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spacebarbarianweird · 2 months

Note

"you came so fast, I barely even touched you" holy shit.

I have no idea where the original list of prompts is but I love your request and here I present you a smut fic about Astarion and Tiriel!

Shadows

Synopsis: Astarion dissociates during sex, believing he "owes" sex to Tiriel.

Thanks @themadlu for beta-reading!

Tags: smut, handjob, NSFW, trauma talk

Read on AO3

Masterlist

Headcanons

Tiriel has completely lost herself.

There is nothing in this world but her and Astarion. He’s pinned her to the bed, shut her mouth with his kisses and Tiriel thinks her legs, currently tightly wrapped around his torso, won’t close ever again.

Tiriel grabs a fistful of his curls, making him groan. Astarion pulls away a bit and then pierces her neck with his fangs, causing her to whimper with pain and pleasure.

With every gulp, his thrusts become rougher and harder. He releases her neck and Tiriel smells the iron scent of her own blood.

“Such a delicious little thing,” he growls. “So warm for me.”

Tiriel tries to make eye contact but Astarion turns away. His mind is a thousand miles away.

“Astarion,” she meowls.

He doesn’t answer. Instead, he squeezes her wrists harder and rolls his hips.

“Astarion, please,” Tiriel says, but he doesn’t pay attention.

Now it’s not lovemaking, not sex.

Just a mindless fucking, perfect in its performance.

And Tiriel hates every second of this.

“Astarion, let me go!”

He places his palm over her mouth and hushes something pointless in her ear. He speaks of love, passion… He may not mean a word he says.

Tiriel has had enough.

She manages to set her leg free and punches Astarion forcing him to release her at once.

He gasps and moves to the other side of the bed. His cock is still hard and it glistens in the dim light, still coated in precum and her own wetness.

“Did I—Gods!” Astarion covers his face in shame. “I am so sorry.”

“It’s ok, you didn’t hurt me,” She takes his hand in hers. “What happened? You were dissociating again.”He looks at her and then takes a blanket to cover his lower parts, as if embarrassed by his own erection.

Tiriel studies his perfect face and notices he’s avoiding looking at her.

They spent the last two days apart. Tiriel was offered a job—to help a group of adventurers deal with a banshee, and it was clear they wouldn’t tolerate a vampire. So, Astarion agreed to stay in the Inn with his books—and Tiriel promised to return as soon as possible.

Be it the consequences of the fight or something else, Tiriel was coming back to the Inn with only one desire.

She wanted to fuck.

Astarion quickly caught the scent of her arousal and, while joking about her overall appearance (bruises, sweat, a ripped shirt), he undressed her and gave her what she desired most.

“Astarion,” she caresses his knuckles. “You could have just said you weren’t in the mood.”

Now he looks at her. A bitter smile twists his face.

“It’s difficult to say ‘no’ to you, darling” He chuckles. “Didn’t want to disappoint you”

Tiriel grabs his shoulders. “Astarion, don’t be stupid! Do you think I like forcing you to do things you don’t want? You think I… Gods, Astarion, you aren’t an object to be used, not a means to an end. You don’t owe me sex or intimacy or anything! We’ve talked about it!”

Astarion turns his head away. “I had a very bad reverie while you were absent, '' he admits. “Really bad one. I will spare you the details and I don't want to talk about it. I didn’t want you to notice and tried to pretend everything was normal. When it wasn’t.”

Tiriel puts her head on his shoulder.

“Astarion, tell me what you want. But be honest. Please.”

He exhales. “Well… I… definitely can’t finish what we started but my body disagrees.”

Tiriel pulls away the blanket. Astarion’s manhood looks painfully hard. She feels a tugging sensation between her legs but she manages to suppress it. Whatever they are going to do won’t be about her.

“Can you just… Sit in front of me?” he asks.

Tiriel nods. She adjusts herself on a pillow so Astarion can see all of her. She spreads her legs a bit and smiles.

“Come for me, love,” she murmurs watching as he strokes himself.

Astarion maintains eye contact fucking his own hand. Tiriel suspects she doesn’t look seductive or particularly appealing, but she’s learned to love herself as she is. If Astarion finds her attractive and desires her, she shouldn’t care about anything else.

Then, he turns away again. The movements become mechanical—he bites his lower lip and tries to keep performing but Tiriel has known him for too long not to notice.

“Astarion?”

“Fuck!” he unclenches his hand.”I can’t.”

“Do you want me to help?” Tiriel leans to him.

He hesitates but then nods.

Tiriel tugs Astarion to her chest making sure he is comfortable between her legs. She kisses his shoulder and then touches his nipples—his body reacts to her fingers, forcing him to squirm.

“I don’t want to hurt you, I don't want you to feel used. I want you to be loved, to be cared for,” she strokes his cock and Astarion moans.

She has never done it before. Astarion often pleasures her in more than one way; his fingers have been inside her not less than his cock. Meanwhile, her role is almost always a passive one.

Well, unless she rides him—but that’s another story to tell.

She touches the sensitive tip and then proceeds to stroke the shaft, enjoying the sensation of silk-like skin under her fingers.

Astarion squirms, he digs his fingernails into the sheet. Tiriel uses her second hand to caress his balls. She squeezes them a bit and the moment she does it thick strings of cum coat Tiriel’s fingers.

“Fuck!” he gasps.

Tiriel pays little to no attention to the mess he’s made and adores his face. His eyes are closed, and his mouth is half open. There is nothing left from his usual smirk and a composed smile—Astarion is just a mindless vampire right now, drowned in his own pleasure.

“I barely even touched you,” Tiriel playfully says. “And you’ve come so fast.”

His cock is still hard and Tiriel kisses her lover’s lips.

“Please…” he mutters. “Do this… again.”

“Anything for you, love.”

This time Tiriel squeezes him tighter, her movements rough and passionate. Astarion moans and hisses uncontrollably.

“Hells…”

“I love you so much,” Tiriel whispers in his ear. “I am so lucky to have you. Don’t hold yourself. ”

Astarion rolls his hips fucking her hand. By this moment she doesn’t even have to move— she just holds Astarion the same way she holds a sword handle.

“Come for me, love.” She licks the tip of his ear and then carefully bites it. As she feels his skin on her tongue, he clutches at the fabric of the sheets with such force that he tears it.

Then he opens his eyes wide and cums again.

If he was alive, he would pant loudly and his heart would beat like after climbing up the stairs in a tower.

But his body is silent and Tiriel moves a bit to see his face better.

The image doesn’t disappoint her—Astarion is completely flustered, all in her power, vulnerable, and mindless.

Finally, he looks at her. She smiles and puts her coated fingers to her lips and licks the cum.

“Wild girl,” he murmurs and kisses Tiriel, tasting himself.

“Do you want to cuddle?” she asks.

“Do you really have to ask?” Astarion is back to his common self. “Darling, I thought we'd been cuddling longer than we’ve been having sex.”

“Then how do you want to do it?”

Astarion hesitates, then pushes her onto the bed, forcing Tiriel to lie on her back. He then settles his head on her bare lap, hugging her thigh like a pillow.

“I had a reverie about a woman,” he finally says. “She knew I was a vampire and I was her ‘reward” for doing some… job for him. She was a nobility, a rich girl who always got what she wanted—and she wanted me to be her fucktoy for a month. I should have been grateful because for once I didn’t have to flinch at any unexpected sound or be afraid of torture. Instead of rats, I fed on horses and dogs which was much better than my usual diet. I even could read books in her library and, gods, I spent every spare minute there.”

“But the price was to sleep with her?” Tiriel asks.

“Well, the bitch had very interesting views on sex, and any regular intercourse was too boring for her. Besides, she deluded herself that she asked for permission—but I was ordered to agree to anything she suggested. And the bitch was as inventive as perverted.”

Tiriel caresses his scalp waiting for the story to continue. Astarion’s mind is like a hangman’s archive—Tiriel can never guess which disgusting fact she will learn next, but it is always worse than the previous one.

“I was in her bedroom and… she was forcing herself on me. I wanted to strangle her, to rip her throat. Her touches were acid-like. It was… a deep reverie when I wasn’t aware it was a memory. I was sure I was still there. And then… it all faded away. And then you returned with your arousal and your passion.”

Guilt knots in Tiriel’s stomach.

“I am sorry.”

“Don’t. I should have just told you I wasn’t in the mood. You would have stopped, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course. Without a doubt.”

He turns around so he can see Tiriel’s face but still uses her thighs as a pillow.

“You are warm,” he mutters.

“And you resemble a big cat.”

“Is it a compliment?”

“Yes.”

Tiriel feels like falling asleep. The last thing she sees is Astarion’s crimson eyes that look at her with awe and tenderness.

Tag list

@tugoslovenka @marcynomercy @wintersire @vixstarria @not-so-lost-after-alll @ashiro20 @theearthsfinalconfession @herstxrgirl @starlight-ipomoea @micropoe10 @astarion-imagine-archive @veillsar @elora-the-slutty-songstress @fayeriess @lumienyx @tallymonster @caitlincat-95 @tragedybunny @valeprati @lynnlovesthestars @marina-and-the-memes @waking-electric @ayselluna @connorsui @asterordinary @darkarchangel96 @locallegume @brainfullofhotsauce @coffeeanddonutscafe @my-queen-rhaenyra-targaryen @queenofthespacesquids

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xx-thedarklord-xx · 6 months

Text

Poisoned out of Love

A giggle followed by shushing sounds had Sirius mentally preparing himself for whatever mess the troublesome duo had made this time. It was a shame that Remus was still out cold from yesterday’s full moon.

“Are you sure this is the right recipe?” Harry asked, no doubt with his hands on his hips—something he picked up from Remus. “It smells funny.”

“That’s the whole point, Harry,” Draco said with so much sass that it had Sirius snickering behind his hand the closer he got to the kitchen. “Poison is supposed to stink.”

Poison?

“What’s going on here?” Sirius demanded as he rounded the corner and came to a standstill at the sheer disaster that replaced what used to be a clean kitchen.

“Nothing,” they said in unison, innocent eyes blinking up at him. Yeah, that quit working on him years ago.

“That might have been believable if you didn’t have dirt on your chin, Draco. And Harry you have something slimy on an ear.”

Instead of cleaning off themselves, they cleaned each other. Sirius tried to remain strong and firm, but his heart melted when Harry gently wiped Draco’s chin.

When Draco grinned—a front tooth missing—and giggled as he wiped whatever the hell Harry managed to get on his ear, Sirius was pretty sure his heart exploded.

They were too cute.

“What is this I hear about poison?”

As expected, Harry rubbed his shoe into the floor, contrite and already apologetic. Also expected was the way Draco stomped his foot and crossed his arms.

“I’m not sorry!”

“I know you aren’t, Draco. You never are,” Sirius sighed, coming closer to the table. He blinked rapidly when he realized the ‘cauldron’ they used was actually the dog bowl.

“What’s in this?” Sirius wrinkled his nose at the smell. He probably should have asked better questions or scolded them properly like Remus would have, but where was the fun in that?

“Poop.”

“Milk.”

Sirius closed his eyes before placing his head in his hands. “I’m not even going to ask. What possessed you to want to create this monstrosity?”

When Harry opened his mouth, Draco turned to him angrily.

“No, don’t tell him! If you tell him then he won’t let us poison McMillan.”

McMillan? He couldn’t remember what their kid looked like, but as far as he knew McMillan was their classmate in Magical Care for the Youth.

“I’m not going to let you poison McMillan at all.”

Another foot stamp had him huffing a laugh as he debated on whether it would be rude to vanish their ‘potion’.

He knew better, he really did, but he still asked, “And what did McMillan do that deserves a good poisoning?”

“He made Harry cry!” Draco said, hand slamming on the table. “That’s not okay. No one gets to make him cry.”

That little snot nosed brat made Harry cry? How dare he.

“Carry on then.”

Harry and Draco barely began to cheer when a disappointed, “Sirius, really?”

Sirius turned around; hands raised as he tried to think of an excuse.

“Save it,” Remus waved a hand as he made his way to a chair and collapsed down. “I knew something was wrong when those two went quiet. It’s never a good sign.”

Two outraged, “Hey!”

“But Moony, he made Harry cry! My little baby cried!”

“I’m not a baby.”

“Sometimes parents say that,” Draco said solemnly. “My father says that every time I dress up for galas.”

“You are adorable in your dress robes,” Sirius agreed, cringing at the fact that he agreed with Lucius on anything.

“What about me?” Harry pouted. “Am I cute?”

Before they could respond, Draco nodded rapidly, hair falling into his face. “The cutest!”

Harry blushed, twirling a little at the praise. How come he never did that when Sirius praised him?

“Yes, you are both cute,” Remus said, eyes closed and head resting on the table. Sirius ran a hand down his back, rubbing out any knots that he could find. “But not cute enough to get away with poison.”

“Aww, not fair!” Harry pouted.

“If I could cite my sources on why we should be allowed to, can I then poison him?”

Remus lifted his head, brows raised and reluctantly intrigued. “What kind of sources?”

“No,” Sirius laughed, for once feeling like the adult that he pretended to be. “No poisoning him. How about we settle for a strongly worded letter to his parents?”

Draco’s nose wrinkled. “I don’t approve.”

Sirius took a deep breath. Why couldn’t Harry have come home best friends with another child?

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he deadpanned. “Now, let’s clean this up and get ready for our monthly fun day.”

Draco and Harry gasped, rushing around the kitchen to put everything away.

“Ice cream!”

“Pizza!”

“Movie!”

They continued to shout until everything was clean and they dragged Remus to the couch. Every month on the day after the full moon, they all squeezed onto one couch and indulged on all of Remus’ favorite things in an attempt to make him feel better.

“Sirius, you’re my favorite cousin.”

“What do you want, brat?” Sirius narrowed his eyes, hating that his chest puffed out at being Draco’s favorite.

“Can we watch a scary movie?”

“No,” Remus shook his head. “The last time we did that you refused to go home for a solid week. As much as I love you, you don’t live here.”

Draco blushed, face heating up as he admitted, “That’s because Harry is my comfort pillow.”

