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gb-patch · 3 years

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Ask Answers: June 6th, 2021

I’m back with more ask responses! You can also check our Frequently Asked Question sheet if there’s something you’re wondering that’s not answered here.

FAQ Also, if you prefer to just see the main posts without all the asks/reblogs, feel free to follow our side account instead: GB Patch Updates Blog

Thank you for the patience with these questions ♡

Hey in very beginning of step 3 in the scene where Mr.Holden had a thought dancing on the tip of his tongue but he kept it to himself after MC and Cove were being cute (idk if it makes a difference but this is when they're dating)... Can we know what he was thinking/ wanted to say? It's been bugging me lol

He would’ve gone into a “look how much you’ve grown”, “your dad is so proud of you”, “I’m so glad things worked out with the MC”, and etc spiel, haha. But he resisted the urge to fawn on his baby boy, at least for that scene.

If we planned to move away for college/future plans in step 3, is it implied that MC and Cove would have a long distance relationship for sure? Could MC have convinced Cove to come with them? How is the dynamic of their relationship going to be addressed in Step 4, if that makes sense?

Cove is willing to follow the MC where they went after everything is settled for them there, and if they’re sure they want him to come! You’ll get to decide how things shook out during those transitional years just by making choices about it during the opening prologue of Step 4.

Hi! First off, how does it feel to have created one of the best games when it comes to inclusion for lbtq+ peeps? I've never felt as validated with my identity and sexuality when playing a game and I'm seemingly not alone ♥ Second, and this might be a little too specific, but what kinds of drinks does Cove like as well as dislike? Thank you, you're the best ♥

Thank you for very much! It’s really nice to hear the game felt inclusive. Cove likes regular water and fruit juices/smoothies most! He dislikes coffee and cola, and he’s not super into most teas either.

Hi, may i ask what gb patch stands for? Specifically the gb part lol

It stands for my old, silly username I used in places like Neopets as a kid, aha. The company name wasn’t super thought out since it was originally just me making VNs as a hobby. Luckily, “GB Patch” kind of seems like it could mean something reasonable, so I didn’t have to rebrand when it did become a more serious, commercial group.

If we chose to not propose to cove in the step 3 dlc would he propose or would the mc propose in step 4 or the wedding dlc?

Yeah, you or Cove can propose in Step 4 if you’re not already engaged! The Wedding DLC takes place after the engagement so the proposal scenes aren’t there.

will you guys announce if the early access for the new game is out on patreon ?

When beta builds of Step 4 or whatever start coming out on the Patreon we will mention it here on social media too.

Heyy I just had a quick question about Baxter if that’s okay :)?

I saw in an ask+answer that it’s possible to casually date Baxter In step 3, but what leads up to that? I have the step 3 dlc and I’ve tried playing them In a different orders and ways but it doesn’t seem to get anywhere ^^;

The Step 3 DLC is Cove-based because he’s the default guy. There’s a separate Baxter romance DLC that’s not out yet. That’s where you can get him to date you. I’m sorry for the confusion!

Will we ever get any LI's or side characters with physical disabilities or deformities? I think your games would be a great place to have them in since they're always so accepting and safe!

Yeah, we do hope to have representation for that in future projects ^^. Thank you for the confidence in us.

Is it possible to get Cove to take the bed and MC to sleep on the floor?

Not in Step 3, I’m afraid.

So, I have played the prologue of Our Life countless times and I haven't gotten the [Your Life] achievement, why is that?

Steam sometimes isn’t connected properly when an achievement unlocks and so it remains locked on your account. If that happens, unfortunately getting the scene again won’t unlock it. The achievement becomes inaccessible because the game thinks you already have it. Playing with the same Steam account on a different device or fully deleting your game data (more than the only the save files) are the only work arounds we’ve found.

Since when you talk with Jeremy in step 3 it's mentioned he goes on dates with someone (which assume is JB because who else would take this boy on dates) that makes him happy, does that sort of make JB and Jeremy the canon relationship in the first game?

The default for XOXO Droplets is that JB casually goes on dates with each of the jerks! Shiloh would’ve been harsher if Jeremy was the only guy getting her attention, haha. But the player can change that default by dating just one person the whole game for their own story and who she ends up with for real has no default.

Hi, hello! Huge OL fan, thank you so much for the wholesome content, it was very much needed during these times. Managed to get several people to join team Cove, so that's very exciting, I always have people to fawn over him with. I have a little question and I'm sorry if it was asked before, but does it ever come up in the game what Cove has told his mom about us? (who knows, with so many options, one can miss it) Or, alternatively, will it come up in the Step 4 DLC?

Thank you very much for sharing the game with people <3. It’s really great to hear people are liking it. Right now that doesn’t come up in game. Kyra is willing to keep her mouth shut and Cove isn’t gonna have that conversation either. At least not when he’s younger, but yes, perhaps when he’s a fully grown big boy in Step 4 you can ask him about it.

I’ve been thinking about this ever since it has been confirmed that there would be two love interests for OL2, would there be the possibility of forming a polyamorous relationship with both love interests? I’m sorry if you answered this previously, I’m just curious.

We are considering it, but it’s not a guarantee yet. It’d be really great to have but it’d add so many extra alterations that’d need to made, aha.

Hello! You mentioned how Cove would be uncomfortable with kids at 23, but how old would he be when he’s comfortable with having/adopting kids? (Same goes for the other LI’s.) btw, love your game!!

He’d want to be at least 25, but even older would be good. Derek would want to have kids when he and his partner could reasonably support them, the age itself wouldn’t matter. If they were doing good at 22 and wanted kids, he’d be up for it. Or they could wait until their 30s or whatever. Baxter is also more of a “when it feels right” guy rather than having a specific age requirement. Cove is just especially wary of being a young parent because of his own parents. I’m happy you like the game!

does step 4 immediately play after you press "end summer" in step 3? or is there another button/transition (like the story text thingy) before the epilogue begins? what happens after the epilogue? roll credits? 😂

Step 4 will have transition section always and there will be an extra button, if you own the Derek or Baxter DLC. By default the Cove-based version of Step 4 just plays once Step 3 is over. However, having the other guys’ storylines will mean you get to pick which version of Step 4 plays; Cove Step 4 (the basic one), Derek Step 4, or Baxter Step 4.

Happy pride, thank you for all you do for us🥰

I have a quick question though, I recently got a MacBook after my old windows computer broke, and now steam says I cannot download it, but it has no issues with other games, what can I do to download it?? I’m sorry if my English is bad

Happy pride month! Unfortunately, Our Life isn’t available for Mac on Steam right now. To be an approval application Apple requires having special notarization and we as a small group haven’t gotten that. Itch doesn’t care and lets us release the game for Mac there anyway, Steam does care so we’re locked out of putting the Mac build up on their storefront. Feel free to email us and we can try to help the situation out further!

[email protected]

Hello! I was jus wondering if the Baxter and Derek DLCs are still happening? I haven’t heard anything about them on here or patreon in a while so I just wanted to make sure ^^

They’re still coming and we just released a new sprite sketch on the Patreon for the Derek DLC c:. But right now Step 4 is still much more of a priority. Once that’s closer to being done we’ll focus way more on sharing previews for the other guys.

is it possible to tell cove you love him (platonically) at step 3 fondness/selecting him as basically family? i just love the mc and liz sibling interactions and it got me wondering about it (especially if you've selected that option)

You and Cove can be as close as family, but there’s not a specific scene in Step 3 where you say “I love you” in a family context. But there’s always Step 4~

do you intend on ever adding a collectors mode to Our Life? Like a way to collect achievements and CGs for the gallery without it effecting any save files?

We weren’t considering it before. But if a lot of players would find that helpful, we could start thinking on that!

Sorry if it's a silly question haha, but (in crush/love) is Cove really aware of how cute and cuddly he seems to MC? If so, what does he think or do about it? Or does he just ignore it?

He isn’t particular aware. Cove never truly stops being surprised that the MC is interested in/attracted to him, haha.

Would you say that the alone ending of xoxo droplets is worth playing again to get?

Nope, haha. The goal is to make friends/get a boyfriend and so the alone ending is kind of the bad ending for the game. Though there is a consolation prize if you get it by accident.

Is there any possible situation which would ever prompt Pran to bake for his girlfriend? Like I know it's unlikely I mean even if JB broke her leg somehow I'm pretty sure he'd still be like "I considered baking you a cake and doing the frosting the way I think looks interesting but you don't deserve a cake, no one does." right but also ahhh it would be super nice if some day he just surprised her with baked goods one day out of nowhere. JB would be so shocked it would be cute. So is there any possible situation where that could/would be a thing that he would do?

He might bake out of spite, like if he felt he had to prove her wrong on something. Or if JB used some good reverse psychology on him. Or he might do it in a relatively nice way if he could make his GF so shocked by the kind gesture that his amusement with that overrode his insistence on not being sweet. Pran is very difficult in high school, aha.

Is the "one route (where) it can be seen that Everett will drop his seemingly eternal waging with Jeremy pretty easily and can start getting along without thinking much on it" the Lucas route? I'm curious!

Yep! Everett will side with Jeremy if it’s between him and Lucas.

Hi I hope you guys are having a great day :) I just had to ask how Cliff would feel about Cove's partner/fiancé Mc calling them dad whether it be accidental or otherwise and secondly I also wanted to ask how he would feel about being asked to be the one to give the mc away at their wedding.

He would be very touched and excited! I hope you have a good day too :D

Hello! I saw an ask relating to whether Cliff "moves on" after Cove's grown up and stuff (and he stays single), but what about Kyra? Will she be with anyone else or will she stay single?

She does start dating again, but she takes it slow.

Hi! I absolutely love the art for characters in OL and I wonder is this fine to draw my MC in same drawing style and upload online later? Is this something artists would be okay with? Thank you!

Yeah, you can certainly do that C:

Hey there!

I wonder if I'm just being stupid here.. Is Step 4 a DLC? And if so, where can I find it? I can't seem to find it on Steam :< Thank you!

Step 4 is a free epilogue! It’s not done yet, but once it is finished you’ll just update your game file and Step 4 will be there after Step 3 ends.

hi! are step 4 and the wedding dlc two different things?

They are. Step 4 is a free epilogue that’ll be a default part of the game once it’s done, the wedding DLC is an optional paid expansion that takes place after Step 4.

Why did Baxter not receive a step 2 sprite seeing how he shows up later

Sprites are time consuming to draw and take money out of the budget that could’ve gone to other things. His tiny appearance in Step 2 wasn’t worth all the effort to make a sprite, aha.

I just realized, what happens if if you get the patreon exclusive moment but at a later date, when you don't have the membership anymore, it's updated (like a bugs fix update for example)? Would you have to get the membership again?

You would have to get the membership again to redownload the build. But there’s very little chance there’s going to be an update once it’s been out for over a month. If a build gets released with errors, players catch/report them within the first few days. So by the time the first subscription period ends, any problems that were noticeable would already have been fixed. And we’re certainly not gonna be adding new content to it once it’s been released for a long time. There’s no need to worry about missing out on something worthwhile in the future if you cancel your membership. It’s being made with the idea in mind that many players are gonna be getting it and then going.

Hello! Wanted to ask about gaming choice in step 3? Once upon a playthorugh I got the option to buy Cove a bracelet for his graduation present. I played the same basic character again and that option wasn't there anymore. I'm not sure where I went wrong. My Cove wears a bracelet on each hand and my MC is into fashion and jewelry. Do I need to put an earring on him or? Sorry, love your game so much.

He also needs to have liked bracelets in Step 2 for that to be considered a good gift option for him. Sorry for the confusion! I’m happy you love the game :)

Is Step 4 being released at the same time as the Wedding DLC or will the first come before the latter? Thank you!

I’m not sure. Ideally they’ll come out at the same time, but the wedding DLC has a lot of art to get done and we may have to release it after Step 4.

Can mc still get confession from Cove at the end of step 3 even if mc casually dates Baxter in step 3? Such as in crush mode?

I don’t think so. Maybe that’ll change, but generally there’s differences to the Step 3 ending if you were dating Baxter and those differences likely will conflict with getting the Cove confession.

For the patreon moments/dlcs, will it be available for all tiers?

It’ll be available for tier 2 (Fans) and up!

#our life #xoxo droplets #gb patch #ask #gb patch games #Our Life Beginnings & Always

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mageofseven · 4 years

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Part 2 of this ask! It is the Undateables' version of this post.

Enjoy~

Diavolo:

MC was, surprisingly enough, attacked outside the Demon Lord's castle.

Diavolo had invited them over to have tea and tell him more about the Human realm and their experiences. The two did this every now and then.

The human was stalked the entire way though and when the minor demon realized where they were headed, they panicked and decided to attack them before they made it through the gates.

Lord Diavolo was in his office, trying to do his paperwork as he waited for them, but was bored. He just happened to look out his window and see his exchange student getting attack outside his home.

The demon was brave, he'd give him that. Sadly, he was also a fool and needed to die.

Diavolo rushed out to MC's aid and just his presence alone was enough to stop the attacker.

MC passed out right as the prince started dismembering the lower demon.

The human later woke up in a guest bed in the castle. All of their previous deep cuts from getting mauled by the lesser demon were gone, as were most of her bruises. However, they also felt exhausted and extremely sore all over.

It took her a minute to realize that the prince was sleeping at the foot of her bed. He sat in a chair and was leaned forward so his arms and head were against the bed.

He... he saved them and now stayed by their side as they slept? Why?

The man suddenly yawned and stretched his arms. He turned his head and noticed the human was awake.

"Ah, I'm glad you're alright." He gave them his usual grin for a moment before letting it fall in favor of a more serious look. "I'm sorry for the actions of my citizen, but he has been taken care of."

"Oh... it's fine." MC mumbled. "But... wasn't I hurt?"

He smiled again. "I had Barbatos heal you up. We didn't have many human-safe options, but we had a potion in stock that boosted your body's ability to heal itself, but it took a lot of energy from you. I'm afraid you've been out for about a day and a half."

Ends up calling Barbatos in for some food for MC and the prince changes the subject in favor of asking questions about their life in the Human realm, the reason they came all this way to begin with.

Despite the attack and being sore, MC still enjoyed her time with Diavolo, as usual

And honestly, they were touched that he seemed to care for them.

Yes, he's the prince and has to make sure his exchange students are safe, but if that was all it was, they wouldn't have woken up to the man at the foot of their bed, seeming as if he had waited awhile for them.

Lord Diavolo was a good man. A good friend.

Barbatos:

The butler was out shopping for some specific ingredients he needed for Lord Diavolo's dinner.

Didn't expect to bump into MC or find them in such a predicament, but didn't hesitate to step to step in.

Without giving any reaction at all, the man walked up behind the attacking demon and snapped his neck.

"Sorry for the intrusion, but I believe you were in the need of assistance." He told the human, reaching out a hand to help them up. "Are you alright?"

"B-Barbatos?" The human's gaze seemed empty. "I can't see anything..."

The demon frowned, now noticing the burn marks around their eyes. Looks like they were hit with the minor demon's poison shot.

"It'll be fine now." He gently wrapped an arm around them and helped the bruised human up before stepping back and simply taking their hand. "I shall take you back to castle to heal you."

And so he did. MC kept a tight hold of the butler's hand, scared of the emptiness and little patches of light that was now left of their sight.

At the castle, Barb guided them to a couch in one of the parlor rooms and dismissed himself to go retrieve the medicine. MC waited patiently, albeit uneasily, and couldn't help but sigh in relief when they heard the door open.

"Please lay your head back and close your eyes."

The human hesitated, but did as they were told.

Suddenly, they felt some kind of paste be wiped over their eye lids. The human gasped and bit their lip.

"Forgive me, I know the cream burns." He explained. "Please just give it a moment--"

The human reached out and, after a few misses, grabbed onto the demon's hand. He raised an eyebrow.

"I see. Very well, squeeze my hand if you need to."

As the paste was absorbed through their eye lids, it detoxified the eyeballs beneath, causing a strange pink steam to come from their face. The human let a few whimpers slip and squeezed the butler's hand till the burning had stopped and the steam had disappeared.

"You may open your eyes now; slowly please."

The human carefully open their eyes, which were now watery and red, but could see the world around them once more.

Barbato handed them a handkerchief.

"Thank you..." The human said softly before wiping their eyes.

"No need for such thanks." He smiled at them before rising. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll have to update my lord about this incident. Please wait, as I assume he'll want to speak with you and apologize on behalf of his people."

Like you'd expect, Barbatos was calm throughout the entire process. He made taking care of the blinded human seem effortless.

What MC wasn't aware of, however, was how his heart sank when he saw them get attack or how his eyes widen just a bit when he found out they were blinded.

He couldn't allow himself to actually show his concern because he had to keep his professional facade up

However... he was grateful that it all ended well.

Solomon:

The three of them had gone to a party together: Solomon, Asmo, and MC.

The three of them did this occasionally, enough so that the sorcerer knew Asmo didn't keep an eye on MC as well his older brother had stressed that he should.

In order to keep the nights relatively drama-free, the sorcerer silently took up babysitting duty with the other human.

Solomon still drank and talked with the demons around him, but he always made sure he knew where MC was at all times.

At one point, however, the sorcerer realized he hadn't checked up on the other human in a while.

He scans the room the room for them, only to barely catch them stumbling up the stairs with another demon.

Okay, that was enough. He excused himself from the succubus who had started chatting him up and went up the stairs to check on MC.

The demon was trying to drag them into a room while they kicked and tried fighting them.

Solomon snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the demon's ass was on fire. Screaming, the lower demon ran off, likely trying to find a solution to his new predicament.

The sorcerer kneeled down on the floor, where MC had found themselves after being thrown forward by the burning demon.

"Are you alright?"

The human, a bit teary eyed but somewhat calmer than he suspected, nodded. He frowned when he noticed bruises on their arm from the lowly demon's grip.

"I believe this has been enough for one night." He gave them a light smile. "I'll take you home."

Solomon helped his friend up and sent a quick text to Asmo, explaining their current departure, before guiding the other human down the stairs and teleporting them to House of Lamentation.

The sorcerer wasn't a fan of MC joining them at parties anymore, but never tried stopping them. Instead, he kept an even closer eye on them to the point where the other human often complained it was a bit creepy. He'd smile and apologize, but keep his eyes on them anyway.

There will not be a second incident. Not with him there.

Simeon (with Luke):

The two were coming back from shopping for baking ingredients since MC was coming over to Purgatory Hall to bake with Luke.

On their way back, about half a block from their dorm, was when they found the human, being held up by their neck by a lesser demon.

Luke screamed their name as Simeon ran up, transformed into his full angel form and radiating holy light.

The demon, screeching as the light burned him, dropped MC and ran.

The human passed out just in time to see both angels' faces above them.

When they woke up about an hour later, they were laying on the couch in Purgatory Hall, all bruises gone from their body.

"You're okay!" The little angel sprung up from where he sat on the floor while he waited for them to awake.

Hearing his words, Simeon came in from the other room and smiled at the human.

"Thank goodness. You really gave Luke a scare."

"Hey! You were scared too!"

The older angel just gave a small laugh.

"Regardless, it's nice that you are awake now."

The three talked and the angels found out that MC left early to visit them, but was attacked during the walk. It was basically what Simeon had expected.

The older angel had also healed them of their wounds as soon as he carried them inside the dorm, explaining the lack of marks on the human's body.

Since the human was still a bit sore from the attack however, Simeon decided it was best to take a raincheck on the baking; he gave Lucifer a call, updating him about the incident, and ten minutes later, Mammon was at the door, ready to walk MC home.

