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faebaex · 8 months

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Tangled in Wonderland - Fighting Fire with Fire

author note: aaaaa this is so late! Sorry, sorry – graduation happened and then I was very busy with misc things x-x but this instalment is a little longer to make up for it! Hope you enjoy, Scarabia is up next!

characters: Azul Ashengrotto x GN!Reader

You had only given yourself two objectives when you had realised that you had been transported to the world of Twisted Wonderland.

One: figure out a way to get back to your own world, preferably in one piece.

Two: keep a low profile and avoid the game’s named characters as much as possible.

Unfortunately, none of those objectives had been going well.

Despite your best attempts, you had already run into the game’s first two housewardens. Chapter one of the game had pretty much run on schedule, culminating in Riddle’s eventual overblot. You ran into Leona by fluke, and whilst the encounter was not as terrible as you thought it would be, you still found it less than ideal for your plan to keep a low profile, especially now that Leona would give you the odd nod here and there if you passed each other in the hallway. That caused you to get a few more stares than usual. There was also another curious issue that had caught your attention.

Even with you laying low and keeping yourself out of the main story as much as possible, Leona’s overblot still happened. You had noticed that Crowley had not asked/threatened you into investigating the odd accidents that had been going on around campus in the run up to the spelldrive tournament, which you assumed was because he was still avoiding you so you didn’t hound him about getting home. So even though it wasn’t you who helped uncover the truth about the incidents, the truth still came out and you, through fates untimely intervention, ended up on the Savanaclaw spelldrive field to witness his overblot.

Regarding your attempts to figure out a way home, research had been slow. Whilst Riddle was a great help, he could also be a hindrance. With midterms on the horizon, Riddle had been visiting not to assist you with your research, but to make sure you had been studying properly for the upcoming exams. Because he considered you an honorary member of Heartslabyul, Riddle deemed it his role to make sure you succeeded in your academic endeavours, even going through the effort of making you a study schedule and notes in order for you to maximise your study time efficiently. Although you appreciated the gesture, getting more sidetracked was not what you needed right now. But you figured there were worst things that could happen.

But as usual, fate decided to show you that there were definitely worse things.

You had just gotten to the library, tote bag full of study materials that Riddle had generously lent to you swinging behind you as you weaved through the bookshelves and desks, aiming for your usual table at the back. You figured you could continue your own research and if Riddle showed up, you could just swap the books over and he would be none the wiser.

Of course, you had no idea that a whole bigger problem than Riddle Rosehearts was awaiting you. Because when you rounded the corner that enclosed your library table, the devil himself was waiting for you.

Or in this case, Azul Ashengrotto.

“Ah! There you are prefect!” Azul exclaimed, slamming one of your research books shut which he had clearly been nosing through, “I have been waiting for you. I trust your classes went well today?” He smiled at you, that usual picture perfect, business smile affixed to his face. All you could do was stare blankly at him, willing every muscle in your face not to react so that you didn’t give him an opening.

Why were you running into Azul?! Chapter three started after midterms! You still had some time before then, brain already working overtime in an attempt to figure out what was the best way to lay low against a whole dorm that excelled in subterfuge and deceit. You were shaken from your thoughts by the sounds of chair legs scrapping against the floor, as Azul got to his feet.

“Say, prefect… Midterms are coming up and it seems to me that you have all the wrong content here,” Azul started as he gestured to the table with all your research materials gathered, “why don’t we take a walk and we can discuss exactly what I can do to help you…”

Oh no. No, no, no.

Without a word, you span on your heel and started to march out of the library, not looking back or faltering in your step. It seemed like you’d actually be studying for your midterms back at Ramshackle today. Riddle would be thrilled.

“My, prefect where are you going?” Azul called after you, and you didn’t have to imagine the predatory smile on his face now that your back was turned, “I only want to talk!”

The library door slammed behind you and you hightailed it back to Ramshackle dorm.

After classes ended the next day, you took the risky decision to return to the library. But this time, you had a plan. Having called in a small favour from the library ghosts that you have become friendly with, you began your walk over to your usual table. Unfortunately, but as expected, Azul was waiting for you, his perfect business smile fixed on his face.

“Prefect, so good to see you.” Azul said, voice smooth as he leaned against one of the chairs. You had to wonder how long he had been standing there, posed like that, waiting for you to turn the corner. You ignored him as you slipped your tote bag of your shoulder and took your usual seat, pretending like he was not there. There was a beat of silence as you found your bookmark and continued reading your book in the place you had left off on, but of course the silent treatment wouldn’t work on someone as adaptable as Azul.

“Ahem, prefect, if you would…”

“Three.” You said loudly, not looking up as you turned over the page of your book. In your peripheral vision, you watched as Azul freeze.

“… Prefect?” Azul enquired, smile frozen on his face.

“Two.” You continued, eyes glued to the book in front of you. The other books rattled on the table, one even flipping open, the pages flapping dramatically before slamming back shut. Azul lifted a hand to adjust his glasses in his usual move to mask the surprise and unease that threatened to destroy his perfect smile. “Why are you—”

“One.” Finally, you looked up, looking directly into his eyes. You were satisfied to see he looked appropriately unnerved, but the best was still to come.

“BOO!!!”

Azul jumped so hard that his glasses went askew, and you couldn’t help the amused smirk that spread across your face as he flapped to regain his composure. The library ghost that had popped out and spooked Azul cackled mischievously and flew around the table a few times before disappearing, giving you the chance to mask your face back into an indifferent expression when Azul turned his attention back to you, still looking a bit shocked. You only offered a small shrug in consolation.

“Those library ghosts can sure be cheeky sometimes.” You said nonchalantly, flitting your eyes back down to your book without another word. Silence fell again, and you swore you heard a small, disgruntled huff before Azul took his leave.

Today, victory was yours.

You had one full day of peace from Azul before he was back again like nothing had happened. You shouldn’t have been surprised, Azul had a tenacity that sometimes made you wonder why the Dark Mirror had not placed him in Pomefiore. And for whatever reason, he had decided that you were very interesting.

He began popping up everywhere. You kept seeing him in the corridors, flashing you a smile that could be fool anyone as being kind. He’d somehow appear behind you in the lunch queue, even if he wasn’t there a minute before. You even decided to avoid the library for a few days, punishing yourself to study for midterms in the creaky Ramshackle dorm, and even then you saw him on your walk back, conveniently placed near the hall of mirrors or the botanical gardens, giving you a friendly wave when you passed. Well, for what passed as friendly with Azul. It was becoming increasingly clear to you, Azul was not going away.

You wracked your brain as to why Azul had taken such an interest in you. You know that when the main character made a deal with him in book three, he had his sights set on Ramshackle dorm so that he could open a branch café of the Mostro Lounge, and it was obvious that this was his agenda still now. But he had never come after the main character this… fiercely, so why was he pursuing you with such aggression?!

You chalked it up to another one of fate’s cruel pranks.

Determined, you continued to ignore his constant presence. With all the studying for midterms that you had been doing, you were convinced that you might actually get a decent grade this time round. Riddle expressed his pleasure at your diligent studying, having been miffed that he had not seen you at your usual spot in the library but delighted to know that you had finally knuckled down on your preparation for midterms.

But you couldn’t continue studying at Ramshackle forever. With Ramshackle came Grim, and with Grim came Ace and Deuce. And when you threw in the Ramshackle ghosts, you had an environment that definitely wasn’t suitable for studying. So inevitably, you ended up back at the library. Once again, you had one day of peace before Azul’s channels of information got back to him that you were back at the library because the very next day, Azul was waiting for you.

“Ah, prefect!” Azul said cheerfully, going so far as to pull out your chair for you, “I’m glad to run into you again. I must have missed you the last few times I have come to the library, I haven’t seen you here!” Azul’s business smile was out in full force today, and your lips pursed as you took your seat, ignoring Azul as he tried to help your push your chair in, not that it phased him at all. Azul was in top form today.

“Now, I’ve have something that I’d like to discuss with you…” Azul began as he took a seat opposite you, folding his hands in front of him neatly. You ignored him as you reached into your tote bag and opened one of your study books, deciding to brush up on some alchemy terms.

“It has been brought to my attention that…” Azul cleared his throat delicately, and leans forward slightly, lowering his voice, “now, I know that your situation is a little… delicate, but please be assured, I can help.” You continued to ignore him, trying your best to memorise the endless amounts of alchemy components that you had apparently learned this semester. A hand gently placed itself on top of your textbook, and you looked up to see Azul with his perfected faux expression of mixed pity and sympathy, which you were sure had won him over many clients in the past. For you, it just made your stomach turn.

“I know you’re failing. Multiple subjects, in fact.” Azul said quietly, and your eyes narrowed at him. “And who told you that?” You asked bluntly, and Azul pulled his hand back, holding up in the air in a gesture seeking peace, “now, now… You know I have to abide by client confidentiality… But you know how friends talk…” Azul purred, a predatory glint in his eyes as he smiled at you.

Great, so somebody had talked. You wondered who it could be, Ace? Deuce? Grim? Not that it mattered. Now Azul was determined to get his claws sunk into you, and you needed to deter him. Fast.

“While I appreciate your concern, I’m doing just fine. You could say that I’ve got friends in high places where are looking out for me. One even gave me a study schedule. You may know him, he’s at the top of the second-year rankings, after all.” You retorted with a sickly-sweet smile, feeling glad to have gotten that dig in, knowing Riddle and Azul’s competitive history. Azul’s smile never faltered, though his eyes did harden slightly.

“Ah, but you have so many subjects to learn in such a short amount of time. Midterms are next week.” Azul pointed out, a hand moving to rest on his chest with a flourish, “with a copy of my notes for each subject, you are guaranteed to improve your grades, enough that the professors will not give you a hard time over it. I know I could never understand, but it must be so difficult being the school’s only magicless student. You poor, unfortunate soul. I would rest so much easier at night knowing that you weren’t struggling unnecessarily.”

Your eye twitched at that, the urge to throw one of the heavy, leather-bound tomes at your side directly at Azul’s head growing thick and fast. “I said I wasn’t interested.” You responded firmly through gritted teeth. You had hoped the sly mention of Riddle would get Azul off your back, but clearly you were being naïve. Your eyes fell back down to your textbook as silence fell between you again, hoping through some fluke that ignoring Azul would make him leave you alone, but of course it wouldn’t.

“Well, if you don’t want to make a deal based on a grades perspective…” Azul mused allowed, his smile turning a tad more sinister, “how about this? Think of all the time you’ll have free to spend working on your interesting little side project if you don’t have to worry about your grades?” Azul’s fingers stroked along the spine of one of your many research books and you froze.

Now, you knew that one of your main goals was to keep a low profile in Twisted Wonderland until you figured out a way home. And if you deluded yourself hard enough, you could believe that to some extent, you had. But whilst you could tolerate Azul’s stalking, his faux friendly behaviour in the corridors and in the lunch line, and his many attempts to solicit you in the library and rope you into a predatory deal that you had no hopes of ever completing, there was one thing that you would never let slide.

And that was someone attempting to foil your plans to get back home.

Your eyes hardened as you gazed over at Azul. You needed to get rid of him, to deter him so strongly that he’d be hesitant to ever approach you again so lightly. And you knew just the way to do it.

You didn’t want to do it to him, but in your defence, he had started it. And in the types of games that he liked to play, you had to fight fire with fire.

Your pursed lips melted into a smile as you leaned forward. “Why don’t you make a deal with me instead, Azul?” You offered, crooking your finger in a motion to call him closer to you. Whilst he seemed hesitant, he was clearly intrigued by your suggestion and leaned closed to you as you looked him dead in the eye, speaking in a hush tone.

“You’re going to leave me alone. Because if you don’t, I’m going to tell every single person I walk past that they should take some time to visit the Atlantica Memorial Museum in the Coral Sea. I’ll tell them ‘hey! I know there is a really cool statue that catches your eye as soon as you enter, but you should really take a moment to check out the photographs right by the door. There are some very cute pictures there, especially one with the prince of the Coral Sea!’ You never know what you might find, right Azul?” You watched the colour drain from Azul’s face with every word you spoke, barely able to mask his horror at what you were telling him.

“H-how… Who…” He was flustered now, recoiling away from you like you had slapped him before leaning back closer to hiss at you, “how do you know about that?!” Azul was incredulous, so shocked at the dirt you had on him that he couldn’t even begin to deny it. He had to— no, he needed to know how you knew, like his very life depended on it.

“You’d be surprised what I know about you, Azul.” You responded cooly, leaning back in your chair and levelling him with a severe stare. “Things you’ve worked so hard to keep secret. I’m happy to keep them secret for you too, but you see, the thing is…” Your eyes narrowed at him now, and if he could have gotten paler, he would have, “when I get irritated, say by being constantly bothered by someone who can’t take ‘no’ for an answer…” You started to raise your voice with every word, “I get louder, and louder and…”

“Okay, okay!” Azul recoiled from you with an audible thump against his chair. He looked frazzled; pale faced with sweat beading on his forehead, “l-let’s not be rash, prefect. I see now that…” Azul cleared his throat, desperate to claw back some of his composure as he quickly stood from his chair, not even bothering to tuck it back in, “I see now that I’ve disturbed you during an incredibly important time. I apologise. I’ll take my leave, and I hope you can use your… Discretion not to act impulsively on this… Sensitive matter?”

You flashed Azul a serene smile that was not at all genuine, and he knew it. “I’ll try my best. There’s only so much I’m capable of. You know, being a magicless student and all.” You uttered with sweetness, and you thought you heard a low whine from Azul before he quickly made his escape, hurrying out the library with his dignity in tatters.

You smiled to yourself as you slowly pushed your study textbook aside. You knew it was a very risky move to threaten Azul like that, and there was a good chance that you might find yourself tied up and thrown in the sea by the end of the semester for so boldly confronting him. This wasn’t the last you would see of him, Azul too calculating to let you, a loose end that he never dreamed of encountering, go free. But for now, you could relish in the small, peaceful reprieve you had given yourself as you pulled one of your research books in front of you, finally continuing where you had left off.

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #azul ashengrotto #twst azul #azul ashengrotto x reader #azul ashengrotto x y/n

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magics-neptunes-things · 28 days

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Feelings (2)

Hi!

This is the second part of Feelings, I hope you will like it too :)

I'm taking things slow for now, but some other things would happens in the next chapter.

Feel free to let me think what you think about it.

And enjoy! ♥

TW : Mention of smut

PART 1 |

______________________________________________________________

The next day, when you woke up, you stay with your eyes closed. You remember perfectly what happened last night, but you are scared. Scared that it was a dream or that Alessia was in reality drunk and thought you take advantage of her. You would never do something like that obviously, you asked her several times yesterday if she was ok and if what you are doing is ok too. And asks for her consent before each new movement too.

And you know you are not dreaming; you have some aches that are particular of this kind of activities.

When you open your eyes, Alessia is still in your bed. Lying on her side, she’s looking at you. And you are straight in the light blue of her eyes, but you can’t determine what feelings are in it.

“Hi” you say softly.

“Hello” she answers only.

“Did you sleep well?”

She nods, before rolling on her back to rub her eyes. She putted her shirt back during the night, but that’s not what you realize. She seems a little strange this morning, like something is bothering her. Once again, you don’t expect everything from her, maybe it was just a one-time thing for her. So you get up from your bed, looking for your clothes too.

With a shirt, you fell better to have a difficult conversation. You sit on the bed right after, looking at Alessia. You can’t remember how many times you told her that she’s beautiful yesterday. But she is this morning too. You don’t say it anyway, only looking at her. She seems nervous and almost breathless when she finally talks.

“Look Y/N…”

She seems lost too and you already have understood. You raise your hand and she looks at you.

“It’s ok, Lessi. If you want to pretend that nothing ever happened… It’s ok.”

“It’s not that I didn’t want to yesterday or even today. But I feel like this is maybe not the right time to start something like this. We are at the beginning of the World Cup and…”

“It’s ok” you repeat, cutting her again.

The bitterness that fills your mouth make you unable to offer her a real smile, the one you are making now must looks like a grimace to be honest. You don’t know what she understood about your feelings yesterday, and you don’t know if the way she looks really sorry helps you or not.

“I better go.”

You only nod, not being able to speak or even look at her when she takes her other clothes, all around the room on the floor. She kisses your cheek softly and left the room soon after. And you never feel so empty in your life.

********

Some days passed. You and your team played other games and managed to qualify for the next round of the tournament. You never talk to Alessia again after that morning and you can’t even just look at her. You told her that it was ok, and you really thought that you were going to be ok. One night with her was way more than what you ever expected.

But you were wrong. What’s happening to you right now is way more difficult to deal with than your breakup with Alma. People don’t come to talk to you, assuming that you were struggling with that. It was a good excuse.

You only talk about what happened to Maya and Sofia, a good friend you made in Spain. Maya met her several times when she came to Barcelona to see you. You even make some videos call the three of you, your friends trying to ease your mind.

“But she said basically that it wasn’t the right time. It means that maybe when the World Cup is ending…” was saying Sofia.

“There is no way that it’s happening, Sofia. She doesn’t even look at me.”

It would be stupid of yourself to still be hopeful about something like this. The only time you had eyes contact, she looks the other way so fast that her eyes must have burn.

“Maybe she regrets what happened between us” you sigh, pinching your nose.

“No, I know Less” Maya answers. “She would have told you if it was something like this. She doesn’t take things so easy, making a think to regret it the day after. She only had two boyfriends and sleeping around isn’t her thing.”

Maya knows Alessia well, they played together for years in Manchester United. You are a little jealous sometimes, but in another way, it would be harder to see her every day. You feel a little better hearing Maya and for one time you fall asleep without too much struggle.

Next morning, like every morning, you get for a walk on the beach after the breakfast. You ate with Georgia and Keira, who takes you under their wing, probably at Leah’s request. But they were still busy, and you don’t want to be a burden for them.

You were sitting on the beach you discovered at your first day here when you feel a presence behind you. Turning, you realize that it’s Lucy.

“You alright Kiddo?” she asks, and you answer with a smile. “Mind if I sit with you?”

“Nah, please do.”