Sirius saw the way Remus melted at that, and he was right there with him.

“Do we have anything pressing this week?” Remus asked, already giving in much to the enjoyment of Draco and Harry who were jumping up and down.

“No, and I don’t think Narcissa will mind as Lucius has business in France.”

“He doesn’t have business,” Draco argued, nose wrinkling. “Father has no job.”

Sirius snorted, ignoring the elbow in his side from Remus.

“Alright, we can watch a scary movie.”

“And I can stay for two weeks?” Draco asked, innocent eyes that were never innocent blinked up at him.

“One week.” Sirius couldn’t believe that he was negotiating with a child.

“Three weeks.”

Remus laughed, waving away Sirius’ glare as he continued to laugh.

“One and a half,” Sirius countered.

Draco made a considering noise, one finger on his chin as he thought about it. “Deal, but I get to bunk with Harry.”

Sirius rolled his eyes. “I’m not stupid enough to separate you two.”

“Come on Draco,” Harry pulled on his friend’s hand. “Let’s go get the drinks.”

The sound of excited talking, little giggles and laughter echoed back to them, and it filled Sirius with warmth.

“We’ve got good kids.”

There was a time when he would have argued that they only had one kid, but now there was nothing to it.

They had two kids, and they were pretty perfect if he did say so himself.

Poisoning and all.

#drarry #Draco Malfoy #Harry Potter #Wolfstar #Sirius Black #Remus Lupin #Wolfstar raises harry #kid Harry #kid Draco #poor McMillan

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cait-with-luv · 1 year

Text

Little Leopard [4]

"If it weren't for seven men that fateful night you wouldn't be here now. They showed you good people did exist. That life can be great, that you can be loved and cared for. These seven men were the men you loved and cherished. These men were your mates. Your safety blanket. And to them. You were their Little Leopard."

Header Credit: Me

Pairing: OT7 X Hybrid!Reader

Genre: Hybrid! AU, Strangers to Lovers! AU, Rich!BTS, Fluff, Angst, eventual smut, Polyamorous!BTS

Warnings: Mentions of murder, abuse, sexual assault, drugs, PTSD, explicit language, body dysmorphia, anxiety, body branding (Not sure if this is a warning but putting it anyway)

Word Count: 5.1K

PREV | NEXT

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“We need to talk.”

The boys pause and look at each other before Seokjin is clearing his throat and gestures to Namjoon to speak first but he holds his hand up and shakes his head. It seemed they all had things to discuss.

“You guys should go first. We have a lot to explain.” Namjoon urges his eldest boyfriend, leaning back into the couch, smiling slightly as Jungkook takes his hand into his and squeezes it reassuringly. He could see how stressed his partner was. They could all see it. They couldn’t blame him either, he had been working day and night along with Yoongi and Hoseok to try and find you in the system and find the cruel human that had left you to die in the alley and they were constantly reaching dead ends. It was like you didn’t even exist.

“Well, I’m taking her with me to the clinic tomorrow, if anyone is free you can come with me, I don’t know how she’ll react in a medical environment, I need to do a full physical checkup. Whilst we were out, we took her to get a collar so she can come out with us more often and I asked if she needed anything else, she picked up heat suppressants, she was forced to have them every day, we explained to her how bad they were and when I asked when her last heat was, guys she hasn’t had one for around two to three years, it’s dangerous, Leopards are meant to have heats every two to three months. If she’ll ever have one again is beyond me and if she does get one, it’s going to be intense, most likely more painful too. I have to check she’s physically doing okay.” Seokjin delineates watching their faces harden. The system had really failed you.

“I’ll go with you. I’m working from home tomorrow anyway, I have things to do away from the station.” Hoseok says and runs a hand through his hair, he was already in a bad mood. The things that had been revealed today had sent the usually calm and collected man into a spiral of anger and disappointment.

“You guys aren’t going to like what we have to tell you…” Yoongi trails off shaking his head, he couldn’t believe what they had found, how they managed for it to slip through the cracks. He was ashamed. He felt like he needed to do better. Because who knows how many more had managed to be missed.

“We did more background searching on her. We couldn’t find her at all in the system, so we were beginning to assume she was illegally being ‘owned’, Hobi came to help out and we had to dig really deep. We eventually managed to find her documents she was under a false name and under Snow Leopard instead of her actual hybrid breed an Amur Leopard. Meaning someone in the protection company had either been paid off to turn a blind eye or worked for the person but when we went to check her owners' files we discovered that he’s deceased, he died three years ago, cause of death was homicide so Hobi did a little digging into it but it means he was not her last owner, someone else had taken her, possibly the one who killed her last ‘owner’.” Namjoon frowns and Hoseok reaches into his bag for the file and hands it to Taehyung who begins to read it, Jimin and Seokjin reading over his shoulders.

“Yun Jong-Dae, aged forty at the time of his death, his autopsy had shown that he had strangulation, gunshot wounds, a disturbing amount of ketamine in him, enough to kill an elephant, any one of these could have been the cause, someone really wanted him dead but the case went cold, they couldn’t find who killed him. He had a criminal record too. Gang affiliation, abuse, sexual assault, drug use and possession, attempted murder. He was a terrible person. I found receipts of multiple reports made to his house too. Neighbors had called us concerned, saying they constantly heard yelling and screams coming from his house but the officers that went to the scene did nothing saying they saw nothing suspicious. I checked which officers went to the address and every single one was from my division. She was in that fucking house and my station failed her. I am now in the process of checking every incident they’ve been reported to and having them suspended.” Hoseok fumes, jaw clenched in rage. He could have had you saved earlier if it weren’t for his own colleagues turning a blind eye.

“Y-You don’t think he you know…” Jimin murmurs anxiously. He couldn’t bring himself to say it, the word left a bitter taste in his mouth, it made him nauseous to think about you having to suffer like that.

“As much as we want to think that he didn’t the chances that he did…assault her is likely. We can’t make her tell us either alright? She may tell us one day. We go at her pace okay?” Yoongi declares, he did not want you to feel like you had to do anything. He wants you to know you can make all your own choices from here on out.

They all nod in agreement and sit in silence, taking in everything that had been revealed, they were all filled with rage, guilt, and shame. For a while, you had been right under their noses and they hadn’t had a clue.

It was progress, finding out more about your background, they knew that but they also knew they still had a lot more to go. It was not going to be an easy process and it was going to be tedious but for you? They had all the patience in the world.

“Where do we go from here? What’s our next step? Because she’s basically a stray hybrid right? She’s now isn’t legally under anyone so we can adopt her? It will secure her safety with us and prevent her from being put back into the system and going through hell again. I can have the papers easily by tomorrow.” Taehyung says closing the file and handing it back to Hoseok.

“Technically yes but we can just have her sign papers Tae baby, we want her to have her own opinion on this and consent. We want to give her options not take them away from her like has had all her life. This is something we need to sit down with her and talk about and we don’t know what the process is going to be like for her, she could be put in a shelter for observations and for our pending papers to be approved.” Namjoon sighs but Taehyung shakes his head.

“It won’t be a difficult process, I can have us down as her foster home so she’ll still be able to stay with us until the papers are approved, she isn’t under a shelter, she has no owner, they can’t place her in a place she wasn’t at the beginning with. The process will be simple but I understand where you’re coming from, we want her approval before we start it.” Taehyung clarifies with a nod of his head. Yoongi opens his mouth to talk but closes it, the conversation coming to an end suddenly as they hear you walk down the stairs, giving you a soft smile as you step into the living room timidly.

“Hey Cub, did you have a nice shower? You even got some new pajamas? You look much comfier now.” Yoongi grins, almost cooing at the sight of you clutching your tail in your hands, shuffling in your spot shyly as you nod curtly, a low chuckle leaving his mouth. You were too cute.

“Want me to brush your hair and put it up for you Sweetpea?” Hoseok asks softly, patting the empty spot beside him for you to sit.

“I-It’s okay Hoseok, thank you though, is it okay if I go to bed instead of watching a movie? I-I didn’t realize how tired I was.” You whisper immediately getting smiles at you and nods. How could they tell you no? You were too sweet.

“Of course, you can go to bed Princess, you don’t have to ask, we can always watch a movie another day, there’s plenty of time to, sleep well okay? Remember if you need anything at all you can always come to us.” Namjoon cooed, giving you a dimpled smile that almost had your knees going weak. It was one of the prettiest smiles you had seen. They all murmur soft goodnights and sleep wells until Jungkook stands up and pouts at you,

“Hey, Sweet Girl, I promised I’d help you with your skincare routine and how to use the things I got you, you gotta take care of it now, Baby, come on let’s go get you properly ready for bed.”

—

“Hey, Jungkookie?” You hum as he helps with your skincare routine with the products he had gotten you before at the mall. You had figured out that you had sensitive skin just like him so he had bought you some products that he uses to help protect and soothe his own skin so now after your shower, he was helping you apply them, demanding that you have to take care of your skin so you don’t have sore skin.

He smiles softly at the nickname, gently applying a toner onto your face and almost cooing at your innocent eyes staring at him curiously, watching his every move wondering what he was doing. He sometimes wondered how on earth you were a leopard hybrid. You were more like a kitten or a rabbit.

“Yes, Sweet Girl?” He asks with a smile on his face, raising an eyebrow at your hesitation to continue with what you wanted to say. He pats your head as a reassurance that you could talk to him without worrying, nodding as you open your mouth to speak.

“What do you all do for a living?” You ask quietly, noticing the look of surprise on his face, he hadn’t expected you to ask about their careers but he was willing to answer. If it meant getting you to open up to them more and gaining your trust more then he’d answer. It wasn’t like they had anything to hide anyway.

“Well, we all work in different things but we all work together in a way if that makes sense? Our jobs link us together. Not really mine but sometimes. Namjoonie Hyung and Yoongi Hyung work together the most. Namjoon is the founder and CEO of a Hybrid Protection company and Yoongi is the deputy CEO. They help any and every hybrid who needs it, whether they be a stray, from an abusive home, fight rings, auctions, literally anything. They make sure that no matter where the hybrid comes from they are safe and get everything they need. I guess sometimes I help out if they have too much on their hands." He begins smiling slightly. He was always proud of what his partners do, he places aside the products before focusing his attention on you and continuing,

"Hobi Hyung is a detective in the police force. He works on all kinds of cases. He likes to mostly solve hybrid-related cases, knowing that other stations can usually turn them down and go for human ones. He wants them to get given justice just as equally as humans do. Jin Hyung is a Hybrid Medical Doctor. He treats all Hybrids' injuries and any illnesses they may have, he wants to save and care for as many hybrids as he can, it breaks his heart if he can’t. Tae Tae is a Hybrid Representative Lawyer. He basically supports any Hybrid in court and stuff like that, whether it be a change in adoption, abuse cases, or all sorts. Jiminie owns his own Hybrid Shelter. So he takes in any abandoned, stray, recently removed from abusive homes, even abandoned hybrid infants and children. He gives them a home they may have never gotten, and treatments for anything from medical or mentally, they have a choice of wanting to stay and live there or have a chance to have another home. He is so thorough with checking every single person’s background who comes in wanting to adopt. He’s very protective of them all.” Jungkook explains chuckling as you stare at him in awe, they were doing something barely anyone would do.

They all work with something related to hybrids. Wanting to protect them and give them more rights. Live an equal life as humans, to end the oppression and stigmas against Hybrids. Activists in a way. But you frown when you realize something. He had left himself out. He told you everything about his partners but not about himself.

“Well…what about you Jungkook? What do you do?” You ask as he sits in front of you and sighs giving you a small smile, taking your hands into his, and looking down at them. Was he uncomfortable about talking about his career?

“Mine’s…a bit more boring than theirs, Sweet girl. I don’t wanna bore you.” He says looking back up at you but you shake your head at him with a pout.

“Nothing about you is boring Jungkookie.” You murmur, a blush coming to your cheeks when you realize what you had said out loud, purring when Jungkook pecks your forehead and smiles at you in appreciation.

“Thank you, baby, that was kind of you. I’m…a hybrid tattoo artist. Yeah I know it's not as extravagant as the others huh? I was just an average tattoo artist just tattooing humans but when I worked in a studio we had so many hybrid’s coming in wanting tattoos and my boss would just…turn them away. But they weren’t coming for a tattoo for the fun of it. They were coming in to cover up something that reminded them of their past. Like a bad scar or tattoo of their number they were given from fight rings or even brandings. I felt like it was unfair, they just wanted a fresh start and they weren’t getting a chance to do that so I left and I opened my own studio for Hybrids. I don’t charge them anything so I don’t really get much profit, I get some humans from time to time and they pay because they want to keep my business running but I refuse to charge a Hybrid for wanting to cover up something traumatic to them. I know it’s not much but if it makes a difference for them to live a happier life, to show them that there are humans that care for them then I’m happy and hopefully I’ve somewhat of a difference.” He murmurs and your heart swells. His job was anything but boring, he had a job that would make a massive impact on a hybrid's life.

“That’s…the kindest thing I’ve ever heard Jungkookie. What all of you do. It’s amazing, I’ve never met anyone who cares so much about us, it’s special and I think I speak for all hybrids when I say this. Thank you. For being our voice…for being the ones to protect us and make us feel…normal. You should be proud of what you do. I may not be the greatest at expressing my emotions or understanding the simplest of things but if it weren’t for you guys. I would have had no future, I wouldn’t be able to have my eyes opened to the good in the world. I’m very very grateful and I promise to work hard on my healing and become a person you can be proud of.” You say shyly looking down, feeling your heart race.

Jungkook stared at you with a pout on his lips, squeezing your hands and taking a deep breath in. It was taking everything in him to not cry. It was the first time you had openly spoken about how you were comfortable living with them and how grateful you were for everything that they do for you. The first time he had heard someone really thank him and the boys for what they do. It only motivated him more. To give you a better life. To give hybrids around the world a better life.