The incident really worried the two angels; they really started to wonder if MC staying at House of Lamentation was the best thing.

Luke insisted that the two of them could protect MC better than the Brothers.

Simeon didn't really speak his opinion on the matter to the boy, but told him that the human's living arrangements likely wouldn't change, even if the two spoke up about it.

Instead, the older angel kept an eye on MC while they were with him and Luke and when they had to part, he made sure they were leaving with one of the brothers or that they stayed till one came for them.

Honestly, Simeon felt that was all he could do for them to prevent it from happening again.

#obey me #obey me otome #obey me diavolo #obey me barbatos #obey me solomon #obey me simeon

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arminty7 · 3 years

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𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘦

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Mermaid!Jungkook x Reader [Part 2]

Trapped in this life of expensive wine and judgemental eyes Y/N met an unusual lady who offered her a job at an aquarium a few towns away. Despite being hesitant and uncertain for the future she decided to take the offer as it was her only way out, not knowing that many dangers might come her way.

Jungkook swam his way through the small tunnel in wonder. He didn’t realise what he was ‘walking’ into as he took the entire night to explore a tunnel. He thought it might lead to you, how naive. It is only when he heard the piercing sound of drilling from the small tunnel entrance did he know what was happening, he was trapped. With that, his instincts took over.

Chapter: #2 Swimming in Wine

Words: 4181

Warnings: Mild Swearing // Fluff // Eventual Smut? Idk maybe depends // Jungkook obsessive // Evil Namjoon (im sorry guys) // It might be a little messed up.

AN - So I know I havent updated in a very LONG time but I am now updating regularly. I have changed the pov and increased my writing ability.

This work shall not be copied, reproduced, translated and/or modified in any way without my permission. In a case where this might happen, legal action will be taken as it would be a criminal act under the law and breaching these terms. Upon reading my work you are acknowledging that this work is mine and that you know the consequences if this work is copied, reproduced, translated and/or modified in any way without my permission.

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You awoke abruptly as a slam of the car door next to you made you nearly jump from your seat. You sat up and looked around as Julie stepped out of the car onto the wet road. Your head feeling cloudy as you noticed you were parked in a parking lot next to a tall building in the middle of the bustling city. Your eyes then followed Julie who walked across the road towards a small bakery. You could smell the food from here as your stomach grumbled loudly. You closed your eyes again, hearing the cars go past as their tires hit the puddles on the ground. The distant honk of horns and the bus going past made you feel somewhat tranquil, wanting to stay like that forever. You were ready to go back to sleep before the sound of the car door opening made your eyes open again.

"Oh, so you're finally awake?" Julie looks towards you with a smile on her face as she ducks her head under the car roof and gets in. She closes the door firmly beside her, with a bag of pastries in her hand.

"Uh yeah I guess. How long was I asleep for?" You don't even look in her direction as you rub your eyes, feeling sleep try to invite you in once more.

"No more than a few hours, although we are just about there. We are staying at my place for a while. Just out of the city in Taelin Shore" (I made it up with the idea of "Tail", it's not a ship name). She looked at you, shaking the bag of pastries in her hand that you didn't even notice till now.

"So when do I start work?" You look at the pastries and then back at her, wanting to focus on what's important. She places the pastries on the backseat and starts the engine, before driving out of the parking lot.

"Well, you will have an orientation on Monday at the aquarium which starts at 9 am till 2 pm. It's only small but I think it's just for showing you the ropes and letting you explore the building." She continues to drive out of the city down the coast, heading for Taelin Shore.

"Wait Monday? That's only three days away. They didn't even give me an interview yet" It seemed unreal at the most, how could they have that much faith in you?

"They don't need an interview. I told you, I know the owner. He trusts my word more than anyone." She smiles, the brown locks of her hair tied back into a messy bun, something you never thought she would wear. At the dinner party, she seemed so elegantly dressed like the other woman there. It was weird to see her in casual clothes and indulging in sweet pastries.

You look at her once more in disbelief, feeling hesitant about this situation. "I barely know you. I heard that you knew my mother but forgive me if that in itself makes me even more concerned". She chuckles slightly, gripping the wheel tightly as she turns another corner. "You might barely know me, but I was around ever since you were born. I just want to help you. I love your mother, but she puts too much pressure on you."

You sighed as you looked out the window realising you reached the coast of Taelin. It seemed beautiful and serene as you drove through the town, going past, looking at the view of the ocean. You were excited but nervous. What if you don't like it here? What if it is the same as back home? A place that kills every good part of you, forcing you to feel paranoid about everyone you meet? You didn't want to be near that. You wanted to be free.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the car going up the hill on a small dirt path and parking next to a small beach house that was facing the ocean. "We're here, how do you like it? Nice view huh?" Julie smiles in awe as she exits the car, slamming the car door behind her. You do the same as you both look out towards the view of the vast ocean and the mountains that surround the small town.

Julie points down towards the pier urging you to look over to see a massive building next to the docks. "That's where you will be working in the next couple of days." She smiles, "don't worry, everyone's friendly. It's different here".

You look over at her in doubt, "What about you? How do I know you're different than the rest of them back at home?".

She chuckles before turning back towards you, "I got you out, didn't I?" she pats your shoulder before heading inside. She leaves you with your thoughts.

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[6:43 am]

It was early in the morning, the light from the sun started to shine in your room as you soon noticed that you - again - forgot to close the curtains. Although awake, instead of you getting up to close them, you laid there for a while. The sound of the waves crashing was distant, but you could almost feel the pressure and the weight of the water crashing onto the rocks. You imagined what it would be like to be that rock, every day having to go through the same cycle. Every morning the tide would try and crash down and attempting to break through on the rocks until it is time for the water to come back in. The water could never break the rocks, perhaps that was even more torture.

You sighed, not even understanding your own thoughts sometimes. You groan as you get up from the warm and comforting bed, heading towards the shower. You undressed and turned the shower on, watching the steam build-up in the room, covering the mirror. You preferred hot showers.

After your shower, you left to walk along the beach. Upon stepping outside the two-story house, you feel a gush of wind. The cold pierces your body as the wind flutters through your clothes. You walk down the steps of the patio and walk over to the edge of the cliff, looking down at the water that once again crashes through the rocks violently.

You weren't afraid of the ocean and had spent your whole life in the water. Although, something didn't feel right here. You watched the water down below. I looked peaceful yet restless. With every second it became more violent, the clouds grew dark quickly, and you noticed a drop of water fall onto your forehead. You sighed and looked back down the cliff before seeing a small splash in the water and something with a scaly body. But it was nothing like what you had seen at the aquarium. You felt yourself getting dizzy and started to wonder when the last time you had eaten something. You cursed under your breath for rejecting those pastries Julie got yesterday. You stumbled, backwards and forwards as your vision started to spin. The dark cloud's now covering the sky completely. You had tried to balance yourself, but you had ended up stepping forward to much, descending over the cliff and crashing down into the ocean. Your vision went black.

The water was cold, too cold. You felt the cold sinking into your skin, grasping onto your bones, coating them in ice. You didn't bother to open your eyes as you felt yourself crashing in and out of the water. You could hear the waves and thunder as you reach the surface, before getting pulled under again. Suddenly strong arms wrapped around you from behind. Your toes and the back of your thighs could feel the slimy tail that was swaying beneath the surface. You tried to look over at what has a hold of you. Although it was strong, and you could barely move your body. You could feel its cold hands enveloping around your chest and your waist as your body swayed in the current. You could feel its hot breath on your neck whispering things in your ear before you passed out from exhaustion.

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[Two days later]

Monday - 8:45 am

The morning was quick, slipping your shoes on as you try to make your way down the stairs of the beach house into the lounge room. You couldn't stop thinking about that day. The day where you

woke up on the beach and Julie insisted on calling the doctor even though you assured her everything was fine. It was surprising, to say the least, that you didn't even get hurt. There were tons of rocks as the current was nearly ripping you apart. That was before that thing showed up. It felt like death was surrounding you. Ironic really that it may have saved your life.

"Hurry up Y/N, I told them you'd be there by 9. You're lucky we don't live far away from the Aquarium". Julie watches you run around the house as you find your bag and keys. You ignore her comments as you rush out the door towards the car, opening the passenger side and getting in.

"Why don't you let me drive?" You groan, looking at your watch. She gets in beside you and starts the car. "Because dear Y/N, you’re impulsive and from what I heard, it took you seven times before you passed your driving test and you haven't driven since." You roll your eyes as she drives down the dirt road and onto the main road.

You look out towards the ocean, seeing the waves crash onto the rocks on the mountains, slamming on the rocks violently. Your mind wandered for a bit. You could almost feel the hot breath against your neck again, ice-cold arms wrapping around your body. The memory of that strange creature is still vivid in your mind. You didn't tell Julie, of course. She'd probably think you're crazy.

Your eyes wander towards the open sea, seeing the birds glide over the water, how free they looked. The thought of being free sounded appealing, oh how you wanted to be one of those birds, flying across the water, without a care in the world.

But even you knew that in reality, those birds still needed to fight to survive, even they sometimes had to turn against each other.

You sighed, looking towards the road as you see small fish and bakery shops already opened and full of locals. A few minutes passed as the car turned into a car park. "We're here." Julie parked the car.

"You're not coming in with me?" You looked at her pouting a little as she chuckles "Do you want me to?" Your eyebrows furrowed, quickly grab your bag and open the door.

"No" You quickly answer and slam the door, feeling as though she was mocking you a little because you didn't want to do it alone.

"You don't need her Y/N" You tell yourself. "She's just like the rest of them. Just take advantage of the situation until your good on your own. Then let her go. She's just using you"

You make your way towards the entrance, going past the two waterfalls with statues of dolphins spitting out water. The glass doors opened as you enter, and you look at your watch, it was 8:57.

You walk in following the tunnel entrance towards the reception although you couldn't help but wonder where everyone was. Wasn't it opening today? Were you mistaken? You continue towards the reception, seeing a young handsome looking man in a suit typing away on his computer. You clear your throat and the man looks over at you.

"Oh, my apologies miss. We are not open today due to a technical issue, but we will be opening tomorrow at 7 am. Do you wish to make a booking early?" The handsome man looks over at you, his broad shoulders prominent. You glanced over at his name tag labelled "Kim Seokjin".

"Uhh, no thank you. My name is Y/N, Y/N L/N. I'm here for my induction." Your words came out less confident than you would have liked as you looked down at the floor.

"Y/N!?" You flinched, hearing your name being called. You looked over as another man in a black suit walked towards you. He was tall and had blonde hair, slicked back and styled. He held out a hand to you, "Hello, my name is Kim Namjoon. Julie told me so much about you." He smiled at you, displaying his two dimples on each side of his face. Just like the receptionist, his visuals were prominent.

You shook his hand, blinking a few times before realising, "You're... my boss??" you stammered out, his firm strong hands wrapped around your tiny ones. You have to admit, he was well built and his smile was to die for. He chuckled, letting your hand go before directing you past the reception and into the food court of the aquarium. You look back towards the reception, wanting to say goodbye to the receptionist but it was too late as Namjoon led you down the hall.

As the two of you entered the food court, the room was wide, and it looked like a massive underground restaurant with fish tanks surrounding it. You have never seen anything like it.

"So, Y/N, as you might have guessed this place is quite empty at the moment, just a small a technical issue but it hopefully will be fixed in a few days" Namjoon leads you across the room letting you take a look at everything. You suppose that this is going to be your tour.

"Ah yes, so I've heard" Namjoon smiles while continue walking as you went past an enormous tank that looked like it connected with the other tanks. You glanced at his attire, classic black suit and tie with a white shirt underneath.

Namjoon had stopped and glanced around the room. "This is the food court, although most of the time when you are working you won't be needed here." It just had occurred to you that you didn't even know what position you'd be in. All you knew was that it was a job away from your mother and paid quite a lot of money. Julie was right, you are impulsive.

"So, what am I going to be doing here?" You look over at him as he continues to walk, heading towards another room with a big smile on his face, showing his dimples.

"Well, Y/N-"

"Namjoon! There you are, we have a situation..." A man with a white coat entered the room. He had a concerned look about him but as soon as he saw you it changed into a big smile and you couldn't help but want to smile back at him.

"Hello! My name is Jung Hoseok. You must be the new girl that will be working for us?" You looked at him and couldn't help but feel special as he gave you all his attention. Namjoon looked over at you while you smiled back at Hoseok, you dont know why but you just felt so comfortable around him.

"Ah yes... I guess everyone knows about me, huh" you shyly answered, suddenly finding the urge to fiddle with your earring. It was a nervous habit. "My name is Y/N L/N. It's nice to meet you" Hoseok smiled again before Namjoon cleared his throat, regaining our attention.

"Hoseok... Did you want to speak in private?" Hoseok's smile immediately dropped and he looked at Namjoon with a more serious expression.

"Yes, of course, Regarding our technical problem, there is some important information you need to know." Namjoon nods his head and looks over at you. "Excuse me, Miss L/N".

You watched them walk out of the food court. You wondered what the technical problem was. Even the receptionist was vague about it. You sighed and took a seat at the cafe. You sat there staring at a fish in a tank. The food court was big and round. The walls surrounding it was just glass tanks, with one in the middle of the circular room, acting as a pillar. You sat in your seat quietly, your mind started to wander back to those callous hands that feel like they never left your body. You felt an ice chill, it petrified you. It felt like you were marked by death.

You heard Namjoon and Hoseok walk in as you quickly stood up and pushed your chair in neatly. "Everything all sorted?" You press your lips together, trying to get that thing off your mind.

Namjoon looks at you curiously before frowning, 'I'm truly sorry, I don't think I can proceed with this tour. Something very important has come up". You nod, understandingly.

"No, No, I understand. Don't worry, I'm pretty sure I can navigate my way around the place." You take a glance around.

This place is way too big...

Namjoon looked over at you. "That won't be necessary, I have organised one of the staff members to come and give you a tour, you will be a trainer just like him. He will be mentoring you. His name is-"

"Hello Y/N". His voice was sweet. Angelic, but not innocent. A sultry like voice that sounded like a whisper of temptation. You looked over your shoulder to see an elegant looking man with light brown locks walking over to you. His style was neat as he had black-skinny jeans and a white t-shirt, following by a Chanel bag. "My name is Park Jimin," the man said.

Damn the wage must be crazy then huh...

Namjoon sighed and looked at the floor, that was the second time he had gotten interrupted. Namjoon looked over at Jimin and then at you, before stating "This is your mentor".

Jimin looks over at you cocking his head as he smiled at you. "Come on, let me show you the place! Oh yeah, and you can meet Tae! He'd love to meet you." He grabbed your hand, locking your fingers with his as he dragged you out of the food court. "Goodbye Hoseok and Namjoon! Nice meeting you!"

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You sat there next to the water on the platform that stretches over the dolphin's tank. Jimin had taught you how to feed them and the different signals you can do with your hands. When you first saw Jimin, he seemed to like this neat good-looking guy that wouldn't work at a place like this. But here, now looking at him as he is feeding the dolphins with the biggest smile on his face, his hair fluffy and eyes glued to the water, he looked like he belonged.

"Jimin-ah!" you heard someone shout. Jimin stood up quickly and ran off the platform onto the concrete towards a tall looking man, well at least taller than Jimin. "Taehyung-ah! You are 3 hours late! You know you can't always get me to cover for you. You are lucky Y/N was there when I ran into Namjoon today, he for sure would have asked me about you. You know I can't lie to him!" Jimin and Taehyung walked back on the platform and you could finally see Taehyung features.

"Hi, my name is Kim Taehyung. Nice to meet you" he bowed and smiled. His voice was low, that was the first thing you noticed about him. The second thing was his fluffy black hair and you suspected that he recently had a perm. He was soft in every way except he had this dominating presence that could be seen through his eyes. He smiled at you, his box smile making you smile.

"Hello! My name is Y/N. Quite late, are you?" You smiled, and he chuckled. "I swear this doesn't always happen." Jimin scoffed and you tried to hold in your laughter.

"Oh yeah, did you show her around yet?" Taehyung came and sat down on the platform. We joined him, watching the dolphins. Jimin looked over at you "Well we did look around a little, but we haven't been to all the off-limit areas yet".

This intrigued you, "Ooh, now I’m excited. " You spoke with enthusiasm and Taehyung and Jimin smirked at one another. Jimin looked your way "Okay so we can’t get caught there though, it's off-limits to everyone besides Namjoon and Hoseok."

You nodded, curious to see what those "off-limit areas" are. Taehyung sighed, "I don't get why it's off-limits. Those poor fishes all alone... No one to talk too..." Taehyung pretends to cry and puts his hands over his face before taking them off and smirking. You were confused about his comment.

You look over at Taehyung. He was a character that's for sure. He seemed more carefree than Jimin. Perhaps he didn't like his job as much as Jimin liked it? You weren't one to judge though. You did, in fact, move away from home with barely any knowledge where you're going or if Julie was trustful. You were pretty carefree yourself. But thats because you feel like you have nothing to lose.

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"Come on! Come on! Hurry up Tae." Jimin whispered loudly.

Taehyung was dawdling behind as you and Jimin were making your way downstairs in the back area of the aquarium. Towards one of the rooms that were "off-limits". Jimin and Taehyung said they have been working here for years and they have a special key for one of the rooms down here. Apparently it came from the bartender that worked in the food court. Jimin said that the bartender had found it while cleaning and decided to keep it.

"Ah yes, the bartender... watch out for that one" Taehyung chuckled as you guys went through the door using the key. "What do you mean?" you answered, watching Jimin use the key on the door.

"Don't scare her Taehyung! It's her first day, I'm sure he will like her." Jimin sighed but smirked slightly as he opened the doors. As you walked inside you noticed the walls looked like they were made out of stone with little windows that revealed the ocean. There was a long hallway, the ground was made out of sand and as you went down the pathway you could see a moonpool of some sort that had fish in it.

"My little fishes! How have you been?" Taehyung yells out and Jimin shushes him.

"I can't believe this is down here," You say, getting closer the glowing moonpool. Taehyung walks past you, "well no one comes down here anymore. As we said, we have the key. No one has been in, so we figured we are the only ones who have a key to the place."

“But, like how is it here? Under the aquarium?” You wondered, sitting down next to the moonpool.

“Its connected to the mountains. The aquarium is on the shore but the back of it is connected to the mountains that surround Taelin Shore and this just so happens to be here.” Jimin states, looking around it awe.

Jimin smiled and looked over at Taehyung, "Its our little hideout but now I feel like it should be Y/N's..." Jimin smiled as he spoke, visably excited and leaned onto Taehyung. You suppose they have been friends since their childhood. You could have sensed it on them.

You gave Jimin a confused expression he looked over at you and handed you the key, "here". You looked at him and stood back. "Wait what? Why are you giving me that? isn't it yours?". Jimin shrugs and puts it in your other hand. "I was once new here as well. I know how it feels, sometimes you just want some peace and quiet." Taehyung then chips in, "It may not seem like it now but when it gets busy, it can be stressful. Besides, we haven't been in here for a while, we don't have any use for it.

You smiled, you did need this. With Julie at home and these two at work, you knew you're going to have your hands full. Just the other day, you wanted time alone... By the end of it, you fell off a cliff and nearly drowned. Perhaps this could be a place for you to be alone. Everyone needed a hideout, right?

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It was the end of the day and Jimin and Taehyung were finished giving you their tour. You were surprised that you felt so comfortable around them. Julie was right, the people here are different.

