Guard dog, remember? You don’t have to drink but if you do, I’ve got your back!” he reassured you.

“What’s it gonna be, doll?” the young woman across the counter asked blandly.

Shooting him a look that told him exactly how much trust you were putting into him, you smiled timidly at Max then leaned closer to the bartender.

“Just a lemon drop shot and a water please!”

With that, she was gone, and the guys picked back up on their previous discussion concerning the Captain Price they had mentioned, and some guys named Soap, Gaz, and Ghost. Just what the fuck kind of people had those names? Surely that had to be callsigns… right? 'Ghost' fucked with your mind the most. You could only imagine what he had done to earn that name. But Soap? Soap made you giggle. Did anyone take a soldier with that name seriously? You didn’t think you would if you met him.

A few minutes later, you all had your drinks and were headed to a table out on the back patio. It was perfectly cool outside, just a slight chilly breeze blustering about and filling the air with that familiar autumn scent. It was finally starting to feel like October. You sat beside Max and twirled your shot glass in circles, letting your gaze trail over all the different groups outside in the meantime. By twos and threes, the rest of the original clan joined the nearby tables until you were nestled comfortably between them all. You tried to keep up with the conversation but moreso just enjoyed watching them. It was a big group but they all talked together seamlessly. There was no denying the comradery between them and it created a warm, welcoming, feeling in your chest.

Max nudged your arm, pulling your gaze up to him, and you found him staring down at you with one brow lifted.

“You’re okay, right?” he asked.

Flashing him an easy smile, you nodded and replied, “Yeah, I actually am. Hey, uh, thanks for inviting me out.”

He rolled his eyes and waved you off with a scoff, before muttering, “Stop actin’ like it was some act of charity. You may not realize it, but you’re a joy to be around… well, when you’re not bein’ a pain in my ass and tryin’ to shoot me in the foot.”

Eyes widening in disbelief, you backhanded his arm gently.

“That was one time! And it was an accident!” you squeaked, cheeks burning hot.

“Yeah, one time too many,” he snickered back, taking a swig of his beer.

Muttering under your breath about the lack of trust and loyalty he had, you swallowed back the last of your anxiety and finally took the shot in front of you, which was surprisingly delicious.

“If ya need to get up and go anywhere, let me know, I’ll go with ya,” he added after a moment, “I’m on duty til I get ya back to your room.”

You gave him a thankful nod and nursed your water, tuning back into the conversation around you when Luke yelled at Max to defend him.

“What’d I miss?”

“Tell them I’m not actually bad at Mario Kart!” Luke whined, “I lost to Dave once and now he swears he’s better than me at it.”

Yu-Gi-Oh? Mario Kart? How in the fuck were these goofballs the same intimidating soldiers you saw around the barracks?

When Max actually spoke up for Luke, it created a mass of chaos and debates on who was actually better and led to bets for future games. Maybe you’d be lucky enough to join them when they did. It’d been some time since you’d played on more than your Nintendo Switch.

…

“So you’re coming out next time too, right?” Max asked, leaning up against the wall by your door.

“I guess,” you replied with a shrug, “If you guys want me to?”

He narrowed his eyes and bit out, “Noooo. I was asking because I was hoping you’d stay far far away on your lonesome.”

You nudged his ribs gently, trying to quiet your laughter in hopes of not disturbing any of the sleeping soldiers in nearby rooms.

“Shut up. I’m just not used to it is all,” you sighed.

“Well, get used to it, brat. I’m officially naming myself your guard dog older brother,” he retorted, “Now, go get some sleep. Don’t need you dead on your feet at training tomorrow.”

At the reminder of his plans to torture you with sniper training, you deflated against your door with a whine.

“Are you serious?!”

He smirked, patting your shoulder in mock sympathy, before rising to his full height once more.

“Gotta do it, kid. Better to get it done now than have Graves’ on our asses about slacking.”

You couldn’t find fault in his logic but that didn’t mean you liked it any more than you had before. Shooting him an evil glower, you popped your door open and stepped in.

“Night, brat!”

“Yeah, yeah, good night,” you huffed as you slammed the door shut.

Without even bothering to change, you flopped down into your bed and unlocked your phone, checking your notifications. There were a few updates from your social media but the only thing you cared to see were the texts from König.

‘Have fun and be safe. Please make sure you text me once you get home.’ at nine.

‘Leibling? Are you home yet?’ at ten thirty.

‘If I don’t hear from you by 12, I’m not responsible for my actions.’ at eleven thirty.

It was eleven-fifty now. Shit! You weren’t sure what he could do from so far away but you didn’t want to test his capabilities, nor did you want to worry him further. Pulling up his number, you hit call and waited nervously.

“Scheiße! Ich habe mir Sorgen gemacht, Liebling!”

His voice was tense and you instantly felt wilted, guilt filling your chest heavily.

“I’m so sorry, love. I had my ringer on but I didn’t hear any of the texts over the music,” you apologized quickly, “I didn’t mean to worry you, I promise!”

“It’s fine. I’m just glad to hear you safe,” he sighed, “Did you have a good time?”

Lips quirking into a little smile, you replied, “Yeah, it was nice. Would have been better with you there though. Oh, and I think Max has adopted me as his little sister.”

“Little sister, hmm?”

“Yup! He stood guard for me all night. Didn’t let a single person approach me and waited outside the bathroom for me and everything. I don’t know how, but I think he has an idea that something happened in the past,” you explained, “That or he’s just a really good guard dog.”

“That better be all he is,” you heard him grumble softly.

“Calm down, big guy,” you reassured him gently, “Or do I need to remind you why you’re my one and only?”

That got a reaction. The grunt of your name sent your hair on end and pulled a sly smirk to your lips. Yeah, you’d be glad to take the time to show him that you still belonged only to him.

#könig #könig cod #könig x reader #cod smut #könig fanfiction #cod fanfic #könig smut

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kirasenju · 9 months

Text

Devastated (Tobirama Senju x Fem! Anbu Reader)

Part I

“We’re surrounded.” Tobirama said, while closing his eyes and putting his fingers on to the grass to feel the trace they left behind. “There are… 20 of them. Judging from their tracking skills, I’d say they are from Kumogakure. The highly skilled Kinkaku Unit.” He says and opens his eyes.

“There are seven of us including you, Nidaime-sama.” Homura said. When Koharu was going to answer, Tobirama gestured with his hand to stop her. He felt a familiar chakra which made him angry. Then she appeared.

“Eight of us, actually.”

“Y/n-san…?” Homura and Koharu said, they both and the escort unit are surprised by her appearance.

Tobirama talked angrily, his voice is low but stern. “Y/n, you shouldn’t be here.”

“Why not, Hokage-sama? Why did you take me to Anbu if I wasn't going to fight in such situations?“

“You are still wounded, and your chakra is damaged! You don’t have my permission to fight, go home!”

“No!”

Tobirama felt the Kinkaku Unit’s chakras closer, he decided to not to argue with her now. “We don’t have time for this.” He said sternly to her.

The escort unit looked at them, then Koharu spoke.“The enemy hasn’t pinpointed our position yet. We should lie and wait until we can find the opportunity to break through.”

“It’s no use, Koharu. One of us will have to divert their attention.” Kagami said.

“A decoy? It means certain death.” Torifu said. “So who?”

After a silent, Hiruzen speaks. “I will go!”

The escort unit looked at him in shock and concern. After seeing his friends, he speaks again. “Don’t worry. I may not look it, but i know i am better than any of you.” Then he sees Danzo shivering slightly. Puts his hand on his shoulder and says. “Look after the others, Danzo. I know you will-“

“Shut up!” He pushed his hand away. “I was planning on volunteering! Don’t try to steal the spotlight! I’ll be the decoy!”