“Thank you so much Y/N, I didn’t know how much I needed to hear that. But, Sweet Girl, you don’t need to thank us for what we do for you. It’s the right thing to do. And I don’t think you understand how proud of you we are already, you’re doing so well. I know how difficult it must have been for you to trust us after everything you’ve been through, it must have been scary. You are so strong and brave. The bravest person I know. You have a future now and it’s only going to get better from here on out.” Jungkook says, gently lifting your head to look at him and he gives you a look of admiration. Proud written all over his and with all your courage you quickly place a kiss on his cheek, both of your eyes going wide and cheeks flushing red. It took him by surprise but his heart skipped a beat. He wasn’t expecting it but now he wanted more. It felt like a warm hug. Like a dew-freckled petal caught in a breeze, so soft and with the smallest hint of coolness. He will never forget this moment. This was a memory to remember.

“W-What was that for?” He stammers out and you shift in your spot and shrug, a shy giggle leaving your lips. He could have passed out right then and there, his heart was in frenzy. He couldn’t how adorable you were. It was too much.

“I…I don’t know…it just felt right to do? I’m sorry d-did I overstep?” You murmur nervously and he shakes his head quickly, a massive grin appearing on his face. He looked lovestruck. Like a teenage boy with a massive crush on his classmate. And he was beginning to feel like one. He loved six people already, and his heart had already felt full but now…now he realizes there was room for just one more person.

“You didn’t overstep baby, just nearly made my heart explode that’s all with how cute you are.” He teases making you laugh and shake your head at him before your thoughts begin to trail remembering that his job was tattooing. Specifically Hybrids. You had something you wanted gone. Something you may not be able to really see yourself but you knew it was there. Would he help you get rid of it one day?

“Actually Jungkook…you’re a tattoo artist, c-could…c-could you cover something for me one day? W-When I’m ready?” You ask, feeling your heart race with fear and insecurity. You were about to let him step into your past. Not much but it was enough to have you terrified. What would he think?

He frowns but nods slowly, noting your hesitation. He had seen many of your scars but there must be one prominent one that played on your mind a lot, one that he may have not seen but it worried me. Just how bad was it to have you practically trembling with fear? He could almost feel the anxiety coming off you.

“Sweet girl, it’s okay, you don’t have to be afraid, I will never judge you, you don’t even have to show me it yet or even tell me how you got it. I’m not going to make you, everything you do is at your own pace, not ours.” He reassures but you shake your head, taking a deep breath. You need to do this. This was something that you needed to get off your chest no matter how much it reminded you of your past. This was part of healing right? Overcoming the trauma.

“I need to do this. I’ve got to. I want to overcome this.” You murmur before slowly turning around so your back was facing him and biting your cheek to hold back the tears already welling up in your eyes, slowly lifting your shirt up to show him your back, shutting your eyes as you hear his breath hitch and the smell of anger hit your nose. This was one thing you hated. How you could sense pheromone changes. Jungkook’s once soft linen and lavender scent now smelt burnt and sour. The scent overwhelming your sensitive nose with how strong it was.

Jungkook was relieved you couldn’t see his face though. His face contorted from concern, to worry and lastly anger. Rage. People made him sick. He felt ashamed that he was human. Because all they know how to do in the world is oppress, and discriminate. Hurt others. Hurt Hybrids. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from it. The branding on your left shoulder blade will forever be imprinted in his mind. How the skin was slightly risen and horribly scarred. He can’t imagine the pain you suffered from it. From getting it to the healing. It must have been excruciating. He could tell it must have suffered an infection at some point from how poorly healed it was. His stomach churned as he leans closer and just about manages to read it.

‘Property of Kang Seo-Jun’’

“Baby…W-Was this who you were stuck with previously?” Jungkook whispers, feeling tears well up in his eyes. No wonder why you wanted it gone. He would no doubt cover it for you. Decorating your shoulder with something so pretty and bright, you’ll forget that it was even a cover-up for it. Not a single memory of it in your mind again. Completely erased.

“Y-Yeah. It i-is. You must be disgusted right? I am. H-He took away any of my belonging. The l-little ownership I had of myself. I will never forget him. H-He haunts my dreams every night. I feel like I can hear his voice still sometimes. He was by far the worst owner I had. T-The night he took me, he had some of his men pin me down and burnt it onto my skin. T-The pain was unbearable. I-I still feel it sometimes if I think about it long enough. H-He hurt me so much. H-He enjoyed my pain. H-He did s-so much but I’m not ready to open up about it yet. He l-laughed as he did it. Called me his ‘little bitch’, and all I was to him w-was a punching bag for his entertainment and pleasure. I-I really wanted to die. I really thought h-he was going to kill me eventually. I-I can’t go back there Jungkook. I can’t. H-He really will make sure I’m dead. I was meant to die that night.” You sob covering your face, whimpering as Jungkook lifts the shirt up again that you had let go of and soothingly rubs up and down your spine, his heart aching at how your tail sadly flicks slightly. From hearing how much you really had been through even if it was just the surface.

“Oh sweet girl, you are safe now. We will never let anyone hurt you again. He will never come near you again and he will be punished for this. Soon he will be a distant memory. Someone completely irrelevant to you. He has taken nothing from you. You are your own person. You have your very much-deserved freedom now, baby. Everything he may have ever told you is nothing but horrible lies. I am so so sorry you had to endure this and everything else you have gone through. You are so beautiful in your own unique way. I am not disgusted by you and neither are the boys. You will never experience anything like this again. You did so well telling me a little bit about your past. I’m so proud of you. You were so brave. Everything is going to be okay now. I promise you. I swear to you.” He says so softly, hesitating before placing a gentle kiss on your scar before pulling back and a small smile appearing at your little shudder from feeling his lips on your skin but it wasn’t from being uncomfortable, Jungkook knew it wasn’t from the way you relaxed.

You say nothing, too in shock from the gentle kiss he placed, from how you managed to open up and how he never interrupted you, just sat and listened to you, and then reassured you he was proud of you and was not disgusted in you. You had never felt this way before. You couldn’t put your finger on it. You didn’t know what this emotion was but you hoped that in the future you would understand it. Know what it was because it felt warm, strong yet comforting. It had your heart racing but in a good way. And you wanted to feel more of it.

“I hate to ask this but can I take a photo of this Sweet girl? Don’t panic, it’s okay, it’s just because this will be evidence baby. Against him. It will help Hobi hyung in finding him and having evidence against him to get him arrested and locked up. It will help Taehyungie in court for you. That’s all. We want to get you justice.” He elucidates when he feels you tense. You didn’t want the others to know but you knew if you wanted to feel completely safe, he needed to be prosecuted. They need to know to make it happen so you nod curtly, swallowing the lump in your throat but the nod wasn’t enough for Jungkook. He needed vocal consent.

“Words Sweet Girl. I need to hear your consent, not just a visual one. Verbal consent is very important in this home baby.” He murmurs, nodding in approval as he hears you whisper an ‘okay’ before quickly snapping a photo and checking it and quickly turning his phone off and throwing it aside, and turning you around to finally face him, wiping the tears that slid down your cheeks.

“Permission to hold you in my arms?” He asks, brushing hair out your face before gently tugging you into his arms as you nod and begin to move into his lap. You tuck your head into the crook of his neck as he wraps his arms around tightly and sways side to side, biting back a chuckle as you begin to subconsciously scent him, rubbing your head into his neck, a low happy purr leaving your lips. He felt so content and happy. You were finally listening to your animal instincts and relieving any urge you may have had but never realized. The more you got comfortable with them, the more your leopard came out. And with that, you finally lulled to sleep. The quickest you had ever fallen asleep. The safest you had ever felt to fall asleep.

Not a single thought in mind.

—

“Kang Seo-Jun”

“Huh?”

“She opened up to me a little. The sick bastard that left her in that alley, his name is Kang Seo-Jun.” Jungkook grits out, opening his phone and going to his gallery, clicking on the photo he had taken and practically shoving his phone into Hoseok’s face.

“This is what she showed me, I got permission from her of course to take the photo. We’ve really underestimated how much she’s been through guys. We knew it was severe but I never imagined the actual extent.” He whimpers sitting down and holding his head in his hands. He wanted to break down in front of you but he knew he couldn’t, not when you were in tears yourself reliving the memories, he had to be strong for you but now, he could let it out.

“Can I send this to myself love bug? I need this evidence.” Hoseok breathes out, he could feel the anger boiling the longer he stared at the photo, quickly sending it to himself when he gets a silent nod from Jungkook and passing the phone to Yoongi and so on, each of their faces contorting to undeniable rage.

“Kookie talk to us, what did she tell you? How did you manage to get her to open up to you?” Yoongi asks faintly, he could visibly see the distress the boy was in. He didn’t want to tip him off the edge. Jungkook swallows the lump in his throat before looking up and begins to explain to them how you had asked about what they all do career-wise, telling them how you thanked them all for what they do and how your body language had changed as you asked him to cover up the branding when you were ready which lead you to show him and telling him how you got it. By the time he had finished, he had tears falling, Hoseok was on the phone immediately demanding his colleagues to send him any information on the demented man. They were all having internal battles with their anger. Their sadness.

“Hyungs…s-she’s suffered so much. I-I just know she hasn’t even scratched the surface of her past. She deserved none of this. S-She’s too good for this world.” Jungkook sniffles, snuggling into Jimin as the older man tugs him into a hug, cradling the younger boy close and kissing the top of his head.

“She’s safe now baby, she will suffer no more. You did good. We are proud of you for how you handled it, and how you got her to open up without pushing her. It shows us how comfortable she’s getting. She felt safe to tell you. You took good care of her, well done Koo.” Taehyung reassures, snuggling into the other side of the younger boy, rubbing his arm encouragingly. It was no secret between them all that Jungkook was the most sensitive to Hybrid cruelty, having witnessed it at a young age, he understands how severe how bad it can get. He had such a big heart and they do everything they can to protect it.

“He’s right, you did great, Hoseok is going to find out everything he can on the bastard and bring him down with Taehyung, he isn’t going to get away with it, Y/N will get the justice she deserves at last. His karma is coming and it’s us. He will suffer for what he’s done.” Yoongi sneers, he could happily track him down right now and punish him for everything he’s done. He couldn’t wait to watch the twisted crook pay for his crimes. They were a step closer to finding him. A step closer to you finally having justice, and peace of mind that your trauma wasn’t for nothing.

You were their little leopard and they’d do anything for you.

-------

Taglist

@sunoosult @pb-n-juju @kimsaerom @tinyoonsblog @mintyoonjisworld @malewife-supremacy @army4eve3r @mageprincess7 @dreamamubarak @ot7nem @haleypearce @yoongiigolden @driftapart @carolinexkpop @koobratzy @devilsadvcte @colourlyhobbit @toughbook @ah2002 @beeeee06 @euphoriayongbok @bbgniecyy @kurowvie @jaiuneamesolitaiire @rich-man-v @bangtanxberm @murkydoesnotloveyou @cheychey-4788 @atinygracie @echo-ethe @yo-alli @blancflms @jamlessstars @theblueslytherin @rosquilleta @slash4slashers @chieftoadturkeynickel @m4r1eluvr @rainbow-bunny-bts @thedarkwinterrose @anjoellamorte @cath-fach @welcometomyworld13 @djodjom1 @sugarrush-blush

#little leopard #bts #hoseok #namjoon #seokjin #yoongi #jimin #jungkook #bts polyamory #bts poly #polyamorous bts #polyamory bts #poly bts #taehyung #bts hybrid au #bts strangers to lovers au #hybrid bts #ot7xhybrid reader #ot7 bts x reader

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captain-mj · 4 months

Text

Superhero au

Part 1

I really liked this idea so I'm making more of it! Sorry to disappoint

Ghost tried to get up and blood slipped through the shadows, spilling on the floor. His face had turned extremely pale and his lips had even gained a blue tint.

Soap quickly pushed him back down, not missing the groan it got out of Ghost. “No. No. Stay.” He felt the flesh under his hands and it felt… strangely human.

Soap had been born from a test tube and was then given to a nice family that they thought could raise him with the right morals. They succeeded. But Soap wasn’t human. Not at all.

Ghost was. He could tell when they touched. Warmth and blood and his heartbeat filled Soap’s sense and he yanked away.

“You’re human? Just a human? You do all of this. Fight all of these people, me and my team included and you’re just human?”

Ghost stared at him blankly. “You’re not?”

“No! Of fucking course not! I was made to fight off the fucking robots and aliens and weird shit that comes to butcher humanity and you’re telling me you’re just some guy?”

“Fucking hell. Yeah. I’m just human with basically a pet of shadows. That upset about it?”

Soap gaped at him for a minute before shaking his head. “You know Gaz? In my league?? He’s half human and therefore he gets priority over everything! We protect him first because he’s potentially fucking mortal. What your mother think if she knew you were out here killing yourself?”

“My mom’s dead.”

“...Dad?”

“Dead…”

“Any siblings?”

Ghost slumped into the couch and his head was hanging oddly since he couldn’t be bothered holding it up. “Johnny, I wasn’t lying when I said you were the only person I could go to… A bit pathetic, isn’t it? You guys think I’m some monster skulking in the shadows, huh?” His eyes were fluttering and Soap could actually hear Ghost’s heartbeat slowing.

Soap rushed into action, quickly getting him…

What could he get him? He didn’t keep medical supplies on hand!

Soap used a tiny bit of reality bending powers to zap to a store and zap back. He pulled Ghost up, feeling how deadweight he was and feeling slightly panicked about it. Even the shadows were tugging and pulling at Ghost to try to wake him up.

Honestly, they were… kinda cute. Just little guys that swarmed around Ghost to try to get attention. Soap managed to bandage the large slash across Ghost’s stomach and he fixed him so he was more comfortable on his couch.

He understood enough about human biology to know what to do from here, but the waiting was horrible.

After a while, he started cooking soup. It was just a simple vegetable soup. Tasted pretty bland but he was worried of putting too much spice into it. What if it killed him? Aren’t British people sensitive to seasoning?

Ghost’s breathing hitched for just a moment and Soap was by his side, watching him. He groaned when he saw him. “Too bright. Turn the lights down.”

Soap dimmed himself considerably. “Sorry. I’ve made you food.”