You stood outside of the Aquarium hugging and saying goodbye to both Jimin and Taehyung as they walked towards their cars to go home. You weren't planning to stay for this long, truth is your orientation ended hours ago. You just wanted to spend more time with them.

You walked over to the pillar at the steps, waiting for Julie to come to pick you up. You sat down on the steps quietly before hearing someone raise their voice as they were heading up the steps. You hid behind the pillar, sittiing there silently. Thankfully, they didn't see you.

You heard Hoseok's voice "You don't understand! We got him! We got him, you hear me? This is a breakthrough of the century! Do you know what we could do now that we have him? The possibilities are endless. This creature is-"

You heard someone interrupt. It sounded like Namjoon, "This creature is the only thing we have going for us right now so would you be so kind to stay quiet! I know you're excited, but we can't let anyone know about this, he's dangerous."

They both went inside. Leaving you to your thoughts.

Honk Honk

"Come on Y/N, It's late!" Julie yelled out from the car. You got up and grabbed your bag before running over to the car.

"I'm coming!"

Tags - @mjlock

AN: Tell me if you like it!

- Minty ⚘

#bts #jungkook x reader #jungkook fanfic #mermaid jungkook #siren jungkook #jeon jungkook #bts images #bts scenarios #masterlist #kim seokjin #kim namjoon #min yoongi #jung hoseok #park jimin #kim taehyung #bts x reader #sirens #mermaid

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bad-bitch-beauchamp · 3 years

Text

Songs About Me - Chapter Three

After karaoke night and Claire's impromptu performance, both Claire and Jamie spend the next day reconciling with their choices from the night before.

Read on AO3

“Stay, Sassenach! One more drink!”

“One more drink might be the death of me, Mr. Fraser, and if you’d like to watch me embarrass myself again next week, I can’t be on my deathbed tonight!”

He had tried to convince her to let him walk her home, but she waved him off and pulled the sweater that had fallen off her shoulder back up to its rightful place at the junction of neck and shoulder -- a place Jamie couldn’t tear himself away from until that moment. She wrangled a loose curl behind her ear, tugged on her coat, and caught Jamie watching her every move, drink at his lips, eyes just over the rim of the glass. She could’ve stayed, could’ve responded, could’ve reacted to what she was feeling right then… no. A couple of hours together in a bar and a poor excuse for a solo at closing time did not change the fact she didn’t know this man. This very handsome man, she reminded herself. No. You came out here for yourself. Leave by yourself.

She met his eyes one last time, gave a nervous laugh, declared “Hope to see you next weekend!” all too loudly, and spun on her heel. She had stepped over the threshold when she thought she heard her name from inside, but she didn’t turn to find out.

———

Claire realized exactly three things when she awoke the next morning: The sun was shining too brightly, the street musician playing on the corner directly below her bedroom window was playing too loudly, and the memories of the last night with the redhead who loved music and books were coming on too fast. Somehow, in the span of a few hours, he had literally become her waking thoughts. She sat up in bed, still cocooned in a cloud of white cotton sheets and linen comforters. What do you even know about him? Probably not even anything. She pulled herself from the warmth of the bed, her feet landing on a soft oriental rug in shades of blues and greens. His eyes were the colors in this rug. Just like the ocean itself. Okay, she remembered one thing about him. The woven textile gave way to worn hardwood floors, on to cool hexagon tiles lining her bathroom floor as she passed through glass french doors between bookshelves on the wall.

When Claire inherited her Uncle Lamb’s brownstone, she could remember only one thing about the place from her visits: the upstairs was magical. Quentin Lambert Beauchamp was an archaeologist, and although it rarely happened, he had decided he needed a home base to work from. In the historic brownstone, he neglected to update much besides the upper level. As the brownstone was on a corner lot, Lamb declared it must have every window possible to let in the light. Days were too gloomy and cloudy in England, and he would soak up all the light he could while teaching here at Harvard, thank you very much. The most magical room in the entire home (according to both Beauchamps) was lined from front to back with alternating windows and storage -- wide bookshelves on the top, long cabinets on the bottom. The opposite side was almost entirely made of the same bookshelves, save for two sets of french doors leading to a large closet and a larger master bathroom, respectively. The bookshelves traveled up to a curved ceiling, rails and ladders lined the walls to reach the highest and most precious of his belongs (now hers as well). Claire had painted the walls and trim shades of white and cream and ivory. The shelves were stripped and stained with a neutral-tone light wood with white filler. The brass fixtures and ladder rails sparkled in the warm morning light. Claire placed plants wherever she could fit them, and donned the shelves with memories to mingle with the ones Lamb left behind. This room, this place, was her favorite in the whole world.

Back in the bathroom and walking to the walk-in shower, Claire bent down to reach the sweater she tossed aside the night before. The underside of his hair is this color. Right at the base of his neck, with the extra curls. She shook her head and started the tap. Maybe all his curls would turn that color when he got wet. She turned the faucet as hot as she could stand it, reached an arm for her phone, and set Spotify to only play Blink-182. We’re done with those feelings! No feelings, only the angst possible with punk rock!

Cold tile brought her down to earth again when she stepped out of the shower, the trails of water dripping down her back and breasts a refreshing break from the onslaught of pounding heat. He felt like a breath of fresh air. Just like this.

With a towel wrapped around head and a t-shirt tossed on, she made her way back to the bedroom and took a seat on her bed. She desperately wished she had stayed for that last drink. Or at least got his number? Why didn’t I get his number?! Now, she’d have to wait another six days before seeing him again. Maybe her attraction to him was nothing more than lust, but if she could text with him, get to know him better, maybe she could find out. With no way of reaching him, she opted to get dressed and head out to clear her head. Maybe find a place to write? Since her decision to put herself first, she’d put letting off steam by writing and singing. It fell in live with the general creativity that fueled her life, while still being different enough from the greenhouse to give her a bit of rest and peace. As she contemplated where to adventure off that morning and pondered the correct way to lace her Doc Marten boots, her phone rang. A photo of three fresh faces graced her screen, a woman with wild dark curls with her mouth gaping with laughter, another woman with a waterfall of red hair and piercing green eyes made less intimidating by the crinkles at the edges, and a man with deep dimples surrounding his smile and an eyebrow raised in surprise at the camera taking their picture. Claire hit the accept button on the call, and thus the inquisition arrived.

“We need to talk about last night!” The screen was split in two, with Geillis’ video on top and Joe’s on the bottom with Claire’s in the corner.

“What about last night? I honestly thought our song was pretty good! I was thinking next week we could do--”

“That’s obviously not what we’re talking about, LJ! But agreed, we did a damn good job.”

“Will you two quit it?” Geillis cut them off and brought her face closer to her screen. “We need to talk about Claire, that viking, and the unreal chemistry. Spill it ALL, Claire.”

———

Jamie had woke nursing a headache, but alas, today would not be the day for rest. He flipped the sign in the window of Fraser Literature from closed to open, and began to check off the list of opening duties. On the list was to water the plants. Set on a table in a small alcove, on top of side table next to an worn leather chair for patrons to sit and peruse a story in, hanging from simple planters in the window that stretched from edge to edge in front of the shop, guarding the aisles of books ready to be enjoyed by people who hadn’t read them yet. Jamie often visited a greenhouse just outside town for the shop’s plants. While a small place, it was teeming with love, peacefulness, and a sense of adventure with green as far as the eye could see, boarding the windows with giant leaves and trailing vines. The feeling inside was something he wanted to emulate in his own place, and so he started adding a wee bit of flora here and there. Rupert and Angus initially laughed off his efforts, claiming Jamie was “destroying the manly vibe” they were aiming for. With every bit of decoration, every little bit of effort however, the shop grew in reputation and success. Jamie was immensely proud of the shop he built, and even more grateful he was able to spend his days surrounded by the words of great men and women, constantly inspired and in awe of the endless stories at his fingertips.

The boys -- Angus and Rupert, that is -- had brought up the idea of expanding into a few other fine art ideas within the shop. Jamie had been reluctant to agree to anything that wasn’t directly related to literature. As they stood around the front counter, Rupert led the charge:

“Jamie, man. The people who like books are also the ones who like art and music and such. Why not try to bring them all together?”

“What if they don’t care about the books? What if they don’t even look at them, and don’t care? What’s the point in having the shop, then?”

It was Angus’ turn to reply with, “Well the point is getting people in the door, and letting your “wee shop” as ye always call it speak for itself, aye?”

Jamie had to agree with that point. He settled for telling the lads that if they could come up with a suitable idea, he’d agree to it. Twenty minutes later, Angus and Rupert stood in his office doorway saying they would be asking for local musicians to come and perform.

“Doesn’t seem like yer asking for approval.”

Jamie didn’t look up from his computer, but could hear the grin in Rupert’s voice as he replied, “‘Tis because ye know it’s a good idea, and ye wouldn’t refuse a good idea.”

Jamie sat back in the rolling leather chair behind his antique desk and sighed, then laughed. “Why do I even try to control what ye two do? Yer jes’ going to do it anyway.” The lads grinned at each other and shrugged. “Go on then, see if ye can have some posters made up to put in the window.”

He stood as Rupert saluted him and Angus muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, “Aye aye, captain,” and stretched his long, lean, muscles. He needed to get a few errands completed, so opted to spend the next few hours outside both to complete his tasks and to get out in the fresh air. He told his friends he’d be back soon, and to let them know if he needed anything.

With one step out into the sunlight, he immediately regretted the amount he had drunk the night before. Two in the morning was not a suitable time to be out, but for the lass with the dark curls and the whisky eyes, he’d give every moment of his time. From the moment he woke, he thought of her. Thought of how she made him laugh. Thought of how bonny she felt under his fingers, her hips on the barstool as she wiggled back into place, her thigh touching his under the booth table. He thought of how she’d gone up on stage as an act of defiance against him for the insult to her friend’s song, but how instead she ended up showing a piece of her soul to him, and him alone. He thought of how her eyes matched the swirling liquid in his glass. He thought of her abrupt departure after he had asked her to stay, and how he almost ran out after. He thought of how he was so incredibly stupid as to not have asked for her number before she ran. Look what ye did -- now ye have to wait to see her, and yer barely functional as it is. While Angus and Rupert had been gauging his interest for the musical talent in his office earlier, he had been searching the Facebook page for the 21st Amendment, combing it for references to her. To Claire. Maybe she had performed there? Perhaps she and her friends had tagged the place in one of their pictures? There was no sign of her, and she hadn’t told him her last name. Six days to go, mate. Ye can do this. She’s just a lass. Ye don’t know her.

After a few hours of tedious tasks (could the post office ever be efficient, just this once?), he made his way back to Fraser Literature. It was a warm day for autumn, and the shop would have a cart with discount books out on the sidewalk and the door propped open for fresh air. He would never tire of seeing his name on something he built, something he was so proud of. As he neared the shop however, it wasn’t the name on the window that drew his attention -- it was the many people standing inside, facing the window, looking outside. Jamie stopped and looked around, but not finding anything out of place around him. He took a few steps closer. They weren’t looking outside, but rather at the inside corner of the shop, the corner where the window meets the wall. He was only a few steps away when he saw it, when he heard it. A woman with bouncy curls and a round arse, sitting with her back to the window at a keyboard bench. He didn’t have to see her face to know. Her voice was enough. It was enough at two in the morning to imprint on him forever.

She was there, in his shop. His place. Claire. God, his Claire.

With one shaky step and an attempt at a steadying breath, he moved inside his sanctuary.

#songs about me fic #in which tessaactually tries fan fic #outlander prompt exchange #outlander fan fic #outlander fan fiction

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thewayshedreamed · 4 years

Text

This Time— Part 3

A Nessian Fan Fic

Fic Masterlist

This update got away from me quickly, so be warned that it’s a lengthy one! I actually had to break this one up into two parts to make it somewhat reasonable in length, so part 4 will be coming soon! It’s mostly written, I just have to finish it up and do some editing.

Warnings for strong language and some mild sexual content.

——————————————————————————

After her brunch with Azriel, Nesta committed to trying to get back into her usual routines. She allowed herself one less press of the snooze button each morning and made time for an outdoor run each evening. She cooked a small meal for herself each night, packing any leftovers for her lunch the next day. Slowly but surely, she was getting back to good, and she felt pleased overall with her swift improvement considering her mental state of the week prior.

That’s not to say her mind didn’t wander occasionally to Cassian and the state of their friendship. She challenged herself to feel the emotions those thoughts invoked, process them, but avoid ruminating too much. Admittedly, they ebbed and flowed, alternating between anger and sadness. In that way, moving on from Cassian emulated grief on a certain level, the loss being entirely disruptive to her day-to-day life. She had picked up her phone several times over the course of the week, considering a text to ensure things would be civil for Elain’s birthday party. She thought better of it when she realized that if anyone was skilled in presenting a game face, ever the social diplomat, it was Cassian. She was better off having the “civil” conversation with herself.

That Saturday morning, she was drinking coffee and scrolling through current events when an alert crossed her screen. It was a group text, including all of their immediate friends, finalizing plans for Elain’s party. They were going to meet at Rita’s around 9pm for drinks since Elain wanted things pretty low-key; however, Mor made promises of a respectable amount of debauchery.

Around 7:00, Nesta got into the shower, giving herself extra time to sit under the steam and ease any lingering tension. She ran through her plan for keeping her distance from Cassian as best as possible without making things uncomfortable. Thankfully, the hustle and bustle of the bar itself would create a buffer between them, allowing her to maneuver out of his way as smoothly as possible. It still felt so foreign to have these thoughts associated with Cassian, but she would accept nothing less than a drama-free night out for her perfect sister’s birthday. Their dynamic would have to be addressed on another occasion. If ever.

She shut off the water once it started to chill and wrapped herself in a towel. She used another towel to soak any excess water from her long hair before working a wide-toothed comb through her waves. She tapped the screen of her phone to check the time, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw a notification bearing Cassian’s name on her screen.

Cassian: Sorry, fam. Just getting out of work and catching up on all these texts. Heading home to shower, then heading to Rita’s to meet you. Remember to save a dance for me, El-Bell! 😘

Unsure of why she half-expected the notification to be anything other than a response in their group chat, Nesta loosed a breath. Their distance over the last two weeks was telling enough, and she knew deep down that he wouldn’t have picked now to break any silence. Ultimately, she decided it was for the best this way. She had gotten through the first contact without having to unpack a ton of emotions she wasn’t comfortable with, so she celebrated the tiny win.

She turned her attention back to her reflection to decide on her look for the night. She landed on a tousled ponytail, her waves cascading behind her, and a few short tendrils falling naturally around her face. Satisfied with her hair situation, she applied a little make-up, cursing creatively at her liquid eyeliner in the process. Once she applied a sheer gloss, she was ready to tackle wardrobe. She decided on a pair of black high-waisted jeggings, a black, cropped tank, and a casual, dark hunter green blazer. She slid into black, wedged sandals, put on gold hoops, and grabbed her clutch before walking toward the door.

She ordered a Lyft, opting for ride share so that she would be likely to get one sooner. She looked at the time: 8:40pm. Rita’s was a little over ten minutes from her apartment, so she had ample time to get a car and arrive without being late. After what seemed like seconds, her phone beeped with the details of her driver’s car and alerting her that they would be pulling up in a few minutes. She opted to wait outside her apartment, just in case the driver had trouble finding her building. A white sedan pulled up, confirmed she was Nesta, and she slid into the front seat. As her luck would have it, the individuals she was sharing with were in, what looked like, the beginning stages of a very affectionate relationship. She tuned out their soft murmurs, propping her elbow up near the window, used her fingers to prop her head, and kept her attention forward for the rest of the ride.

———

Nesta was several drinks in and was starting to feel that slow warmth creeping throughout her body. She definitely wasn’t drunk, but she was just buzzed enough to relax into their circle booth as she watched her friends on the dance floor. Elain was dancing animatedly with Feyre, the two spinning each other around and throwing their heads back with laughter. The sight warmed her heart, and she made a mental note to tell them how much she loved them later.

Oh yea, she was buzzed indeed.

She glanced over to the others in the booth with her. Amren was to her right, nursing her drink and occasionally laughing at their friends’ antics. Across the circle table was Az, with his forearms crossed and resting on the table. Noticing the small smile on his face, she followed his gaze and landed on Elain. Emboldened by the alcohol, she typed a text and sent it his way.

N: Would you, for the love of the Cauldron, stop making eyes at my little sister?

She watched him grab his phone, huff a small laugh, and begin typing back to her.

A: I would, if she wasn’t so perfect.

He glanced her way, taking a long sip of his beer while he awaited her reaction. Either he was drunk, Nesta thought, or he was trying very hard to get under her skin. She glanced up at him and pantomimed a gag. She saw his shoulders shake a little as he chuckled.

N: Ew. Have you given her a gift yet?

A: You asked for it. And, no. Why? If you’re about to make any suggestions, you’re too late. I’ve already bought it.

Nesta scrolled through her GIFs, feeling playful and wanting to watch her friend squirm a little. It only took a few seconds for her to land on the GIF she was looking for: an animation of Justin Timberlake and Andy Samburg for The Lonely Island’s “Dick in a Box”. She added a short caption.

N: I just think this could be a contender.

She slowly sipped her drink, watching him over the rim of her glass. She saw his phone light up, his eyes scan the texts, and suddenly, he was having to clamp his lips shut to avoid sputtering his beer across the table. Nesta threw her head back and let out a loud laugh. She was feeling quite pleased with herself as he glared at her.

A: Unbelievable. I’m blocking you.

Nesta was still chuckling to herself when she noticed Amren’s attention on them. She leaned over to Nesta and deadpanned, “Secrets don’t make friends, you know.”

Nesta showed the text thread to Amren, much to Azriel’s chagrin. Not only did Amren find just as much amusement in Azriel’s discontent, she fully supported Nesta’s suggestion. They bickered playfully regarding the topic until Amren decided to take matters into her own hands, pushing Azriel out of the booth and stating, “We’re going to join them. Let’s go, Nesta!” Not a request, as per the usual with Amren.

They made their way through the crowd, finding Elain and Feyre in the middle of the floor. Rhysand, Mor, and Cassian were nearby, having run into their old friend, Kallias. Nesta avoided looking in their general direction, deciding she was in too good a mood to go down that train of thought. Especially with lowered inhibitions and unaddressed emotions. Bad combination.

She heard Elain squeal in delight at her joining them on the dance floor, and there was no way she could turn her down seeing the joy on her face. She wasn’t usually one to dance much at all, usually leaning into her role as a wallflower, but she wanted to make her sister as happy as possible on her birthday.

If I can’t make myself happy these days, at least I could make sure they’re happy.

She quickly pushed the thought away, deciding there was no room for her cynicism tonight. After dancing for a couple of songs, she realized she needed to use the restroom and let her friends know that’s where she was headed. Before she walked away, she lifted Elain’s arm into the air, spinning her dramatically into Azriel’s unsuspecting form. As she walked away, she heard a loud and high-pitched, “Az! Hi!” She looked over her shoulder to see him bracing her at the waist and Elain throwing her arms around his neck as if he hadn’t been there the entire night.

Nesta made her way toward the restrooms, finding the door locked. She leaned against the opposite wall, crossing her arms and resting her head back while she waited. Now that she was standing still, she found herself blinking against her clouded vision, brought about by her ever-strengthening buzz. She looked ahead as she heard someone exiting the bathroom, taking longer than she usually would to realize who was in front of her: Tomas Mandray.

“Nesta? Hey!” Tomas stepped forward to give her a small hug. “Long time, no see!”