Lucy sits and looks at the water in front of you when you resume your looking. Some peaceful minutes passed before Lucy talks.

“I know I’m not the most observant person in the world, but I see how much you struggle those days. You’re making a good job hiding it and I probably wouldn’t be able to realize it if I never passed by the same things.”

Curious, you look at Lucy. You were close with her, more than with Keira to be honest. You are the only three English at Barcelona, it helps to create a great bond.

“When Keira and I broke up…”

“Oh. No Luce, I stop you right there. It has nothing to do with my breakup with Alma.”

Lucy looks at you curiously too, her arms around her knees.

“What I wanted to say, it’s that maybe you can think it’s the end of your world. But life has sometimes something better looking for you. Look at my old ass, I still found something even better that what I had.”

“Ona?” you ask with a smirk.

You can’t help but laugh when you see the light red coloring Lucy’s cheeks.

“Lucy Bronze, are you blushing?”

“I’m trying to help you and you give it back to me by making fun of me?”

She looks disappointed but you know that she is only joking. You laugh softly and decide to tease her a little bit.

“Ok, when do you present her to me then if she’s so perfect? I’m way closer to her age than you are.”

“Shut up.”

She throws you some sand and you laugh a little more before looking up at the sky. It’s bright blue, the sun is shinning and you really love the Australian vibes. But you think about Lucy’s words, and you decide to ask her the question that is running in your mind.

“What am I supposed to do if Life gave me the best thing and take it back from me?”

Lucy stays silenced for some times, and you know that she’s looking at the best answer she can give you.

“If it’s the one thing you have to have, then you will have it back. Maybe it wasn’t the right time now.”

It’s funny that it’s almost the same words than Alessia said. But “maybe” is the keyword of the sentence and you can’t hope it anymore. So you just hum before sighting.

Little did you know that Alessia was actually talking about you too, finally.

********

“I kissed Y/N.”

Ella was peacefully drinking her coffee and spit it around, making Mary grunt. Alessia was holding this information for too long, she needed to take it out. And she trusts no one more than Ella and Mary.

“What did you just say?!” Ella almost shout when she can breathe again.

“Ella” Mary growls.

Mary realized that something was off with Alessia, but she didn’t want to push the younger girl to confess anything. She was far from imagine that it was something like that though.

“Sorry, sorry. I mean, did you kiss her or did she kiss you?” Ella asks.

“I don’t know? We kiss each other I guess; it was a mutual thing.”

Alessia shrugs, looking at her best friend with attention. Like Maya told you at the phone, she only had two relationships and only with boys. And she never said anything about being gay or having a crush on a girl.

“Is it why you are all weird those days? Are you regretting it or something?”

Mary facepalm at Tooney’s lack of tact. For the good of everyone, she decides to take the lead of this conversation.

“Have you talk to her since the kiss?” Mary asks gently.

“No, not really. We just are very busy and… well maybe I kind of ignore her.”

Alessia seems lost, so is Ella, for once unable to say anything. So Mary just put a comforting hand on Alessia’s knee, trying to be the most soft possible.

“You know that it’s ok right? Kissing girl?”

“Yeah” Alessia mumble.

“Of course it is!” Ella exclaimed herself. “Don’t let anyone or yourself saying you otherwise. You have to do what you need to do to be happy. Only your happiness matter.”

“I hate to say that, but she’s right” Mary smirks.

Alessia laughs hearing her friends, feeling a little lighter. Maybe it’s because of her confession, maybe it’s because of their reaction. Or maybe the two. But she’s way more at ease when someone from the staff came to take Ella for some physical exercises. Alessia stays with Mary only and give her a look before talking again.

“We didn’t only kiss” Alessia whispers, looking at her fingers “I… We slept together too.”

Mary doesn’t say that she thought it was the case, but she kind of knew it. In her opinion, Alessia’s reaction would have been a little too much is it would have involved only one kiss.

“Was she good?” Mary asks with an angelic air.

“Mary!”

“What? I’m just asking!”

She raises both of her hand and Alessia rolls her eyes, unable to hide a little smile. This conversation is taking an unexpected turn.

“She was good. She was so sweet and gentle… And very affectionate and careful. I didn’t know it was possible to be this and… I don’t know, very hot and sensual at the same time?”

“Well you’re a lucky girl.” Mary laughs.

Alessia have red cheeks but seems interested by Mary’s comment. She won’t say at loud, but what she shared with you that night was better than everything of her precedents “bedroom stuff”, how she likes to name it.

“Is it always like this?”

“Mh all girls aren’t good too, I think. Like in straight world, you can find everything.”

“How can sex with a girl feels so different?”

Mary smiles softly, touched by Alessia’s naivety and cuteness. She doesn’t know why Alessia chose not to talk about it with Ella around, but she’s determined to be a good friend and advise her instead of teasing her.

“I don’t know Love, I never been with a man before. But have you thought that maybe it’s not because of the gender of the person, but the person herself?”

Alessia raise her eyes on Mary, biting her lips. Her cheeks are now a little redder and Mary understands quickly that she was kind of right. Like your other teammates, Mary knows you like girls. Everyone knows. You had some flings with other players, but the goalkeeper don’t know a lot about your love life.

“What happened after you slept with her?” Mary asks softly.

“I told her that it wasn’t the right moment to start something serious. She told me that it was ok, but she still seems strange don’t you think?”

“A little, yes. Why isn’t it the right moment?”

Alessia shrugs and looks away this time. She wasn’t really proud of her behavior with you, but it was to protect herself in a way. She is scared about her feelings for you and the way you make her feel that night.

“Because we are literally at the World Cup? And she’s living in Spain, I don’t think I can do a long-distance relationship… And… Well, I never been with a girl before. It’s kind of scary. And she just broke up with her girlfriend who cheated on her.”

“If you are sure that it’s the good choice for you, then you were right to do it Less. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”

Alessia nods and hug her friend when Mary extends her arms to her. She’s not really sure if it’s the good choice to make actually. But she can’t go back to the morning after. She’s grateful for Mary though, even if she chooses a way that Mary wouldn’t, the goalkeeper never tries to change her mind. She adapts herself at the other person.

********

The game against Nigeria is the worst memory of your tournament. You came in for Lauren Hemp at the second period, but with LJ’s red card it was a though game. You are exhausted at the end of the second prolongation, but you still have your penalty to shoot. Georgia missed hers and you are the last of the five on Sarina’s list to take your shoot.

Your hands are shaking when you put the ball on the ground, and you try to breath correctly when the referee talks to the other goalkeeper. You look at the bench and it was the first time that you really crossed Alessia’s gaze since you slept together. Her eyes are even more blue than you remember. She nods at you and gives you a half-smile. You don’t answer to her, but this contact as small as it was, gives you some confidence back. You have this. You can do it.

Taking a deep breath, you take three big steps back and look right in the other goalkeeper’s eyes. Some seconds after you start to run, hit the ball who go straight in the left corner of the net.

You feel your knees gives up when Lucy jumps on your back and soon you are with other players on top of you. The relief is amazing, and you are still shacking when someone takes your hand to help you getting up. You realize when she hugs you that it’s Keira.

“Well done” Sarina says to you when she pats your back.

When she calls you later, Leah was a little more polite about your achievements, and told you to shut up when you answer that it was a teamwork. You laugh though, happy to hear your friend.

“You are sure you still don’t want to come to play at Arsenal?”

“No Leah, stop” you laugh.

“Whatever. I will have Alessia next season anyway, she makes good choice, unlike you.”

You can her Leah’s smirk while she talks, but it’s not the information that stay in your head.

“Lessi is coming to Arsenal?”

“Oh shit. Yes, it supposed to be a secret, please don’t say anything to anyone. I’m not even supposed to know it myself.”

“What did you do Williamson?” you grin.

You don’t know why this information is disturbing to you. Maybe because you have hopped that the blonde would like to come to Barcelona? But you know that she won’t do it, her family is in England, and she has another bond with them than you have. Plus, she already left to the USA before, she probably wants to stay as close as possible to them.

Thanks God, you have Leah’s adventures tonight to keep you entertained and to help you a little to forget about this information. You don’t talk to her about what happened with Alessia, you don’t really know why. Maybe because she knows the girl, but in reality, you prefer to have an advice from someone in front of you.

#woso imagine #woso x reader #woso fanfics #alessia russo #alessia russo x reader #alessia russo imagine

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caeqey · 21 days

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‎♡‧₊˚࿐ the little things — 엔하이픈 thoughts

or — things my suitor does, that i think en- members would do too

#wc 1k+ pairing ⟢ highschool bf!en- members x gn!reader ⸝⸝ genre : fluffㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ , angst if you squint warnings .ᐟ mentions an argument, food/ed (reader forces themself to not eat)

이희승 : messages you after every round

early in your relationship with heeseung, you quickly caught onto the fact that he loves gaming. you didn't mind it of course, it was nice that he had his own thing. it only became a problem when it started feeling like he cared more about his games than he did you. not wanting to assume the worst, you decided to talked to him about it. heeseung was honestly upset, not because he thought you were being selfish, but because his actions made you feel that way. since then, he loves to text you in between rounds, updating you about the silliest things like —

“baby look! i ranked up 😁” , “I GOT BATTLE ROYALE BABY YIPEE” and often, you'd see notifications like “sorry baby, i was in game. can you play with me next time, please?”

박종성 : brings you food for lunch

jay was aware that you had a bad habit of not eating your food. often times, you'd give your lunch to your friends. it hurt him, seeing you not eat, forcing yourself not to. he took note of your behaviour and then had the bright idea that he should make you your lunch. he never forced you to eat his cooking though, but he did encourage you. as time passed, you grew a healthier relationship with not only food, but with jay as well. the delicious meals he made daily were truly the highlight of your day. every now and then, he also likes to slip in notes that say —

“eat well, you deserve it dear :)” . “i know this is your fav, so i hope i did it justice ( ._. )” , “ sorry if it tastes burnt, making tanghulu is harder than it seems :(“

심재윤 : asks you to go to his games

volleyball season has finally arrived at your school, and that meant only one thing for you. watching your dear boyfriend's games on the daily. being the libero of the senior volleyball team was not a light task, but jake seemed to enjoy it nonetheless. whether it was a regular game or a tournament, he would always ask you to go. you didn't really have much of a choice though, since you are part of the school's photography club. this meant that attending games was mandatory for you. but, mandated or not, you wouldn't dare miss any of his games. it's delightful to see jake in his element, it's as if his aura changes the moment he's on the court. but of course, your boyfriend being the guy he is, jake always reminds you to —

“take pictures of me please !” , “cmonn you're a photographer, you have to take pictures of me” with a pout. however he seems to always say “WOAH THESE LOOK SO GOOD!!! i knew you were amazing sweetheart” in the end.

박성훈 : likes to watch you make art

as one of the school's most prominent artists, you are very well known for the art that you create. sometimes you art would be submitted in national competitions and you'd often get complimented on your skills during your school's art shows. and sunghoon is no different from those who admired your art. in fact, your boyfriend is "your number #1 fan" (as he likes to put it). he loves to go to your house, just sitting there and watching you work with the medium you chose. one day, you asked him why he loves to watch you every time to made art. he thought about what to say for a moment before stating —

“well, i find it odd how you're constantly told that your artwork is stunning, but you're never told that it looks even better as you're working on it. it's like you're an extension of the piece, my darling, you're abeautiful work of art as well.” tearing up at his words, you engulfed him in a tight hug.

김선우 : sends you pictures of the sunset/sunrise

your boyfriend knows how fond you are of the sunset and sunrise. even before you had gotten together, you two would always stay up all night to watch it rise when morning came. ironically, the day (or night ?) you two had gotten together, was when you were once again waiting for dawn. so, whenever sunoo had the chance to, he would always try to send pictures of the lovely sun rising and setting. it became your thing, something only you two did with each other. those pictures would often come with texts like —

“goodmorning honey! isn’t the sunset so pretty?” , “i was out walking and noticed the sun was setting hehe”, “hiii are you uppp? look what i saw :)”

양정원 - loves to build legos with you

both you and jungwon have always been interested in legos, and there was no exception to that.even when you two go to the mall. often entering the lego store to browse for any sets that you liked. so it did not come to you as a surprise when your lovely boyfriend gifted you a set of lego roses for your birthday. he knows how much you’ve wanted to build these types of things with him, it was practically the best gift he could’ve ever thought of! now sitting across from each each other, crossed legged and giggling. things were going as planned until —

“love it’s the other way around!” you exclaimed, “wait, huh ???” despite his experience in lego set building, flowers were not his thing. “the petal, i mean. it’s upside” you chuckled. the night of your birthday went on smoothly as you two continued creating the plastic flower arrangement.

西村力 — is the miles to your gwen

riki is actually the reason why you had taken an interest in the famous spider hero. he would often talk about the movies and the comics with you, which interested you the more he talked about it. you adored it when he geeked out about his interests, it was the side of him that no one really saw. soon, you were just as addicted as he was. and when the across the spiderverse movie had come out, you two did not miss the opportunity to watch it together. by the time his birthday rolled in, you thought about the perfect birthday present. matching bracelets that were impressed by miles and gwen. you were undeniably anxious though, even spending all night pondering about how he’d feel about the gift. but upon opening your gift he said —

“woah!! it's so cool, thank you!!” riki smiled, genuinely. “wait, hey, are you alright?” he asked, sensing your anxiousness. “i’m glad you like it. and uhm, i know that miles and gwen don't exactly end up on good terms by the end of the movie… but don't worry riks. we're gonna do our own thing”

note ᝰ.ᐟ please tell me someone got the atsv reference in riki's part (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞ anyways i hope you guys enjoyed this !! please leave feedback, it would really help me out :)

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nhlclover · 1 year

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jealousy | rutger mcgroarty

summary: a rare spur of jealousy leads to misplaced anger against your boyfriend

warnings: slight angst, kissing, NOT proofread soz

a/n: he is doing so good in the tournament rn

word count: 1.3k

Being Rutgers girlfriend doesn’t demand much. He likes kisses, taking me on dates, and just simply being in each other's presence. However, being Rutgers girlfriend also means I double as a hockey girlfriend. This means attending all the games, being there so that he can vent about the games and being a motivational speaker. I truly didn’t mind it though. Getting to see him live out his dreams made it all worthwhile.

Tonight was another game, this one against Ohio State. Normally I attend the games alone and sit in a section separate from the student section. However my friends, after seeing a video from the UMich hockey account that showed Mark fighting another player, wanted to come and see a game. This also meant they wanted to sit in the student section so they could “be in the thick of it”.

We joined the sea of students, also dressed in blue and yellow. Some people around us had signs, most of them chirping the opposing team, Ohio State. When the boys skated out, the student section roared. People banged on the glass, pumping up the others while they did their warmups. The noise only slightly diminished as the game started, with chants starting every few seconds. By the end of the 2nd period, it was 2-0 for Michigan. The student section was slightly less rowdy, as people went to the concession stands.

“Okay, but number two was the best, right?”

The mention of my boyfriends' number made my ears perk up. I look at the three girls sitting in front of us who are the only possible owners of the voice.

“His last name was McGroarty, go look on Instagram.” One of the girls says.

I look at her phone, see her type in Rutger’s last name, and click on his profile. “He is so cute.” She squeals.

“I don’t see a girlfriend.” Another girl says.

With Rutger's newfound fame from being drafted by Winnipeg, to UMich and the World Juniors, we thought it best to keep our relationship just between close friends and family for the time being. It was good, for the most part, except when girls would assume he was single just because he had no posts about his girlfriend.

“You know, I heard they go to Milo’s frat’s parties a bunch.” One of the girls says. “You could try and find him at the party Friday?”

There’s a twinge in my chest and my ears heat up. Who are these girls to think that they can just get with my boyfriend?

I thankfully didn’t have to endure much of their conversation any longer as the boys skated out onto the ice to begin the third period. They finished the game, winning 3-1 with Rutger securing the win with an empty netter.

We get up, walking out of the stands to where Rutger and the rest of the team will exit the building from. We’re about halfway there when I realize the girls from earlier are walking to the exact same place. The twinge from earlier returns and a wave of heat takes over my body. My friends and I stop a few feet away from the girls, who continue to talk about Rutger, adding in a few comments about Ethan and Mark.

The door opens, a few of the guys spilling out. You spot Rutger walking out beside Dylan. Before you can even get to him, the girls from earlier are by his side. They ask him about the game, telling him how well he played.

“Are you coming to the party on Friday? Beta Theta Phi?” One of the girls asks.

“Um, not sure. Maybe?” He tells them.

“Well, I’ll be looking for you.” She smiles, walking off with her friends.

I expect the twinge to dissipate as the girls leave, but it stays. Rutger joins my side, tossing an arm around my shoulders. “Hey girls, did you enjoy the game?” He asks my friends.

“Yes, are you kidding? We saw two guys start swinging at one another then proceeded to fall on their asses. There’s nothing better than that.” Melanie tells him.

“You ready to go?” He asks me. I nod in response, saying goodbye to my friends.

Johnny joins us, walking back to their shared dorm together. I’m noticeably quiet on the short walk home, letting Rutger and Johnny talk about their game while I try to navigate what I was feeling. I felt as if I was mad at Rutger, but couldn’t figure out why.

We get in their dorm, both boys flopping down on their respective. “I’m absolutely wiped.” Johnny sighs, pulling out his phone.

Rutger has his arms open, waiting for me to climb in as I normally do. When Rutger notices my hesitation, he props himself up on his elbows and looks at me with a confused look on his face.

“I think I’m probably going to sleep at mine tonight.” I tell him, stepping towards the door.

“Woah, woah. Why?” He asks, climbing out of bed and walking towards me.

“I just feel like being in my own bed tonight.” I lie straight through my teeth.

“I know you’re lying, y/n.” He says. “You always stay over after a game, plus you love to stay the night because you get to wake up in my arms.”

“Well… I just want to sleep at my place tonight.” I tell him.

Rutger's expression turns from one of confusion to one of hurt. “Babe, talk to me. What’s up?”

I glance behind Rutger's shoulder, seeing Johnny looking at us rather than at his phone. Realizing that he probably should let us talk alone, he scrambles out of his bed.