Hiruzen looks at him concernedly. “Danzo…”

While you wait for Tobirama’s orders, he speaks and surprises you all. “No, i will go and be the decoy, of course.”

“Hokage-sama!” Y/n said, her eyes widened.

“You all are the young Wills of Fire that will be defending our village in the future.” He said seriously. Y/n thinks if she can stop him but she knows no one can do that.

“No! You are the Hokage!” Danzo said. “There is no greater shinobi in the village than you!”

“Danzo, you’re always competing with Saru over one thing or another, but what’s necessary here for you to unite and work together as comrades. Do not make it a personal fight. The fact is, you took too long to make a decision. You must look at yourself rationally and know yourself. Otherwise, at this rate, you’ll place your comrades in danger. In any case, Danzo and Saru… you two are still young, so don’t be hasty. Your time will come. Until that time, stay alive.” He stood up. “Saru… protect those who love the village and those who believe in you. And nurture those to whom you can entrust the next generation. Starting tomorrow, you are the Hokage!”

They all looked at him in shock, knowing that he is determined. While Y/n is looking down and her eyes getting teary. Though she is an anbu that can control her emotions in fights, she cant do this when it’s about his death. When Tobirama met her and took her into Anbu, they became friends. Tobirama admired her maturity though she was young. Two years passed since that day, now she is 21. They had feelings to each other but they never talked about it, being aware of their mutual love. He wanted to tell her, he wanted her as his wife and create a family with her. But he didn’t because he knows she is too fragile and softhearted for his grumpy and tough personality. He was afraid if he loses her, for the first time in his life, he was afraid.

After Tobirama left, she followed him. “Hokage-sama!!!”

After they went away enough to not heard by the escort unit, he stopped suddenly and so she did. They are close to each other. She is crying. “You are leaving, without saying anything to me?!”

“…”

“You are right, they are young. But you are the Hokage. I will be the decoy!”

“All of i said was including you. You are also young, you have a lot of time.” He wipes a tear of her. Caresses her cheek.

Then she says with a weak and painful voice. “I… i love you, Tobirama...” More tears falling down. After hearing that, he isn’t surprised, but his heart aches. He would be so happy if he heard this from her in another time. But now, it only makes it harder to sacrifice himself. Because it means sacrificing their love. “Take care.” He said without saying he loves her back, because he knows it would make things just harder for her. Although he wanted her only for his, he wants her to find love after his death. He only cares about her happiness and safety.

Then he left.

~ Still fighting with the Kinkaku Unit, getting tired more and more. He knows he won’t last too long because their kyuubi chakra just made it harder. But there was something he didn’t consider, the possibility of her following him. Last year, as a perfect sensor ninja, he taught her how to completely suppressing to hide her chakra from enemies. And now, he might regret it…

He managed to finish the enemy except one. He is so tired and almost out of chakra. He gets shocked and mad as he sees something, or someone?

Y/n is attacking the last enemy. Tobirama yells out in a raspy voice. “Y/N!!!!!!”

She does her best to finish the enemy, she feels like getting stabbed by every inch of her body because of her damaged chakra in her last mission. But she ignores her pain, and keeps fighting until the enemy throws her to a tree. She falls, coughs some blood out of her mouth. Then the enemy throws so many shurikens and kunais towards her. They are coming so fast that there is no time to stop them. But for the fastest ninja in history, it was different. He used hiraishin no jutsu to teleport in front of her, he immediately wraps his arms around her body and holds her close to his chest, covering every inch of her delicate body and taking every kunai and shuriken damages to his back. Coughs some blood out.

“Hokage-sama!!!” She said, feeling so much pain in her heart. He hears something explode, carefully looks behind him to the enemy. She really did… he has no idea when she managed to find or complete that forbidden jutsu. The enemy’s body became ashes. The jutsu was forbidden by him because it was dangerous for the shinobi who uses it. Because, in order for the excess heat to be loaded into the enemy's body and then exploded, a continuous transfer from the chakra converted to the fire element is required to the enemy, and this transfer continues until the enemy explodes. So this jutsu also takes the life of its user. But Y/n knew, she knew that the enemy would be afraid of this and throw her away immediately. She just clung to the enemy and held up to the right time, it was risky that it was a matter of a split second and Y/n did it. But just after the enemy has thrown a bunch of kunais and shurikens.

And, saving her was also was a matter of a split second, he thought about getting her away with himself but he didn't have time for this as the attack came over a wide area, only had time to teleport and get ahead of her.

“H-Hokage-sama…” She said painfully with tears in her eyes that blurred her vision. Then the escort unit came over them and saw their position, after seeing the kunais and shurikens on their Sensei’s back, Tobirama Team knew what happened. They weren’t completely aware of his love towards her since they always thought his treatment towards her was more than being friends, they know their cold, tough, grumpy and stoic Sensei. And him always being overprotective and more strict towards her just made it more obvious. But still, they didn’t think they were right about their Sensei fell for someone. So they are in shock. He fell on his knees.

Koharu walked towards them and helped Tobirama keep standing.

“You are bleeding too much Sensei! My healing jutsu wont be enough, can you teleport to the village hospital? Please!”

Y/n holds him. “I am coming with you, i’ll take care of you and call doctor after you get us there…”

~ Four hours passed since he used hiraishin with his last chakra left. Now he is in a surgery and Y/n waiting for the medic ninjas to bring him to the hospital room after the surgery. Y/n, since she is the oldest and highest rank shinobi among them, told the escort unit to keep the Hokage's fatal injury as a secret for the village’s safety. The medic ninjas also won’t let people know about this. Y/n cried a lot, he still might die in the surgery. Because the kunais and shurikens had a poisonous liquid on them. And it’s an unknown poison, even if he gets out of the surgery alive, it will take time to find the antidote and he may not last until then. They said that a normal person would die with this poison in 2 days, but if they were lucky, the Hokage could last up to a week.

Two days passed. Y/n didn’t leave him and slept barely for two hours. She couldn’t eat anything but an onigiri her iryō-nin friend Yuki offered and insisted after she refused her. Day by day, his fever goes higher. He is still unconscious. Everytime he coughs some blood out of his mouth, it makes her cry again while wiping his mouth. She is terrible. Luckily, the iryō-ninjas didn't allow the escort unit to visit, they only accepted Y/n as an escort, so no one other than the iryō-ninjas saw Y/n's messed up and devastated. 5th day… he got worse. Y/n got worse. She went to another room to change her clothes. After changing, she goes back to his room. When she was going to enter in his room, Yuki got out. After what she said to her, Y/n’s swollen red eyes widened.

She has never cried that much before.

A/n: Hello there, i hope you enjoy this angst scenario. By the way, i only changed the backgrounds of the arts, they are not mine. And, unfortunately I don't have a tablet for digital drawing so none of the digital art I post here is mine lol. They are all from pinterest.

Here they are:

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firecooking · 6 months

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A fun piece that took me WAY too long to complete!

I wanted to draw out the Z stacks for my humanoid au and do something fun with the outfits and the posing. I almost always draw them in some form of work uniform or in their formal gear and while that's pretty accurate for most situations they also have non work good clothes, of course in shades of Zero Marine Bigg City approved browns and blacks.

I also wanted to highlight more personal styles with them as well as keeping the context of the 1920s in mind! I also gave them all weapons for fun!

Zip has a VERY stylish youthful way of dressing for the 1920s, his bow tie would be seen as rather formal in contrast to his outfit which would be very youthful and in matching, shorts don't match with sweaters, boots don't match short sleeves, young men often dressed 'eclectically' to 'stand out'. Zip Carries a rather standard hunting rifle, he doesn't much like to use it, but it lets him stay away from danger while protecting himself. He's a small guy and doesn't like to be in the action, the gun lets him keep his distance, and he quite likes that. He does know how to use it and will if necessary.