Nesta returned the hug, quickly sliding into a mask of politeness as she prepared herself for small talk with someone she hadn’t seen in years. She had dated Tomas for a very brief period of time; nothing too serious. They had been much younger, more immature, but he had been nice enough. They were still too selfish at the time to invest more in each other, and they had ended things mutually.

“How are you? It’s good to see you!” She pulled back and gave him a small smile. They talked briefly about what they had been doing in recent years, if they had seen any of their old mutual friends, etc., when she felt the presence of another person approaching from her left. It was Tomas who addressed him first.

”Hey, Cassian. How’s it going?” He extended his hand for a brief handshake.

“It’s going, man. Just taking a quick bathroom break.” He turned his gaze to Nesta, greeting her so politely that she could have slapped him. “Hey, Nesta.”

”Hey, Cassian.” She tried to sound as friendly as possible to avoid signaling to Tomas that there was any discord.

“So, Mandray. What about you? How have you been?” Cassian had shifted his attention back to Tomas quickly, likely with the same goal in mind.

“Pretty good. I moved for a little while, but I just moved back to Velaris this week for work. I haven’t had much time to get out and about with trying to settle in, but I’m glad to be back.”

”I didn’t realize you’d moved back! I guess we’ll be seeing you around more often!” Cassian gave him a friendly clap on the shoulder.

“Yea, you all are some of the first people I’ve run into that I still know from before. Nice to see some friendly faces, for sure. Anyway, I won’t keep you.” He looked from Cassian to Nesta, addressing her fully. “Want to get together for dinner soon? Old time’s sake?”

”Oh. Sure! Sounds good.” He seemed satisfied with that answer and walked away.

Cassian waited until Tomas was walking back into the main area of the bar before he turned to Nesta. She was still leaning against the wall, her foot propped back against it, and arms crossed in front of her chest. Despite her better judgment, she looked up at him and couldn’t help but track her eyes over the angles of his handsome face. Her eyes lingered on the small scar through his eyebrow, traced his cheekbones, jaw, until finally, landing on his hazel eyes.

“So. Mandray, huh?” She saw the tension in his jaw, likely knowing he had no right to ask the question but wanting to know anyway.

Her first thought was to tell him to fuck off, but she thought better of it. She still needed to keep her lid on those unaddressed emotions, regardless of the fact that it was busting at the seams now. She schooled her face into indifference and lifted her chin, refusing to shy away from his question.

“Is that jealousy, Cass? It’s not becoming.” She continued to hold his gaze. She hoped her neutral expression didn’t slip upon hearing his response, his honesty surprising her.

“Yea. It is.” He huffed a laugh and had the good sense to look sheepish. “How do you expect me not to be jealous? I know too much.” He was scanning her face now, all too similar to how he gauged her reaction that last time they were together.

“You know too much? What could you possibly know about Tomas? He’s been back in Velaris for all of 10 minutes, and you haven’t heard from him in years. He could be a totally different person.” She kept her tone even, matter of fact.

He closed the distance between them, bracing his forearm on the wall next to her head. She had to look up slightly to maintain eye contact and felt suddenly assaulted by his familiar scent: something woodsy with hints of smoke and rain. They were so close that she could also smell the whiskey he had been drinking throughout the night. He slid his other hand into his front pocket and shifted his weight casually to one side.

“I don’t know shit about Mandray, Nes. I’m talking about you and the things that wreck me to think he’d learn about you.”

Although she knew she shouldn’t ask it, the question left her lips. “And just what is it that you know about me?”

A small smirk graced the side of his mouth, yet his eyes were so earnest that she couldn’t bear to hold the smirk against him. He wet his lips and cleared his throat before answering her. “For starters, the way your body flushes. It usually starts right about here,” he removed his hand from his pocket to touch the center of her chest with his index finger, “and it travels upward to here.” He softly dragged his knuckle from right below where her necklace fell to her collarbone. He shifted his hand to run the pad of his thumb over the prominent bone, toward her shoulder. He gently cupped it near her shoulder seam, softly grazing his palm toward her neck. “All across here.” He moved his large hand to cup the side of her neck, running his thumb over her delicate jaw. “Up here.” He finally slid his hand to cup her face, tracing her cheekbone with his thumb. “And ending up here.”

She wasn’t sure she was breathing, but she didn’t have it in her to pull away. Not when her blood was singing at his proximity, at his scent, everything. She swallowed hard and tried to steady her breathing. She was only partially aware of someone sweeping past them to occupy the bathroom, effectively gluing her the spot.

“Then, your breathing starts to pick up. You take deep breaths and release them in soft pants.” He moved his hand to trace the shell of her ear with his thumb, and Cauldron boil her if she didn’t lean in slightly to his caress. He cupped the side of her neck as he dipped his head, their cheeks barely grazing, and lowered his voice.

“After a while, you start to kill me with your soft moans and your small whines, and you really kill me when my name starts to fall from your lips. That’s when I know you’re close, Nes.”

She wasn’t sure how long she could go with such shallow breaths before passing out on the tile below her, but between that, the tightening in her core, and his small ministrations, she couldn’t imagine that it would be long at all. She could feel his stubble against her cheek and his breath against her ear. His voice was low and raspy, adding to the onslaught of sensations. When she felt his nose graze her temple ever so slightly, her hands moved forward of their own volition, finding their home on his rib cage.

How did this escalate so quickly?

He continued to graze his nose gently over her temple, his lips brushing it as well. “You have the smallest of veins that presents itself right here. Only right before I feel you come for me.”

At his words, she felt herself gripping his shirt tightly around his ribs. He left out a small hiss, then a groan, before the bathroom door flew open again. He shielded her with his body, waiting until the person leaving the bathroom was well into the bar before looking at her. He squeezed his eyes shut, gently shook his head, and cleared his throat.

“Umm. I think that’s you, Nes,” he said. He started to lean away from her, the moment gone, and she felt the absence of his warmth immediately. Unable to formulate an actual reply, she merely nodded before stepping around him to enter the bathroom. Once inside, she leaned back against the door, begging her brain to catch up with what just happened. She blinked toward the ceiling and breathed deeply to try and cool her blood, a solitary thought playing on a loop in her head.

Oh, fuck.

—————————————————————————

A/N: Hope y’all enjoyed it! I realize this isn’t an ideal place to leave off, but it was the most logical place to break it into parts! I had fun writing a buzzed (approaching drunk) and playful Nesta because I feel like she’s so dynamic. Sometimes I feel like she gets pigeonholed into this one-dimensional, miserable character, but even people who are in pain have their moments where the facets of their personality shine through. I hope that comes through in this chapter!

If you’d like to be tagged in future updates, feel free to reblog, comment, or send me a message! As always, your feedback is welcome as well!

Tags Below:

@polireader // @lord-douglas-the-third // @justgiu12 // @notyournymphetish // @sjm-things // @strangeenemy // @iammissstark // @keshavomit // @sjmships // @cookiemonsterwholovesbooks // @dusty-lightbulb // @texas-shaped-waffle-maker // @julemmaes

#nessian #nesta x cassian #nesta archeron #nesta #cassian #acotar #acowar #nessian fanfic #nessian au #nessian angst #nessian fwb #acotar fanfic #This Time Nessian #nesta x azriel brotp #acomaf #acosf

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tirednotflirting · 3 years

Text

to open my eyes in the right way

hello ! i was going to update my masterlist and realized i just never posted this here? so i’m going to post this here.

remember the oial stream where rian and alex were at some gorgeous house in the mountains drinking mimosas and basically being the most adorable boys alive? that caused this. (that also caused the mimosas i decided to make on a wednesday at 10pm. they’re influencers.)

yes i am pushing the limit of how many of my fics can just be two people being adorable and having a coffee together but it is my BRAND okay????? (she says while still in bed with a cup of coffee at 1.30pm. living the dream, guys)

here it is on ao3 if that’s more ur jam

Rian is on his second cup of coffee, the steam rising from the mug against his cheeks a sharp contrast to the cold, mountain air, when he feels a pair of arms wrap around his middle.

His mind immediately notes how Alex is always able to warm him up better than any cup of coffee could and he’s considering mentioning it but then Alex’s head is dropping against his shoulder and his lips press lightly just below his ear as he speaks.

“Too early,” he quietly whines, earning a soft laugh from Rian in response. “Why are you awake already?”

Rian turns himself in Alex’s hold and allows him to lean his weight against Rian’s chest. He adjusts his free arm to wrap around his waist, his fingers tracing lines up and down his back as he notices Alex didn’t so much as throw on a sweater before wandering out to join him on the deck. “It’s nearly noon, I wouldn’t really call this early.”

He starts walking them backwards toward the sliding glass door that leads back into the massive kitchen of the house they found to rent for this little escape to the mountains for the week. When they reach the door, Alex starts to play along and lets go of Rian to pull the door open. He wanders in the direction of the coffee machine and Rian watches as he carefully sorts through the mugs hanging from hooks on the wall only to settle on the same one he’s been using for the last three days. They both tend to be creatures of habit.

“All I’m saying is you should have come back to bed after getting coffee,” Alex argues while filling the mug. He shakes some sugar into it before reaching for the spoo Rian left beside the pot.

“Wanted to check out the view while I was waking up,” Rian calls back while taking a seat on the couch that faces the big windows overlooking a similar view.

“You can see all of it from the bedroom,” Alex counters while coming to take the spot beside him. Rian grabs for one of the throw blankets hanging over the back of the couch and drapes it over their legs while Alex fits himself against his side. “Plus I think I’m a much more impressive view in the morning than the mountains.”

“Mountains got nothing on you, babe.” Rian laughs while pressing a kiss against Alex’s tangled bedhead.

They sit in silence for a while. Both of them periodically sipping from their mugs while Rian tangles his fingers into the ends of Alex’s hair. He somehow already needs another haircut, the ends that typically stick out from whatever beanie he picks that day starting to curl a bit. In a year where time has felt broken, it’s cues like Alex’s hair or how much coffee is left in the can that Rian has settled on to show that they’re still moving forward in this life.

It’s been nice spending time together in a place so far removed from everything and everyone else. It’s very rare that they have the opportunity to be entirely away from any kind of distraction. The farm holds constant, methodical responsibility. Nashville and LA both have work calling out to them pretty much constantly, whether it be a soundboard in a studio or the writing rooms of Hollywood. It was so obvious that to truly be alone, they needed to get out.

Rian wasn’t sure about planning a trip to somewhere cold in March. But the first night they had been at this place, sharing a bottle of wine on the deck underneath a couple blankets, he started to feel more confident about the decision. The snowy landscape blanketed the whole place in silence and the distance from any other building provided a clear, dark canvas for the night sky to paint itself across. They never said it out loud but every piece of the puzzle felt like a breath of fresh air belonging entirely to them.

“What’s the plan today?” Alex hums against Rian’s shoulder before leaning forward to leave his empty mug on the coffee table. He pulls his legs up onto the couch beneath the blanket and scoots close enough that he may as well be in Rian’s lap.

Rian reaches for one of his hands and intertwines their fingers before he starts tapping out a rhythm against Alex’s knuckles. “Thought we could check out some of those other hiking trails. We’ve still got the stuff to make that recipe you found on the flight if you want to give that a shot tonight. Hadn’t really thought of much else.”

“We’re not taking enough advantage of that hot tub,” Alex replies. “We should hot tub after the hike.”

“I like that way you think,” Rian laughs.

“One of us has to have our priorities straight,” Alex says with a wink as he moves to stand. “More coffee?”

“Yes, please.”

Alex wanders off in the direction of the kitchen and Rian turns in his spot on the couch, his head resting against the leather as he watches him move about the room. There’s something fluttering like mad in his chest as he watches Alex in his flannel pajama pants move across the tile. His head bounces around like there’s a melody being created in his mind as he fills their mugs with the remainder of the second pot Rian made before going outside earlier. He watches Alex lift a hand to flick his bangs out of his eyes as he stirs creamer into Rian’s coffee and sugar into his own. It’s a scene so simple but Rian finds himself picturing all the different versions of it he’s had the privilege of seeing. The version on the farm where Alex still has his raincoat on from feeding the horses but damn it Rian, just let me bring you your coffee, I’m trying to be a gentleman. Or the version at his place in Nashville where Alex is wearing one of Rian’s hoodies and playfully rolling his eyes as he hands Rian a cold brew while still sipping from a mug because drinking cold coffee this early is against my religion, Ri.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Alex teases as he makes his way back toward the couch. He hands Rian the mug back and leans down to press a kiss against his temple before settling back into the fluffy couch and beneath the arm that Rian extends to curl around his shoulders.

And as he listens to Alex quietly hum out the melody that he must still be crafting somewhere in his head in between sips of the scalding hot coffee, he can’t help but smile at the thought of all the different kinds of mornings with Alex he can’t wait to spend the rest of his life cataloguing.

#rilex #rilex fic #atl fic #all time low fic #they are fucking adorable and this was like the first thing i was able to write in weeks i adore them #literally the club while we were watching that live stream was hilarious #alex: yeah i'm basically sitting in rian's lap right now #mimosa moms??????#god they would be the kings of the pta #they would probably be like my mom who literally would put chardonnay in a tiny hydroflask and take it to football games when she would #come to watch me conduct #it was peak wine mom behavior

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reapersbarge · 4 years

Text

Solstice (Ch. 2)

A/N: Chapter two of @wafflesandkruge and I’s @grishaversebigbang story! Be sure to check out the art from @kayadraws (x) @reilynbears (x) @obligatorychinchillas (x) @chaotic-art-druid (x) @kavinskysdick (x) @inkingnothing (x) and @bubble–berry (x)!

Read the update on Archive of Our Own or below the cut!

Chapter 2: Inej

Watered down sunlight was beginning to stream down from the skylights by the time Kaz emerged from his office. He stood at her shoulder, both of them silent and watching the club’s spilled drinks, broken furniture, and general mess be taken care of by their cleaners. She focused on a young, golden-haired witch who easily fixed a broken table with a twirl of her fingers. Caster magic never got old.

She adjusted her perch on the thin railing. “What are you going to do about the murder? It’s the third one this month.”

She didn’t expect an answer, not when she could practically hear the cogs in his brain turning and scheming. She’d overheard enough from his conversation with the Fae prince to put the pieces together, but it would be nice if Kaz told them what was going through his mind every once in a while. With a sigh, she leaned against a column and continued watching the bustle below.

Nina Zenik, a notoriously dangerous blood witch and the Crow Club’s resident singer, was in a corner, dozing off on the shoulder of a tall, blonde man. Between the late nights and the magic she expended, she was always sleepy after a full night of work. As if sensing her gaze on them, the man looked up, his icy blue eyes meeting Inej’s. She gave a small wave. He frowned.

Matthias Helvar was usually found somewhere around Nina. He’d been hired as security for the club through a recommendation by Nina, but to Kaz’s frustration, he spent more time protecting Nina than the club. He was good at his job though, as most people had the innate sense to stay away from predators. Inej certainly remembered the last time he’d shifted into his wolf form and nearly compromised their mission.

An argument broke out between one of the last straggling patrons and a lanky boy with two pistols on his belt. Jesper Fahey was always the one exception to the “no weapons” policy, though he hardly needed it. Inej’s lips twisted as he snapped his fingers and a sudden gust of wind pushed the belligerent patron out the door. He gave her a playful wink.

Late, as usual, a red-headed boy finally ran through the doors with his satchel trailing behind him. Wylan van Eck was a conundrum. He was Fae, but raised by humans as a Changeling so his powers were unpredictable at best and downright self-destructive at worst. Kaz often had him here during the day to run sums and make sure nothing was amiss. Inej didn’t miss the way a floorboard seemed to rise a few inches, tripping Wylan and sending him stumbling into Jesper. Next to her, Kaz muttered something about Jesper wrecking his floors.

The cleaners left, then it was just them and their crew, the deadliest mishmash of cutthroats and thieves that had ever graced Kes Tarm’s streets. Kaz stepped forward, his gloved hands wrapping around the wooden railing. “It’s time.”

“Alright.” Inej stood up, eyed how far the floor was. Then she dissolved into shadows.

It was one of her gifts as a wraith, the ability to make her body insubstantial. It came in handy when she was stuck in a tight spot or wanted to spy on someone, but for now, her abilities would be used just to spite Kaz who had to take the stairs.

Her blood turned cold, her body impossibly light as the world dimmed. It was always a strange sensation, passing through things, but a second later, her feet solidified and hit the now empty dance floor as she landed in a crouch. The remaining shadows around her dissipated.

“Very impressive hat trick,” Jesper drawled. He waved a hand and a chair moved from across the room for her. She dusted herself off and took a seat.

“You’ve seen better from me, Jes,” she replied with a small grin. Nina and Matthias made their way over to the table, the former still yawning.

“Would it kill Kaz to have meetings at a normal time?” Nina complained. She ran her fingers through her updo, pulling out pins and letting her hair tumble down her back. Matthias took the chair next to her without a word.

Wylan popped up from behind the bar, a pot of coffee in his hand. Without having to be asked, Jesper snapped his fingers and six mugs appeared on the table. Wylan poured them each a steaming cup. Nina took a sip and sighed wistfully.

“Are you sure you don’t want to share some blood with me, Jes? I promise I’ll use it for good.”

He winked. “Not a chance. My ma passed down these gifts and they stay in the family.”

“How about you, Inej?”

She pretended to think about it. The three of them went through an iteration of this conversation at least once a week. “Hmmm...no. Family secrets.”

“Ah, spoilsports.”

“You could always try Kaz,” Wyaln suggested. All five of their heads swiveled towards the boy now limping towards them with an annoyed expression. She suddenly remembered that Wylan, through some bad timing and missed conversations, was the only one who didn’t know what Kaz was.

Nina scowled, probably remembering the Incident. “His blood is no fun.”

Two years ago, Nina had stumbled upon a bit of Kaz’s blood smeared on a discarded shirt. It had been just enough for her to use, even though Inej had warned against it. But Nina had been curious, and Jesper was egging her on.

“Wouldn’t it be fun to finally find out what he is?” Nina asked, waggling eyebrows. Some said he was Fae, but Inej had seen him lie too much for that to be true. Others claimed he was a demon straight from the depths of Hell, and while there hadn’t been any accounts of demons actually existing, anything was possible in Kes Tarm.

“Fifty kruge he’s a vampire,” Jesper called from the bar where he was polishing glasses. The club was closed for the night, Kaz had left an hour earlier with an order for them to close up.

Inej swiveled on her chair. “A vampire? Why?”

“Well,” Jesper said as he started ticking off fingers. “Pale. Bloodsucker, metaphorically. Dresses in the last century’s fashion. And when’s the last time you saw him in the sun?”

“Very true,” Nina mused. “Any guesses from you, Inej dear?”

Inej swung her legs back and forth, thinking. Kaz never showed off any supernatural abilities, but that was precisely why everyone was wary of him. “I think… sorcerer,” she said finally. “Not that I’m condoning this, of course.”

“Of course you aren’t.” But Inej can’t help watching as Nina ran a finger over the bloodstain, closed her eyes, and inhaled. The bloodstain vanished.

The club was deathly silent except for the clink of the glasses Jesper was reshelving.

“Well?” he prompted. “Have you suddenly gained the ability to portal into Hell? See emotions? Read minds?”

Nina frowned and dropped the shirt back onto the table. “No.”

“What can you do then?” Inej asked. She watched Nina carefully, trying to determine if there was anything different about her. When blood witches used the blood of another being, they were able to utilize their abilities for a brief amount of time, usually proportional to exactly how much blood they’d taken in. When Nina used the blood of a siren, as she did when she sang for the club, her skin usually took on an almost luminescent sheen. But now, she looked the same as always. Just Nina.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Nina pointed to a chair as if expecting it to explode, but it just sat there. “I don’t think I can do a thing.”