“Yeah, I’ll just… go to Luke’s or something. Maybe I’ll have a sleepover with Fants.” Johnny chuckles, pulling on some shoes quickly. He slips out the door leaving us alone.

“Can you tell me what’s up now?” Rutger asks me.

I sigh, sitting down on his desk chair. I open my mouth to speak but putting my thoughts into words seems impossible.

“I was sitting in the student section and these girls in front of me were talking about you, calling you cute and stuff, and saying how easy it would be to get with you.” I explain. “Then they came to talk to you after the game and I hated it! I don’t know why but I absolutely despised hearing them talk about you.”

I finish ranting, turning in his chair to look at him, only to see a smirk on his lips. “No way…” He says. “You’re actually jealous.”

“What? I’m not jealous.” I say, crossing my arms on my chest.

“Oh yeah, you are. You’re talking about how much other girls crushing on me is bothering you. Plus you’ve got this brooding look and your eyebrows are furrowed and you’re kind of pouting…wait.” He says, stepping towards me. “Are you trying to turn me on right now? Cause it’s working.”

“Rutger I’m serious.” I say, wiping the grin off his face.

“Sorry, sorry. But you have nothing to be jealous of. I’m all yours and no one else's.” He tells me, coming over and grabbing my hand. He pulls me up from the chair, placing his hands on my waist. “Other people are going to find me attractive and that’s something that’s gonna happen. I mean guys look at you all the time.”

“Other guys don’t look at me.” I say.

“Yeah they do, I’m pretty sure Luca had a thing for you for the first few months we were dating.” Rutger tells me, making me laugh. “Don’t tell him I told you though.”

“We’re always going to find each other being jealous of people that are attracted to the other and that’s just something we have to deal with.” He tells me. “But as long as we both know we’re committed to each other, there’s nothing to worry about.”

I give him a soft smile at his words. I lay a hand on his cheek, bringing him down to me. I softly kiss him, hoping the gesture works as a way to tell him thank you for easing my worries.

“You know,” Rutger starts as we separate. “Johnny’s sleeping… not here tonight, so we have the place to ourselves.” I laugh as he pulls me over to the bed.

#rutger mcgroarty #rutger mcgroarty x reader #rutger mcgroarty imagine #umich imagine #umich #university of michigan #nhl imagine #nhl #hockey #winnipeg jets

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gamerwoman3d · 6 months

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◜I Need Attention◞

▸ includes: sub-zero [mk1 versions] ◂

Reminder: You CAN use my Mortal Kombat 1 footage for your fanworks! [Icons, fanart, whatever is legal.]

SUB-ZERO

I don't imagine him watching TV often, but when he does it's probably work related. I imagine him watching MMA tournaments and studying other martial arts matches/competitions that happen in parts of the world he can't get to. And I imagine when he's watching a live match, nothing can tear his focus off the combatants. But for a ready lady lover who needs attention, I imagine he would multitask like this -

[Spicy/Explicit after the cut 🔞]

Maybe it's late and you're already in bed together. You can't dictate the schedules of tournaments on the other side of the planet so who knows what time he wakes himself to turn on the TV. Maybe the groans and shouts of the competitors plays softly from the speakers, invading your subconscious before waking you. Or perhaps he has headphones, but reflexively hisses and groans out an "ooh" or "ouch" in sympathy for a wounded contestant. Maybe the audio that awakens you is a mixture of fighter groans and Bi-han's muttering, "should guard your left... your other left, idiot. Mmmm you got lucky."

Either way, imagine waking naked beneath a blanket to the vision of him sitting up in bed, the light of the TV casting a glow over his naked torso. Imagine you get to purr and touch him. Maybe you plant little kisses on his side and tell him you were dreaming about him. Maybe he glances at you and murmurs an apology for waking you from your dream as he pets your hair and draws you against him before he returns his focus to the match.

His hand probably feels good in your hair. He probably smells good and sounds good when he asks about your dream. You see him still focused on the match. You tell him he was licking you in your dream. He grunts absently. You nip him and he doesn't break his gaze from the TV.

But you need attention.

You're horny, you tell him. He tells you there are only a few fights left. Whatever, you're horny and you're horny right now. You tell him you want to masturbate if he's not going to play. You ask if that's okay. He thinks about it a second and says it's fine. Turn up the volume, you tell him.

You play with yourself. Tickling your clit feels better when he's next to you, even if he's not paying attention. He hears you whimper. He turns his head an inch towards you with his eyes locked on the screen. As soon as he can safely spare a glance your way, he looks down at your hand on your pussy for a fraction of a second. His own hand darts down, covers yours. He feels how you play with yourself, then pushes your hand out of the way and takes over. You hold his arm with your wet hand and bury your face in his side, panting. You work your hips and press your clit into his fingertips.

His little strokes are steady, and on the mark. It feels good. Over time it feels better and there can be sudden washes of sensitivity and pleasure in which you find yourself, not cumming, but worked up enough that you're shuddering and whimpering louder - but the second your voice breaks into anything louder than a whisper, the second you sob, his fingers hesitate on you and he peeks at your face. He slows down, goes lighter, selfishly saving you for himself for the end of the match.

The edging can blind you and you can beg him to do it harder or wait patiently for someone to win the fight, content in his arms, content with his steady strokes on your wet, swollen clit. You're too blissed out to know what's happening in the fight or how long you have to wait. You assume you have to wait longer and are surprised by the intensity of the sudden unexpected kiss.

He practically dives on top of you and starts to curl your legs up around him. Did the fights end, you wonder aloud. He tells you it was a quick KO and not to worry about the fight, he knows its over.

All of his attention is on you, as if all of his attention was on your soaking wet, slick pussy the entire time. As if he couldn't wait to cum inside. As if he couldn't wait to make you tell him all about your little wet dream of him while he slides his slick cock back and forth over your swollen clit to lubricate himself in your juices. As if he didn't just edge you so much that you can no longer respond to him in complete sentences without moaning incoherent pleas for him to rail you. You lift your pussy, press the lips against his balls, and let the pink winking folds speak on your behalf, begging him for a mercy that he cannot resist granting you.

[Need more MK1 smut? Check the pin 📌]

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atlasofthestaars · 6 months

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[MK X READER] New Era - Chapter .011

first part | previous part | next part

NOTE: HERE WE ARE Y’ALL!! THE START OF THE OUTWORLD TOURNAMENT ARC!

Some context: For the sake of having more interactions and letting me write more I’m extending the tournament to have a fight per day + a bit more at the end. So basically the outworld tourney will be 7 days for each fight + a day or two more <3

Havik made it in as a love interest! His poll was so chaotic, which I guess makes sense? Haha, Ashrah made it in too, and she was by far the closest we’ve had to the 50/50! Now that Ashrah’s chapter is done, it means that’s our completed love interest roster! I have updated all the tags/the intro to fit this!

Even though the poll for chapter 10 is done on Tumblr, I do need to still calculate the votes from AO3 too, so that means it’s mainly between Johnny vs Bi Han, so I’ll announce the winner of that next chapter.

Here’s a genuine thank you all for reading this <3 I am overwhelmed by all the love and support you guys give, you’re all so amazing! Also haha sorry how long this took to finally get out.

FROM THE EYES OF ONE WHO EXPERIENCES OUTWORLD FOR THE FIRST TIME

You barely had time to decipher the memories you had unlocked.

You, after all, had other duties to attend to. Or at least, that’s what you told yourself. The tournament was a week away after all, so you had a lot of last minute duties you wanted to wrap up before going away for a little over a week. Or at least, that long assuming Raiden would win his challenges. You were thankful for the last minute tasks you had found to busy yourself with. You weren’t quite sure if you really wanted to dwell on what you had seen.

It, in all honesty, scared you.

How else were you supposed to respond to suddenly seeing a bunch of gore and having a major part of your backstory unlocked? You were handed the burden of learning that you went through, and yet it only added more questions. Throughout the week you considered confiding in Liu Kang about it all: telling him how you’re terrified of what you saw, and how you’re sorry you lied.

But you just couldn’t.

Fear grasped at you, sewing your mouth shut. It wasn’t as if you were afraid of Liu Kang hating you at first. You’re certain Liu Kang would allow you to tell him your tale with no judgement. You’d even bet on your own life that he would even comfort you for what you saw. He was far too kind to you. But then your mind kept on spiraling over the idea of what happens after.

He’d ask why you lied. Then he’d find out you’ve always lied about your memories, or at least not told him about them. It was a slippery slope. And there was just a lot of things to unpack there that would surely fracture the relationship between you and the god. And, while you weren’t taking advantage of him, the selfish voice in your head whispered how you couldn’t ruin the only chance at Outworld and finally find out more.

You came up with a solution to calm your nerves, even just a bit, that maybe you should finally tell him after the trip…assuming you got the courage to.

You weren’t sure if you trusted yourself on your little solution though, after all your mind poisoned your thoughts, still telling you that it was better you lied to him and to continue to lie to him. It had worked out so far, why change things? After all, you had a gut feeling that Liu Kang was keeping back secrets from you too. It was just a gut feeling, but you trusted your gut. But you also trusted Liu Kang. It was a debate you kept on going back and forth on, and could never figure out a conclusion to.

You felt like you had a right to keep these things secret. He wasn’t obligated to know every single thing about you. The god probably had a reason to keep things from you as well, just like you did. You weren’t obligated to know everything either, even if you so desperately wanted to. Still, you selfishly decided for now it was fair to keep your own secrets. It was to protect yourself.

You were definitely visiting Madam Bo after this trip, maybe you needed some good advice on this one.

“Are you overworking yourself?” Liu Kang inquired as you passed by one afternoon. You had been going to and fro, trying to distract yourself. You stopped, the authority in his voice making you pause. You shifted in place, avoiding looking at him as you cast your gaze to the side.

“No, I haven’t.” You had told him, which had been partially true. While you had been running around like a chicken whose head had been cut off, you hadn’t been over doing it. At least, by your standards. You took in a deep breath as you felt Liu Kang grab one of your hands. You looked up in surprise as his hand squeezed yours gently.

“Good.” He said, his voice full of warmth. Your stomach squirmed as you were filled with guilt at the look he gave you. A smile was on his lips. His thumb gently rubbed a few circles on the back of your hand, as if he were casting a protective spell on you. “I’m proud of how well you trained Raiden and the others. I am certain Raiden will do great at the tournament.”

You were at a loss of words, feeling your chest tighten. You nodded instead, and Liu Kang dropped your hand. He gave you a pat on the back as he passed you, walking off to what you assumed was the Wu Shi to help Raiden. You felt…colder. You supposed it was simply a side effect of Liu Kang being a fire god and him no longer being by your side.

Liu Kang made keeping secrets difficult.

Still, despite your worries, the week breezed by fast. And now you found yourself standing in front of the Fire Temple, waiting for your students and the monks to arrive. You swallowed your nerves, trying to force yourself to feel more relaxed. This was supposed to be exciting after all.

To your delight, you weren’t waiting long. The monks first arrived, and you directed them happily to the waiting area for whenever Liu Kang was ready. Many of them had regarded you warmly. Then, you smiled as you saw your four students come and arrive.

“Excited?” You inquired as they drew closer. You scanned them, noting their choice of outfits. It had been a while since you’ve seen them wear anything other than their most casual clothes or their Shaolin uniforms. It was a bit odd, but it was a breath of fresh air. The outfits suited them well.

“I’m excited, albeit a bit overwhelmed and nervous.” Raiden admitted a mixture of nervousness and a genuine smile on his face. He tipped his head forward, his straw hat obscuring the look on his face. Despite that, you forced your gaze on his head, trying to avoid the amulet that sent fear down your spine. You wanted to look at anything but that right now

“Psh, you’ll be fine.” Kung Lao scoffed, placing a reassuring hand on his friend’s shoulder. He shot you a look of disbelief as he gestured to the new champion. “He’s been in his head about this whole thing, can you believe it?” He looked back over to his friend, shaking him slightly with the hand on his shoulder. “You have to be more confident. If you can beat me you can handle them all.” You smiled at his encouragement nodding.

“Kung Lao’s right, Raiden.” You told him, crossing your arms. “There’s a reason why you’re our champion.” You watched as Raiden’s head lifted up, a more confident expression on his face, though it was still tinged with a bit of nervousness. “Be confident in your abilities, otherwise I will start to think I’m a bad teacher.” You jested, adding on a small chuckle.

“You are anything but that.” Raiden commented, making your smile grow just a bit wider. The others nodding as well warmed your heart. You shooed them off after that short moment, yet one of them hung back to linger. While the Fengjian farmers were too caught up talking to each other to notice, you noted the side eye Kenshi shot Johnny as he hung back. Odd.

“You aren’t exempt from waiting with the others, you know.” You said, raising an eyebrow as you eyed Johnny. The actor shot you his signature grin, which you both knew didn’t work on you. With a confident stride, Johnny slung an arm over your shoulder and pulled out his phone. You raised an eyebrow at the casual contact, but didn’t shrug him off. Over the last few months, ever since the late night discussion, you’ve grown used to the causal contact.

You just assumed Johnny was getting more friendly with you.

“I know, teach.” Johnny said, causally scrolling through his phone. You tried to keep your gaze away from it out of respect, but the temptation was strong. “But I think I have something that might interest you.” He said, sending you a sly look. You simply looked at him with an unimpressed look, and he took it as his cue to continue on. “I hear you and hat boy had a bet?” He inquired, still showing off his pearly whites to you.

“And what of it?” You asked, placing a hand on your hip as you sent him a skeptical look. Your head tilted as you thought of why he would bring it up. You figured it wasn’t the oddest thing he knew about it, Kung Lao had probably bragged about his victory to the group. You had settled that you would make him his feast after the trip.

“Well, what if I told you I might have some video evidence that might please you?” He said, his voice dripping with confidence. Your eyebrows raised again, and you pursed your lips, not knowing what to make of his offer. “Listen, it’s all legit. I recorded the hat kid and thunder lad discussing something and you might be interested in seeing it.” He egged you on.

“And why are you telling me this?” You inquired, looking at Johnny with the same skeptical look, not quite yet taking the bait.

“Look, I like you teach, so I wanna cut you a sweet deal.” The actor said, and you knew he was trying to work up his charisma. “You get the ultimate evidence towards Kung Lao so you rectify your little bet and I get a little reward too.” Johnny offered, waving his phone with a paused video on the screen. Now he was deliberately showing you the screen.

You squinted at the phone. You could see the back of Kung Lao, he seemed to be talking to Raiden who seemed to have a somewhat disapproving look on his face. You looked more carefully. It seemed to be the same day of the exam, so it would fall under the betting time.

“Alright, I’ll bite. What do you want?” You asked, a small sigh leaving your lips as you finally relented. You saw Johnny’s grin grow wider as he raised his eyebrows in a cocky manner. His smile turned into a self assured smirk, thinking he had you in his trap.

“I saw from tattoo that you started hooking him up with some sweet meals.” He started, and you blinked in surprise at the topic of conversation. You nodded, then let him speak more. “I think that little feast you were planning to make that hat boy, you give to me…and Madam Bo’s special tea.”

“I’ll give you Madam Bo’s special tea and just one meal.” You counter offered quickly, crossing your arms. You watched as Johnny Cage sent you an offended look. You held back a chuckle of amusement at the expression.

“After my generous deal?” The American asked, his face scrunching up. “No way, wildstyle!” He scoffed, a small pout on his lips. You shook your head in amusement as you sent him a look.

“You may think you have the high ground here with your little offer, but you gave me more information than you thought you did.” You said, pointing at his phone screen. His eyes glanced over to the paused screen. “I can just ask Raiden if Kung Lao cut his finger.” You pointed out. “I think he’d be more likely to tell me if I just asked.”

“Hm…” Johnny stared at you for a good long moment. You could see the gears turning in his head at your point. You assumed he had plenty of experience in this sort of thing. “You think that golden boy would betray his best buddy like that?”

“Maybe, maybe not, but I can always offer him what I offered youI’m certain he’d take the deal and you’d be left with nothing.” You point out with a shrug, trying to hold out a little on your bluff. You weren’t entirely sure if Raiden would take your offer, but it was worth a bluff.

“Fine.” Johnny groaned with a pout, his head dropping. His head brushed your shoulder, and you rolled your eyes in a playful way. “You drive a hard bargain. You ever consider becoming an agent for Hollywood?” He inquired, tilting his head to look at you, his cheek still resting on your shoulder. “I could use someone like you.”

“Hah, funny offer.” You laughed, and Johnny’s smile returned in a more sincere way. “I think I’d rather act in one of your movies than become whatever your agent is.” You remarked, which grew Johnny’s smile even more. You used your hand to move his head off your shoulder. “Chin up, Johnny.”

“Really now?” He said, a hint of amusement and hope in his voice. “I’ll be holding you up to that statement, you know.” Johnny said, nudging you a bit with his shoulder.

“I didn’t commit to anything, Cage.” You pointed out with a small shake of your head. “Now show me the video you were bragging so much about.” You commanded, looking from the actor to the paused video he had been waving in front of your face. With a small smile, he tapped the screen, unpausing the video.

You watched as Kung Lao approached Raiden, talking to him about something. His back was to the camera, so it was a bit hard to see what he was exactly doing, but you can glean enough from what he was saying. You could see him, or at least you assumed, trace the brim of the hat. Then you heard an “ow” and the man winced.

You watched with a slow smirk spreading across your lips as he froze, before quickly telling Raiden that he “didn’t see anything”. Raiden looked very confused at the sudden command, which prompted Kung Lao to tell him that he would just “tell him later”. All he had to do was just not tell you about it.

“There, as promised.” Johnny told you, a cheeky grin sent your way. You returned the look before peering back down at the video, which continued to play, showing Kung Lao now showing off his hat. “Aren’t you glad I’m looking out for you, wildstyle?”

“I’m honored.” You replied sarcastically, playfully rolling your eyes. “A person who was actually looking out for me would tell me without wanting something in return, you know.” You pointed out. “Still grateful though. I have to ask, why were you interested in my cooking all of a sudden?”

