#anyway as you may have noticed in the drawings my squad is very broke. but especially me hfjkdhgk | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

cocastyle · 4 years

Text

Robin — TWO

Pairing - Joel Dawson x reader

Word Count - 4,476

A/N - new update for Robin!! yay!! this series as been so much fun writing so far and I’m overwhelmed by the unexpected love for this series so far! I hope you all continue to enjoy it as much as I! I have a lot in store for our very own Batman and Robin duo :))

if you would like to be added to the tag list, let me know!

R O B I N

Robin Series Masterlist

⭒❃.✮:▹ TWO ◃:✮.❃⭒

Dear Aimee,

This week has been especially shitty.

We lost Connor to what looked like a really big ant. It helps me to draw them. I try to capture their essence, scribble down some notes on how to kill them.

Turns out Robin's katanas can pretty much solve anything. Although, I'm pretty sure it's just because Robin's the one wielding them.

Sometimes I think drawing them is the only way I know how to cope with these things. That and having Y/N. She helps me a lot more than I give her credit for.

I owe her my life.

We've lost a lot of people over the years. You'd think you'd get numb to it after a certain point.

You don't.

- - -

Y/N walked through the hallway with a small skip in her step. Despite everything that had happened in the past week, she still managed to feel happy just at the thought of being with her best friend. With her activities for the morning already done, she was determined to spend some time with Joel who she knew was still a bit down on himself about what had happened during the breach.

She had set up the target in the room where Gertie and Mav1s were, knowing that the boy had been begging her to teach him how to shoot for a while now. She had about a half an hour before she had to be back with the hunting squad, so she was hurrying to get to Joel so that they could have more time working with the crossbow.

She was almost to his room when she heard his voice echoing down the hall. Furrowing her eyebrows, she picked up her speed and went pass his bedroom until she was at the radio room. She poked her head inside, her eyes landing on the boy who sat at the desk with the radio turned on.

"This is 7045. Come in, 3022. I repeat, come in, 3022. Over," Joel said, his eyes flickering over the map in front of him where he had 'X's marked everywhere except for the circle around their bunker and 3022.

"This is 3022. What is it now, Ray?" a voice replied over the radio making Joel sit up a bit more.

"Hey, Janice. No, it's actually. . .It's, uh, Joel," he told her making Y/N smile softly as she watched the boy.

There was a long moment of silence before the woman chuckled, "Oh. Joel."

"Yeah," he replied, smiling slightly.

"All right. Hold on one second," Janice said. "Aimee, it's Ray!"

Y/N’s smile faltered at that, muttering softly to herself, "Aimee, of course."

"Joel," the boy corrected with a small sigh into the radio. "Thanks, Janice."

"Joel! Hey!" a new voice said, instantly making the boy perk up as a big grin took over his features.

"Hey, Aimee! Hi!" Joel exclaimed. "How are you?"

"Hi. Yeah. I, uh. . .I'm good," Aimee told him.

"It's so good to hear your voice," Joel admitted, relaxing a bit at finally being able to hear her voice once again.

Y/N watched him for a moment longer before smiling sadly and turning to walk away. She knew how much getting to talk to Aimee meant to him, so she wasn't about to interrupt him with something he honestly probably didn't care to do. Besides, she wanted to give him some privacy to talk to the girl he was in love with. After all, that's what she would've wanted if it were her having to talk to Joel over the radio.

The girl walked aimlessly down the hallway, lost in her own thoughts about Joel before she was snapped back to attention when a voice softly called out, "Y/N, are you alright?"

She came to a stop, her head lifting up to notice Kala standing in front of the memorial they had for all the lost colony members. The girl's eyes were on her, concern evident despite the sadness in her eyes.

Y/N gave her a forced smile and said, "I'm fine, Kala."

Kala just stared at her before giving her a sad smile and whispering, "Joel's talking with Aimee again, isn't he?"

Y/N looked away at that, swallowing thickly before asking, "How. . .how are you?"

Kala went quiet and glanced down at the hat in her hands that had belonged to Connor. When she continued to not respond, Y/N walked across the room and pulled the girl in for a hug. Kala melted into her embrace, her body shaking a bit as she softly cried.

"I know," Y/N whispered, holding onto the girl tightly in hopes she would realize she was no alone. "Connor. . ." She trailed off as she felt her own sadness bubbling into her throat. After all, Connor and her had been close. He was a part of the hunting team with her. He had been like brother to her and she had lost him. "He was a great person and he loved you so much. He died protecting you."

Kala sniffled and nodded her head. "I know," she said, her voice cracking a bit.

The sound of footsteps approaching pulled the two apart and they turned to see Joel walking in. He plopped down on a seat beside one of the tables, a numb and upset look on his face that made Y/N’s heart break.

"I'm going to go put Connor's hat up," Kala muttered, her hand gently squeezing Y/N’s arm in order to pull the girl's attention back to her. "Thank you."

Y/N nodded and Kala gave her a small smile before walking back over to the memorial while Y/N walked over to Joel. She sat down in the seat beside him, the boy instantly looking her way while she offered him a small smile.

"Hey," she whispered. "How are you?" Joel looked away at that and Y/N sighed, "Joel, you need to put the breach thing behind you, okay? No one was expecting it, so you can’t blame yourself for being scared."

"But you're not scared," Joel retorted, his head still hung low.

"Are you kidding me? I'm always scared," Y/N told him, her words making him look up at her. "It's my fear that keeps me going.It's my fear that pushes me through whatever challenges may come my way."

Y/N didn't go into the fact that her fear was never truly about herself. Her fear had always and would always be for Joel's life. For if she died, then that meant Joel could die simply because she wouldn't be there to protect her. And that's what scared her more than anything in the world.

The thought of Joel dying.

So in her mind, she survived for him. She survived so that Joel would survive.

The boy was looking at her, still not saying anything. Sighing, the girl reached out and placed a hand on top of his own. She gave him a reassuring smile before saying, "Even Batman was afraid every once in a while, Joel. That's what makes him human."

Joel smiled a little at that, squeezing her hand and rubbing his thumb over the top of her skin while Y/N smiled back.

She let go of his hand and leaned back in her chair, propping her feet up on the table as she looked to the boy. "How's Aimee?" she asked.

Joel looked at her in surprise, not sure how she could've known he was talking to the girl, before saying, "I think she's fine. We. . .we didn't get to talk much before the radio cut off."

Y/N frowned, "I'm sorry, Joel."

Joel smiled weakly and looked down at the table before whispering, "I just miss her."

Y/N felt her heart ache at the sight of him and she quickly dropped her feet to the ground before wrapping an arm around his shoulders and leaning her head against him. "I know," she whispered softly, ignoring the way her heart slightly broke knowing that even after seven years of not seeing her, Joel still loved Aimee.

Y/N had gone through seven years of watching him pine after a girl who barely even seemed to understand what she had when he was her boyfriend. Yet she still stuck by his side even though she found herself falling in love with him even more with each second that passed.

Joel let out a soft sigh and leaned his head against her own, relishing in the comfort of his best friend while his heart ached for the girl he loved.

Still oblivious to the fact that the girl holding onto him loved him more than Aimee ever could.

- - -

"I wanna know how it got in," Karen demanded, frowning from where she sat down at the table. The whole colony was there, the discussion about how the monster had gotten in finally being brought up after giving everyone enough time to mourn.

Y/N was watching Joel, her eyes flickering over the boy who sat on the opposite end of the table with his gaze on the table and a numb look upon his face. Frowning, she pulled her gaze away and looked to Karen. "You sure about that?" Y/N asked. "Sometimes it's better not knowing."

Karen was hesitant, knowing that what the girl said was true. After all, the hunting team didn't always tell them what went on unless everyone agreed on it. It was better for some people to have to worry about certain things over others. When she gave a small nod in response, Y/N looked to Tim and gestured for him to go ahead.

With Connor gone, Y/N was one of the designated leaders at the moment. She had a bit of a reputation in the colony anyways, having worked her way to top hunter on their squad within a matter of weeks. So Tim didn't hesitate to comply to her orders, looking around at the others as he explained, "It appears to have ripped through one of our perimeter defenses."

"What, it ripped through steel?" Anna Lucia asked, having not known that bit of information.

"Y/N, Anderson, and I resealed the breach point and the vent. Nothing's getting in that way again," Tim assured them.

"And if they do, we'll be ready. I set up triggers around possible breach points to help alert us when something's attempting to get in. Next time one tries to strike, the team and I will be out there ready to take it down," Y/N said.

"But why did it happen?" Karen asked.

"It was a freak occurrence," Ray told her. "There's no reason to think it'll happen again."

"Ray's right. We only took precautions just to be safe," Y/N spoke up. "We should try to stay calm. There's no use worrying—"

"How far away is Aimee's colony?" Joel spoke up, his voice making them all go silent while the boy looked over at them.

"What?" Tim asked.

"Aimee's colony," Joel repeated, ignoring the fact that everyone's eyes were now on him including Y/N who looked like she didn't understand what was happening. "How far away is it?"

"About eighty five miles," Ray answered.

"How long does that take to get there?" Joel questioned. Y/N sat up a bit, her feet that she had propped up on the table falling to the ground as she stared at her best friend.

"Joel, you're not actually thinking of going?" Tim said confused.

"Tim, just. . .humor me," Joel pleaded. "How long?"

"Seven days," Y/N spoke up, causing the boy to look her way. She was watching him, her eyes flickering over his face while she had a completely blank look upon her face. It was enough to make Joel still, for he had never seen her act that way, but he was too focused on her words to speak up about it. "Minimum."

"An armed and trained hunting party would be lucky to last fifty miles on the surface," Anna Lucia said, the others all looking at each other and mumbling in agreement while Joel looked off in thought and Y/N continued to study him with narrowed eyes. "But you, Joel. . ."

"All right," Tim spoke up, noticing the way Y/N had obviously gotten distracted by what her best friend was saying. "Now I need volunteers to help reinforce some of the outer perimeter."

Everyone began to speak up, agreeing to help out, but Joel spoke out again, his voice making everyone freeze as he said, "I'm gonna go."

Everyone was dead silent as they looked to him, Y/N’s face growing a bit pale while Joel ignored her gaze. "It's an impossible journey, Joel," Tim told him.

Joel shook his head and stood up. "No, I'm serious," he said. "I love you guys, but Aimee is one of the only people in this world who ever truly made me happy, and she's only eighty five miles away. And I'm gonna go see her." He let out a breath he had been holding before smiling slightly. "That felt awesome." He then turned and walked out of the room, leaving everyone staring after him.

All eyes turned to Y/N who was staring at the place Joel had just been with tears in her eyes. All she could hear were Joel's words playing over and over in her head.

Aimee is one of the only people in this world who ever truly made me happy.

It took her a moment, but Y/N was up and out of her seat without a second thought. She ran out of the room, leaving the others to sigh and exchange a look for they knew Joel's words had hit her harder than he meant to let them.

By the time she reached Joel's room, her tears were long gone and her mind was already made up. She appeared in the doorway, her eyes instantly locking on Joel who was shoving his few belongings into his backpack. He glanced up at her, his eyes hesitating on her form for a moment before he looked back down.

"I have to go, Robin. I can't stay here anymore and just wait for something to happen. I'm done waiting," he told her, shoving his journal and pencils into his backpack as he did so.

"I know," Y/N replied. "You have to do this. You should go." Joel looked up to her at that, his face displaying a look of shock for a small second. She smiled softly at him before walking towards him and saying, "But I'm coming too."

"You're. . .you're what?" Joel asked in surprise, his eyes flickering over her face as she came to stop in front of him.

"Joel, you're the only person who makes me happy," she began, her words making his heart skip a beat which he quickly pushed aside as nothing. "I can't let you just leave without me."

Joel was reminded of what he said earlier and his face softened as he reached out and cupped her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. "You know I didn't mean that you don't make me happy, right?" he eyes searching her own to make sure she understood what he was saying. "Cause you do, Robin. You're the one that keeps me going every day."

He let go of her and turned to his backpack which he zipped up, missing the way Y/N’s face heated up for a second due to his words and display of affection. She quickly pushed her feelings aside, knowing Joel always had been an affectionate person. It was just how their friendship worked.

"But I have to go see Aimee," Joel continued, letting his gaze fall back upon his best friend. "And I can't just make you come with."

"You're not making me do anything," Y/N assured him. "I'm coming. We stick together through everything, remember?" She took a step forward before holding her hand out to the boy. "Batman and Robin, right?"

Joel hesitated as he looked to her, a smile slowly making its way onto his face while he felt his heart swell with an emotion that he pushed aside as nothing else but relief in getting to keep her by his side.

"Batman and Robin," he agreed, clasping his hand in her own while they exchanged small smiles.

Y/N gave him a short nod before taking a step back which caused Joel to frown because it suddenly felt like he was missing a warmth he hadn't known had been there when she was right in front of him.

"I'm going to go grab my things," Y/N said. "I'll meet you by the exit." And with that, she ran out of the room, leaving Joel to stare after her. He was a bit confused as to what he had just felt, but didn't think much of it as he turned back to his bag and smiled.

"I'm coming, Aimee," he whispered, thoughts of reuniting with the love of his life running through his head.

- - -

Dear Aimee,

I am done hiding. I am done waiting for things to get better.

It's time to take matters into my own hands. Time to let someone else make the minestrone.

I'm taking a radio, even though it doesn't have power. But I'm gonna take it anyway.

Robin's coming with me. She's just the best, you know?

I didn't want to admit it, but the thought of leaving her behind had scared me. Knowing she'll be there with me every step of the way, it provides me a sort of comfort that I can't even begin to describe.

I can do anything if I have her with me. Walking eighty five miles through a monster infested world will be a piece of cake.

- - -

When Y/N was done packing, she went off to find the rest of the colony, knowing she would have to explain to them that she was going with Joel even if they might not want her to. Muttering rehearsed lines to herself, Y/N walked into the main room where the colony was all huddled around a map and writing things down.

"Guys," Y/N began, letting out a shaky breath. "I'm—"

However, she didn't get a chance to finish before she was being tackled in a hug by Kala. Y/N fell into a stunned silence, hesitantly hugging the girl back in confusion before Kala pulled away to look at her.

"You're going with him," Kala stated. "We know." Y/N blinked in surprise before looking around at the others who all just nodded softly despite the sad smiles on their faces. The girl looked back to Kala who just smiled softly. "It's okay, Y/N. We knew you would."

"I didn't want to do this to you guys," Y/N admitted. "I know we just lost Connor and losing another person on the hunting team isn't ideal, but I have to go with him. He's my best friend."

They all nodded in understanding before Tim reached out to clap a hand on her shoulder. "You don't need to explain to us, Y/N," he told her. "We get it. Just know that we'll be waiting for you two when you get back."

Y/N smiled softly at that, falling into Tim's embrace while everyone smiled at the exchange. "So," Y/N began as she pulled away from the man, "what are you guys doing?"

"Attempting to make a map for the two of you. Well. . .mostly for Joel in case he somehow gets lost," Anna Lucia said making Y/N chuckle softly before she walked over to the table.

She smiled softly at the sight of all the notes on the front before noticing that there seemed to be something on the back. She flipped the paper over, her smile growing even more at the notes the crew had all written on the back for the boy.

"We were going to make one for you too," Kala spoke up. "But I think Joel needs more of a reminder of how much we love him than you do. I have a feeling you already know that."

Y/N smiled and looked up at the people who had become her family. "I know," she whispered making them all smile before she looked down at the paper snd grabbed ahold of one of the pens. She scribbled down a small note on the back to go along with the others before Karen folded the map up.

It was when she was almost finished folding it that they heard Ray call out, "He's not joking."

They all walked out of the room at that, Y/N catching sight of Joel making his way over towards them with his backpack on and two crossbows and her katanas in hand. His eyes locked with hers and he smiled before holding out her weapons. "I think you may have forgotten something," he mused making the girl roll her eyes.

"Thanks, Joel," she said before grabbing the katanas and strapping them into her back and under her backpack. She then took the crossbow and the two turned to head towards the ladder that led to up above when Tim stepped in their way.

"We're not letting you two leave. You're needed here," Tim told them, even though Y/N knew that he understood he wasn't going to be able to stop them.

"Tim, Y/N may be, but I'm not. Come on. I don't do anything," Joel said.

"Joel, that's not true. You fix the radio. You make the minestrone," Tim stopped after that and winced slightly at his own words. "Okay. Doesn't sound as important when I say it out loud."

"I appreciate you trying," Joel assured him. "Really, I do. I just don't feel like I belong anywhere. I don't really wanna die all alone at the end of the world, so. . ."

Tim stared at the boy for a moment, his eyes flickering over to Y/N who gently shook her head at him to let him know he shouldn't say anything about her feelings for the boy. Tim sighed and turned away, allowing the two to walk by.

Joel moved forward, but paused before looking back at the others. "Look, I know you guys all just think of me as, like, some little, pathetic, adorable hedgehog. But I can take care of myself. I'm actually probably a lot stronger than you might think," he told them.

Y/N smiled softly at the boy's words, knowing how badly he wanted to prove to them all that he could do this. She placed a hand on his arm and Joel looked her way, smiling as she squeezed his arm before looking to the others. "We'll take care of each other," she assured them. "We've survived seven years. We can survive seven days."

The colony didn't say anything until finally Karen stepped forward and held the map out to Joel. "We made you a map," Karen told him.

"Thanks, Karen," Joel whispered before the girl reached up to hug him. Joel hugged her back and Karen pulled away with a sad smile before going over to Y/N and hugging her as well.

"Just. . .take care," Karen whispered before she pulled away and backed up to join the others. Y/N stared out at the people who had become her family, her eyes tearing up a bit as she knew that there was a possibility she would never see them again.

She felt a hand latch onto her own and Y/N looked to her left to see Joel giving her a reassuring smile as his fingers intertwined with her own. Y/N gave him a shaky smile in return while Joel rubbed his thumb across the skin on top of her hand.

"Everything will try to kill you," Ray told them.

"Oh," Joel muttered, making a small face which made Y/N chuckle softly.

"Be observant. Use the advantages that you have. You're fast and small and Y/N is one of our best hunters, so, Joel, don't fight. Just run and hide. Y/N, you should do that too, but if you need to, use those katanas and crossbow like your life depends on it cause it does," Ray said.

"Don't fight," Joel repeated, making another face before looking to Y/N. "So Robin fights, but Batman doesn't?" he whispered to her. She just smiled shyly at him.

Ray reached out and pulled the two into a hug, Joel and Y/N hugging him back while their intertwined hands still stayed by their side.

"You're both assholes if you get eaten," Ray told them.

Y/N smiled at that before saying, "And you all are douchebags if you don't answer our call when we get there."

The group all chuckled while Joel went to hook his crossbow to his backpack. Everyone fell silent as they watched him, their smiled falling as he struggled to simply latch the crossbow to his back. Y/N sighed and brought her free hand up to facepalm herself while Joel just awkwardly laughed and tried to latch the crossbow one more time.

This time it latched into place and he smiled before saying, "Okay."

"Nice," Ava muttered.

Joel ignored her comment and squeezed Y/N’s hand before turning to climb up the ladder. "I love you guys. Tell Aimee I'll see her in seven days," he said before climbing up the ladder.

"We believe in you," Karen called after him.

"Love you, buddy," Tim said.

Y/N walked over to the ladder before hesitating at the bottom. She glanced back at the colony, her eyes flickering over each of them. Karen and Kala were softly crying as they hugged each other, the others all looking at her sadly before Tim just gave her a small nod.

"Take care of him," Tim said before hesitating. "And yourself."

"I will," Y/N whispered, smiling at the group one last time. "I love you guys."

"Love you too," they all chorused as she began to climb up the ladder like Joel had. The latch was already open by the time she reached the top and she was blinded by the sunlight until Joel moved himself above the hole and looked down at her.

"You sure about this?" he asked, his eyes flickering over her face for any signs of hesitation.

Y/N smiled softly, "I'm sure."

Joel smiled at that before holding his hand out, the girl looking to it for a moment as she realized just what it is they were doing. Was she really about to help the boy she loved reunite with the girl he was in love with? It was crazy. She knew that. Yet seeing that smile on Joel's face and knowing that this was what he wanted, what he needed, to be happy was enough for her to know this was the right thing to do.

Then, without another second thinking about it, Y/N took ahold of the boy's hand and he pulled her into the world above.

- - -

Tag List

@simplybarnes

@spideysimpossiblegirl

@bookdorkfangirl

@katemusic

@eternallyvenus

@juliebean247

@trustfundparker

@blahhhhhhhaaa

@used-avocado

@havingagooddream

@blogforhoes

#love and monsters #love #and #monsters #joel dawson imagine #joel dawson #joel dawson x reader #Aimee #clyde #minnow #boy #apocalypse #dylan o’brien x reader #dylan o'brien

253 notes · View notes

missdawnandherdusk · 4 years

Text

A Guy Worth Getting Expelled For

Draco X Gryffindor!Reader

Part One Part Two Part Three

Part Four Part Five

Summary: So maybe you and Draco figured out that you don’t have to hate each other... but that about the rest of the school?

A/N: Who is ReADy foR ThiS!? Because I promise you all, you’re not. It’s been one of my favorite parts so far but let me know what you think! I love you guys and your feedback so don’t be afraid to comment or reblog! (Also this is over 3k words because I have no self control anymore)

Tags: @un-limiteddd @geekysimmerthings @coffee-addicti @ilikestuffproductions @msmcsmutt @ravn-87 @artemismohr18 @whygz @crazywritingbug @dolphincommander @bisexualbumblebeesstuff @fuzzy-panda @bitemebro522 @zombiesnips-blog @jillanaholland @shookyungsoo @savingdraco @welcometomyworldwithoutrules @akari180 @slytherin-emerald @chaotic-good-gemini @memalfoy-spidey

The weekend passed, and due to final exams, I was holed up in my room most of the time. That’s what was nice about rooming with Hermione, I could cook my own food—the Muggle way—and she wouldn’t tell on me. Ramen was a lifesaver as we studied.

I hadn’t heard form Draco at all. Part of me wondered if he figured it out. The letter he wrote to me was getting worn form the amount of times that I unfolded and refolded it each time I reread his words.