Zug wears a pretty average day suit, it's pants cut is a little big and the coat is a sport cut, he'd been seen as basically a lousy dresser, sorta like a used car sales man. Zug carries a Tommy Gun, he's a small guy and it gets the job done.

Zorran dresses in a modern for the time business suit, the cut is straight on the pants and jacket and the bi coloured pants and jacket would be seen as a more relaxed choice and he's forgone the vest of old. Winged saddle shoes complete the look, he would be a snazzy dresser in the eclectic sense like Zip. Zorran is a resourceful man and will fight with anything at hand, but a good old fashioned lead pipe is easy enough to carry and conceal and even easier to ditch without suspicion

Zebedee forgoes convention, instead going for comfort and a relaxed fit. The Zoot Suit is still two decades out but the smoking suit is making its debut, considered a wasteful use of fabric Zebedee is on the cutting edge of fashion, even if he just wanted something comfortable. He is a fan of brass knuckles, if he has to fight he'd rather brawl fair and square

Zak, like Zorran, forgoes a piece of the standard business suit, However his piece of choice is the Vest, which sets him firmly into casual. With a dark grey shirt and matching tie, pants, hat and shoes, Zak is scrubbing against the grain of fashion conventions of the time, Zak would be kicked out of a fancy restaurant on sight in such an outfit. Zak keeps a switch blade on him at all times, he's a big fan of stiletto style knives, they make quick work of any target

Zaffre opts to forgo feminine dress but doesn't abandon women's wear. The Blazer is in its second decade as women wear, note the lack of collar notches on the blazer and the single button, and the loose fitting light fabric pants are the trend with young flappers for day wear. Her shirt and tie are what step back into men's wear but are not unheard of anymore. She's young and a great example of a second generation suffragette, the right to vote is just the first step, you know. Zaffre hasn't opted for any weapons yet, the hat pins and batons of days past are not needed when you are ready and willing to beat someone to death with your bare hands. Maybe she'll find something someday

Also have a high chart because I am terrible at drawing them to scale, by 1920s average heights they are all pretty average, Zug and Zaff being extreme but not unheard of, by today's average heights literally all of them are average and below with Zug being unheard of as a 'normal' hight

#the fire burns #burnings #art #illistration #this is tugs #z stacks #tugs zorran #zaffre #tugs zebedee #tugs humanized #tugs zip #tugs zak #tugs zug #wepons #guns #gun #knife #knives

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the12thnightproject · 15 days

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Chapter One: Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition - Katsuko accepts a mysterious mission that will take her to Azuchi.

Mitsunari x OC; Nobunaga x Mai

Logline - In order to protect a political alliance, Katusko and Mitsunari must pretend an engagement. But this "all business" arrangement is threatened by a coup against Nobunaga... and by feelings.

Notes - Takes place after the ending of Nobunaga's romantic route, but before the epilogue. Slow burn (very slow burn). Friends to lovers. Canon typical violence.

From the Military Notes of Ishida Mitsunari: A primary goal of military planning is to enable Generals to meet their manning objectives for force size, composition, and wartime capability. To attain these objectives, forces must be appropriately structured with motivated personnel who are deployed to jobs suitable for their talents, and given training to improve their skills, even when the country’s security goals evolve to meet new threats.

On occasion, it may be necessary to contract additional personnel, often mercenaries, who are specifically trained to carry out special projects.

Personal comments: Lord Hideyoshi read the above notes and reminded me that the hiring of additional persons should be performed by himself, and none other. He also said something that I am not certain I heard correctly, but it involved Lord Mitsuhide and a word that I am not comfortable writing down.

“She likes you better – it should come from you.” I eyed the missive in Aki’s hand as if it were an unexploded bomb. Ok, technically it was the match. The UXB was Fume. “She hates me. If I give her this, it will make it worse.” Yes, I am a messenger. Delivering messages is my job. At the same time, I’ve managed to do this job for years without becoming victim to the cliché, ‘kill the messenger.’ I had no desire to ruin this streak of not-being-killedness.

“I’ve been travelling for what feels like a thousand years.” There was wry twist to his mouth, as if those imaginary years had stolen not only time but also something incalculable.

It had felt like a thousand years to me too – I’d been here all summer, with only Fume’s dubious companionship. I was so happy to see a friendly face that I was almost willing to do as requested. Almost. “Well then, the time it takes for you to go into the kitchen and hand her the letter will feel like the blink of an eye, won’t it?”

“I cannot handle what is sure to be an unending spate of feminine histrionics.” He grabbed my hand and stuck the letter in it.

“Are you forgetting that I’m also female?” I shoved the letter back into his hands.

“You, my dear child, are never histrionic.” He waved the letter in the air. “Did I mention it’s in Portuguese?”

Dammit.

With a sigh I took the letter back, my fingers closing around the unfamiliar weight of the European vellum.

He patted my shoulder. “Good luck.” Shouldering his travel gear, he turned toward his quarters. “I’m off to sleep until tomorrow. Don’t bother me unless the world is ending. Don’t bother me then either.”

His footsteps trailed off, then I heard him pause at the doorway to the kitchen and tell Fume that he was under no circumstances to be disturbed. He was also probably telling her –

“Francisco sent me a letter?” Fume planted her squat body in front of me (had she teleported across the room?) and reached for the message. She must have been cooking when Aki stopped in to talk to her, because she still had a kitchen knife in her hand. The entrails of whatever she had been dismembering shone red and wet across the blade.

I felt less optimistic about that messenger not being killed thing.

Fume snatched the letter out of my hand, I had the dubious joy of watching her smell it, then clutch it to her cleavage. Finally, she opened it, sighed, and handed it back to me. “Translate this, Kaya.”

No ‘please.’ I considered requesting that she say it, but the letter was going to infuriate her anyway. No reason to push my luck. I opened the letter and skimmed through it, hoping Aki had been wrong about the contents… and-

Aki’s never wrong.

I wonder if Nobunaga’s job offer is still on the table.

“Don’t stand there like a witless idiot, what does he have to say?” Fume glared at me, and a bit of whatever she had been cutting slid to the edge of the knife and dangled. It was almost hypnotizing to watch that bit of intestine swing back and forth and back and –

“Kaya!”

Once, in a forest in Echigo, I encountered the God of War, and I was less scared of him than I am of Fume. I took a discreet step back, knowing that the knife would be flung at me once she heard what Francisco had to say. I opened the letter and read it to Fume. “My Dearest Little Squash Blossom.” (It absolutely did not begin that way, but my bedroom was close enough to Fume’s that I was aware of every pet name Francisco had ever called her. I unfortunately knew the pet name he used for his penis – which was not information I had ever expected or wanted to know).

“And?” She stomped her foot, and that bit of meat finally gave up and fell off the knife, landing on the floor with a loud, squelchy splat. Sigh. I was going to have to scrub that. “I swear Kaya, some days I wonder why Aki bothers to keep you.”

“Sorry Fume-sama. His handwriting is terrible.” I pretended to squint at the letter, rotating it as if to find a better angle. Mentally, I scrambled to find a diplomatic way to rephrase this ‘Dear John’ letter. “He had to travel to Goa for a family obligation.” I took another tiny step back.

“When will he come back to Japan?” When she was upset, Fume’s voice often rocketed through several octaves to reach a glass shattering pitch.

“That, he does not say.” Aside from what amounted to ‘don’t wait for me to return, have a nice life.’ Basically, it was the Sengoku version of break-up-via-text-message.