“Hey, nothing comes for free.” Johnny said, shrugging his shoulders causally. “You’re welcome, by the way.” The American paused, humming as he pursed his lips. “Well, it started when I caught tattoo holding one of your meals. It looked delicious, he didn’t let me try though.” He let out a dramatic sigh. “And then Kung Lao began bragging that he’d get a full feast from you and well…” He shook his phone, and you connected the dots.

“I get it.” You said, nodding. You realized how long the two of you had been standing around for. You send him a small smirk and you let out a small laugh. “You could have just asked for food if you really wanted it, but I appreciate the help.” You admitted, before shrugging off his arm and walking ahead, gesturing for him to follow. “Now come on.”

“Wait, you would really?” Johnny called out after you, following you closely. He raised his eyebrows, scanning your face with a hint of suspicion. “Where’s the catch here?” He inquired, the suspicion leaking into his voice.

“You’ve known me long enough, Johnny.” You told him, looking over to him with an amused look. “There’s no catch. I don’t mind doing that kind of stuff for you guys.” You said, which was true. You wouldn’t mind doing anything for them as long as it made them happy. You always were too much of a people pleaser.

“Yeah, I should have known.” The actor said with a sigh. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking over at you. “You’re way too generous, you know that?” He told you, which led to you letting out a small chuckle of surprise. “Here, use this to stick it to Kung Lao, just give it back before we head out.” You caught Johnny’s phone when he tossed it over to you, then he jogged ahead.

You smiled as you held the phone. While he wasn’t the most protective over it, you still felt a sense of trust put in you due to you holding the precious object. With a little more pep in your step as well as the determination of a person with a vengeance, you walked over to Kung Lao, tapping his shoulder. You hid the phone behind your back as the man turned around.

“Yes?” The former farmhand inquired, sending you a confident smile. You had a feeling he was still feeling a bit smug after “winning” the bet. You let a slow smirk spread across your lips, then your eyes fell to look at his shirt. Your brain paused as you took a moment to stare at the dragon design on the left side.

Was that the same design as the necklace you were wearing? You wondered over that fact for a moment as you realized, yes…yes it was. Your smirk turned into a smile for a moment as you realized this. It felt…nice to be matching with him.

“I heard from a little birdie that you lied.” You said, breaking your gaze away from his shirt. Your smile turned into a smirk again. You watched as Kung Lao looked at you with pure confusion. “I’m referring to the bet that we had between us.” You clarified. Then, you watched as he sent a look over to Raiden, who simply shrugged.

“Me? Lie?” Kung Lao inquired, raising his eyebrows as he pretended to not know what you were talking about. He crossed his arms, his head tilting upwards. “Hah! I would never.” He said, his self confident front holding up. You would have believed it too, had you not witnessed the video that Johnny had given you.

“I wouldn’t lie Kung Lao, that’s not something neither I or the monks taught you.” You chided playfully. An offended look appeared on the man’s face, then it turned into surprise as you revealed the phone you had hidden behind your back. “Want to confess now? Or should I show the damning evidence I was so preciously given?”

“I…uh…” Kung Lao floundered, searching for an excuse to spin the tale in his favor. You assumed from the screen he already knew what the video was going to show. After a few moments, he sighed in resignation. “Okay. you got me.” He admitted, hanging his head. You nodded slowly, crossing your arms. “Sorry?” He said, giving a half apology with a small shrug with an apologetic smile. You let out a laugh.

“Apology accepted, though I thought you’d have more honor in a bet since you do it so much.” You pointed out, which prompted a somewhat guilty look from the man. “Don’t worry, I won’t make you do anything bad.” You told him, the wicked smile spreading across your lips said otherwise. You watched as Kung Lao looked like he regretted his actions, though you did hear him mutter under his breath he would definitely be getting Johnny back for this betrayal.

“I see we have all gathered.” Liu Kang spoke up, walking up to the group that gathered. His gaze swept over the group that you had gathered, an approving look on his face. You noticed Kenshi and Johnny walked up beside you, and you handed over the phone back to the actor. “It is time.” He told you all, leading you all into a pavilion.

Excitement filled you as Liu Kang began to summon the portal. From the corner of your eye, you watched as Johnny began to record the process. However, as the portal began to form, your excitement turned into a massive headache, and you let out a small hiss as you clutched your head. This was worse than any headache you’ve had recently.

“Are you okay?” Kenshi whispered, leaning towards you. He placed a hand on your shoulder. You looked over, trying to send him a convincing smile. He didn’t buy it, and a look of concern remained on his face as he looked at you.

“I’m fine.” You managed to say, your smile wavering as your head pounded with searing pain. “I just get massive migraines sometimes.” You lie, the same lie you’ve always used whenever someone that wasn’t Liu Kang caught you having these pains.

“I see.” Kenshi said, yet his hand remained on your shoulder as a source of comfort. He tried to send you a reassuring smile. It helped a bit, even if it didn’t alleviate the pain at all. His hand on your shoulder was doing more to help you. It felt like an anchor to the real world amidst all the pain. You leaned slightly towards the swordsman, allowing yourself to temporarily lean against him. He let you, his grip growing firmer.

The light of the portal flashed and pulsed, orange light shining on all of your faces. Had you not been in pain, you figured you would have appreciated how beautiful it was. But now, it just served to add to your nausea. You breathed in, trying to go through the pain. You could only hope it only got better.

“Outworld can be both alien and intoxicating to Earthrealmers.” Liu Kang spoke, and you forced yourself to focus on his voice to drown out the pain. “Do not become drawn in.” The fire god warned. You wondered briefly, if that extended to you. You nodded slowly, regretting it as it felt like you were beginning to sway. Kenshi righted you, using his hand to make sure you didn’t fall over. “You must focus on the task at hand.”

Soon enough, the portal was completed. With confident strides, Liu Kang entered the portal composed of pulsing and swirling orange energy. You followed in tow, Kenshi’s hand staying on your shoulder for only a few more moments to make sure you were alright before dropping. You bit the inside of your cheek and clenched your fists, trying to abate the pain.

You barely noticed Johnny pointing the camera your way. With a huff, Kenshi shoved the camera away, sending him a look. This made the actor send him a look of disbelief at the action. You managed to send the ex gang member a grateful look before you stepped to the otherside of the portal.

For a moment, you experienced nothingness. You couldn’t see, hear, feel, or sense anything in general. Then, there was a searing pain that engulfed your entire body. You tried to scream, but it was as if you lost your voice. It was as if your headache had spread across your form and had been multiplied by ten. Thankfully, it was only for a moment and then it disappeared.

It seemed the pain dissipating had taken the bulk of your headache, leaving you only with a dull discomfort. It was akin to a slight pressure in your head, nowhere near as bad. It was an annoyance, but it wasn’t unbearable anymore.

After a moment, you found yourself emerging on the other side of the portal. Your eyes widened as you looked around, wondering if anyone else had gone through an excruciating experience like you. As you watched their reactions, you realized they must have not. The others were immersed in the beauty of the world, and you doubted they would look as relaxed as that if they had gone through the same thing. So, you forced yourself to focus on the area around you

Gone was the desolate and war torn Outworld that your brain knew. Instead, you were greeted with a world full of beauty and life. You felt torn. You were happy it looked to be thriving as much as Liu Kang had told you. And yet, at the same time, you wondered if this world was going to be able to offer you anything useful to your past with how…different it was.

Still, you found yourself in awe of the area. It looked like a garden was surrounding the portal, which seemed to be integrated beautifully into the architecture. Whites, purples, and greens were the main color scheme of the area, giving it a regal vibe.

“Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kanas anymore.” Johnny remarked as he filmed the area, and you recalled when Johnny had put on that movie during one of the movie nights. You felt a bit happy that you could actually recognize one of his movie references.

As your gaze wandered from the area itself to what was in front of you, your eyes finally settled on two figures dressed in pink and blue respectively. They stood amongst dozens of guards, all notably women. On the stairs, there was a beautifully woven purple carpet. It vaguely reminded you of the red carpet Johnny had bragged so much about.

Your mind had a hazy realization that you recognized the two standing upon the steps. But through the dull pain, no memories popped up. You figured it was the result of too many memories trying to break free, much like when you had first trained the four champions.

“Oh my…are those?” Johnny Cage spoke, as the two figures approached, walking causally down the steps. He looked over to the group, assessing their reactions as he kept the camera facing forward. The others, predictably, did not share the actor’s sentiments.

“Empress Sindel’s daughters, yes.” Liu Kang replied, a hint of sterness in his voice. Taking that as your cue, you nudged Johnny, indicating to him to knock it off. Of course, the actor just sent you a pout. Liu Kang also looked back to send him a look.

“They do not disappoint.” Johnny continued to comment, earning another nudge from you. “Okay! Okay! I get it!” He hissed out. Your eyes landed on the guard closest to you. You and her made eye contact for a moment, which led to another feeling of familiarity hitting you. How many people would you meet that you knew previously?

“Please be respectful.” You told Johnny Cage, leaning towards him to whisper it in a discreet way. “We’re here as guests, and I’d rather not get on anyone’s bad side.” You said, giving him a pointed look. He sighed but nodded.

“Fine.” The actor agreed, holding back the childish urge to roll his eyes at your chiding. “Won’t stop me from at least admiring them, though.” Johnny relented, his gaze lingering on you for a few moments. He looked you up and down, much to your confusion before returning his gaze back to the Outworlders.

As you all stopped in front of the blue and pink duo, Liu Kang bowed. Quickly, everyone followed suit, replicating the gesture.You focused your attention on the duo, trying to work out who they were. They definitely looked familiar…and they seemed near identical.

Ah. While your memories weren’t popping up, you made the connection. Liu Kang had pointed out these were the princesses. The pink one must be the older one, Mileena…which meant the blue one must be Kitana. As you recalled their names, your brain seemed to buzz, the dull pain strengthening temporarily in intensity. It was as if memories were fighting to rise to the surface. You definitely knew these two before.

“Lord Liu Kang, welcome.” Mileena spoke, nodding her head. A cordial smile was placed on her lips, and her eyes seemed to assess the group in front of her. Her sister also seemed to scan the crowd, though a polite smile did not reach her lips. Instead, an analytical look was on hers. You assumed she was already trying to find who it was that was to fight Outworld’s champions.

“Thank you, Princess Mileena.” Liu Kang said, a warm smile on his lips. You watched as the guard that had been by the side strode over to be closer to the princesses. You concentrated on the princesses’ faces, trying to see if trying to force any memories would help clear your head. It didn’t. If anything, it just increased the pressure of the pain, so you stopped trying to do it.

“You remember my sister?” Mileena inquired. She leaned back, looking over to Kitana who looked back at her in acknowledgement.

“Of course.” Liu Kang replied. He then bowed once more. “Princess Kitana.” The other princess acknowledged his courtesy with a nod of her own. “May I introduce my companion,” The fire god spoke your name, and you bowed slightly, showing the same respect as Liu Kang did. “Johnny Cage, Kung Lao, Kenshi Takahashi, and Earthrealm’s champion, Raiden.”

“I hope you’re prepared, Raiden.” Kitana spoke this time. An air of confidence filled her voice as she scrutinized your student. “Our champions are determined to win.” She said, her gaze falling upon her sister. You knew very well that Mileena was supposed to be one of the champions, as told to you by Liu Kang. Liu Kang had put himself in charge of preparing the champion, since you’ve never seen the fighting prowess of the Outworlders yourself.

“None more so than me.” The older twin said, self assuredness in her tone. Her gaze was steady, almost as if trying to intimidate Raiden with it alone. “It’s been too long since we’ve known victory.” She reminded the group, and you could tell she was determined to be the one to reclaim it.

“Princess Mileena.” The guard you saw from earlier spoke up. There was a hint of urgency within her tone as she spoke. She had gone up the steps to get closer to the princess. “We should be on our way, Empress Sindel awaits.”

“Thank you, Tanya.” Mileena replied. The name Tanya struck a chord in you. That was definitely familiar as well. You couldn’t tell if it was a blessing or a curse that you would be in such close proximity with people you supposedly knew before. “Follow me, please.”

You all followed the trio of women, walking down a hall that was flanked by guards. Mileena was leading the group. At the end, a line of royal carriages awaited. You soon found yourselves been split up into small groups to ride the carriages. You were in the first group, along with Liu Kang, Raiden, and Mileena. The guard from earlier, Tanya, took the reins.

As the others slipped in, you considered where to sit. It wasn’t until the princess graciously gestured to the spot next to her that you allowed yourself to sit next to her. You didn’t want to be rude and assume, but you were grateful she didn’t seem to mind. You sat across from Raiden, with Liu Kang diagonally from you.

As soon as everyone boarded their carriages, the carriage line set off. It was preceded by a joyous Shokan who played the drums. It was quite nice to see a man so enthusiastic over his job. The other guards, the Umgadi you recalled, flanked the carriages as you set off. You watched with amazement as you passed through Sun Do. It was colorful and alive, and you awkwardly smiled and at the people who gazed at you from the streets. You weren’t used to being marveled like this.

The people on the streets were dressed up in bright garb, and vendors were going around trying to take advantage of the festivities and trying to sell more of their wares. You even spotted some Outworlders cheering as they toasted their mugs together.

“Those are Centaurians.” Raiden said, the wonder clear in his voice. Raiden also had excitement on his face, though you supposed it was due to the novelty of it all. He did not share the same feelings as you did at that moment. “And Shokan!”A wide grin spread across his face, and it was all too easy to match his. His energy was contagious.

“The six armed being as Naknadans.” Mileena informed, looking over the crowd. You wondered for a moment if she was simply informing him, or if the man, in his enthusiasm, had mixed up the Outworld races.

“The monks described them. But seeing them in person…” Raiden said, returning his gaze to Mileena to acknowledge her words towards him. He was unable to keep his attention on her for long, as he returned his attention back to the crowd soon enough.

“I see Her Majesty once again spares no expense on the festival.” Liu Kang remarks, having observed the colorful atmosphere in silence. You raised your eyebrows, now wondering how the city looked without all the festivities. Was it just as beautiful? Either way, it was certainly an upgrade from what you remembered previously.

“Should she not?” Mileena replied, and you looked over. She had an almost offended look on her face, which caught you off guard. “It commemorates my late father.” She said, and you took note of that. You remembered how Liu Kang had told you about the brief history of the royal family, including the unfortunate death of King Jerrod.

“I think it is a wonderful celebration in memory of him.” You spoke up, your gaze landing on the decorations that were among the people and buildings. You voice carried the admiration you held for the beauty of it all. “Her Majesty made the capital look so wonderful, it must be an excellent reflection of your father.” You felt the princess’ gaze land on you, and you turned to send her a friendly smile.

Whistles were blown, and you turned to look over your shoulder to gaze at whatever was causing it. You saw a woman standing in the street, in the way of the procession. It seemed she was leading other guards, who were notably dressed differently than the Umgadi. You watched as those people led off a few people who seemed to be handcuffed. Your eyebrows furrowed. Not at the sight, but at the slight haze you felt upon seeing her, too.

You wondered if you were bound to recognize a person every few minutes in this place.

Mileena knocked on the carriage frame, which prompted Tanya to stop the animals from continuing on. The princess whispered a small “excuse me” as she walked past you and Raiden, and hopped off the carriage. She strode over to the woman with what you assumed was thinly veiled frustration.

You couldn’t hear the conversation well, but you did overhear that she called the woman the first constable. You put two and two together that this must be the police force of Sun Do. She seemed to express anger towards the failed job of clearing the street. Then, the conversation was spoken in words too quiet for you to overhear. You turned back in your seat, to make it seem like you weren’t listening in on that conversation.

“Princess Mileena doesn’t seem to like her very much.” Raiden observed, his gaze on the two women. You nodded. Fromwhat Liu Kang had taught you, you already had put together why they had some sort of conflict, aside from the obvious hold up.

“Li Mei used to lead the Umgadi, the palace guard.” Liu Kang informed the champion, catching him up to speed. His glowing gaze drifted over to look at him. “It was on her watch that the Princesses’ father was murdered.” As the information settled in, the tension in the carriage rose. Soon enough, Mileena rejoined the group, though a bit more peeved.

Thankfully, the rest of the ride was peaceful and without any further hold ups. The tension dissipated as you watched the city fade away, and the palace came into view. The carriages stopped at the entrance, and you soon found yourselves being ushered away by the Umgadi into the palace. The princesses had disappeared in the midst, and you assumed they were simply getting ready for the upcoming event.

As you found yourself standing in the Great Hall of the palace, you stood next to Liu Kang, your students in front of you. Raiden was the one who was directly in front of Liu Kang, and you could tell his nerves were getting to him. His arms were crossed as his head tilted down, his hat concealing the stress that was obvious on his face.

“Worry expends energy for no reason, Raiden.” Liu Kang reminded him.

“But the tournament.” Raiden pointed out. Worry creased his brow, and you could sympathize with the burden he must feel being the only representative for Earthrealm within this tournament. His arms uncrossed as he stepped closer, looking at the fire god. “If I lose…”

“Just remember your training, Raiden.” You cut in, recognizing the signs of a spiraling mind. You gave him a smile, and Liu Kang did as well. “I told you already, you have the ability to win this tournament.” You reminded him of your words earlier. “As long as you focus on yourself, you will do fine. Worrying over a future that hasn’t happened yet will do you no good.”

Raiden looked at you, trying to soak in your words. His furrowed brow relaxed, and he tried to reciprocate the smile. It was a weak and weary one, but it was better than nothing. He seemed to be more confident now because of your words, even if it was just by a little bit.

The sounds of armor and the crowd whispers caught your attention. You looked over to see a horned man enter the hall. Your eyes met, and your eyes widened. It felt like the world was slowing down to a halt. Your heart thumped loudly in your chest, so loud you could practically hear the blood rushing in your ears.

Shao Khan.

Your body froze, and it was like the amulet all over again. The world around you swirled and faded, and you found yourself now atop a rooftop. The sky was hazy with a mixture of clouds and smog from the destruction of the world around you. Distantly, other buildings were set on fire. THo0se that weren’t seemed to be destroyed.

This was the end of all things.