The boys did coax us both down to dinner Sunday night, however. They weren’t quite convinced that I was fine and were still at my defense despite my change in mood and constant protests. In fact, it seemed like every Gryffindor in our year and then some were ready at my defense.

“Do you want us to sneak a doxy into his room?” Fred offered. “We’ll do it. Free of charge.”

“No, I’m okay, really,”

“We could do it anyway,” George suggested.

“No,” I said firmly as we sat in the Great Hall.

Dinner came and passed, and I didn’t have to look over my shoulder for Draco because Ron and Harry were doing a great job of that already. There was no way I was going to be able to walk to Draco with this... protection squad hovering—and not listening to me when I said I was fine.

My heart did flutter as both Harry and Ron tensed, glaring at the door to the Hall. A smile found its way to my face as I turned, finding clam blue eyes.

“I’ll get him,” Harry said, getting up from the table and Ron following suit.

“Guys, wait, no!” I scrambled to get up, tripping over my robes before righting myself, a few paces behind them, Hermione at my heels.

The students who were in the Hall also noticed what was going on and all looked our way. Some stood to get a better look. This was going to get very bad very fast if someone didn’t do something. And, apparently, I had to be that someone.

“You have some nerve Malfoy!” Harry sneered, drawing his wand.

My adrenaline spiked as Draco kept his cool, keeping his eyes on me. I tried to tell him that this wasn’t my idea and that they didn’t know and that I would fix this, but maybe that was too much to tell him in one look.

I caught up to Harry and pushed past him. Turning and facing Harry—the same way that Draco had done for me against Pansy—I glared him down.

“What are you doing!?” I demanded. “I told you! It was fine!”

“But he hurt you! He deserves this!” Harry exclaimed.

“Pansy was the one who made me cry not Draco!” I laid out. “He... He protected me from her,”

Harry gaped at me and so did Ron, Hermione was beaming. There was a rumbling through the students who had gathered around us. Why did I keep finding myself in these situations?

“No way, I don’t believe it,” Harry hissed. “Malfoy would never, and not for you.”

“And how would you know!?” I demanded. “You’re so absorbed in yourself that you never stop to look, or think, or ask questions!”

“So now you’re taking his side!?” Harry fumbled.

I scoffed and threw my hands up in exasperation.

“Why does there have to be sides!? Why do we have to fight!?”

“He’s a Slytherin!”

“Great! And I’m a Pisces! What does it matter!” I annunciated each word, taking a few calming breaths. “He deserves to be helped and loved as much as you do Harry,” My voice was barely audible.

Now Harry was glaring me down, his anger shifting from Draco to me, which was fine, I could handle Harry easy—Golden Boy or not.

There was a hand on my shoulder.

I turned, meeting Draco’s eyes.

“I’m not worth this.” He murmured softly. “Don’t... not because of me.”

He was so close now. I could feel the fear and desperation almost tangibly as he pleaded with me to back down, and maybe that broke me more. For him to think that he wasn’t worth saving. That he wasn’t worth fighting for.

“Did you figure it out?” I asked softly, completely ignoring Harry and the others behind me. Draco held my focus now. “Who sent me the letter and who I told my mother about?”

He nodded and looked down. How could he know that he was the one that I had chosen, and he still didn’t think it was right for me to fight for him?

“What? Is Malfoy jealous over who you’re crushing on?” Ron jeered and the crowd snickered.

Draco turned red, gritting his teeth, I saw his hand reach for his wand, but I beat him to it and drew mine. Spinning around, almost hissing at Ron, everyone backed away from me, sensing the danger I assumed.

“I don’t think he can be jealous,” I snapped, tilting my chin back. “But the rest of you can,”

Without much thought or time in the moments between, I grabbed Draco’s hand and pulled him closer. I met his eyes for an instant, and I could see and feel the coolness of a lake, the refreshing wave of the ocean. There was an electric current between us.

I brought my hand to cup his face ever so gently—grimacing when he flinched as if I was going to hit him—and quickly pressed my lips to his. He froze under my touch but relaxed almost instantly, which was a bit shocking, but comforting. His hands rested on my waist and he pulled me a step closer.

His lips were soft and hesitant on mine. The electric current didn’t wane, instead it seemed to be stronger than before. It was better than what any potion could offer, or spell could conjure.

I had to pull away in fear that I might spend all night kissing him.

The situation around us settled back in, and though neither of us could keep the smiles off our faces it was Draco who spoke before I could.

“If anyone has anything they’d like to say, you’ll answer to both of us,” There was smugness and pride in his voice as he said ‘us.’

I couldn’t lie, I liked it too.

The crowd broke out into mutters and whispers, some of which were encouraging, some baffled, and some downright cruel—most of which came from either Gryffindor or Slytherin. My hand found Draco’s as an anchor in the midst of it all, not sure what was coming next.

Harry stormed off and Ron gave an apologetic look before going after him and Hermione followed suit. As much as I was alright on standing on my own, their absence hurt.

“Mr. Malfoy! Miss Lupine! My office! Now!” It was McGonagall.

My heart sank as the students scattered in fear of also getting in trouble for something that they may or may not have done. It left Draco and me alone walking to McGonagall’s office under her gaze. Somewhere along the way Snape caught up to us, and to my surprise, Dumbledore.

I gave Draco an apologetic look, but his face was a mask of calm and indifference—courage in the face of danger. I followed his lead as we sat in McGonagall’s office as the three discussed what to do with us outside the door.

“Why didn’t you tell me it was me? When we were on the stairs?” He asked softly.

I shrugged.

“I don’t think I was ready,” I admitted. “It was... a hard day.”

“Sorry again,” He mumbled sheepishly.

We sat side by side together, waiting for whatever was about to happen. I feared for the worst and I could tell do did Draco. The memory of his lips on mine however, kept me somewhat same and comforted.

“I’m sorry I dragged you into all of this,” I whispered. “This is all my fault,”

“No, it’s not Y/n. You know that,” He argued. “I had a good part in it too.”

“I should have just left it alone,” Tears were in my eyes as I started to realize the gravity of the situation.

“No,” He said firmly, catching my eyes. “You’re right, this has gone on too long.”

Again, his hand slipped into mine and I felt grounded. It was odd, finding comfort in someone that I had hated only a few months ago.

The three Professors came down and we dropped our hands quickly, as we both looked down.

“It has come to our attention that you two have caused quite a bit of trouble,” Dumbledore began.

“Please, sir. It was me. Not her.” Draco stood, taking a small step in front of me.

Shock flitted across the faces of the professors, and mine. I didn’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t that.

“No, it was me. I’m the one who kissed him and provoked Harry.” I stood next to him, almost pushing him out of the way. “Whatever punishment... I’ll take it in full... even if that means expulsion.” My voice wavered as the words slipped out.

“Y/n,” Draco protested and turned to me.

“Your dad will kill you in you get in trouble because of me,” I argued. “And... I can’t let that happen. So... please, Draco,”

I didn’t know what I was asking for exactly, but I knew that if his father found out... he’d be in worse trouble than whatever the school could come up with.

“No, forget about my father. I don’t care what he thinks. You’re not talking all the fault. I won’t let you,”

I bit my lip, thousands of words wanting to escape them just as the tears that threatened to fall. Why hadn’t I seen this in him before? Why hadn’t anyone?

Draco Malfoy could be good. He could be selfless. He could be loved.

“If I may,” Dumbledore began again. “Neither of you are in trouble nor are you getting expelled.”

“What?” We both snapped, turning to the three professors.

Hope fluttered in my chest, that maybe once we would both be okay. That we could both make it out of here.

_______________________

Out in the hall...

“Has it happened?” Dumbledore asked. “The legacy?”

“Yes,” McGonagall confirmed. “I got a letter from her mother early Saturday to keep an eye out, and I saw it tonight at dinner.”

“You believe that these two are the ones to end the feud?” Snape asked cautiously.

“Something much darker than us all is coming Severus,” Dumbledore sighed. “And they might be the ones we need to stop it.”

“But I don’t understand why stopping an old family feud solves anything.” Snape hissed.

“Because it’s not a family feud, it’s a house feud and always has been. For too long Slytherin and Gryffindor have been pitched against one another unhealthily and perhaps this can right what has been wrong for so long,” McGonagall noted hopefully.

............................

“Miss Lupine, you should be expecting a letter from your mother soon. I suggest you both read it together and decide for yourselves whether you want to accept what is in it or not.” Dumbledore explained.

“What kind of letter?” I prompted and McGonagall gave me a scolding look as Dumbledore simply smile.

“Oh, you are so much like your mother,” His eyes twinkled. “Give her my best and please remember, each of you are more than a name,”

_________________________

Draco walked down the hall with you beside him. He couldn’t think of a thing to say. There were too many to say. There was too much to talk about and it was driving him mad that you were lost in thought.

“Any ideas on where to go? To read the letter?” You finally spoke.

Your voice sounded unsure and afraid, with a nervousness that came with expectation. He had never heard you speak like that. You were always so sure of yourself—courageous, like any proper Gryffindor.

But now, your eyes filled with tears and worry. Your arms were crossed across your chest, as if they had the ability to keep you together if you held on tight enough. He knew that you never showed anyone this side of you—not even that Mudb- your friend Hermione. Because he never showed anyone either.

“Come with me,” He said, not giving anything away and led you through the castle wordlessly.

You followed him without a protest, a quip, snide remark, or question. And he couldn’t lie, it was nice; it worried him too, being afraid wasn’t in your nature.

Taking a sharp right, he paused, opening the door for you. You quirked an eyebrow and a teasing smile. You knew where he led you and it amused you, he could see it in your features. That was the you he knew.

You ascended the staircase and through the trapdoor with him at your heels. You faltered one and he caught you easily—knowing it would happen: it was the reason he had made you go before him—your cheeks turning a deep red as you quickened your pace.

Alone in the Astronomy Tower, Draco saw a small screech owl awaiting the two of you, letter attached. It was the same owl who had given him your letter all those nights ago, it must be yours.

You didn’t go to the owl—even though it chirped at you annoyed. Instead, you went to the window and stared at what he did almost every night that he couldn’t sleep: the stars blanketed over the mountain range and the lake as night consumed the world around them.

Knowing that you would want to gaze for some time, he took the letter for the owl and shooed it off, but it remained.

“I’ll give you something later Penelope, thank you,” You cooed softly stroking the birds head gently before it flew off.

Unsure of his actions, Draco stood close beside you, watching the night unfold with you. Your hand found his and his thoughts about what needed to be answered or what the letter held paused. Your warmth invited him in, lured him to be still and just... feel.

“I’m scared,” The confession left your lips. “I’ve been waiting my whole life for my mother to tell me what this fight was all about and now...” You turned to him, true despair on your face.

“Whatever it is, we do it together,” He murmured, “Remember, we get to choose if we want to accept it or not,”

“But don’t we have to?” Your thoughts mirrored his: he had expectations to live up to and he wanted to prove himself to his father and his family.

“We’ll see,” He reached up and stroked your face softly.

You pursed your lips as he offered you the letter. You took it and with one last hopeless look to him you opened it and read it aloud:

My dearest Y/n, and charming Draco,

I hope this letter finds you both well. I have written to each of your House Heads letting them know to give you time to read this together if fate allows.

Y/n, my darling, please stop your fretting, I can feel it from here. You are alright no matter what you choose, but I do hope you choose the path of love.

Draco, hello, we haven’t met formally, but I must thank you for standing up for my daughter against one of your own house. It was a brave and kind thing to do and you have my deepest respect.

Now, about the feud. I know you have asked many times what it has always been about and perhaps it is time to finally tell you:

Our families have always been intertwined in the fate of the wizarding world as pure-blood families. Long ago, it was said that one of Lupine and one of Malfoy decent would be the ones to mend the rift between pure-bloods and muggle-born.

You can see why this caused such a feud. I’m sure even now Mr. Draco you are thinking that this is preposterous, and perhaps you as well my child. For how can two pure-bloods whom hate another possible med anything?

Well, no one knows. And no one wanted to know either. The Malfoy’s were always against muggle-born and swore vengeance on them all. The Lupine’s have always been proud and swore to never fraternize with a Malfoy. Centuries and generations passed, and our stories have been twisted and distorted to what you know today.

I did try my love to keep you away as best I could from it, but some things are very deep rooted, and I am sorry that I failed you. But now it comes to you two.

From what I have heard from you my darling, it sounds as if Mr. Draco may be the one you were meant for. It was once called Consentire Animi Pace—an old thought that souls reached for another to bring harmony in the world around them through magic.

I am not forcing this upon either you, nor am I making assumptions. I would just like you both to know that it does exist and not to deny that it does and that it may be what our Antiqui were speaking of when the legacy was given.

My darling Y/n, I am proud of you no matter your choice and I love you without a doubt. I am proud of your achievements and your courage to reach out to someone you had no reason to reach out to.

My dear Draco, I am proud of you no matter your choice and I extend my love to you as well. I know that your parents are not as forgiving when it comes to family names as I am. You will have a home in our family—whether that be Y/n and I or the entire family if they decide to stop being so... Anyway. I am proud of you as well and for what you have done. You had no reason to protect my daughter and you did and I am proud of you on that fact alone. You have truly exceeded your expectations, whether your father sees that or not.

Don’t not be afraid of what is before you nor the choices that you must make. It is not about the right choice; it is about the righteous one—the one made with the right heart. It is easier to correct ignorance rather than disobedience.

My love goes to you both, both of you write me back please.

Love, Magdalene Lupine

Part 7

249 notes · View notes

skribbz · 3 years

Note

i know im sending u tons of these but ELLIE

Oh boy here we go

First impression

I actually didn’t know anything about TLoU before I played it except for it being a zombie game. Since zombies have always been a super special interest for me, I had to play it. So actually playing it was like being smacked in the face with emotions.

But I didn’t even know about the existence of Ellie, so my first time seeing her was when Joel meets her. I thought she seemed cool, but a little abrasive. She did make me laugh though.

Impression now

Oh god where do I even start.

I’m not even exaggerating when I say Ellie helped me become who I am today. I related to her in so many ways. Not just in the way she's so nerdy, but also in how she treats others. She was just a kid who was let down by the world around her, yet she still wants to do what she thinks is best for everyone. She's sentimental, holding onto keepsakes from the people she's lost. She can have a bad attitude sometimes, but is just a complete sweetheart. She goes through so much, and even when Joel gives her the option to just go back home, she decides to keep going.

Ellie came into my life when I needed a role model. The way she had gone through so much, but didn't let it break her soul, the way she always found a way to "endure and survive", meant so much to me at the time, and even now. She also helped me accept the fact that I wasn't straight. Seeing a character who I already admired so much, kissing another girl made me just break down crying.

When they said that Ellie was going to be the main character of the second game, I cried again. I think the second game just really expands on the reasons I loved her in the first one. She still tries to do what she thinks is best. It's not always the right thing, and sometimes it's very much the wrong thing. But she has so much guilt over Joel, yet still loves him so much she's willing to do whatever it takes to give him the justice she thinks she deserves, even if she knows it's not at all what he would want her to do. (There's so much more to her thoughts and actions in the sequel of course, but I feel like this is one of the most important ones.) It's just like the first game where she's willing to go to any ends to do what she thinks is right, no matter how much it may hurt her in the process.

I think in the end she has realized that her life means more than just being the cure. Her life matters just because she’s alive, is loved, and loves others, and that message means a lot to me, and I’m sure to many others, too.

I think Ellie is such a wonderful character, and one of the most well written characters I've ever seen in any media. She really changed my life, and because of that she is my favorite character ever.

Favorite moment

HOW am I supposed to choose just one.

Does the entire winter section count? It shows much she loves Joel, and how strong she has become by that point, and how determined she is to survive. She sees just how truly awful some people in the world can be, and despite it she still wants to do whatever she can for the cure.

It’s our first look into what would become a major theme of the second game. While David’s town is an enemy to Joel and Ellie, and we as players hate them, they were doing what they thought was best to survive. Cannibalism isn’t right by our standards, but that’s because we haven’t been pushed to that point. But would we be willing to turn to it if we were pushed that far? Is it more acceptable to kill innocent people to feed a whole community that’s depending on you, or is it more acceptable to just let all of those innocent lives that are depending on you die?

I think we can all agree on one thing though. David is a piece of shit and deserved to be chopped up into teeny pieces.

Idea for a story

I have many ideas. But I'll go with where I think her story can go from here, AKA my TLoU3 idea.

The story starts 12 or so years later. Putting JJ around 13. Dina, Ellie and Abby 32-33. Lev around 25. Tommy and Maria probably late 50s-early 60s

Ellie is back in Jackson. She works her ass off doing whatever manual labor she can because all she wants to do is just work herself into exhaustion. She's dealt with her trauma and she’s in a better place mentally now. Now her reasons for shutting everything out is that she’s too scared to try and really reconnect. She wants companionship but is afraid of the pain of losing it all again.

The exception is when she has JJ. He is still the light of her life. She takes him hunting and camping and plays video games with him and they geek out over comics. She has taught him to draw. She wants to teach him guitar like she promised, but hasn’t been able to yet.

The only time she sets foot outside of Jackson is with JJ.

Dina is of course doing something that uses her skills. Maybe the lead electrician at the dam. They've kept JJ very innocent. Obviously he knows of the infected, and has seen his moms kill them before, but he doesn’t know just how bad it really is, he’s never seen another human die.

Her and Ellie are amicable. They are happy to be co parenting jj but there's nothing between them (for now).

Maria holds a lot of guilt. Over sending Joel and Tommy out that day, over not giving Ellie and Dina help in Seattle, which got Jesse killed, over letting Tommy get as bad as he did after Seattle. She blames herself for the way Ellie is. She tries to spend time with Ellie, but Ellie is very elusive when she wants to be. She adores JJ though. That's her little great nephew. His auntie is the leader of the whole town and he uses that to his advantage every chance he gets. And she lets him.

Tommy has a little guilt. He doesn’t know Abby is alive, Ellie only ever told him she “finished things” and didn’t talk to him much after that. But he sees how she is a complete mess and lost her fingers. He knows that guitar was special for Ellie, plus any kind of disability is a huge disadvantage in their world. Dina doesn’t let JJ near him. JJ doesn't understand why and no one will tell him

Tommy and Maria never worked out their differences and have stayed separated, partly because of their guilt toward what happened with Ellie. They cared about her like she was their own and they both let her down

Jackson is now huge. They’ve made contact with other settlements, and have trade routes. But Maria is getting older and the town is getting too much for her to run on her own. Tommy is getting up there in age as well, and despite his injuries he still does patrols. But alone. He’s not actively trying to get killed, but he isn’t always as careful as he knows he should be.

Story starts out and you're playing as Tommy on patrol. He gets ambushed by a small group of people. And lo and behold Abby (and Lev) is there. Tommy is shocked when he finds out who it is, and he asks if she came to finish the job she started. She says no they tracked him since he left the town and were waiting to get him alone because she has news for him. The fireflies have rebuilt stronger than ever and now they’re back out for the cure and are coming for Ellie, because she is the only known source, but also as a form of revenge for what Joel did all those years ago, destroying what the Fireflies once were. They were able to get there first because they only brought a few people and set out before the main squad. Tommy asks why he should believe her, and she says that Ellie saved her life years ago and it's the least she could do to pay her back. (just like. Assume that there was enough info stored with the fireflies that Abby could work out who Ellie is). To keep Tommy from attacking or following him, they knock him out and untie him then leave.

Control switches back to Ellie who is doing her chores around town. You get to nail fences, chop wood, and carry hay bales. Fun. Later that night, as Ellie is getting home, standing on her porch, Tommy rolls up and confronts Ellie about Abby being alive. They get into a huge fight and Ellie tells Tommy that he fucked up her life. It's his fault she lost Dina. His fault she only gets to see jj when Dina allows it, his fault Jesse was killed. And its his fucking fault Joel died.

He storms off. But then Ellie notices J standing on the street coming to stay the night. She had forgotten this was her night with him. He’d been told his whole life that moms had a peaceful break up, and that dad and grandpa Joel died being heroes, but now he’s upset about what he's heard so he runs back home to Dina.

That night Ellie is woken up by fighting in Jackson. She runs out to try and find what's going on. All she can get is that fireflies are attacking. She eventually finds out that some travelers shot Maria and a fight broke out. Ellie fights through the town to Maria. She's injured with a gunshot in the arm, but alive still and kicking some ass. She tells Ellie that fireflies came asking for her, and would leave peacefully in return. She told them no and they shot her. Maria says she’ll be okay and tells Ellie to go find JJ and get him to safety.

She fights through to the other side of town. Because of the commotion, infected have broken in so there’s humans and infected running around killing. She gets to Jesse's house and JJ is hysterical, Dina is holding him down and he's like screaming and crying. His grandpa fought off a firefly who was trying to get in their home and was shot and killed. It hits Ellie that this is all her fault. People are dying because of her again. Anyway she tells dina and robin that they need to leave. Dina says she's not going anywhere without Ellie. Ellie wants to stay and fight, but JJ is more important right now. So the 4 of them sneak out and near the gates they meet up with Tommy. He’s helping get people out and sending them to one of the patrol lookouts that is secure and can fit everyone.

Ellie sends Dina, Robin and JJ off. Ellie gives JJ Joel's revolver and tells him to keep mom and grandma safe for her. She goes back to Tommy and the two get back to Maria. When they are very close to her, an infected ambushes them and Tommy gets bit. They get to Maria who is losing blood fast and doesn't look well. After a lot of arguing from Ellie, the pair decide to stay. They tell Ellie they’re old now. Maria wont last long with her wounds, and tommy has no chance of surviving his. They apologize to Ellie for the way things turned out and how much she has meant to them all these years. They give her all their ammo except for one bullet in each of their guns, because that's all they need now. Ellie begs them to come along, and she’ll figure something out for them. But they eventually convince her to go. Ellie leaves crying, and Maria and Tommy maybe get a cute moment before cutting back to Ellie.