Ghost looked distrustful before relaxing again. He supposed he didn’t kill him in his sleep and that was enough. His mask was only lifted a little though so he could eat the soup.

Soap noticed his hands shaking and he fought the urge to help him. Ghost ate like a starved man, wiping his face once it was done. “That was really good.” He swallowed it down and Soap found himself fascinated by the bounce of his adam’s apple

Soap dragged his gaze away. He knew his… quickness to get obsessed was rather creepy. His family tried hard to break him of it, but he just… couldn’t help it. A nasty habit. Even worse when it included people.

Ghost put the bowl down and laid back. He didn’t fix his mask and his head lolled back, leaving tons of skin exposed. The shadows wrapped around Ghost and they… eyed Soap, clearly judging him.

Soap quickly looked away, embarrassed. “You can stay as long as you need.”

“I won’t be long.”

“As long as you want then.”

“I’ll be here even less.” Ghost smiled but he was already looking tired again. All the blood loss seemed to get to him. Soap slowly pulled him down to lay down the couch, surprised by how… pliable Ghost felt. He went to pull the blanket up for him but the shadows stopped him. Their grip was impossibly strong, to the point that Soap couldn’t fight against them at all. He frowned and yanked himself back but they didn’t budge. Only when Ghost opened his eyes did they retreat. “Why do you keep standing over me?”

Soap wasn’t sure how he could explain what just happened so he simply backed up quickly. “Goodnight!” He turned tail and retreated.

Ghost was gone in the morning. Soap checked on him and found him laying in his bath at home, clearly trying to deal with his own wounds. He felt a rush of irritation but let it go.

Gaz had sent him a few messages, one of them explaining that something had happened with Ghost and The Russian last night. Apparently the fight caused a lot of damage to other people. It seemed he had been asking for help with the situation before eventually texting him back that they have it under control but to talk to Price ASAP. Chances are the old man was mad at him for being so unreachable, but he didn’t really care at the moment. He had been busy with something more important.

#call of duty #call of duty modern warfare #simon ghost riley #johnny soap mactavish #call of duty modern warfare ii #cod mw2 #ghostsoap #cod #soapghost #ghoap

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serickswrites · 1 year

Text

Just Exist V

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 6

Warnings: violence, abandonment

Hero couldn’t believe that Villain would take them on another mission. Not after they had failed so terribly.

“Existing is your mission, and you’re doing a great job.”

That’s what Villain had said, but Hero couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t believe that some punishment was lurking somewhere. Waiting for Hero. Perhaps Villain was waiting until Hero had finally calmed down, settled in, and then they would spring the pain. That’s what Superhero had done.

“I wouldn’t normally ask you for this, Hero,” Villain said as they guided the vehicle to the destination. “But I do need someone to back me up on this one. And everyone’s away, so it’s just you and me. And I won’t be upset if you can’t do it. We can always go home and try another day.”

“I can do it. I’ll help you.” Hero had been so eager to prove to Villain that they were useful. That they had value.

Of course, everything had gone wrong. Hero had frozen the moment they saw where they were headed. They weren’t headed to Base. But they were going to a facility that Base protected. “Villain, I-I-I,”

“Breathe, Hero. It’s ok. I won’t make you go in. I just need you to keep the vehicle ready to go. That’s all. I won’t make you see any of those people again.” Villain pulled their cowl up and over their face. “I’ll be back soon. If I’m not back in ten minutes, don’t come looking for me. Head home and call Supervillain and tell them it’s all fucked.”

“I can’t abandon you.” Hero wouldn’t look at Villain. They couldn’t look because they would see the pity and the disappointment. And they couldn’t bear it.

Villain’s soft, warm hand was suddenly on their cheek, guiding Hero’s eyes up. “You can. And you will. If I’m not back in ten minutes, I’m not coming back at all. And you need to keep on your mission I gave you, Hero. It’s the most important one.”

The ten minutes alone passed painstakingly slow. Hero hated every second of the waiting. And Villain did not return. But Hero couldn’t leave them behind. Not after everything Villain had done. With a shaky breath, Hero darted out of the vehicle and into the facility. Get in and get Villain. Get in and get Villain. Get in and get Villain.

Hero froze once more as they found Villain, pinned beneath Superhero. They could see that Villain still drew breath, but they were in the worst shape they had ever seen anyone in before. Even Hero hadn’t been beaten that badly before.

Before Hero could react and draw attention to themself, Superhero turned. “You?”

And that was all it took to set Hero loose. Hero raced forward, all their hidden rage, sadness, and fear balled into one. “LET THEM GO!” Hero roared as they pounced on Superhero.

Superhero blocked Hero’s first attack. “You’re protecting Villain? You? What gives you the right?”

“They’re kind. They’re nice. They offer friendship, peace, and caring. They are everything you are not.”

Superhero smirked. “Those aren’t things you deserve for failure, Hero.”

“They are things I deserve! Everyone deserves them. I deserved them just because I exist!”

Hero didn’t let Superhero reply. They pummeled Superhero until Villain’s voice made them stop. “H-H-Hero, that’sssss, enou-enou-enough,” Villain wheezed. “D-D-Don’tttt waste yourrrr en-en-energy.” Villain had managed to roll over enough to prop themself on a shaking elbow.

Hero stopped, their chest heaving. They had never let loose like that before. Organization kept them on a tight leash. So did Superhero. “Villain! How bad is it? What can I do?”

Villain lay back once more, closing their eyes slowly. “T-T-Take me h-h-homeee.” Villain’s voice was barely a whisper.

Hero started forward, carefully scooping Villain into their arms. “I’m sorry. So sorry. I’m sorry,” they murmured as Villain whimpered at the movement. “This is my fault. You shouldn’t have gone in alone. I’m sorry.”

“‘Skay.” Villain’s eyes fluttered open. “’Skay, ‘ero.” Villain’s eyes closed once more and they didn’t open them again.

“I’ll get you home. You’re ok. You’re ok. You’re ok.” Hero repeated the mantra the entire way back to Lair. They repeated the mantra the entire time it took them to carry Villain to the med bay. And they repeated it the entire time as they waited for Villain to wake.

Tags: @percyjacksonstransbrother @blipblipbloop @mistythedritten

@stuffandatherstuff @batdog102 @lilflowerwriter @tiny-daggers-up-to-heaven @bluebearcandy @otherwiseiamnotallowedtoscroll @severeblizzardsoul @the-blind-one-speaks @whump-dump @potato-wolf164 @omen-the-undying-kaizoku @a-place-to-put-poetry @yeahimobsessedwithencanto @whyamihereanyway25 @adalarovenor @lunenyx98 @wannarunawayfromhere @nightsshadow1 @psychomarine0311 @hugs4zhongli @qualityrabbitsoup @justalostshadeofblue @whatinteresthave @cafesho @wimbeldonsoot @moschinski @delightfulsoulalpaca @writingstation @itarobattemon @bliss757 @d-cs @pic-star01 @st0rmm @shadowcatp269 @melancholic-bookworm @pigeonwhumps @wankusbonkus @whumppsychology @smuwfy-side-blog @keeper-of-all-the-random-things @random-writers-sideblog @jkl-uwu @coolstormyskies03-blog @stayasleepanddream @strawberry-seed28 @doublericenobeans @warpweft @thedeepvoidinmyheart @sweetpeathecat @valeexpris606 @dodo-docs @adalarovenor @heroes-villains-side-blog @subval01 @hopefullywritingahit @electrafire15 @daemonvatis

#serickswrites #writeblr #tw violence #tw abandonment #hero #villain #superhero #hero x superhero #hero x villain #hero x villain community #queue

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nhasablogg · 2 years

Note

I would love to see a fic where Steve is maybe tracing Eddie’s tattoos, asking about the meanings and when he got them, and ends up accidentally tickling him during it all, if that’s something you would be interested in writing!! :)

Words: 700

“Tell me about them again?” Steve asked for the tenth time that week, tracing over the ink on Eddie’s arm.

Eddie exhaled, a laugh laced in the air. “They’re really not that interesting, Harrington.”

“Interesting enough for you to want them on your body forever.”

“I just liked them.” He tapped Steve’s hand, which was running up and down his arm. “It’s not deeper than that.”

“Hmm.” Steve paused at one of the tattoos and traced the outline absentmindedly. Eddie tried not to tense up, although the sensation was sort of unbearable. He’d managed to play it cool up until now, not that it would be the end of the world if Steve realized he was sensitive, but it was just an old habit.

He watched him rake his nail over the ink, over and over, and it was him breaking the pattern that made Eddie finally jump, making Steve’s hand snap away from where it was traveling upward. “Oh, sorry! Did I cross a line?” he asked quickly, and Eddie hated how panicked he sounded.

“No, no, you’re all good, I just-”

“You just?”

“-am a little ticklish?”

“Oh.” A beat and, “Ooohhh.”

“I don’t like that tone.”

“Oh, come on.” Steve’s grin was kind of terrifying. “You being ticklish wasn’t something I expected. You have to admit that’s priceless.”

Eddie looked away only because he could feel his face heating up. “I’m simply a mortal, Harrington.”

“I bet you’re real cute when you giggle.”

Eddie’s gaze snapped back to him. “No.”

“No, you’re not or no, don’t even try?”

“Both.”

Steve hummed. “Let me see your tattoos again.”

Eddie exhaled, feeling both relieved and disappointed. “I don’t have too many so you’ll run out soon- ah.”

“What was that?”

“N-nothing.”

“I thought you said something. My bad.”

Steve wasn’t just tracing the tattoos now. He was borderline tickling him, only giving off the illusion of examining the ink. Clever bastard.

Eddie watched him trail his fingertips over his arm, going from one tattoo to the other. Once he reached his underarm Eddie knew it would be over, and so he watched him intently, his body tensing up more and more the closer he got. Steve paused at his elbow and moved down again, switching arms to trace the tattoo on his left hand.

“I like this one,” he said. “Might be my favorite.”

“Wait until you see the one on my chest.”

Steve turned to raise an eyebrow at him. “A little forward, aren’t we, Munson?”

Eddie was full on blushing now. He wasn’t used to that. “Not my fault if you interpret it that way.”

“Let me finish looking at the ones on your arms first, okay?” Steve reached for his other arm again. Had Eddie not known better he’d say Steve was blushing too. “Now- hey, hey, be still.”

Eddie’s laughter came suddenly and involuntarily when Steve grabbed his wrist to keep him in place, and it only increased when Steve full on decided to drop the pretenses and started tickling him in earnest. His arms weren’t his worst spot, but something about them being the only thing keeping Steve from his much more ticklish upper torso made it all the more unbearable.

“Do you have a tattoo on your neck, Eddie?” Steve asked and went to toy with the area beneath his chin before Eddie could reply, making his laughter kick up a notch or five.

“You’re so mean!” he cried, shoulders scrunching up, hands failing to properly push him off.

“Ah, come on, I’m not mean,” Steve said, one hand going down to dance over his side. “Don’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same if the roles were reversed.”

“Oh, I will get revenge- fuck off!”

Steve had pushed him down in an attempt to straddle him, but Eddie wasn’t having that.

In a moment of strength he managed to grab Steve’s forearms and push him off before swiftly flipping them over so that Eddie was hovering over a blinking Steve.

“Now,” he said as if he wasn’t out of breath. “What did you say about reversed roles?”

“Uh. Mercy?”

“You’re going down, Harrington.”

#steddie #steddie fic #ticklish!eddie munson #stranger things #stranger things fic #n writes #tattoo

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tokkias · 11 months

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Fanfic Writers: Director’s Cut: 🌟 🌟

fanfic directors cut . always open

indiscreet

for a lot of my requests it can take me a while to get around to it but this one plagued me so hard that i got it done in mere days after recieving it. i was working on heartstrings when i got it and so i spent the last part of that fic literally speeding through so i would be able to get to write this one

this was my first time writing wendy and carla - i had a bit of experience with happy, gray and erza from i don't want to be your friend (i want to kiss your lips) but i generally don't write non-nalu characters even though i really enjoy doing it, so this was a fun change of pace because it's a pov i've never written before

is it technically the best thing i've ever written? no, far from it. there's a lot of mistakes and the pacing is kind of weird, but i don't even care about that because this is such a fun fic to go back and reread for me

Wendy had been so excited at the prospect of being helpful to the rest of her team that she hadn’t even considered that it might be polite to knock, and immediately her hands shot up to cover her eyes in a poor attempt to pretend that she hadn’t seen anything. While the sound of the door opening may have gone under the radar, the terrified squeal of their young teammate caught the pair's attention quickly, and Lucy instinctively shoved Natsu off of her and covered her chest with her arms, despite being fully clothed.

jumping right in with things that made me commit tiny laugh. they're not doing anything dirty (yet), but wendy and lucy both freaking out as if she had walked in on them getting nasty was put in there just because i thought it was funny, which is a running trend in this fic. wendy is simply cursed to accidentally walk in on them having their moments, and lucy is so used to people seeing her naked that she intrinstically moves to cover herself even when she's not naked, probably because she anticipated being naked later on

"I think we should just tell her," Natsu said, flopping backwards onto the mattress, perhaps more casually than the situation called for. "Obviously I was going to tell her!" Lucy replied as she gave him a firm whack to his shoulder. "We have something we want to talk to you about," she said, as calmly as she could muster. "I-I know what sex is!" Wendy managed to stutter out, not wanting to put any of them through the perhaps traumatic experience of giving her The Talk.

this was the first thing i wrote for this fic because again. made me laugh. wendy's panicking so much about what she just walked in on that her first thought is oh my god they're going to give me the sex talk

"So? Are they coming or not?" Gray asked as he saw Wendy and Happy approach. "Um… no I don’t think so…" Wendy replied. "You don’t think so?" Erza inquired. Immediately realising her mistake, Wendy began to panic, scrambling to figure out the right words to ease Erza’s suspicions. "No-! I mean-" "They’re not hungry," Happy butted in, much to Wendy’s relief and the rest of the team's confusion. "Is everything okay, Wendy? You look a bit flustered," Erza commented, raising an eyebrow. She had truly thought that she was doing a good job of hiding it, but apparently it wasn’t good enough, and having Erza point it out only served to make her panic rise to the surface even more. "Um, yeah!" She tried to reassure in a poor attempt to divert the conversation. "I think she’s just disappointed that Natsu and Lucy aren’t coming with us, right Wendy?" Happy added casually.

happy is the true star of the show here. he's been on this for months now and while i think it's kind of popular thought that happy would need to be bribed into silence i sort of don't agree with that narrative? happy is natsu's best buddy and he loves him and lucy sooo much even if he's a pain in their ass sometimes. if they really did want him to hide it from everyone, he would, and it gives him a chance to fuck with everyone else which he deeply enjoys

"Unusual for Natsu to pass on food, wouldn’t you agree, Happy?" Erza asked, turning her attention to the exceed. "No, I wouldn’t," he blatantly lied in response, hoping to gaslight Erza into turning her attention somewhere else.