You were on your knees, cradling yet another body in your hands. The smell of it all was terrible. The first thing you smelled was burnt flesh. It was sickening and made your stomach turn and twist. Then, you smelt ash from the fires all around you. You didn’t dare look down, your hands trembling as they felt burnt and scarred skin. That must be the main source of the burnt flesh smell.

To your left, you recognized hazily, Johnny Cage. He looked different, but you could recognize him all the same. To your right, you saw a woman whose name you only vaguely recalled as Sonya Blade. She was an ally? Surely she must be. Ahead of you, you could see Raiden in his thunder god form standing before the man whose name rang in your head.

Shao Khan.

Your head was pounding. All you knew was the massive destruction around you was because of the man. How it came to be, you couldn’t recall. All you knew was that it was because of him. Hate filled you, and you grit your teeth. Grief for things you didn’t quite remember clawed at your heart. You almost clenched your hands into fists, but then you remembered the body in your lap. Instinctively, you looked down. You wished you hadn’t the moment you did.

Liu Kang?

A wave of nausea filled you as you recognized the scarred and burnt body of the man in your lap. Thin scars trailed upwards his body, accompanied with gruesome burnt scars. One eye had even turned white from his injuries. Your stomach turned as you looked into his one good eye, and you realized with horror that it was already glazed over.

Death had already claimed the man.

“No.” You said, your voice quivering as you stared down at the man. Tears began to blur your vision, and your heart raced. How could this happen? This had to be a dream, an illusion. Anything but real. In your shock, you tried to shake him, hoping somehow he would wake up. All you felt was his warmth quickly fading away from you.

The voice in your head screamed. You’ve lost too many! But who had you lost? Looking down at the deceased in your lap, you wondered how many you’ve had lay dying in your arms. Did it matter how many had died?

You didn’t know. All you knew is that you were filled with a burning hatred for whoever did…this.

“You monster!” You cried out, standing up after you had carefully set down Liu Kang’s body onto the ground. You couldn’t recall who had done this, but you could only assume that Shao Khan had to be responsible.

Raiden turned back, shock on his face at your scream filled with pure vitriol. As you charged towards Shao Khan, hate fueling your body. you saw the thunder god trying to stop you. You ignored him. You would not let the thunder god prevent you from avenging those you have lost in this ceaseless war.

You leapt, claws outstretched as your teeth bared as a lion. Shao Khan merely chuckled at your attempt to lash out at him. You grunted as the man easily sent you flying back with his sorcery. As you fell, you transformed back into your human form. You tumbled onto the rooftop, hazily seeing Johnny and Sonya also being flung back as well. They landed near you.

You were powerless as you watched Raiden confront the tyrant. Was this the end?

“Red alert.” Johnny muttered behind you, snapping you out of your vision. You blinked, trying to ground yourself in the real world. You didn’t get a conclusion to the vision you saw, and you weren’t sure if you wanted to. What a horrible vision you had received. And yet, curiosity was clawing at you, what had happened? “Incoming stock villain.”

Was that the last thing you saw before you died and came into this life? Or was there more to the story?

“General Shao.” Liu Kang said, and you looked over at him. You felt a wave of relief as you looked at the fire god, knowing he was alive and not dead like you had seen. Still, the image was seared into your head. How cruel it was that the fire god had glowing white eyes, reminding you of the one white eye he had during his death. “Do not let him goad you.” Earthrealm’s protector advised Raiden, looking over to him. Then, he turned his eyes to look at you. His gaze turned perplexed as they did so.

You swallowed, quickly sending the fire god a smile. You must have left the look of worry lingering on your face far too long. That seemed to temporarily satisfy him as he turned his attention to General Shao, but the lingering stare he left on you left you knowing he would ask later.

With heavy footsteps, the man who your brain was screaming to maul approached. His eyes glanced over to you, an eyebrow raised before they stared back at Raiden. You were certain from that expression you were failing to hide the sudden hate you felt towards him. A mocking smile appeared on his face as he assessed the man. A condescending laugh left his lips.

“Hah, this is Earthrealm’s champion?” General Shao commented with a sneer. “I nearly thought it was that one.” He remarked, pointing a finger in your direction. You blinked in surprise at the comment. “That stare had resolve and determination to best me the moment I stepped in. Disappointingly, it appears you’re the champion.” His lip curled with delight. “So scrawny.”

“Would you care to test his strength!?” Kung Lao challenged Shao for his friend. He stepped forward with indignation. You leaned over with wide eyes and sent him a glare. You had to admit, you were holding yourself back from leaping at the general yourself, but for different reasons. This was neither of your guys’ battle to fight, though. “Raiden will-” Thankfully, Liu Kang stepped in to intervene.

“Will prove himself well enough.” Liu Kang spoke, finishing Kung Lao’s sentence for him. His hand hovered in front of Kung Lao’s chest to prevent him from stepping any closer. He stepped in between the champion and the general, acting like a barrier between the two realms. His gaze was unwavering in the face of the man.

“Have you still not told most Earthrealmers that Outworld exists?” General Shao inquired, his voice deep and gravely. His face held a look of judgement as he regarded the god. He was already looking down at him physically, and from the tone of his voice, it was more than just that.

“It is safer that way, General.” Liu Kang responded simply, not giving into his attempts to frustrate him.

“I suppose so.” General Shao said. He then took a step closer, trying to intimate Liu Kang, He leaned down, a belittling tone in his voice. “Your people’s frail minds couldn’t handle the truth.” You realized suddenly, that your hands were balled into fists. Crescent moon marks would be left permanently on the inside of your palm at this rate. You forced your hands to relax, and folded them behind your back. You held back a scoff at this poor attempt of intimidation.

“You presume them frail, General?” Liu Kang challenged. He raised his eyebrows at the Outworlder’s cocky attitude. “Should you…given how frequently they win this tournament?” The fire god pointed out, and you could tell he hit a nerve. The tension grew thicker, and it was as if you could cut it with a knife.

“We will destroy your champion, Liu Kang.” General Shao promised, his resolve showing through his voice. You could sense the hatred he felt for the god, not even bothering to use the honorific for him. He shook his head, his orange eyes boring into the demigod. “He shall taste no victory.”

Then he stormed off.

Minutes passed by, and more people filled the room. It was crowded. You offered light conversation to a random Edenian woman to be polite as you waited. You learned how excited she was to finally be able to watch the tournament in person, a sentiment you both shared. She was new to serving the throne, so this would be her first time. Although cautious, she even asked about Earthrealm, something you were glad to tell about.

Soon enough, you heard footsteps walking down from the hall, and the conversations began to cease. You sent an apologetic smile to your conversation partner that your conversation was cut short. You turned your attention to the trio of women who now entered the room.

Leading them was the woman who you presumed was Empress Sindel, the princesses following close behind. Your mind buzzed at the sight of her, and you began to wonder once more how many important people you once knew in your past life. Surely, it was not a coincidence you recognized many who seemed to be important in this life.

Who…were you?

The trio took confident strides, holding an air of regalness around them. You stood next to Raiden and Johnny, watching them walk through the hall towards their thrones. They walked up to their thrones before seating themselves comfortably, almost seeming to bask in the high regard that everyone held them in.

“Welcome, members of the royal house.” Sindel began to address the crowd, her gaze sweeping across the room. Her voice held authority, yet it also had a sense of warmth within it. “Welcome, our esteemed Earthrealm guests.” She said, nodding her head in the direction of your group. “We gather once again to honor my late husband’s legacy. To continue the tournament that he founded with Lord Liu Kang in hopes it would foster peace among the realms.”

A pained and sorrowful expression appeared on Sindel’s face, and you had sympathy for her. Losing someone close to you…while you did not experience it in this life, the memories that began to terrorize you reminded you of how heavy that loss can feel. You couldn’t imagine how much worse it must feel since the one she lost was her husband.

“May Jerrod’s soul watch over us with pride from its resting place in the Living Forest.” Your brain recognized the place, though last you recalled it was much more sinister. You wondered how it was now. A moment of silence was given in respect for the late King. “Lord Liu Kang.” Sindel addressed the god, who had walked over to the Empress. He stood at the bottom of the steps, looking up to her from her place on the throne.

“Empress Sindel.” Liu Kang replied, a smile on his face. “It pleases me once again to be your guest.” He bowed to the Empress, showing his respect for the ruler. Despite being a god, you admired how humble he was.

“Here, you are always welcome.” Sindel replied, her hands spreading out in a friendly gesture. The fire god lifted himself up to look at her once more. Crossing her leg, she leaned forward in interest. “Now, let us meet your champion.”

“Earthrealm’s champion is Raiden, Your Majesty.” Liu Kang introduced. You looked over to said man who remained rooted to the spot. You placed a gentle hand on his back to push him forward, having a feeling he was too stunned by his nerves. He felt stiff when you pushed him. “He has earned his place by embodying the very best qualities of Earthrealm’s people.”

“You seem nervous, young man.” Sindel observed, her eyes searching the younger man.

“I’m a stranger in an unfamiliar land.” Raiden said. “Here to compete against its greatest fighters. Yes, I am nervous.” He admitted with a nod of his head. You had to admit, even if it was foolish to admit weakness against these people, his honesty still made you smile. It was just part of his charm.

Never change, Raiden.

“As you should be.” The Empress acknowledged, though her tone was not condescending. If anything, it had a hint of encouragement behind it. “You have a difficult path ahead.” She stood up, and spread her hands out in a grand gesture. “It has begun!”

Those words felt so familiar to you. Has…this been the first tournament you’ve been to?

“As tradition requires, Outworld’s initial competitor will be Sun Do’s first constable.” Sindel announced. You looked over, hearing the sound of heels clack down the hallway. You recognized the woman approaching. It was the same person that Mileena had been admonishing. “Li Mei.” A determined look was on the woman’s face, contrasting the uncertain one Raiden whenever the tournament was brought up.

You glanced over to Raiden, trying to assess his reaction. It was as you expected. He still had that look of doubt and nervousness on his face. Yet, at the same time, you could see that same determination shining in his eyes.

“May she defend our realm’s glory as well as she preserves our capital’s order.” Sindel continued to speak, right until the first constable stopped right in front of the Empress’ throne at the bottom of the steps.

“Your Majesty.” Li Mei said, looking up to the ruler. She stood up straight and ready, and you could see the training she must have gone through as both an officer and an Umgadi in her stance alone. “I will honor both the royal house, and all of Outworld, with my kombat.” The officer announced, saluting the woman. A bold claim. Sindel descended the steps, placing a hand on the other woman’s shoulder.

Their conversation was too hushed for you to listen in. Well, you could listen in if you wanted to, but you figured it would be rude to do so. You also knew it would be very, very obvious if you transformed your ears to do so as well. But from your position alone, you could see hints of resentment within the Empress’ expression, barely visible under the guise of her veiled pleasantries.

You felt…pity for Li Mei.

“All you need do is your best.” Liu Kang told Raiden. He placed a hand on his shoulder as he regarded the champion. “The rest will take care of itself.” You placed a hand on Raiden’s bicep, looking at him warmly as you nodded.

“He’s right. You being here and having the courage to fight for Earthrealm makes me, and I’m certain Liu Kang as well, proud enough.” You encouraged him, squeezing his arm. Raiden sent you a smile as well. You could see how he was strengthening his resolve for his upcoming fight.

“Yes, thank you both.” Raiden replied, nodding. His gaze switched between both you and the fire god. But as you retreated with Liu Kang, you felt the champion’s gaze linger on you for just a few moments longer.

“Shall we see what you can do?” Li Mei challenged. She seemed more angry now, as if her determination had now been switched out with anger for the man. This made you wonder just what the Empress had said to her during their hushed moment. You clasped your hands together, staring at the duo as they conversed before their fight.

“Hopefully, this will be the first of many victories.” Raiden replied, his tone polite and respectful. You sighed. You knew it was part of his charm, but he seriously needed a lesson in verbally defending himself better.

“I will prevail, Earthrealmer.” Li Mei declared. Her eyes narrowed at her opponent. “This fight is more important to me than you will ever know.”

The fight began. It was intense. While Raiden was trained well, courtesy of you, the monks, and Liu Kang, you weren’t certain how he would fare against the Outworlders. After all, you knew they had much longer life spans than Earthrealmers, which meant they had more experience than what he could ever have.

Li Mei displayed great combat prowess. You could see how disciplined her technique was from the way she moved. She was relentless. She treated Raiden as if he were a threat, which he was. She did not dare underestimate her opponent.

Raiden, however, kept his calm. You watched as he showcased his newfound electric abilities. It was honestly a bit mesmerizing to watch, and you were immensely impressed by how fast he had mastered the new powers. It was as if he had them since birth, and you would have assumed so had you not been there to witness when he first got his powers. You just wished it came from anything else than that cursed amulet.

Still, despite the vigor that Li Mei had shown, Raiden was still able to best her.

“Thank you for the match, first constable.” Raiden thanked his opponent humbly. With grace, Li Mei stood up. You couldn’t ignore the despondent look on her face. She looked at the young man for a moment. Then, she bowed and then took her leave. You watched her walk off, and couldn’t help but to feel bad for her. The crowd began murmuring as she left.

“My compliments, Raiden, on a well fought match.” Sindel commended the Earthrealm champion. She then stood up, addressing the crowd. “We are adjourned until first light, I hope to see you all at this evening’s banquet.” She announced to everyone, then everyone dispersed.

“Congratulations Raiden.” You said, walking over to the champion. You watched as his eyes seemed to light up at your praise. You pat his shoulder, shaking it just a bit. “Keep it up, and I might just have to reward you when we get back to Earthrealm.” You said, half joking. And yet, the man looked at you with surprise, and there was just a bit of color on his cheeks.

“Really?” He inquired with a hint of surprise in his voice. He blinked as you nodded, thinking of what type of food to make the man. Perhaps a dessert this time? Victory did taste sweet after all. As the others came to congratulate their peer, you backed off to stand next to Liu Kang. You didn’t want to crowd the man.

“I could see your training techniques shining through.” Liu Kang said, looking over to you as he also let the others converse with Raiden. You looked at him, basking momentarily in the praise he was giving to you. Sure, nowadays the praise you received from the god was not rare, but it was delightful to receive all the same. “I could have not chosen anyone better to train him.”

“You’re too sweet.” You reply, feeling bashful at the praise. You looked downwards, before looking back at the small group. “I must admit, I’m surprised with how quickly he adapted to using that amulet.” You said, recalling briefly how he even used techniques the old Raiden had displayed. “You must have taught him well.”

“I merely guided him.” The fire god admitted, his gaze also on the champion. “In truth, it was he who had discovered those techniques himself.” He paused, his hands folding in front of him. “It was almost…natural for him.” There was a tone in his voice…nostalgia? You eyed him, not knowing what to make of the way he spoke.

Did he know more than he was letting on?

“I see.” You replied, uncertain of how to properly respond. Suddenly, you felt like you were hit with a wave of nausea. You stumbled forward, gripping your head. Liu Kang reached out, grabbing your arm to steady you. The throbbing in your head had intensified.

“Are you alright?” Liu Kang inquired, his voice dripping with concern. His eyes searched you, trying to see what was wrong. Wearily, you nodded your head. You swallowed, trying to will away the pain. You closed your eyes as you steadied yourself. He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Are you receiving visions again?”

“I’m fine.” You manage to get out, dancing around the question. “I…I just need some air. I’ll meet you at the banquet tonight.” You told him quickly, not certain what had suddenly befallen you. You hadn’t received any visions this time, just pain. You let out another hiss of pain. For a moment, you felt Liu Kang’s grip tighten, as if he wasn’t sure it was the right decision. Then, his hand let go of you.

“Take care of yourself.”

You nodded, quickly walking off in a direction, just wanting to get outside. You didn’t notice the eyes that fell on your retreating form. The hallways echoed with your footsteps, and you concentrated on the ground ahead, trying to retrace your steps to the front of the palace. You tried your best to ignore the Umgadi who seemed to stare at you curiously. They didn’t interfere though, seeing as you were just walking towards the outside. As you were met with the grand doors, you let out a sigh of relief as you quickly walked outside.

The fresh air was much needed. The intense pain in your head settled down. It was even more bearable than before, which was a much needed relief. Maybe being in there or witnessing all that had caused your head to be overwhelmed. You couldn’t tell, it was all too confusing. You walked forward and sighed, leaning on a railing that overlooked the city in the distance.

It was nice and peaceful out here.

“Ahem.” Jumping slightly, you looked over to the right and saw Li Mei standing out there. She looked awkwardly away, bowing her head as you looked at her. You had not even noticed her there. You looked at her, noting the puffy eyes and the tear stains on her face that you were able to barely see from her nearly hidden face.

Oh. You had interrupted a private moment.

You felt your face flush from embarrassment as you opened your mouth, not knowing how to respond. Unhelpfully, your mind finally granted you a brief memory of the woman before you. You remembered being friends, bonding over lost villages. You vaguely remembered a refugee camp. Well, none of that had been helpful to you in your current situation.

“I…um…sorry.” You managed to get out, turning your gaze away. Silence settled between you two, but it was far from the comfortable type that you were used to. Unable to bear the awkwardness, you spoke up again. “You fought well back there. I almost thought you would have won.” You admitted, fidgeting with your fingers.

“Thank you.” Li Mei said quietly, her voice hoarse. There was a tone to her voice which told you that your words did little to comfort her. She did lose still, after all. There was a moment where you heard her sniffles. Awkwardly, you searched your pockets, before you found a small packet of tissues. Good thing you carried those around with your medical pack. You held it out to her, who looked at it curiously before taking it. “Thank you…again.” She muttered, before using it. You nodded.

“No problem.” You said, the tension easing just a bit. “I’m not lying when I commend your fighting skills, you know.” You continued, your gaze dropping to look down at the waterfalls that decorated the palace. For a moment, you considered turning into a fish and swimming away to avoid this awkward conversation. You couldn’t just…leave her though.

“It wasn’t enough, though.” Li Mei responded, a hint of bitterness in her tone. She did seem to feel better despite this.

“I think that’s okay.” You say, shrugging. You realized what your words sounded like, and scrambled to clarify what you meant. “I mean that you did your best! And I think that’s commendable! It’s very much okay to be upset though!” You said, and you felt guilty as you watched the police officer just awkwardly nod. “Sorry, I’m not exactly the best at comforting people. I didn’t mean to interrupt your private moment either.”