Ellie makes it back to where the survivors are and is depressed that there's way less than she was expecting. JJ has cried himself to sleep and Dina notices Ellie is acting strange and pulls her away to ask her. Ellie tells her what happened and Dina holds her while she cries. It's the first time anyone has really been physically affectionate with her in a long time so Ellie clings to her as she lets it all out

The last survivors decide that Jackson isn’t safe. It's too damaged, filled with infected, and no one can figure out what the fireflies were doing. Ellie can't bring herself to say anything about it.

The next morning, everyone wakes up and is discussing what to do. JJ is still inconsolable. Ellie decides to take him away from the group to get some fresh air. She tells him to hold on to Joel's revolver. They chat and JJ asks what happened to auntie Maria and Tommy. She decides to be honest with him. She expects him to cry, but is shocked to see him become angry instead. He basically swears revenge for them and for his grandfather. This of course stirs up a lot of very negative thoughts in Ellie, but she decides to let him grieve in his own way for now.

That’s everything I have written out in detail for now. But the main idea would be Ellie becoming a leader to the few remaining survivors as they make contact with the other settlements that Jackson is allied with. She would take responsibility for all of these lives. They would be her reason for fighting now.

Over the course of the game, Abby would come back and her and Ellie would be forced to team up. There’s no more animosity between the two though, they’re both over it and don’t want to go back down that road. Over the course of the story they would come to understand each other’s actions. They wouldn’t become friends, but they can at least rely on each other.

JJ would find out that Abby is the person responsible for Joel and Jesse’s death, and she came from the group that killed his grandfather, Tommy and Maria. He’d go into a rage and try to attack her and Ellie would have to hold him back. He wants to know why Ellie is defending the person who hurt everyone they loved. Ellie would have to finally tell him the whole story, and try to keep him from giving into his anger and sadness like she did in the second game. She won’t let her son become like her. She wants him to stay her innocent baby boy, but she knows that’s just not possible in their world.

Other stuff that I have yet to flesh out:

More about Dina’s backstory. Or at least her last name.

Lev being a big brother to JJ.

Dina and Ellie falling in love all over again as Dina sees Ellie doing so much for the rest of the community. It’s gonna be emotional.

Ellie teaching JJ how to play guitar, and tearfully singing Future Days to him.

Unpopular opinion

I’m not sure of what people’s opinions on her are. I know most people love her and anyone who doesn’t isn’t entitled to an opinion.

I guess one is I’m not a fan of her farm hairstyle. Her Seattle look was just so cute. Why did you do that to your head, girl.

Favorite relationship

Dina of course.

I feel like Dina represented what Ellie could have if she wasn’t stuck in the past. Joel represented her violent past, and her traumas. Dina represented her future, her home, her family. Ellie was so stuck in the past, that she couldn’t see the future standing literally right in front of her.

It’s a great representation of how she holds onto the people she loves, but also how PTSD works. The past keeps coming back to haunt her.

Favorite headcanon

I hc her as autistic! I kinda feel bad because everyone else hcs her as having ADHD. But I’m autistic so I say she is too *sunglass emoji*.

Why I think she’s autistic:

Obviously her special interests would be space and dinosaurs, and the way she talks about them reminds me of how I get when people let me infodump about my SIs.

The way she plays with her fingers looks hella like stimming to me. In fact, that’s one of my stims!

Her interest in art and music.

Her interest in general nerdy stuff like comics and video games.

She collects cards, and collecting is a big autistic trait.

The way she’s sort of untidy and cluttered, yet labels all of her boxes of shit. The ordered mess is such an autistic thing.

#apocalypsebutch #this is 2861 words

13 notes · View notes

angelicdestieldemon · 4 years

Text

A Birthday Surprise

This is my first Barisi fanfic so please go easy on me, just love these two and Raúl, anyway enjoy x

(I also have a Kofi page if you're interested)

To say Amanda was surprised when she found out that Barba and Carisi were sleeping together would be a lie, she wasn’t blind, she could see the tension in their mutual teasing and battle of the wits. To then find out that not only were they sleeping together but were in a long-term committed relationship however was a little bit of a surprise. She was happy for them, she just didn’t realise that their relationship went further than sexual tension to be dispelled by hooking up once in a while. But the icing on the cake had to be finding out that they had been living together for a year and no one had noticed, not even Liv.

Which leads her to today, Barba and Carisi had invited the squad round to celebrate Carisi’s birthday. His birthday wasn’t actually today but they were all working on the day so they waited until the weekend rolled around to celebrate. When Carisi suggested his and Barba’s apartment Amanda could see the look Barba gave Carisi, a look of ‘what the hell are you thinking?’. However, before Barba could object to the idea, Carisi placed his hand on Barba’s thigh under the table and that look in Barba’s eye turned to soft resignation, it took all of Amanda’ self control not to smirk at the rare display of affection, not to mention the fact that Carisi had managed to wrap Barba round his finger. Letting her eyes drift from Barba to Carisi she could see the smug look he wore, he knew the control he had over the ADA and although Amanda knew that that control wasn’t something Carisi would abuse, she could tell he definitely made use of it.

So the plans were settled, and everyone agreed to meet at Carisi and Barba’s apartment on Saturday - today - to celebrate Carisi getting that little bit older. She had already given Carisi his present on his actual birthday, a tie from a tailors he had been practically drooling over when they went to speak to the owner for a case a few months back, she knew she’d done well when Barba complimented her gift, telling her it suited Carisi’s skin tone perfectly.

Now, as she waited for the elevator in the lobby of their apartment building, she was still trying to wrap her head around the idea of Barba and Carisi being in a relationship, a proper committed relationship.

xXx

Carisi was nervous, she could tell by the way he was peeling the label off his beer bottle. He hadn’t made eye contact with her since they arrived at the bar and his nervousness was beginning to make her feel anxious. Was he ok? Had something bad happened to him, his family? She wasn’t sure if he’d appreciate her putting her hand on his shoulder so instead, she slid the beer bottle out of his hand to draw his attention to her.

“Carisi, has something happened?” She asks, his eyes still refusing to meet hers.

“No. I- uh why is this so hard?” He said, talking more to himself than her. “I wanted to speak to you about something…” he says, his voice trailing off at the end, she could see the internal struggle he was facing on whether or not to tell her what he needed to tell her or let it go.

“Whatever you need to say, I'm here to listen,” she says, deciding to let him talk when he was ready, trying not to force him to say anything he wasn’t ready to say no matter how curious she was.

Carisi finally meets her eyes and for a moment he says nothing, just staring at her as if he is looking for something, he must find it because he grabs his beer bottle, takes a long sip and turns to face her completely.

“I’m bisexual.”

xXx

She remembers that night he came out to her like it was yesterday, he was so scared of her rejecting him, of reacting badly like so many others must have done before. And when she didn’t, when she gave him a hug and told him she was proud of him, grateful that he decided she was worthy of him telling her something so personal, he nearly broke down in tears of relief.

They had become closer after that, Carisi told her about his previous relationships, his catholic family’s reaction to their only son coming out as bisexual. That night was a rough one, to say that they hadn’t taken it well would be an understatement but they were coming round, slowly but surely. They drank a lot that night and Amanda can still remember the hangover they both had the next morning.

The elevator finally arrives and as she turns to push the button for Barba and Carisi’s floor she sees Liv enter the lobby, she holds the door open long enough for Liv to make it in before allowing the doors to close.

“I’ve spent all week wondering what their apartment looks like,” Amanda says by way of greeting and she can see Liv smile.

“Honestly, I’ve been doing the same. Until Carisi invited us I realised I haven’t been to any of their apartments even before they moved in together,” Liv replied, Amanda smiled.

“I’m still trying to get my head around how none of us noticed. I mean we’re detectives, how could we not notice?” She responds, her question was one she knew Liv shared.

Barba and Liv were very close, best friends even, and yet he didn’t tell her that he had moved in with one of her detectives, and that they had been living together for over a year. Then again, Barba was a very private man, Amanda could probably count on one hand the amount of personal information she knew about him. That thought leads her to Carisi, sure she knew a lot about Carisi, the man was practically an open book in most aspects, and having come out to her she assumed he would have told her if he was in a relationship. But no, he too - like Barba - had hidden it from her, all of them really.

“I’m trying not to take it personally,” Liv says, breaking Amanda out of her runaway thoughts. “They didn’t have to tell us, but I'm glad they did.” She finished, however Amanda saw her mouth open again as if to speak before she closed it again. Amanda waited for her to continue, knowing that whatever Liv was about to say was important if she was consciously working out how to put her thoughts in to words.

“I just can’t help wondering why they didn’t tell us sooner? I mean, I know they said that they didn’t intend for it to be a great big secret and that they just didn’t know how to tell us without it being a big thing. I just worry that maybe there was another reason, that they didn’t feel safe telling us,” she explained, a tired look crossing her face making it clear that Liv had spent the whole week worrying about this in her head.

“Have you spoken to Barba about this? I think it’d help,” she offers. “I can see where you’re coming from, if I'm honest I'm a little hurt that Carisi didn’t tell me, he tells me about everything else. But I can also see from their perspective, it’s hard enough in our world for them to be out, every so often I hear unis and other lawyers take digs at them. Their relationship as I'm sure you’ve noticed has already caused quite a stir,” Amanda rationalises, if anything saying it out loud makes her see their perspective a little clearer.

Liv turns to her, a small smile gracing her features and Amanda knows she’s comforted by her words.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I guess maybe I'm more annoyed at myself for not noticing,” she says, a teasing smile growing prominently, Amanda returns it.

The elevator finally arrives on the right floor and they both leave feeling better than when they entered. Finding the right door, Liv knocks and they only have to wait a few seconds before Carisi answers it, dressed casually but it’s clear to Amanda that these are clothes bought by Barba. Carisi wouldn’t pay the amount the blue long sleeve shirt he was wearing cost but Barba definitely would.

“Hey, you’re the last to arrive, please come in,” he says, standing to the side to let them past. “Can I take your coats?” Amanda rolls her eyes and shrugs off her coat, Liv following suit.

“Aren't you a good little host?” She teases, Carisi grins taking their coats and hanging them on the rack behind the door.

“What can I say, my mother taught me right,” he teases back, a mocking but happy smile plastered on his face. “Drinks are in the kitchen on the right, help yourself,” he finishes leading them through to the living room opposite the kitchen.

The apartment is exactly what Amanda imagined Barba would live in, the living room is spacious with a large expensive but comfortable looking furniture and large windows with views of the city. A short hallway leading to what she assumes is the bedrooms and the bathroom. The kitchen is filled with top of the line appliances a very expensive looking coffee maker and sleek counter tops, she finds the beer in the fridge and grabs a glass of wine for Liv as well and walks back across to the living room.

Carisi drops down on to the large L-shaped couch next to Barba, his arm thrown over the back and they’re pressed together at the side in way they never would at work and Amanda can’t help but find it sweet the Barba doesn’t even pretend to act annoyed but relaxes instantly in to Carisi’s side.

She passes the wine to Liv and sits down beside her on the opposite side of the couch from the love birds. Fin taking the armchair across from all of them.

“Well, shall we raise a toast?” Fin announces, raising his bottle. “Happy Birthday Carisi, may you live to share your legal knowledge for another year whether we want it or not,” he teases.

Everyone except Carisi nods their head in agreement and amusement while saying “Cheers!” including Barba, who gets a pinch on his arm from his boyfriend, but the look they share is one of good natured teasing that makes Amanda ache for someone to look at her like that.

The group carry on after that, Carisi thanking them for coming, Liv moving closer to Barba to talk about the apartment, Amanda can see a proud look on his face, it’s clear he loves his and Carisi’s home. She chats with Fin and Carisi about the dinner he and Barba had with his parents and sisters on his actual birthday, Amanda and Fin laughing at Barba being ambushed by Carisi’s sisters, Theresa and Gina making it known that if it doesn’t work out with Sonny, Barba should give either of them a call.

After a few more beers, Amanda asks where to find the bathroom, “First door on the right,” Carisi says, his arm still firmly around Barba.

She finds the bathroom and marvels at the large bathtub in the corner, wishing her own was that big. After finishing her business and washing her hands in one of the two sinks she opens the door to leave but pauses and decides to have a nose around the apartment without supervision, starting with the bathroom cabinets. The pain killers for migraines are probably Barba’s and the expensive shaving kit is probably his too. She finds hair gel that most definitely belongs to Carisi as it is the same brand he has in his desk for long days. As she’s about to close it and move on to the bedroom, she see’s something that catches her eye. A box of extra large condoms, grinning she takes a picture of the box to tease Carisi about later puts her phone back in her pocket when she hears someone clear their throat behind her.

“Having a nose around are we?” Carisi says, a mocking glint in his eyes. Amanda smiles and hold up the box of condoms.

“Barba’s a lucky man, Carisi, who knew you were packing so much heat in those tailored trousers,” she teases, waiting to see the tall detectives cheeks flush red with embarrassment as it so often does, only instead of blushing she sees him smirk, a mischievous look flash across his face.

“They’re not mine,” he quips, watching her expression turn to one of shock, before leaving her there in the bathroom.

After taking a minute to recover from the shock of finding out about Barba’s size she puts the box back in the cabinet and heads back to the living room hoping her face isn’t red. She arrives just in time for Carisi to lean in and whisper something in Barba’s ear, and to her mortification she see’s Barba’s smile turn to into a predatory smirk. He catches her eye and winks making her choke on her beer. Fin and Liv turning to her in concern, but she passes it off with a “wrong tube” and takes another drink, making a mental note to never go through Barba or Carisi’s things again, there are some things she doesn’t want to know.

#barisi #rafael barba #sonny carisi #dominic sonny carisi #ada barba #Law & Order SVU #law & order: special victims unit #barisi fanfic #fanfiction #Raúl esparza #raul esparza #Peter Scanavino #Olivia benson #odafin tutuola #fin tutuola #Amanda Rollins #mariska hartigay #ice t #Kelli Giddish

44 notes · View notes

ikuyeah · 4 years

Text

The Dawn Breaks

Summary: With miles and miles on the road to his repentance left to go, William Vangeance finds comfort in the familiar dark magic enveloping a figure clad in gold. The one that he’d let slip away. His Golden Dawn.

(Part One of the Attract Light series)

A/N: I binged Black Clover after it appeared on my Netflix feed and I have many William Vangeance feelings. So here I am. Writing fic. Anyways, by the time I post this I'll have read the rest of the manga chapters but keep in mind that I wrote this before reading it. Hope y’all enjoy my first foray into Black Clover.

Yami’s eyes fluttered open for a moment, catching sight of familiar violet irises filled with mirth. Shifting, he felt the blanket that definitely wasn’t there before sliding down his broad frame. He suppressed a sigh of relief. It looked like Vangeance would be fine.

Ever since the Golden Dawn Captain had the soul of the elf removed from his body, he’d been bathed in dark guilt and remorse for everything he’d failed to do from protecting the citizens to believing in their respected Wizard King.

Despite his rough demeanor, he had really meant it when he said Vangeance was someone he considered closer than a mere comrade. That aside, he was also important to her which motivated him to break free from his drunken haze for a moment.

“I’m not sure if he let you know but after the meeting the Wizard King said we need everyone with great magic power to join this fight…” He murmured, almost doubting Vangeance had heard him but the other man turned his head before he could reach the door.

“I see, so she is to return.” His eyes which were mirthful turned dark with uncertainty. “How soon?”

Yami nearly grinned. It seems that even after being outed for housing an angry elf, some things about him would never change. Neither his kindness nor his feelings seem to have waned after all. “What’s with that look in your eyes, Captain Shiny? I thought your bond of friendship was stronger than that.” He didn’t hold back his grin this time, raising a brow when Vangeance’s own lips quirked into a smile.

“Indeed. But that’s beside the point now, Yami. After all…” Vangeance turned back, walking out the door. “Friendship is a stepping stone to the greater bond I will be pursuing with Sukehiro Aki.”

Eight Years Prior...

William watched from his perch on his World Tree as the Magic Knights started mobilizing. He’d been on patrol when the fighting broke out. The small gang of magic users were strong and their leader could conceal their magic well. While he scanned for the routes he’d have taken, he spotted a knight sprinting for what seemed like no reason until he caught sight of the brightly glowing outline in front of her.

“My Moon Glow makes it so anyone I touch has their mana drained!” She cheered, the glowing outline fading out until the once invisible gang leader was exposed.

William responded quickly, causing the roots of the tree to grow and block him.

Taking advantage of this, the girl aimed a swift kick at the criminal’s side, her leg engulfed in dark magic.

William’s eyes widened a little in realization. He’d heard that they had a new recruit who had the same magic as Sukehiro Yami but now that he could see her the resemblance was uncanny.

The girl looked up and waved to him with a bright smile. “Thanks for the save! I think I’ve heard of you before from Yami. You’re Vangeance, right?” She called out.

William jumped down from the tree branch with ease, making sure the criminal was apprehended with the tree’s roots. “Indeed, pleased to make your acquaintance. I’m afraid I have not had the pleasure of knowing your name.” He held out a hand to her.

“Oh! I’m a new recruit. My name’s Sukehiro Aki. Though, you probably already had the Sukehiro part figured out.” Shaking his hand enthusiastically.

“The resemblance is astounding.” He digressed. “In both appearance and magic, it seems.”

Aki blinked at him and sighed. “Yeah, but I’m grateful to the Captain. It seems he knows that my talent lies more in reconnaissance than my brother. You’ve met him. His power is much too explosive to deal with anything requiring tact.” She mused.

William found himself with his shoulders rising, a laugh almost bubbling out of him. “The Captain knows not to judge people by their familial ties… or their upbringing.” He agreed.

The subtle change in his tone caught her notice and Aki seemed to stare at him for a while. “Your magic is incredible, Mister Vangeance.” She nodded to the tree behind him. William glanced back at the foliage, by the time his eyes met hers again, her expression softened considerably. “And remarkably, I think your character is even more incredible. So, I look forward to working with you in the future.”

William took a moment to let her words sink in before responding, returning her budding respect with a hopeful smile. “Likewise, Miss Sukehiro. Just Vangeance is fine.”

“Hah, well then just Aki is fine.” She retorted, stopping him before he could say that was hardly the same. “Would be kind of awkward if Yami and I were in the same room. And speaking of names, Vengeance is really satisfying to say so I hope you don’t mind me saying it often. Vengeance, it’s got an impact to it!” She said excitedly.

William’s shoulders rose again in an aborted chuckle. He considered declining calling her by her given name but decided it wouldn’t hurt to honor her request. “Very well, Aki.”

William sat at his desk in his room, breathing deeply as he stared out at the trees lining the Golden Dawn’s estate. He hasn’t been able to calm his heart since Yami had told him Aki was returning. His feelings for her had been buried under many worries and beneath his guilt for his many recent transgressions. But, in spite of the years they’d spent apart, the flame of his admiration never flickered for a moment.

He remembered vividly the sound of her laughter and the warmth of her hand the few times they’d high fived and even the one time they shook hands. He remembered the brightness of her smile even after it dulled, even after the toll of dark magic weighed her down and stole the smile from her radiant face. He remembered the oddest things she’d talk about like how it was that butterflies slept and how queen bees were born. He remembered her idle musings about what it would be like if all the Kingdoms were united as one nation as well as her musings about the merits of different kinds of cheese in mac n cheese.

And he’d missed it all so much.

Opening one of his drawers, he smoothed out the folded and unfolded piece of parchment, his name written across the top in hurried letters.

Will,

I fear I’m no longer in control of myself, my friend. I’m ashamed to write this, to let you know my weakness. But you are my best and closest friend and so I can’t leave without letting you know the reason. I think you already knew that it would happen, but the extent to which my faith has been devoured by this magic is great and so I’m leaving to find a way to restore it. It’s funny, that I’ve misplaced my faith. Bet you’re relieved you didn’t have someone as messy as me in your Squad huh?

You’d probably say no, because you’re kind. I hope that one day when I return I can greet the kind person who’s looked after me all these years with a kind face and strong faith. I hope I can be someone who stands beside you to marvel at it, at your Golden Dawn.

For now, that’s reason enough for me to find it. My lost faith. I hope it returns to me soon so that I may return to you soon, my friend.

Aki

“We are, the both of us, quite a pair.” He said softly. “To think that I’d lose my faith as you’d lost yours. Maybe your return… would return it to me. Your faith in yourself and my faith in myself.”

A knock on his door startled him out of his reverie and he gently placed the parchment in its previous place, pushing his drawer closed as he called for them to enter.

“Captain Vangeance, we have the gate keeper’s report like you requested and there’s no Sukehiro who entered the Capital today.” The two Golden Dawn members bowed. “We apologize.”

“It’s no trouble. Thank you for indulging my request.” He nodded gratefully.

“We’ll check again tomorrow, Captain Vangeance!” They bowed again and then promptly left.

William watched them go, amused. “Everyone around me is very kind.”

‘It’s because you’re kind.’ Her voice whispered in the back of his mind, resounding in his heart.

“No matter what it was you thought you were,” He murmured, fingers intertwining like the beginning of a prayer. “You were always just as kind… Aki.”

Six Years Prior...

“Vangeance!”

William turned, smiling as the dark haired girl approached him. “Aki, you look well.” He greeted.

As she passed, several nobles in Grey Deer uniform sneered at her. “That peasant, just because she’s friends with Vangeance and the sister of that monster the Captain picked up she thinks she’s all that.” One of them huffed.

“If Vangeance had a brain in that mask of his, he’d know to stay far away from her. She probably has dark blood in her veins too. A peasant and a monster.” The other said, egging on his companion as he spat in Aki’s direction.

Aki dodged the spitball and stopped in front of him, a hand raised. “I wasn’t sure what kind of greeting you’d prefer. So, high five I guess!” She laughed nervously.

Watching their fellow knights out of the corner of his eye, William regarded his friend in a low but resonant tone. “There’s no need to be embarrassed, my friend.” He said, lightly tapping his palm against hers. “After all we’ve been working together for this long. How is Tsukuyomi’s Moon Bow progressing?” He asked, genuinely interested in her spell’s growth.

“You were right about me not extending my magical awareness enough.” She said with a sigh. “Looks like Moon Magic really does draw strength from the moon. I think I’ll be able to do an area attack soon. I’m close to a breakthrough after mastering control of the Moon Bow.” She said, practically vibrating with excitement.