+1 to parts that make me fucking laugh. it's just dumb and stupid. happy is trying to see how much he can fuck with erza and she's just not having any of it. erza knows how to pick her battles and she knows that happy is just Like This sometimes so she's going to be confused but she's too hungry to put any effort into questioning why he's being like this

"You are acting awfully weird, child." She commented. "What on earth happened in there that’s got you all worked up?" "It must be Lucy’s weirdness rubbing off on her," Happy suggested. Wendy let out a nervous laugh as she realised just how hard it was going to be to hide this secret from her best friend and keep the promise she had made. "Oh, it’s really nothing," she reassured. "Why don’t we catch up with Erza and Gray? Some food sounds really good right about now." "If you say so…" Carla replied, still not totally convinced but not suspicious enough to press any further.

i struggled a lot with carla because i didn't know what to do with her. i couldn't leave her out because it's a wendy focused fic, but i don't like carla all that much so i didn't want to spend too much time writing her in. this was my attempt at balancing the two of them and i think i did a pretty good job at doing that and keeping her in character

"Where are those two?" Gray questioned, glancing over to the clock to see that they were already a few minutes past their designated meeting time. "They’ve been late for every job we’ve taken for the past two months." "I’ll go fetch them then," Erza offered. "No!" Wendy cried out, earning her a surprised look from her teammates. "I- It’s just that…" "Lucy’s cranky because Natsu was being a pain in her ass this morning," Happy chimed in. "What did he do?" Erza inquired. "Oh, well, you know how he is," Happy replied vaguely. "Yes, I do," she said, nodding her head in agreement. "Well, I suppose Lucy has earned a late start for dealing with him all night. I’ll have to put Natsu in his place when they arrive."

vague allusion to the fact that they've been dating for way longer than necessary to hide it

poor wendy trying really hard to help them out without giving them away but she's not the best liar so she's just making herself suspicious in the process but happy comes in with the save, real mvp

again, just silly stupid parts that make me laugh. erza does not even take a moment to question it because it is so believable that natsu would be a pain in lucy's ass just because That's What He's Like, she doesn't need specifics

"Yes, I’m pleased that you both made it," Erza added. "But I’m not pleased to hear you’ve been making things difficult for Lucy." "What? What did I do?" He asked, whipping his head over to his partner, who looked just as confused as he was before realising that this was just the cover that Wendy and Happy had set up for him. "Yeah, what did you do, Natsu?" Lucy asked, deciding to play along. "I don’t know!" He cried, still a little slow to catch on. "I guess I used your hand lotion?" "You’ve been using my hand lotion?" Lucy asked, her face dropping, no longer happy to play along. "Natsu! That’s expensive!" She whined. "Yeah, well, it smells nice and it makes my hands soft," he ardently defended. What had begun as merely playing along had devolved into a full-on squabble, and Wendy couldn’t help but giggle slightly at how they were behaving exactly like an old married couple. "Well, if I had known it was such a contentious topic, I wouldn’t have brought it up," Erza commented, scratching her head slightly in confusion at the absurdity of it all.

erza is really thinking that she was helping out by telling natsu off but she's just caused a typical natsu and lucy squabble because there was no natsu being a pain in her ass (unless- *gets shot*)

i don't remember why i picked this for them to argue about? i think it was like, harmless enough that they're not going to actually fight about it, but it's enough that lucy's going to be annoyed and i mean. i headcanon that natsu's always using her soaps and shampoos so why stop at lotions? i imagine he likes the way it makes his hands feel and he'll totally just put his hands on lucy's face and be like. "look. soft."

Walking along the streets with Lucy, Wendy felt she could let out a sigh of relief. It had only been a day, but the pressure of keeping a secret so big was already beginning to weigh on her, so finally being around someone who was also in on it was a nice break. "Hey Lucy? Is it okay if I ask you something?" With her attention caught, Lucy’s gaze flicked over to Wendy before she replied. "Sure, anything." "Why haven’t you told anyone else that you and Natsu are dating?" She asked. Lucy was quiet for a moment as the gears turned in her head while she searched for the right words to explain their reasons. "Because… things are kind of new with us, and we just want to figure things out on our own first before we tell anyone."

i knew i probably had to give a reason for why they're hiding it at some point and i also wanted to give wendy a moment alone with lucy or natsu or happy or a combination of them, just to take a weight off of her shoulders lol. those were combined into this scene

i think that while natsu would be pretty gung ho about telling everyone that they're dating immediately, lucy is more reserved about it because she knows what could happen to both their relationship and the relationship they have with others if they happened to maybe date and break up (not that it would happen, but lucy is wary)

She understood why they had chosen to do that, but she also couldn’t help but feel a slight irony in it all. The group dynamic hadn’t changed in the slightest because their transition from friends to something more had been so subtle that she may not have noticed it if she hadn’t accidentally walked in on them swapping spit.

the whole basis for this fic was the idea that wendy now looks on their relationship through a new lens but nothing has changed. natsu and lucy are still the exact same because they've always loved each other so deeply. the change from platonic love to romantic love is a really subtle change when they're not straight up making out in public because they're still just best friends who are a little touchy feely

The walk across town went by uneventfully, but there was something about knowing—about being in on the secret—that had resulted in Wendy seeing Natsu and Lucy’s relationship with new eyes. Nothing had changed about the way they interacted with each other, but now that she knew the context of their relationship, she couldn’t help but see the romance in everything they did together. Suddenly she was hyperaware of how Natsu seemingly had to have his hands on Lucy at all times, and how all those touches that she had always thought were innocent, friendly gestures now held more meaning to them.

wendy is us frrrrrr. idk i don't feel like i have anything to elaborate on here. i was very literal and direct with my intentions. nalu is in love and it's not subtle to strangers, but to the people they know, they've just always been like this. im sure after a long time of lucy insisting that they're not dating they probably just assumed that if they weren't together by now it would probably never happen

Before she could even think of approaching Natsu to treat his wound, Lucy threw herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck and holding onto him like her life depended on it, and Natsu responded with equal enthusiasm. Her hand rested gently on his jaw, and for a second, Wendy thought she was going to lean in for a kiss. Instead, but just as tender, she nestled into his chest, arms holding him close as he tucked her under his chin and it looked like a perfect fit. Wendy tried to turn her attention elsewhere and give the pair some privacy, but she couldn’t help eavesdropping now that her ears were tuned in to their conversation. "I’m so glad you’re safe," Lucy murmured into his chest. "Me too," Natsu replied as he rubbed soothing circles into her back. The two of them sat in silence for a few moments, content to find comfort in each other’s presence, until Natsu spoke up again. "I love you," he mumbled, his voice muffled in her hair but clear as day to Wendy. "I love you too," Lucy responded, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

okay well are they even trying to hide it at this point?

with this i knew i wanted them to say i love you. we've established they have a physical relationship but this is showing that it's going beyond that and showing (or telling, i suppose) that they are in love with each other.

i wasn't sure who was going to initiate at first. lucy was the obvious choice, she's the words girl and natsu is the actions guy but in the end that's why i went with natsu. i think natsu saying it first sort of packs a punch that you don't get when lucy initiates because she's usually the romantic of the two

In response to her weird behaviour, Carla placed her hands on her hips and let out a sigh. "What is going on with you, Wendy?" She demanded to know. "Wh-what’s going on with me?" She replied, trying to act innocent and pretend she had no clue what she was referring to. "You’ve been acting all skittish as of late, and you won’t even tell me why," Carla reprimanded. "What are you talking about?" She nervously laughed, "I’m just nervous about the train ride is all." "It’s not kind to lie, child," Carla replied, "and it’s even worse to keep secrets."

if anyone was going to make wendy crack, it was going to be carla. poor wendy doesn't like to lie and especially doesn't like to lie to carla. originally i was going to have it be erza confront her because i just didn't want to write carla but it was just the choice that made the most sense. sigh.

"N-Natsu and Lucy are dating!" Wendy blurted out before slapping her hand over her mouth, immediately realising her mistake. "Excuse me?" Erza said, clearly taken aback by the look on her face. "N-no! Oh gosh, I shouldn’t have said that…" she murmured, "I was supposed to keep it a secret, but now I’ve just gone and ruined everything." Just as she was about to beg them not to mention it, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy made their entrance, and immediately Erza stepped in to ruin her plan of getting them to keep quiet about it. "You and Natsu are dating?" Erza asked, her tone more accusatory than questioning. "What?" Lucy asked, taken aback by the sudden question.

i think if wendy had told erza not to tell anyone, she would have made her feel much better about her inability to keep secrets because if her acting skills are any indication, erza is even worse. unfortunately erza doesn't give her any time before practically accusing natsu and lucy of dating which again, i think is really funny

"You know you’ve cuffed yourself with a moron, right Lucy?" Gray asked, not giving up an opportunity to take a jab at Natsu. "Hey! How ‘bout you say that to my face!" Natsu yelled at him, suddenly forgetting any of what had just occurred, much more occupied with defending his pride. "I will! You’re a goddamned moron!" Gray retorted.

gray will never pass up the chance to roast natsu and neither will i

"Everything okay, Wendy?" Lucy asked, noticing the way her gaze seemed to be cast to the ground. "I um… I thought you guys would be more upset," Wendy revealed, "you know… with me." "Why would we be upset?" she replied. "Because you said you trusted me, and I broke my promise…" Wendy murmured. "Ya can’t always keep every promise you make," Natsu shrugged, "‘sides, it’s not the worst promise you could have broken." "So you’re not mad?" "Of course we’re not mad," Lucy assured.

there was no way that either of them could ever be mad at wendy for literally anything. they both know that she did her best even if she caved so, so easy. poor wendy is so convinced they're going to be upset with her but they both know there's no point in being upset about it because it's in the past now and natsu got to punch gray in the aftermath of it so he's fine with that outcome

"We fought a group of like fifty bandits," he exaggerated, which was met with an eyeroll from Lucy as she sipped on the drink Mira had passed over to her. "The guys tried to catch us off guard, but I caught ‘em before they could get the jump on us, one of them tried to stab me in the head, Lucy and I are dating, and we got the full reward." Wendy choked on her drink slightly, head whipping back around to where Natsu had been relaying the story of their job to see if she had heard him right, and based on the gobsmacked faces of everyone around them, she could only assume she had. "I’m sorry, what was that middle part?" Mira asked, caught off guard by the sudden announcement. "One of them tried to stab me in the head," he repeated, gesturing towards the superficial wound that Wendy had stitched up after the fight. "Natsu and I are dating," Lucy clarified for him.

added this purely for my own amusement. natsu would just be so casual about it because he doesn't see a big deal with it and everyone else is so caught off guard by it

i imagine that they probably talked about it beforehand and were like. yeah wendy's not keeping this for more than a day, better we tell everyone now than keep all that pressure on her

"That’s okay," Lucy hummed before letting them fall into a comfortable silence as they watched the celebration unfold into a classic Fairy Tail brawl right in front of their eyes. "I think your timing was just right," she said, turning her attention back to Wendy. "I was scared that things might change if everyone knew, but you showed me that maybe that doesn’t have to be a bad thing."

i like to focus on change (or lack thereof) a lot in my nalu fics because i love exploring the way their relationship changes when they get together, and a lot of the time that's not a lot

here lucy is more worried about the external change. they've been dating long enough that she's comfortable in the way her relationship is with natsu, they're still best friends but with a splash dash of kissing and romance, but she's worried about the way that change will be perceived by others and how that changes the way people feel about or act around them. i think that type of change is inevitable, but that's a bit more nuanced than what i wanted to get into with this fic. for the most part things stay the same. to everyone else they're still going to be natsu and lucy, they're just a little more mushy now

#mya's mumbles #nalu #sorry this has been sat in my drafts for like 2 months?#i wrote all of it and then just stopped at the end #long post

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trangenderstan · 2 years

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I am not great at character analysis. My brain has thoughts that sound like a ton of static that i need to decipher, also English not being my first language isnt helping.

But it’s my blog and i do what i want so here we are

Stanley Pines has major avoidance issues

I haven’t really seen people talk about it for some reason? Sure, Weirdmageddon 3 highlighted his cowardice pretty hard, but this problem is a huge character flaw that stems from his very early childhood

Stanley’s interactions with the world and the problems it presents to him are all a product of his childhood trauma, poverty and learned behaviors. Something he had to learn early on in order to simply survive. He’s characterized as a con man and a liar, but weirdly his best lies aren’t connected to scamming people out of money. His best lies are connected to getting himself out of trouble in the least moral ways possible

If you haven’t read the Lost Legends comic, please do cause spoilers i guess??

It’s no secret that Stanley has been mistreated throughout his childhood. Being seen as the lesser twin and failing at everything his brother was succeeding at really made a number on him, leading to some form of almost abandonment issues, where Ford is his world. If Ford doesn’t love or care for him, then who?