“It’s alright.” The first constable said, her voice softer now as she fiddles with the rest of the packet of tissues in her hands. “I had been a wreck.” She admitted. She kicked her boot into the ground. “I don’t even know why I told you that, in all honesty. You’re a stranger.”

“Sometimes it’s nice to get things off your chest.” You offered an explanation, shrugging. “I don’t mind listening.”

“Are all Earthrealmers so trusting?” Li Mei inquired, changing the subject. You had a feeling she was not too trusting of you, which you figured was fair. Her stare lingered on you, a suspicious look on her face. You let out a small laugh.

“Not all, but there are certainly a lot of us who are.” You admitted. You looked over to the woman, nodding your head. “Sorry to intrude on your time, keep the tissues.” You apologized, bowing your head. You walked off, giving her one last final wave. You probably were making the situation worse by sticking around. “It was nice meeting you though, first constable.”

“It was nice meeting you too.”

You didn’t meet up with the others until later, taking the time to try and rest. Being away from people helped your headaches. You had found your room, which the Empress had so graciously allowed you and the others to have. Your room was quite quaint, and from your knowledge, it was fairly close to the hanging gardens, a place that had caught your eye.

Maybe you could take a walk around there later.

As you exited your room, you found yourself a bit lost, not knowing where to go exactly. Was the banquet to be at the hanging gardens? You vaguely recalled someone telling you that during the ride over, but your memory was failing you. You stood outside your door, deep in thought. You hardly noticed the footsteps heading your way.

“Lost?” A voice inquired. You looked up and noticed princess Kitana walking towards you. You blinked, surprised upon seeing the royal. You stared at her, feeling a memory pop up. She had a similar role in the past life. A princess trained in combat. There were a few more memories attempting to break through, but your head couldn’t make sense of it quite yet. You quickly realized that you had been staring. You bowed to her out of respect, which seemed to please her.

“If you’re lost, I can guide you to the royal banquet, if you wish.” The princess offered to you, a cordial smile upon her lips as she seemed to analyze you.

“That’d be appreciated, princess.” You said, accepting her offer. You followed her steps, matching her pace. She seemed a bit more friendly, than when you saw her earlier, even if it was just by a tiny bit. The hallways were filled with the echoes of your footsteps. You didn’t mind the silence, trying to dwell on the nagging feeling that you had. Why had you felt like you had seen her in your memories recently?

“Have you enjoyed your stay in Outworld so far?” Kitana inquired, peering over to you. You blinked, losing your train of thought. You hadn’t been expecting her to try and converse with you. You couldn’t tell if she was simply being polite or was actually interested in your thoughts. You just hoped it was the latter.

“I have, your realm is fascinating.” You admitted, reflecting on what you had seen so far. You were glad it was nothing like your memories. “It’s very pretty here. Where I come from, we don’t have sights like this.” You said, referring to both the life you currently lived and the one you remembered. “I’m fortunate to be able to witness this.”

“Indeed.” Kitana nodded. “Not many Earthrealmers get to witness the beauty of Outworld, much less in their prime.” You were momentarily puzzled by what she meant, then remembered that most perceived you as merely an Earthrealmer. You silently wondered if there were others like you out there, others who originated from other realms. You supposed not.

“It is a blessing.” You said, deciding to play along. Best not to raise any unwanted attention to your strange status. “Have you participated in many tournaments yourself?” You inquired, not knowing just how old the princess was. You assumed thousands of years, but just how many was something you weren’t quite sure of.

“Oh, I have participated in plenty.” The princess admitted nearly laughing at the idea. Which in all honesty, didn’t really give you any indicators to her age. She peered over to you, a thoughtful look on her face. “You are known as Lord Liu Kang’s companion, correct?” She inquired, tilting her head in your direction. You nodded, not sure where she was going with this. “What qualifies you to have such a high position?”

“Ah.” You said, realizing that many didn’t get the privilege of being called such a title. You weren’t sure if there even was someone who came before you who had the same title. You weren’t sure how to explain it, many didn’t question the title since it would be akin to questioning a god…but Outworlders were a bit more bold. “I’m not quite sure myself.” You lied. “I just help him with duties and training the champions.”

“I see.” Kitana said, though you could hear the curiosity in her tone. It was the type of curiosity which was not so easily quenched. “So you trained Raiden?” She inquired, her eyebrows raised. You nodded, and she seemed a bit surprised. “You two must be close.” She commented, which made you hum in thought. You nodded as you came to that conclusion as well.

“I guess we are.”

“We’re here.” She announced, and you found yourself outside where the Hanging Gardens must be. It looked wonderful at night and decorated. Not to mention, the smell of the food in the air was simply divine. She looked at you again, an amused smile on her lips. “You’re interesting, I would not mind talking to you again. Enjoy the feast.”

“You too!” You called out, feeling honored. You stared after her, your mind pulsing as it tried to remember desperately what role she had in your past life. You walked around the area, marveling at how the plants glowed in the cooler colors of the rainbow. You found yourself peering at the tables and found there were particular seating assignments. It didn’t take long for you to find your seat, and luckily you were one of the first there.

You were to be seated between Johnny and a person named Rain. You stared at the name, a faint recollection returning to you. The name was certainly familiar. The people to be across from you were Raiden and Liu Kang. You’d at least be among familiar faces. That, and you didn’t seem to be seated close to General Shao at all.

That was a relief.

Soon, people began to emerge from the palace and fill the area. The pressure in your head started up again, and you silently grieved over how you would not be able to enjoy this meal without at least a little bit of pain. With how strong the pressure was, you assume you would not be able to glean any new memories either. Still, you did not complain and sat down as the food was served.

Plates of delicacies were set before you, and as you peered at the cooked meat, you wondered if these creatures were the same ones as on Earthrealm. If there weren’t, you wondered if you could transform into it. When wine was brought about, you declined it. You were against the idea of becoming drunk, fearing your deepest secrets would spill from your very own lips.

You were not giving yourself the chance to sabotage the good things you had. So instead, you got some simple fruit juice.

You mostly indulged in the food presented to you, enjoying the difference in tastes. Mentally, you wondered if you could recreate these back at home. Now that would be something you could surprise Madam Bo with. You did listen in to the others conversations, but the one who you surprisingly ended up talking to the most was the man beside you.

“The Imperial Academy sounds wonderful!” You remarked, marveling at the story that Rain had indulged you in. He was much more friendly than you were expecting. When he had introduced himself as the high mage, you were intrigued immediately. You asked him about how he earned the title, and he informed you of his accomplishments. He seemed proud of his achievements.

“It is indeed.” He said, smiling your way. He nodded as he took a sip of the wine. “And you say Earthrealm has no schools of magic?” He inquired, an eyebrow raised at the words you had told him before. You nodded, chewing a piece of food.

“It doesn’t.” You confirmed, slicing the food on your plate to prepare another bite. “Magic is pretty foreign to our realm. It’s either a rare secret that is passed down through families, you are born with it, or you receive power from another object.” You explained, recalling the different ways that you knew people had received their special abilities. “I’m amazed magic is taught here.”

“I pity the fact that your realm doesn’t have the same privilege as our realm does.” He used your hands, eyebrows raising. “You mentioned your people rarely have magic.” You nodded, confirming what he heard. “Are you also magicless? Or are you part of the fortunate few to be blessed with those abilities?”

“I was fortunate to have those abilities.” You confirmed. Setting down your silverware, you held out your hand and transformed it into a bear’s claw. Rain’s eyes widened with fascination, and you felt proud of your little display of sorcery. “I was blessed to be born with animal shape shifting. I can transform parts, or all of my body at will to any animal I wish.”

“Fascinating. And you have not studied these abilities formally?” The high mage remarked, eyeing the transformed limb before you turned it back. “Your abilities remind me of another sorcerer in the royal court.” He said, piquing your interest. “He is busy with some duties, but I believe it would be of interest if you spoke with him.” He paused, looking at you once more. “Assuming you strive to learn about the limits of what you can do.”

“I am always looking to grow stronger.” You admit, and it seemed that something in your words struck a chord with the mage. His smile grew as he leaned towards you just a tiny bit more. “I wouldn’t mind conversing with this other sorcerer if he has similar abilities.” You say, nodding, taking note of the tip that he had given you. “What is his name?”

“His name is-” Rain began, but the conversation was cut short as he turned his attention to the front. You also turned to look, and noticed Empress Sindel had risen, holding her goblet in one hand. All of the conversations came to a halt as you watched the empress begin to give a speech.

“My husband Jerrod believed that the future of our realms lay together.” Sindel called out, a smile gracing her lips. Her attention traveled across the crowd. “Let us move forward in open dialogue, letting no secrets tear our bonds asunder.” You watched as everyone began to rise. Grabbing your own glass, you stood as well, raising it out.

“Your highness.” Raiden spoke suddenly, surprising you. “It’s an honor to be here and meet your people.” He looked around, his eyes landing on even the general who had shown him contempt earlier. “I can see there’s more here that joins us than divides us.” Despite the disapproving stare that you could see Shao was sending the champion, he only let out a small scoff.

Your distrust of the man grew, but at least he didn’t make an uproar.

“Well said, young man.” Sindel said, nodding in agreement to the little speech that Raiden had given out. Her smile grew as she lifted her goblet. “Now, let us enjoy the rest of the tournament together, in harmony, just as my husband would have wished.” With that, she lifted the cup to her lips and drank merrily.

With a cheer, everyone followed suit, taking a drink as their empress did. The rest of the feast ended quite well, with little to no issues as far as you were concerned. You had even conversed more with Rain, learning more about the magic culture that Outworld had been blessed with. He even offered to talk more another time, seeing your enthusiasm.

It wasn’t until you were in your room later that you realized that you had forgotten to ask what the sorcerer’s name was.

You couldn’t sleep.

That was to be expected. You always had trouble sleeping. Not to mention the fact that you were in an unfamiliar realm. Not to mention, when you tried to close your eyes, you could only see the lifeless body of Liu Kang. Your body was restless, and you paced back and forth in your room. You didn’t have a window here, the darkness only being abated by a simple crystal lamp.

You bit your lip as you tried to process all you had seen. You knew you definitely had a history with many people in Outworld. That was undeniable. Your memories only occurred when you encountered people you had at least known and talked to. It would be hard to try and figure out what your connection to all of them were though, since you would either have to stay around here for a prolonged period of time, or have private moments with them.

Somehow, you were more likely to encounter the latter, seeing how your time here was limited.

You sighed as you recalled the chilling vision of the general. Obviously, he had been some sort of villain previously. But was that still true? Your previous memories with Bi-Han had also been unpleasant. Maybe Shao was just an asshole? You weren’t certain, you hadn’t seen enough of him. But then again, you weren’t sure if you wanted to see any more of him.

With a sigh, you soon found your hand hovering over the handle of your door. Would it be weird to go and see if you could explore the palace? You figured that it would be considered off, and maybe even suspicious. They’d surely accuse you of trying to try and steal something. Maybe you could just explore the gardens. It’s not as if you could steal anything there.

That, and you weren’t sure if you could stand being in this room anymore.

You exited the room, slinking quietly into the hall. You masked the sounds of your footfalls, remaining quiet as possible to try and not disturb the others around. Sure you were restless, but you did not want to wake the others from your own energy.

“Where are you going?” A voice inquired, seeing you come down the hall. You walked closer, squinting to make out the figure. Ah, it was Tanya.

“I just walked to go on a walk.” You explained, hands up. “I’m rather restless, and the time difference between here and Earthrealm is great.” You gestured to the hall where you recollected the hanging gardens were. “I understand that it is late, but I merely wish to tour the hanging gardens, it looks beautiful at night.”

“Is that all?” Tanya inquired, assessing you with a hardened stare. You nodded, not minding how she glared at you. You knew she was only doing her job. She circled you, her gaze akin to a hawk. “Fine. I’ll escort you there.” She said, her tone cautious. You smiled gratefully at her for her generosity.

The walk there was silent, and unlike Princess Kitana, she offered no dialogue. Still, despite your gaze forward, you knew she was watching you closely. You didn’t mind, just wanting to go to the gardens. A memory began to surface, and you remembered a much different woman. One who sought to reclaim the glory of Edenia, a land that was once lost. How different she seemed now. Your mind did not buzz as much after, so you assumed you did not know her that much in the previous life.

“I’ll be here to make sure you don’t try to sneak in.” Tanya informed you once you two arrived, being transparent with her intentions. Her gaze narrowed as she scanned you up and down. “Do not try anything, Earthrealmer.” She warned.

“I promise I will not.” You said sincerely. Her gaze did not waver, but she did nod approvingly before turning away, letting you roam the gardens.

It was as breathtaking as before. The night sky was tinged with a hint of purple, and the night sky was so clear, letting the stars shine down on you. You briefly wondered if those same stars were the ones that those in Earthrealm would see.

Were Tomas, Bi-Han, and Kuai Liang looking at the stars too, wondering how you were?

The plants around the area flourished with life, and the smell was simply divine. You still couldn’t get over how they had a natural glow. You were tempted to reach out and touch the flora, captivated with their looks. You figured that was rather rude though, so you held back. You did allow yourself to lean in and smell the flowers.

In the midst of your fascination, you did not look ahead, and soon found yourself bumping into a figure.

“Sorry!” You instinctively apologized as you backed up. You shook your head to see princess Mileena. She looked at you with a mixture of frustration and confusion. You offered her a weak smile, and you were granted a memory. A ruthless woman with orange eyes and sharpened teeth meant to tear into flesh instead of lips. She was a clone, not a twin.

Was this really the same person?

Quickly remembering your manners, you bowed to Mileena, who watched you closely with narrowed eyes. Your mind still buzzed, and you knew you must have a deeper past with her.

“What are you doing out here, Earthrealmer?” She quickly inquired, her eyes watching you with distrust. You held up your hands as you backed up, trying to display that you were not a threat. Irritation was evident, but you had a feeling that the origin of it was not related to you.

“I was just touring the gardens.” You quickly explained. “I couldn’t sleep. Tanya, one of your Umgadi, helped escort me out here.” You added on. You noted how she seemed to relax a bit upon the mention of the guard. She nodded, though you can sense she was on edge.

“I see.” The princess replied, her lips pursed. “Cause no trouble then.” Mileena instructed, then began to walk off. You sensed she was still mad about something, but what you could not fathom. You swallowed, and before you knew it, you opened your mouth.

“Wait!” You called out, turning to look at her. She halted, though did not turn around. “Would you like to hear a quick story?” You offered. Perplexed, she turned and looked at you. Her eyes scanned you, her eyebrows furrowed, clearly confused by your sudden offer. There was a moment of silence, and you wondered if it was presumptuous of you to have offered. You knew you were a people pleaser, but perhaps trying to offer something like a story to royalty was too far.

“What type of story?”

“I did not know Earthrealmers could have such fascinating adventures.”

“Well, it’s mostly a tale.” You said, smiling at the princess. You had recounted a movie that Johnny Cage had shown you. You did not know why you did this, but it didn’t sit right with you to see Mileena so upset. She was much more relaxed, the irritation that had rolled off of her in waves dissipating as you had told her of the stories.

“Still, the imaginations of your people are…intriguing.” Mileena looked down at her folded hands, a conflicted look on her face before she sighed. “Tell me, why tell me such things?” She inquired, her eyes narrowing towards you. “You do not seem the sort to randomly spew stories, unlike one of your other companions.”

“I thought a story might help.” You replied honestly. “You seemed, and forgive me for being blunt, stressed, princess.” You swallowed as you looked towards the stars. The princess in front of you was much different than you memories had shown. That was good. “I often know distracting myself from my troubles sometimes helps.”

“I see.” Mileena said, and you heard her shift as she looked away. “I suppose you have good instincts then.” She admitted, though you could tell she felt awkward that she had been read so easily. She paused as she seemed to ponder over something. “Are you often up this late?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” You tell her, crossing your arms as you recalled the many other sleepless nights you had. It was rare you ever went to sleep as expected. “Walks often help clear my mind, so that’s why I went out into the gardens.”

“If you are to be up this late, then I suppose we’ll see each other more often.” Mileena said, and you looked at her in surprise. “I would like to hear more of your tales, they amuse me.” You smiled at her nodding.

“I would be honored to be of service.” You tell her, bowing once more. Mileena looked at you in approval, seeming to enjoy the way you held her in high regard. It was a breath of fresh air compared to her conspirators.

“Meet me here tomorrow, then.” She instructed. She began to walk off, before pausing once more. “Good night…” She spoke your name, testing it out. Your smile grew wide as you waved at her, feeling satisfied that you had helped her from whatever had irritated her.

“Goodnight, princess.”

Taking another moment to yourself, you let out a sigh as you turned your face to look at the purple skies once more. Despite the oddities of Outworld, so far your stay here has been quite…nice. A soft breeze passed, and you smiled.

Maybe you did belong, just a bit, in Outworld.

part twelve

tagged: @zhivaxo @koisuko

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littlediscoveredstars · 2 months

Text

Alright I’m on my Yugioh shit, but I think what Pegasus did to Seto Kaiba was waaaay more personal than any other Yugioh villain.

None of my thoughts are organized, but I’ll try to get it out in some kind of way that makes sense.

Let me first start by saying that Seto Kaiba is a minor through the whole series. This is important to his character, almost more than the others, because it is exactly what he’s trying to erase about himself.

Kaiba dresses himself up in outfits that accent his masculine features similar to how an adult will. His shoulder pads make his shoulders seem broader. His coat goes inward to give a very triangular shape to his torso. He’s got belts everywhere (and while yes, this is just the style of Yugioh, I believe it cannot be completely written off as just that).

At the base of it, Kaiba wants to be seen as an adult. He NEEDS to be. He runs a company and is in near constant threat of being taken advantage of by others. We see this many times throughout the show, especially by Pegasus.

Now, to connect things once again. Kaiba is a minor who was thrust into adulthood far too early, yet, he engages in child-like activities. Duel Monsters, while used for their ancient shadow games, is still just a game. A game Kaiba is OBSESSED with, to the point he becomes the face of the Blue Eyes White Dragon.