William raised a brow at her. “An area attack?”

“I’m going to gather the shadows and use it to redirect the mana somewhere else, maybe make it explode. It’s going to turn everything quite bright and I’m not used to so much light concentration yet, but I think I’ll call it Akatsuki or something of the like. That means Dawn where Yami and I come from.” Aki explained.

“I see. I have no doubt your mana can support the attack, but will you be alright?” He asked. Aki had always been more like him than Yami in that way. Though she trained with all her might to build her strength, she had a frailer body. It took a lot of her concentration just to control her dark magic.

Aki grinned, raising her arm up and flexing it. “I got my first arm muscle! So don’t worry about it, Vengeance. Leave it to me! I’ll sneak in, make them explode, and then sneak out!” She said with complete determination.

William only nodded. Aki had a lot of mana, it was why she was able to keep up in spite of her smaller form. However, William couldn’t help but worry for his friend. It seemed the darkness was looming larger over her with each mission. He wasn’t sure how long it would take until it overwhelmed her.

“I think it’s about time we dismissed the pleasantries, Aki.”

Aki looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

William looked back at her, hoping that by tying his friend to his own fate he’ll be able to save her from the pain. Yes, this was only so she could be safe.

“We are friends aren’t we? Call me William.”

Aki’s eyes widened, in awe of both his trust and his thoughtfulness. It had plagued her from time to time whether or not he found her bothersome. The sentiment brought tears to her eyes. “Man, I’ll miss saying Vangeance. But maybe…” She tipped her chin down, wiping at her eyes discreetly. “Will… has a pretty nice ring to it too.”

The darkness flickered out for a moment, surprising William.

The older knight clenched his fists at the motion, his resolve hardening. ‘I’ll do what I can to save you, my friend.’ He thought.

When Aki looked up at him again, she was greeted with a warm smile. “Well, why don’t we enact your genius plan, then? I’m interested in seeing this Dawn attack you’ve come up with.”

Asta burst out the door to his room with a yell that he’d work hard again that day. “Time to do the chores-”

The young Magic Knight gaped, realising that all the chores were complete. They had even fed the magical creatures. “All the chores are done?!” He screamed.

A dark haired girl poked her head around one of the corners, bowl of food in hand. “Ah, you must be Asta. Yami’s probably been working you to the bone so I figured I’d give you a break. We can do the chores together tomorrow.” She shrugged, beckoning him into the kitchen. “Come on, I made breakfast. You can just exercise twice as much later.” She insisted.

“Oh, thank you. Wait- Who are you?!” Asta pointed at the girl, eyes drawn to the black cloak over her yellow turtleneck. “You’re a fellow Black Bull member?” He asked, sitting down at the dining table.

The girl placed a bowl of rice with meat layered on top of it in front of him. “Oops, I guess Yami never bothered to tell you. I’m Sukehiro Aki, nice to meet you!” She patted him lightly on the head and walked away to wash the pan and other kitchenware she used to cook.

“Sukehiro…” Asta murmured, munching on the meal. In a corner of his mind, a memory rose. Didn’t the Captain once mention to him that he knew what it was like to be far from siblings? He remembered, because he’d gone as far as to ask the Wizard King about it but he’d said to ask Captain Vangeance. The rest of the Black Bulls said that they were away, training. But that meant that this girl...

“Yami’s my older brother.”

Asta nearly choked on his rice. “You’re Captain Yami’s younger sister?!”

“Wow, you sure love to repeat what’s said. Then again, there are weirder quirks.” Aki laughed softly, bubbles flying into the air.

“Sorry, I really had no idea. Do you have Dark Magic too?” He asked, considerably calmer now. He couldn’t explain it himself, she seemed to have a very calming aura.

Aki’s grimoire floated up, the book pure white with a giant moon etching in the middle surrounded by clouds in the same style as Yami’s. In the middle of the moon was a three-leaf clover. “Sort of. I can manipulate and create dark energy. I’m also quite blessed by the moon. It’s hard to explain. But yes, it’s a form of Dark Magic.” She shrugged and then promptly disappeared, appearing again in the form of Asta’s shadow before getting back to cleaning up.

“My abilities are more suited to reconnaissance so my attacks depend heavily on stealth and precision.” She admitted.

“Wow, I didn’t sense your Ki at all!” Asta beamed at her, in awe of her magic ability. “I think you’re the most normal Black Bull I’ve ever met.”

Aki’s eyes flashed and she leveled an intimidating stare at Asta, making him shudder lightly. “You should be more careful, Asta.”

“Y-Yes, Aki-Senpai!” He saluted instinctively.

Aki’s eyes softened and she laughed loudly. “You should have seen your face.” She teased.

“Don’t be fooled, kid. This little menace can cause quite a stir. Understandable, since she’s a 2nd Class Intermediate Wizard.” Yami strolled in, ruffling her hair.

“Ew, if you’ve just left the bathroom please keep your hands off me.” She laughed, shoving him away from her.

“Huh? Did you get even stronger while you were gone? Did you become too big for your brother’s love now? You little shit, let’s fight right here and now.” He teased.

“You know that’s way dangerous and stop giving Henry a hard time fixing the base.” Aki smacked playfully at her brother’s buffed up arm, frustrated when her hits just bounced off of him harmlessly.

Asta stared at them, eyes shining in interest. “I wonder what a fight between two Dark Magic users would be like. Wouldn’t they cancel each other out?”

Yami puffed smoke out of his mouth, considering his options. “Hey Aki.”

The younger Sukehiro looked up at him. “Yeah? Captain Nii-san?” She asked.

“Have you gone to see the magic-obsessed Wizard King yet?”

Aki shook her head, staring at her brother. Sometimes she couldn’t exactly pinpoint if he was being lazy or being tactical but this seemed like something he’d planned. “I’m going after I finish with these plates.” She answered, waiting for his next move.

“You’re going to see the Wizard King? Can I come?” Asta asked, eyes getting even bigger at the mention of the man.

‘Ah, but why go through the trouble, Nii-san?’ She wondered. “Of course. But you better be ready to go.” She shrugged, still trying to decipher why it was that Yami was trying to send her to the Capital.

“Yes, Ma’am! I’ll get Finral-Senpai!” He responded, speeding away. Soon after, the sound of Finral yelling ‘She’s here?’ resounded in the halls.

“What are you trying to do?” Aki asked, scrubbing at the plates while Yami had his own bowl of katsu.

Yami grinned, sending a light gust of dark energy her way to ruffle her hair again. “Nothing much. Just making sure Clover Kingdom knows they have their beloved Golden Girl back.”

Five Years Prior...

William stepped out of the castle and was greeted cheerfully by a familiar dark haired girl clad in gold and black.

“Vangeance! Uh, I mean Will!” She called out, coming to a halt in front of him. “I heard you and Nii-san were called in by Captain Julius! But I guess it’s Wizard King now, huh? What was it for? Are you going to be Captain of the Grey Deer or is it Yami? Or are you going to be co-Captains? I hope it’s not just Yami, he’s a mess.” She rambled, stopping when William raised a hand in front of her.

“My apologies for cutting you off.” He bowed lightly. “We’re going to be Captains of two new Squads.”

“Two new-” Aki gaped. “I see. Somehow, it seems like something strategically beneficial that only Julius-sama would do.” She nodded.

“In that vein, I’ll be heading the Golden Dawn. And I want you to be my Vice Captain.” William said, his eyes searching hers.

“You want-” Aki raised a hand to cover her mouth after letting out an audible gasp. “I-I can’t be your- Will, no one will respect you if you do that, I’m only an Intermediate Wizard a-and I’m a foreign peasant-”

“I hold you in great respect, Aki. I trust you and you are my friend. I wouldn’t ask this of you if I didn’t believe you were qualified.” William retorted, his heart threatening to beat out of his chest. He couldn’t understand if it was rage at whoever made her believe she wasn’t qualified enough or anxiety at her answer. “So please, consider this offer for as long as you have to-”

“I’m sorry, Will.” She cut in, shocking both him and herself. “I respect you too. I do. And I respect your dream. Which is why I can’t be your Vice Captain.”

“Aki-”

Aki’s grey eyes were full of unshed tears as they met his. “Someone like me… can’t stand next to someone like you.”

William extended a hand to stop her but she’d already disappeared, traveling away from him in the shadows.

“Ah, Vangeance. I apologize. I probably shouldn’t have been here for that.”

William willed away the overwhelming sadness in his heart as he turned to face Yami. “I apologize. The fault is mine for inciting her in public.”

“Still, I am sorry. That troublesome sister of mine, she respects you but she really didn’t have faith in your friendship just now did she?” He groaned, wanting nothing more than to have a drink already to celebrate his becoming a Captain. He didn’t want to be here dealing with his kid sister and her feelings. “And don’t you say it was your fault for not giving her a reason to have faith in you.”

Idly, he thought that the way he spoke was a lot like Aki. The thought felt like a stab to his side. “Yami, I appreciate your attempt to console me. However, I am quite fine-”

“Shut up, will you? I’m trying to say…” Yami patted his shoulder, making it a point not to look him in the eye. “Thank you for being her friend, Vangeance.”

William was quiet for a moment before speaking.

“I trust you’ll care for her from here on, as her Captain.” He said, gliding out of reach and then out of sight.

In a flash, Finral’s magic transported them to the Capital.

“Here we are. It really is great to see you again, Aki-san.” Finral smiled, genuinely elated that another member of the Black Bulls had returned.

“Thanks Finral. Sorry if Captain Nii-chan has been using you as an instant bathroom button this whole time. You’ve gotten pretty powerful since last I’ve seen you.” Aki complimented, proud that he’s been trying to curb his womanizing behavior at long last.

Waving goodbye to the Spacial Mage, Aki and Asta made their way to the Wizard King’s office. The door swung open and Aki came face to face with a much shorter and younger boy.

“Julius-sama… Did you lose weight or something?” She asked, looking down at the kid.

“How does this look like losing weight to you, Aki-Senpai?” Asta asked.

Aki ignored his retort, continuing with her report on the last dungeon she traversed. It was underground with many water passages. She’d learned a lot about navigating in a place where there was no moon to draw power from, forcing her to make use of the abundance of darkness and shadow around her.

Julius only laughed and nodded as she told him of her escapades, glad to see his old friend. “You seem more settled, Aki. It was right of Mereonleona to send you to those dungeons.” He complimented.

“They were a nightmare.” Aki froze at the memory of them. “But somehow, I’m alive and my magic has settled considerably so she’s right yet again, I suppose.”

“Was your magic not very stable before, Senpai?” Asta tilted his head quizzically.

“Something like that.” Aki shrugged, patting him on the head. “I’m guessing I have to check in with Owen?” She asked, turning to Julius.

“If you would.” Julius gestured for her to leave, his own squad of knights escorting her out.

“See you in a bit, Asta.” She called out, slipping through the portal and out of sight.

Asta lingered, his eyes meeting Julius’.

“Were you able to learn about Yami’s mysterious sister? I’d imagine it was a shock to meet her after you asked so arduously after her.” Julius smiled as though amused.

“I never got to ask Captain Vangeance like you told me to because of the whole… elf situation.” Asta rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “But the older Squad members mentioned she was always away on extended training.”

Julius nodded. “I guess you are wondering what it was about Sukehiro Aki’s magic that caused her to go on such a long training period.” Julius guessed.

“You don’t have to tell me. I can ask Aki-Senpai.” Asta blustered, undeniably curious but wanting to respect his elder.

Julius shrugged. “Yami and Aki don’t think it’s worth talking about. They will likely pass it off as nothing.” He placed a hand against his cheek thoughtfully. “If it’s insight on your senior, I’d say that her magic is something that could easily overcome her because of her form.”

“Her form?” Asta ran a hand through his hair, his brain was really getting a workout today. “Like when I use the devil’s power and my body hurts after? Something like that? Aki-Senpai is much smaller than the Captain and he trains a lot to use Dark Magic. Is she less able to control it because she can’t… develop muscle?” He asked.

Julius clapped his hands. “That’s exactly right, Asta-kun.” He said gleefully, proud that Asta could deduce that on his own. “But aside from that, she was very mentally weak as well. Sad to say, not everyone can handle the pressures of being different like yourself and Yami.” His voice softened and Asta could almost see the hurt in his own eyes, like he was recalling Aki’s painful memories.

“But you said Aki-Senpai is better now. Does that mean she’s feeling better? Mentally?” Asta asked but before Julius could answer he shook his head. “Nevermind that, if she’s not feeling well, we’ll help her feel better because she’s a Black Bull.” He half-yelled.

Asta realised he’d gotten worked up again and bowed. “Thank you for letting me know. I’ll be more considerate as the future Wizard King.”

“You really have guts Asta, saying that to the Wizard King.” Aki said with a laugh, entering the room. “No matter how child-like he looks now, Julius can be pretty smart and powerful. It’s going to take a lot of work to be the Wizard King.”

Julius let out a low laugh at her jibe. “Child-like…”

“Aki-Senpai. I’m counting on you to help me become Wizard King one day!” He reiterated, bowing to Aki this time.

“Alright, alright. Get up.” Aki bowed to Julius and grabbed hold of her junior. “I’ll see you for tea sometime?” She asked with a bright smile Julius hadn’t seen since her rookie years.

Julius nodded. “I’m looking forward to it, Aki.”

Five Years Prior...

“Captain Vangeance, we’re back with the details about the fight that broke out involving the Freese Family. It appears that several of our knights were injured in the crossfire. Lord Freese was fatally injured upon the arrival of the Black Bulls but his daughter was brought safely home by their Spacial Mage.” Alecdora summarized blathely.

William forced his hands to relax against his writing desk, letting go of the pen he’d been gripping fearfully to prevent his hands from trembling. “I see, I will see to it that I personally apologise for our mishandling of the situation. Perhaps we can provide aid for the young lady.” He forced himself to think on how they could serve the girl, the clear victim of the crime, before moving his focus to Yami’s squad. “And the Black Bulls?”

“There were no casualties on their end.” Alecdora seemed hesitant to continue but cleared his throat nonetheless. “However, the nobles have called a trial at the Magic Parliament against Sukehiro Aki.”

William’s breath hitched. “On what grounds?” He responded, a little quicker, a little more defensive than was typical of him.

Alecdora didn’t seem to notice, still dutiful in providing information. “She used a frightening Dark Magic technique against the opposition which drove them insane even after they were apprehended. She herself was almost unable to stop her own magic. They’ve come to the conclusion that she is to stand trial.”

“I see.” William’s mind worked through scenario after scenario, thinking about what the nobles would punish her with. “Damnatio will be adamant on a life sentence at the very least for failing to save Lord Freese and execution for the use of magic unbefitting a knight of the kingdom.” He threaded his fingers together and placed them on his lap under the table, he couldn’t stop shaking. In the back of his mind, he felt Patri’s influence growing stronger, his own hatred of the situation amplifying it.

Pushing his chair back, he stood up and started walking. “I will ask the Wizard King for advice on this matter. Please see to it that we address any needs the Freese family have.”

“Yes, Captain.”

With a wave, Alecdora was dismissed and William made haste. Traveling to the Wizard King’s office even by broom though quick felt like an age to William. The festering anger and helplessness burned in him, amplified by Patri’s own sentiments.

By the time he reached his office, Julius couldn’t help but feel sympathy towards him. William, who was an enigma to everyone, was obviously distraught in Julius’ eyes.

“I see you have caught wind of this trial Damnatio is holding.” He began, forgoing the formalities.

“I have faith that you have something planned.” William felt himself slowly relaxing, the reassuring calmness in Julius’ eyes helping him grasp his own sense of calm.

“It’s troubling. I’ve only been Wizard King for a short time. The decision to make Yami the Captain of the Black Bulls and them being so unconventional hasn’t reflected well with the nobility. It will be a long fight if we do it head on.” The older man’s expression dropped in what seemed like deep sadness. “They can’t afford to let a single one of their members lose control.”

“What does that mean for the trial?” William asked, not quite understanding where this was leading.

“There will be no trial.” Julius clarified, sliding an envelope across the table towards him.

William picked the envelope up, recognising Aki’s messy scrawl on the back. To Will.

“I’ve made a concession with Damnatio. Aki is to spend time away from the Capital and prove to the Magic Parliament that she can control her magic. She will be returning in intervals to be checked by Owen and their own Healers and researchers to make certain she’s recovered.” He explained.

“Aki has always had impeccable control over herself. She would never have endangered anyone, not even with provocation.” William stared at his name on the back of the pure white envelope in disbelief.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t think of another way.” Julius bowed slightly and William’s eyes finally snapped away from the letter to protest. “I assure you that she will return, I will see to it.”

William bowed, lower than he’s ever bowed to anyone in his life perhaps. “I trust your judgement in this and I apologise for implying I had doubted you.” He said earnestly, sliding the letter delicately into the inside pocket of his uniform.

“I don’t mind it.” Julius let out a mild chuckle. “After all, love is quite the troublemaker. To think it made you fall to your knees.”

William was suddenly very grateful for the mask even though it looked like Julius knew even with it on that he was blushing. “Contrary to popular belief, I am entirely human with feelings of my own.”

“I never doubted it. Though the situation is unfortunate, I’m happy for you.” Julius nodded. “When the time comes, seize your chance at happiness. If not for yourself or for Aki, then for me.”

With Patri’s anger simmering in the back of his mind, William doubted he’d have his chance at a life with Aki even if he wanted to. But nevertheless…

“I will. I swear it.”

Alecdora burst through the doors of his Captain’s office. “I apologise for not requesting entry, Captain. But Sukehiro…” He breathed in deeply, doubling over from his effort to rush back to the Golden Dawn’s headquarters.

“Settle down and tell me what Captain Yami’s done.” William gestured to the seat across him which was for visitors.

“Sukehiro Aki is in the Capital. She’s been spotted in conversation with the Wizard King.” He breathed out, unsurprised when his Captain pushed his chair back and stood up. It was like deja vu.

“I leave the rest of today’s affairs in your hands.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Aren’t you going to congratulate me, Asta?” Aki asked as they strolled through the Capital streets looking for Finral to transport them all back.

Asta tilted his head up, arms crossed behind his head. “Congrats on what, Aki-Senpai?” He asked.

“For passing the Magic Parliament exam of course. Now they won’t execute me. Isn’t that great?” She shrugged.

“Eh?? They wanted to execute you too?” Asta screamed, in shock that she could say something like that in such a blase way. “What’s up with those guys? Why do they keep wanting to execute us?” He shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around nobles and their weird biases.

“Ah, I’m pretty sure that when my magic went out of control years ago we also got all those negative stars. Sorry about that. I really tried to make up for them by taking all those dungeon missions from Julius-sama.” She bowed repeatedly.

“Those were because of you too, Senpai????” Asta spun around, unable to express the shock with just his hands anymore. As he was spinning around, he caught sight of a familiar white uniform and stopped, thinking it might have been Yuno but instead of dark hair the figure was wearing a strange mask over his head.

“Wah, it’s Golden Dawn’s Captain!” Asta started waving, eyes widening when the man kept walking, stopping once he was in front of them. “H-Hello, Captain Vangeance.”

“Asta, it seems you’re as lively as ever.” William nodded at the young knight and then turned to Aki with a genial smile. “And you have a new friend with you.”

Asta’s eyes went from Aki to William and back. The Wizard King had told him to ask Captain Vangeance about Captain Yami’s sibling but given the way he was talking, Asta decided to try introducing them. “Yeah, this is Captain Yami’s-”

“I’m glad to see you in good shape, Will. Being Captain really becomes you.” Aki easily slipped into the conversation, her body language emitting a kind of comfort you get when in the presence of an old and dear friend. It reminded Asta of how he felt when he talked to Yuno and he figured they must be good friends.

“You look like you’ve grown as well.” The Captain responded just as easily, more relaxed than Asta had ever seen him. “And, if I may, being home becomes you.”

Aki laughed but her laugh was lighter and brighter than when she did at the base. Asta could feel the overflowing fondness from it. “I wasn’t entirely certain that would be the consensus but it appears I was wrong. Then again, I’ve never been all that clear on how others’ viewed my power.” She retorted, their conversation like a game of wits with no end in sight.

William’s expression became serious. “Believe me, my friend. You were many things to us, but you were never something to fear. You were far too kind.” His lips quirked up, like some kind of unspoken meaning had been shared between them.

With a scoff, Aki responded. “Said the King of Kindness himself.”

“You flatter me.”

“Excellent, would you like me to dole out some more?”

The Knight Captain’s shoulders shook as he began to chuckle. “Only if you would allow me to reciprocate, perhaps over dinner?” His tone was playful now, it wasn’t a stretch to imagine that behind the mask his eyebrows were raised in challenge.

“My, you really should watch what you say, Will.” Aki said, trying to difuse the tension with what was clearly nervous laughter. Around them, women of both noble and common background began to murmur. And though she spent all this time building her resolve so she wouldn’t fall to the sound of their scoffing, it still put her on edge. “Women fainter of the heart will misunderstand.”

William smirked like she’d fallen into his trap. “And if that is my goal?”

Aki blinked at him in confusion. “What?” She asked, disbelieving. Surely, he hadn’t meant what she thought he meant.

“I have romantic feelings for you, Aki. I always have. And I made a promise that if you were to return to me, if I had a chance at a future with you, I would take it. So this is my proposal, I wish to court you properly. I won’t hold anything back any longer, not my secrets, not my fears, and least of all my feelings. And, if you would allow me, I would like to return the comfort and love I felt when you were by my side a hundred fold.”

But William continued, past the rising voices of the people around them. Past the jeers of nobles saying that the William Vangeance was consorting with some wild woman from the Black Bulls and the pained whispers of women insisting they were a better match for him. Past all the sticks and stones society had thrown at them again and again.

“I hope that this time you will consider this offer for as long as you have to so as to make a proper decision.” He added, a teasing lilt to his voice.

William stood in front of her, a shield against it all, showing her how he felt.

“I will await your acceptance or rejection of my offer for as long as it takes.” He finished with a dramatic swish of his cape, walking into the crowd that had formed without another word.