Inej tilted her head in confusion. “You mean…”

Nina brushed a hand against the pendant at her throat, the one Inej knew contained some of Nina’s own blood so she could “reset” her abilities. With exceptions.

“I can’t reset,” Nina said, her voice annoyed. “He’s human.”

A glass slipped through Jesper’s fingers and shattered on the floor. Without sparing it a second glance, he snapped his fingers and it re-pieced itself together on the counter. “Bullshit,” he swore. “Try telling a lie.”

“I hate waffles.”

As the two bickered with Jesper trying to prove Kaz wasn’t just human, Inej quietly reflected. It would make sense, she supposed. It was smart to have people constantly overestimating him, making them sloppy. It was easy enough to use clever sleight of hand to make people believe he was something more. She’d always suspected the truth, but now there was indisputable proof.

“What are you going to do with this information?” she asked.

Nina shrugged, face thoughtful. “Not sure yet. I’m not going to sell him out, of course, but I’m sure I’ll be able to hold it against him when the time is right. Maybe get a pay raise.”

Jesper snorted. “Get me a raise too. Tuition isn’t cheap.”

And indeed, a few months later, Nina had found a good occasion to bring it up again. She’d marched into Kaz’s office, Inej already there feeding the crows outside the window.

“I want Matthias Helvar out of prison,” she demanded. “Get it done or I’m telling everybody I can find from here to hell what you are.”

Kaz didn’t even look up from the forms he was signing. “I’m surprised it took you this long to ask.”

Inej wisely decided to stay out of it and continue feeding the birds. Nina put her hands on her hips. “Do you think I won’t do it?”

“Oh, I have no doubt you will.” Kaz pushed his papers aside and pulled out a ledger. “It was already done last week, inclement weather has been keeping Helvar from reaching Kes Tarm. You’re not a very hard person to read, Nina dear.”

Nina blinked, the fight going out of her. “Jesper and I want a raise. Give Inej one too while you’re at it.”

“You’re really pushing it, you know.”

“Raise.”

“Fine.”

After Nina left with an air of triumph about her, Inej finally spoke. “You let her find that shirt, didn’t you?”

Kaz’s silence was as good a confirmation as any.

His unspoken trust in their crew was what made Inej speak up. If Wylan was to join them for this mission, it would be best if he knew the limits of Kaz’s abilities.

“Kaz is human.”

Wylan’s face blanched. “Kaz is-”

“Human,” his rasping voice supplied. He limped over to the head of the table. “But I can kill just as easily as the rest of you, so don’t get any ideas, Van Eck. Sit down.”

The boy sat. Kaz cleared his throat. “We’re taking a new job.”

The group immediately erupted with protests.

“The last time we did a job together, Matty boy there went wolf and almost killed us all,” Jesper accused.

“To be fair, your portal let us out over a lake,” Nina said with a scowl.

“A shallow lake,” Wylan supplied helpfully.

“I can’t swim,” Matthias grumbled.

“Enough,” Kaz growled. “The Fae prince wants us to find the child of prophecy.”

“That is such bullshit-”

“They’re dead-”

“It’s just a story-”

Kaz pounded his fist on the table. “Thirty million kruge. I don’t care if it’s a tall tale, we’ll humor this prince and go search for the child. One way or another, we’ll get paid. Understand?”

There was a grumbled assent from everyone. Even split six ways, thirty million kruge was more money than any of them had ever had. They’d be foolish to miss out on a payday this large.

“What’s the plan?” Inej asked. She had no doubt Kaz had already planned out the next week.

“We have until the solstice in two weeks, because apparently, that’s when the world will supposedly end if the child goes ‘bad’. Whatever that means.”

“Well, the child is supposedly a product of the union between the Seelie and Unseelie courts,” Wylan interjected. His fingers drummed the table nervously. “When they’re of age, they can be a force of either great good or great evil. It’s the potential that scares people. Fae, I mean.”

“Well, that’s just cheery,” Kaz said dryly. “And irrelevant. I just want to get paid. Inej, you’re coming with me and Lantsov the next day to visit a witch. Nina, there are some Fae records at the library that might help us figure out what happened to the child after they were born. Take Wylan with you in case there’s some magical shit you can’t take care of.”

He turned to Jesper and Matthias. “I want you two at the club in case something happens. If word gets around about our job, no doubt some of the other gangs are going to want in.”

Jesper and Matthias exchanged a look. For as much as they liked to bicker, Inej knew they were lethal when working together. The Crow Club would almost be too well-defended.

“Any questions?”

“What is the prince going to do with the child if we find them?” Wylan asked. If possible, Kaz’s face grew even more displeased.

“Don’t know. Don’t care.”

Kaz let them go after that. Wylan stayed behind to run inventory and numbers. Jesper headed off to his morning classes at the university. Matthias took Nina back to her place near the docks. And Inej followed Kaz back to the Slat.

She stayed in the shadows, letting the edges of her form blur. It was always hardest for her to stay corporeal after a long night at the club. The streets were starting to open up, Unsighteds going about their business, blissfully unaware of the creatures that had prowled the streets a few hours earlier. Inej almost envied them.

They were nearly at the Slat when Inej finally spoke. “You’re doing the right thing, Kaz.”

His lips twisted, the rising sun softening the harsh lines of his face. “Don’t insult me.”

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minsyal · 5 years

Text

Mutual Feelings Pt. 8, [Revali x Reader]

Bad Summary: Finally, some good fucking content.

“Loosen the grip.” Revali instructed as he flew north to the hot spring. From your position, you could spot Keumi in the wrap that Seoi had firmly attached to her body. A tuft of orange popped out, her wide sparkling eyes intently watching you. They glistened slightly, wet with tears from her reddened state. Ignoring Revali, you flashed a smile to Keumi, who squinted for a moment and decided to contently smile back.

Large puffs of white steam rose from the small pool that sat full of warm water below. The water bubbled audibly in a delightful chorus of pops and swishes; it sounded charming. Blankets of snow lined the area, a soft dry layer on top from the most recent whiteout. It hadn’t yet been packed into the ground by visitors. Revali shrugged you off, turning a blind eye as you fell to the ground with a thud. You caught the slightest glimpse of a smirk. Instead of belittling you or taking amusement in your state, he focused on something in the distance, his eyes contently avoided your gaze.

“Can you join me?” Keumi’s small voice said with hints of upset laced into it like a thread through fabric. She was speaking to Seoi who was placing her on the dock.

“Sweetheart,” Seoi started, kneeling down next to the tired child’s level, “I can’t. I won’t be able to get you back if I get in the water.”

Keumi’s eyes adverted downward, a big huff of air escaping her mouth as she stomped her foot into the ground leaving the smallest print you’d ever seen. She wasn’t typically a pouter; she didn’t enjoy starting drama as she was usually the one trying to dissolve it. She would get a pass this time, seeing as she had been sick for days and was obviously not feeling well. Seoi frowned and looked in your direction, a pleading look on her face.

“I can go with you, Keumi.” You offered while pushing off of the ground to join her at her side. A smile spread across her face as she beamed brightly up at you.

Not wanting to freeze in wet clothes, you opted to remove your top layer – discarding them to the side. With your back to the other two birds, you waded into the spring. The water was a comfortable hot. Not to the point of scalding, but enough to turn the skin red. Keumi quickly joined, splashing around in the water as her tiny wings floated above her body. You smiled, taking her in your arms and tucking her head beneath your chin.

Revali watched from a distance, arms crossed over his chest as if to conceal the swelling he experienced in his chest. His heart expanded rapidly at the sight before him, only to be stopped by his ribs. His eyes were lidded, an easy expression upon his face. Seoi stood nearby, observing the guarded bird as he took in the scene before him. She smiled.

“Wandering eyes kill, you know?” Approaching Revali, Seoi mimicked his posture as she leaned against an old wooden stake that was driven into the ground.

“Excuse me?” He coughed. Uncrossing his arms, he shook his head and turned away from the spring to conceal his embarrassed state. If feathers could blush, his would be a deep red. “You’re reading the situation incorrectly. I was simply thinking. Lost in thought, if you may.”

“Whatever you say.” She said in delight. “Your secret is safe with me.” A finger crossed a dramatic “X” over her heart. Rather than reply, he remained silent, choosing to inch away from Seoi as he averted his eyes downward. Slowly, though, he found them drifting back to you.

You looked so peaceful lying in the spring. Your eyes were closed, lashes fluttering eyery now and again when Keumi would shift positions. Your hands laid contently across Keumi’s chest, holding her close as your chests rose and fell in sync. Even while sleeping, you hadn’t been this calm.

The wind whistled against the entrance to the cave, snow blew harshly inside, only blocked by a few stones that stood near the opening. Revali sat in his corner, back against the wall, not quite asleep. He watched with narrowed eyes as the other Champions slept happily near one another, or close at least. You, on the other hand, were away from the group. Alone in an opposite corner, he watched as you sat there, gaze focused on Zelda and Link.

You rose from your spot, taking the stones you had found and warmed and tucked them around the squirming princess. You gave her your blanket, laying it over her as you moved to return Link’s to him. Pathetic, Revali thought. Foregoing your own personal safety in favor of another. While he couldn’t wrap his mind around your reasoning, he couldn’t really understand many of the things you chose to do.

You were tough to crack. The walls around you were ten feet tall and crafted from an unbreakable stone. His standoffish attitude didn’t help either.

He watched as you returned to your spot, wrapping your arms around your body and slowly drifting off to an uncomfortable sleep. You twitched and turned; your mouth moved but no words escaped. Your feet kicked and your fingers gripped tightly to your arms leaving red marks behind. With a heavy sigh and the shake of his head, Revali strode to your side. Taking your limp form by the arm, he tucked you in between his arms. He held you close to him, expecting you to calm down, but you didn’t. Even in a dormant physical state, your mind raced, and nothing would deter it from its destination.

The night was long.

But now here you were, lying in the water with a bird on your chest. Peaceful.

Keumi was fast asleep by the time you returned to Rito Village. Seoi lowered her gently into her hammock, placing a loving kiss against her head before thanking you and Revali for doing this for her. Assuring her it was no big deal, you held your pack on your shoulder and departed for the Castle.

The days were becoming shorter and shorter as the window came closer and closer. You sat at your cluttered desk reading and rereading the book pinpointing the exact location as to where the legendary flower would choose to bloom. At your request, a light container was crafted that would provide ample air to the flower while keeping it alive with a small reserve of water that would be stored at the bottom. It looked like a small bird cage with two straps to the back and one at the top. It was perfect.

Another productive day passed in Hyrule as you finalized your research and gathered the right ingredients to be taken directly to Rito Village upon your return from Gerudo. The ingredients were from the most distant locations of Hyrule: an herb from Hebra, minerals from Eldin, greenery from Akkala, water from Lanayru, rice from Neculda, fruit from Faron, and the flower from Gerudo. With a bustling market in Castle Town, obtaining the majority of these items was a breeze.

Revali made his return to the castle on a diplomatic trip between the Rito and Hylians. His presence in the castle was unknown to you for the majority of his stay. He had been in meetings during the day, at feasts in the evening, and attending balls at night. Undoubtedly, those were all things that numbed his brain.

“You’re going to ignore me after that intimate moment we shared?” The voice came as a shock as you hurried toward the library to present information to the King. Turning, you sighed heavily as your eyes fell upon the bird. He stood tall, proud, with his arms locked behind his back.

“What moment?” You inquired, deciding to keep on your way.

“You act differently around Keumi and Seoi.”

“So, they have names now?”

He didn’t answer.

“Do you have a moment to talk?” He followed suit, keeping the pace easily as he strode next to you. “Where are you headed?”

“King asked me to update him on Purah and Robbie’s work.” A quizzical brow rose, “They’re scientists here. You’ve met Purah. Short, loud, nasal. She’s sweet.” He threw his head back in a nod and opened his mouth in an “awe” fashion.

“Here.” He snatched the stack of papers from your hands, giving you no time to respond as he tucked them beneath his wing. Unbothered by the death glare you shot at him, he pretended as if he didn’t just steal all your material and continued walking. “Allow me.”

“Give that back.” You demanded, but it was useless.

He carried them with ease to the library where King Rhoam waited in his study. Upon your arrival, he smiled and beckoned you inside. You turned to Revali, who still hadn’t given up your papers, and gave him an expectant look. He smirked.

With gritted teeth, you spoke. “Thank you, Revali. I believe I can take it from here.” You held your hands out expecting the papers but instead were met with a face-full of feathers as he strode past you into the study. King Rhoam didn’t seem bothered by the bird’s actions as he smiled and greeted him with a boisterous laugh. “Or not…” You muttered under your breath.

He placed the stack gingerly on the King’s desk and turned to you. “I’ll be waiting in the garden when you’re done.”

____-

Speaking with the King was always a nerve-wracking. Whether it was his impending stare or the fact that his daughter held a certain disdain for you, something just got under your skin. The meeting was fairly short, having been cut off by a knight who came to inform the King of more visitor’s arrivals. Gathering the many papers that had become scattered across his desk, you shook your head as a loose scrap reminded you of the many updates you had made to the Divine Beasts. The many unauthorized updates.

The paper landed somewhere in the middle of the pile, stuffing itself between the pages of a book to ultimately be discovered at a later time. A group of guards stood near the gazebo in the garden as they held their hands up to steady the guardian that clamored to life with shaky uneven legs. Above, Zelda could be spotted sporting her rich royal blue dress and golden headpiece. You watched until the King arrived with his royal entourage. He spoke to her so harshly, but she complied with whatever he told her.

Revali stood near a closeby staircase with his leg kicked against the retaining wall. His head turned in your direction and he waved you over. You could easily pass him, and head inside, or even just turn around and take the long way back to your room. There was so much work to be done with so little time left. He’d only be taking up your time. Before you had time to think it over, the bird was approaching.

“Your meeting?” He inquired while scooping the papers from your arms like he had before.

“Went fine.”

“Just fine?”

“Went great.” You emphasized, reaching an arm out to take the papers back, only to be met with his wing as his body turned away. “Revali, what do you want?”

“A tour.”

“You’ve been here before. I’ll bet you’ve had a tour or two of the grounds.”

“But,” he clicked his tongue and eyed you from the corner of his gaze, “not from you.”

“I think that’s the dumbest thing that has ever come out of your mouth.”

“I’m choosing to overlook your backless insults. Plus,” he lifted the stack of papers in front of his nose, eyes scanning their contents, “I have this.”

“You’re taking my papers hostage?”

“So, they do have some critical thinking skills.” He chuckled. “You may have them back after the tour.”

“Revali.” You sighed, wiping a hand down your face. A smug grin was plastered on his face, enhancing the slap-ability of his already arrogant features. He knew he was going to get what he wanted one way or the other. And for some ungodly reason, today he wanted a tour from you. “Fine.”

The grounds were no different than they were from the last time he toured. Revali pretended to be interested in what you told him about the many unique rooms scattered across the maze-like halls that stretched beneath the ground. He pretended to listen and nod his head as you rambled on and on about the significance of certain statues and stained-glass windows. He spent the entire tour pretending. It was exhausting.

The sun moved from its position high in the sky to just above the horizon in the west. Guards switched out their shifts as those who had stood out at day went inside and those who rested during the day went out. The tour wasn’t supposed to take this long, but Revali kept talking! He had so many dumb questions about the different areas of the castle and why they were designed like they were.

“Okay.” You stopped at the hall that led to your room, a hall you had specifically left out of the tour. “Books now, please.”

“You act differently.”

“This conversation, again?” The books were much heavier than you recalled. Their contents were still intact as he handed each and every one back to you.

“What makes them so different?”

The halls had mostly cleared out. Maids were in their own dining areas with the knights and guards as they shared the leftovers and overflow of food from the great hall. The King had long since retired to his study and the princess was locked away in her room, like always.

“What doesn’t make them different?” You questioned. The thought of the two brought a smile to your face, one that didn’t go unnoticed by Revali. “They’re good people.”

“There are other good people in Hyrule, scientist.”

“Back to that nickname?” You let out a short-amused huff of air. “Sure, there are. Mipha, Link, Urbosa, Daruk… they’re all nice.”

“Am I nice?”

The question caught you off-guard. “Well, in your own way. Maybe. Anyway,” changing subjects was much easier than continuing that conversation, “I have to head back. I’m sure you know your way back to the guest rooms.” You turned on your heel faster than you ever had, wanting nothing more than to lock yourself in your room and never have to speak to anyone ever again.

“You’re not eating dinner?”

You slowed down and turned your head enough to see him. “I’ll be fine.”

“You need to consider your own well-being.”

“Thanks, Revali.” You paused. “Goodnight.”

“Wait.” He stepped into the hall but didn’t challenge the invisible barrier he placed in front of him. He seemed nervous, out of place even. His typical arrogance and conceited attitude had melted into something completely different. This was out of the blue for Revali. He dare not speak until you stopped moving and turned to face him completely. The words he wanted to say refused to form into a sentence in his head. Instead, they danced as if full of caffeine on the tip of his tongue. They bounced around, refusing to align. “Never mind. Goodnight.”

#revali x reader #revali imagine #revali botw #revali #botw #botw imagines #loz botw #tloz #loz #rito #breath of the wild #botw fic #botw fanfiction #mutual feelings minsyal #revali imagines

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unlockthelore · 4 years

Text

Inspiration

Kurama has never asked Hiei to change but he inspires him to everyday.

Chapter 9 of 18 for the fic Sarayashiki Scramble on Ao3, for more updates follow the sarayashiki scramble and/or growing pains tags.

In all Hiei’s years, he’d never met someone so infuriatingly conflicting as Kurama. Stories of the Legendary King of Bandit’s ruthlessness and cunning paled in comparison to the levelheaded and fairly kindhearted approach of Minamino Shuuichi. While there were some moments where Hiei believed himself to be a fool at believing this human child could be the aforementioned legend, Kurama tended to surprise him.

And if there was one thing Hiei didn’t take well to — it was surprises.

Still, as with many things concerning the redhead and life itself, Hiei adapted. He wasn’t happy about it it, especially when it pertained to following Ningenkai customs. How humans could walk about unarmed confused him. Entrusting their safety to other humans donning uniforms and weapons that could lay waste to them. Simply the thought of entrusting his own safety to someone else was laughable — although Hiei made certain exceptions in the right capacity.

Humans were strange.

How they could allow slights to their person to go unanswered was maddening. No matter how small or snide the remark, for someone to move their lips so flippantly, they should be willing to take what was given to them in any capacity. More than once, when overhearing someone mocking Kurama or worse yet — Shiori — Hiei decided that neither of them needed to answer it. He would gladly sully his hands if it meant defending them. But Kurama stayed his hand with either a look or a carefully intoned call of his name.

Telling him to leave it be or to let them speak. After all, words meant very little without the power to support them. It never set well with Hiei at all and confused him how Kurama could continue on so easygoing. Stories depicted him as a merciless being who would punish those for even the tiniest of insults.

Yet time and time again, Kurama brushed it off as if it were beneath him to even think of reacting. Carrying on with naught even a backward glance. Seldom though, he did rebuke in his own backhanded way and with the kindest of smiles. Though that was commonly toward those who insulted his mother.

Shiori was an exception to his carefully crafted composure, as always it seemed.