(Which is his symbol of power and autonomy over others, which further proves why he so badly hates the ancient talk, but that’s another essay)

Pegasus is the created (re-created, technically) of Duel Monsters. He made the paintings, the cards, the rules. He shows in many tournaments (assumed based off episode 2) and given how much Kaiba has won? I’m guessing they met before becoming business partners.

In short, it makes sense that Pegasus would be an important figure to Kaiba. Maybe an idol, an inspiration, or whatever it might be. Kaiba saw Pegasus and saw a man who’s game kept him alive through his years with Gozaburo, who gave him a connection to his own brother.

Pegasus is powerful. Pegasus has full control of his own actions. He is everything Kaiba wants and changed KaibaCorp. to be.

A little ways down the line, Pegasus becomes his business partner. Kaiba gets to work a littler closer with him. We never see what exactly that entailed besides letting Kaiba use the Blue Eyes (and other cards) without copyright issues and Pegasus using the holographic stages, but even that is a significant exchange.

(Makes me wonder if things hadn’t turned out the way they did, would Kaiba and Duke Devlin view him the same way?)

Then, Pegasus starts Duelist Kingdom. He uses Kaibams vulnerability to his advantage and steps in to take over. He kidnaps Mokuba, then takes his soul and shows it off like a trophy.

Pegasus has not just betrayed Kaiba’s trust, but he turned into a real person for Kaiba. It shows him that, just like everyone else, Pegasus is greedy and selfish. He takes what Kaiba worked so hard for, what he loves, just because he can. And he does so with the same smiles and teasing as before.

It’s beyond disappointment. This is heating your favorite person side with your abusers. This is a childhood hero watching you get kicked and laughing as he kicks you alongside them.

So, naturally, Kaiba won’t forgive him. We see in Battle City how bruised Kaiba’s ego is. He’s mad at Yugi, he’s mad at Izushi, no one is saved from his ire. Even Mokuba gets the short stick every so often. He is compensating BIG TIME and it’s directly connected to how things went over last season.

Might I add that Duelist Kingdom takes place less than a year after Kaiba took over KaibaCorp? This is a still pretty fresh CEO with some very big trauma that he simply has not dig into yet.

I think in a world where Pegasus was not so disillusioned by his own desperation to revive Cecelia, he would’ve been a good mentor to Kaiba. They both have a love for games, for the visual experience (painting and holograms) and they’re both very particular. Honestly, their traits would work relatively well, all things considered.

But it didn’t and we see Kaiba go through cycle after cycle of trying to get better and stumbling every step of the way.

Anyway, that’s my TedTalk. As a Pegasus enjoyed and Kaiba analysis, I found this topic very fascinating.

#yugioh #seto kaiba #maximillion pegasus #pegasus j crawford #character analysis #duelist kingdom #not toonshipping!#essay #cycles of abuse

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sheeple · 1 year

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Miracles don’t exist | 3: Well-mannered friends

Genre(s): Riddle!reader / Slytherin!reader / kinda slowburn / little happy moments Fandom(s): Harry Potter Pairing(s): Theodore Nott x Reader / Harry Potter x Riddle!reader Summary: Being the Dark Lord's daughter and raised under the strict supervision of the Malfoy's is no easy life. Especially if you start crushing on your father's arch-nemesis, Harry Potter. And that while being engaged to one of his follower’s sons. Warning(s): None this chapter [Masterlist] [Mini masterlist] [Playlist]

The welcome feast is as usual, delicious. The company also helps. This year, Hogwarts has the honour of hosting the Triwizard Tournament. After a speech about it, Dumbledore welcomes the other schools.

First up is Beauxbatons, the magic school located in France. They only send their girls, which are absolutely beautiful, with their blue silk uniforms and butterflies.

Next up is Durmstrang. My oh my. What do they feed those boys up in the north? Everybody obviously starts to point and whisper as Victor Krum. Draco bounces excitedly up and down the bench.

"I would assume you are far too distracted by Krum to even notice any of the French girls, even the Vila one", you tease Draco, which earns you a glare in return.

The French students take place on the Ravenclaw table and the Durmstrang boys make their way over to your table. You try not to stare at them, so you turn towards the conversation Draco is having with his friends.

Suddenly, someone clears their throat and you all turn around. A tall guy with dark green eyes and blond hair stands in front of his group of four friends, all equally tall. "Can we sit here?", he points towards the empty space around you.

You nod, dazzled by his sharp jawline and accent. The guys send you smiles before sitting down and conversing among themselves in their native language.

"Who's distracted now?" Draco gives you a shit-eating grin. You give him a push, which makes him fly off the bench.

The Durmstrang guys snicker at your cousin as he jumps back up, whipping his hair back in the process. His friends also laugh but shut up as he gives them a glare.

"Talk shit, eat shit, buddy", you muse, batting your eyelashes at him innocently.

This makes the blond guy bellow a hearty laugh. "You are a very funny girl. My name is Gjol Lundström." He reaches out a big hand for you to shake.

"And she's not interested." Draco narrows his eyes at Gjol while he pushes the blond's hand away.

But, before he has a chance, you slap Draco's hand away. "I'm sorry. My cousin-", you glare at him, "thinks he has to be a big brother. (Y/n) Black, nice to meet you." You shake Gjol's hand. It's warm, firm, and rough with calluses. And on top of that, it engulfs yours completely.

You quickly let go of his hand to not make it awkward. And also because the food has arrived. Golden plates upon golden plates appear with the most delicious meats, vegetables, and freshly baked bread.

You don't particularly fancy the scrutinizing stare Draco gives you, so you turn towards the Durmstrang boys. "I saw your ship arrive, it's truly magnificent. I do hope the trip to Hogwarts wasn't too long."

Gjol nods as he swallows a big bite of pork. "Sailing the seas has always been a passion of mine, so I did not mind it. But Sigge." He elbows the boy next to him, getting a side-eye in return. Another one sniggers as he motions to me the gesture of puking.

You giggle, turning to the boy- Sigge, and give him a reassuring smile. "Oh, I don't blame you. My stomach isn't strong enough either to handle the waves." That's a lie. You never had set foot on a boat. But you can imagine Sigge needs a bit of solace.

This makes Sigge open up, going on about how he begged his teachers if he could take a Portkey or even fly. But their Headmaster made this big deal about arriving in style.

"So, are you going to join the tournament?", asks Gjol.

You shake your head. "Nah, I'm not old enough to participate. And besides that, I don't think my family would approve of me putting myself in danger for 'eternal glory'. And what about you guys?"

"Sigge and I are both one year too young. But Bjarne could. He is not going to, though. Headmaster Karkaroff appointed a hand full of students he deems worthy of participating. Bjarne is too skinny. Not enough meat on his bones." Both boys chuckle as they shoot a dark-haired boy on the other side of Sigge's teasing looks.

Bjarne starts to mumble and grumble some things in his native tongue, what you can only imagine to are swears, by the looks of the others.

The rest of dinner goes by without a hitch. The three Durmstrang boys and you talked some more, exchanging stories about your respective schools before they needed to leave. They say goodbye with wide smiles and promise to visit Hogsmeade together.

You also get up to walk towards the Slytherin dorm when a tall figure appears next to you. Blaise gives you something that resembles a smile, but you're not entirely sure.

"Let me walk you back as Nott is... occupied at the moment." He looks smug as you both look over your shoulders, Theodore looking rather miserable as the Bloody Baron is talking rather at him, than with him.

The closer you get to the dungeons, the colder it gets and the more you pluck at your fingers and nails. You don't know what to say, and neither he makes any effort to start a conversation.

"Thanks for walking me back", you say quickly as the two of you enter the common room. You make your way towards your bedroom and drop yourself on the bed, groaning into your pillow.

Daphne looks up from her bed as she is brushing her hair. "The year has barely started and you're already huffing and puffing away."

You roll over so you are laying on your back. "I just know it's going to be a hard year, Daph. Count my words."

The morning of the first day has gone by without a hitch. While Draco and his gang have Arithmancy before Defence Against the Dark Arts, you have Muggle Studies. This makes you come in later than them into the DADA classroom, having all the empty spots near Draco taken up by his friends.

Theodore spots you and practically shoves Lorenzo from the spot next to him. But you quickly see two empty tables near the front.

As you flip through the textbook, not expecting a book bag to drop on the table next to you, you jump a metre in the air as Hermione reluctantly takes place. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she glares at something ─ or someone ─ behind you.

"Are you... are you okay?", you ask hesitantly, wondering if she's ill. Hermione has never batted an eyelash at you, let alone taken up space next to you. You have never interacted or even looked at each other. At least, not before the train ride.

Hermione sharply turns her head towards you. "I'm quite fine, thank you very much."

You watch how Harry and Ron take place in front of you. Harry gives Hermione a look, and the girl sighs.

"Do you- do you like Defence Against the Dark Arts?" She looks almost pained to ask that.

You shrug. "It's fine, I guess. It's a very important subject. But why are you sitting next to me?" She looks at you disgruntled before you continue, "yesterday, you were saying that there aren't any good Slytherins."

This makes her turn scarlet, matching her tie. Ron visibly shrinks in his seat and Harry turns around, his eyes apologetic.

"Well... Maybe Slytherins just need well-mannered friends", she huffs out quickly as the doors to the classroom and in storms Mad-Eye Moody.

Harry and you make eye contact. You know damn well it's Harry who pushed Hermione to be friendly-er towards you. After all, it's what he has been saying for a year now.

"You always look so lonely. Why don't you have any friends?", Harry asks one evening as you sit on one of the many forgotten staircases.

You scoff. "Who would want to be seen with me? If it wasn't because I am related to Draco, it is because of my last name."

"I can be your friend if you would like? We don't have to be seen together if what your family would think scares you. It could be our secret."

A smile forms on your face. It's no surprise to you that Harry would know that neither Draco nor your aunt and uncle would approve of your friendship with the Chosen One. After all, he is the one true enemy of your father. And you shouldn't be fraternising with the enemy.

Taglist (bold means I couldn’t tag you): @the0doreslover @lqndkxlmqma @st4rrry @choppedpartymuffinwinner

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beary-rambles · 1 year

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Flowers | The Series | Chapter Three | The Garden

Summary | You come to find it's hard to avoid someone when the one person they want to talk to just so happens to be you. especially when that someone just so happens to be the prince this whole event is for.

Pairing | Jacaerys Velaryon x Fem!reader

Warning’s | Rose (flower) slander ? not proofread

Word count | 2.5k

Series Masterlist

The gardens of the keep are gorgeous but you can barely notice that now as there's so many people. many ladies standing around looking bored waiting for the prince to show up. Other lords scattered around, some entertaining the other ladies, others conversing amongst themselves.

you feel overwhelmed. especially with the glares of some of the ladies, still anger about the events occurring earlier in the day and this older lord breathing down your neck as he rambles about something about horses, you're barely paying him any attention just mindlessly nodding along and adding a curious hum every once and awhile.

You notice a large group of gasps and many people turn and towards one of the entrances, the prince has arrived, his brothers in tow. The prince looks around with a smile on his face and his eyes lock with yours, you swear you see his smile grow before he turns away.

You must not engage with him, you already have enough if the ladies hate you with the amount of glares you get you turn to now face the older lord as he drones on and on.

Out of the corner of your eye you notice him moving his way through the crowd, gradually making his way towards you.

"Ser''" His face perks lights up, "would you mind if we walked around a little? I feel the need to stretch my legs?" you give the man whose name you can't remember a smile as he nods and offers you his arm and you take it and walk away before jacaerys is able to come near you and hope he doesn't notice this. He does.

While you two continue to walk around you skillfully avoid jacaerys as he is walking around the garden place, you swear you could see the irritation growing on his face every time you lead this old man around. The old negative is that the old man was still. talking.

"I'm sorry , ser, do you mind if I borrow her for a while?" the old man nods before bidding you farewell and you sigh in relief at your savior.

"Thank you I don't know much longer I could have to hear about horses-" you start, surely it had been your father who had come to your rescue while your mother conversed with other lords trying to get you some suitors. Yet when you turn your eyes widen in shock, "Prince Lucerys!"

He laughs as you bow, "I'm happy to have saved you, my lady." you notice joffrey is also next to him and greet him as well and he gives you a grin. "Did you need something from me, my prince?" Lucerys grin grows, you notice a hint of mischief behind his eyes, "I'd like to show you around the garden, if you are yet to see it my lady."

He was also royalty, you shouldn't be conversing with him either, it would only make your reputation worse. People would assume you were desperate to get into the royal family even though the boy was already betrothed.

"I was actually just shown around though i appreciate-" "No no i insist, that lord doesn't know the keep like i do." he was insistent. it would be rude to deny the request of a prince so you nod your head reluctantly and take his arm.

He is leading you now to a different era of the garden and you gasp. Roses. Many many rose bushes line the garden in a beautiful display. Of course they would grow roses in the keep. One of the most standard and beautiful flowers, don't they give a rose crown during tournaments?

You can't remember and right now you can't be bothered to remember as you walk down the rows and rows of rose bushes. "They're beautiful."

"Yes they are aren't they?" Roses weren't your favorite, sure they were beautiful and you loved the meaning, the symbol of love but there were others you enjoyed more. You run your hand along the wall, feeling the petals with your fingertips. Lost in your thoughts you barely notice he's leading you to somewhere, no more like someone but by the time you notice it's too late and lucerys arm has disconnected from yours.

"Ah dear brother there you are. Oh hello my lady." you freeze and turn to see jacaerys standing with two other ladies, he gives you a smile as the ladies next to him frown. "My prince." His smile only grows as you finally address him. He turns back to the ladies and says goodbye as he now moves towards you. The nasty glare they give you reminds you exactly why you need to not be talking to him.

you aren't worried, he'll say his proper hellos then he'll leave just like he did for everyone else- "You wouldn't mind if i joined you three?" "Of course not brother." Based on the grins on all three of their faces you notice something.

They planned this. Of course they did but why? Why did they want you to speak to jacaerys so badly? "My lady." Prince charming offered you his arm, it would be rude to decline of course but you're already thinking of the ways you could get yourself out of this situation.

As we begin to walk around lucerys stops, "Oh i think i see something come on joffrey." He definitely planned this with a smirk on his face. Now you two are alone, well not really alone but it's as alone as you can get. "Are you enjoying the garden my lady?"

He's smiling at you, it suits his face. "I am my prince, it's very beautiful." "I'm glad you are enjoying it." for a moment you allow yourself to bask in his presence, forgetful of your place as you take glances of him.

As you two continue to walk he clearly is about to ask you something else before another lady comes over, "Prince Jacaerys, do you have a moment?" Cassandra baratheon. A lady from a great house. A pit forms in your stomach as you remember who you are. You're embarrassing him, a lower lady walking around with a prince on her arm. He must feel ashamed knowing Cassandra saw the sight because you know you're feeling it for him.

you release yourself from him and he gives you a look you cannot recognize, "I shall be off your grace." He opens his mouth to say something but you rush away before he has a chance. It's embarrassing, for the first time in your life you are wishing you were someone else, you wish you were a lady born to a great house so you won't feel shame for wanting to know him, maybe if you were a lady from a great house he wouldn't feel shame for being around you.

You rush through the garden passing by many lords and ladies who give you odd looks but you can't be bothered to care. You end up in a more secluded place and look around aimlessly, you're lost.

You can't even be bothered to care, you're defeated, so you lay on the ground and stare at the sky. Yes, your dress is getting ruined but the view is worth it. The sky is so clear, blue and bright and the smell of flowers reminds you of home and how you could spend just laying on the grassy hills and admire the clouds as they go by.

Your father would join sometimes and you two would point out what the clouds looked like for hours just laughing and chatting together. You'd pack a picnic the morning of and would stay out there until your mother yelled at you two to come inside for the day. You miss home.

Your mind is filled with thoughts and your eyes are cloudy with tears. You don't register someone calling out your name from behind you until his worried face is blocking your view. "My prince!" you sat up quickly. "Are you alright? did you faint?" "No. I mean yes I'm alright…. im sorry." he offers you his hand and you stare at it, you shouldn't you know you shouldn't but you take it anyway. It feels nice, it's warm, it must be true, the blood of the dragon runs hot. You notice it's slightly coarse must be from all the training he does.

Once you're up you quickly let go and look down, "I'm glad you're alright i was- i mean your mother was very worried about you when she saw you were no longer roaming around the main area, i decided i would come looking for you." Ah your mother of course she was worried, she knew you were failing the one reason you were supposed to be here.

And now you've ended up inconveniencing the prince. "I'm so sorry, there's just so many people and I just-" "There's no need to apologize to me, I'm just glad you're feeling okay." He sounds so genuine that you look up and he smiles, when you finally look him in the eyes you swear his smile grows, "I didn't get to finish showing you around, i'd like to finish showing you if you do not mind."

You should tell him no, you should run and stay away from him until this whole ordeal is over and you can venture home and forget all about the beautiful dark haired prince. "Of course my prince." but you cannot.

You notice your dress is surprisingly not ruined, only some grass and rocks that easily come off with a quick brush of your hand. You mumble another quick apology before turning back to him and you notice he's watching you with a smile, your face burns as he offers you his arm.

The two of you begin to walk back the way he had come from, "I didn't get to ask you this earlier my lady," You turn towards him curiously you note he's already looking at you, "You seem rather knowledgeable about flowers, am i correct?" "Yes my prince." "Do all flowers have meanings?" You're shocked by his question, apparently it shows on your face, "Is there something wrong with my question?" you shake your head, "no no no my prince it's just, men aren't usually interested in flowers." he turns his head back forward with a thoughtful look on his face, "i've always admired flowers."

He admits this to you like it's a dirty secret he just shared "I've always enjoyed coming out here and admiring the roses, they're very beautiful. Yet i have no clue of their meaning or if they even have one." He refuses to look at you, like he feels you would be disgusted of his words. "I'm glad you enjoy flowers." He stiffens up slightly at your words, "Flowers are very beautiful, many men don't appreciate them only ever caring to grab a pretty bunch and present it to a lady. I find it very honorable you wish to know the meanings, I always found it funny when a man is confessing his love to a woman when giving her a bunch of yellow carnations. You giggle slightly as you recite the memory in your mind.