Aki stood still, trying to process what it was that just happened. William, her best and closest friend, had proposed to court her. He’d incited her in public again with complete faith that the dark magic that was essential to her would not overcome her. And most importantly, he had feelings for her. He’d felt that way all this time. Despite clearing all of those facts up in her mind…

“Wh-What the hell just happened, Asta?” She asked, turning to her junior who was staring at her with wide eyes.

“The Captain of the Golden Dawn just confessed to you, Aki-Senpai!”

#probably kinda ooc #probably a little cheesy #but idk i just love vangeance a lot and had to express it *shrug*#william vangeance x reader #William Vangeance #Black Clover #Black Clover Imagines #chuuni fic

35 notes · View notes

of-muppets-and-men · 4 years

Text

Penumbra

Chapter 7: Daybreak

New update i forgot to post here. Whoops. AO3 link if prefer it instead.

Another hushed morning in the Soul Society.

It was around five’o’clock, a time where most souls were still very much asleep. Seated Officers, Lieutenants, and a handful of Squad Captains as well. An unforeseen benefit of the peaceful era they’d fought for. No real remaining threats outside of common hollows necessitated any sort of urgency. Complacent as it may seem, Head Captain Kyoraku had made it clear this was to be mandated.

After all, the majority of the shinigami reserve forces needn’t bother themselves with the potential return of Yhwach. They wouldn’t stand a chance anyway.

As much as Yoruichi wished to take full advantage of said mandate, Suì-Fēng had other ideas. The former captain and current lieutenant of Squad 2 wouldn’t let her Captain slack off for any reason whatsoever. Paperwork, logistics, training. All seemingly without end. And so Yoruichi sat at her desk, stacks upon stacks of paperwork surrounding her and her dutiful lieutenant. Suì-Fēng was almost too happy to be once again serving her beloved Lady Yoruichi.

“UGhhhh… Can we take a break yet? It’s too early for this…” The Captain groaned.

“My Lady, we can’t afford to slack off. What example are we setting for the squad if we do?” Her Lieutenant lecture.

Yoruichi pressed her head against her desk, folded arms over her head. Suì-Fēng chuckled at her Captain’s dismay when it hit. A massive wave of spiritual pressure came out of nowhere, sending a shiver down both their spines. The room quaked, the air reverberated. It was so dense, Suì-Fēng could barely breathe, the pressure on her lungs becoming overwhelming. As she leaned against the desk, struggling to stand, she felt a hand at her waist propping her up. Suì-Fēng’s gaze drew upward to see Yoruichi’s face adorned with shock. She immediately recognized the spiritual energy cascading and pulsing through the air.

“Captain.. Who is that?”

“Katsumi…” was all she whispered in return, “Let’s go, Suì-Fēng.”

The commander of the punishment force bolted out of her office with Suì-Fēng in tow. Flash Stepping as fast she could through the halls of her manor, desperately trying to reach her daughter’s room. The Captain and her lieutenant practically broke the door open to see Katsumi standing on her bed, zanpakuto in hand. The main difference being it was no longer the normal Odachi she handed to Katsumi the night before. It was bigger, much bigger.

It couldn’t be, she thought to herself. Yoruichi pushed herself towards Katsumi, her own weight betraying her with every step. Suì-Fēng stood bereft of strength or words, marvelling at the inherent power of a mere child. Katsumi’s mother shook her awake with whatever willpower remained. The young girl’s eyes peered open, tired and confused, her mother’s distraught golden eyes staring back at her.

“Mom? What’s going on?”

“Shikai…” Yoruichi quietly remarked, now truly seeing the blade Katsumi held.

Now perhaps more confused than before, Katsumi puzzled “What?”

“Don’t worry about anything for now. You were releasing absurd amounts of spirit energy, so I thought something was wrong. I’ll tell you everything after breakfast. But it looks like we’re starting your training sooner than i thought…” Her mother explained.

Katsumi’s fatigue came surging back, causing the girl to fall asleep for another three hours, and Zanpakuto still safely in her clutches. The paperwork Yoruichi had left behind was soon finished in a lightning round between Suì-Fēng and herself. Now with Katsumi achieving Shikai, she had no time to dawdle with her Squad’s trivial matters. Though she still had trouble believing it; Shikai? After barely telling Katsumi what it was? Rukia… Ichigo… your daughter is a prodigy, The Captain repeated in her mind.

Prodigy. A broad term but true in every sense in Katsumi’s case. She was progressing at an outrageous pace that would make Captain Hitsugaya jealous. If she could achieve Shikai in little more than an afternoon, how long would it take her to learn the other aspects of a Shinigami.

Zanjutsu? Shunpo? Kido? Hakuda? Shunko? Or perhaps even Bankai? Goosebumps littered Yoruichi’s arms at the thought.

Not long after Yoruichi managed to finish slogging through her less exciting duties as Captain, Katsumi at last woke up. Albeit still hazy on what had occurred beforehand. But fortunately, both their troubles could be eased by a spot of breakfast. Together, they made their way to the expansive dining room in the center of the manor. There Katsumi gorged her little mouth on Onigiri; Pickled Plum, her favourite. As the child ate her fill, her curiosity spiked yet again, prompting Katsumi to bombard Yoruichi with questions.

“So mom? Are you gonna tell me what ‘Shikai’ is? How did my sword get so big? Can yours do that…” the girl babbled on and on.

“Whoa! Slow down there, kiddo. Before I answer any of those questions, there’s a place I wanna show you first. Kinda like a secret hideout.”

“Secret Hideout?!” Katsumi reiterated with glee.

“Mhmm. Wanna see it?”

“Uhh, Yeah!”

“Then let’s go. Make sure to bring your Zanpakuto with you.” Yoruichi said lovingly.

In a flash, Katsumi cleaned and dried the dishes and stormed down the hallways in search of her blade. Meanwhile her mother stood astonished at her endless enthusiasm. As Yoruichi waited, she began to reminisce on how she had brought Ichigo to the very same place all those years ago. If only you could meet her, Yoruichi lamented on Ichigo’s absence. A part of Yoruichi would never understand Rukia’s decisions; why she never found the heart to confess… but at the very least, Katsumi was happy. But for how much longer?

“Mom! I got it!” Katsumi announced from down the hall.

Yoruichi shook her head, shaking off her darker thoughts and focused on her daughter, “Well, let’s get a move on then.”

The elder soul grabbed a pack she’d asked one of her many attendants to prepare, filled with an abundance of snacks; including a new pocky flavour Kisuke procured for her. The lady of the house made her way to the courtyard, her staff bowing politely as she passed by. To Katsumi’s surprise, her mother knelt down and coaxed her to grab hold.

“C’mon sweetheart. It’ll be faster this way.”

“Umm Okay…” Katsumi replied, doing as she instructed.

“Alright. And a one and a two and…”

Just like that, the pair vanished into thin air. Yoruichi Flash Stepped from rooftop to rooftop with little effort doing so. Katsumi beamed with delight as they soared over the Seireitei; other souls appearing as no more than insignificant flecks. The girl’s vision arbitrarily gawked to and fro at every landmark in sight. Until she felt a tap from her Yoruichi, who then pointed toward Sokyoku hill.

“That’s where we need to be.”

“Why there?”

Yoruichi chuckled and purred, “You’ll see.”

Instead of landing on the hill like she’d anticipated, her mother swerved left toward an inconspicuous little alcove built in the rock face. The young soul hopped off her mother’s shoulders and inspected the quaint little hideout. Although, Katsumi couldn’t hide her disappointment.

“I like it but are you sure it’s big enough?”

Yoruichi smirked at Katsumi’s child-like chagrin, “Follow me.”

Yoruichi then opened a hatch Katsumi hadn’t noticed before, carefully hidden amongst the floor tiles. A light jump and Yoruichi disappeared down the hole. Katsumi rushed over to look down the hatchway, seeing darkness with a vague hint of light at the bottom. With a deep sigh to psyche herself up, Katsumi followed her mother’s example and jumped.

The fall lasted a few seconds despite looking far deeper, or so her young mind conjured. She opened her eyes to see a vast cavern, far bigger than she could’ve ever imagined. Yoruichi ruffled a hand delicately through Katsumi’s hair and she ogled at every inch of her old training grounds.

“Impressed now?” Her mother asked coyly.

Even without uttering a single syllable, Yoruichi could tell she exceeded her daughter’s expectations.

“Shall we begin?” The Captain questioned once more.

“Yes!” Katsumi replied, nodding so hard it looked like her head would pop off.

“Alright. But first and foremost; here, you are my student and I am your teacher. You listen to me no differently than you do at home, okay?”

Another enthusiastic nod. In a moment’s notice, Yoruichi jumped onto a higher platform, arms crossed like an instructor.

“Good. Now you must know that all Zanpakuto have three states. The first is the unreleased states, which you have now. The next is Shikai, when a Shinigami learns the name of his or her Zanpakuto. And the last state is Bankai, but today you’ll be learning how to summon your Shikai at will.”

“How will I do that?” Katsumi mused.

“By learning your release command. A specific word that will transform your Zanpakuto into the form you saw last night.”

The young soul searched her mind to remember that form. Its shape and design.. What was it? Delving further, it came back to her, slowly but surely. A massive cleaving blade, far larger than it was now, with metal bands lining a hollow center. She could recall it with perfect clarity; Tōgetsu’s true form. But what was the release command?

“How will I know the right word?” She pleaded.

“Unsheathe your blade and find out.” Yoruichi snidely lectured.

A quick pout escaped Katsumi’s lungs before she did as her mother instructed. She removed the sash from her shoulder, drawing the greatsword from its scabbard. It felt like forever since she held it properly, the weightlessness of it catching her off guard as it had the first time. But expectantly, the blade remained silent; Katsumi unable to her Tōgetsu’s voice as she had previously. She held it every which way but alas, it changed nothing.

“Why won’t isn’t it working?!!” Katsumi shouted in frustration.

While her daughter fiddled with her zanpakuto, she slipped back by her side and calmly placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Easy, Katsumi. This isn’t a thing that can be forced so just breathe and concentrate. Your Zanpakuto will do the rest.”

The girl huffed and puffed but ultimately headed her mother’s advice. She held the blade steady in both hands, closed her eyes and took deep deliberate breaths.

Tōgetsu, tell me how to release you.

Silence.

Tōgetsu, please…

Remember my name and dream… A voice she knew whispered.

“Dream, Tōgetsu.” Katsumi repeated.

She opened her eyes and marvelled alongside her mother at the now transformed blade in her hands. Katsumi erupted with joy; Yoruichi rubbed a hand through her daughter’s hair.

“You did it, Sweetheart.” Yoruichi said lovingly as Katsumi continued to giggle, “Now let’s practice the basics.”

Later that same day

Rukia was alone in the Kuchiki household, preparing for bed. Renji had more business to attend to at the Sixth Division barracks alongside Byakuya, so both of them would be spending the night there. Ichika was sound asleep and had been for the past hour. Rukia had every intention of following suit. At least, she was until a Hell Butterfly came sputtering through her open window.

Puzzled, she held out a hand for the messenger to land on, unsure of who’s voice to expect. Low and behold, Yoruichi’s voice came through.

Rukia. Meet me at my old hideout beneath Sokyoku Hill. There is something you absolutely must see. Also, make sure you come alone.

Before Rukia could even respond, the butterfly flew off back out the window, leaving Rukia alone with her thoughts. Something I need to see? What on earth did that mean? Far too tired to give it any more thought, Rukia slipped beneath her covers, drifting off into a deep slumber. The morning would come soon enough.

And so it did.

Rukia managed to slip away under the guise of running an errand, leaving Renji and Ichika at home. The acting captain made her way through the semi busy streets, ducking through alleyways to avoid any members of her squad. Eventually, she made it to the alcove Yoruichi had shown her years before. Speaking of her old friend, she stood waiting for her to arrive.

“Yoruichi, what’s this all about? First you send me a message in the middle of the night and now have me sneaking through the Seireitei to get here.”

“You’ll see once we get down there.”

Both women handed down into the depths of the old training area, but mid-descent, Rukia heard unfamiliar grunts and shouts. She focused her ears on the encroaching voice, clarifying the closer she got. And the reiatsu Rukia felt… Katsumi?

It had to be. But it’s strength was unlike anything her daughter had mustered before. Definitely stronger than an officer, perhaps even matching most of the current Captains…

Rukia followed her old friend deeper into the cavern, tracing the origin of her firstborn’s voice. However, the closer she got, the more apparent Katsumi’s increasing might became. Her legs slowly turning to jelly, the weight of her petite frame pressing down upon her. But even though Rukia’s breaths shortened with every step, she felt no fear of any kind. Just happiness.

Finally, Katsumi came into sight, intently practicing the basic forms of zanjutsu. From mere meters away, Rukia watched on as her eldest’s reiatsu encircled her like a blazing torch. Wind swirled and danced around her aura. Its breathtaking silver hue overpowering the natural light of the surrounding cavern. Tears of joy formed in the corners of Rukia’s violet eyes, Yoruichi standing by her side rubbing her back.

“She looks so much like him…” Rukia gushed, half-heartedly wiping at her eyelids.

A smile and a chuckle escaped Yoruichi’s lips, “That she does… Oi! Katsumi! Look who’s here.”

The girl’s concentration broke, the energy around her dissipating like snow. Katsumi’s eyes locked with Rukia’s, violet mirroring violet. A grin from ear to ear materialized on the girl’s face, full on sprint towards her beloved ‘aunt’.

“AUNTIE RUKIA!!” She screamed, colliding with a thud.

“Hello, sweetie.” Rukia smiled in return.

The two shared an earnest hug that Yoruichi felt hard pressed to interrupt, “Care to show Auntie Rukia what you’ve been practicing?”

“Practicing?” Rukia said as she felt her daughter’s warmth slip away from her.

Bewildered, the woman watched Katsumi assume a stance with her Zanpakuto. It didn’t resemble any form taught at the academy so what in the world was she up to? Eyes closed, the apprentice brought the blade an inch before her forehead. With her grip slack, Reiatsu surged around her yet again. But unlike previously, it felt more calm, controlled… like the delicate wisps of candlelight. And in a serene voice, Katsumi spoke the name.

“Dream, Tōgetsu!”

Rukia was speechless.

Shikai. Her little one had attained Shikai.

Her heart danced around in her ribcage, slowly succumbing to her emotions. The baby she had left in Yoruichi’s care for fear of banishment, had bloomed magnificently. Before Rukia even knew it, tears had begun streaming down her cheeks. She made no attempt to wipe them, knowing they’d only be replaced by more. So instead, she smiled and Katsumi smiled back.

“When did this happen?” Rukia finally managed to say.

“Last night. She was sleeping one minute, then releasing spirit pressure the next. Scary to think what she’ll be like a few years from now. You and Ichigo sure made one frightening kid.”

The old friends chuckled as Katsumi eagerly cleaved a boulder in half.

Katsumi was strong. And still had more room to grow.

#Bleach #bleach oc #ichiruki #pro ichiruki #rukia x ichigo #ichigo x rukia #ichigo kurosaki #Rukia Kuchiki #yoruichi shihouin #katsumi kurosaki #sui feng #Penumbra

11 notes · View notes

mikkock · 4 years

Note

Uhm??????? Unacceptable?? Please tell me more about your OCs in that last art? I demand it? I want a full report on my desk before morning? Cite your sources please?

Oh no,, you’re asking,,, about my own faves,,, sorry to everyone, but I guess im never going to shut up ever now. (i already don’t shut up ever, what have u done, im now going to speak so much that society will collapse AT LEAST)

But for real. I enjoy pretending I don’t have faves, I love all my kids the same, buT WE ALL KNO THAT’S A LIE, those two my fave bitches (they snatched that title from the last two faves, rip to them, and they also snatched, n I must really make that clear, the title of “the bitches with the most AUs from the previous previous faves. Their power.)

SO. Get ready for a ride, table of content: them, their respective character, their story, and the pLETHORA OF ALTERNATE STORIES I GAVE THEM because i must yell about all the versions of my kids i have (non-exhaustive cause its that serious bro, but ill take extra time for the universe depicted in that art just for u bby). (tbh if clamp is allowed to sprinkle their fave gays in all their universes so am i, except they aint secondary characters there, every story is just theirs. love that concept.)(itll be so long you’re getting a whole novel even if i have to post it in two posts)

So~ Em twos. Dari n Wei-wei as I call em, or Dumbass n Egg if you wanna get friendly.

They’re my proudest instance of “oops i made a squad of characters, and two of them just accidentally were so perfectly compatible and complementary oh no I guess they’re in love now.” And then they became my favourite. Cause I guess their potential was too much (jk its bc they hot)

cuties.

I spent ten minutes wondering which to introduce first cause dang son, I want to talk bout them both so much shefjgfdg

First, as I technically designed him first (like ten minutes before the other), my man weiwei. if u ever saw my art its impossible that you havent seen him at least once. cause i’m legit always drawing him. cause im in love bro.

Demonstration : here are my computer scribbled weiweis of 2020 so far (with a few daris there n there they’re a package deal), that i could find, and they do not include all the paper sketches that i’m too lazy to take pics of. (i just been drawing him with so much hair these days that’s illegal, his brand is baldness)

But anyway, he’s CHEN Chia-Wei, he’s 21, he’s Taiwanese n I love him. Two very important facets of his character when you meet him: he doesn’t talk, and is absolutely, in every single dimension, built to make you fall head over heels for him.

He’s (in the “canon” storyline if i may call it that since it’s def not my most developed one but oh well) an art student, mostly paints but is also great at photography and videography (his vibe is busy hectic pieces with strong bold colours, lots of harsh edges, and very people focused).

Aside from that, he’s also super into fashion, and because he’s part of the rich boy squad (the “im broke so im giving half my characters wealth in compensation) he Can and Does exhibit some quite funky fits when he feels like it. (maybe a reason I draw him a lot, since my fave thing is pretty boys in weird ass clothes)(and then i also draw him in just casual shit cuz tittiful men in plain white tees you know. there’s just something about it.)

Small compilation of outfits. ft me and my band handwriting roasting outfits that id also kill to own but ok u know.

He digs music. (i make playlists for my OCs and i gotta say, his is the best one, i spent so many hours researching it, “arranging” it etc n its still a work in progress but dude. she got many moods my fave part is when it suddenly turns into so many cheesy ballads also she’s enormous cause im as wordy in playlists as I am in writing.) listens to a lot, n also he can play piano n guitar. cause you know. heartthrobs got to win your heart with a song (and if he’s alone he can even mumble some songs, who knows maybe even sing em softly, definitly a sight to stumble on accidentally). Big main artists that have his vibes are Hello Nico, No Party for Cao Dong, n Circa Waves’s “what’s it like over there” album.

He does a lot of sports. He ain’t fit through magic, rip to him. He’s got a serious routine, and it’s a time he likes to use alone, cause nothing like running at the break of dawn, alone with your thoughts, which you can just easily forget through the exhaustion of a workout session afterwards.

he also eats. A lot. Food is just good, bro. (the canon story is def happening some place europe aka his biggest struggle is how expensive food is here. outrageous.)

He secretly loves super cheesy movies. the dramatic romcoms??? the cute shows that are just so cute and worriless?? anything involving soulmates??? yeh dude. he watches it, he reads it, he listens to it, and he may cry about it, but no one will know. That’s the one true guilty pleasure. (and he definitly has a collection of romance dvds, books n manhuas in his old room back at the family home. where no one can see it. perks of studying abroad. no one can see ur hoarding of material that clashes your image. “yes i watch edgy experimental things haha yes i love those smart people movies of course wow the philosophy…” and then immediatly goes to watch the trashiest predictable but oh so sweet dramas all night)

While he doesn’t speak (as in with the mouth) he can communicate in a bunch of language, due to having moved around quite a bit. On top of his native mandarin and hokkien, he’s fluent in English, so he can use those to write, and is also fluent in TSL, and pretty good in HKSL (and from that, other close-in-syntax sign languages). So he doesn’t have trouble getting around, but then he is also overall quiet in public (with close friends and over text though, that’s another story, that’s where he gets chattier, and also where you may get more of his true personality). Also, he can speak with his sister. That’s pretty cool bro.

I was going to say he’s a very “hides his true colours under a shell” type of character but you know, for an egg character, that’s pretty ironic. We love poetic cinema.

He presents himself as a very laid back, chill detached dude, going with the flow and all that great stuff, and masterfully mixes just the right doses of mysterious, flirty and calm to just go around vibing. But ain’t that jUST THE MILLENIAL’S ILLNESS, those dANG KIDS, going around, gettin relationships but never intimacy 👏😢 (there’s more to it dont leave)

First of all, before you see the Drama, the Turmoil, the first thing you notice when you really do befriend him is that he’s c h i l d i s h, he gets sulky when things dont go following the plan, he gets whiny n jealous for not getting attention , he gets competitive over stupid challenges, and way too playful if you start teasing, and when he gets flustered too…you think you get cool stoic dude but actually you get a dude who’s reacting to things with way too much intensity, and boi i thought u were gon be mature what’s that why have you been pouting for three days over losing a bet come on- That’s mostly coming up when he interacts with his sister, but the closest you are to him to more of it you get to see.

He’s also an affectionate dude actually. Like physically. As in you’ll get spontaneous hugs. He’s come nap on your shoulder. That’s a perk of befriending him if you ask me.

Also he tries to look so cool, so tough haha. He’s actually a lil sensitiv boi. he gets fluffy, he gets flustered, he heart eyes. you turn around and he’s gazing at ya as if you were the whole universe. he gets a mini crisis for holding hands with his crush. ya know. he’s secretly a softie.

nerd.

Then in the “what he doesn’t show” (my fave part), where you stock all the anxieties, all the trauma… Obviously there’s a lot of anxiety here (selective muteness being a symptom of it, he hides the other ones very well) mostly fear of inadequacy, of abandonement and of loneliness. mmmmmmmaybe that’s why he was v reticent to continue pursuing that one guy he was into when he realised he was just a tad too into him oh no is that some,, like?? some lovey-love?? cant have that im afraid of gettin heartbroken bro. Aint that sad for a someone who’s one true goal is just findin someone to love and to be with forever, the struggles of yearnin for a soulmate when there’s nothing you fear more than getting attached to a person and letting them see you and your flaws.., delicious.