Fume’s screech of dismay would likely have all dogs in the district howling. The knife came flying, but though Fume has a terrible temper, she has worse aim, and I ducked it. While she was still raining curses upon Francisco, I escaped to the training grounds behind the manor.

During Aki’s absence, in whatever free time I could squeeze from the maid work Fume gave me, I had been working on my archery skills. My self-assigned task had been to become adept at hitting targets while I was on a moving horse. I’d gotten pretty good at this (it had been a really long summer) and could hit the target while seated in the saddle and while standing up in the stirrups.

Unfortunately, my current goal of hitting the target while hanging off the side of my horse was proving difficult. I either needed an extra hand or a better saddle, because my knee kept slipping off the pommel and I inevitably ended up thudding to the ground. Still, I continued to make the attempt. Falling off my horse was better than dealing with Fume when she was #MOOD.

After each fall, Moonlight would halt, trot back to my side, and nudge me with her nose. “What are you doing, you silly human?” At least, that was what I imagined she was saying. Fume might hate me, but my horse was my best buddy.

On my third attempt of the afternoon, I’d managed to get off a shot that landed at the edge of the target before thumping gracelessly to the turf.

Euuf. That one almost knocked the breath out of me.

Even with Moonlight nosing me, I spent a moment on the ground, staring at the puffy clouds in the sky, and pondering my life choices.

“Katsu, was there a purpose to this exercise other than practicing your falling skills?” The dry comment came from the gate to the yard, where a man with long dark hair looked down on me from his position on his own horse.

“Kyubei!” I got to my feet and dusted off my rear end. I couldn’t remember my Azuchi contact ever coming to this part of the country. I always travelled there, not the reverse. “Has something happened?”

“That was my question for you.” He climbed off his horse and glanced back over his shoulder at where the path angled steeply down the mountain. “We haven’t seen you in weeks, and Mitsuhide has an urgent request of your master.”

“Oh. Nothing’s wrong. Aki’s been away for some time. He finally returned this morning.” I glanced back toward the manor, wondering if ‘urgent business from Mitsuhide’ would meet his definition of the world ending. “I’ve been mired here all summer.”

I looped Moonlight’s reigns over the fence so she wouldn’t wander into the garden and eat something that would annoy Fume even more. “In any case, it’s good to see a friendly face. Welcome to The Mountain.” Aki had never actually named his manor, but given its location, most people referred to it this way.

“Mountain is rather an understatement. The path to here is vertical.” Once again, Kyubei looked over his shoulder at the view.

“You ought to see it in winter.” There were times when it was impassible for days. “It’s really an adventure coming and going then.”

He literally turned pale at that. “I will take your word for it.” His hand went to his waist where the edge of an oilskin pack peeped out from the vee of his kimono. “Do you know if Akihira is available to speak with me?”

“Um. Well, he did say he didn’t wish to be disturbed until tomorrow. Is there anything I can help you with in the meanwhile?” I directed Kyubei around to the front.

Kyubei paused and scrutinized me from toes to the top of my head, and I suddenly had the odd feeling he could see right into my soul. “Actually, I believe you can. Katsu, pardon me if this is an intrusive question, but are you a girl?”

Whoops! When I was here at home, I usually didn’t bother with the leather binder I used to flatten my figure, and my hair wasn’t neatly hidden away. Oh well. Too late now. “Not intrusive, and yes – though I am still Katsu. My birth name is Katsuko.”

He smiled. “You might be the perfect solution to our problem, Katsuko.”

Oh? Please. Let me be a solution to a problem, and not-

Just then the woman who generally considered me her problem blocked the front door of the manor. “Kaya stop flirting with this vagrant and come help me clean up.”

“Fume-sama, this man urgently needs to speak with Akihira.” I gestured to Kyubei, who bowed politely, but not with any particular deference.

“He isn’t to be disturbed until tomorrow, and I intend to make sure of that.” She eyed Kyubei with suspicion. “If he must speak with Akihira, then he can spend the night in the stable. Where, I might add, your horse also belongs, and not tied to the gate.”

I can’t win with this woman. “Play along,” I murmured to Kyubei before returning my attention to Fume. “This is Oda Nobunaga’s ally Akechi Mitsuhide. His message is extremely important.”

Kyubei instantly underwent a top to toes transformation – his posture straightened, his eyes took on a sharp gleam, and he flashed Fume a mocking smile. I appreciated how quickly he had done that. Although I was used to passing as a boy, and occasionally as an old man, I’d never tried to impersonate someone particular. “I’m given to understand that Yamaoka Akihira is in residence at present.”

A similar transformation affected Fume, who went from condescending to obsequious in the same amount of time. She bowed low and long. “He does not wish to be disturbed, but I am certain he would wish you treated as an honored guest. Kaya! Prepare a room for Lord Akechi.” She stepped aside and shooed me toward the guest quarters. “My apologies my lord. Akihira has treated this one as a pet.”

A pet would have people to play with, but… details.

When Fume is in a #MOOD, it’s easier to stand back and take it (while imagining a creative revenge to be named later). I turned to go inside, but Kyubei stopped me. “You do me honor, but it is, as I said, a matter of some urgency. Is there any way I can convince you to disturb him?”

“No need.” Aki padded down the hall, dressed in his nighttime robes. “It’s impossible to get any sleep with all this commotion.”

“Aki,” I said, hoping to clue him in before he broke Kyubei’s cover. “Mitsuhide – oof.” Fume had elbowed me, none to gently. “That is, Lord Aketchi travelled all the way from Azuchi to speak with you.”

With a conspiratorial smile, Aki turned to Kyubei. “He did, eh? Well, Mitsuhide, it’s a pleasure to see you… again. Shall we discuss this matter in my receiving room?”

Kyubei inclined his head and followed Aki into the house. I made to join them, but Fume grabbed my arm and yanked me back. “The floor, Kaya. There is something on it.” She pointed to the meat that had dripped from her knife earlier.

With a glance back to me, Kyubei paused. “This involves your messenger. Can she meet with us as well? It would save time.”

The “she” pronoun caused Aki’s eyebrow to raise, but he simply nodded and motioned me along. I resisted the impulse to give Fume a look of triumph.

I hurried after Kyubei into Aki’s office, skidding to a halt to avoid running into him. He’d stopped just inside the door and was looking around. I tried to imagine how the office would look to an outsider: an eye-searing jumble of odds and ends, Western trinkets and Chinese artwork culled from his dealings with the Portuguese traders, a mismatch of both Japanese style and European furnishings, and of course two shogi boards – one of which consisted of his ongoing long-distance game with Mitsuhide. I was used to it… but it could definitely be sensory overload to a stranger.

Kyubei looked down at shogi game-in-process. “This at least, is a familiar sight.”

“One would hope that this visit isn’t simply because Mitsuhide is impatient for my next move.” Aki paused by the firepit to put the tea water on to boil.

“No, of course not. Although, I will admit to being tired of losing to him every night while we wait for your message.” Kyubei glanced back and forth between the chairs that were facing a large European crafted desk, and the cushions around a traditional writing desk.

Aki gestured to the larger desk and chairs, which he preferred to use, claiming height was better on his knees. In all the years I had known him, he had not shown any evidence of knee pain. Once I had pointed that out to him, he’d told me it was because he sat in Nanban chairs. I think he chooses to sit there because it makes him look like a king facing his subjects.

Once we were seated at the desk, with cups of te- wait. Was Aki drinking… coffee? I sniffed the air and glanced at his cup.

“My latest find from a Nanban merchant.” He took a long sip. “Who, I believe, purchased it from a Dutch trader. Do you wish to taste it?” He pushed the cup toward me.

I knew what coffee tasted like, but ‘Katsu’ would not, so I took a sip then made a face that was not entirely fake. “It’s rather strong. Slightly bitter.” I don’t mind bitter. But I like my tea.