Nevertheless, Hiei didn’t understand this or him. Mysteries seemed to sprout around Kurama as quickly as his flowers bloomed. Each one more mystifying than the last, and just as entrancing to solve.

In spite of his quirks and shortcomings, and the irritation that came with his allowances to humankind and their flaws, Hiei was almost certain Kurama would occupy him for some time to come.

─── 幽☆遊☆白書

Crackling copper embers burn at Hiei’s fingertips as he pressed them tightly together, watching with a dutiful gaze as the embers merged together to form a thin blade. From tip to hilt, the copper embers solidify and steam wafts from the blade grasped tightly in Hiei’s hand. His own flames wouldn’t scald him — a thinly veiled threat of what would happen otherwise — issued to the youki traveling the length of his arm to keep the weapon materialized.

However, the bookcase and several other flammable objects in Kurama’s bedroom wouldn’t be spared if they connected. Nor would Kurama’s mood be favorable. Perched on the ledge of Kurama’s bedroom window and gazing out at the cloudless afternoon sky, a thought crossed Hiei’s mind as he spun the fire knife in hand.

With a sideways glance at the redheaded boy currently leafing through one of his notebooks while sitting at his desk, Hiei decided to rehash an old discussion in a matter-of fact tone. “… They wouldn’t be able to trace it back to me.”

Without looking away from his textbook, Kurama shook his head and Hiei sighed.

Their latest discussion brought on by a few delinquents who rudely interrupted Shiori during one of her shopping trips. Needless to say, she didn’t have to worry about them for long but Kurama didn’t agree with Hiei making the teens fight amongst themselves with the Jagan. Hiei pointed out that he hadn’t raised a hand to them but if he was able to use a weapon, it would have deterred them sooner.

And hours later, while grateful that Shiori was safe, neither of them could come to an agreement on what was and what wasn’t safe to use against humans. Or rather, Kurama wouldn’t concede to allowing Hiei to use physical means.

Never one to be defeated, Hiei studies Kurama silently before absorbing the blade into his hand. The embers fizzling out and the skin of his palm heating until they were gone.

“They wouldn’t die.”

A little scare, a few cuts, but not death. He had enough control of his flames to cool them after all. The message would be received with enough harm to deter any future idiotic inclinations.

Still, Kurama shook his head but this time he spoke. “Things are handled differently here, Hiei,” he said in that gentle understanding tone, one equally as disarming as it was irritating.

Hiei scoffed. “Doesn’t seem like it,” he muttered, averting his gaze to the skyline as he watched a pair of birds taking flight over the rooftops and into the distance.

In the moments when his guard was dropped, he could see the similarities between the Ningenkai and Makai. Threats lurked around every corner and the strong found it in themselves to believe they had the right to trample over the weak. No one would care for you unless you did so yourself. And children were abandoned seldom without any further thought to what their lives would become. It was sickening.

And in some ways, it felt like home.

In spite of that, there were more rules in the Ningenkai than the Makai which kept it relatively safer — if not a bit harder to create mayhem without consequences.

Building discomfort at acknowledging Kurama’s point was stamped out, pride had no place here and loathe as Hiei would admit, he did put his pride aside often when Kurama was involved.

Sighing heavily, Hiei clapped his hand over his knee and tipped his head back against the wall. “Fine, no knives…”

His mind was abuzz with potential substitutes. Anything that Kurama would agree with. Staring down at his fingers, he rubbed together the tips still numbed by his flames’ dissipation. With his flames, he could make things and destroy things, but his energy could be used to grow. It wasn’t until he started practicing with Kurama’s seeds and the youko’s encouragement that the ability flourished. It wasn’t perfect but Hiei could manage the basics.

Memories recounted of the junior high student brandishing a sword made out of grass flashed in his mind. How quickly he moved with it, skilled and precise with his movements. Absently, Hiei felt for the wound. Long-since healed, it still ached now and again when he thought of Yatsude and his first meeting with Kurama.

A mistake that he wouldn’t allow to be repeated but a welcomed one.

With a side-long glance, Hiei curled his fingers to his palm and muttered. “Your seeds.”

Just as before, Kurama didn’t look up but the slightest tilt of his head showed Hiei had his attention. “What about them?”

“How do you coax them from your plants?”

Hiei knew nature could be stubborn and unyielding toggle up what could help it grow. It was easiest to gather seeds during the fall and winter when plants were beginning to die, and less likely to put up a fight. Yet, even then, they fought tirelessly against someone with a destructive nature. Several of the wounds he received from trying to retrieve seeds from Makai fauna on Kurama’s behalf told the tale of that.

Kurama lowered his book and eyed Hiei curiously, saying nothing for a long moment.Hiei wasn’t sure what he was searching for but Kurama didn’t divulge either, glancing at the vines tucked behind his bookcase and around the corners of his room.

“They’re happy to give them to me on their own,” Kurama explained, his gaze wandering back to meet Hiei’s own, glimmering with curiosity. “In your case, convincing them would be necessary. Being kind and gentle would help.”

Hiei wrinkled his nose. “Kind and gentle,” he repeated dryly.

Two words that weren’t associated with him in the slightest. No. Hiei and ‘kind and gentle’ in the same sentence just seemed wholly unnatural. Humming offhandedly, he folded his arms across his chest and tapped his forefinger against his bicep, mulling it over. Coaxing seeds from plants would be harder than he thought if that was necessary.

“You have a good heart, Hiei. They’ll recognize that if you’re genuine.”

Tenderly and with no small amount of confidence, Kurama’s voice carried to Hiei’s ears but Hiei was disbelieving of his words. Hiei’s head cocked to one side and he shoved his hands to his thighs, grasping the thin material of his pajama pants. It takes a great deal of remembrance to not tear through it with his claws. Also recalling that Shiori had bought the garments for him and he didn’t want to ruin them.

Still, Kurama’s words toiled in his mind long after the redhead’s attention was stolen by his studies once again.

Numbly, Hiei muttered. “What?”

He glimpsed a small smile tugging at Kurama’s lips as the youko turned the page as if entirely unaware of the chaos he caused in Hiei’s psyche. Then, with a tender look and a brightness to his eyes, Kurama regarded him.

“You’re a good person. My plants will recognize that as long as your heart is true.”

A good person?

Hiei squinted at him, blurring to Kurama’s side in an instant with his hand pressing to Kurama’s forehead. Despite the warmth of his palm from absorbing his flames, he could still feel Kurama’s temperature. It didn’t seem out of the ordinary.

“… You’re not sick,” Hiei muttered, unsure if he could handle another episode of the youko’s illness, recalling how touchy and blatantly honest Kurama was last time. Palming Kurama’s cheek, Hiei swept aside red tresses and gazed into green eyes appraisingly. “You’re not poisoned either, or under some spell..”

Kurama’s eyes were wide, his pupils dilated and Hiei could see himself reflected in their depths. A number of emotions flickering across Kurama’s face until he seemed to settle on confusion.

“Hiei…” Kurama uttered, so breathily and with such care that it gave Hiei pause.

Warmth crept up to Hiei’s cheeks and he tried to ignore the imploring way Kurama eyed him.

“What?” He grumbled, pulling his hand back as if burned and folding his arms, casting a wary glance at Kurama’s patient expression.

Never one to miss a beat, Kurama’s hand reached out to him and Hiei’s breath hitched as slender fingertips soft and smelling of roses and earth traced along his cheekbones, palming his cheek with such care as if Hiei would break from a harsher touch. He swallowed thickly, centering his gaze on Kurama’s lips before reminding to look at his eyes.

Intensity in a green gaze overshadowed by an immense emotion that Hiei couldn’t bring himself to understand. Not now at least. Or when they were this close and everything was this charged.

“Regardless of how you view yourself, you are a positive force.”

Hiei blinked at him, the warmth creeping onto his cheeks staining his skin. He jerked his head away sharp enough to give himself a pain but any slower and he might have sunken into Kurama’s touch. Nails pricking his skin as he held himself tightly to keep from doing anything sentimental.

“Ridiculous.”

From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Kurama’s crescent fallen expression and the gradual shift of the youko’s attention to his books. Stepping back to put some distance between them, Hiei fidgeted, finding himself unable to look Kurama in the eye.

What did those words mean?

He wasn’t a good person — not by any stretch of the imagination.

He wasn’t like Shiori — comforting, wise, understanding, patient, gentle.

He wasn’t like Kurama — sentimental, mysterious, quick-thinking, open-minded, soft-hearted, kind.

They were entirely different from a vast majority of the souls that flitted in and out of his life. Different enough that some part of him wanted them to stay. And they were changing him or at least giving him things to think about. Shiori often brought up different topics, taught him different things, all in the name of him being able to care for himself. And when put that way, he didn’t mind the lessons about Ningenkai customs. If he could survive in this realm without having to bother with anyone or anything, then so be it.

But Kurama taught him the other half.

How to remain calm, how to smile, how to laugh with abandon. It was strange. They never asked of him to be different and yet their presence made him want to do things differently.

Hiei shifted from one foot to the other, gazing at the window and the latch as if it would solve his problem. If he ran from this, where would he go?

What would he do?

It wasn’t as if this feeling was a terrible one.

It was simply.. overwhelming.

Even if he would never be fond of humans — he liked one specifically — and they may not be superior but they were something.

A good person.

Is that what he was becoming?

Hiei shuddered at the thought, a raucous beat of his heart shaking him to his core. Simultaneously wanting to confront Kurama for what he meant and be close to him led to Hiei wandering behind Kurama and wrapping his arms around his shoulders. The youko making a soft noise that Hiei almost missed with how tightly he held him and buried his face in his hair. Inhaling the scent of wildflowers, vanilla and the spices from Kurama’s favorite tea.

Allowing the scent and the comforting pull of Kurama’s youki to ease his trembling. It was much easier like this. If Kurama couldn’t see his face, and if he was the one who was caught, it was easier to speak.

“Is something wrong, Hiei?” Kurama asked, concern touching the tender way he spoke Hiei’s name and shaking the fire demon once more. A light squeeze to Kurama’s shoulder his only response. “Hiei?”

Courage mustered and heartbeat evening out, Hiei muttered. “… You make me… want to be better…”

Kurama didn’t turn to look at him and didn’t move much aside from a small shift in his seating, likely to make the disparity between their heights a bit easier. “Better?” He prompted, an airiness to his voice.

Was better the right term?

Kurama did inspire him to be better in certain ways — stronger, faster, strategic — all so he could defend their territory and them. Hiei swallowed down those words and shook his head effectively rubbing his face against Kurama’s hair. No, that was too close to home.

Home.

Trying again, Hiei spoke with a firmer tone. “You inspire me to be… different.”

“Ah, I see..” Kurama said after a short pause, laying his hand atop of Hiei’s own on his shoulder. “Well, it’s the same.”

“The same?”

Kurama’s hand squeezed his own, fingers almost interlacing with Hiei’s and the fire demon allowed the small gap between his fingers for Kurama’s own to fit. Mesmerized and in awe of how easily and right it felt for Kurama’s hand to be interlaced with his own.

“You bring out a better side of me,” Kurama said, and Hiei could practically hear the smile in his voice.

Peering around to have a better look at Kurama’s face, the youko gave a side-long glance to him with that sweet smile that lit up his eyes and rounded his cheeks.

“… You mean that,” Hiei muttered, whether in awe of Kurama’s words or his expression, he wasn’t sure.

Kurama seemed amused by his awe and chuckled. “Why would I lie to you?”

Hiei huffed. There were a number of reasons he could think of. Though any of them were difficult to associate with Kurama, especially after all they’d been through together. As his lips parted, the words he kept tucked behind lock and key began to slip out.

“You said things worked differently here, but you’ve never asked me to change…” At seeing Kurama’s eyes widen, Hiei felt the warmth building in his cheeks and quickly looked away. “I appreciate it.”

He wasn’t sure what expression Kurama had or how the words were taken but from the light dance of nimble fingers across his cheek, Hiei felt a surge of warmth.

“I’m fond of you as you are,” Kurama said carefully. “You don’t need to change yourself, not for me.”

Hiei felt no need to pick apart those words, deep inside himself he knew they were true. Genuine. And some small part of him was overjoyed to hear them. He tilted his head away from Kurama’s fingers and buried his face against the back of Kurama’s neck, pressing a smile against his skin.

#yu yu hakusho #yyh #kurahi #kurama #hiei #fanfiction #my fanfiction #growing pains #sarayashiki scramble

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coffeeandcalligraphy · 5 years

Text

Houses With Teeth | Writing Update

Hey People of Earth!

What is this shiny new title--is she a short story, is she a... a new novel?? Or is she the seventh book of FOSTERED because apparently that series never ends!! Haha.

Ha.

So yes! This is the first update for--yes!--book 7 of FOSTERED! A few things you’ve probably already noticed:

The title is not a past tense verb and we STAN. If you haven’t noticed books 1-6 of the series follow a verb-ED structure, and I honestly became so over it by book four but kept up with it for consistency’s sake. I debated for probably two seconds before I settled that I am TIRED of these UGLY fostered titles, so we have made a CHANGE. Honestly, I kind of needed this change because this book is going to be kind of... different from the others (genre, tone, etc, etc), and I needed a more concrete separation from Old Fostered to New Fostered.

Originally, this title actually belonged to REWIRED for about 2 hours before I decided to give it to the new book. This was my thought process:

Me want new title for REWIRED, this title = trash

*comes up with new title*

nvm i’ll never be able to think of a title better than this for book 7

(I’d like to say my process was more thoughtful than this but this is literally how it happened oops)

While trying to come up with titles for the three sections of Rewired, I came up with houses for part 2. This is what sparked me to think of the title HOUSES WITH TEETH. I changed part two’s name because houses literally made no sense in conjunction with the chapters, and I’m happy about it since I looove this title.

So without further ado, let’s get into it!

I honestly have been struggling with the idea of this book for a very long time. As I’ve mentioned, FOSTERED’s 5 year anniversary will be coming up this October--AKA I’ve been writing this series for a very long time! I grew up with this series and its characters and whilst it’s all been very special to me in my development as an adolescent, I’m also older now, and my tastes in both writing and books have changed immensely. I knew I still had a story kicking here with FOSTERED, so I could have ended the series I just had one thought that held me back: why end it when it feels like it’s only just begun?

For a very long time, I severely misunderstood MANY of my characters in Fostered. Is this because I don’t characterize and blindly pants all of my novels hahahah possibly. Keeping in mind that the FOSTERED novels on average usually only took me about 2-5 months to complete, despite writing with these babes for 5 years, I still failed to understand them as characters. I don’t think this is exactly wrong--I understood as much as I needed to get through the first five books.

However, this idea that my characters were beyond what I’d made for them really confronted me when I started writing book six. I soon realized that literally 90% of the cast is made up of garbage people I absolutely love, and that in general, I really like writing about dark, strange, unsettling things. But this realization came as I was writing the sixth book in the series--very late! Though I acknowledge at some point FOSTERED will cease to be (rip), this idea of leaving it when there was, to say it simply, SO MUCH JUICY TEA, would feel like an injustice.

This is where this book comes into play! Although this isn’t a chapter update (more of a preliminary intro, if you will), I’ve had some time to think about the novel itself. Though I still really don’t have solid footing on the plot, it’s got an aesthetic and that’s... enough??

I made a mini moodboard of all the things HOUSES WITH TEETH. Here it is:

Process:

I’ve been struggling a lottttt with this book lately because I honestly don’t know what it is?? So far I know a few major things like Reeve being 20 and living in NYC, Foster being a central character, etc etc, but the book hasn’t materialized beyond these things? I feel very headless working on this project, which I know means I need to do a lot more thinking/planning before diving in. Because it’s slightly different from the rest of the books, it’s taking a bit more elbow grease to work into.

I recently changed the tense from present to past, and I think this helped?? Possibly?? I don’t exactly know what the story is in past tense, but I also didn’t know what it was in the present so lol I think the experimentation is good for me. For now, I’ve kind of put this guy on the back burner while I work on other things, but I have drafted some of it, the first ‘present’ version in a writing sprint because girl needed a push, and the second ‘past’ version pretty recently. I do like both, though they kind of achieve different things. I was having trouble keeping momentum with the present version, hence the switch, but I am having trouble transferring Reeve’s cynicism into the past.

I am not fully certain on plot yet because of these things, so I’m not confident enough to share a summary, but I do have some excerpts! With that said, there’s a lot that could change, so everything I share here is malleable/could change.

Excerpts:

The first excerpts I’ll share are from the ‘present’ version of this story, which is how I initially started drafting! I do like a lot of it, I just don’t think I can keep up with the tense without running out of steam.

This is the opening. I’ll share both from the present and past tense versions so you can see how different they are (because oh boy are they!). For some context, Reeve is cleaning up some broken herb planter pots from her sink after she believes Ethel, the ghost in her apartment, has knocked them down:

The apartment is haunted but Joel won’t get a priest until he sees proof. You won’t see proof of the paranormal, I’ve explained, but Joel doesn’t care. Joel is atheist and my landlord. He thinks Christians are Satan worshippers, and I haven’t ever disagreed. But there’s a ghost. Her name is Ethel.

Ethel is twenty and was murdered in this apartment. A cold case. She hates New York City, too buzzy, too fluid, the traffic vulgar and boring. I intuit Ethel, which sounds like bullshit, because it is. I doubted her and she cut my hair in my sleep. Ethel hates this apartment.

idk what is up with the sentence structure here but:

Once I’ve cleared the first pot from the sink, I work on the next, a wilted clump of cilantro. Unrooting it from the splinters of terracotta and placing whatever I can salvage on a paper towel. The de-potted herbs intestinal, like webbings of medicinal veins. Ollie’s movie muttering. The motor of the refrigerator gruelling and wet. In my head I tick off the herbs I’ve saved so far: thyme, rosemary, parsley, dill. All the pots empty and bagged for the garbage. I grab the notepad from the fridge and make a note: buy better pots.

In the middle of cleaning up the pots, Reeve gets a phone call and answers, assuming it’s her landlord/roommate/semi-boyfriend Joel. I wrote all of this during a writing sprint with my buddies and I haven’t looked at it since. There are parts I like and some parts I don’t lol:

Static echoes through the speaker and it’s a telemarketer, a wrong number, a prank call from two teenage girls in Indiana, Ethel on the other line. But then there’s a clink and someone clearing their throat. “You’re in Manhattan?”

The familiar swell of his voice through the line is like the shaft of a finger tracing the notches of my spine. His voice crackles, bad connection, and I want to use it as an excuse to hang up, but don’t. I finger the leftover bits of terracotta in the sink, swirling the mud against the stainless steel.

“Who is this?” I say this because it’s easier. There are not explanations if I’m just from the city. The distant shimmer of music from his side fills the dead air, the melody gentle. Outside, Marty from the convenience store walks her golden retriever, bustling through the suburban neighborhood across the road. The woman who just started her shift at the apartment’s lobby smokes absently on the drive-up. I put the phone between my shoulder and my ear and gnaw at my fingernails.

“Your brother.” I picture him on the veranda of some Delaware beach house, playing lazy games of Parcheesi with Harrison, his hair long and unattractive to the girl he tries to impress at the public pool. Sharing a cigarette with his roommate-boyfriend-co-worker. The tobacco protruding into his lungs, feeding through his throat.

Marty and her dog have made it to the streetlamp outside of the complex; Marty on the phone, the dog sniffing at a fire hydrant. I lean over the sink and mix bits of plant fertilizer and water from the drain with my pinkie. It’s easy to imagine him by the ocean, the porch of his new place gritty with sand. The ice cream truck whirring lazily around the block.