Now tho (because its so alone speaking about a character on their own and i just wanna get to the part where i can speak bout em together and how they bring out bits of each others ya kno, the good kush….), Dari…

He’s pretty, i must say, and got the funniest hair to draw, and comes from the most opposite background to weiwei’s.

Darian Andriev PARVANOV, also 21, comes from the remote Bulgarian countryside, but i still love him (this makes it sound as if i wouldnt normally love someone from the bulgarian countryside. its not what i meant. by default ud remind me of my son so you’d start being liked if u came from the bulgarian countryside) Now for the first instance of “wow, the complementarity”. The first thing i thought making Dari was that he looked too cool, and that he obviously was a dumbass, and mostly that he was physically unable to shut up. (o fuck he’s me)

best picture i could find of him. He’s got the dilemma of “wow he looked so pretty n cool until he opened his mouth”

He’s ALSO an art student (cause they were initially created for the purpose of filling the gap of “i have ocs in every field except the one i sorta know that’s so stupid”), painting major (def vibes differently than weiwei though, he’s doing those soft pretty landscapes n flowers, everything real pretty and peaceful, we got some impressionism nerd in here folks).

He was/is a real country boy, farm family, he helped tend the fields, he worked in plantations for pocket money, he knows how to take care of cattle and chicken and goats and all the cool babies you can take care of, he can tell whether the soil is good or not, he can drive a tractor, and doesnt fear dirt.

but then also he’s kind of a neat freak, he hates getting paint on himself, so the duality of man, dirt ok but paint? disgostin. his spaces are real neat and spotless, he likes cleaning (its relaxing) and does it nearly too often.

his dumbassery comes from lack of common sense and impulsiveness, aside from that he’s actually what you’d call “mad smart”, dude had em good grades, he can memorise pages upon pages of the most trivial information, he has an accumulation of knowledge beyond limits, and is good at problem solving. so he can recite all the words of the F letter of the dictionnary, but would also put a curling iron in his mouth to see if it would curl his tongue. (side note, he does have a problem with heat n fire, most his “oopsie how i wound up hurting myself on acccident” story involve burning -that stove was just too tempting…)

while he doesnt feel very attached to his home country, he does feel strongly for his family. he’d do anything for his mum (and actually does everything to make her proud already, that’s his one main goal), and he’s ready to sacrifice a lot for her (as in, spend years working non-stop a really uncomfortable job so his mother wouldnt have to pay a cent of his expenses even though she said she could by doing some sacrifices herself,and then being ready to come back as soon as needed if anything happened, and potentially drop his career and dream n go back to the farm life to provide for mama)(also he still does hold onto some parts of his home country’s traditions, and does sometimes feel homesick but more in a ‘i left the most beautiful landscapes n the city feels cramped and claustrophobic and i dont know people and i dont feel in the right place cuz im a forreigner with a thicc accent who doesnt master the language of this place and straight up have different body language communicators due to cultural difference oh lord i wanna be home where a nod means no and a head shake is yes i keep misunderstanding everything”)

if you want background noise he’s the perfect pal to call over, he’s just so chatty, he got hours and hours of non stop speech ready for you. you can shut him up once you’re done listening with the offering of food. works everytime.

he’s definitly not shy. neither in terms of talking to people, nor when it comes to making decisions. he’s quite bold, and rarely hesitates to go towards something he wants. he’s direct in his approach to most everything.

he likes partying. mostly the socialising part, talkin to people is just fun ya feel. and being in the crowd, doing whatever, pressure free? ya can dance n enjoy yourself, and people wont notice? yeah that’s nice. but doesnt do it super often cause broke bitches aint got the party time n budget.

he likes arm. (just an excuse for me to drop this thing here cuz i like it)

While he’s an overall bubbly looking character, with a cheery loud personnality, he does carry some youth trauma that has him more reticent to engage in happiness, he comes from what you could call “not the wokest background” and he may have fallen victim of it : he’s kind of a flashy noticeable character, both physically and in his personnality, and doesnt exactly matches the expectations of dudes in the area he comes from (delicate, emotional and sweet guy? that doesnt exist bro). He went through it, and it has definitly had some impact on his confidence in many aspects. But he’s 100% the type of guy to put on the fake happy front because if feeling bad is sad, making the people you care about sad for you too is Unacceptable Right??? relying on friends?? what???

But then what are we supposed to be doing with such charming characters huh,,,

Make them fall in love obviously.

Their story obviously has to do with falling in love and workin a relationship cause if I dont write romance i literally die, but I make the center pivot of all of it communication, and barriers in communications. Most obvious being them coming from wildly different cultures, having different native languages, and also the ways you adapt to muteness (what i love most bout that part is even then they fucked up given the easiest quickest small body language things to communicate are head nods n then i managed to make one come from the one country that reverses those like iconic how do they even understand each other -through a lot of work and love bro) but also on more “introspective” points, how to say things that you are even afraid to think about, how to open up and share your burdens and trauma with someone, how to say words you’ve been convinced you weren’t allowed to, the inner turmoil of communication in short. And then also communication through art, and through alternative unusual ways. If i were snobbish i could call it something like “a thinkpieces on how humans overcome obstacles in communication, and adapt, all for the sake of pursuing love” but fact is its mostly boys being in love n learning how to speak, figuratively and also quite literally. And also its me having fun with making characters evolve from each other, be able to influence each other for the better, helping each other be more comfortable with themselves and express the true things of their personnality, and discover new aspects. I just wanna write intense and soulful love bro.

So in less concept and more facts, weiwei meets dari, dari being his puppy self just immediatly strikes a conversation and weiwei gets interested cause “oho nice pretty boy? very good. i want some of that”. they get closer because you cant fight off the Power of friendship (and also the power of “what your friend is bestie with my friend?? guess we hanging out”) and then friendship and interest turns into pining, held back by respective dread of what romance with the other would mean (as in “romance?? cant have that we cant feel” and “with him?? cant do that, convince yourself he’s just a friend immediatly what would the family think”) but eventually they do have to just crash into one another cause that’s just the gravitational pull bro, its physics bro. and from then on its all unlearning destructive behaviours, bettering oneself with the help of the other, and getting over trauma to finally live ur best life. and gettin fckin married bro they’re both cheeseballs theyll wanna wed

BUT MAKING EM FALL IN LOVE ONCE ISNT ENOUGH time to make 3894853 alternate universes about em.

Lets speak bout my fave of those for a hot second.

First of all, the one of the art that brought this ask, guess i could call it “Pretty Tribes” AU, bunch of tribes live and do their things, having nature and energy powers. Dari n Weiwei’s tribes are bros, the latter’s powers needing them to move around to get energy from different places, enabling them different abilities. So basically they get to hang at the other’s place while the regenerate energy from there, and in exchange they help them out with various tasks (dari’s tribe is a rly farmer oriented one, with plant magic, while weiwei’s got more poyvalent powers, and have very good healers notably, so it comes in handy). The two boys were born a few months apart in their respective tribes, so naturally, anything the two clans meet, they’re put together to play and all, and from that they became besties, and each time they meet, after the gaps of time separating the two groups, they feel more and more of a little something else~ story is themed round growing up, friendship between clans, their traditions and cultures, and pretty boys in pretty clothes in pretty landscapes interacting with nature.

The superpower AU, i fuckin love it bro. Its an old one, made for other characters, but i just love it so much that i had to inject my faves in it. Its got a grimy ugly setting, bad government, propaganda, and fights between super-people (heavily mediatised for entertainment and reinforcing the idea that “look at these evil villains thank god us the good government protects you from them”), with a side of bad ethics in science. In all that, those two have the role of “those two young enemy warrior and villain, they were so powerful and fought so hard”, public figures, legendary and admired by both sides, everyone followed their fights, til one day they presumably died in one of their showdowns. (haha sike they actually found themselves talking for 5 seconds and realised they lived in a society, n built a plan to run away). The main characters get to find they’re alive because one of em had history with super-warrior-golden-boy and go to seek their help to overthrow the Big Bads. (stealing them from their nice gay cottage hermit life smh so rude)

Mermaids. I like those. Sailor weiwei sees merman dari, they both save each other in different occasions, they grow fascinated with each other, they’re at sea, water romance. Amazing. AU made half cuz i just like water n fish. and shirtless sailors.

(i couldnt find art of it in five minutes so have a link to that lil animatic piece i made of it once)

Indie band AU, where i was listening to songs that vibe so well with those two in general n then my brain was like “what if they’re the ones playing”. They’re (along with the rest of the art squad) a nice little alternative rock band, doing their thing, then one of their songs blows up, and they get quite the attention, to the dismay of dari who wrote that song in a moment of “oh no im so in love with my bandmate but i cant tell him what if i ruin everything we have going on ill just have to love from afar and deal with that” and now has way too many people interested in who he wrote it about and theorising from his every move when performing it (a mix of music, secret crushes and social media) (ft a picture of neither of them but its the least ugly art i found of this AU cuz its old and instruments are the bane of my existence)(also kelana is so pretty i gotta flaunt her around)

in kind of the same vibe, as in we’re in a music world overexposed to social media, i also integrated em to an AU i did for fun, “boyband AU” as its called aka idol based band system cuz you kno, i got a hobby, lets apply it. Band boy Dari and bodyguard Weiwei got a thing going on, but can’t really act on it in any way, because they’d just destroy the whole band if it ever came public. Featuring annoying bandmates, catchy pop songs and people making fanaccounts of that one hot Mr.Bodyguard cause dang he hot.

(all the art of this one so ugly im sorry)

SPY AU, one of my fave brand. They spies, they get assigned on the same mission, they work real nice with each other. spies hot. fights. strategy. i just like the concept. Gays taking down the worst traffics imaginable??? I love that song.(i actually have so much on this cause s p i e s are fuckin great)

Fashion. U kNOW i have an AU for fashion. Supermodel and his private stylist, trying to maintain the line of professionalism. And failing to do so. Lets make out in unpractical designer clothes.

Have an highschool AU for a bunch of characters, injected them as “spinoff”, start chatting online being art buddies, fall in love without meeting (ft. all the iconics of internet friendship like knowing tiny details of their personnalities but not the fact that they have a sister or “waIT ur a GUY i thought u were a girl wow wild good news for my gay ass”)

n those are my faves as far as i remember, i got a fuckton of small other ones that arent fleshed out enough, or some that are more of a guilty pleasure universe, and some that are more like “projects that i can expend on as soon as i run out of daydream material” (like u kno those hospital drama shows with super innacurate medicine n shit like idk scrubs or whatever, yeh i want some of that but im keeping it for later)

#thats way less talk than i thought id do #prolly bc i wrote half of it when it was between midnight and one AM #wait no it was 2 am #but ye #sry if shit messy af #those two are my faves tho n talkin bout em on the spot is hard cuz my brain is screaming about everything bout em at once #if u wanna get more info on em do ask i love them so much n i feel i didnt do em justice here cuz speaking is a fraud words dont exist #im glad they caught ur interest tho #nothin more gratifyin than not being the only bitch who likes his own children

9 notes · View notes

myaekingheart · 5 years

Text

20. Carrots

read the scarecrow and the bell on ao3

index | from the beginning | < previous | next >

The Academy called out to Rei from the middle of Konoha, drawing her nearer with the promise of fulfilling her dreams. She knew she wouldn’t see Kakashi there but the thought of sitting where he sat not too long ago excited her. She hugged her lunchbox to her chest as she peered into a classroom brimming with unruly students, all of them older than he by two or three years. She wondered which ones she would put into a squad with when she finally made genin, and hoped they were friendly. She claimed a seat at the back of the room, right by a window, assuming that if she sat up higher then perhaps she would appear bigger and more important. She tucked her lunchbox under her desk and swung her legs back and forth as she peered out at the training grounds outside.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” a voice then called. Rei turned to find a tall, blue-haired girl staring down at her. She appeared older than the rest, way too older for a first year class. Her eyes were full of fire and something else that Rei, at the time, couldn’t quite pinpoint.

“What do you mean? I’m just waiting for class to start” Rei replied.

“I mean what do you think you’re doing in my seat?” the girl elaborated.

Rei blinked a few times, trying to comprehend what she had just said. Were there already assigned seats? It was only the first day. “Well, I got here first” she argued.

“Tough shit” the girl replied. “I saw it and I want it so it’s mine, understand?”

“Oh yeah, because that makes a lot of sense” Rei replied, voice dripping in sarcasm.

“Are you looking to fight?” the blue-haired girl replied, leaning in close with gritted teeth.

“Do you?” Rei replied back, matching the intensity in her stare. A few other students had noticed the commotion and were now enraptured in the promise of a fight. They were banking on seeing Rei get the lights knocked out of her, convinced that someone so tiny and weak couldn’t possibly hold her own. Especially when her opponent was so much bigger than her.

“You’d be smart not to take me on” the blue-haired girl said. “I eat kids like you for breakfast.”

“That’s cannibalism” Rei countered.

Just then, their instructor entered the room and slammed the eraser against the blackboard. He eyed Rei suspiciously, threatening to kick her out of the classroom if she didn’t stop causing such a commotion. Rei tried to explain that it wasn’t her fault, that she didn’t start anything, but the man wouldn’t hear of it. While she was distracted, the blue-haired girl shoved her out of her seat and stole it for herself.

The trend continued through the follow weeks. Soon, the blue-haired girl, whose name Rei learned was Sekkachi Fumeiyo, had amassed an entire army of students pitted against the young girl. They all hated her and thought she didn’t belong there, teasing her tirelessly between lessons and at recess and during lunch.

“Hey!” one of the boys called to her one afternoon, catching her by the trash can as she threw away the rest of her lunch. Their daily cruelty never failed to extinguish her appetite. Rei looked up at him, blinking, as he edged nearer. “You know, I bet you’d be prettier you smiled more.”

For a moment, Rei mistook this for a genuine interest. Was he telling her she deserved to be happy? That she deserved to smile regardless of what the others said about her? The corners of her mouth tugged upward, a slight giggle rising in her throat, and then she grinned wide, her eyes squinting as she bared all of her teeth.

“I guess not, then!” the kid then gasped amidst laughter. Then, slapping his friend’s shoulder, he drew their attention to her and proclaimed “Carrots!”

“Wait, w-what?” Rei asked, her smile quickly fading.

“That’s what we’re gonna call you from now on! Carrots!” the one explained.

“What does that even mean?” she asked.

“Have you seen your hair? And those teeth!” the first boy shouted. A few other children had gathered around then and began chanting Carrots! Carrots! in mocking sing-song until Rei grew red in the face. She slammed her entire lunch box into the trash can and ran off behind a nearby tree, her only safe space. Her foot landed right in an ant hill and a bunch of tiny, insufferable fire ants ran up her legs.

“I knew I had a bad feeling about this” Hana murmured as she rubbed ointment on her daughter’s legs. Rei wiped her nose with the back of her hand and tried not to cry. It wasn’t the ant bites that bothered her so much as everything else that had happened. She looked out across the lawn to Kakashi’s house next door and wondered if he was inside. She had hardly seen him since his father died.

“I just want to be a strong ninja like Kakashi” Rei murmured under her breath, turning her gaze to the floor.

“Rei, sweetheart, sometimes no matter how much we may want something, it’s just not meant to be” Hana said in a loving tone. “So far your time at the academy has been nothing but disastrous. This was a good try, but perhaps you’d be better off just following in your father’s footsteps and working at the bookstore instead?”

Pursing her lips together, Rei shook her head and shoved past her mother. “You don’t understand at all!” She swung around the corner and ran all the way to the other end of the house, unable to stop the tears from streaming down her face now. She ran and ran until she bumped headfirst into none other than Grandma Teiko, who gazed down at her with kindly suspicion.

“Well, what’s all this about?” she asked. Rei could scarcely bring herself to speak.

There were many things that Rei found she was able to force herself to tolerate. Starvation, tugged pigtails, the names and insults the others flung at her. However, there was one thing she could not stand for. As she sat behind her tree picking apart her lunch, she overhead Sekkachi near the monkey bars preaching to a smattering of other students.

“…said he broke the rules just to save his comrades. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard! If I were in that position, I would’ve just let everyone else die. They’re not my responsibility, anyway. If they weren’t good enough to hold their own in a fight, then they don’t deserve to live. I think the White Fang had it coming.”

The boys surrounding her nodded and chattered in agreement, staring up at her as if she was a goddess preaching the gospel truth. Perhaps it was because she was older and taller, or maybe because she wore crop tops and had three piercings on each ear, but they idolized her.

Rei squeezed her chopsticks until they broke in half, clenching her teeth in an attempt to keep her mouth shut. She only lasted for another forty five seconds.

“You filthy--!” she shrieked, leaping out from behind her tree and pouncing onto Sekkachi’s back. The girl shrieked and tumbled face-first into the ground, calling Rei a psychopath and shouting at her to get off. Rei didn’t care. She pummeled her fists into Sekkachi’s back and then, when the blue-haired kunoichi rolled over, into her face. Her punches weren’t very strong, but they were backed by a force hard to compete with: passion. “Sakumo Hatake was a great man! You have no right to talk about him like that! You don’t know anything about him!”

A whistle blared across the yard and three instructors surged forward, peeling Rei off her opponent kicking and screaming. It wasn’t until they were separated that Rei noticed the blood dripping down Sekkachi’s chin, the dark circles beneath her eyes and pallor of her skin. She gripped one of the instructor’s arms tightly, as if her entire mobility depended on it. Rei watched them escort her away, hearing them mumble something about getting her to the hospital. She glanced down at her tiny, scratched up fists in disbelief. How could she really have done so much damage? One of the other instructors gripped her by the arm and tugged her inside the building. “Come on, you. You’re suspended.”

Dinner was a silent affair that night. Yuruganai clutched his chopsticks hard as if he was struggling not to snap. Rei was not in the room when Hana told him the news, but from the volume of his shouts, he was not happy. Rei didn’t blame him. She had begged and pleaded to enroll in the academy for so long, and now she had screwed everything up. There was no one to blame but herself. After a few more minutes, she pushed her food away from her, asked to be excused, and before receiving an answer, scurried off to her bedroom.

She peered out across the lawn to Kakashi’s house, his bedroom window in line with her own. If only things were like the old days, when they would play peek-a-boo across the stretch of land separating their houses when they were meant to be asleep. Rei would laugh hysterically and her parents would hear and come scolding her for staying up so late. Now all that faced her was darkness.

The more she laid there in the silence, the more her thoughts consumed her until she couldn’t take it anymore. A fierce rage bubbled up inside of her, something so strong she had no idea how to handle it. Punching her pillow wasn’t enough, kicking her bed post wasn’t enough. She rummaged through her desk drawer. The blades of her safety scissors glimmered in the moonlight.

Tears streamed down Rei’s face as she stared at the damage she had done. Grandma Teiko’s words rang in her ears. I want you to promise me that no matter what happens, and no matter what anyone may say to you, I don’t want you to ever, ever do to yourself what Mr. Hatake did. No matter how beaten down and broken you feel, no matter how much you feel like nobody believes in you, I don’t want you to ever think that killing yourself is the answer. There is always another way out.

It wasn’t like she had tried to kill herself, though. She didn’t want to die. Or at least she didn’t think she did. As she looked at the blood on her sleeves and her pants, she began to reevaluate everything. Did she even want to still be alive? She threw the scissors across the room with a cry. No, she was not going to let herself fall down this rabbit hole. She had already broken her promise, and now she had to wear that shame on her body for everyone to see.

The next morning, she woke up early to scrub the dried blood off her arms and wrap them in bandages so that her parents wouldn’t suspect anything. The last thing they needed was to think their daughter was not only a failure but suicidal, as well.

She scarcely said a word as she helped unpack boxes of fresh shipments at the bookstore. She ran her fingers along the edges, letting the pages flutter against her fingertips. Sometimes she would even flip them open to random pages, close her eyes and point somewhere on the page, and read the sentence that she found. Many of them were stupid—“And then he died”, “She hung the key back up on the door”, “And they lived happily ever after”—while very few were actually of some interest. Her favorite was “She licked it and it tasted like dango.” She couldn’t quite comprehend why. It just made no sense.

As she worked, a flash of white through the window captured her attention and for a moment, she thought perhaps it was Kakashi. When she looked up, no one was there. A gentle hand rested upon her shoulder. “Let’s take a break. I think we should have a little talk.”

Rei walked through Konoha alongside Grandma Teiko, watching the passerby and trying not to look suspicious. Not that anyone cared. She had no reputation here. The old woman hadn’t spoken since they left the bookstore.

“Grandma Teiko?” Rei asked. “What is this all about?”

“I want to know why you were suspended from the academy” the old woman replied. “And I mean why you were really suspended, not why the instructors said you were.”

A sigh broke past the little girl’s lips. “I really don’t want to talk about this, Grandma.”

“Why not? I think I deserve to know the truth.” Rei shook her head. They walked in silence for a few moments more. It wasn’t until they passed Ichiraku that someone finally spoke again.

“Grandma Teiko, I’m not sure f I want to be a ninja anymore” Rei murmured. The old woman looked at her with brow raised.

“Is that so?” she asked. “What a shame. After fighting so hard to get here, too.”

Another beat of silence.

“I don’t think I’m cut out for this” Rei elaborated.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I make a mess everywhere I go. I’m not strong enough, and nobody likes me” she explained.

“Who said that?”

“Everyone.”

“Well, everyone is wrong.”

“You’re just saying that because you have to.”

“Do you think my blood relation obligates me to lie?”

“Well…”

“I’m going to be completely honest with you, Rei: you have a fiery temper, one of your ears is bigger than the other, and you are not a bad shinobi. Do you think I’m lying to you now?”

“Is my one ear really bigger than the other?”

“Yes, it is. Your right ear is slightly larger.”

Rei ran to the nearest shop window to investigate, measuring each with her hands. Her right one was, in fact, a few millimeters longer. So Grandma Teiko wasn’t lying.

“Great, now that’s just another thing for everyone to pick on me about!” Rei shouted.