I passed the cup to Kyubei who also took a taste. “I imagine it could be an acquired taste but…hm.” He tapped his fingers on the cup. “I wonder if I might have some of this to take back to my master to see if he can taste it.”

That was an odd turn of phrase, but Aki simply nodded. “I’ll send a package with instructions on how to prepare it back with you. Meanwhile, I understand you have an important message from him?”

Kyubei handed over the message. Aki unfolded it and read through it with a few absent-minded hmmms of his own, a chin rub, and sidelong glances at me. “Mitsuhide asks if I have an apprentice or messenger who can pass as a woman. It appears to me that having Katsuko pretend to be a boy pretending to be a girl would be unnecessarily complicated.”

I imagine Julie Andrews would have something to say about that.

“Indeed.” Kyubei glanced at me critically. “However, we can do as well with Katsuko as herself. True, there would still be a bit of a disguise involved, but no one expects there to be any danger.”

No one expects the Spanish inquisition either.

I’m not really bothered by the idea of danger. After the past couple of months, I’d gladly take a change of scenery and would welcome. The denizens of Azuchi couldn’t be any worse than Fume, and even if there was some danger, it wasn’t likely to throw a bloody kitchen knife at me.

Aki rubbed his chin. “Kyubei, do you mind giving us a moment of privacy to discuss the matter?”

Kyubei bowed. “Not in the least. I’ll find your, er, kind, chatelaine and ask for a place where I can wash the mountain off me.” It sounded like he and the mountain were not fond of one another.

Once Kyubei had whisked himself away with all the discretion and attitude of an upper crust British butler (or at least a Netflix version of same), Aki turned to me. “I suppose the first question is, do you wish to do this?”

“My first preference would be to go with you on your next mission.” Aki often took me with him on short jobs, but not the long journeys where he went away, only to return looking as if the fate of the world rested on his shoulders… I would like to share that burden with him, if he would let me. Somewhere along the line, I’d stopped being just an apprentice to him, but he still shielded me from much of his work.

Aki smiled at me, but he looked … sad. Sad? Not an emotion that I usually associated with him. “That’s very … kind of you Katsuko. But these are missions that I must do on my own.”

“If that is the case then yes, please send me to Azuchi.” Not wanting to sound too overeager to be gone from home, I added, “If Fume and I spend much more time together, the next time you return, I cannot promise we’d both be alive to greet you.”

He laughed and ruffled my hair. “Alright my fierce… apprentice. Bear in mind you’ll be working for Mitsuhide who will not have as much tolerance for your brand of cheekiness as I do.”

I stole another sip of his coffee just to tease him. “You did teach me manners, remember?”

He groaned. “I do remember. That’s why I’m worried.” He looked out the window, but I had a feeling he wasn’t seeing lush summer greenery in the yard, but something less friendly… something that weighed on him. Then he seemed to shake it off and looked back to me with that familiar professorial tone. “As it happens, you’ll also be spending time in the Hida region, and it suits me very much to have someone in that area, so I’m inclined to send you with Kyubei.”

I sat up straighter. Aside from the couple of weeks I had spent in the booksellers in Azuchi, I’d never had a solo mission. “What needs doing in Hida?”

Aki rustled around with the papers on his desk and pulled out a map. “There’s a great deal of mining in the area – many parties are very interested in those mines as the desire for Japanese silver exports increases. It goes without saying that Nobunaga wants control, but there may be people not happy for him to have that. I don’t expect that the area will destabilize – at least not quickly, but when you return, I would like to know your impression of the situation.”

Thrilled that he trusted me with this, I lifted my chin and fought back the urge to smile. Professionals don’t smile. “I won’t let you down.” Again though, there was part of my brain that had on repeat, nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.

“I know you won’t.” He took a large sip of coffee, savoring it as if it were the best beverage on the planet. “Or you’ll spend the next year solely under Fume’s authority.” He softened that threat with a smile. “I trust you know how to take care of yourself, but it goes without saying that I hope you’ll be careful and stay safe.”

Maybe it went without saying, but he had never before said it to me, especially not in that tone of voice that almost made me want to hug him.

And, so, I did hug him, and after a startled moment, he held onto me tightly, his palms pressed firmly into my back.

Although Aki encouraged Kyubei to spend the night and get an early and well-rested start in the morning, he preferred to leave right away, claiming that time was of the essence. Kyubei advised me not to bother packing any of “Kaya’s” clothing – advice that cheered me immensely, as Kaya’s clothing was a dreary pile of ugly kimonos in varying shades of mud. “Nobunaga will see that an appropriate wardrobe is provided for you. The Lady Mai is a talented seamstress and will be happy to outfit you.”

That didn’t provide much of a clue to what I would be doing, or what I should pack, but I simply threw together everything I would have brought along were I going on a trip with Aki, as well as my (sadly fraying) portrait of Toshiie, and the portable shogi set that Aki had given me on my most recent birthday. Though I knew I’d be dressing as a female, I chose to travel as Katsu – it was safer. Moreover, ‘Katsu’ was familiar, and I’d learned to keep as many familiar things close to me as possible, lest they disappear forever.

“I’m glad you were quick,” Kyubei said once we were on our way. “I do not want to make this descent after dark.”

“It’s actually easier if you can’t see where you are going,” I said, just for the fun of seeing him turn pale again. “At least if you fall off the mountain, you won’t see the rocks before you hit them.”

“I can’t wait for Mitsuhide to meet you,” he muttered as we led our horses along the steep path. Riding would have been faster, but I didn’t know how surefooted his horse was. Also, I doubted Kyubei even wanted to add another four feet of height to the equation.

“Why?” In truth, after delivering so many messages to him via Kyubei over the past four years, I was surprised that our paths hadn’t crossed.

“No reason… Katsu, can we stop talking until we reach flatter territory? I’d prefer to concentrate on not plunging to my death.” Kyubei sounded out of breath.

I glanced over my shoulder and felt bad for teasing him. I mean, put me in front of a tunnel, a cave or even a tiny windowless room, and I’d be a sobbing mess. “Alright, but to be honest, it looks worse than it is. Nobody’s ever fallen off the mountain in the summer. Well, not anyone who wasn’t drunk first.”

He grumbled something along the lines of about needing to be drunk to take this path.

It wasn’t until we made our way to flatter terrain that he regained his normal distantly friendly attitude. By the time we had camped for the night, he had relaxed enough to entertain me with some of his exploits.

“How did you manage to pretend to be Mitsuhide so quickly?” I set a copper tea kettle over the fire. “Oh, I wouldn’t eat those if I were you,” I added as Kyubei shook some of the coffee beans into his hand.

He ignored my advice and bit into one but managed to keep a straight face while what I imagined was very bitter coffee attacked his taste buds. “Some of it is training – but I’ve also had a lot of practice. He and I have exchanged identities in the past.”

“Really? I thought Mitsuhide was… older?” I’d once seen the back of his head – in fact that was the only glance I had ever seen of him – and his hair was silver-white.

“No, we’re of the same age.” Kyubei poured the coffee beans back into their metal tin. “Put me in a silver wig and anyone who doesn’t know him well would be fooled.”

Wow – I bet that made them fun at Halloween. “Will I be in disguise too?” Please don’t say housemaid.

“We’ll be presenting you Oda Princess.” Kyubei had a faint smile on his face.

“A wha-” I paused, realizing I had spoken with an unprincesslike mouthful. I swallowed, the tried… and failed… to come up with an appropriately regal reply. “Er, not that I’m not flattered, but you could have gotten an actress and done just as well.”

Kyubei inclined his head. “Indeed. Our Princess might have some additional duties more generally assigned to personal guards. But truly, as I said, we don’t expect this to be very dangerous.”