Blowing smoke from the cigarette out the window, onto Marty and her dog, “How did you get this number?”

“Your ad in the paper. I’m calling to fill that position.”

This is the last of ‘present’ HWT that I’ll share which I do rather like! This is the continuation of their conversation:

“I think you have the wrong number.” It’s the only thing I can think of to say. I last saw Lonan nine, ten, eleven months ago, in an unmemorable daze. Sitting glumly in the shade of the cabin with a magazine and cigarette, staring sunward as we rolled out of the lot. Bristles of burr bushes, mosquitoes nipping at his elbows. His phone call feels criminal.

“Why Manhattan?” he asks.

“Better restaurants.”

“I want to fill that room you’re renting.”

“And what about Harrison?”

“He’ll come.”

“It’s an ad for a couch. You can’t both stay on the couch.”

These excerpts are from the ‘past’ version of HWT, again, the first page or so (unedited as well):

Three summers after my father died, he called the phone in my apartment and abruptly hung up. I’d heard his voice for only a second, a brief hello, and it was only when I considered the disconnect to be my fault—a clumsy fumble of the thumb, that I remembered he was dead. It was an easy write off. My father had been appearing in my dreams for six months before he first called. I told no one because I didn’t have to. I convinced myself I was going crazy. I lit a cigarette and smoked over the herb planter Joel and I had set up the week before. No matter how much I tried, every single one died. A half hour after the call, off the brim of a cornfield, a young woman named Ethel was fished out of a silo and pronounced dead.

So we have a very different first sentence/conflict, idk what this even is lool.

The following is the rest of what I’ve written. We kind of see the present version strung through to this version. This excerpt also introduces a new idea that Reeve’s been following this story religiously since it broke (which isn’t in the original).

My father was dead, Ethel was dead, the herbs in the planter were dead. I didn’t make a connection because there wasn’t one. I just followed her story on my walks to work, the easy flight downstairs to the bakery Liu only hired me at because she pitied me. Flipping through the newspapers Liu had out front for five dollars a copy on my lunchbreak, stashed behind a bulk order of red bean paste in the back room when I wanted to finish it later. In headlines, from the first arrest, to the first release, to the first plea from her parents—Ethel was only twenty. With my hair up, down, my tennis shoes on, off, on break when I should’ve been rolling filo pastry, I followed her story. Until it went cold and everyone forgot about Ethel and she became unremembered, unmemorable, unsolved. It was that easy, that tragic.

A week after her headlines ran out, she started turning the water in our shower on and off. She started turning on the TV and ejecting Ollie’s film noir rentals from the library. She started tugging on my necklaces and unscrewing the bolt of my sunglasses. The apartment was haunted I told Joel, but he didn’t believe me. He wanted proof—there would never be proof, and this is the only reason I called Foster back.

(for context she’s calling Foster for ghost hunting troubles because she knows he’s concerned he too is being haunted why do I only write about ghosts is this becoming an issue)

I like both and I think I want to find a way to fuse both together? I think both achieve different things so this is very dependant on what I’m going for! I’m at a bit of a loss, so I’ve been letting it sit and also being inspired by @sarahkelsiwrites break through with her novel and the beautiful prose she’s been pumping out! Let me know: which version do you like better? I’m still going to keep the past tense for now, but we’ll see how it goes when I dive into edits (hopefully soon!). Who knows, maybe none of this writing will end up in the final thing--we’ll have to see!

If you’re struggling with novel openings, I feel you! I’ll keep you updated as I trek through the first chapter/sort out my thoughts, but I hope you liked this post! I know it’s a bit different than usual as I’m having a visible crisis lol, but thank you for reading!

--Rachel

#writing #amwriting #writeblr #writingupdates #fostered #writerblr

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a-deadly-serenade · 5 years

Text

The Shield and the Sword: Chapter 4: Light After Dark [Alucard/Reader]

You’re a witch that is skilled in herbology, one that has been persecuted by the church for practically your entire life. In spite of this, moving throughout different towns has allowed you to pick up some chatter about a woman in a village called Lupu. She is supposed to be a wonder when it comes to medicine, and this immediately perks up your interest. So after plucking up some courage, you’ve made it to her door… hoping that she takes you as her apprentice.

ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16724856?view_full_work=true

~ Click here for the masterlist.

tag list: @pastelteabubbles, @heartwards, @2-many-fandoms-2-count, @top-notch-shitposting, @theotakufairy, @illiniana

if you want to be added to the tag list, please send me a message and i will tag you in every update!

True to her word, as soon as things were cleaned up in the kitchen, Lisa was leading you up to the library that had all of the medical textbooks. You went up several winding staircases and through at least a dozen hallways, and you realized, to your dismay, that you were going to have to have Lisa lead you here for quite awhile before you felt brave enough to walk here on your own.

When the both of you finally made it to an arched doorway, she pushed it open and all of the candles simultaneously came alight.

You noticed that this library was a lot smaller than the one you had been in last night, but that did not mean it was any less magnificent. The ceiling was a large glass dome that stretched up high above your heads. Small circular windows lined the north and south panes, each filled with beautiful, intricate, stained glass designs of stars and planets.

Twisted shelves covered every flat surface, filled and piled high with thick books, ancient books, books whose titles even you could not decipher. There were multiple desks that stood in front of the massive towers of books, made of rich, dark oak that shimmered almost black in the sunlight.

Parchments had been slapped on any free surface, all of them filled from top to bottom with diagrams of the human body, certain organs, or even classifications of plants and minerals. One of the most cluttered desks had piles upon piles of parchment, all of them scribbled with extensive notes. There was a large stack of quills, coated in ink, some of them looking as though the top half had snapped off. Beakers lined one corner, obviously having been scrubbed clean, as the water droplets that clung to the glass glistened like morning dew.

“I see that you’ve found my work station,” Lisa admits sheepishly. “It’s not the most organized, but its my space and where I have found to be the most productive for me.

“I was not judging you, Lisa,” you teased. “My mother certainly did not get her tidiness from my grandmother, let me tell you.”

Lisa chuckled, and walked you over to a nearby desk that had been placed nearly adjacent to hers. “This is where you will be seated whenever you need to come here and do some independent study, but when you must sit next to me, there will be a chair but beside my desk. You can also use that if you ever had any questions!”

You gave an elated smile, and ran your fingers across the smooth surface. “So,” you said. “What is the first lesson on the agenda?”

The two of you spent the rest of the morning, as well as most of the afternoon, in the library. Lisa had took the time to go over the very basics of human anatomy as a refresher, as you only had a very vague concept of the body. She wanted you to familiarize yourself with each part, and she made it much easier to remember by breaking up the body into what she called, “systems”.

There were 12 of these systems that ran throughout the human body. There was one to help you breathe, (respiratory!) one that dealt with your nerves (nervous!), and even one that contained solely your blood vessels (circulatory!). It was quite extraordinary.

She stressed that it was important for you to know all of this so that you could adequately pinpoint where the problem was and then be able to do the necessary tests to make a diagnosis.

Even when you countered that you could easily heal simple coughs or fevers with your magic, she wanted you to understand where they came from, and not just rely on your skills to be a good physician.

Luckily, when she started to touch on the treatment options available, you were much more familiar with these terms, as they were all plants! If there was one thing you knew you were capable of, it was making a good potion or tonic.

Even Lisa was impressed by your mastery of herbology, and you went so far as to offer her some tips after she gave you several samples of a brew she had been in the process of perfecting. It had been for the treatment of a respiratory infection, and after seeing the astonishing amount of ingredients Lisa had at her disposal, you offered that she add more starburrs and aloe, picking up that her potion lacked the clearing effects of getting rid of mucus, and the soothing effect patients needed for their chest tightness.

You believed that it had been an incredibly eventful day, your arms filled with an array of books and several rolls of parchment as you sat back down in front of your desk. You had chosen texts that were all about liver, not really knowing all that much about it, except, like your grandmother had stressed so many times, it takes care of all the alcohol.

Not like you had ever been too big of a fan of drinking to begin with.

You dipped your quill into some ink, and started to take some notes, your eyes widening when you read that it was capable of regenerating itself.

You had no idea how long you spent in the library, your yellow sleeves getting dotted with stray ink, with some ending up on your nose after pushing your hair out of your eyes. You had moved on from the liver, having conquered other important organs such as the big and small intestine, the appendix, and the kidneys.

Your intense focus was suddenly broken by a tapping on your shoulder, which caused you to nearly leap out of your skin.

“Whoa!” Lisa exclaimed, her hands up in surrender. “It’s only me!”

You froze, pink dusting your cheeks in embarrassment. “Oh! I’m so sorry!” you blurted out. “I just… get really caught up in my work…” She gave you a pat on the shoulder. “It’s alright, I know what that’s like. I just wanted to see if you would like to join us for dinner?”

At the mention of food, your stomach let out a loud growl that caused you to flush while Lisa laughed.

“I guess that answers that,” she said, and while you thought you were heading to the kitchen, she instead lead you to an amazing dining hall.

A beautiful, long table was the main center of attention, its legs being dark claws that clung greedily to the plush red carpet underneath. The top was a glistening marble that glowed under the candles that hung above in an extravagant chandelier, topped by a soft red runner. Silver candelabras hung from the walls, large Renaissance paintings of food, feasts, and parties adding just the right amount of color and pop to the black and gold wallpaper.

Once again, a decadent feast adorned the tabletop and your mouth watered at the sight. There was a large rotisserie chicken topped with an array of herbs and surrounded by vegetables like potato, zucchini, onion, carrot, and squash. There were fancy cheeses, golden loaves of bread, expensive wine, and a pot of steaming homemade soup.

Lisa had made herself comfortable beside Vlad, who was sitting across his son.

Adrian already had his plate filled with his pickings, and he gave you a smile from across the room as he took a sip from his goblet, presumably of some of the red wine.

“So, Hippocrates decides to join us.” Vlad teased, biting down on the piece of chicken at the end of his fork.

Adrian burst out laughing, having to grab his napkin to cover his mouth as he entered a coughing fit.

You huffed, annoyed that Adrian found this so funny, arms folded across your chest as you sat down beside him. “I don’t see what’s so amusing,” you repeated, “He just compared me to the father of medicine. I would say that’s quite the compliment.” you stated matter-of-factly, cutting yourself a piece of chicken and pouring yourself some soup.

“She’s well-versed in the history as well,” Vlad said, a smile on his face. “Impressive.”

You grinned, shooting Adrian another glare as he continued to chuckle. The dinner was delicious, and it surprised you how quickly you had grown comfortable around Lisa’s family. It had only been a day, but you could not have felt more at home.

As you helped Adrian collect the dirty dishes, Lisa poured a coffee for herself and her husband, who gave her a kiss on the cheek as she leaned down to fill his cup.

Your eyes glazed over in happiness, filled with a small bundle of peace after witnessing such pure affection. As you turned on your heel to head in the direction of the kitchen, Vlad calling out for you stopped you in your tracks.

“Oh, little one, I almost forgot: meet me in my study before you head back to the library. There is something that I would like to discuss.”

Your voice trembled slightly as you replied, “O...oh, alright.” your arms shaking a bit as dread starting to poison that previous sensation of contentment. You snuck a glance at Lisa before you exited the room, and although you felt some relief for how calm and normal she looked, the thought of being alone in a small room with one of the most powerful vampires still made you incredibly nervous.

Even though the dishes were being taken care of in an efficient manner, you almost wished that it had taken longer so that you could stall this conversation. You tried to assure yourself that it was not over anything bad, you knew that Lisa would never willingly let you be placed in a dangerous situation. Perhaps… perhaps he just wanted to discuss something?

You nibbled on your thumbnail as you followed after Lisa, who had come over to fetch you and direct you to Vlad’s study.

It’s fine… you think to yourself. You just need to relax. I’m sure it’s nothing.

Lisa stopped in front of a doorway, and you could hear the distinct sound of a fire cracking. She gave you the indication to step inside and you took head of her invitation.

The room was smaller than others you had been in, with a large pointed chair in the middle of an ornate red carpet with intricate golden details. A portrait of Lisa holding a bouquet of white lilies hung on the wall in a beautiful frame, a large bookshelf sitting beside it, neatly filled with hundreds of books. A marble fireplace held the fire that occasionally popped and hissed as embers danced along the iron gate blocking them from singeing the rug.

Above the fireplace was another portrait, this one hung in a more oval frame, and you realized it was of Lisa, Vlad, and Adrian when he was only a baby. Your lips curled into a smile at seeing Adrian, so small and adorable, with tuffs of golden hair on his round head, held in the arms of a beaming Lisa. Vlad looked rather dashing in his suit, and he glowed with a sense of pride, one of his hands resting gently upon his son’s small shoulders.

“I’m glad that you could join me,” Vlad’s voice suddenly called out to you.

You jumped from surprise and whirled around to find him standing beside a tall mirror. You could have sworn that he had not been here a moment earlier…

He unclasped his cloak from around his neck and draped it across the top of the chair before you. His boots tapped softly against the rug, the tall vampire pouring himself a cup of tea once he situated himself.

He took a sip, a content sigh falling from his lips. “Sit,” he stated, and gestured to the small chair in front of him, a small table standing in between the both of you with an additional tea cup and a large tea kettle.

You nervously took your seat, and you fidgeted a bit, fingers twirling around a stray thread from your shirt.

Vlad poured you some tea as well, and you accepted the drink with a quiet thank you.

After several moments of silence of the both of you sipping your tea, the fire crackling behind you, he finally made to speak.

“I wanted to preface this by saying that I am in no way upset with you, if you were worried about that.”

You let out a breath you did not know you had been holding, tension releasing itself from your shoulders as he said this. “Was it that obvious?” you laughed, and he gave you a smile.

“The fact that you even came to join me let’s me know that you trust not only me, but my wife as well. I know how… well, scary, I can seem,” he chuckled. “Even if you are a witch, you are not a fool.”

You gave a sigh of relief, before you let out a quiet laugh at his statement. “I appreciate it.”

Vlad’s smile broke a little, and you saw his eyes cloud over a bit, from what, you could not tell. “You won’t appreciate what I am about to ask you. I ask you to forgive me but…” he was silent, before he leaned forward. “I need you to tell me what happened to your coven.”

Had you not been so comfortably seated in your chair, you might have just collapsed at what Vlad just asked you to do. The world seemed to crumble around you, lip trembling as you swallowed back tears. Instinctively, you shoved your hands into your pockets and pulled out a charm bag, dumping out its contents to grab a necklace that had been created around a piece of amber infused with black obsidian and flecks of rose quartz.

It had been the last birthday gift that you received from your mother, a powerful amulet of protection. You carefully put it around your neck, and allowed the stone to rest near the dip between your breasts, pressing it against your hammering heart.

You were grateful that Vlad had remained quiet during all of this, worried that you would not have been able to handle someone immediately berating you with questions.

“Take your time,” he said softly.

You gave him a nod, and after a couple deep breaths, you opened your eyes. “Thank you… for letting me collect myself. I… needed a minute…” you whispered, voice a little hoarse.

“Not at all,” his tone was calm, soothing. “If ever you need to stop, let me know. I want you to take as long as needed, you’re in no rush.”

“Thank you…” after taking one last calming breath, you started to retell your story, the story of how you lost your entire family.

“It had been at night,” you recall. “My grandmother had mumbled something about a bad feeling, as though she could sense the anger in the atmosphere. It was a dark night… pitch black, and the ocean….she churned, she was so… so violent. I had never seen the ocean look like that before. My mother simply said that a storm was coming, it was nothing more. But, I believed my grandmother.”

You took a sip of tea, lips pursed, before you continued. “She and a couple other witches, older wise women that had been in my grandmother’s original coven, were all saying the same thing, that there was an omen on the horizon, and although quite a few other witches were keen to believe them, we just thought they were saying all this because the ocean was in a fit and we could not feel the moon’s presence on us. If only… if only we had listened.

I had been asleep, before being woken up by screams… so many screams. My mother was frantically running around, I could hear her. She was yelling something at my grandmother, and then she was in my room, pulling me up and ushering me out the front door. I was so confused… I had no idea what was going on. Outside was pure chaos. There were fires as far as my eye could see, the flames licking at my face and the trees in the nearby forest. I could pick up on witches crying out spells, and we’d occasionally see the glow of protective runes being activated.

My mother had her wand in her hand… an ancient thing, made of elm… her hand was clasped tightly around mine, and as we ran, we found other families that had been calling out for any familiar faces. We eventually ended up as a group of maybe six or seven children, and five adult witches. We were nearly at the edge of the forest, where we could hide and be protected, before… before we ran into them…”

You stomach churned with disgust and your eyes welled up with tears as your pictured the men that had blocked your path to freedom. “It was a group of priests in red robes… they had these smiles on their faces…the cruelest expression that you could possibly imagine, as though they were starving cats that had happened upon a pack of terrified rats.

We tried to fight them off, but they were just too many of them… it’s as if they were hydras. Absolute beasts... and I remember…. I remember the things they did to my sisters… the horrible, filthy things they did… the tools that they had…”

Your whole body was trembling with rage, angry tears trailing down your cheeks as your gripped the edge of your seat for dear life. “My mother….” your voice faltered. “My mother…! She… she sacrificed herself! To save me!” you exclaimed, more tears leaking from your eyes.

“She and I had been one of the few who had not been captured, and… and she told me to run, to find the secret paths of the forest nymphs. We had been in good standing with them for centuries, as my coven protected both the sea and the woods that bordered our small community. So… I… I ran, I ran into those woods like she said, but…”

You gritted your teeth, voice coming out in a sob. “She didn’t follow me… a barrier materialized right before my eyes, shimmering like gold. It had been a barrier of protection… the last act of selflessness that my mother performed before being captured. I… I wanted to go back, to try and save her, but…. I ran. I ran… and ran until I could not breathe and collapsed under a tree… dirty, tired, and… so…. helplessly... alone.”

Your vision blurred as tears cascaded down your face, a strangled gasp leaving your throat as your began to cry. “They took everything from me…everything.” you heaved, a disdainful look in your eyes as you sat back in your chair. “Pray tell, what kind of God would let his servants kill innocent women and children?”

Vlad’s dark red eyes shone dangerously in the firelight, hands clasped together as he formed a steeple with his fingers. “I have discovered throughout my hundreds of years on this planet, that mankind is nothing more than a miserable little pile of secrets. Scared little things that would rather destroy and chalk up phenomena they do not understand to the metaphysical.”

He leaned forward and placed a strong grip on your shoulder. “I am terribly sorry for all of the loss that you have suffered at the hands of ignorant, scared little men. Your mother was a brave woman, a strong woman. I’m sure you are very proud of her and the rest of your coven.”

You nodded your head. “Yes… I often find myself filled with such rage that I can barely think… but I lived with the nymphs for some time, and they helped me channel these feelings of resentment into something constructive. It was through their teachings that I became so well-versed in the knowledge of herbology.”

“You are very wise not letting this hate consume you. Too many times have I seen good, honorable men fall under the spell of this deadly obsession,” Vlad said, as he released your shoulder and poured more tea into your cup.

Thanking him, you take a large gulp, only now just realizing how dry your throat had become. “If it would not be too presumptuous of me to ask,” you began. “Do… would it be alright if I headed to the library? I need to clear my head.” you confessed, a strained smile on your visage.

Vlad nodded, his large hand going to ruffle the hair on the top of your head. “You did very well, little one. My only wish is that you do not stay up all night working, for I know how easy it is to lose track of time when immersed in your studies.”

“I will make sure to head to bed at a… reasonable hour,” you said, thanking Vlad for his kindness once more, before you headed back to the library.