“I doubt they care that much” Grandma Teiko replied.

“You don’t hear the things they say to me every day.”

“Like what?”

“They call me Carrots because my hair is orange and my teeth are wonky. They say I’m tiny and weak and will never amount to anything” Rei explained.

“Well did you show them that that is not, in fact, true?” Grandma Teiko explained. “Not everyone is going to believe in you, Rei. You can’t help that. It’s thew ay you react that proves your worth. If you let what they say about you get to you and knock you down, you’ll never become a great shinobi. Remember the conversation we had about Mr. Hatake? I need you to believe in yourself.”

“That’s the other thing, though” Rei replied. “All the mean stuff they said about me, I could put up with. But then the one girl started saying some really awful things about Kakashi’s father and I just…I couldn’t take it!”

“And what did you do about it?”

“…I beat her up.” Rei’s cheeks burned bright red. She wasn’t proud of what she had done, but she had no other choice. After a few moments of silence, she shouted, “I didn’t mean it, though! Well, I mean, I was nagry but I didn’t mean to hurt her so much. And now I’m suspended and they may never let me go back and I ruin everything and I shouldn’t be allowed to be a shinobi anymore, Grandma.”

“So that’s why you were suspended, then. You were defending someone who can no longer defend himself” the old woman surmised. Rei was too deep into her anxiety to even comprehend what she had said.

“I didn’t mean to hurt her so much, though! They had to take her to the hospital. She was coughing up blood and everything. I don’t know if she’s going to be alright. What if I killed her? I can’t believe I’ve done something so bad to someone. I’m a terrible person and I deserve to—” she rambled, hands shaking at her sides. Before she could finish her sentence, however, Grandma Teiko cupped a hand over her daughter’s mouth.

“Stop right there. I have a feeling I know exactly what you were going to say and I don’t want to hear it” she said. Her eyes darted down to the bandages lacing up her daughter’s arms. “Something tells me you broke a promise, and I am very disappointed in you, Rei.”

Rei was able to return to school after the following weekend. She mustered her strength before entering the classroom, terrified of what the others would say about her. She searched for Sekkachi’s face, hoping to find her sitting in the front row with her feet propped up against the desk, chewing bubblegum with an evil glare on her face. She fully expected Sekkachi to seek revenge. She almost wanted her to. After all, she deserved it.

“So that’s her, huh?” a gravely voice asked. A pair of dark eyes stared down at the training grounds from the academy’s teacher’s lounge. A dark braid fell down to her waist.

“Yes” one of the instructors replied, standing beside her. “She was suspended for a full school week on account of beating another student, Sekkachi Fumeiyo, to a violent degree. She’s caused quite the uproar.”

“Has she now?” the woman replied. “I would expect nothing less from Teiko’s granddaughter.” The instructor huffed in discomfort. “She’s quite the interesting character. It’s not every day we get a student as young as her.”

“You’re very right, Chikara. Last student we had at this age was Kakashi Hatake, graduated to genin at age six, same age as she is now” he explained.

“I want you to keep me updated on this girl” the woman, Chikara, replied. “She has something special. I’m very interested to see how she progresses.”

After the incident, the cruel comments shifted from Rei to Sekkachi. The kids called her weak and said she was a failure for getting beat up by a tiny kid. As if getting knocked down by someone as puny and insignificant as Rei Natsuki meant you couldn’t hold your own and were a disgrace. It wasn’t until the third day that Sekkachi finally returned.

She looked washed out and tired, still walking with a slight limp. In spite of that, she portrayed an air of confidence as if she didn’t want anyone to think she was affected in the slightest. Her first order of business? Approaching her attacker. She shot death stares at the kids who whispered about her as she struggled up the stairs, Rei watching her in horror the entire time. She hyperventilated with fists clenched beneath her desk, preparing for what atrocity was about to transpire.

“I hope you’re happy with what you’ve done” Sekkachi growled, planning her palms squarely on the desk. The way she leaned her weight onto them made Rei wonder if it wasn’t so much an intimidation tactic as a desperation for balance. “Listen, Carrots, if you ever try to pull something like this again, I swear to you, your blood will be smeared against that wall.” And with that, she shoved herself off of the desk and limped away.

A lump rose in Rei’s throat and she couldn’t breathe. Her palms were wet and tingling and her entire body began trembling. Black splotches dotted her vision. Her seat teetered against the edge of a big, black void. Oh my god, she’s going to kill me.

In that moment, it was clear that Rei had made a terrible mistake. She had made a horrible enemy of someone far bigger and no doubt stronger than her, someone who would obviously kill her without remorse if given the chance. She was in serious danger and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it. After all, she brought this all on herself.

“Hey, you” a voice then called, snapping Rei from her panic. She locked her eyes on the blackboard, clenching her fists and breathing deeply. There was a vacant, existential gaze on her face. “Hello? Earth to Carrot Top?!” they called again. Finally, Rei turned slowly to look upon her new opponent. A bright-eyed blonde leaned close to her, resting her chin in her hands. A soft smile touched her lips.

“W-what?” Rei croaked.

“Don’t let her get to you” the girl said cheerfully.

“Wait, what…?”

“Don’t let her get to you!” she repeated. “Sekkachi is all talk. She may look and sound scary but her bark is definitely worse than her bite! And if she ever does give you problems again, I’m sure you can handle it. After all, they wouldn’t have let you into the academy at such a young age if you weren’t any good!”

Rei stared at her dumbfounded. No one had ever put it like that before. Not even her own mother. “Y-you think so?”

“Pfft, I know so!” the blonde laughed. “The people here can be really mean but don’t let what they say get the best of you, alright? You shouldn’t feel like you’re any less worthy of being here. You’ve got something special, Carrots, so don’t give up just because they want you to!”

Before Rei could even formulate a response, the young girl stood and bounded off back to her seat. With wide eyes, she stared back at her textbook trying to decipher whether that really just happened or if she just hallucinated the entire thing. Either way, all Rei knew for sure was that her words left in her a soft, happy warmth that she hadn’t felt since the day Kakashi convinced her to join the academy. She peered across the room to the girl chatting and laughing with a few other students and for a moment, things weren’t so bad anymore. For a moment, the torment of the past few weeks had faded away and Rei began to wonder if perhaps she had somehow finally made a friend.

#kakashi hatake #rei natsuki #the scarecrow and the bell #naruto #naruto oc #fanfiction

1 note · View note

perfecttimemachinestranger · 6 years

Photo

Scritches

Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V

Summary: Even fearsome demonic beings need to enjoy a few simple pleasures in (after-)life. For Krennic, one of them is scritches. This part concludes the story (2867 words, sfw fluff with a sprinkling of angst light).

Characters: Angel!Krennic, Demon!Lyste, Grand Moff Tarkin, Demon Squad Anon

For some background, or simply more of the ‘charming’ Angel!Krennic, see imperialgradients’ Necroholocron!AU masterpost

Huge thanks and much love to @imperialgradients and @nspamc for letting me play with their OCs. I’ve had so much fun with them, and even if this is the final instalment of this story, I can’t promise I’ll be able to leave them alone in the future 😊

Strangely enough, Krennic wasn’t hungover the following morning, and, furthermore, appeared content to find you sitting beside him. He graciously accepted to be scratched both between his wings and under his chin. After a while, he even crept closer and laid his head in your lap.

“Thank you for allowing me to share your quarters tonight, sir.”

“This arrangement is most convenient,” he admitted with a superior drawl. “I had excellent foresight in commanding you here, although I do not recall extending quite such an intimate invitation.” He waved a clawed hand towards the bed, you, himself.

“You told me to help you undress, and I was going to leave, but Lyste ordered me to sleep here.”

“The imp issued you an order?” His wings twitched and he raised an astonished eyebrow.

“He technically outranks me, sir. And he knew I had nowhere else to stay.”

“I enjoyed having an escort; it is befitting of my station. You will continue to accompany me today.” He took your wrist and put your hand back beneath his chin for more scritches. “The present arrangement will continue as well. I am growing accustomed to a certain level of service and thus, I hereby command you to occupy this bed as a nightly occurrence.”

“Of course, sir. I will do my best to be useful.”

You couldn’t help staring as the director got out of bed; he was such a curious blend of greying soft-bellied middle age and otherworldly being. His feet, especially, caught your attention. How could they not, claws rattling against the floor with every step? And, apparently, even demons had knobbly knees.

Soon enough he was back fully dressed, stylish as ever with his cape and shiny, black boots, while you were still struggling to smooth out the creases in your tunic. Why had you let Lyste sleep on it? That question was easy to answer when the small demon peeked out from behind Krennic, flashed you a grin and looked at you with his eyes of bottomless black. You smiled back at the adorable imp, then flinched at the harsh command issued by the larger demon.

“Present arms!”

With no other weaponry at hand than the broom, you grabbed that. Krennic eyed you critically, pinning you with his gaze until you squirmed. Then, suddenly, there was a crack in his resolve, just a hint of one corner of his mouth being tugged upwards, and the next second he was laughing loud.

“A perfect little soldier, have you seen, Lyste?” The imp straightened his back and saluted him.

“I’m trying my best, sir.”

He shook his head. “No. This looks ridiculous. You will ruin my image completely – how can the populace perceive my sovereignty when being visually attacked by such a disgrace?” He tilted his head pensively and pouted. Then he grabbed the broom and broke the stick; it snapped like a twig in his hands.

“There. Better.” He flung the broken wood into a corner. “Now, follow me.”

“Of – of course, sir.” His strength simply baffled you.

Apparently, Director Krennic could be incredibly efficient when he put his mind to it. He read reports and issued orders with astonishing speed, presided at meetings and provided comments to drawings and plans, even lectured you on the lesser-known features of the station, eyes aglow with enthusiasm.

At meal-times he reverted to demonic habits, diving into rare steaks with sharp fangs and a voracious appetite. And then, there were the naps. Without warning, he would crash to the floor and fall asleep, impossible to wake by any means. Often it didn’t matter, but now, the Grand Moff himself would inspect this section and it simply wouldn’t do to have a great white lump lying on the floor just in front of the weapons controls.

“Get him away from here,” hissed the captain in charge.

“I’m trying, I’m trying.” Crouching by the demon’s side, you gently scratched his neck feathers.

“Wake up, please, sir…” You tried scratching a little harder, but it just made him sigh contentedly. You gave a slight tug, just at the end feathers, and a single beat of his wings sent you tumbling over.

“He’s coming now,” the captain announced icily.

Desperately, you put your lips close to the director’s ear and whispered. “Tarkin!” The man twitched in his sleep and you repeated it. “Tarkin is coming, you have to get up, please, get up or he’ll have Lord Vader strangle us both!”

He opened one eye superciliously, and then, as you mimed “Tarkin”, he flew to his feet in a spectacularly undignified manner. He looked around quickly, then strode off with his nose in the air and neck wings proudly spread.

“Ensign!” he admonished. “Are you neglecting your duties? Count yourself lucky for having such a forgiving and understanding mentor as myself.”

Days turned into weeks and you settled in well in the Krennic’s undecorated but very dusty set of rooms. Any attempt to clean was met with immediate disapproval.

“Cleaning droids? How dare you imply that I would accept such artificial service?”

“I could do it myself, then.”

“Do you consider yourself worthy of touching my divine abode?”

He was being ridiculous, but it was clearly a touchy subject and not one you cared to argue with him about. With the director’s recent bursts of energy and fondness for napping anywhere else, it was not like you spent a lot of time in there anyway,

When you did, it was usually in bed.

One evening you were lying on your side, turned away from him and drifting into sleep in the best way possible. A strong arm rested heavily over your torso, holding you close as he leaned his cheek against your shoulder, his hot breath caressing your skin. You felt him nuzzle the nape of your neck affectionately, shivers of pleasure went down your spine, and then you suddenly squeaked pitifully, going tense.

“You are no longer content,” he remarked. “You ought to be, considering the attention being bestowed upon your inferior body.”

“Sorry. Unworthy as I may be, I enjoy this a lot. Just be careful with those fangs, please.”

“You still fear me.” His contented chuckle made you smile. At times like this, it was so easy to forget that he was demon. The reminders were annoying, but very necessary. You must never trust him completely.

“I do.” You lifted your arm and ran your hand along a scaly finger down to the sharp end of a claw.

“You are not expendable.” His teeth were at your neck again, dragging gently over the skin, over and over again until you were finally able to relax.

There are feathers everywhere. It’s the middle of the night and you should be asleep but instead there’s chaos, you’re tangled in sheets and blankets and his goddamned cape that he insists sleeping with. Its familiar fragrance ought to be calming, but now it just adds to the feeling of being smothered in softness. There’s motion, too, an odd gust of wind that sends your hair flying, getting it into your eyes. You can’t see a thing but there’s a distinct impression of wings. Too many of them, and too large. Can’t he just go back to sleep!

You reach out – a downy shoulder against your palm, heaving. It stills and you edge your fingers closer to his neck. There. Just a few scritches and you can both go back to sleep. He stills, and there’s a soft sigh, but then feathers – wings – beat against your face, and you can’t reach around them, your arms are too short. There’s more flapping and the mattress shakes and the entire room seems filled with strange beings that you can’t see but you know they are there. There is growling and sniffing and shuffling of feet. A whirlwind of blankets and sheets around you and you shy away, press against the comparative safety of the headboard. It’s shaking too, the racket enough to wake the dead. The wall is solid against your hand, and then it’s not, and you can’t breathe –

Breathe. In. Out. The air is fresh. Stillness around. You open your eyes and for a moment there’s grey blur where the room should be, but then, clarity. The huge viewport calls to you, beckons you closer. Nothing there, only space. Sleep, that is what you need. And yet, your feet move towards the viewport. As you look to the right, there’s movement just outside your field of vision. Great wings beating majestically, bearing their owner closer, allowing you to admire it as it flies past. Some kind of alien bird, no, a – a man. It’s him and, at the same time, it’s not. This glorious being of wings and faces – too many of all of them and yet they seem to fit him – is Krennic. The rude, arrogant drunkard of a demon! The metamorphosis is unfathomable and yet it is a fact.

He doesn’t deign a glance at you. You wish with all your heart that he would look at you, see you, even just to acknowledge your existence. There is nothing, although you stand staring, hoping until he is just a tiny speckle of light, one star among many.

You awoke to the insistent beeping of the datapad in the main room, left there in the hope that Krennic wouldn’t wake you if he decided to get up and play games at some ghastly hour. You often woke up earlier than you needed to, but with that weird dream it was no wonder you had overslept. Staggering into the other room, you barely noticed your surroundings, but once the cursed piece of technology was silenced, you began to take in the state of the bedroom. The bed was a mess, empty but for your pillow. All the bedding was strewn across the floor, pushed up against the walls as if some giant tornado had passed through.

As you began to put things back where they belonged, you got a distinct feeling of emptiness that went further than the expanse of the demonic director’s quarters. Something moving underneath the bed made you jump, but an inquisitive whimper put you at ease.

“Lyste? Is that you?”

A dark hand with a perfect set of claws became visible, and soon the small demon crept out of there. He looked distinctly unhappy, in spite of holding his trademark slipper, hurt and a little confused.

“Come here?” You sat down on the bed and patted the mattress beside you. Lyste inclined his head and then came to sit beside you, and somehow you just knew what was the matter.

“He has left us, hasn’t he?” Black pits blinked. “He’s gone.” A whimper, and then the imp bumped his forehead against your arm. You put it around him and began to stroke his head as you tried to sort out your emotions. Hurt. Betrayal. Sadness. Anger – no, not that. You couldn’t be angry with Krennic now any more than you could when he was near. Yours was a weird kind of friendship, but it had been that. If one could be friends with a demon.

Lyste’s insistent head bumping interrupted your thoughts. One look at him was enough to understand why. “Sorry. I know. I still have you.” You gave him a brief hug, careful not to startle him, and then he bowed his head. “You like scritches, too.” For Lyste, it was the base of his horns that itched and you spent a long time scratching him, long enough even that the first sharp pain in your chest began to pass. Director Krennic had left and there was nothing you could do about it.

“You will leave, too,” you told Lyste, who was now smiling and showing off his tiny, sharp fangs. “Your Eli will come for you soon.” He smiled even broader, then opened his eyes and ran his tail gently along your arm. “I – I will move on also. I just need a little time. But I will remember you, and him. I will look at the stars and know that you are there, somewhere. It will be painful at first, like now, but then there will only be good memories.”

Something caught Lyste’s attention and he rose swiftly, scurrying away out the door. You returned to the previous chores, and when the bedroom looked reasonably orderly, you went to dress. As you opened the wardrobe with your things, the only one you were allowed to touch, you immediately saw it – a single white feather lying on top of your tunic. It wasn’t a downy thing like those Krennic frequently spread about when he was moulting, but an elegant, yet strong, quill. Furthermore, it was almost twice as long as any of the feathers on his neck wings had been. Reverently, you took it between your hands and sensed a whiff of cologne at the same time as black smoke whirled in front of your eyes, only to be devoured by sharp light. The feather wafted out of your hands and for a moment you thought you had dreamt it, but when you looked, it lay there again.

Afraid to lose it, you kept your eyes trained at the feather as you dressed, and when you were done, you stuck it inside the side pocket where your code cylinder would go if you ever turned important enough to have one. This seemed the more unlikely to happen as you would now have to report to your superiors of your catastrophic failure in keeping an eye on the Grand Moff’s demon.

The great man was in his office, and chose to admit you at once, almost as if he had expected you.

“I’m sorry, sir. I – I can’t explain it, but he’s gone. I – I lost him!” Shame washed over you in unmerciful waves and you hung your head, unable to look at Tarkin.

The Grand Moff was silent for a while, then uttered dryly: “Escaped, is more like it.”

You lifted your head, surprised. “I should have tried to stop him!”

Tarkin eyed you calmly. “Tell me, Ensign, would you have had a chance of succeeding?”

“No, sir. But I should have tried. I was asleep. I’m sorry!”

“He was released. Good riddance, I say.” You stared at him. “Director Krennic’s usefulness here had come to an end,” he continued. “His presence, in any state or form, is no longer required. This station is now fully operational.” He emanated pride and satisfaction.

“Congratulations, sir.”

“Thank – what is that?” He stretched out a hand towards you but stopped short of touching the feather; instead, he slowly retracted his fingers.

“I’m not sure, sir, but I think it comes from him.”

His eyes widened and he pursed his lips, then said: “You may keep it, in private. I don’t need a constant reminder of my failure.”

“Sorry, sir.”

“Go, now. You can keep his quarters too. I know you’ve been staying there. Nobody else wants to go near those rooms. That entire section is cursed.”

“Cursed, sir?”

“Cursed! That wretched creature has done more damage than service to the Empire.”

Back in your home, you set to cleaning. Lyste’s presence slowed down the process, but his playfulness lifted your mood. The amount of dust on every horizontal surface was just astounding. The feather found its place on the narrow shelf opposite the bed, and while cleaning, you also discovered a portrait that fit the empty hook on the wall above it. It was a bit weird that someone would decorate their bedroom with an enormous portrait of themselves, but somehow that seemed to catch the essence of the handsome director.

“He’s insufferable, but we like him anyway, don’t we?” Lyste purred.

There were more surprising treasures to be found in cupboards and drawers, nothing neatly stowed, everything crammed in as if in a sudden fit to get rid of it all. Clothes, of course, among them an astonishing number of socks with pierced toes. A ring with the insignia of the engineering corps. A set of ancient-looking instruments, presumably for drawings. More clothes. The impressive DT-29 the director had claimed not to know the whereabouts of – that would have to be turned in to your superiors, later. And, perhaps the most surprising find of all – two full wine bottles, in addition to the numerous empty ones.

Work well done, you opened one of the bottles and poured yourself a glass. You draped Director Krennic’s cape around your shoulders and sat down in a comfortable chair by the viewport, from where you could both see the portrait and look outside. The soft fabric was so slinky it kept slipping through your fingers, but it still carried his scent. You lifted your glass towards the portrait and looked deep into his eyes. Cheers, Director. The once bitter taste of rich red was almost sweet on your tongue. Cradling the glass in shaky hands, you turned towards the stars again and soon had to wipe your eyes to be able see through the haze. Gone. Another sip, and fond memories flooded your mind, making you smile through tears. He is free now.

THE END

#scritches #my fic #angel!krennic #demon!lyste #necroholocron!au #demon!empire

8 notes · View notes

imaginesnkdorks · 7 years

Text

“A Role to Take” Part III

Pairing: Erwin Smith X Reader

Genre: Action; Fluff

Warnings: Violence (Slight)

Words: 1672

[Part I] [Part II] [Part IV]

A/N: Sorry this took so long. It’s summer here and that means lots of activities... I barely have any time to sit and write. Anyways, here’s the third part! - Mod Max

It was a bloody massacre. Though, I personally didn’t see the gore. I’m in commander Erwin’s squad, front center of the formation. Pretty protected spot, really. We were just informed regarding the faith of the right plank – they’re wiped out. This worries me, the kids’ are there. We kept riding east

“Send word to the rear, that only the central cart guard should enter the forest.” Erwin commanded. Two soldiers chorused, “yes, sir!” Before going off.

By now, we’re in a forest of giant trees. An ideal environment for the 3dm gear, however, it’d be hard to see titans coming. We rode a bit more, going deeper into the forest before Erwin gave his next command.

“This seems like a good spot. Hmm, yes.” We then tied our horses a bit off the clearing, and went back to it just as the carts arrived.

“Set up the cannons!” Erwin commanded and we did as asked. These aren’t regular cannons, like those on top of the walls. These has arrows in them – well, arrow-like, at least. Honestly, I don’t understand what’s going on, but my job isn’t to think, it’s to follow Erwin’s command.

Screams, and heavy thumps was echoing from where we entered. A shrill sound pierced through, this must be the signal Erwin told us.

“Ready!” Erwin commanded, and everyone was on edge… any time now!

“Fire!”

“A female ti-titan?” This titan looks remarkably different than the titans I’ve seen so far. It’s mostly muscle, barely any skin. And it looks a lot like a woman. Wait… I’ve seen a similar titan before. The colossal titan!