In other words, Princess-slash-bodyguard. On one hand, that sounded pretty awesome… aside from that voice in my head had that had swelled to an eight-part chorale: Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.

@lorei-writes @bestbryn @lyds323 @katriniac @briars7

#TBTMND #A Mitsunari Night's Dream #Ikemen Sengoku #fanfic #mitsunari ishida #ikesen mitsunari #oc katsuko #katsuverse

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coarsely · 1 day

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OC Interview

Hello! I was tagged by @ink-flavored, thank you so much! Last time, we interviewed Saccade, so now it's time to go across the border and interview the Potentate Louis!

Are you named after anyone?

"Yes. There were two Louis' of the Potentate dynasty before me; one had married in to the Potentate Ludovica some eons ago, and despite the 10 children the couple sired during their marriage only two made it to adulthood. The other was a military man, Seraph of the Empyrean's Army only for a week before his horse went wild and dove down the side of a cliff. Neither are... particularly proud namesakes, but I am grateful to be given a chance to carve a greater legacy for future generations."

When was the last time you cried?

"What a ridiculous question. Do you mistake me for a hysterical woman, or an overemotional, nostalgic fool like Salvatore? I have not cried since I was a small child."

Do you have kids?

"Another ridiculous question. I am not married, so how would I have children? I am not a degenerate, unlike some of my cousins. Moreover, palace this may be, there are quite enough people in it as is. I do not seek to add to the tally of Potentate heads within these walls. And furthermore–I have no desire for children. I have quite enough brothers and sisters, cousins plenty to ensure the family blood does not dry. No, Empyrean willing, I shall never marry either".

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

"No; I will not undermine my words and authority by using them for irony, humour or mockery. It is unbecoming of a Potentate."

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

"Masks, of course. What they wear upon their faces. The weapons of Nod have placed Eden into a permanent masquerade, and some are taking advantage of that. I see people with masks of owls, of wolves, of ravens and lions and bears. They wish to show what they feel represents their personhood, their status. For example, my father, the Potentate Felipe, has taken to wearing one of a ram, with great curved horns. In truth, I think they are slightly too heavy for his head to comfortably wear–but you understand why a Seraph of the Empyrean's Army would want a thing symbolising protection, like the ram. Now that we must have our faces covered always in case of a gas attack, it is necessary to still have ways to communicate our personhood and societal status."

What’s your eye color?

"Blue. Like my father, like the God-King himself, Magnus. I am proud to say I have my grandfather's eyes. Naturally I... never met him, but the shade is similar in the many portraits of the Potentate Boris. I would have liked to have met my uncle."

Scary movies or happy endings?

"Fiction is for children, and for fools unable to face their own reality, too cowardly to grasp and change it. Neither."

Any special talents?

"I... am adept with the sword and I have a natural inclination to the sciences. If my aunt, Clymene, was not so close in age to me, I would naturally be considered to inherit the science sector when she passed. As it is, it is unlikely to happen."

Where were you born?

"Do you seek to waste my time with unnecessary questions? The Palace of Eden, as every one of the Potentate dynasty was born ever since the Prophet lifted it from the ground. Only the Potentate Zephyr was born outside of these walls, when Gloriana, pregnant with her son, attempted her coup and ran away from these holy walls."

Do you have any pets?

"Not specifically. There are... hounds kept for hunting and guarding, but none are mine, and I find the novelty of such beasts wears quickly. A cat would suit my temperament much better, but there is little to do for a small animal in this palace."

What sort of sports do you play?

"I fence regularly, to keep my physique in check, and I often play chess with my cousins. Oh, I raced against my siblings often on horseback when we were children, but I suppose that doesn't count as a sport. I also played cricket as a youth, but Orsete is a terrible cheat, so I never pursued it."

How tall are you?

"I stand at 182cm. Not as tall as my younger brother, Azelio, who stands at a quite ridiculous 194cm, but I am taller than my father, and that is all one can ask for, no?"

What was your favorite subject in school?

"I have appreciation for most academics, but if forced to choose... physics, I am endlessly fascinated by."

What is your dream job?

"What trivial, provincial things jobs are. I have no need for them. The only duty I have, the one I dream about, is that to my family, to do the great Potentate name proud, and to join my ancestors in the Empyre when my time comes."

Thank you again! I'm tagging @chauceryfairytales , @bebewrites, @ashfordlabs, @borisyvain, @megarywrites, @mjjune, @albatris, @scholarlycoffee and as always, anyone else who wants to be involved! The questions are under the cut, as before.

Are you named after anyone?

When was the last time you cried?

Do you have kids?

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

What’s your eye color?

Scary movies or happy endings?

Any special talents?

Where were you born?

Do you have any pets?

What sort of sports do you play?

How tall are you?

What was your favorite subject in school?

What is your dream job?

#anti-chronicles #potentate louis #character interviews #tag games

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kimetsu-no-yabai · 10 months

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I'm usually on the camp of "Nezuko's mental age regression is a bad writing decision because it takes agency away from the sole female main character" - but after Tamayo's explanation that Nezuko traded consciousness for changing her biological makeup to co-exist peaceably with humans, I am forced to admit that as usual any writing decision in KnY I initially hate ends up lining up unexpectedly with the themes of the centrality of love.

The reason Nezuko is such a special demon is because Tanjirou's protection and guidance allowed her to become one.

Most demons focused on the day-to-day of feeding themselves, finding somewhere to rest, and fending off humans who wanted them dead. Nezuko is a rare demon who had the protection of someone else, so she could afford to sleep most of the time and change her biology. Only Nezuko could afford to trade so much of her consciousness away and to become so childlike, airheaded and defenceless because Tanjirou took care of the day-to-day for her. Unlike the other demons, she didn't have to always be on guard and live with an everyone-for-themselves mentality.

Nezuko was also able to not taste a single drop of blood because Tanjirou carried her away from their family's bodies (while trying to get her to a doctor) and was strong enough to hold her off until she got a grip. And only she lived past being discovered by a demon slayer, because Tanjirou defended her and she defended him. And when she did feel the urge to eat (Red Light District arc), Tanjirou was there to stop her.

Also very importantly, Nezuko's love for Tanjirou provided her a very strong motivation to stay in this sub-human state of consciousness for the long period necessary.

Most demons did not have a very strong reason to force themselves not to eat. Either they had no respect for humanity to begin with (Gyokko, Muzan, Spider Demon Ryu), or everyone they loved had died and they were subsequently in too much despair to put up a fight (Tamayo, a certain spoiler demon who was so suicidal that forgetting his loved ones ironically helped him live longer).

Meanwhile Nezuko really needed to return to being human, because her brother will not stop fighting demons otherwise. Regaining consciousness and convincing him to quit isn't an option for her because the demon slayers wouldn't let her live, and Tanjirou won't let her die. (And if he did, he would never recover from her death.) Like I don't know how much Nezuko thought this through, but Tanjirou's plan to shake information out of demons while trying to kill them is frankly terrible, while Nezuko's course of action to just change her biology was wildly successful lol. She had the better idea. Just as Tanjirou walked this long road for Nezuko, Nezuko did for Tanjirou.

Man, this is why I really love KnY. When the narrative said that nothing could break the bond between Tanjirou and Nezuko, when it said that love lets people exceed any reasonable expectation and achieve the impossible, they weren't just saying it. Everything has always been there, lying out in the open and waiting for us to realize it. Like, which other demon could spend so much time sleeping away so that they can change their biology. Only the little sister whose big bro is still alive and willing to take care of everything for her, and who herself loves him enough to achieve the impossible, of course.