But in order to achieve that care and love he so desperately needs he chooses a completely wrong path. Lying and avoiding the situation, instead of coming forward and being honest

He lies to his father and Ford about not stealing the chain, going on a whole adventure with him to find a culprit that he knows was him all along, all to avoid the disappointment and shame that comes from another failure. Unlike a lot of characters with traumatic backstories, Stanley is the reason a lot of it is happening to him in the first place. Not to say he’s to blame, but his actions definitely contribute to the inevitable repercussions. Just like Ford said “You like taking shortcuts, and sometimes it gets you into trouble”. Oh boy if only he knew the extent of the trouble Stan gets himself into

Anyway, this shows that from a very young age Stanley learned to lie and cheat his way out of things that bother him. Avoid the situation because he isn’t strong enough mentally to deal with it. Some of it was definitely perpetuated by his father, but something tells me most of it was Stan’s own work

Trauma only solidified those issues

I recently bought the DVD set and after far too much trouble managed to access the secret commentaries. What’s interesting is that in the Land Before Swine one, Stan mentions “Dad always taught me that the way to get people to respect you, is to punch the biggest person in the room, but if you do that in school then apparently you have “rage problems””, which is a joke for the most part, but still holds some merit and insight on what Stan’s teen years were like.

Problems. Lots of mental and emotional problems. In Dipper and Mabel’s Guide to the Unexplained, there’s a reference to Stan having to do the Rorschach test, which at the time was mostly used on “sexual deviants” and problematic teenagers, which ties in nicely with Stan being in his last year of highschool. It shows that Stan hasn’t really grown as a person. His first reaction to breaking Ford’s machine is to try and fix it without telling him, avoiding the problem. His first reaction to Ford accusing him of ruining his life is to change the topic to treasure hunting, avoiding the problem. This pattern of him trying to slip out of situations that make him uncomfortable is persisting up until the very end of the series

But who could blame him, honestly, when he didn’t really have a chance to grow, or the motivation to do so. Especially after being thrown out on the streets

Now, granted, we don’t know much about his time on the streets. What he told the kids, and subsequently us, was obviously a very watered down version of the events with no mention of darker parts like a possible allusion to suicide in the “Dead end flats”

But we still get a moment of Stanley avoiding the problem. The problem being their relationship with Ford. And we see him almost address it. Almost.

In the payphone scene we get another glimpse at these avoidance issues. It seems like Stan is about to try and fix things, try and reach out because he needs help. Serious help. He doesn’t. We can only speculate why, but it’s possibly because he was afraid of another rejection. No matter the reason, he avoids the phone call. Avoids talking. Avoids taking the final step to accomplish something, to overcome his fears and change his life for the better, because it can’t really get any worse

But the moment Ford drops him a chance at redemption, Stan latches onto it with all he’s got, getting to Gravity Falls immediately. And even then, has to calm his anxiety and try not to bolt out of there, pretending nothing ever happened

He’s doing something worthwhile in his life, truly. Turning it around, trying to change his fate because he has no other options. Running meant surviving, yet he doesn’t have anywhere to run to anymore. Facing the issue is his only way of staying alive, of saving whatever last piece of dignity he has left

Too bad it backfired miserably

And he’s back to square one, taking his brother’s identity to again, avoid calling his family and telling them Stanford is god knows where, avoid the trouble of tearing everything apart and starting over. Faking his death, i feel, was more of a symbolic move. He starts avoiding far too many things and feelings hanging in the back of his mind for decades. Loses himself in the image he constructed in order to keep everything hidden. And as the lies went on longer and longer it became easier and easier to pretend that this is how it’s meant to be

Throughout the series Stan has plenty examples of his cowardice

From his acrophobia

To him lying to Mabel in order to avoid getting judged for breaking the promise of not letting Waddles outside

But i feel like one of the most impactful and meaningful ones was the moment where he was about to tell the kids about himself and his brother

Just like in the phone call scene, he starts out fully expecting himself to finally tell the truth. Maybe not all of it at once, but at least hint at whatever he has going on. But finds himself unable to as the waiting, attentive faces of the kids make him stop abruptly, avoiding the conversation until it’s too late

And now we’re finally getting to the absolute glory that is the finale of this show. Stakes at their highest, heroes doing and failing and doing over and over again, struggling and never giving up hope to defeat Bill, and yet out of all these characters the one who’s avoiding the issue the most is the one to have his final big hero moment

Weirdmageddon 3

...is one of the best episodes in the series. Gods know i could gush about it for hours on end. But maybe another time

This is the episode where Stan’s cowardice and avoidance is impossible to ignore. He hides out in the shack, actively speaks out against the mission to save Ford. And while most of it is rooted in his feelings of inferiority and the need to feel worthwhile for once, it also continues the thread of extreme anxiety towards trying to change things

He’s actively trying to convince people to stay, almost in a panic that escalates as the episode goes on. He’s stuck in his ways and i know people who were extremely put off and surprised by how badly he reacted to the whole situation. Then, he grumbles throughout the entirety of the building of the shacktron, trying to stop it’s contruction as the life he came to endure and even seek comfort in is torn down all over again. Going to save Ford means addressing his issues with him. Going to save Ford means risking his life, the life of the kids and people closest to him. And if he’s learned anything throughout his life it’s that survival is the way to go. You can’t do anything if you’re dead, so what’s the point of risking it

Throughout his life Stan lied for nobody but himself, he conned people to get himself out of trouble. Never anyone else, because if he’s dead then he’s a failure. If he’s dead then that means he’s weak and all those things people told him when he was younger

And this is where the finale shines

It starts out with Stan twins addressing their issues for the first time since they were kids. It’s short, scuffed, but it’s there. It’s a start for something bigger. A reunion, obviously, but also

Stanley is not running away anymore. The weight of the finale hits so much harder when it’s the first time Stan lies for anyone but himself. The first time he isn’t running away and hiding like he did his entire life. The first time he’s ready to give up basically his life for a good cause. And that, among other things, is what makes this hero moment so impactful. It’s the complete 180 he does from his usual self. And that’s why i love him so goddamn much

This all being said, i don’t think Stanley is selfish, quite the opposite. And also it’s definitely not the first time he’s risking everything for someone else (cough cough Ford cough cough), but this is an analysis of this singular thread and part of his character that i’ve noticed. Thanks for reading my crazed man ramblings.

#Stanley Pines #stan pines #analysis #gravity falls

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karahalloway · 2 years

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(Less Than) Noble Intentions: Chapter 12 - Ennobled

Fandom: TRR

Pairing: Drake Walker x F!OC (Harper Gale)

Series Summary: The social season may be over, but Harper Gale's problems are just beginning. With everyone at court a potential suspect, can she and Drake survive the engagement tour and get to the bottom of the plot against her and clear her name? An AU take of TRR2 featuring my OTP - Harper & Drake.

Masterlist: (Less Than) Noble Intentions

Chapter Summary: Harper and Drake have a rude awakening… and Christian unveails an unexpected surprise.

Word Count: 6,400

Rating/Warnings: M (swearing, some smuttiness, angst, aggravation)

A/N1: So... I know people were hoping for Part III of Extraction, but a few weeks ago, I got hit with the scene that starts off this chapter, so I ended up writing out the whole thing (and starting on the following chapter as well, because that follows directly after the events of this chapter). Hopefully this doesn’t cause any major disappointments! 🙃 My plan is to get back to Extraction and/or Sleepless in New York after I post Chapter 13... She said... hoping that the fickle muse will be cooperative🤞

A/N2: Big thank you to @angelasscribbles for pulling me out of a massive tagent / rabbit hole that I accidentally threw myself down half-through this chapter, and for brainstorming the second half of the chapter with me! Also, big shoutout to hubby (who is worming himself into my writing process more and more as time goes on - the sneaky rascal! 🤣) for helping me out with a bunch of details for this chapter!

A/N3: Finally, special shoutout to @thegreentwin for insipring the bonus content at the end of the chapter. If you have not read The Rebel Prince, please do so! It is cute, funny, insightful and the gossip magazine covers that accompany several of the chapters are something else!

Chapter 12 - Ennobled

Bzzt... bzzt...

The loud buzzing rattles me from sleep. Scrunching my eyes together, I snuggle deeper into Drake's chest, hoping that if I ignore the ominous sound, it will just disappear.

Bzzt... bzzt...

But... no such luck.

"Sorry, baby..." mutters Drake into my hair. "Need to check who that is."

"Can't it wait...?" I groan, tightening my hold on his hand.

After gluing Drake's arm back together, putting our blood-splattered clothes in the sink to soak, and having a long, hot shower to wash away the stresses of the day, we hadn't ended up falling into bed until close to midnight. And I even though I had slept quite well — thanks to Drake's comforting presence by my side — I’m not ready to wake up just yet because I know that if I do, then this brief, peaceful interlude is going to be over.

"Probably not, by the sounds of it," he admits as his phone buzzes adamantly again.

"But it's still dark..." I protest.

"I know. But it could be important..." he murmurs, laying a soft kiss on my shoulder as he draws his free hand up my body.

His fingers coasting over the exposed skin of my stomach causes my body to arch back against him. "More important... than what you've obviously got in mind?" I ask as my backside brushes against the tell-tale bulge of his morning wood.

Bzzt... bzzt... bzzt...

"Evidently..." he sighs, dropping his head against the crook of my neck in defeat.

Untangling himself from me, he rolls over with a grunt of disapproval to check his phone.

I flop face-first into the pillow. "Will we ever be able to just wake up at a normal time like normal people...?" I grumble against the silk-clad goose-down.

It’s bad enough that I can literally count on one hand the number of times Drake and I have been able to fall asleep in the same bed since we've become semi-official. But even when we have managed to carve out some much-needed couple time, we aren’t even allowed two minutes to enjoy waking up together because one or both of us is always needed for some urgent thing at stupid-o'clock in the morning.

"Probably not while the tour's underway," he admits, falling back into his space next to me. "And definitely not while the Beaumonts run your schedule..."

"Is that who it was?" I ask, twisting around to settle my head against his shoulder with a frown. My bleary eyes widen as they land on the time at the top of the screen. "Are they being serious right now!"

"You know they don't sleep," he reminds me, scrolling through his texts.

"But it's not even 5am!" I protest. "What the hell could they want at this time?"

"You, apparently," he observes, tilting the screen so I could read the messages.

"Wow..." I breathe. "Our room switch caused quite the Beaumont meltdown, huh?"

"Seems so..." he agrees, locking his phone and dropping it back onto the bedside table. "But at least we know it's a solid countermeasure."

"Yes, and no..." I grumble. "They still woke us up, didn't they?"

"True..." he concedes, turning to face me with that impenetrable look of his. "But they're not in here with us."

"Don't count your blessings yet, bud," I warn as he snakes his arm around my waist. "They could get desperate and start searching all the rooms in the manor."

"That's why I locked the door," he states, pulling me on top of him. "So, unless they've got a battering ram, they ain't gettin' in."

"Mmm..." I purr, luxuriating in the feel of his solid warmth beneath me. "I love the way you think. But shouldn't we put them out of their misery?"

"They've survived this long," he declares roughly, splaying a possessive hand on my ass. "They can wait five more minutes."

"You sure?" I gasp as he pushes me down against his now very indisputable arousal. "It sounds like Bertrand is about to have a coronary."

"Max likes to over-exaggerate..." he murmurs, threading his other hand into my hair to draw me closer. "Plus, my alarm hasn't gone off yet, so..."

Beep...beep...beep...beep...

His head drops back against the pillow. "...motherfucker."

"You were sayin'...?" I ask sweetly, reaching over to turn the blaring off.

"Can't catch a fuckin' break..." he grits, digging his fingers into the softness of my backside, as if this will help alleviate his aggravation.

"Says the person who had to be convinced to stay last night..." I remind him, bopping him on the nose.

"Because I knew how goddamn hard it was gonna be to leave in the morning," he growls, flicking his tongue over the underside of my finger hungrily as I trail it past his mouth. "Especially since we never finished what we started back at Maddi’s."

"I thought we did finish..." I tease, rocking my pelvis against him. "Very loudly."

He swallows a groan as I feel his length nudge me through his boxers. "And was it enough?"

I flick my eyes up to his coyly as I continue to trail my finger down his chest. "Wasn't it?"

"Like hell."

In the next instant I find myself pinned beneath him, a leg hooked over his arm and his mouth claiming mine as he drives purposefully into me.

"Drake..." I moan against his lips, feeling him grind against the damp lace of my underwear, teasing me with the promise of fulfilment.

"Fuck, Harper," he growls, nipping my bottom lip. "You have no idea... how much I want you... how much I always want you."

"You have me," I assure him, wrapping my other leg around him, wanting to feel all of him with all of me. "And I'm not going anywhere."

"Having you... doesn't make me want you... any less," he huffs, meeting my eyes with his molten espresso gaze as he continues to move against me. "If anything... it makes me want you more. Christ, I want you... And it's never enough."

He’s right. Our much-too-brief reunion two nights ago hadn’t been nearly enough to make up for the time we'd had to spend apart. And the undeniable urgency of his need sparks my own desire alight faster than dropping a match into a propane tank.

"So, have me," I urge breathlessly, sliding my hands down his back to grip his ass, as he did with me.

He rams into me once more with a guttural sound before pulling back, breathing hard. "Don't tempt me, girl. I'm barely holding it together as it is. If we start, I'm not gonna be able to stop."

"Then don't," I prompt, coasting a hand around his waist to slip it beneath the waistband of his boxers.

A low groan rattles in his throat as he grits his teeth, fighting for control. "Trust me. If it were up to me, we wouldn't. Not until I've fucked you six ways to Sunday on every available surface in this room. And then some..."

His eyes meet mine with a darkly feral look that instantly drenches whatever part of my panties remained dry... before he drops his gaze ruefully.

"...but we can't. The Beaumonts are already going ape looking for you, and the rest of the court's about to descend on us. And we both know that you ain't exactly quiet when we get going..."

"You complainin'?" I ask cheekily, wrapping my fingers around the protrusion straining the front of his boxers.

"Never," he grins, bucking into my palm. Turning serious, he adds, "But you screaming the manor down isn't conducive to our plan to get your name cleared. So, we gotta wait."

"Can I convince you to stay five more minutes...?" I counter sweetly, giving him a meaningful squeeze. "Seeing as we're now both very much up?"

"And who's fault is that?" he smirks, diving down to scrape his teeth over my t-shirt clad breast.