A zip flashed alarmingly close to me, and next thing I know Captain Levi is standing beside me and Erwin.

“Looks like it’s stopped moving.” The former commented.

“We can’t lower out guard. But you did well, leading it here.” Erwin said. I suddenly felt out of place. Still, I’ve got nowhere to go.

“Men in the rearguard squads died, buying us the time we needed. We couldn’t have done it without them.” Captain Levi added.

More people died today. My hands are starting to hurt, I guess I’m gripping my gear to tight. I’m worried, not only about Connie, but for the rest of my batchmates. They are people I know, after all. All so young. I was pulled away from my musing when I heard Captain Levi say something peculiar.

“Thanks to them, we’ll be able to see who’s inside this thing. I hope they haven’t pissed themselves.”

“Who’s inside? You mean, it’s like Eren?” I asked, completely out of turn. That’s probably why Captain Levi looked at me as if I sprouted horns. And it seems he only noticed me then. Ugh, and I was standing between him and Erwin.

The two men looked at each other – and there’s something about it that made me very uncomfortable, as if it’s about me.

Captain Levi broke away from Erwin and turned to look at me. “Of course. If it were any other titan, we wouldn’t have bothered with it.”

“Ah, of course.” I said, feeling the frown forming on my forehead. There’s still something off.

“Tsk, you look like you’re constipated. If you have something to say, say it.” Captain Levi said… and he’s obviously referring to me, much to my embarrassment.

“I – I do not! But, I can’t help but think this one looks similar to the colossal titan. Which means, that the colossal titan’s probably another shifter – like Eren.”

“Oh?” Captain Levi said, accompanied by a brow of his reaching the middle of his forehead.

He then turned his attention back to the female titan, drawing his blades.

“Wait, Levi. An eye for an eye. Fire!” Erwin said. It doesn’t look like this female titan will be moving anytime soon. Once it was secured, Captain Levi and Squad Leader Mike went in for the kill.

“Nothing happened?” I mumbled as both Levi and Mike zipped away the female titan, blades tattered or even gone to smithereens. Erwin and I have a clear view of the female titan’s nape; where it’s hands are positioned, obviously protecting the nape. What’s more, it seemed to be crystalized.

“(Y/N).”

“Yes, sir?” I answered Erwin.

“Prepare the explosives. Blow off its hands.”

“Yes, sir… ah, but we might also blow up what’s inside.” I might not have been a hundred percent aware about this titan shifter, but I do know how much firepower we have. That’s what I’m in charge of.

“Then set them to amputate the wrists.” Erwin crept closer, resting a hand on my shoulder, then added, “set them all off at once at my signal.”

“Understood!” I then zipped off towards the explosives, telling the others about Erwin’s orders. It isn’t that hard pointing these towards the wrist, and I assisted in doing so. Then….

HWARRRRGHHH!!

A shrill, most horrible sound I ever heard reverberated around us. It almost shook the ground with its intensity. As everyone did, I also looked up at the female titan where a figure stood upon its head.

“Captain Levi?” I’m still right by the explosives, close enough to the female titan’s feet. A suffocating wave of fear envelopes me – something’s wrong.

That’s when we heard it – the telltale sign of an incoming titan horde.

“Ready those explosives now!” Erwin commanded, voice booming around us. We tried to work faster, however the constant rumbling of the ground proves to be quite distracting. As we try to do our jobs, a ruckus seems to be going on around us, with Erwin barking another order and some calling Captain Levi.

“Huh?!” Three titans were making their way towards the female titan, and they’re completely ignoring us? What is going on?

A disaster – that’s what went on. I thought I was ready for this. I saw titans already, I’ve also seen death… yet, this was crushing. The person inside the female titan escaped, killing Captain Levi’s squad in the process and taking Eren with them. That was until Captain Levi and Mikasa took him back.

Clearly, the Battle at Trost is child’s play compared to actual expeditions. What was I thinking? Could I do this for the rest of my life? Fight monsters who are stronger and bigger than me? Watch more people die? And may be, die as well? Is this all there is to my pitiful existence?

This brings me back to my conversation with Erwin. He gave me this personal mission, of figuring out what I want. I never really did spend much time thinking about it, what with this expedition and all the tasks that was waiting for me.

What do I want? Despite everything, I have an answer... yet I’m afraid to say it out loud... afraid to actually want it.

We reached Trost in the early afternoon. Our size dwindled down to half. Due to the expedition’s utter failure, we were summoned to the capital – well, at least the officers and Eren Jeager.

Thump …. Thump… thump…

My knuckles rapped repeatedly at the commander’s door. I just finished gathering the final list of names… of the deceased and the missing.

“It’s (Y/N), sir.” I said, announcing my presence.

“Come in.” Was the muffled reply of the man inside.

“Here’s the finalized list of names, sir.” I stated as I handed the document over, our hands brushing. Funny, how as simple as that made me feel as if I’m floating. But Erwin doesn’t seem to be liking it – he has a frown on.

“Oh! Erhm, Erwin. Sorry.” I always forget about him requesting me to stop saying sir. At that, though, I was rewarded with a smile.

Erwin scanned the list I gave him, while I busied myself clearing up the tea cup that’s been sitting on his desk. I better get him a new one.

Erwin let go of a sigh, just as he said, “this is quite a long list. I’m afraid I won’t be able to finish these.”

��I can do it for you.” I volunteered even before I could really think about it. “Uhm, if that’s okay with you.” Erwin’s blue eyes locked on mine, and I know he can see through me. I am even confident enough to say that by now, he probably knows me better than I know myself.

“But is that alright with you? Don’t you have any other tasks that’s keeping you busy?” He inquired.

“No – not at all. I’m got this. Really.” I flashed him the best smile that I could muster. “Actually, I want to do this – help you, Erwin.”

“You’ve helped me a great deal already, (Y/N). And I’m very thankful for it. The Survey Corps’ really lucky to have you.” Then, he shook his head before adding in a whisper – “I’m quite a lucky one to have you.”

That was the push that I needed, apparently to tell him something so honest… I just bared it all for him, I guess.

“Well, I guess I’m not just doing my job. I’m also doing something that I want… something that makes me happy. I like helping you; I like to think that I make your life a little easier.”

“This … this is what you want?” Erwin said. He’s standing up now, towering over me. Yet, he crouched his head a little, to be able to look into my eyes.

“Yes. I – I want … you.” I said, surprising myself. All my life I’ve never wanted for anything or anyone – until now. Spending all those time with Erwin made me see him – beyond that cold commander persona of his. He’s just a man. A lovely man who wanted to change the world for the better – a man who would dedicate his life for the sake of humanity. A man who has captured my heart.

After what seemed like forever; of my heart pounding madly and of getting lost in those blue eyes of his, Erwin’s hands raised to my face – cupping my cheeks. He closed his eyes as his forehead rested on mine, with me following suit.

“I want you, too.” He whispered, before I felt his lips on mine.

#Erwin Smith #erwin smith x reader #a role to take #a role to take part 3 #series #snk imagines #mod max #commander handsome #reader insert

84 notes · View notes

ssnakey-b · 7 years

Text

My first fanfic

Right, I haven’t had my Tumblr account for a long time, I don’t have many followers (a whopping three and all of them are porn spambots) so I don’t know how many people will read this, I’m kind of banking on the tags working their magic.

Anyway, as the title of this entry suggests, I have written and published my first fanfic. If you look at the stuff I’ve been reblogging, it probably won’t shock you that it’s FF8-related.

It’s a one-shot, slightly under 3200 words and I’m pretty happy with it so I really hope people enjoy it. I have already posted it to a bunch of places and I decided to let it a little before posting it here.

It is set during the train ride after the group escapes TImber, Squall has a lot on his mind and hopes to clear the fog by chatting with Quistis over a game of Triple Triad. You can find it on:

Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12295279/1/Open-Hand

Archive Of Our Own: http://archiveofourown.org/works/9107866

DeviantArt (where I also post drawings): http://neije.deviantart.com/art/Open-Hand-FF8-654941757

And if for whatever reason you can’t or don’t want to read it on any of those, you can read it below under the “read more” thingie. If you enjoy it, please please please share it with other people, comment / review it and do not be afraid to give me tips or criticism to help me improve and I really would like to get more into writing. Don’t worry, I’m not the type to think someone is being patronizing for offering advice.

Anyway, to anyone reading this, enjoy!

“This train is now leaving Timber Railroad Station”. As the little chime played and the train rumbled off, Squall finally started to calm down a bit. They were safe. Well, not in immediate danger anyway, which was a step up. Still, he could feel how tense the atmosphere was. Zell was quiet, a change of attitude Squall would normally welcome, but he knew it showed how exhausted and distressed he was. Linoa took a deep breath while petting Angelo, trying to calm her nerves and Selphie was pacing anxiously. Only Quistis seemed to be keeping her composure. The experience from previous missions, Squall guessed.

Squall thought he had to say something. He wasn't much for conversation; even he could see how awkward he could be in social situations but as the designated leader of the squad, he felt it was his duty to try and keep the team's spirits up. And if he was completely honest with himself, he was starting to have a growing respect for them after everything they'd been through and seeing them soldier on with no hesitation. Mustering all of his inner strength, he reached deep inside his mind and said:

“We can do this.”

It's the thought that counts, Squall told himself, hoping that showing effort to speak up would be enough on its own to cheer everyone up. Unfortunately, it was diminished somewhat by Selphie cutting him off and loudly asking to be allowed in the next car. Squall remembered how enthusiastic she'd been about visiting the train they took to get to Timber and figured there was no reason not to agree, especially if it could help her unwind and so he used his ticket to grant her access.

“Awesome! Thanks a lot, chief!”

Squall nearly winced at that. “Chief”! This had better not become a habit. It was so ridiculous. He had no more field experience than her or Zell. There was no good reason for him to be the team leader.

Quistis, however, seemed more amused by the remark than he was and after a small chuckle, she turned to Linoa:

“I really hope the Owls are going to be okay. They're the ones we have to thank for finding us a way out of there.”

“Don't worry about them, they've been through worse!” Linoa replied. “I know we look like a clueless ragtag group of misfits and... I guess we are... but we're very resourceful and we can always rely on other resistance groups”.

“That's good to know,” said Quistis with a nod. “I'd like to at least get Zone something as thanks, though”.

“Well, he does like dirty magazines,” Linoa answered coyly.

“I'll keep that in mind, then,” said Quistis after another chuckle. “Well, there's quite a way to go, better make ourselves comfortable. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the SeeD cabin.” As the door to the next car slid open, Quistis gave Squall a playful look.

“Oh and, thanks for opening the door, chief!”

Squall rubbed his eyes, knowing that it was probably too late to escape the moniker now. He tried to relax, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He saw how down Zell looked and briefly considered having a word with him, but he remembered his previous attempt to brighten the mood and decided that it would only make things worse.

Instead, he started to mull over the events of the day. Everything since this morning had been insane. He had just woken up when he, Selphie and Zell were assigned their first mission despite only graduating the previous day, without a single veteran SeeD to oversee them. The decision was so rushed that Cid couldn't even give him a full briefing, only giving him the slightest info on where to go and who their client would be. It was painfully obvious that this whole thing had been thrown together at the last minute.

Then they got embroiled in a plot to kidnap Vinzer Deling, the bloodthirsty dictator of Galbadia, fought a zombie doppleganger instead, discovered that Cid wrote a contract so vague that for all Squall knew, he, Zell and Selphie may well be stuck with this assignment for the rest of their lives and now they were on the run from the Galbadian government.

Squall was dragged out of his thoughts as he felt a pair of eyes staring at him. He looked in Linoa's direction, only for her to suddenly look away, unconvincingly pretending she was looking at a map of the railway system. There was still a bit of tension between them as their opposite philosophies coupled with their strong and stubborn personalities had recently had explosive results. He went back to his introspection.

On top of everything else, Seifer decided to do the dumbest thing in his life and try to capture Deling himself, only to then leave with the sorceress, so they couldn't know if he was even still alive. Zell spilled the beans about them being SeeDs, Quistis suddenly showed up, the Forrest Owls' HQ was destroyed...

So many things had happened in such a short amount of time. Too many to think about. He couldn't focus on any of them, couldn't make an informed decision and he hated that. He needed a distraction, something that would help him take things one at a time, reboot his brain. Quistis. The one person that could get more than two words in a row out of him and the one person he might possibly admit to considering a friend. He had to talk to her about something. Anything. And it just so happened he had something to tell her.

He slowly made his way towards the SeeD cabin, once again feeling Linoa's gaze as he walked by her. In the corridor, he saw Selphie looking out the window much like during their previous trip. “Hi, Squall!” she chirped as she noticed him enter. He ignored her, not wanting to give any conversation the potential to start, and walked inside the cabin. “Gee, a real ray of sunshine, this guy,” Selphie thought as she went back to contemplating the landscape.

As the door closed behind him, Squall already felt a little bit better from the sudden quiet. Quistis looked up from a months-old magazine she'd been reading. SeeDs didn't travel by train that frequently, so agencies were in no rush to steadily supply the cabins with fresh literature, not to mention that with Deling's tight grasp on the media, obtaining up-to-date information was not an easy task. Squall thought that Quistis must have been a special kind of bored to pass the time reading articles she'd probably read a long time ago back in Balamb. He stood there for a few seconds, trying to think of something to say. Much to his relief, Quistis broke the silence:

“Hi.”

As stellar as the conversation was, Squall felt he had to add something. “Do you wanna... play cards or something?”.

Quistis was pleasantly surprised by the offer, although it was true that Triple Triad was the only kind of social activity Squall seemed to happily partake in. And she could tell it wasn't out of competitiveness either because he sucked at it, at least by her standards. Poor Squall had no clue about her secret.

“Sure,” she said with a smile, tossing the magazine to the side and pulling out a game board. Triple Triad was massively popular among among military groups, including the SeeD, so each cabin was fitted with a foldable board and even a deck of cards, although Quistis and Squall never left the Garden without their own.

“I dare hope the people of Timber haven't corrupted you yet and you still play using Balambian rules, the way Hyne intended?” said Quistis with a smile, setting up the board next to her on the couch.

“Hm,” was Squall's reply as he sat down to face her. Quistis took a gil form her purse.

“Heads or tails?” she asked.

“Tails,” answered Squall. Quistis flipped the coin, caught it and placed it on the back of her hand. “Tails, you go first”.

Unsurprisingly, Quistis' hand was much better than Squall's. On the rare occasions he actually managed to win a good card, he usually lost it to her almost immediately. Then again, his mind really wasn't into the game, as evidenced when he placed his first card with one of the weakest numbers completely exposed. If Quistis didn't know any better, she might have thought he was luring her into a trap.

She laid down her own card and placed a token of her colour on Squall's, signifying a capture. Squall placed his next card almost immediately and in an equally dumb move. This wasn't right. Squall usually at least tried to play decently and talked a little while playing. In fact, Quistis had a sneaking suspicion that the main reason he played Triple Triad at all was so he had an excuse to chat with people without having to admit that he enjoyed it, the horror. On top of that, she could feel him look at her from behind his hand and hide behind his cards when she looked back.

“Come on, Squall, just spit it out.”

“What?”

“You clearly have something on your mind and you're being even more quiet than usual. It's super awkward.”

Squall stayed silent for a short time, considering how to start saying what he had to say, or even whether to say anything at all. But then again, why did he go out of his way to go meet her if he wasn't going to say anything?

“It's just... I... I'm sorry.”

Quistis looked at him in confusion. It was unusual for Squall to apologize for anything, and it seemed even more surprising considering she didn't remember him offending her in any way. Not recently at least.

“For what?” she asked.

“For the way I treated you last night.” He paused for a second, realizing what he said and finding it incredible that it was only last night. Actually, it was this morning, come to think of it. “It... it sucked”. Quistis felt a bit relieved. She was surprised he even still thought about it.

“It's alright, don't worry about it” she said with a reassuring smile. “My behaviour wasn't exactly the best either, trying to cry on one of my students' shoulder on the night of his graduation”.

“The thing is, I always want to be direct and frank. I hate it when people sugarcoat things and weigh it down with pointless courtesies... but I also want to be fair. And I wasn't. I was just being a dick. Don't get me wrong, I haven't changed my mind about what I said, but I should have put it better. I guess what I'm trying to say is... it's pointless to regret what could have been. We can't do anything about that. We can only do something about what is, so if you can't be an instructor, then be the best SeeD you can.”

Quistis was now looking at him with wide eyes. It was very rare for Squall to open up like this. It was becoming obvious to her that the weight of this first mission was heavy for him. She had to admit it was a difficult one, especially for a rookie.

“Look... it's okay, really. It didn't make me mad at you. I'm surprised it bothered you so much.” She wanted to try to lighten things up a bit. “And besides... I figured you were just in a bad mood because a cute girl had just made you lose your cool and forced you to admit that there are some things that even you find fun.”

Squall grimaced. Partly because of the teasing and partly because he couldn't deny there was some truth to it. He was often taken off guard by how well Quistis seemed to understand him.

“And now she owns ya!” she added, staring right at him with a cocky smile. Evidently she was aware of the terms of their contract.

“Until Timber is independent, yeah” Squall clarified.

“Which might as well be forever.”

“Don't remind me,” said Squall with a sigh.

“Oh come on!”

“What?”

“Don't even pretend you're upset that you have to stay around her!”

“What?” Squall was growing increasingly annoyed.

“You like her! It's obvious!”

“What are you talking about?” Squall asked, planting his face firmly into his hand.

“Sorry Squall, but you're really not nearly as subtle as you think you're being. The way you look at her, the way you act around her, the way you talk to her... you're a completely different person than with anyone else!”

Squall looked at her with complete incredulity. “The way I talk to her?! So I get into shouting matches with her and what you get from that is that I'm into her?”

“Well honestly... yeah.”

Squall was at a loss for words. “I don't even want to imagine how you must think I feel about Seifer, then.”

Quistis burst out laughing. Squall wasn't one to joke around but when he did, he could come up with some genuinely funny ones. And considering how things went the last time they saw Seifer, she could use some levity.

“Ha... but seriously, Squall. Your reaction to Seifer actually illustrates what I mean perfectly. When Seifer, or Zell, or me, or anyone annoys you, you try to get them off your back as quickly as possible so you can go sulk by yourself.”

Squall looked away. Once again, it would be difficult for him to deny that her analysis was perfectly accurate. Quistis continued.

“Point is, you always try to end it as quickly as possible. Even with Seifer, you only ever got into fights with him if he didn't leave you any other option. But with Linoa... with her you actually get mad. And you stick around to give her a piece of your mind. You try to convince her to see things your way and you get angry when she doesn't. Do you realize what this means, Squall?”

He let out a big sigh.

“No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me.”

“It means you CARE! And THAT is the big difference. I don't think I've ever seen you care what other people think before. You don't share your feelings with anyone except maybe me, and even then not often and I have to drag it out of you. But with her, you go out of your way to let her know what you think. You take it personally! And it frustrates you when she disagrees with you because you wish she'd see things your way.”

Squall shook his head in response.

“Well, Quistis, if the SeeD thing doesn't work for you either, you'd make a great psychologist.”

Quistis didn't let his attitude slow her down. It was obvious to her that he was trying to convince himself more than he was trying to convince her:

“Think about it! If you didn't like her, then why would you get so mad? You always act like everything is strictly business. You never show any reaction to people from the Garden disagreeing with you. You never get involved, so why would a client's opinions affect you so much? Why would you care about anything that doesn't pertain to the mission? If it were anyone else, you'd just roll your eyes and shut your brain off until they gave you orders.”

Squall was getting irritated.

“Look... I don't know if I really look at her differently from anyone else. Maybe. I'll admit she's pretty. Big deal. I'm not blind. But,” he sighed. “what drives me insane about her is that there are so many people whining about how 'someone' should do 'something' but not a single one of them is willing to be that someone. Even among the resistance, most groups are activists in name only, and here there finally was one that was willing to pick up the slack and they're a bunch of unreliable incompetents bumbling around with no preparation, no backup plan and just no... no sense of reality. THAT is why I'm so frustrated. Her cause is noble but she has no idea what she's doing.”

Squall did give Linoa credit for being the one to get things going, although he wasn't going to do so out loud; no point in giving Quistis more ammo. Zone was supposedly the leader of the Forrest Owls but it was obvious that Linoa was the one who actually ran everything. As much as she could baffle him, he did respect her for that. If only her naiveté didn't hold back her determination.

“So basically,” Quistis went on, “it's like I said. You do care about her and you take it personally that she doesn't give herself the means to achieve her goals”.

“Whatever.”

There was a pause. Squall seemed to be even less focused on the game as it went on, barely even looking at his cards before dropping them. Quistis leaned back to rest against the couch.

“Honestly, I can see why you like her.” she said with a more serious expression. Squall desperately tried to ignore her and considered leaving the room altogether. “She'd be perfect for you. She'd bring you a bit of passion, something to put your skills as a SeeD to good use. And you'd bring her the focus she needs to reach her dreams.”

She chuckled again. “If you two joined forces, I think the Galbadian dictatorship would fall by tomorrow!”

“You're taking your fantasies for realities, Quistis.” said Squall. “You barely know anything about her. Hell, I barely know anything about her and she's my client.”

“I know enough.”

“Tsk, you're hopeless. Anyway, you win, pick your cards so I can leave.” replied Squall, as if he hadn't been the one to initiate the conversation.

“Nah, you can keep them,” was Quistis' response.

“Huh? But you won!”

“Your head wasn't in the game. I'll take your cards when you lose properly. I'm guessing your mind was too preoccupied by that cute girl you totally don't care about.”

“You keep telling yourself that,” said Squall while picking up his cards. “I'm going back outside. I think we're nearly there.” He hoped that was true.

“Okay.” Before Squall left the room, she added “I'm totally telling her you said she's pretty, by the way!”

Giving Quistis a death glare over his shoulder, he left without a word, knowing full well that he'd only dig himself deeper.

“Hi again, Squall!” said Selphie as he passed. Squall still didn't reply. He wasn't ignoring her this time, he just didn't hear her. Quistis had realized things about him before he did so many times before, and he wondered if that was the case here.

2 notes · View notes