#demon slayer #kny meta #kimestu no yaiba #my posts #kamado nezuko #demon slayer meta #the thing abt demon slayer is that everything is rly obvious but also do you ever really truly connect the dots?

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fatalism-and-villainy · 5 months

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I think a lot about Chiyoh’s arc, and how it aligns with the broader topics season 3 is touching on wrt justice, prisons, and moral responsibility.

Because what’s so striking to me is how unapologetically ruthless she is in her handling of the prisoner, in a way that even Will calls her on:

Chiyoh: He wants you to look at him, speak to him. But you’re not going to. Will: You’ve cast aside the social graces normally afforded to human beings. Chiyoh: He’s cast them aside. All he’s allowed is the sound of water. It’s what the unborn hear. It’s their last memory of peace. Will: You’re keeping him like an animal. Chiyoh: I wouldn’t do this to an animal.

The kind of solitary confinement she subjects him to is, effectively, torture. And yet she feels so strongly about murder! Her self-defense murder of the prisoner and its immediate aftermath marks the only time when she’s truly emotionally rattled, and everything about the situation suggests that not killing is a very stringent moral standard she’s held herself to. And no matter how wearying the prolonged imprisonment is to her, it’s not one that she has a moral objection to - she believes it’s justified by the severity of the prisoner’s crimes. (It’s questionable whether she considers her treatment of the prisoner to be violence, but if she did, she’d certainly term it “necessary violence”.)

(There is something similar to consider about the random mooks she shoots to ensure Hannibal and Will’s escape in Digestivo - is this “necessary” violence to her? Apparently, but if so, she considers protecting the man she considers to be family something for which it is worth taking lives. And the fact that those murders are far-off sniper shots suggests that perhaps she is averse to violence when it’s up-close, personal, and bloody, but is still willing to enact it when she can distance herself somewhat from its effects.)

All of that is to say - I am convinced that Chiyoh’s insistence that she only commits violence when it’s necessary, and her repeated disavowal that she is anything like Will, despite having actively undertaken vigilante justice, is pretty hypocritical on her part! I don’t say that to demonize her - the jumble of contradictory ethical principles is one of the aspects of her that I find fascinating to crack open despite her limited screen time, and Will himself by season 3 (and almost certainly post-canon) is also pretty capable of hypocrisy. And of course she’s not entirely like Will. She doesn’t seem to take much righteous satisfaction or sadistic pleasure in her handling of the prisoner - her line that “we have been each others’ prisoner” suggests that the situation wears on her just as much as him. But it is pretty clear to me that there are truths about herself, and her capacity for violence, that she is pointedly refusing to acknowledge, and that she’s clinging to some pretty narrowly defined moral principles so as to preserve her self-concept.

And I think the question that that arc involving Chiyoh invites us to ask - whether the bare life conditions she subjected her prisoner to really were all that morally superior to murder - constitutes one potential thread between 3A and 3B. Because what it brings to mind for me is Hannibal’s line to Alana in WOTL: “Any rational society would either kill me, or give me my books.”

And like many of Hannibal’s statements… it makes a twisted kind of sense.

To be clear, I absolutely do not think NBC Hannibal is trying to articulate a thematic statement against carceral justice - it’s too apolitical a show to bear that kind of weight. (And it’s certainly not interested in rehabilitation, either). But it is a show that is very interested in how our moral beliefs as well as our darker urges and fascinations define our selfhood, and the kind of moral doublethink we all engage in. And that kind of thematic backdrop does appropriately pair with the show’s general slant towards murder as not even necessarily more ethical than imprisonment, but more honest. As something that constitutes truly owning our moral judgments, feeling for ourselves the full weight and impact of delivering them.

Alana being the recipient of that line from Hannibal - and her overall role as his jailor - also has a certain kind of irony, given that she herself has to learn this lesson in 3A. She and Margot, as per their dialogue in Dolce, intend to have Mason arrested. But when that plan goes awry and they can’t rely on FBI intervention, Alana ends up having to pay the price of getting involved with Mason by getting her hands dirty. Notably, in the cases of both Alana and Chiyoh, Will has a hand in pushing them both towards murder (and in the case of Alana, Hannibal also plays a role in that - an interesting example of the aligned-but-divergent ways Will and Hannibal might exert influence on others post-canon). The situations are somewhat different in that Chiyoh has shouldered more personal responsibility in taking on the role as jailor, rather than ceding that authority to institutional higher powers. But her situation does still overlap significantly with Alana helping Margot murder Mason, in that the result Will engineers from her feels geared to force her to face what she’s taken on, to get up close and personal and really see.

(And of course, both murders bring some sort of freedom or moral catharsis, along with an intense self-recognition that can’t be found through the complacency of more socially acceptable forms of justice.)

Furthermore, in 3B, Will himself is engaged in a similar kind of thought process. In his conversation with Walter, he’s pretty firm on not killing Dolarhyde, and sending him to a mental hospital instead. And given Will’s arc at this point in the show, it’s pretty intuitive that this intention is a product of Will not wanting to be the kind of person who kills - an intention that is arguably also present for both Alana and Chiyoh. All three do have genuine ethical objections to murder as well, of course - I can pretty easily formulate all of them feeling that fewer people dying is an optimal outcome. But their personal conceptions of themselves are certainly also a factor in their disavowal of murder.

But the culmination of the Red Dragon arc, in which Will and Hannibal jointly kill Dolarhyde, is clearly much more preferable end for Dolarhyde. The way it’s cinematically rendered, with the blood fanning out in the shape of wings, suggests that murder constituted his ultimate transformation, in which his true sense of himself was fully realized. Although defeated, undergoing change to fuel our main characters’ radiance is a much more poetically resonant and satisfying ending, and it’s hard to imagine any other way he’d rather lose. Aesthetics > ethics.

Of course, in real life, I don’t believe that killing people - even genuinely bad people who’ve caused serious harm - is a remotely acceptable ethical solution. But within the world of Hannibal, a world in which the killers conceive of themselves in terms of artistic vision, for whom psychiatric language and its corrective purpose is nowhere near sufficient - by the internal moral logic of that universe, murder is often more merciful, and displays much more genuine understanding and empathy.

All of this is to say, I think Chiyoh’s arc can be figured within these broader themes in season 3. And the lesson she learned from Hannibal - and by extension, Will - from her intervention with justice is much the same as the lesson that Bedelia learned from Hannibal: that observing and participating are the same. Taking on the responsibility of enacting justice, in the world of Hannibal, requires becoming the executioner.

#hannibal meta #chiyoh #alana bloom #will graham #cut because Long (1300 words long)#hannibal #hannibal season 3 #hannibal talk #my meta #queue

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chickensarentcheap · 5 months

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@tragiclyhip @munstysmind @themaradwrites @youflickedtooharddamnit @secretaryunpaid @ninjasawakenedmystar @thebejeweledwatercat @asirensrage @residentdormouse @theesirenteller @kmc1989 @karimac @alisbackalleybbq @mrsmungus

“Why did you stay? When you found out just WHO was involved. And when you realized just how dangerous it would be. I would have thought that after what happened, she’d be the last person you’d want to help. After all, she broke your heart. Ruined your life. Just disappeared into thin air. I would have thought the anger…”

“I WAS angry. For a long time. I still am. But now that I realize she did it for a damn good reason.”

“At the time, it WAS a good reason. She did what was for the best. For herself and you. But when she didn’t contact you after the dust had settled…”

“She’s explained everything to me. Why she stayed under the radar. I don’t know if I quite understand it just yet, but I’ll get there.”

“And the child? She’s been on this earth for nearly five years. And not once did you…her father…even attempt to see her.”

“I didn’t know about Millie. If I had, I would have been on the first flight here. So don’t even try this shit with me. I had no idea she even existed.”