"The Beaumonts'," I gasp with a jolt as he catches my nipple with his teeth.

He scoffs dryly, moving lower. "The only thing those two'll get pointing up in their direction is my middle finger."

My giggle scuttles into a moan as he skims his lips and tongue over the sensitive skin just below the hem of my t-shirt. "So, does that mean you'll stay?"

He pauses above the lace of my panties, the basic instincts of his physical desire clearly at war with the cold, hard logic of his self-imposed sense of responsibility.

"No..." he sighs begrudgingly, dropping his head. "As much as I want to, you know I can't. I need to make myself scarce before the staff start their rounds."

"Eugh... Fine..." I grump, my hands falling off him with a dejected thud. "But, you better make this up to me later, bud."

"Don't worry," he drawls, his breath fluttering over my heated skin. "I will. And by the time I'll get done with you, girl, you won't be able to see, let alone walk straight..." He rakes his tongue over my damp underwear to underscore his intent. "And that's a promise."

I reach for him with a mew, desperate for more...

...but all I grasp is air.

"Damn you, Walker..."

"Think of it as foreplay, Gale."

Opening eyes, I see that he's already on the other side of the room, rummaging around his duffle for some clean clothes.

I snort caustically. "Of course you'd call it that..."

He meets my less-than-amused glare with a brief, nonchalant smirk. "Hey. You're the one who started it."

"Me?" I gasp, snapping upright in disbelief. "You're the one who woke up horny!"

"And why d'you think that is...?"

My breath catches in my throat at the intensity of his gaze. "I—"

Bzzt... bzzt...

"You best find out what the Beaumonts want with you before they call in search and rescue," he advises, unfurling a fresh pair of jeans.

"Fine..." I grumble, shunting myself onto the other side of the bed like a land-locked seal to grab my own phone out of my bag.

Stupid Beaumonts... Stupid scandal... Stupid rules... Why can’t I just have sex with my boyfriend like a normal person...?

Lolling back onto the pillow, I unlock the screen, and nearly die of shock when I see how many missed calls and texts I've gotten.

"Jesus Christ...!"

"Everythin' okay?" queries Drake.

"I have twenty missed calls!" I exclaim. "Twenty! In the space of fifteen minutes!"

"They're nothing if not persistent..." he observes dryly, pulling on blue plaid shirt.

"That's one word for it," I mutter, hitting dial on Maxwell's number.

The line barely has a chance to connect before my sponsor's overtly excited voice assaults my eardrums. "Harper! Thank God you're okay! Wait... Are you okay? Why were you not picking up? Where are you? Bertrand and I have been going mental—"

"I'm fine..." I reply with deliberate slowness, hoping that he'll take the hint and tone the volume down...

...but, I’m going to have to keep on dreaming.

"Awesome!" enthuses Maxwell. "Bertrand will be thrilled that he can stop tearing his hair out!"

I massage my eyes, realising that I’m going to have to take control of this conversation. "Great. So, where's the fire?"

There's an audible intake of breath on the other end of the line. "Fire? What fire? Oh, my giddy aunt! Bertrand! Harper's trapped in an inferno and sh—"

I suppress a sigh. This is way too much nervous energy for this early in the morning...

"I mean," I emphasise painstakingly, "what's the massive emergency?"

There is a long pause, followed by a sheepish chuckle. "Oh. Right. Whoops! Silly me! This is why Bertrand doesn't trust me with House Beaumont stuff. He says I'm always—"

"Give me that!"

I groan wearily. Great. Now Bertrand has the phone...

"Where in the blazes are you?" the elder Beaumont snaps down the line without preamble.

"In my room," I reply, pushing myself up.

This is not a conversation I’m having lying down... Literally, or metaphorically.

"I can assure you, that you are not," he hits back. "Maxwell and I have searched every inch of your room, and unless you have managed to squeeze yourself between the floorboards — which would be a mean feat, indeed! — you are to cease this childish game of hide-and-go-seek and—!"

"No."

I swear I hear the sound of Bertrand bursting a blood vessel. "I beg your pardon?"

I set my jaw determinedly. "First of all, I am not hiding. I switched rooms because someone — whether intentionally, or not — assigned me to the same room as last time, and there was no way in hell that I was going to sleep in the bed that I nearly got raped in."

I give him a moment to let that sink in.

"Oh. I-I see..." The consternation in his voice is palpable. "Erm... Yes. Of course... How crass of me... I—"

"Second," I continue, leaning into Drake as he bends down to drop a good-bye kiss into my hair, "you better have a damned good reason for waking me up before the crack of dawn—"

"It is hardly—"

"—especially since you told me in the car yesterday that today's event doesn't start until mid-morning, and we'd agreed in Ramsford that the way-too-early-o'clock wake up calls would stop."

"Unless there are extenuating circumstances," he reminds me.

"What kind of extenuating circumstances could there possibly be at four-thirty in the morning!" I cry exasperatedly.

"The kind that requires you to be dressed and presentable at six o'clock sharp."

I frown. "Why? What's happening at six?"

"You are meeting with the Royal Press Secretary. He has request—"

Not bothering to wait for Bertrand to mansplain how early morning appointments work, I pull the phone away from my ear and put myself on mute. Glancing up at Drake, I ask, "Did you know about this?"

He turns back from the door he’d just been about to open. "Know about what?"

"That I'm supposed to be meeting with the Royal Press Secretary this morning."

His grip on the door handle tightens. "No."

"Didn't think so," I mutter under my breath as I resume the call.

"—especially since His Majesty will be in attendance, and you will—"

My eyes widen. "Christian's going to be there too? Does that mean they have a lead on Tariq?"

I flick my gaze up to Drake's questioningly.

He shakes his head. No clue.

"I was not informed of the purpose of the meeting," replies Bertrand tartly. "I was simply tasked with ensuring your attendance. Now, since time is of the essence, we need to—"

"I am perfectly capable of getting myself ready," I inform him flatly. "So, just tell me where to go, and I'll meet you there."

Bertrand sucks in a scandalised breath. "That is highly improper! A young lady of your station should be escorted to the venue by her—"

"This isn't 1785, Bertrand..." I remind him exasperatedly. "My reputation isn't going to be ruined because I was found wandering around unsupervised. At least, not any more than it already has been by Tariq and his co-conspirators."

"Granted," he concedes. "But this isn't just about your reputation. It is about your safety as well. I gave my word to His Majesty that House Beaumont will look after you, and since you have a rather irksome habit of slinking off by yourself—"

"I don't slink off...!"

"Yes. You do."

I throw my head up in surprise.

Drake is leaning against the door with his arms crossed in stoic agreement. "You're a nightmare to run security for. Almost as bad as Leo."

"No, I'm not!" I protest. "I don't deliberately try and ditch my detail!"

"No," he concedes. "You just try to knock 'em out."

I feel the heat rise up my cheeks.

"Not to mention, you ain't exactly great at gettin’ where you're supposed to be without incident, or staying put once there."

"Well, no one told me that court was going to be such a literal minefield..." I gripe.

He cocks a brow. "Does the phrase 'be careful' mean somethin' different in Montana?"

"You could've been more specific!" I cry.

"Who are you talking to?"

Oh, shit... I'd forgotten about Bertrand.

"Erm... Doesn't matter," I say dismissively. Bertrand doesn’t need to know that Drake and I spent the night together, even if we didn't do anything besides sleeping. Returning to the topic at hand, I say, "And anyway. I have Allard and Schweitzer looking out for me, so I don't—"

"Who are conspicuously missing from outside of your room," Bertrand points out. "And any other room in the wing, for that matter. Therefore, I repeat: you are to cease this childish game of hide-and-go-seek and reveal to us your whereabouts, so we can find you and make you ready for your appointment, post haste."

"Wait..." I interject, suddenly realising something. "If the meeting is at six, what's the crazy rush? And why were you trying to wake me up at 4:30am?"

"Because the meeting is in Valtoria."

"Valtoria?" I ask, struggling a bit with the unfamiliar combination of vowels and consonants on my tongue. "Where is that?"

"Approximately thirty minutes away, so if you wish to partake in breakfast prior to our departure, I suggest you get a move on. I expect to see you in the entry hall by twenty-five past at the very latest."

The call clicks off.

Lowering the phone in a bit of a daze, I glance over at Drake.

He's typing away furiously on his phone with an expression that could've rent stone.

Pushing myself to my feet, I walk over to him. "Hey," I say softly, laying a hand on his wrist. "There's no need to crack your screen. I'll be—"

"That's not the point," he grits, fingers flying over the keyboard with a vengeance.

"Then, what?"

He sends off the text with a forceful jab at the screen. "Gee, I don't know... How 'bout the fact that I — the head of your protection detail — am only finding out about this meeting less than an hour before it's supposed to happen? Through the Beaumonts, of all people? Or the fact that the venue for said meeting happens to be a château that hasn't been lived in for over a decade, and which hasn't been vetted or swept by me or my guys? And let's not even get into the fact that this meeting isn't even in Chris' official diary, let alone his private one."

"Maybe because he doesn't want Madeleine finding out about it...?" I offer.

He scoffs acerbically. "Or me."

"I'm sure he just—"

Drake's phone pings with an incoming message. He glances at it briefly. "Un-fuckin'-believable..."

"What's wrong?" I ask as he starts throttling out a pissed-off response.

"Jurisdictional bullshit..."

I frown. "What do you mean?"

"Apparently," he grits sarcastically, eyes not leaving the screen, "I didn't need to be notified of the meet because Chris' personal Guard are handling all the security arrangements. So, my involvement would've been redundant."

I raise a brow. "Are the Guard normally this territorial?"

"No," he scoffs bitterly, sending the text off. "You can't run a tight ship in terms of security if the different teams aren't in sync. They should've roped me in from the get-go."

"Maybe they just forgot...?" I suggest hopefully. "You used to be part of Christian's detail, so maybe whoever organised this just assumed you'd be passed the message?"

He shoves his phone back into his pocket with a non-committal grunt. "You better get ready. We don't want to keep His Royal Majesty waiting..." His voice drips with acrimony.

"Hey..." I say, reaching up to stroke his face. "Is there something else that's—?"

He pulls abruptly away. "I'll see you there."

Before I can say another word, he's out the door without so much as a backwards glance, duffle forgotten on the floor.

I heave a sigh.

This morning just keeps getting better and better...

"Wow..." I breathe, stepping out of the limo. "This place almost puts Riverrun to shame!"

The venue of today's impromptu meeting could've been pulled straight from a fairytale. The soft light of the rising sun colours the cream walls of the neo-gothic château’s sandstone a pale pink, making them glow with a seeming inner warmth. A long row of pear trees — heavy with fruit — line the gravel drive leading up to the romantic, fortress-like structure, behind which stretched pine-covered hills as far as the eye could see.

So idyllic is this place that I am half expecting a unicorn to come strolling out of the woods to the accompaniment of ethereal elven lute music.

"Riverrun?" queries Bertrand from the other side of the limo, snapping me out of my awed gawking. "That is not a domain that I am familiar with..."

I whirl around to face my sponsor disbelievingly. "Wait... You're a Harry Potter fan, but you haven't seen or read Game of Thrones?"

Bertrand tugs at his collar. "Wh-who is this Potter fellow that you speak of? I am afraid I do not—"

A snort of amusement escapes me. "Save the histrionics for the aristos, Bertrand. Maxwell's already let me in on the secret of your guilty little pleasure."

Bertrand's eyes widen in shock before he snaps his customary sneer back into place. "I thought we agreed to keep that information private!" he hisses, rounding in his brother.

Maxwell shrugs, totally non-pulsed by the unspoken threat of imminent punishment and/or death for his treacherous transgression. "It is private. Harper's basically family, isn't she?"

Bertrand opens, then and closes his mouth. "I... I suppose she is," he admits begrudgingly. "But I feel I should reiterate that—"

"My lips are sealed," I assure him with a wink, miming the closure of a zip over my mouth.

"Good," he grumbles. "See to it that it stays that way. We are having a bad enough time as it is as a result of this Ana de Luca piece about our finances without the nobility—"

"Ah, here you all are!" exclaims Christian with a grin, jogging down the manor's steps.

Today — in contrast to yesterday's garden party where he'd been in a suit — he is dressed quite casually in beige slacks and a pale blue button-down that he'd rolled up at the sleeves. And, for once, he looks happy and at ease — like the guy I met in New York, instead of the more serious royal that I've become accustomed to seeing since arriving in Cordonia.

"So glad you could make it!" he continues, giving each of the Beaumonts a quick shake and a familiar slap on the arm. "I know it was rather short notice, but given that the apple picking doesn't start until later in the day, I wanted to take advantage of this rare break in the itinerary to bring you out here."

"Of course, Your Highness," nods Bertrand dutifully. "The Beaumonts are always at your disposal."

"And why are we here exactly?" I ask, as Christian leans in to drop a kiss on my cheek by way of greeting. "Not that I'm complaining... This place is breathtaking and all, but wouldn't it have been easier to meet at Applewood, given that—"

"Ohmygiddyaunttheyhavepeacocks!"

Maxwell barrels past us in a blur, nearly knocking Christian over in his haste to get to the pair of indigo-coloured fowl that have wandered casually out onto the other side of the drive.

"He really does have a thing for peacocks, doesn't he?" I observe, watching Maxwell throw himself onto the ground, so he could start snapping eye-level selfies with the majestic birds.

"Quite," agrees Christian with a wry look, smoothing his hair back down. "So did the previous duchess, I believe."

Something about his tone gives me pause. But before I can formulate a response, Bertrand's already kow-towed himself in front of Christian.

"Your Highness, I am— What just happened was—" He hops stessily from foot-to-foot, evidently caught between the twin desires of wanting to apologise for Maxwell's clearly unacceptable behaviour, and marching after his brother to pummel him senseless.

"It is quite alright," Christian assures him with a gallant smile. "One cannot begrudge a man for pursuing his passion with such uncompromising enthusiasm."

"Even so, I— He should not hav—" Bertrand forces himself to draw a breath. "Please excuse me."

Turning on his heel, he rushes after his brother, hollering blue murder. "Maxwell!"