Your mind was so abuzz with thought that it was difficult for you to concentrate. It was almost as if you were in a thick fog, uncertain of where to go. As you sat down in front of your desk, you were thankful that Lisa kept a stash of scented candles around to dull the smell of stale old books.

With the flick of your finger you had lit the wick of a candle that had reminded you of fresh rain, pulling out books on the brain and known diseases, topics you knew would be complicated enough to keep you stimulated and wash away the unwanted memories.

The moon hung high in the sky, her bright white rays resting upon your shoulders as you scribbled down notes on a spare bit of parchment. You could sense her as she moved across the sky, an obvious indication of how long you had already been at work.

As she continued her slow trek across the night, you could feel your eyelids grow heavy, but you tried pushing through the exhaustion.

Just let me finish this last sentence…!

Your body won over this battle against your brain, your eyes slipping shut and head resting against your arms as sleep fell upon you.

Something… something was tugging on your hair.

Was it morning already? Had you really slept the entire night at your desk? Well, that’s embarrassing--

“Excuse me?”

That didn’t sound like Lisa.

You groaned, body cracking and muscles aching as you rose from your sleeping position. You rubbed your eyes with the back of your hand, before you went to massage your sore neck. To your surprise, there was no one around you. So, who had said that--?

“Excuse me!”

You felt another tug, and you whirled around to find… a fairy.

“A fairy?” you exclaimed.

“How rude!” she snapped, hands on her hips. “The name is Aria, thank you very much!”

She could not have been any bigger than a children’s doll, and one could have almost mistaken her for one, with her porcelain white skin and big blue eyes. She had long blond hair that shone like strands of gold in the low candlelight, and she sported a blue dress with a slit down the middle fluttered that around her legs, which were covered by tiny white boots. Sprinkles of fairy dust trailed from out of her wings, beautiful little things that looked almost like a dragonflies.

“Aria, huh?” you said. “What brings you here? I would think that someone such as yourself would rather be outside in the woods than in some dark castle?”

“I live here!” she shouted.

“Really?” you drawled, surprised at her answer.

“Do not speak to me as though I am a child, witch.” she hissed. “My master wanted to come in here to study, and what do I find? You, asleep at a desk!”

“Master?” you repeated.

“She means me.”

Adrian makes himself known from a nearby corner in the room, lounging lazily against an empty desk.

Aria flew over to where he stood, and then pointed at you. “I was making sure that you would have a nice, quiet place to practice, and I find her in here!” she shouted.

“Guess I can venture a guess and say that she’s not a fan of me?” you ask, getting up out of your seat and stretching out your sore muscles.

“She means well,” Adrian said, and walked over to join you where you stood, a tome tucked under his right arm.

Aria plopped herself onto his shoulder, her tiny hands grasping at his long locks of hair, humming quietly as she busied herself by braiding several strands.

“She certainly has an attitude,” you snap, and give her a smirk as she sticks her tongue out at you. “What’s this I hear about you coming in here to “practice”? You do know that this is the library dedicated to medical science?”

��Of course. I came up here to practice my healing magic.” Adrian responded, and opened the book he had with him. It was a magical tome, one that was written specifically about healing spells.

Your eyes widened at the sight and you made to grab it to look through it yourself, but Adrian quickly snatched it away before you could do so.

“Don’t be childish,” you grumbled. “I just want to flip through it. I will give it right back. If anyone knows a thing about healing spells, it’s me.”

“You’re not the only one who knows magic in this castle.” he challenged.

“Oh really?” you snapped back. “Well, if you’re so confident, why don’t you show me some of this magic?”

You noticed that his eyes widened slightly at the test, but he gave you a confident stare as he put down his book and ordered Aria to take a seat on your shoulder-- much to her dismay.

“So, what have you got for us?” you questioned.

“I’ve recently mastered the skill of transmutation.”

A whistle rang out from your lips. “Now that is some impressive magic. Only witches vying for the title of supreme have been able to pull that off.”

Adrian smirked. “Well then, all the more impressive that I can do this.” he said, and closed his eyes.

For a moment, he stood there, completely still, before he flitted out of view, as though you were trying to focus your vision. In a second, he reappeared on the opposite side of the room, a triumphant grin on his face as Aria started cheering and doing loops in the air.

“See?” he cried, clearly proud of himself. “What did I tell you?”

He disappeared again, only to reappear in front of you. “Seems as though I am magically gifted as well.” He vanished before you could say anything, but you knew that this cockiness would do nothing but bite him in the ass.

Karma came much quicker than you expected, for the third time he tried to transmutate, he ran straight into one of the bookshelves, causing a pile to tumble on top of him as he collapsed onto the ground.

Try as hard as you might, but you could not suppress the laughter that bounded out of you after seeing this. Your voice rang throughout the library, arms clutching at your sides as you absolutely lost it.

You could hear Aria yelling how rude you were before she raced off to try and help Adrian, but you couldn’t care less. A tear managed to slide down your cheek, and you wiped it off, finding it ironic that you were crying out of happiness, when a mere few hours ago, it had been tears of utter sadness.

Aria was trying her best to get the books off of him, but they were much too heavy for her. She nearly dropped one onto his foot, before you caught it within your grasp.

“Let me help you with that,” you said, offering Adrian your hand.

He looked up at you and accepted your assistance, his chilled skin causing goosebumps to run across your arm.

You hoisted him back up on his feet, a slight flush on your cheeks when you realized how close the both of you were. You immediately relinquished your grip and took several steps back, laughing nervously.

“Transmutation, huh? I mean, even I can’t do that! So, that was pretty impressive! Well, before… you know…” you trailed off awkwardly, shying under his intense gaze.

He suddenly burst into a fit of laughter, the sound causing your heart to skip a beat and butterflies to flutter in your stomach. It was strange, seeing this stoic, composed man act so… so human.

“I’m glad that you appreciated the show,” he said, running his fingers through his hair to settle himself down. “Even if it ended in utter disaster.”

“That’s alright,” you replied. “It took me quite a while to master my pyrokinesis. Whenever I would practice, I usually ended up setting something on fire. Oh, there was this one time, I accidentally lit my mother’s ceremonial robes on fire,” you cringed at the memory, but gave a smile small as Adrian laughed. “It just takes practice.”

“Practice…” he hummed. “As much as Aria can try and argue against this, my original intentions for coming up here were to ask if you could help me in the practice of magic.”

“What?!” Aria shrieked. “Master Alucard, surely there is no need for you to--” she was silenced by Adrian putting a finger against her mouth, the fairy glaring at him before she stomped her foot and landed on his head in a huff.

“Surely you must have gotten some practice at your mother’s clinic,” you said, as you recalled Vlad and Lisa’s conversation on Adrian once working there.

He grimaced at the mention. “Yes… well, I did want to earn some experience helping her there, but after a particularly nasty incident, mother thought it best if I remain at home in pursuit of my studies.”

“Would you mind telling me what happened?”

“It’s not an embarrassing memory,” he said. “It’s merely that… well, I had been helping mother for two weeks or so, and things had been going fine. It was not until this woman walked in, that things started to take a sour turn.”

Your eyebrows raise in piqued interest. “Woman?”

“She came in with an infected leg, a nasty thing, one look at it would tell you as much. I asked her what had happened, and she told me that she had received a cut while working one day, and instead of cleaning and wrapping the wound… she had tried cutting out the small infected tissue, which of course, only made it worse.”

“What?” you gasp, completely boggled.

“Exactly!” Adrian exclaimed. “I was completely dumbfounded after she told me this, and I asked her why she would do such a thing. She said that’s what her neighbors had told her to do, and that she had merely come to me for some sort of tonic to dull the pain until it healed.”

“At that point, it would have made the most sense to cut it off.” you commented.

“I was thinking the same thing, but she just kept insisting that it was not serious and it was going to go away on its own--!” he let out a frustrated growl as he told the story. “One thing led to another and, well, we got into a rather heated argument. I was this close to losing it before mother stepped in and took care of the situation.”

You looked up at Adrian, a small smirk on your face. “When you say “heated argument”, does that mean you said something to her? I don’t think Lisa would essentially kick you out for debating with a belligerent patient.”

Adrian went quiet, his gaze darting away from you as he cheeks flushed a very faint pink. “I… may or may not have called her an “insolent fool”, one who’s lucky she’s alive believing that kind of codswallop.”

You nodded, as giggles threatened to erupt from your mouth. “That’ll do it.”

Adrian looked back down at you, and that was game over, the two of you bursting into a fit of raucous laughter.

“Oh, please don’t tell me that those are the kinds of people I’ll be dealing with,” you said, as the both of you began the walk to your bedrooms.

“Thankfully those are the outliers. Most of the villagers that come in are very nice,” he said. “They were very grateful that my mother was there, for every other person they had come across claiming to be a physician was nothing more than a crazy old woman who promised that drinking a brew of leaves and acorns would cure their rhumatismes.”

“Lisa is such a wonderful and smart woman… I’m so grateful that she’s accepted me into your home.” you said, and gave him a bright smile. “I’ve only been here a day, but I feel so at home here… as though I’ve finally found my place.”

He returned your smile, and stopped as you find yourselves in front of your bedroom door. “You never answered my question.”

Your eyes flitted up to look at him, and they twinkled with mischief as you rocked back and forth on the soles of your feet. “You really want to learn more about magic?”

He nodded. “My father is a powerful sorcerer, and I think your teaching, combined with his advice, will be able to help me perform at my full potential.”

“Alright,” you replied, without missing a beat. “I will help you, but! You better make sure to dial that arrogance down a couple levels when we’re together. If you’re not willing to listen, you will learn nothing.”

“Understood,” he said and took a hold of your hand, lifting it to his lips so he could place a kiss along your knuckles. “Rest well, then. I will see you in the morning.”

Your heart hammered in your chest, hand hanging limply at your side as he disappeared down the dark hallway with Aria trailing silently behind him. You felt light on your feet as you danced over to your bed, feeling excited at the prospect of teaching the son of darkness all of your magical secrets.

Yeah, you thought. I’m definitely home.

author’s note: hehehehe SURPRISE!!! >:3 i got TWO chapters written today!! i hit such a good stride, that i thought: why not write two chapters? so that's what i did!! you get some more backstory in this one, and some cute moments with adrian. afterall, this IS an adrian/reader fic. oh! and shoutout to my friend morgan!! she's the one who came up with aria's name, who's based off of the fairy familiar in symphony of the night!! give her a follow @princessmorgan. she's super talented!! i hope you enjoyed this chapter lovelies!! i promise the next update won't come in 4 months ;w;

see you later!!

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master-sass-blast · 5 years

Text

Strong as Stone --Part Fifty-Six.

HI HELLO YES

Sorry for being gone so long. We’re very close to the end of the story, and I needed to take a little extra time to make sure that everything was gonna flow well. I want to make sure I do this story proper justice with the ending.

We do, however, finally get to meet Okoye and M’Baku’s baby, so hopefully that makes up for my absence!

This update is rated PG for mention of injury (not related to Okoye or the baby) and mild angst.

Taglist: @the-last-hair-bender, @skysynclair19

Some of you may choose to have children, some of you may not. Either choice is fine and good, but you have a duty to all children, regardless of whether you’re related to them or not.

You have a duty to represent kindness and maturity, to lead by example by standing up for what is right. You have a duty to treat them with respect and dignity, regardless of their position or their family’s position in life.

And, above all else, you have a duty to treat them with love. You’ll never know how much they might need it.

***

There were times where the world seemed cruel in its lack of mercy. Callous, uncaring. Between the worst depths of humanity, the total indifference of nature, and the certainty of death, the universe was often a terrifying place to exist in.

And now, as Okoye gazed down at the impossibly small, squirming infant in her arms, that terror only grew in size.

She’d gone into labor eight hours earlier, in the dead of night. She’d woken up to a sudden stab of pain, then the sensation of her water breaking, and she’d practically slapped M’Baku awake so someone could get the healers and priestesses –though, in her defense, it’d been dark enough and she’d been rightfully distracted enough that she hadn’t been able to see where his face was, exactly.

Now, just before noon, the whole ordeal was finally done. The priestesses had performed their blessings over her and her new child efficiently, then vacated the room so she could rest. The healers and doctors had made sure that she and her baby were in good health, then helped clean both of them up and get her settled comfortably on the bed.

And then she’d been handed her baby, who had a clean ticket of health, and the world had narrowed to a single point because oh.

He was perfect. Unbelievably beautiful, with full, chubby cheeks and a delicate nose smaller than the pad of her thumb.

He yawned, revealing his toothless little mouth and perfect little tongue –and Okoye almost felt like she was freefalling, because how could she know a being for so little time and already love them so much?

Realistically, she knew that was her hormones, which were a natural post-labor byproduct that ensured the mother bonded to the baby, but realism hadn’t prepared her for the swelling sensation in her chest or the overwhelming desire she had to kiss him from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.

M’Baku knelt next to her, pressing a kiss to her shoulder before gently taking his son’s hand between his thumb and index finger. “The King and Queen send their congratulations –and Nakia sends her commiserations for having the labor start when it did.”

Okoye chuckled tiredly –Nakia had given birth at just a week prior, with her own labor starting at one in the morning and ending around two in the afternoon. “I can only imagine.”

M’Baku craned his head up so he could kiss her cheek. “You’re amazing. He looks just like you.”

Okoye smiled as their son looked up at them with impossibly dark eyes. “He’s perfect.”

***

She woke up a couple hours later to the sound of the door latching shut.

M’Baku smiled softly at her and held up a gently steaming mug. “I thought you might want this.”

Her eyes widened and she breathed in sharply. “Is that—”

“From the bag Ayo gave you at the baby shower.” He chuckled when she made grabby hands and handed the cup off to her. “I tried to make sure it cooled off a little before I came in.”

Which was probably for the best, considering that she would’ve drained half the cup even if it’d come fresh from the pot.

Okoye inhaled the rich scent of the coffee, then took a sip and promptly groaned. “Oh, Bast.”

“Good?”

“So good.”

Their baby boy stirred in the crib next to their bed, fussing slightly as he squirmed under his little blanket patterned with little panthers and gorillas.

M’Baku gently scooped him up, cradling his head and neck with one massive hand. “Hey there, little man.”

“He needs a name,” Okoye said as she sipped down her mug of coffee.

“The naming ceremony isn’t for another week.”

“Is there going to be some sort of spiritual problem if we privately give him one now?”

M’Baku shook his head. “No, nothing like that.”

“I don’t want to just call him ‘boy,’ or ‘baby,’ or ‘little guy,’ if it’s the two of us,” Okoye explained. “I want him to have a name.”

M’Baku nodded. “Alright. You pick.”

“What?”

“We had two name choices for a boy. You pushed him out, you pick.”

Okoye smirked. Fair enough. She took another sip of coffee and relaxed against the pillows support her, contemplating what choice to make.

It almost seemed impossible. This name was what everyone would call her son until he was old enough to change his own name, if he so desired. She didn’t want to give him a name he would hate, or one that would result in endless teasing.

“Khari,” she decided. “His name is Khari.”

M’Baku smiled and gently lifted his son so he could kiss his tiny, round cheek. “Khari. My little king.” He looked over at Okoye. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired.” She hesitated for a moment, then admitted in a quiet voice, “Scared.”

“What’s scaring you?”

She sighed. “A lot of things.”

The fact that the Austria mission had ended badly, putting most of the Milaje that had gone along –including Ayo—and the Avengers in medical care. The fact that HYDRA had managed to use the Austria attacks as sufficient distraction to completely abandon their Russia base; there hadn’t been so much of a scrap left, and there’d been no trace of where the bastards had made off to.

The fact that the world was on an environmental decline, that the political climate was getting increasingly combative, that the greediest people sat on top of much of society while the kind, compassionate souls were held down by what they lacked.

The fact that death progressed in a never ending march, claiming victims without judgement or discrimination. The fact that there were countless threats in the worlds beyond theirs, and there wasn’t necessarily a good method for defending against them. The fact there were objects of sufficient power to cause mass extinctions and genocides throughout the whole galaxy in a single moment.

“The world is full of a lot of bad, scary things,” she explained, though it didn’t begin to touch on the grief she felt over what she wouldn’t be able to protect Khari from. “Bad people. I don’t want him to get hurt.”

M’Baku adjusted his hold on their son, then reached out and clasped her hand reassuringly. “There are a lot of good things in the world, too. And good people.”

“There are,” she agreed. “But it seems like, more and more, the bad people are the ones in power.”

“We’ll help change that,” M’Baku promised. “We’ll build a better world. For our son and the children of others.”

Okoye smiled and squeezed his hand back. “Yes, we will.”

***

Dewani and Shuri showed up around dinner time.

“Little man!” Shuri cooed as Dewani held her nephew for the first time. “He’s so adorable!”

“He really is,” Dewani agreed. “How’re you feeling?”

“Tired,” Okoye said. “Extremely tired.”

“That’s what Nakia said, too,” Shuri said with a grin. “She kicked T’Challa out of their room for snoring.”

“I feel nothing but sympathy for her,” Okoye said with an exhausted smirk.

“How is the Queen faring?” M’Baku asked.

“Good. She and Bohlale are both doing well,” Shuri said.

“That’s a pretty name,” Okoye commented.

“T’Challa wanted to name her Bapoto because she screamed for two hours after she was born.”

M’Baku snorted. “I take it the Queen put a stop to that.”

Dewani chuckled. “She chucked a pillow at his head and said ‘over her dead body.’”

“That’s completely fair.” Okoye repositioned herself against the pile of pillows supporting her body before looking over at Shuri. “How are Ayo and the others fairing?”

Shuri’s expression went somber. “They’re stable –and projected to make a full recovery. Fortunately, they were pretty far from the blast when the bomb went off. The shrapnel did more damage than the explosion itself did.”

Okoye sighed heavily and nodded as she processed the information. I should’ve been there. I couldn’t have been… but I should’ve helped more. Somehow.

“They’re in the best place for medical care and recovery,” M’Baku reminded her gently. “They’re where they need to be.”

“They are,” Okoye agreed quietly. “They are.”

***

She woke up to the sound of M’Baku’s voice –soft, loving, tender…

“…you’ll have a great deal of responsibility on your shoulders, but there will be people around you to help you make the best decisions for the tribe.” A pause. “And you don’t have to worry about that just yet. You have plenty of time to grow and be a kid.”

Her heart soared when she realized he was talking to Khari. She cracked one eye open, careful to stay quiet so he wouldn’t stop.

M’Baku was standing by the window, gazing out over the mountains as he talked to their son. Khari was cradled in his massive arms, swaddled lovingly in a blanket and asleep, as far as Okoye could tell.

“Your mother,” M’Baku continued, voice fond and full of pride, “is the most remarkable woman I know. She is as wise as she is beautiful, and a fierce warrior. You’re lucky to have her as your mother.”

Khari gurgled contentedly in his father’s arms.

“She made you,” M’Baku went on. “She made you from scratch. Do you know how amazing that is?”

“Amazingly painful,” Okoye quipped, grinning.

M’Baku glanced over his shoulder, then turned around and sat next to her on the bed when he realized she was up. “Did I wake you?”

“You did, but I don’t mind.” She smiled fondly at her partner. “You’re a wonderful father.”

He smiled back. “I’m just trying to do right by him. And you.”

“You will. You already do.”

“Thank you.” He leaned forward and kissed her gently, ever mindful of Khari’s position in his arms. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

#sass writes #black panther fanfiction #okoye x m'baku #the baby is here!#at long last!#wakanda forever

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