“And now that you do, you think you just walk right in and insert yourself into her life. She’s a child. A very smart and intuitive one, but a child nonetheless. One that’s been through more in the past four days than a lot of adults have in a lifetime. What do you think it will do to her? When she finds out? That you’re her father. A man that kills for a living?”

“She doesn’t need to know that.”

“She’s going to see it. You really don’t think you’ll get out of the city without bloodshed, do you? DiTomasso has a lot of people just waiting in the wings. They’re right outside the front door. The second you’re off the front steps, it’s open season. Do you really think you’re going to get Esme and that child…YOUR child…out of here without causing a scene?”

“I’m going to try. And if I have to, I will take out anyone who gets in my way. By any means necessary. You know the lengths I’m willing to go to for strangers. So you can imagine what I’ll do when it comes to my own family.”

“Your family,” Winston smirks. “That’s bold. Coming from a man who hasn’t bothered with that family in five years.”

“I already told you. I didn’t know about Millie. And if I had known Esme was pregnant, I would have come here and got her out of this fucking place. Out from under your thumb. And it would have been your turn to look for her for a goddamn year and then eventually give up. Don’t pull this shit with me, Winston. Don’t act like I don’t know what you’ve done. What part you played in all of this.”

“What I’ve done? Do I need to remind you that I gave her a safe haven? That I compromised my standing with The High Table and my reputation within the circle allowing her refuge here? This was the only place she would have been safe. Had I turned her away…”

“Yeah, you’re a fucking martyr, aren’t you. You may not have had anything to do with that adjudicator and you may have kept her safe, but let’s talk about what you didn’t do. I came here, Winston. You and I spoke face to face. I asked if you knew where she was. All I wanted was to talk to her. See her. Know she was okay. You told me you had no clue where she was. That you hadn’t even heard from her. And all that time we were right under the same roof.”

“I did what she asked. I kept her whereabouts quiet. To protect her. And the baby she was carrying.”

“All I wanted to know was that she was alive. That’s the least you could have done; let me know that she was okay. I would have walked away and waited for her to be ready to contact me. Does she know? That I came here? That I was looking for her?”

“I never told her. And I asked my staff to never speak a word of it. It would have only upset her. And put her and her child at risk.”

“Not just her child, Winston. That little girl is just as much mine as she is her mother’s. And don’t bullshit me; you didn’t keep it from her to protect her. And you certainly didn’t do it to protect me. You did it because you couldn’t stand the thought of us being together.

“I will admit, the idea does make me quite nauseous. However…”

“There’s no ‘however’. You wanted to keep her from me. Because you don’t think I’m good enough for her. I’m not worthy because I’m not part of your bullshit circle. What makes those guys better than me? They’ve taken just as many….if not more…lives than I have. Who do you want her with? John Wick? He’s somehow better for her? He’s an assassin, for fuck sake. With probably even more baggage than I have. But because I refuse to kiss your ass I’m the bad one?”

“As much as I love Jonathon as if he were my own flesh and blood and I think he’d be a much better match for her, I’d rather Esme wander outside the circle. Find someone that’s worthy of her. Someone that doesn’t kill for a living. She deserves normalcy. A quiet, content life. Where she doesn’t have to spend the rest of her days worrying about whether or not there’s a target on her back. You’re incapable of giving her what she needs. What she wants. What she DESERVES.”

“I would do anything for her. I already changed my entire life once for her; so I could be the kind of guy that she could be proud of. I can give her a good life. A normal one. “

“Because nothing quite screams normalcy like being a mercenary.”

“This? The job? That’s not who I am anymore. I gave it up. After that shit show in Russia. I walked away. I only took this gig because the client asked for me. And there was a kid involved. That’s the only reason I came here. You don’t know me, Winston. You don’t know who I am. Who I REALLY am. But Esme does.”

“Does she? Does she really? Or is it some version of you that doesn’t really exist that she knows?”

“She knows me in ways no one else does. There’s nothing she DOESN’T know about me. She’s seen it all. Every messy, fucked up part. You don’t know what it was like. Our life together. You don’t know the things we talked about or the plans we made. We were going to have a normal life. Until The High Table fucked it all up.”

“And you truly believe that you…of all people…can give her that kind of life? That you can give her…and your daughter…a sense of normalcy? Stability?”

“I know I can. I did it once before. Things weren’t perfect, but we were happy. We were working on things. And I know we can get there again. That we can be even better than that.”

“Well forgive me for not sharing in your optimism. Because from where I sit? From the things I know about you? I don’t think you CAN give them that. Because there is nothing remotely normal or stable about a life shackled to an alcoholic and drug addict.”

*****

“We both love Esme. We both want what’s best for her. And for her child, of course.”

“OUR child. She didn’t make that baby alone. Millie is just as much mine as she is Esme’s. You don’t get a say in what happens, Winston. When comes to Esme and Millie? They’re none of your business. Not anymore. And I do appreciate…in some fucked up, twisted way…that you kept Esme safe. That you allowed them to come here when the shit hit the fan a few days ago. But they’re not your concern anymore. They’re mine. And I’d appreciate it if you backed off.”

“I can’t do that. Esme has been hurt in the past. She’s very vulnerable and very weak and….”

“I guess you don’t know her as well as you think you do. Because Esme is far from weak. She’s the strongest person I’ve ever known. And you don’t make decisions for her. She’s a grown woman. That can decide what to do with her life and who she wants in it. And she wants ME. Nothing you do or say is going to change that.”

“She tends to make hasty decisions driven by emotion instead of logic. And she certainly doesn’t always know what’s best for her. Or she wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“But somehow you know what’s best for her? You think you’ve got some God-given right to dictate what she does with her life? If Esme didn’t want me, I wouldn’t be here right now. She would never have asked for me. But she did and I’m here and I’m sorry if you don’t like that.”

“And I’m sorry that you and I can’t see eye to eye. If you love her as much as you claim to and truly do have her best interests at heart…”

“I love her. I’ve always loved her. I always WILL.”

“...you would realize your limitations. On what you can offer and give her and your child. You’re dangerous and unpredictable and despite your numerous attempts at retirement, always seem to find your way back to this life. Trouble follows you, Mister Rake. And I hate the thought of Esme and the little one paying the price for that.”

“That’s not going to happen. When this job is done, I’M done. I’ve got a normal job back home. One that pays more than enough to take care of a family. It won’t matter if this world tries to suck me back into it. I won’t let it. Simple as that.”

Sighing heavily, Winston finishes his coffee and then leans forward in his chair; forearms resting on the tabletop, hands folded together. “Seeing as I can’t get through to you with even the best and most sound of logic, let’s try another way. I have a proposition for you. A very lucrative one, in fact.”

“I’m not staying in this life. I already said no to being under The High Table once. My mind hasn’t changed.”

“If you somehow DO manage to get Esme and Millie out of New York City AND keep them safe until all the dust has settled, I will double your payout. From five million to ten.”

“And what’s the catch?”

“After all is said and done and it’s safe to do so, I want you to return them here. To me. And then I want you to turn around, and walk away, and forget that either of them even exist.”

His entire body tenses. Shoulders and jaw drawn impossibly tight, both hands gripping the coffee mug with such force that his knuckles crack and the tips of his fingers turn white. It isn’t even up for consideration or discussion; no amount of money could ever persuade him to walk out of Esme's life and never look back. Especially not now; the existence of his daughter…THEIR daughter…the catalyst he needs to get them the hell out of New York City and on the road towards a new life. With HIM. He would never hurt either of them like that; knowing full well the enormous weight of anger and heartache that comes with being abandoned

“No.”

#Tyler and Esme series #Lost and Found #Extraction/John Wick crossover

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