I glance up questioningly at Christian. "Should we...?"

"They'll be fine," he assures me, taking my hand to loop my arm through his. "Shall we?"

"Don't you want to wait for them?" I ask as he begins leading me towards the manor's heavy-looking wood and wrought-iron doors.

"It looks like they'll be otherwise occupied for some time," he observes dryly, as Bertrand tries to shoo the offending fowl away, much to Maxwell's dismay. "And, I must admit, I was looking for a convenient excuse to divest ourselves of their company, anyway."

"Oh?" I query. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

"Show you, rather," he corrects. "I was hoping to use the time to give you the grand tour. There is one room in particular that I think you'll be interested in seeing."

"Grand tour?" I query, confused. "I thought we were here to meet with the Royal Press Secretary."

"We are," he assures me. "But he is arriving a bit later."

I squint suspiciously up at him. "So, why the crazy morning rush, then?"

"Yes. We're all dying to find out the answer to that question, aren't we?"

"Jesus Christ!"

The sound of the unexpected voice nearly sends me up into the rafters.

Recollecting myself, I spin towards the source of the interruption… and spot Drake in the shadow of the doorway, leaning against the wall with an accusatory scowl on his face.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to do that!" I snipe, heart still hammering from the sudden spike of adrenaline.

"Should pay more attention to your surroundings, girl," he advises nonchalantly, keeping his eyes fixed on Christian. "Especially since we have no idea what you're walking into."

"My personal Guard have already done a full sweep of the property," Christian assures us. If he is surprised by Drake's presence — or his thinly veiled insinuation — he doesn't show it. "I can assure you that it is perfectly safe."

"For you, maybe," responds Drake, peeling himself away from the wall to stand in front of Christian with crossed arms. "But not for her."

Christian meets Drake's steely glare unflinchingly. "Why would Harper not be—?"

"Because if shit goes south, your team's priority will be to get you out. Not Gale. She'll be left high and dry."

I feel myself pale. "What?"

Christian's shaking his head. "If you're suggesting that I'd allow—"

Drake scoffs derisively. "Don't pretend you don't know how this works, Chris. Your safety trumps everything else, including — and especially — whatever noble intentions you may have. They're not gonna let you jeopardise an evac by bringing extra bodies along, nor are they gonna let you play martyr. When the life of the King is on the line, everyone else becomes expendable."

My eyes widen in sudden realisation. "That's why you got so pissed earlier..."

Drake nods. "Had I not happened to've still been in the room when Gale got the call from the Beaumonts, she'd've been rolling up here with zero security."

Christian's brows furrow. "But I gave her additional Guard for her detail."

"Who I've assigned to perimeter work. And with Allard and Schweitzer off-duty last night, not to mention Gale's habit of keeping important information to herself—"

"Hey!" I protest. "That happened one time!"

"Three times," corrects Drake. "And counting."

My jaw drops in disbelief. "You're counting?"

"Always," declares Drake without skipping a beat. "But that's not the point. Point is, this entire SNAFU could've been avoided if I'd been looped in from the start. Because the whole reason she got assigned her own detail in the first place was to avoid the same kinds of slip-ups that led to Tariq ending up alone with her at the Jamboree. But I can't coordinate her security if I don't know what the fuck is going on."

Christian's Adam's Apple bobs as he digests Drake's words. "No. You are right. And I can only apologise for—"

"I don't care who's fault it was," cuts in Drake brusquely. "Just make sure it doesn't happen again."

Christian nods. "I will. Though, that will involve notifying all the Guard commanders of your new status. And since you were previously operating under the official radar—"

"Tell whoever you need to tell," Drake responds. "Gale's safety is more important than me staying covert. I'll even put on the uniform if needed."

"I don't think that will be necessary," Christian assures him with a smile. "Especially given that you hate wearing formal jackets on the best of days..."

Drake pulls a face. "They're always too tight around the shoulders."

"Then there is no need to compromise your comfort," Christian tells him with a clap on the shoulder, instantly dissipating the previous tension. "We want you paying attention to Harper, instead of fiddling with an ill-fitting piece of apparel."

"Shame," I murmur, meeting Drake's eye coquettishly. "I think you'd look hot in uniform."

He quirks a brow at me. "Does someone have a secret role-play fantasy they want to act out?"

"Don't put words in my mouth," I quip back. "And anyway. I'm not sure it counts as role-play if you actually are a Guard..."

"Maybe not," he admits, mocha eyes boring into mine. "But it'll sure as hell make the experience that much more immersive..."

"Only one way to found out, cowboy..." I purr, feeling the heat that he'd ignited in me earlier this morning burst into flame again under the intensity of his gaze...

...which immediately gets doused by the sound of Christian's polite cough.

"Erm, I hate to interrupt—"

I snap back from Drake in mortification, my cheeks flaming. Oh, my God, I can't believe we just engaged in dirty talk in front of the King of Cordonia!

"—but time is getting on," he continues, somehow managing to maintain a stoic façade despite what he'd just overheard, "and if we are to make it back in time for the apple picking, we should proceed with the reason for our visit."

"Which you still haven't shared..." Drake points out, completely unfazed by the fact that his friend had shared in our saucy moment. If anything, he looked annoyed at having been interrupted.

I peek up at Christian expectantly, also curious to hear his answer, even though I’m still dying inside.

He meets my gaze with a knowing look. "To show Harper her duchy, of course."

My jaw drops to the floor. "My...what!"

"Your duchy," Christian reiterates calmly. "Since you — as the Royal Consort — are now a de facto member of not only the court, but of the royal household as well, it is only proper that we bestow upon you the accordant lands and titles that normally complement such a high-ranking position."

"But I'm only pretending to be the Royal Consort," I remind him dazedly, my mind still whirling from this unexpected revelation. "You don't need t—"

"Actually, I do," he insists. "Granting you a duchy helps legitimise your new status both domestically and abroad, and aids in improving your image in the eyes of the press. After the double blow to your reputation caused by the candid photos of you and Tariq, and the revelation about the Beaumonts' financial situation, an uplift to your reputation is very much needed. Especially since you will be meeting with foreign dignitaries from next week onwards."

"Tell me about it," I mutter with a roll of my eyes. "But I don't really see how this helps... Doesn't this just make it look like you're playing favourites? And make people resent me more? I mean, I did something 'bad'—" I emphasise the interpretive nature of the word with air-quotes, "—and now you're rewarding me for it."

"Or," counters an unfamiliar voice, "—and this is the way we plan to spin it — you did nothing wrong and these royal favours are simply a public demonstration of the King's continued affection for you. As well as an official snub to your naysayers."

"Jonathan!" exclaims Christian with a wide smile as he turns to face the newcomer. "You got here earlier than expected."

"On the contrary, You Highness," replies Jonathan, who — based on his smartly tailored pinstripe suit, slicked back hair, and clipped accent — I am guessing is the Royal Press Secretary. "I am already running behind. So, if you'll pardon me, I have a press conference to organise. M'lady... Sir..." With a curt nod of his head, he's already disappeared inside the manor.

I stare at the spot he just occupied in stupefaction before finally finding my voice again. "What press conference?"

"The press conference where we will officially announce you as the new Duchess of Valtoria," explains Christian, looping my hand through his arm again to lead me after Jonathan.

"But—" I look back at Drake beseechingly, seeking back-up...

...and nearly lose my footing when I see the look on his face.

Oh, no...

I thought I'd seen Drake angry before — when he'd realised what Tariq had done to me… when he'd faced off against Bastien as the Guard dragged me from the Coronation Ball… and when he'd ripped into Christian at Ramsford for sending me away in the first place.

But this... This is something else.

This is beyond simple rage, or mere indignation. This is an expression that could've frozen all nine circles of hell... And it gives me the shivers, even though I’m not the target of it.

Christian — for his part — is completely oblivious to Drake's state of being, pulling me eagerly through the doors of the manor, as if he were a kid about to step through the gates of Disneyland for the first time.

I try to disentangle myself from him, wanting to rush back to Drake, wanting to stop for a minute so I could process what the hell was happening, but the next thing I know, we're over the threshold...

...and I am literally rendered speechless by the sight in front of me.

To say that I have stepped into a dream is an understatement. Someone has spent a literal fortune renovating the inside of the manor. No trace of the original gothic-style fixtures or furnishings could be seen. Instead, gilt and marble stretches as far as the eye can see in a fresh, modern take on Louis XIV's opulent style.

"Wow," is all I can say, taking in the pièce de la résistance of the place, which is a bifurcated grand-staircase that any real or wannabe princess would kill to make an entrance on.

"Makes an impression, doesn't it?" chuckles Christian softly from next to me.

"That's... one word for it," I reply dazedly, craning my neck around, trying to take it all in.

Had someone actually lived here? This place feels like a temple or a museum, rather than someone's house... How do they keep everything so spotless?

"The former Duke and Duchess were keen patrons of art and architecture. During their life, they helped fund several important renovation projects in the kingdom. And I am told that their private art collection is one of the finest on the continent."

"They definitely had a unique style," I agree, tracing my eyes around the intricate loops and swirls of the marble inlay at the foot of the staircase.

"Yes. They certainly did."

Turning my head, I see that Christian is surveying my reactions with an intent expression.

"Do you like it?" he asks, eyes searching mine as he waits for my answer.

"It's out of this world..." I admit carefully, fully conscious of Drake's blistering presence behind me. "But—"

"Let me show you the rest of it."

Before I have a chance to blink, he's swept me down the entrance hall.

We spend the next thirty minutes traipsing through more lavishly decorated rooms than I could count. There is a drawing room. A sitting room. A reading room. A study. A library. A games room. A spa. A home cinema complete with popcorn machine and reclining armchairs. Two ballrooms. An art gallery. A massive kitchen. A formal and an informal dining room. Twelve bedrooms, each with king size beds. A wine room — yes, a whole room devoted to housing all manner of one-of-kind, expensive wines that puts even Olivia's impressive collection to shame. Not to mention an entire wing of the upstairs seemed to function as an oversized closet for all the clothes, shoes and other fancy accessories that a nobleman and his wife apparently require to make themselves presentable at any given time.

But just when I think my head is about to burst from the never-ending display of wealth and extravagance, we arrive at a room that truly takes my breath away.

"Welcome... to the observatory," declares Christian grandly, sweeping his arm out.

"Is that... a telescope?" I breathe, eyes glued to the centrepiece of the oak-panelled attic room we are stood in.

"It most certainly is," affirms Christian with a wide smile, taking my hand to lead me up to it. "The former Duke was a keen—"

Bang!

The sound of the door slamming shut reverberates around the space, making me jump.

I glance behind me... and my stomach drops.

Drake is nowhere in sight.

I stare at the door in confusion, trying to figure out what could've caused him to storm out like this all of a sudden.

Yes, he'd spent the entire duration of the tour following behind Christian and me in tense, judgemental silence, but I'd thought that was because he was pissed about not having been given the heads-up about the upcoming press conference, and he was worried about a potential security breach...

...but then it hits me.

The stars.

My chest constricts in anguish. "Christian, I'm sorry..."

Wrenching my hand from his, I whirl around and sprint towards the door. Yanking it open, I fly down the narrow spiral staircase of the turret that housed the observatory, trying to catch up with Drake.

But — as always — he's much faster than me, and there's so sight or sound of him.

I reach the bottom step, panting, and finally spot him at the end of the hallway.

"Drake!" I call, dashing after him.

But if he hears me, he doesn't slow down. If anything, he only seems to speed up.

"Dra—!"

"Ah, there you are!" Bertrand appears in front of me, blocking my path. "I was asked t—"

"I can't," I gasp, dodging around him to get to the front door that Drake had just stormed through. "I need to—"

But I feel Bertrand grab me by the wrist.

"Now is not the time for personal sideshows," he declares, dragging me back the way I'd come... and away from Drake. "The members of the press are already here, eager for the briefing to start. And it would be rude to keep them waiting. Especially since we need to rough your appearance into shape first."

"But I—"

"And I'm sure Mr Walker has important matters to attend to as well. He appeared to be in quite the hurry."

I clench my eyes shut. If only you knew the half of it...

Gritting my teeth, I snap my wrist from my sponsor’s hold like Allard had taught me, and peg it towards the door, determined to catch up with Drake.

But just as I reach the threshold, I hear the sound of tires spitting gravel, and I realise that I'm too late.

He is gone.

The story continues in Chapter 13 - Invidia

A few notes for your attention, as per usual 😇:

Apple picking: Yes, this chapter (and the next) reference ‘apple picking’ as the next event on the engagement tour calendar, instead of ‘barn raising’. This is deliberate: barn raising is very much a Midwestern US tradition (with some mentions of it taking place in England), and definately not something that would happen in a Mediterranean country, especially as part of a high-profile royal tour. Since apples feature a lot in canon, I decided to just keep things close to home, and - since this part of the story takes place in August - that ties in nicely with the traditional timing of European harvest festivals.

Valtoria: For anyone who is interested, I have used Chateau Amboise - located in France’s Loire Valley - as my stand-in for Valtoria.

SNAFU: For anyone not familiar with military slang, SNAFU means ‘situation normal: all fucked up’ and basically is a sarcastic way of saying that everything has gone to shit (though a SNAFU is generally more salvageable than a complete FUBAR i.e. a situation that is ‘fucked up beyond all recognition’.)

Security: Everything security-related that Drake mentions in this chapter is accurate. A security team is exclusively responsible for their own principle, and - in a crisis situation - each team would focus on evacuating their principal, and their principal only (at the expense of everyone else). It would not matter if the principal wanted to save someone else - s/he would not be allowed to, because such actions would be deemed to compromise the principal’s safety, and potentially undermine a successful evacuation. Therefore, on this basis, Drake storming off is probably not 100% realistic (especially if he is literally the only person present from Harper’s detail), but I HC that he’d radioed for Allard and Schweitzer to come up as well (and I will mention this in the next chapter probably), but this is a work of fiction, and I don’t always need to let facts get in the way of a juicy bit of dramatic tension 😅

Picture credits: Valtoria - Harper

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