"Yellow carnations?" "Yes, most flowers mean good things but some can be interpreted negatively. Yellow carnations for example can mean disdain and are usually given to those you do not wish to be with anymore. Once when I was walking around one of the local towns I saw a man professing his love to the town's local seamstress. ended up even asking her to many of her in the same speech. The woman looked overjoyed and said yes." You laugh before continuing "The two did not last, broke off their engagement right before the wedding."

He turns to you before he begins to laugh as well. "That is ridiculous." "I know!" you two laugh as you continue walking through the rows and rows of bushes. Once you two stop laughing he looks at rose bushes. "What do roses mean?" You look over to the beautiful red roses on your side.

"Roses mean a different thing depending on this color. Red roses mean new love or love at first sight. When you give someone a singular red rose it resembles giving them your heart. It's a rather beautiful sentiment." You don't notice he is staring at you while you are staring at the roses until you turn back to him with your two locked eyes.

His face is slightly red and he has a look on his face you cannot place. Your face burns as well, you want to lock this moment in a locket and wear it around your neck so it's close to your heart forever. you two enter a more crowded part of the garden and he turns away from you.

You are once again reminded of who you are and where you are, you always seem to get lost in the moment with him. you move to remove your arm from his but his arm tightens, keeping you in place. "I'd like to know more about flowers ' meanings." you turn to look at him once more, "like what?"

he's at a loss for words, he tries to come up with something but he is too late as someone already comes up to him, yet another great house lady though you do not know her name. "I have not been able to greet you yet my prince."

the lady is glaring at you, you rip your arm away from jacaerys and turn to leave once more. "Goodbye my prince." and just like earlier you slip away before he can speak.

You meet up with your mother who fuses over you before you tell her you aren't not feeling well and wish to return to your room. She walks you there as if sensing your negative mood she does not question you. As you walk through the halls of the keep you think to yourself, You failed this afternoon.

You were supposed to avoid him but instead spent way too much time with him. you would do much better next time you have too. This cannot continue; you cannot allow yourself to be deluded with impossible thoughts and scenarios.

as you arrive at your room your mother turns to you, "Remember tonight is the opening feast i shall come collect you from your room when it is time." she gives you a kiss on the forehead before she leaves.

The opening feast. Yet another place where you shall have to see the prince. Dread filled you as you entered the room, maybe you could play sick and miss it but your mother would never allow it. You attempt to come up with any other ideas while you get undressed but none would work.

You decide to take a nap before the events of later tonight. You cannot allow what happened today to happen again and this time you're sure you will succeed.

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hawkins-losers · 2 years

Text

Don’t mess with my man | Steve Harrington x Hopper!Reader

Summary: When a new kid arrive in Hawkins, someone’s gotta put him back in his place - but that someone is not Steve Harrington

Word count: 2.7k

Request: Can you write about Billy bullying Steve and reader defending him?

Could you pretty pretty please write a Steve x Reader fic with prompts 12 and 46?? 🥺🥺 (‘’I’m fine.’’ - ‘’No, you’re not. You’re bleeding!’’ + “Stay the night. Please.”)

Warning: Billy being a disrespectful ass, s*xual harassment, s*xual a**ault (hand under clothes), violence

A/N: When I started writing this, it had a goal. It was going somewhere. But it got lost and I don’t want to trash 2.7k of words. I apologize if it sucks

Like every Thursday, you went to Steve’s basketball practice after your tutoring session. An hour had already passed when you arrived, but you took a seat in the stands for the last thirty minutes.

The basketball season had been disastrous last year - they didn’t even make it to the tournament -, but Steve was confident they would make it this year. You hoped so too. It was Steve’s graduation year, so it would be a nice way to leave Hawkins High.

The team was on the court, playing ‘skins against tee shirts’. You scanned the gymnasium, looking for your boyfriend, and was bummed to see that Steve was not in the ‘skins’ team. Steve was always on the ‘skins’ team.

A new face seemed to have taken his place. You had never seen him at school before so he must be the new guy - Billy. While he sported a nice chiseled body, he had a horrible haircut. A sort of dark blond curly mullet.

Coach whistled and called a water break, breaking you from your staring.

‘’Steve!’’ You waved at him and he smiled, waving back.

He liked having his girl watching him in the stands. Despite all the cheerleaders and other girls cheering for him at games, you were the only one he wanted to hear scream his name.

Coach blew his whistle again, getting everyone’s attention, and the game resumed.

Your and Steve’s little exchange didn’t go unnoticed by the new boy, though. It gave him the perfect material to push Steve’s buttons.

Billy waited until Steve had the ball to put his plan in action. He snuck behind him, making it seem as if he was just playing basketball and trying to snatch the ball, but Billy was actually taunting him. Steve tried pushing him out of the way so he could run to the basket and score, but Billy was blocking him with a nasty smirk on his lips.

A frown crease between your eyebrows as you saw Billy’s lips moving - he was talking. You couldn't hear what he was saying, though. You assumed he was trying to deconcentrate Steve so he could steal the ball, but Steve's eyes flickered to you, jaw tightening, and that’s when you realized it wasn't about the game.

Whatever he was saying was getting to his head and you wanted to punch Billy’s little smirk.

That was not fair play.

Coach was completely blind to his behavior though.

While Steve's attention was on you, Billy shoved him by the shoulder, sending him to the ground, and stole the ball.

That’s a foul! you wanted to call, but it would be pointless. What would Coach do? Give Billy a personal foul? Make him sit the rest of the ‘game’ on the bench? This was just practice. Coach wouldn’t bat an eye even if he saw a player punch another.

Steve quickly stood and went after Billy, but Billy was already too far ahead on the court, making a show of dribbling the ball under his knee and scoring.

The team cheered.

What a fucking show off.

The rest of practice went without any other taunting from Billy.

When Coach signaled the end of practice, you got down the stands and walked up to Steve.

‘’What’s his problem?’’ you asked, nodding at Billy over his shoulder.

Steve shook his head. ‘’It’s nothing. He’s just being annoying-’’

‘’Bullshit. I saw him nagging you and pushing you.’’

‘’He was just playing’’ Steve insisted. ‘’Let’s go. I’ll shower at home.’’

“No, if you won’t say something, I will.” You turned to walk towards Billy, about to tell him a piece of your mind, but Steve grabbed your wrist to stop you.

“Leave it, babe.”

You scowled at Billy as he watched you and Steve walk out with a smirk on his face.

‘’I wasn’t going to tell him anything too bad,’’ you told Steve as you left the gymnasium. ‘’Just, listen, new kid. Steve might be king of Hawkins High, but I'm the crazy bitch around here. Leave my boyfriend alone, got it?’’

A smile spread on the latter’s lips.

Most guys would be embarrassing that their girlfriend wanted to take their defense against another guy - or anyone -, but it made Steve really horny.

Your next encounter with Billy was at Tina’s massive Halloween bash. You didn’t expect to see him there since he was the new kid, but of course he was. Tina had invited everyone - well, everyone except Jonathan Byers.

You and Steve pulled up to Tina’s dressed up as Sandy and Danny from Grease.

Although you were more Swayze than Travolta, the combo of tight tee shirt and pants looked amazing on Steve. He must’ve been doing squats because you didn’t remember his ass looking this good. To make his costume more ressemblant to the movie, you had painted the T-Birds logo on the back of a leather jacket.

‘’We’re lucky Dad is on patrol tonight. He would’ve never let me leave the house wearing that,’’ you said with a soft laugh.

Steve could only agree. You looked hot in your costume. Anyone with eyes would say so.

When he picked you up, you surprised him with Sandy’s finale outfit instead of the long yellow skirt you made him believe you’d be wearing. His jaw had dropped to the ground when he saw you in the tight pants and red lipstick.

Music was blasting when you opened the door to Tina's. People were drinking, cheering and dancing...and groping each other on couches.

You turned to Steve, a hand on his chest. ‘’Babe, can you go get us drinks? I’m gonna go say ‘hi’ to Jennifer and-’’

‘’We got ourself a new keg king, Harrington,’’ Tommy said, meeting you and Steve at the door with Billy right on his heels - likely their new keg king.

‘’Yeah, eat it, Harrington,’’ added some other guy, taunting and mocking Steve who, according to them, was losing his social status.

Steve took off his sunglasses, taking Billy in a stare down and you almost rolled your eyes at the testosterone that reeked from them. Men.

‘’Well, well, isn’t that King Steve’s bitch,’’ Billy said, walking over to you with a cockiness in his step. He gave you a stare down, his blue eyes lingering at your form-fitting costume, and whistled. ‘’You got taste Harrington.’’

Before Steve could think of anything to say back, you met Billy’s eyes, boldly staring back. ‘’And you have a shitty haircut,’’ you remarked with as much attitude as possible. ‘’Does a bird live in there?’’

Some people whistled, seeing the tension rise between you and Billy.

Billy laughed flatly, shaking his head. ‘’She got a tongue on her, uh?’’ His eyes traveled to you, a dirty smile curling on his face. ‘’Bet you can make good use of it too,’’ he added, running his tongue suggestively over his lips.

‘’Not that you’ll ever find out.’’

The line between consent and sexual assault is thin, but easy to understand. If someone tells you not to touch them, you don't. If you do it anyway, it's sexual abuse. Pretty easy, uh? Yet, some people still can't grasp the concept.

You were walking your way to the library when Billy cornered you in a hallway at school.

”Hey sweetheart,” he greeted with his signature smirk, standing before you head to toe in blue denim. ‘’Nice skirt you’re wearing today, it would look better on my floor though.’’

You ignored his disgusting comment, not feeling like dealing with him today. You were already ten minutes late.

‘’Get out of my way, Billy. I gotta meet Nancy to study.’’

You tried to walk past him, but he cornered you, pressing his hands on each side of your head on the wall.

‘’Don't run away like that.’’ His taut chest pressed you against the wall, trapping you, while his hand slipped down to your bare leg, traveling up your thigh until he reached the hem of your skirt.

You were stunned while it was happening.

‘’Let me go, Billy,’’ you finally said, slowly breaking out of your transe. You needed to think of a smart and efficient way to get yourself out of this situation, refusing to let Billy have his way with you.

He ignored you, high hand getting higher and higher.

Your eyes flickering to both sides of the hallway to see if someone was near. Unfortunately, it was vacant.

‘’Or what?’’ Billy laughed mockingly, not taking your threat seriously. Your breathing quickened as he slipped his hand under your skirt, just an inch. The smirk on his lips broadened, making you sick to your stomach. ‘’Your big bad boyfriend will come and kick my ass? I ain’t scared of him.’’

Taking your abuser by surprise, you snatched his hand off of you. ‘’Get your filthy hands off me!‘’

You tightly grabbed his hand that was under your skirt, and spun in a circle like your dad taught you. His arm bent in an impossible position. With a little more pressure in the opposite direction, you could certainly sprain something, but you decided to spare him.

“I don’t need a man to save me. I’m not a damsel in distress.”

You scoffed while Billy struggled, maintaining your grip and applying some pressure. The blond made a face and hissed.

After a few seconds, you let go of him and took a step back, putting distance between you and him.

“You little bitc-” Billy didn’t get to finish his sentence, getting cut off as a door opened down the hallway and a few students came out.

''Don't ever put your hands on me again, you fucking hear me?'' you hissed at him, your words like venom.

You were in the middle of a tutoring lesson with a junior student when a frantic Nancy bursted through the classroom door, searching for you. She quickly spotted you and ran to your table, a mild state of panic on her face.

‘’Nancy? What are you-’’

‘’I'm sorry, Y/N. I told him. I couldn’t keep it for me, I had to tell someone. It was either him or your dad and your dad kind of scares me and his reaction would've been a thousand times worse than Steve's-''

You put down your pen, then looked up at your friend confusedly. You hadn’t picked up some of her words because of how fast she was talking and the jagged breaths she was taking in between.

''Nance. Breathe,’’ you coached, not wanting her to get an asthma attack or something.

She nodded, and took a few deep breaths. The wash of panic on her face didn’t go away though, which worried you.

‘’Now, what is going on?''

‘’It’s Steve. I told him about the…’’ she glanced at the student sitting at your table and back to you, ‘’ ‘Billy thing’ and he took Billy in a fight.’’

The second Nancy mentioned a fight, tutoring was no longer on your mind - sorry Dennis. You began making up scenarios in your head and they were all worse than the other. Steve knew how to fight, but he stood no chances against Billy. The guy has deep anger issues and that was worrisome.

‘’Shit.’’

Nancy pursued. ‘’Knowing how stupid he can be when angry, I followed him. At first, Steve had the upper hand, but then Billy fought back. It was…’’ She winced at the memory. ‘’The guy fights dirty, Y/N.’’

‘’Where is he? Where’s Steve?’’

‘’Follow me.’’

‘’What about my math homework?’’ you heard Dennis say, but you were already out of the classroom.

In the bathroom at the end of the hall, Steve was cleaning his face with brown paper-towels. The material was rough on his abused and swollen skin, but it was that or toilet paper. He winced at every dabs, grumbling to himself how he hate Billy Hargrove’s fucking face.

He heard commotion beyond the door and his shoulders instantly tensed, thinking Billy was back.

‘’Steve, are you in there?” you called through the bathroom door.

He relaxed at the familiar voice. “In here,” he confirmed.

You pushed the door open and slipped inside, not caring that this was the boys’ bathroom.

His back was slightly angled to you as he stood at the sink. You could smell the copper-y tinge of blood, making your stomach churn. Steve turned, exposing the painting of his injuries, and you couldn't help but gasp. His beautiful face was disfigured.

Your suspicions had been right about Billy's fighting skills.

‘’I’m fine,’’ Steve brushed off, but your eyes were telling you something else.

‘’No, you’re not. You’re bleeding!’’

There was a cut on his cheekbone with a large and deep-colored bruise expanding to the side of his face and eye, a split lip with blood dripping to his chin and shirt, and his knuckles were in the same state - split and bleeding. The bridge of his nose seemed to be bruised too. Hopefully it wasn't broken.

The sound of your shoes echoed in the small bathroom as they carried you to your damaged boyfriend. You reached out to cup his jaw, tilting his head, feeling a sharp pain in your heart as you got a better look at the damages.

You took a clean paper-towel and wet it with warm water to dab onto the cut on Steve’s cheekbone. He hissed in pain, but didn’t move away.

‘’Why didn’t you tell me what happened with Billy?’’

Your bones chilled immediately as your breathing hitched. ‘’Because it’s nothing-’’ you said in a defensive tone.

Steve raised his eyes to you, seeing through your lies. ‘’It’s not. That’s what you are trying to tell yourself, but you know deep down that what he did wasn’t nothing.’’

‘’I don’t want to talk about that. Can you please-’’

‘’Did you not trust me? Is that why you told Nance instead of me?’’

You shook your head. ‘’I didn’t want this to happen. I knew you’d want to bust his face the second I’d tell you and don’t even try to say I’m wrong because that’s exactly what you did just now.’’

There was no point denying. Steve did want to murder Billy. He’d want to murder anyone who touched his girl like that. It made him sick.

The conversation was dropped as you continued to clean Steve’s face Or, tried to. The paper-towel was just smearing the blood and making a bigger mess.

Having enough, you threw it on the counter. ‘‘This is not going to do it. I need saline solution and cotton balls. All there is here is heavily scented hand soap which is a ticket for an infection. You also need ice and painkillers.’’

Two days later, you and Steve were having a little date night at this pizza place when a familiar Camaro pulled in the parking lot.

‘’Stay the night.’’

You shook your head, swallowing your bite of cheesy crust. ‘’Can’t. Dad is home and I need to be home at eleven sharp. Do you remember what happened that one time we didn’t respect curfew by five minutes?’’

Five minutes late wasn’t something to make a fuss about - unless you were Jim Hopper.

Steve winced on his side of the booth, remembering very vividly. ‘’You mean when he threatened me with his gun?’’ He scoffed, taking a fry from the basket. ‘’How can I not remember that…’’

‘’He wasn’t going to shoot you, he just wanted to scare you.’’

‘’Your dad is terrifying as he is. He doesn’t need his gun.’’

You laughed. ‘’I know.’’

The swelling on Steve’s face had gone down a little, but it was still very sore. His busted face attracted curious eyes and awoken whispers everywhere he went, which was very annoying. Couldn’t people mind their own business? Everyone was trying to guess who he had fought with. Was is Tommy? They had been seen stirring some steam at Tina’s Halloween bash. Was it Jonathan Byers? These two have had a forever feud between them. Or-

‘’Nice face, Harrington,’’ Billy’s cocky voice mocked, ruining your date.

His face wasn’t as busted as Steve’s, but he sported a cut under his eyebrow with some light bruising on the side of his face and a split lip.

Billy’s eyes traveled across the table to you, plunging his blue eyes right in your cleavage.

‘’Stop looking at her like she’s some piece of meat,’’ Steve jumped in, reading Billy’s thoughts.

‘’Or what? You’re gonna hit me, Harrington?’’ Billy clicked his tongue, a smug look on his face. ‘’You may have thrown the first punch, but you didn’t win. See that black eye you got? That’s not the face of a winner, isn’t it?’’

Before you, Steve’s jaw clenched, trying to keep his calm. You wanted to reach over the table and hold his hand, but instead you hooked your ankle to his under the table.

‘’He’s not gonna hit you again. He won't need to, because I’m gonna go and tell my dad about you,’’ you said, the words coming out of your mouth.

You didn’t like to use this method to get yourself out of situations, but it was getting out of hand with Billy. You couldn’t let this guy mess with your lives - and heads - anymore.

''And what's daddy going to do? Threaten to kick my ass?'' Billy laughed, not feeling threatened in the slightest.

''No. He'll cuff you for sexual assault and harassment, and physical assault. In case you need a reminder, you grabbed my ass the other day and punched my boyfriend.''

''In case you didn’t catch on, her dad's the chief of police of Hawkins,'' Steve told him with a little smug smile. He pointed across the street to the police office. Hopper wasn’t in tonight, but Billy didn’t need to know that.

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